Terra No. 1, Black Tower – Floor 72
Glenn's mission was to eliminate Gobang, the Ironwall, a colossal barbarian warrior roaming the Great Plains.
Gobang?
What a ridiculous name.
"Sounds more like 'meat shield' than anything."
Cohen had already given him his orders.
First, reconnaissance.
All he had to do was identify the target and retreat to the safe zone.
"Now then... where is he?"
At that moment—
Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud!
The ground trembled beneath his feet.
Something enormous was approaching.
Then it came into view.
"It's... human."
But not a human in any ordinary sense.
If he had to describe his first impression in a single word—
"Huge."
It was truly gigantic.
Nearly ten meters tall.
Its upper body was bare.
Bulging muscles covered every inch of its frame.
"A giant? So this is the barbarian warrior they were talking about."
Still, it wasn't a golem.
Certainly not a Gigant.
It couldn't split apart.
And compared to a Gigant...
It was much smaller.
"I can take this."
In fact, he felt confident enough to attack rather than merely scout.
If he killed this monster, a Corporation executive position would be guaranteed.
He had already defeated the Minotaur King.
He had dispatched a wyvern with ease.
"I can kill it."
"Let's do this."
After all, he possessed the Divine Focus Barrier and Mana Bombs.
If things went south...
He'd just run.
Glenn pulled an item from his inventory and pressed it against his chest.
Bzzzzzz!
The Divine Focus Barrier bestowed by the gods activated.
But then—
BOOM!
"KUOOOOOOOOOOO!!!"
A horrifying roar shook the entirety of Floor 72.
Glenn's mind went completely blank.
"W-What...?"
It was Fear.
A debuff that awakened humanity's most primal terror.
"Grrrrrrrr..."
His legs trembled.
His eyes shook uncontrollably.
His body refused to move.
Then a memory resurfaced.
Back when he had traveled to another world as an attendant to the dimensional traveler, Grand Master Marius.
He had once stood before a dragon.
The dragon's Fear had frozen his entire body.
But...
Gobang's Fear on Floor 72 was on an entirely different level.
Far more terrifying.
Far more overwhelming.
Glenn regretted everything.
If only he'd confirmed the mission and immediately fled.
That would have been enough.
THUD! THUD! THUD! THUD!
Gobang walked toward him.
Then—
Grab!
He seized Glenn by the collar and effortlessly lifted him into the air.
"A barrier, huh."
"Soft."
That's right.
The Divine Focus Barrier.
Thirty seconds of invincibility.
Enhanced physical abilities.
Complete immunity to all damage.
However...
It offered no protection against mental attacks.
Nor did it make its user intangible.
"W-What?!"
He couldn't even struggle.
His first-class body...
His Level 71 mana...
Were utterly meaningless before the giant.
Thirty seconds later—
Fwoosh.
The barrier he had trusted vanished.
"Time's up."
Whirl!
Glenn spun helplessly through the air.
"AAAAAH!!"
Gobang grabbed one of his legs with a single hand.
SWISH!!
And smashed him straight into the ground.
BOOM!!
Once.
Again.
SWISH!!
BOOM!!
SWISH!!
BOOM!! BOOM!! BOOM!! BOOM!!
By then...
His human form had long since disappeared.
What remained in Gobang's hand...
Was nothing more than an elongated lump of meat.
Ding!
[Floor 72 has been successfully defended.]
Floor 100 – Control Room
Now...
The gates of hell had truly opened.
Lajix had merely been the appetizer.
Who could possibly withstand Gobang's overwhelming physical strength?
Even the Sand Dragon, whose raw power rivaled that of an Ancient Dragon, would be ripped to shreds by him.
Players?
Forget clearing the floor.
Simply surviving would be difficult enough.
"Damn it, I knew this would happen. Doesn't that bastard Gobang have any humanity? He could've at least let the guy land a few hits."
"I honestly gave up the moment Gobang got assigned to Floor 72. Defending the tower? Yeah, right."
"Only ten days left until three holes appear in the city."
"Only three? It'll probably be riddled with them."
It was only a matter of time.
"Well... that might actually be good."
"Good?"
"If enough holes open, we might finally get to go outside."
"Through the sinkholes?"
"Exactly. During the Wave."
"We're monsters too, after all."
"Oh! That sounds fun."
At that moment, Gyeondallae spoke.
"Young Master."
"Yes?"
"Please refrain from watching hologram broadcasts from now on."
"...Why?"
"Even to me, Lord Gobang's methods are far too gruesome. I fear greatly for your mental well-being."
"Oh..."
