NoveLight ™
Chapter 632. Don’t Come Closer!
At the Edge of Destruction.
“It’s way too big…”
Sejun muttered, scrutinizing the Tear of Destruction that Theo was pointing at.
If the usual Tears of Destruction he faced were a size of 1, this one was well over 10,000. Considering the distance, it might be even larger.
Moreover…
How do I even get over there?
The area Theo indicated was far away, and along the way were many Tears of Destruction much larger than the ones Sejun had dealt with before.
Will it be okay?
As Sejun looked on, concern etched on his face…
“Heh heh.”
If we go over there, I can finally punish that pesky system that’s been bothering Chairman Park, nya!
Theo could barely contain his excitement at the thought of finally getting back at the system.
“For now, let’s start with the smaller ones. Kuengi, send me over there.”
As Sejun instructed Kuengi, separating himself from the group,
Kuengi!
Kuengi used his telekinesis to transport Sejun toward the Tear of Destruction he had indicated.
As they drew closer…
Wriggle.
A Tear of Destruction twice Sejun’s size morphed into his own image.
Apparently, thanks to the Tear’s inherent abilities, this “Destruction Sejun” didn’t fall. Unlike Sejun, who needed Kuengi’s help, this copy didn’t require any assistance.
The Destruction Sejun charged at him, but…
Hmph. How dare you take on Park Sejun!
Bam! Smack! Thud!
Sejun easily beat up the Destruction Sejun with a series of strikes.
With that, the Destruction Sejun quickly became docile.
What’s going on?
Sejun felt a strange mix of emotions seeing this submissive version of himself. It was like he was receiving therapy from a mirror without realizing it.
Even if it’s shrunken, it’ll still get the job done, right?
Shaking off the unsettling feeling, Sejun took the shriveled Destruction Sejun over to Jormungand’s camouflaged area.
Plop. Plop.
The Destruction Sejun skillfully planted the Destruction Predator seeds, even more adeptly than the previous ones.
“Heh heh heh. Nice.”
Gaining confidence, Sejun then targeted a Tear of Destruction three times larger.
“Hah. Victory!”
Once again, he defeated it without much difficulty.
From there, Sejun kept upping the level, clearing his path toward where Theo’s attraction was guiding him.
Finally, when he confronted a Destruction Sejun transformed from a Tear of Destruction 30 times larger…
Thud! Thud!
“Hah… hah… I won!”
This time, Sejun struggled and couldn’t defeat it as easily as before.
Still, after losing, the Destruction Sejun became docile again.
Do none of these guys have an unbreakable spirit?
Looking at the subdued Destruction Sejun, Sejun did a bit of self-reflection.
And then, against the 40x Destruction Sejun…
“If we’d fought on the ground, I would have won…”
He lost.
Whoosh.
The other used an aura strike, something Sejun couldn’t do yet.
How can it do something I can’t…?
The Destruction Sejun possessed skills of a higher level than Sejun’s own.
“Heh heh. The great Hybrid Chairman Park is protected by Vice-Chairman Theo, nya!”
Heh heh heh. Kuengi!
[Hehe. Kuengi will protect Daddy!]
Thanks to Theo and Kuengi, the ultimate victor was still Sejun.
Unfortunately, starting from the 40x Destruction Sejun, they couldn’t be subdued and put to work. Their temperament had grown too violent, so there was no choice but to dispose of them.
By directly taking them down, Sejun didn’t produce any Tears of Creation, but…
[Top-tier Herbalist Kuengi has disposed of Destruction’s secretions.]
[You’ve gained 40 billion experience points, half of what Top-tier Herbalist Park Kuengi earned.]
Clink.
Instead, he gained experience and tower coins.
Heehee. Squeak!
[Heehee. Butler! Hide behind me!]
Kamangi stepped in front of Sejun, putting on a brave front, though his quivering legs and tucked tail told a different story.
Heh heh. Look at this scaredy-cat.
