The sound of flesh being ripped apart entered my ears before the heads of the Ogre went flying.
It's eyes were lifeless as it fell.
The battle was done.
[Congratulations! You have defeated the 'Ogre Of All Endings'.]
[You have obtained the SS-Rank weapon 'All Ending Dagger'.]
[You have obtained the S-Rank item 'Three Heart Diamond'.]
[You have gained the Legendary Title 'New Beginning Until The End'.]
As I got many system messages, I fell head-first onto the ground.
Luckily, So-Yung was able to catch me before I could hit my head.
[Your stats have greatly increased!]
[Multiple Skills have leveled up!]
[30,000 Coins will be given to the Players that contributed the most.
-Angel Nicolas
-So So-Yung]
[Regeneration Lv.5 has been activated.]
"Sir, are you okay?!"
"Yep, just a little tired. Also, I'm only 20 years old. There's no need to be calling me 'sir'."
"Then what should..."
"Just call me Angel."
"Right, Angel. Thank you."
I looked over to So-Yung, holding me, once again crying with closed eyes.
I glanced at the disappearing body of the Boss.
We did it.
Ding!
Huh?
[Due to the unexpected Victory, the Main Reward conditions have been changed.]
Unexpected Victory? What the hell do you...?!
[A new quest has been acquired.]
Open.
[Last Trial-
Description: So-]
Before I could look over the quest, an unexpected individual popped out.
"Aah!"
The sound of So-Yung yelling.
Someone had grabbed her by her hair, pulling her up. Leaving Angel's strained body on the floor.
"Shit, I thought I was going to die! You little bitch, why didn't you protect me? Thanks to you, two group members died because of your bitchiness to back out last second!"
"Leader, we should kill her and that guy and take the rewards!"
"I was just about to do that. Since that bastard is the strongest and the most vulnerable right now, I'll kill him first."
"No! Don't you dare touch Angel-Oppa!"
So-Yung hit the man with her new strength.
"Ack! How are you so fucking strong?!"
[Due to the overuse of the Unique Skill Blessing of the Angel's Lv.3, the after-effects have taken longer than usual to take effect.]
[30% of fatigue and mana have been recovered.]
"L-Leader behind you!"
"Huh, what is i-"
The man was interrupted as a fist struck his face, causing him to crash into the other member.
I got up from my weak state and grabbed So-Yung from the man.
"Thank you, Oppa."
Oppa? I'm only one year older than you.
"Anyway, here, take this."
I pulled out the 'All Ending Dagger' and handed it to So-Yung.
"Huh? What is...? The reward?! Why are you...?"
So-Yung freaked out when she was given a high-grade item.
"Because I don't use daggers."
I replied.
"B-But, such an item..."
After a moment of thinking, So-Yung tightly grasped the dagger.
"Thank you."
She bowed at me as she said thanked me.
"Ahh! Dammit, you fucker!"
The man I attacked stood up with a swollen face.
[Looking at the Stars Eye Lv.3 has been activated.]
[Yo Mo-Sang Age: 29
STN: 100 HP: 100 STM: 100
MANA: 100 AGI: 100
Unique Skill: NONE
Skill: Bluff Lv.2, Gangster Sense Lv.1
Title: NONE
Tower Coins: 0]
How was he controlling So-Yung when his status was below the average E-Rank Player?
Knowing that the man wouldn't pose a threat, I sighed softly.
"So-Yung, should I should leave them alive?"
"Are you threatening me, you motherfucker?!" The man also pulled out a dagger from his pocket.
So-Yung looked at the two with emotionless eyes before responding.
"No..."
"I see." Without hesitation, I took out the Ring Pommel Sword from [Dark Dimension Void].
"Wait."
"Hm?"
"I want to be the one to do it."
"...Sure."
"You think you can kill? Hey, get over here and get ready to kill this bitch."
The last member also took a dagger and joined the man.
I looked at So-Yung, approaching both of them with her dagger.
"Once I'm done with the both of you, I kill your family's too-"
Then the sound of flesh being pieced was heard.
Hmm, no hesitation.
So-Yung, with her new speed, increased by the dagger's ability, stabbed the man's heart.
"Leader! You little...!"
Followed by swift movements, So-Yung slit the throat of the other party member when she leaped at her.
