Chapter 11: The first floor of the Tower of Gods

Everything fell silent, as if ice-cold water had been poured over them.

Darakan asked in a trembling voice.

“I eliminated thousands of spirits with the Abyss Dragon……!”

“Yes, you did.”

Gugu interrupted him.

“But you did not help at all in eliminating the source of contamination. In fact, you provoked the spirits and only increased the difficulty.”

“E-even so, 1 point is too little……!”

“It is the system’s judgment. If you think it is unfair, then you should have blown up the entire Sanctuary like Mr. Rag did.”

“…….”

Darakan closed his mouth.

He could not refute it.

That overwhelming explosion.

And the angel transformed into a Holy Sword.

The difference between them was already like heaven and earth.

“Miss Seria, 1 point.”

“…….”

“As for the others…… unfortunately, they received 0 points.”

“…….”

Gugu spread his wings and announced.

“With this, all stages of the ascension exam to the first floor have concluded.”

His eyes gleamed.

“The absolute first place remains Mr. Rag. Congratulations. From this moment onward, Mr. Rag is the new owner of the first floor of the Tower of Gods.”

***

The Garden of the Gods fell silent.

Even the muses playing music and the spirits serving them froze in place.

Because a red system message appeared in the air.

[A new owner of the first floor has been born.]

[Name: Rag]

[Overall Evaluation: Overwhelming]

[Historical ranking among seeds: 1st place]

[The name ‘Rag’ has been inscribed in the Hall of Gods.]

“Overwhelming.”

That single word explained the entire situation.

Darakan, the second-place finisher, had scored only 2 points.

Rag had scored 300.

This had been a massacre.

The result of crushing the pride of the competitors and breaking even the standards of the judges.

“……Hah.”

Someone let out an empty laugh.

That sound became the signal for everything to begin.

“Does this…… even make sense?”

“300 points? There has to be an error in the system.”

“He blew up the entire Sanctuary?”

The murmurs spread like a wave.

Shock. And envy.

But what twisted the expressions of the gods the most was something else.

Beside Rag on the screen.

That dazzling Holy Sword floating protectively next to him.

“Abriel…….”

“That proud Great Angel knelt before a mere seed?”

Abriel was a coveted talent.

Many gods desired to make her their subordinate.

But she was extremely prideful.

She did not even spare most gods a glance, and now she had sworn loyalty to a rookie who had barely ascended to the first floor.

Their pride hurt.

Their stomachs twisted.

The flames of jealousy heated the garden.

Amid all of that.

“Heh heh heh…….”

A disgusting laugh echoed out.

It was Heimdal, the God of Typhoons.

He swirled his goblet of nectar while looking around.

“What do you all think?”

An arrogant voice.

“Hasn’t it been proven now?”

The gazes of the gods fixed on him.

But Heimdal continued speaking without concern.

“You all kept saying he had privileges, that he was some recommended candidate. But the results speak for themselves. My eye never fails.”

At his words, some gods bit their lips.

They could not refute him.

Because the results were too clear.

But neither did they want to accept it.

Especially a certain group gathered in one corner of the garden.

They exchanged glances.

Beings surrounded by a viscous and sinister energy.

The gods of the “Biological” and “Material” factions.

The power structure of this tower was divided into three major groups.

The “Natural” faction, which controlled hurricanes, earthquakes, and tsunamis.

The “Biological” faction, which handled plagues, curses, and poisons.

And the “Material” faction, which dominated explosions, collapses, and manipulation.

Heimdal was one of the leaders of the Natural faction.

Naturally, in terms of destructive power, the Natural faction was the strongest.

The other two factions had constantly cooperated to keep that balance of power under control.

The third exam, “Purification of the Sanctuary,” had surely been a joint effort between them.

‘They coveted Tulkacha’s talent and made a deal with Gugu.’

It was so obvious there was no need to even see it.

Using the seeds as bait to eliminate Abriel and secure the sealed mad god, Tulkacha.

That had been the objective.

Tulkacha’s authority, “Runaway Volcano.”

