Chapter 159  

The mysterious Tower of unknown height appeared in cities such as Seoul, Beijing, Milan, London, Aslamas, Washington, and Moscow. It was as if a cascade of light was pouring down.

The Tower suddenly emerged from the earth, stretching upward with such force that it pierced through the clouds. The name of the Tower was delivered by messages from the gods, not by anyone else.

- A Joke-loving Prankster gazes at the Tower of Heaven, hoping that player Choi Yu-Seong will climb it.

- Culann's Hound recommends that player Choi Yu-Seong climb the Tower of Heaven.

- The Oldest Hunter eagerly anticipates seeing player Choi Yu-Seong ascend the Tower of Heaven.

- The Green Spring of the East guides player Choi Yu-Seong to the Tower of Heaven.

- The Cold Wind of the West…

The supportive messages from the gods were pouring down one after another.

“A prankster who enjoys playing tricks is heading towards the Tower in the sky."

"Coolran's fierce dog is heading towards the Tower in the sky."

The news of the Tower's appearance quickly spread across the world, and people from all walks of life were intrigued by it. They talked about it and wondered what it could mean. However, no one could have predicted what would happen next.

That was not all.

The received messages indicated that all the gods, including Loki, Cu Chulainn, and Scathi, were headed to the Tower of Heaven. Only after that did the messages cease. In a way, the meaningless chatter that had been received every day disappeared completely.

This phenomenon was not unique to Yu-Seong. In fact, there was a description written in the original novel.

'After the appearance of the Tower of Heaven, all the gods disappeared into the Tower.'?

However, it remained unclear whether the gods had truly vanished.

‘To be exact, they had entered somewhere in the Tower.’

Yu-Seong remembered the scene where Kim Do-Jin met with one of the gods supporting him inside the Tower of Heaven. This meant that if Yu-Seong himself climbed that tower, he would eventually be able to face the gods directly someday.

‘In fact, the Tower's appearance is the most significant event for the gods.’

It was a unique opportunity for the gods to personally witness the actions of those they sponsored rather than merely watching from afar.

Then, would the karma points disappear completely? Many players were worried about this, but since Yu-Seong had read the original novel, he didn't feel particularly anxious. He knew that the players could now accumulate karma points by climbing the Tower and completing various missions within.

Although the gods' sponsorship would be cut off for now, once they occupied the lower part of the Tower, they would be able to transmit messages again within the Tower, albeit in a limited space. Thus, short-lived confusion would ensue, but there would be no actual problem at all.

Yu-Seong's task was to act faster than anyone else before such confusion went away.

‘The rest of the preparations are done. I just need the vitality of the Giant Hunter.’

Several more days passed by after that.

***

Of course, the chaos following the appearance of the Tower of Heaven was still unresolved. What was this Tower that had suddenly appeared in major cities around the world? Some people had the courage to venture inside the Tower, following the messages of the gods, but no one had returned yet. This caused the tension to heighten to the extreme.

‘It's inevitable. Since they won't be able to return to Earth until we conquer the first ten floors of the Tower.’

It was a matter of time. According to the original novel, it took three months before this fact was revealed.

‘If they had the data, it wouldn't even take a month… But it'll be difficult if they enter blindly without knowing anything.’ Although he knew that spreading his knowledge would quickly resolve this situation, Yu-Seong decided to keep his mouth shut. He did not even share the information with Choi Woo-Jae.

‘These facts will be revealed within a few months anyways.’

Not knowing much would not pose a threat to Earth. It was information that was beneficial only if known in advance. Thus, there was no reason to reveal this information to others.

With this thought, Yu-Seong kept his mouth shut for a few days. He went about his daily life until he finally obtained the vitality of the Giant Hunter, the ancient relic bracelet he had been waiting for.

Yu-Seong then gathered all eight members of his hunting team. As they sat in a circle, looking at each other with round eyes, Yu-Seong said calmly, "We're heading to the Tower."

There was a brief silence before Jin Yu-Ri asked, "When?"

Yu-Ri seemed a little taken aback by Yu-Seong's sudden declaration, but she had a feeling that he had a reason for saying that.

"Today."

"Does the support team know about this?"

"No. They don't."

"So it's something they shouldn't know."

"..." Yu-Seong smiled lightly at Jin Yu-Ri's words.

Unlike Yu-Seong's hunting team, the support team consisted of Choi Woo-Jae's people. If his hunting team wanted to keep it a secret, they had to keep it from everyone.

Aside from Yu-Ri, no one was opening their mouths to speak up. This situation made Yu-Seong feel uneasy.

"Is there anything you guys are curious about or something?"

The Tower, currently unknown to the public, was a highly dangerous area. As a result, the country and the Player Association had requested that people refrain from entering. Although their true intentions were to completely block access, it was impossible for them to do so.

‘Anyway, the message from the gods would be on their mind.’

Not only the gods supporting Yu-Seong persuaded him to the Tower, but countless other gods also sent messages to their followers to come to the Tower. Needless to say, it was difficult for the country and the association to ignore this.

Regardless, up until now, the gods had been quite benevolent towards the players of Earth. Nonetheless, the Tower was still a dangerous place, the unknown territory that the players may not yet be able to return from.

Currently, Yu-Seong was suggesting that his hunting team go to such a place. He himself thought that there would be someone who would express their dissatisfaction or displeasure at his words, since he had raised the issue without any warning.