Sejun felt a smug sense of pride watching him.
However, a new problem emerged.
[You’ve been exposed to the aura of Destruction.]
[All abilities are reduced by 50%.]
[Your life force is rapidly diminishing.]
[Impending death.]
The moment he stepped outside Jormungand’s protective aura and entered an area devoid of the aura of Creation, the Destruction aura barred his progress.
Sejun realized it would be impossible to continue moving forward on his own.
[I could send you… but…]
Flamey, watching Sejun from afar, seemed concerned.
Then…
Poof.
Blue gas erupted from Jormungand’s mouth and tail once again.
And then…
Heehee. Squeak!
[Hehe! Captain Fartbox strikes again!]
“Hahaha! Did we just move forward a little from that fart?”
Chirrup!
Rumble!
…
…
…
The Kamangi family seized the opportunity to tease the youngest.
And then…
“Huh? Did we actually move?”
Hearing their banter, Sejun suddenly had a great idea.
A short while later.
“Fartbox, set the course.”
Jormungand replied obediently to Sejun’s instructions.
Currently, Fartbox had returned to his original body to propel them forward.
Not too much, just enough to get the job done.
Using too much power could reignite his craving for the energy of Destruction and turn him back into an Apostle of Destruction.
Of course, this wasn’t a risk to Sejun.
I really don’t want to get hit again…
The danger was entirely on Fartbox.
Inside Fartbox’s mental realm, the Kamangi family surrounded him.
Hehe, just try turning again.
Mwahaha. Fartbox, keep it together.
Teehee. You know what happens if you lose control.
It was like allowing him to drink but warning him not to get drunk. Fartbox had to manage it, or he’d be in for a beating.
“All right, Fart Express, move out!”
Sejun shouted.
Poof!
With the sound of Captain Fartbox’s signature fart, Jormungand’s body slowly began to move forward.
This time, with his mouth closed, all the aura of Creation exited through his tail, producing even stronger propulsion.
Poof! Poof!
With a series of farts, Jormungand advanced.
I want to die.
Strangely enough, the embarrassment kept Fartbox from even wanting Destruction’s power.
Thus, with Sejun and his party aboard, Jormungand’s body glided smoothly through the realm thick with the aura of Destruction.
“Heh heh. Chairman Park really is a genius, nya! Without even moving, we’re getting closer to the attraction point, nya!”
The distance to the gigantic Tear of Destruction shrank, and Theo’s pull grew even stronger.
“Yeah, from now on, call me Genius Park Sejun.”
Sejun smirked, basking in Theo’s admiring gaze.
“Chairman Park, your face looks rotten, nya!”
Theo, seeing Sejun’s expression, hurriedly stomped on his face with his golden paw.
“No, it doesn’t!”
“Yes, it does, nya! It’s totally rotten, nya!”
Heehee. Squeak! Squeak! Squeak!
[Heehee. Yeah! Butler’s face is totally rotten! So the great Kamangi will stomp on it, too!]
Kuengi!
[Kuengi will give Daddy a massage, too!]
As Sejun and his companions bickered and teased each other, a white snake sailed across the red galaxy, leaving blue foam in its wake.
Why does Park Sejun keep getting stronger?
Why is he getting stronger?!
[System 371] was baffled.
The Great Black Dragon Aileen Freetani, the Black Tower’s administrator, had lost consciousness, and due to a system error, Park Sejun had managed to enter the tower.
What’s he doing going into that portal?!
It’s connected to the 99th floor of the Black Tower!
Originally, Sejun should have just disappeared after entering, but now things were spiraling out of control.
At first, [System 371] was flustered but quickly reassured upon verifying Sejun’s mediocre skills and talents, certain he wouldn’t survive the 99th floor.
And with the expectation that Sejun would soon die, [System 371] lost interest, assuming the error would be short-lived.
Contrary to expectations, however, Sejun survived the 99th floor of the Black Tower, persistently enduring like a cockroach, eventually putting a load on the system.