A power capable of shaking ley lines and forcibly distorting the flow of nature.

One of the greatest abilities for suppressing lower gods of the Natural faction.

And if combined with other powerful authorities, its destructive capability would be unimaginable.

But.

‘……Rag made Tulkacha disappear.’

The plan had been shattered.

Perhaps because of that.

Killing intent quietly began to spread.

The eyes of the “Lord of the Plague,” god of the Biological faction, narrowed.

‘That bastard is dangerous.’

Not simply because he was strong.

That man knew how to destroy the board itself.

And on top of that, he had Heimdal’s protection.

They could not allow the power of the Natural faction to continue growing.

“Heimdal.”

The Lord of the Plague stepped forward.

“He is undoubtedly an impressive seed. I admit it.”

He smiled sinisterly.

“But the nail that sticks out always gets hammered down. The first floor is only the beginning, isn’t it?”

A veiled threat.

A warning that that man’s path would not be easy.

During the climb of the tower, many things could happen.

Murders disguised as accidents.

Unfair trials.

There were too many ways the gods could interfere.

Upon hearing that, Heimdal’s expression turned icy.

Crash!

He threw the goblet in his hand onto the ground.

The sound of shattering glass tore through the silence.

Whoooooosh!

The wind rose.

It was not a simple breeze.

It was the omen of a storm capable of tearing apart space itself.

“……Are you threatening me?”

Heimdal stood up.

The divinity radiating from his body covered the entire garden.

The Lord of the Plague involuntarily stepped back.

“Listen carefully.”

Heimdal’s eyes flashed.

He looked one by one at the gods of the Biological and Material factions as he growled.

“That man belongs to me.”

It was a declaration.

“If anyone dares touch him with even a single finger without my permission.”

Booom!

A gigantic tornado rose in the center of the garden.

The sky turned black, and lightning began to strike.

The fury of the supreme predator of the Natural faction.

“Then there will be war.”

Heimdal twisted the corner of his lips.

***

I felt like my head was going to explode.

A piercing pain.

It felt like the world’s worst hangover, as if they had put my brain in a blender.

But.

‘……What is this?’

Strangely comfortable.

My back did not hurt.

It was as warm and soft as lying on a cloud, and I could even smell a faint floral scent.

I slowly opened my eyes.

The first thing I saw was not the blue sky.

But emptiness.

My body was floating in the air.

More precisely, I was being held in someone’s arms.

And on top of that, as if I were some priceless treasure, in the classic “princess carry” position.

“…….”

I slowly lifted my gaze.

A dazzling white jawline.

Eyes shining gold.

I met the gaze of Abriel, who had become a Holy Sword.

She smiled gently and asked.

[Did you rest well, my lord?]

“…….”

I needed to understand the situation.

So I had passed out.

The exam had ended.

And this woman was carrying me while we ascended through the sky.

……But why the hell was she still carrying me?

“Put me down.”

[Your body is still not in good condition. You should rest a little longer…….]

“Put me down because this is embarrassing.”

I said it firmly.

Abriel showed a disappointed expression and set me down very carefully.

As soon as my feet touched the ground, I looked around.

We were still in the Sanctuary.

But the scenery had changed.

The rotten trees and the dark red mist had disappeared, leaving behind only pure, crystal-clear air.

A perfect purification.

“Congratulations, Mr. Rag!”

A familiar voice.

The administrator Gugu waddled toward me.

“I sincerely congratulate you on becoming the owner of the first floor! You achieved an unprecedentedly overwhelming score in the entire history of the tower!”

Gugu’s wings flapped noisily.

I nodded while massaging the back of my neck.

I remembered.

The mad god Tulkacha.

I had personally devoured that gigantic mass of disaster.

I could feel an intense heat deep inside my stomach.

Looks like the digestion went well.

“So, do we go up now?”

“Ah, before that, there is still one procedure left.”

Gugu raised a wing toward the group of gathered seeds.

The survivors.

All of them were staring fixedly at me—or more precisely, at Abriel behind me—with eyes full of reverence.