‘But why is everyone so quiet?’

Aside from Jin Yu-Ri, who had asked the first question, no one else was opening their mouths. It didn't seem like they had any thoughts on the matter.

"Jin Do-Yoon?" Yu-Seong turned toward Do-Yoon and asked.

Do-Yoon nodded as if his answer was obvious. He said, "If the young master is going, I'm going to follow you anyway."

At the same time, Yoo Jin-Hyuk raised his hand and shouted, "Me too! Why do we need a reason when hyung is going?"

"I'm grateful that both of your reasons are concise," said Yu-Seong with a smile and a nod.

The words of the two could easily be interpreted as them trusting Yu-Seong. For some reason, just that fact alone made Yu-Seong feel more secure.

"As for me..."

Meanwhile, Chae Ye-Ryeong, who seemed to be deep in thought, spoke cautiously.

"I'm worried about my younger siblings."

In response to the reply of the young head of the household, Yu-Seong smiled and replied, "If you are worried about your siblings, it's okay for them to stay at our house. I'll make sure to tell the housekeeper aunts."

"Oh… Then I'm okay too."

"There's no need to pack anything," Yu-Seong said.

Whatever they took from Earth, except for ancient relics or treasures from other worlds, would disappear. Therefore, food, bedding, and so on were all meaningless.

‘I guess we are lucky to get to keep the clothes that we’re wearing.’ In fact, for this day, Yu-Seong had forced his team to undergo mandatory survival training.

‘Since they’ll have to fend for themselves in the Tower. That includes finding and fighting for food.’

With that in mind, there was no need for any special preparations. Yu-Seong was about to suggest they leave immediately.

"Are only the five of us going?" asked Yu-Ri as she raised her hand.

Yu-Seong tilted his head in response. He asked, "Who else do we have to go besides us?"

Jenny came to mind at first, but she had to take care of external affairs while both Yu-Seong and Yu-Ri were absent. In reality, someone had to stay outside of the Tower just in case.

" Kim Do-Jin…" said Yu-Ri- carefully.

Yu-Seong was taken aback by the unexpected name. He never thought that Jin Yu-Ri, who despised Kim Do-Jin more than anyone else, would be the first to mention him.

"Anyway, he's skilled enough to be trusted," Jin Yu-Ri said with a bitter smile.

Yu-Seong chuckled and nodded. "That's true. But we can't go with him."

"I see. Something must have happened..."

“Since Kim Do-Jin already entered the tower yesterday."

"Ah..."

"So, in that sense, we have to leave now. Does anyone have anything else to say?"

This time, everyone shook their heads.

***

The Tower of Heaven soared to a height that surpassed even the clouds. Seen from the outside, it was basically round in shape with a dynamic structure that widened in size as it rose to the upper floors. Therefore, some referred to it as the upside-down horn, but it was nothing short of a mystery that the Tower remained intact and standing. This was all thanks to the mystical power that was at play.

The Tower of Heaven did not have an official entrance, but the way in was simple. Just like using ancient relics, all one had to do was place their hand anywhere on the Tower and use mana. It was something that any player could do. However, there was one thing to be cautious of.

"Once we enter the Tower, we will be separated from each other."

Although the Tower of Heaven appeared to have very thin roots, its interior was incredibly vast from the first floor onwards. Being scattered randomly in such a place, it was practically impossible to explore the Tower with companions.

"What should we do then?"

"You can find a door as you wander around. Do not enter unless it's a red door. And when you pass through it, the next floor will take you to where the person who arrived earlier is waiting. You will be able to meet them on the second floor."

Upon hearing this, Yoo Jin-Hyuk’s face turned pale first. He quickly said, "So, I can't be together with you hyung?"

"Most likely. Unless you're lucky enough to land nearby."

"That's inconvenient," said Jin Do-Yoon as he hardened his expression.

The fact that he would not be able to protect Yu-Seong, who usually stayed by his side, did not sit well with him.

"Don't worry. You don't need to be overly cautious on the Tower’s first floor. If I had to say... Well, don't step on the blue-lit area of the ground. And don't follow anything strange. Only respond when you think you're being attacked."

"There are so many rules."

"If you haven't memorized them, should I say them again?" Yu-Seong said.

Everyone laughed and shook their heads.

"That's enough."

With that, Yu-Seong was the first to place his hand on the Tower of Heaven. Then, he expressed his gratitude for everyone's difficult decision. He said sincerely, “Thank you all for making a difficult decision.”

At least, for now, the dominant viewpoint was that once they entered the Tower, they might not be able to return. Nonetheless, they could not forget to show their appreciation for each other. They were coming along without any military command.

"I think I'll be able to come back, of course. Since you're a prophet, Yu-Seong, you must know what's inside in detail..."

“I decided to follow, thinking that I can come back. Yu-Seong oppa, you are the prophet. Do you know in detail what's inside?"

Yu-Ri put her hand on Yu-Seong's shoulder and smiled, saying, "There's no reason to doubt him."

"Of course not, since you said it," Yu-Seong replied.

"By the way, are you a prophet or something similar?" Yu-Ri asked.

With that, mana spewed from Yu-Seong's hand and flowed into the Tower of Heaven. When the rest of the group also infused their mana into the Tower, Yu-Seong said, "Well then, let's meet on the second floor, everyone.”

As he spoke, the light flowing from the Tower of Heaven engulfed the five people. It was pulling them in.