Joon-ho stood amidst the fading embers of the Guardian's demise. The golden flames of Judgment Ignition crackled before dying out, leaving nothing but an eerie silence in their wake. The chamber—once a domain of absolute darkness—was now crumbling. The floor beneath his feet trembled, fractures spreading like veins across the blackened stone.
The Tower had acknowledged his victory.
[You have defeated the Guardian of the Abyss.][Calculating rewards…]
A golden notification window shimmered into existence before his eyes.
—
[Floor 19 Cleared]Rewards Unlocked:— Abyssal Fragment (S+)— 10,000 Tower Coins— +3 Stat Points— Unique Passive Skill: Void-Touched Resistance (A)
—
Joon-ho's gaze lingered on the rewards for only a moment. 10,000 Tower Coins was a substantial gain, enough to make lower-level climbers salivate, but it was the Abyssal Fragment and his new Unique Passive Skill that truly caught his attention.
"Void-Touched Resistance…"
He opened the skill's description.
—
[Void-Touched Resistance (A)]Effect: Your body has absorbed remnants of abyssal corruption. Passive resistance to void-based attacks increased by 30%. Partial immunity to abyssal corruption effects.
—
A slow smirk curled his lips. That was valuable.
The Abyss wasn't just unique to this floor—it was an element that would appear in higher levels of the Tower, particularly in later stages where corruption mechanics came into play. Many climbers would struggle against abyssal entities, but not him.
He clenched his fist, feeling a slight pulse of energy resonate within his body.
"Another advantage."
But he had no time to dwell on it.
The ground split apart.
A deep, guttural rumble echoed through the chamber. The defeated Guardian's domain was collapsing, the remnants of its abyssal influence unraveling in response to its destruction.
And at the center of the chamber—a portal began to form.
A spiraling vortex of blue light, flickering with instability. The passage to the next floor.
Joon-ho exhaled. He took one last glance at the crumbling battlefield before stepping forward.
Into the portal.
—
[Floor 20: The Wailing Catacombs]
The moment he emerged from the teleportation light, the air changed.
It was cold. Unnaturally cold.
A thick mist hung in the air, clinging to his skin. The scent of rot and decay filled his lungs, and an eerie silence settled over the space. Stone walls stretched into darkness, covered in cryptic carvings that pulsed faintly with an unknown energy.
"Another death zone."
Joon-ho moved forward cautiously, his dagger already in hand. He could hear the faintest whispers echoing through the corridors—not the wind, but voices.
They called out. Soft. Lingering. Desperate.
"Ghost-type enemies?"
His prediction was answered almost immediately.
A figure emerged from the fog.
It was human in shape but hollow-eyed, emaciated, and wrapped in burial cloths. The creature's head snapped toward him, its mouth opening wide—too wide.
Then, it screamed.
The sound wasn't just noise—it was a physical force. A shockwave of pure despair slammed into Joon-ho's chest, forcing him back several steps. His vision blurred for half a second, and an unbearable pressure settled over his mind.
—
[Warning! Wailing Specter's Scream Detected!][Resisting Mental Suppression… SUCCESS.]
—
Joon-ho gritted his teeth. If not for his already high Willpower stat, that attack would have left him staggered—an opening that could have led to death.
"These things are dangerous."
He didn't give the creature another chance.
[Phantom Step] Activated.
Joon-ho vanished.
He reappeared behind the specter, dagger flashing forward.
The blade slid through its torso.
But instead of cutting, the weapon passed through air.
"Intangible."
The specter twisted unnaturally, its empty eyes locking onto him once more. The next scream was already building in its throat.
Joon-ho's mind raced. He needed an attack that could affect spirits.
A thought clicked.
"Abyssal Fragment."
He reached into his inventory, pulling out the dark shard he had received from the previous floor's Guardian. The moment his fingers closed around it, a black energy surged up his arm.
The specter recoiled.
"It reacts to abyssal energy."
Joon-ho smirked.
He didn't hesitate—he crushed the fragment.
—
[Abyssal Fragment (S+) Consumed.][Temporary Effect: Abyssal Infusion Applied to Weapons (10 Minutes).]
—
His dagger changed.
The steel darkened, pulsing with the same abyssal energy that had once belonged to the Guardian of the previous floor. It could harm the spectral creatures now.
Joon-ho moved.
This time, when his blade struck, it connected.
The specter shrieked—not just in pain, but in fear.
A single clean slice was enough. The creature dissolved.
Joon-ho flicked the black mist off his dagger and stepped forward.
The whispers in the catacombs grew louder.
"They know I'm here."
And that was exactly what he wanted.
The hunt had begun.