[So So-Yung has killed the Player Yo Mo-Sang.]
[So So-Yung has killed the Player...]
***
After So-Yung was finished, both of us got out of the Domain.
Once a Domain was cleared of its boss, its doors would disappear. That was precisely what happened when we left.
It took some time, but we got out of the cave and felt the warmness of the first-floor sun.
Once we got out, I noticed something different.
I checked the timer of the tower.
[1092 Days left.]
Three days had passed.
Was this because of that Domain? This had never happened before.
I couldn't think of an explanation. I thought that perhaps his Domain was different from the others since it did have an unmatched reward.
The Domain was hard, though. Without the help of So-Yung, I probably might've...
...Yeah, right.
I glanced over to So-Yung.
So So-Yung, I don't think there was a Player by that name. With her two Unique Skills, I am sure she would become one of the best supports in the world. Maybe she could never show her true potential because of the group she was in.
I noticed a slight trembling in her hands when I looked at her.
Was she worried about the death of those guys?
"..."
I didn't know the best way to comfort someone, so what I did the next moment surprised So-Yung.
"Don't worry about what happened. I won't tell anyone about what happened there. I promise."
I said this with my hand on her head. She was quite smaller than me.
She must've felt reassured since I saw her cheeks go red.
However, that was primarily due to the hand on her head.
"But you have to promise me you won't speak about what happened inside."
So-Yung was too flustered to talk, so she only gave a simple nod.
Removing my hand, I say to her.
"I guess I should get going."
So-Yung head perked up.
"There's something I need to do now."
"I-Is it related to that quest we got?"
"Yeah. But it isn't just us who received the notification. It went out to every single Player."
"...!"
After we left the domain, I reviewed the contents of the quest.
[Last Trial-
Description: Someone has completed the Secret Domain 'Earth's Final Chance' and now has given humanity a chance to double their time on earth.
Objective: In order to gain the reward, humanity will need to conquer the 5th-floor within 30 days.
Penalty: If humanity fails to complete the Last Trial, humanity's time will be cut in half.
Reward: Double the remaining time on earth.
Participants: Every Player on earth.
Will you accept?
Yes/No
*Only the Player who has cleared the Secret Domain can make this decision for humanity.
The quest will expire after a week.]
[You have the right to accept or deny the quest.]
"Well, I need to get going."
"Wait!"
'I need to ask him!'
"Yes?"
"Um... Are you going to register as a Player later?"
"I am. Why do you ask?"
"I was wondering if we could go register together."
'No! I couldn't say I wanted to form a party with him.'
This might give me a chance to see where she's ranked at. I can also explain to her that three days had passed on the way.
"Sure, why don't we head back to earth now."
***
After a two-hour walk from the tower to our destination, we stood in front of a decently sized building.
The Player Grading Test Establishment.
While walking to this place, I overheard many Players discussing the 'Last Trial' quest. Some were against the idea; on the other hand, some Players thought that this was a golden chance.
"Oppa, is this the place?"
I nodded.
"Let's head inside."
Upon entering the building, the interior was massive and filled with people wanting to know their Class. There were also many members of different guilds recruiting Players.
"Hey, let's head over to that spot. The line looks short."
"Alright!"
We walked over to a booth that had four Players waiting.
After 15 minutes, the examiner called us up.
"Next!"
"So-Yung, you can go first."
"Thank you."
So-Yung walked over with an anxious face.
"Full name."
"So-Yung."
"Okay, please place your hand on the white sphere before you."
"Yes."
So-Yung stood before what looked like a perfectly white ball shape crystal.
"Hm?"
A faint golden light manifested when So-Yung placed her hand on the crystal.
"Ah. Your Class is-"
The examiner was about to reveal So-Yung Class when the golden light blew in light and lit up the entire building in brilliantly golden light before retracting back.
"O-Oppa, what does this mean?!"
You really are...
"A new S-Class Player!!"
...an S-Class.
The moment the reviewer shouted out S-Class, guilds from all directions rushed toward So-Yung.
"Call everyone to come over quick!"
"A new S-Class Player?!"
"We can't miss this chance!"
"Excuse me."
Before They could get close, I spoke to the examiner.
"Oppa?"
"Huh? Yes."
"I would like to grade my Class."
"Right, of course."