Watching someone get pulverized into paste?
It certainly was horrifying.
"To the point where I almost pity the player from Earth No. 1 who died at Lord Gobang's hands."
Pity?
Not a chance.
Joo-hyuk didn't feel that way at all.
"Princess Dallae."
"Yes, Young Master."
"Do you remember Earth's total population?"
"I believe it was around seven billion."
"That's right. Earth No. 675 and Earth No. 843 had similar populations."
Every parallel Earth that had developed a modern scientific civilization contained roughly that many people.
"If they destroy one world..."
"Seven billion people die."
"Two worlds?"
"Fourteen billion."
"Three worlds?"
"Twenty-one billion."
"Among those who died..."
"There were newborn babies."
"Children who grew up loved by their parents and had just entered elementary school."
"Newlyweds."
"Young people working three or four part-time jobs a day while dreaming of their futures."
"They all died."
"They sacrificed humanity in other worlds solely for their own immortality."
Gyeondallae fell silent.
"They knew exactly what they were doing."
"They aren't victims."
"They're collaborators."
"Accomplices."
"So I don't pity them one bit."
"I simply want justice."
That was the greatest reason Joo-hyuk planned to launch a counter-invasion of Earth No. 1.
Justice.
"Now it's your turn to suffer exactly what you've inflicted on others."
Hearing his words, Gyeondallae bowed deeply enough to nearly touch the ground.
"My thoughts were shallow, Young Master. You are absolutely right. What those villains need... is justice."
"Exactly."
"If possible, I'd like to watch until the very end."
To witness Earth No. 1 collapse.
Destroyed by the very Black Tower they had used as a weapon to bring about the end of countless other worlds.
"But why did Gobang go out shirtless?"
"We even made him armor."
"Probably a show of confidence."
"Well, Gobang's skin is tougher than dragon hide."
"Even I cannot guarantee it," the old man said. "Gobang's flesh would likely deflect even Crescent Aura."
"He'd probably survive a Meteor spell."
"What about a nuclear bomb?"
"As long as it doesn't land directly on top of his head."
That's why he was called Ironwall.
An absolute wall no one could overcome.
It was safe to say Earth No. 1's Black Tower would collapse in ten days.
Cohen Yamazaki watched the live body-cam footage being transmitted from Floor 72.
Glenn's death at Gobang's hands.
"Idiot."
One roar.
That was all it took.
The man hadn't even managed to resist.
"So that's a First-Class player?"
No matter how huge the enemy was...
Wasn't it still just a human?
Then how had he been crushed so effortlessly?
Well, regardless...
Lajix—the one who had endlessly pulled bombs from an infinite subspace—was dead.
No splitting golems.
No Gigants.
The Floor 72 monster was merely...
A human.
Surely easier than Lajix.
With the right strategy...
"First, I need a countermeasure against mental attacks."
Gobang's roar.
Even hearing it indirectly sent chills down his spine.
If they could neutralize that one debuff...
The path to clearing the floor would open.
Which meant they needed proper preparations.
"We'll take a short break."
"Restock our equipment."
"And finish this in one go."
They had already conquered Floor 71.
A truly troublesome opponent.
A rat that had tormented First-Class players with every cheap trick imaginable.
But Floor 72...
Was a one-on-one duel.
Human versus human.
No cheating with subspace.
A fair fight.
White Tower – Floor 9
Joo-hyuk stood with an intentionally stern expression.
Before him, Lajix bowed his head.
"So I call you the Dimensional Explosion Demon, huh?"
"And what do you do?"
"You actually start believing you're invincible?"
"Huh?"
"What was that?"
"Throwing your own life away without a second thought?"
"Hue..."
"What would've happened if resurrection hadn't worked?"
"You would've just died."
"Huh?"
"Hue..."
"Maybe I should revoke your resident registration."
"H-Hue?!"
"...I'm not saying I actually will."
"Hueee..."
Ah...
Watching him panic so adorably.
Still, he couldn't let this slide.
The goal was to prevent it from happening again.
"Take out every bomb you've got stored in subspace."
"Hue?"
Rattle! Rattle! Rattle!
Bombs poured onto the floor.
There were still plenty left.
He hadn't detonated all sixty thousand.
About half remained.
Then again...
Thirty thousand bombs alone far surpassed the destructive force of a nuclear explosion.
"Mr. Cossack."
"...Yes?"
"Collect every single one of Lajix's bombs."
"Store them in the warehouse."
"Lock the doors."
"And seal it with a padlock."
"Yes, sir!"
"And..."
"Dr. El."
"Yes?"