“Before ascending to the first floor, you may choose one seed and bring them with you.”

“I can take whoever I want?”

“Yes. They would become something like an intermediate administrator.”

Intermediate administrator.

In other words, I had to choose the mid-boss of the first floor.

The owner of a floor is the supreme predator of that level.

But they could not manage everything alone.

They needed subordinates to act as their hands and feet.

“Of course, they will not work for free. The chosen seed will also receive enormous benefits.”

Gugu continued explaining.

“Depending on the floor’s level, they will be granted a lesser divinity. The benefits for their race are also enormous. And above all…….”

Gugu lowered his voice.

“If their achievements are good enough, they could even ascend into a true god. Either because their master climbs to higher floors or because they inherit the position.”

As soon as he finished speaking.

Fwoooosh!

The gazes of the seeds changed.

The expressions with which they had once looked at me like a monster completely disappeared.

Desperation.

Longing.

Pleading looks, as if begging me to choose them.

It was a rope leading toward the possibility of becoming gods.

Even if they started as subordinates, it was still a thousand times better than failing and being unable to ascend to the first floor at all.

“M-me! Please, take me with you!”

“I’ll carry your luggage! I’ll do anything you order me to!”

Everywhere, hands shot up while they shouted desperately.

No pride remained anymore.

I let out a small laugh and looked at Gugu.

“Who do you think would be best to take?”

“Hmm, statistically speaking…….”

Gugu checked some charts.

“Normally, the second-place finisher is chosen. Their ability has already been proven.”

Gugu’s gaze shifted toward one spot.

Darakan was standing there.

The guy pretended to cough elegantly, but his shoulders were clearly tense with anticipation.

“Mr. Darakan possesses an Abyss Dragon, and his disaster affinity is not bad either. He is the ideal candidate to compensate for Mr. Rag’s shortcomings—I mean, to handle the practical duties.”

He was not wrong.

The Abyss Dragon was powerful.

In terms of firepower, it was more than suitable as the mid-boss of the first floor.

Darakan stepped forward while watching my reaction.

“Ahem. Well, if you truly need me, I could help you…….”

He still had that irritating way of speaking.

But his eyes were desperately screaming, “Please pick me.”

I stroked my chin.

He was definitely an efficient choice.

However.

‘The real talent is someone else.’

There was a seed here with far greater talent than Darakan, so there was no need to choose him.

And above all, I disliked that guy.

His arrogant attitude from relying on his summon and the way he acted without knowing his place.

“I do not need you.”

“……Huh?”

Darakan’s expression froze.

Even Gugu blinked in confusion.

“Then, who……?”

I pointed my finger.

Not toward Darakan, but toward the woman standing alone in the corner behind him.

“Come with me.”

A cold expression.

White hair.

And eyes that looked like they wanted to kill me.

Seria, the elf of the Frost Tribe.

“……Me?”

Seria frowned.

She looked completely unable to understand what was happening.

That was natural.

With only 1 contribution point.

Even less than Darakan.

“M-Mr. Rag? Are you serious?”

Gugu tried to stop me.

“Even if you combine the scores from the first and second tests, she is not among the top seeds. And on top of that, her personality…… let us say she lacks social skills a little.”

“I do not care.”

I was firm.

Contribution? That was just a number assigned by the system.

My eyes saw something different.

‘Because she will grow into the greatest sniper.’

The sharpshooter who terrorized our expedition force in the snowy mountains of the 50th floor.

Her potential could not even be compared to that of a mere Abyss Dragon.

I walked toward Seria.

She showed caution while tightly gripping her bow.

“Why me?”

“Do you not want to reclaim the territory you lost?”

“……!”

Seria looked at me in shock.

As if wondering how I knew that.

Although she had the potential to become a goddess, she remained the mid-boss of the 50th floor solely for the sake of her family.

‘Before you died, you clearly said you had to reclaim your territory.’

She sacrificed herself to recover the Frost Tribe’s lost lands.