'Who the hell is this guy? Didn't he hear that his friend just received an S-Class result?'
"Name."
"Angel Nicolas."
"Place your hand on the ball in front and wait."
He seemed not to care about my test, as he just stared at So-Yung the whole time.
That was until another light emerged from the same spot.
I placed my hand on the crystal ball, and a second later, the building was once again lit in bright light. This time the light was a dark purple.
"A-Another S-Class Player!!? Both of them are S-Class!!"
"Another one?!
"The guy next to that girl!"
So-Yung looked at all the stares from the guild recruiters with a somewhat frightened face.
"Oppa, what's going on?"
She must've never gotten this much attention before.
"We got an A+."
I answered her with a light smile.
"Ooh, what's going on in here?"
Then I heard a familiar deep voice from behind.
"That's... the guild master of Flaming Dragons, S-Class Player Hwan Yong-Hwan!"
A tall, muscular man with leathery skin entered the building.
"Do you think he's here to recruit those two into his guild?"
"Of course he is. Why else would he come here?"
"Damn, here I thought our guild could get our first S-Class."
Every recruiter backed away from us the moment Hwan Yong-Hwan made his presence.
"That big person is looking at us... Oppa?"
"..."
You... bastard...!
I quietly glared at the big man. I was angry, no... I was furious.
During the raid of the 145th floor, it was not only on a completely different level than previous floors, but another reason it failed was because of the huge lump of meat I was currently glaring at.
"Hoo, we have two new S-Class, do we?"
While thinking, I hadn't even noticed that that guy had already approached us.
"We have a new cute Player and a cool-looking Player. Hehe, Hey, what do you think of joining my guild?"
I finally regained my senses.
"I refuse to join your guild."
I said that without thinking.
"Hah? And what's that supposed to mean?"
He then placed his hand on my shoulder. Then a shimmering red light came from that hand.
[Hwan Yong-Hwan has activated the Skill Boulder Crush Lv.3]
His hand was now clutching my shoulder tightly. It was to the point that his veins were popping out.
I felt some pressure. But in the end, I chuckled softly and took hold of his hand.
[Body Enhancement Lv.4 has been activated.]
I slowly but painfully removed the hand.
"Nothing, really; I just don't want to join your guild."
"Ack!"
'Wasn't he just a new S-Class? How is he this strong?!'
He looked hurt, but he tried his best not to show it.
After a while, I released my hand from his.
"How dare...!"
I got close to him and said the following words quickly so that only he could hear me.
"Hey. You don't want to start a scene here now, do you? If not... I suggest you go back home and learn how to clear that disgusting stench from that mouth of yours."
He stood there frozen with an unreadable expression.
I wouldn't let him go with just that.
Feeling satisfied, I walked away and called out So-Yung.
"Let's go."
"O-Okay."
***
After the conflict, I decided to walk So-Yung home.
She lived on the outskirts of Seoul.
During the walk, I asked her some questions, to which she replied without hesitation.
Apparently, she lived with her family three cities away from here.
She moved out to attend college here in Seoul.
She got accepted to Seoul National University.
With this chance, she would've studied hard throughout her college life, and in the end, she would acquire a job to support herself and her family.
But, during the moving process, the towers came to light.
After a while, she asked a question of her own.
"Um, Oppa, why did you do that to that man?"
"...He... did something unacceptable. You know... that hand he had on me."
"Hmm... I guess so..."
While walking, I noticed her fingers fiddling with each other and her lips shifting.
"So-Yung, is something on your mind?"
She flinched at my words.
Then a few moments of silence descended until she opened her mouth.
"...Are you... are you going to accept that quest?"
"..."
I only quietly stared at her.
"...I-I know you didn't want me to speak about this, but... I want to know your decision."
"...I'm..."
"Ah. This is my stop."
We both stopped in front of a slightly worn-down building.
"One last thing, Oppa."
So-Yung turned to face me.
"No matter what you pick, I will support you. Even if others might think differently, know that I will be supporting you. Oh! Also..."
So-Yung pulled out a smartphone.
"Do you mind if I can have your number? I mean, I still don't really understand how the Player system works, and I thought I could contact you for advice, that's all!"
I could only stare at her the whole time.
I didn't know how to respond.
I could only utter one word at that time.
"Sure."
Chapter 5: New Challenge Pt.1-End