A load on the system meant his every action was now impacting the world.
Initially, the load was minimal, but it continued growing, enough for [System 371] to notice.
And then…
Hmph. Coming in as a mere error.
Heheh. He must think he’s getting stronger this time, huh?
[System 371] took delight in subtly hindering Sejun’s progress.
Though Sejun and Theo had declared they would impeach it…
What?! Impeach me?!
Hah! Go ahead and try.
How do you plan on doing that?
There was no fear.
To impeach [System 371], one would need access through the system login device.
One device was held by an Apostle of Destruction, while the other was hidden in a place no one knew.
So, while diligently monitoring Sejun, [System 371] occasionally taunted him.
Recently, however, something felt different. The load on [System 371] had decreased.
But…
What’s this about?
Less work is always welcome.
[System 371] didn’t pay it much mind.
Little did it realize…
What?! Is that…?
System SJC?!
Where did that come from?!
Unbeknownst to [System 371], Sejun Company’s System SJC had been handling tasks related to Sejun Company’s employees.
Had [System 371] noticed early, it would have immediately extinguished [System SJC], but by the time it did, [System SJC] had already grown too large.
It now handled 10% of the world’s system load.
There should only be one system—me!
Though [System SJC] was still relatively weak, [System 371] was determined to erase it, even at some cost.
But…
What?! Why are the gods…?
While briefly handling urgent matters, some of the gods under its jurisdiction had shifted their allegiance to [System SJC].
On top of that, the number of Sejun Company employees had skyrocketed, bolstering [System SJC]’s power to the point it now handled 25% of the total load.
[System 371] could no longer easily dispose of the firmly established [System SJC].
Watching helplessly as the growing employee count gradually sapped its strength, [System 371] begrudgingly kept an eye on [System SJC].
At least the main system is still me, so my 51% share is safe.
An overly complacent thought as [System 371] continued its surveillance.
Then…
What?!
The system sensed a chilling golden aura brush past it.
No way!
[System 371] hurriedly checked on the location of the system login device.
The one it had hidden remained untouched.
No!
But Sejun and Theo were closing in on the one held by the Apostle of Destruction.
Don’t come closer!
[System 371] shouted in terror, but there was nothing it could do.
They won’t be able to log in, even if they get it…
[System 371] clung to its last shred of hope.
But…
Heheh. Time to impeach the system that dared to torment Chairman Park, nya!
For Theo, a devout follower at Sejun’s side, any obstacles were always just that—temporary.
“That’s enough for today.”
Sejun stopped moving. It was time for dinner.
He returned to the Black Tower.
“Kuengi, what do you want for dinner tonight?”
Heheh. Kuengi!
[Hehe. I want Grandma’s kimchi stew!]
“Oh, kimchi stew sounds great! Hold on… now, where’s Mom’s kimchi…”
Sejun rummaged through his spatial warehouse for kimchi.
Every season, Dongsoo would bring Miran’s kimchi to the first floor of the tower, where Elka and the other wolves would carry it up to the 99th floor.
“Kuengi, should we put tuna in the kimchi stew today?”
He briefly considered making tuna kimchi stew for a change.
Kuengi! Kuengi!
[No way! The true essence of kimchi stew is pork!]
Kuengi was a purist.
“Just kidding. I was planning to add slime pork anyway.”
Sejun went along, preparing the kimchi stew, setting rice to cook, and grilling fish.
Soon after…
“Everyone, time to eat.”
Sejun called everyone over for dinner.
“Heh heh. As expected, Chairman Park’s grilled fish, nya!”
Heheh. Kuengi!
[Hehe. Grandma’s kimchi stew is delicious!]
Heehee. Squeak!
[Butler! More dried sweet potato, please!]
“Sure. Here you go. Eat up, Fartbox. You’ll need your strength for tomorrow, right?”
Munch munch…
It was a peaceful evening, more or less.
Then…
Clatter.
The Black Gate began to open.