— Mom, Dad…… I’m sorry. For our tribe…… I have to…… reclaim…… the stolen territory…….

That regret-filled voice still echoed in my ears.

“I am giving you a chance.”

I held out my hand to her.

“Follow me.”

Seria’s eyes wavered.

There was a brief silence.

She looked at my hand and then raised her head as if she had made a decision.

“……Do not regret it.”

Tap.

She took my hand.

It was a cold hand, but the warmth inside it was intense.

Ding!

[The intermediate administrator of the first floor has been decided.]

[Seria of the Frost Tribe becomes your subordinate.]

[Moving to the first floor of the Tower.]

Darakan’s desperate scream echoed behind me.

“T-this makes no sense! I was second place! I’m the owner of the Abyss Dragooooon!”

***

Whoooooosh!

My vision brightened.

Before the dizziness from the spatial transfer had even faded.

I blinked.

“…….”

Silence.

Seria, beside me, was quiet.

Angragon on my shoulder also remained silent.

Only Abriel, transformed into a Holy Sword, emitted a soft glow.

We stared ahead in shock.

“This is the first floor?”

Seria muttered in disbelief.

And she was right.

The situation was ridiculous.

The tower was the dwelling place of gods and the place where those who entered faced trials.

Normally, it should have been properly prepared.

But what stood before us was literally “nothing.”

An endless white plain stretching infinitely.

The sky was white.

The ground too.

There was not a single tree or blade of grass.

No buildings, not even a random rock lying around.

Just a gigantic empty field.

I frowned, and then I heard an awkward cough beside me.

“Ahem. You must be surprised.”

It was the administrator Gugu.

The guy awkwardly flapped his wings while smiling sheepishly.

“Allow me to explain. The former owner of the first floor ascended to the second floor and took all of his belongings with him.”

“Belongings?”

“Yes. The ecosystem he had built, buildings, monsters, traps, and so on. Absolutely everything.”

Gugu pointed at the emptiness with his wings.

“He was quite a frugal person. Thanks to that, the first floor ended up completely empty. It is literally a blank slate.”

It was absurd.

That was not being frugal, that was looting everything.

“So what exactly am I supposed to do here?”

“Start filling it from scratch!”

Gugu answered cheerfully.

“If you head to the center of the floor, you will find a massive crystal. There, you may purchase whatever you desire.”

An incredibly irresponsible explanation.

“Well then, I wish you good luck!”

Pop!

Gugu disappeared as if he were running away.

All that remained was the enormous empty white space and us.

“……Hah.”

I let out an empty laugh.

Starting from scratch.

They called this the Tower of Gods, but it felt like I had been scammed in a real estate deal.

“……Master. What do you plan to do now?”

Seria asked while adjusting her bow.

Even the way she spoke had changed.

At least she seemed to have acknowledged me as her master.

And her eyes did not waver at all.

Definitely a promising sprout.

“First, we need to understand the situation.”

I calmed myself.

There was no need to rush.

Even if I panicked, buildings were not going to magically appear.

First, I needed to review the cards I had.

Hummmmmm.

The Holy Sword, Great Angel Abriel, floating in the air.

— Kyaaaang.

The little dragon Angragon licking my cheek.

And.

Seria, the sniper of the Frost Tribe.

‘Not bad.’

Rather, I had too much.

‘…Wait.’

Suddenly, a memory crossed my mind.

I had forgotten something.

When I devoured the mad god Tulkacha in the Sanctuary.

A final system window had appeared alongside the level-up message.

[A die is rolled (1~66).]

[66! A catastrophic reward is granted.]

Catastrophic reward.

An extreme probability different from the Jackpot (100) that had summoned Angragon.

I still had not checked that reward.

With all the chaos of ascending to the first floor, I had completely forgotten about it.

‘Inventory.’

I reached my hand toward the air.

A semi-transparent space opened.

The Spiritual Wings and fragments of the Golden Law I already possessed.

And beside them, a new item slot appeared.

And the instant I confirmed what it was.

“……Shit.”

My eyes widened enormously.

‘Authority Combiner?’