"From now on, the Comprehensive Workshop Center is prohibited from manufacturing Ultimate Mana Bombs."
"Understood."
"Shut down the production line as well."
"It will be done immediately."
That should be enough.
"Mr. Lajix."
"Hue?"
"You know I made it this far because of you, right?"
"Hue..."
"You're universally acknowledged as the greatest summoned being."
"So you don't need to push yourself so hard."
"You can relax."
"You don't have to do anything."
Gyeondallae chimed in as well.
"Indeed. Even servants have ranks. Leave dangerous work to the lower servants. Great Head Servant, please continue focusing solely on logistics as you always have."
Cossack nodded in agreement.
"Exactly. Leave tower defense to us..."
"...Though Gobang will probably finish everything himself."
True.
Gobang would handle it.
But...
What if Gobang actually failed to defend the tower?
Cossack.
Brigadier General Be.
Crackersus.
Diamart.
The Mad Demon...
Sigh.
What a hopeless situation.
And even amidst all that...
"The call's come in. The warrior clocks in."
Spot!
Gobang vanished onto Floor 72.
Black Union Corporation Headquarters
Cohen devised a strategy for conquering Floor 72.
The monster on Floor 72, Gobang, was a human, not a golem.
No matter how strong he was, if they kept hammering away at him without pause, he'd eventually tire himself out.
"Everyone, declare your entry and get in line. From this point on, strategic withdrawal is permitted. If it gets too much for you, abandon the mission and get out."
It was a battle of attrition.
A continuous rotation of players to wear him down.
There was only one Gobang.
They still had over a hundred players.
That free-contract monster wasn't a copy.
He possessed a single soul and existed as a single individual.
Which meant he didn't recover his health through resets.
They had also prepared mental-defense items capable of resisting his Fear.
That meant the Divine Focus Barrier could finally do its job.
And if they continuously bombarded him with Mana Bombs...
Eventually...
He would grow exhausted.
Because he was human.
Spot!
First-Class player Jim Hennessy entered the tower first.
[Entering Terra Black Tower (No. 3) - Floor 72.]
Everyone had been told to enter simultaneously, yet he ended up going in first.
The others were waiting with numbered tickets.
Cohen's mission for him was simple.
Not to clear the floor.
Just harass the monster.
Strike.
Retreat.
If it became dangerous, abandon the mission immediately.
Securing an escape route should be easy.
The giant's body would naturally make him slow.
"As long as I watch out for the Fear debuff..."
Ding!
Mission accepted.
Hennessy advanced.
THUD! THUD! THUD! THUD!
The instant Gobang appeared—
Bzzzz!
The Divine Focus Barrier activated.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
Mana Bombs flew one after another.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!!
Waves of magical explosions spread through the cloud of dust.
"Got him."
"Didn't even give him a chance to roar."
"This should—"
Suddenly—
THUD! THUD! THUD! THUD!
Gobang emerged from the dust.
"What...?"
"He's... not dead?"
There wasn't even a scratch on him.
He was completely unharmed.
"Damn it!"
Hennessy spun around to flee—
THUD! FLASH!
Gobang was already standing in front of him.
"Gah!"
Why is he so fast?
Big things are supposed to be slow.
Isn't that just physics?
But Gobang was unbelievably fast.
Grab!
Hennessy was caught.
Lifted effortlessly into the air.
Then—
A gigantic fist descended over his head.
"W-Wait—!"
BOOM! THUNK!
"Ugh..."
The punch drove Hennessy straight into the ground.
He stood buried vertically like a stake.
Yet he suffered no damage.
The thirty seconds of invincibility were still active.
"W-Wait..."
Gobang's fist was a hammer.
Hennessy...
Was the nail.
BOOM! THUNK!
He hammered him deeper.
Once Hennessy's body disappeared underground—
Gobang pulled him back out.
BOOM! THUNK!
Then drove him in again.
BOOM! THUNK! BOOM! THUNK! BOOM! THUNK!
Thirty seconds later—
BOOM! SPLAT!
The invincibility ended.
No more thunk.
This time...
It was splat.
Like a cartoon character crushed flat.
That was the end of Jim Hennessy.
Floor 100 Control Room
"...Seriously? The player's a nail now? He's literally hammering them into the ground."
"Ugh. What a brute."
"Well, he is a barbarian warrior."
"Holy crap! Another player's already entered before Gobang even had time to clock out."
"Tsk. Like moths flying into a flame."
"They don't even realize they're about to die."
"At this rate, aren't all the awakened players going to get wiped out?"
And that was exactly what happened.
Gobang.
The Ironwall.
No matter what class entered...
The outcome never changed.
Whether they activated barriers or not.
Whether they threw Mana Bombs.
Whether they stabbed or slashed with weapons.
Gobang simply strode forward with enormous steps.
Grabbed the player.
Then hammered them into the ground.
BOOM! THUNK! BOOM! THUNK!
The moment he heard—
SPLAT!
It was over.
Grab.
BOOM!
SPLAT!
Lajix had at least been cute.
Gobang...
Was downright savage.
Even Joo-hyuk, his summoner, had to admit that.
Cohen was stunned yet again.
"What the hell is that monster?"
Gobang was terrifying in a completely different way from Lajix.
Every player who entered...
Died.
How many had fallen already?
Eventually, players began refusing to enter.
"I-I'll never go in there!"
"...Then die."
Slash!
Thud!
"Anyone else who doesn't want to enter?"
"Raise your hand now."
"I'll kill you here instead."
Spot!
Threatened by Cohen, the players entered once more.
Yet...
BOOM! THUNK! BOOM! SPLAT! BOOM! THUNK! BOOM! SPLAT!
It was brutally simple.
He mechanically pounded player after player into the earth.
It was enough to drive anyone insane.
There was no strategy.
No opening.
Gobang didn't even wear armor.
Yet no blade...
No magic...
Could injure him.
There was only one conceivable way to kill him.
Not a solo clear.
A raid.
A coordinated assault by around a hundred people.
But the tower's rules were absolute.
Only one player could enter at a time.
That rule had been established when the Black Tower was first created.
To ensure towers couldn't be destroyed too easily.
Ironically...
The same rule now shackled their own side.
Players continued to die.
They had intended to exhaust Gobang.
Instead...
They were the ones being worn down.
More than one hundred First-Class players had participated in the operation.
After only two days...
Just thirty remained alive.
Some of them...
Cohen himself had executed.
Once again, he rushed to the gods and pleaded.
"Please... find us a way."
But even the gods had no answer.
They said they'd look for one.
After that...
Silence.
No matter how powerful the equipment...
No matter how legendary the items...
BOOM!
SPLAT!
Gobang remained an impenetrable wall.
The barbarian warrior.
There were no players left to send.
They were on the verge of abandoning the assault entirely.
As time passed...
The countdown to the tower's collapse continued ticking away.
Citizens began growing restless.
[Announcement: Progress on Terra's Black Tower has stalled.]
[Announcement: Black Tower Collapse Countdown has begun.]
[Announcement: Clearing an uncleared upper floor will halt the countdown.]
[Time Remaining: 3 days 21 hours 33 minutes 58 seconds]
The collapse drew nearer.
Yet the Black Union Corporation remained completely silent regarding the tower.
[Time Remaining: 2 days 17 hours 11 minutes 47 seconds]
The anxiety intensified.
[Time Remaining: 1 day 20 hours 12 minutes 22 seconds]
The citizens of Terra began evacuating.
They all knew...
What would happen once the tower collapsed.
Three sinkholes.
Each ten kilometers in diameter.
Twenty percent of the entire city would vanish.
Then the final countdown began.
Ding!
[Announcement: Time until tower collapse: 23 hours 59 minutes 59 seconds.]
No one had ever imagined it would come to this.
[Announcement: Time until tower collapse: 12 hours 9 minutes 44 seconds.]
It was their own Black Tower.
[Announcement: Time until tower collapse: 3 hours 14 minutes 25 seconds.]
They had believed conquering it would be easy.
But in the end—
...5...4...3...2...1...0.
The collapse began.
The tower, which had existed in a four-dimensional hidden realm, manifested in the three-dimensional world with real mass.
It was like an enormous invisible stake.
One that drove itself deep into the earth.
RUMBLE...
The Black Tower slowly sank underground.
Everything around it was dragged down with it.
Parks.
Skyscrapers.
Buildings.
Cars.
The first tower collapsed.
Then the second.
RUMBLE...
Then the third.
RUMBLE...
But in truth...
The collapse itself wasn't the true disaster.
The catastrophe came in two stages.
The first...
When the tower sank.
The second...
When the collapsed tower erupted somewhere else.
The newly emerging tower also possessed mass.
It exerted overwhelming physical force.
Because this...
Was punishment.
CRAAACK!!
The new tower burst upward from an unpredictable location.
Buildings crumbled.
Roads overturned.
People were crushed to death beneath the rising structure.
Only then...
Did the people of Terra truly understand.
Just how horrifying the collapse of a Black Tower really was.