The Swordsman Genius Returnee Even Swallows Immortality

29

Pitch-black darkness.

A place that would drive others insane just by being there.

The Dark Zone.

In that place, on the 54th floor, there was someone who reigned as king.

His name was the Necromancer.

He was Gehenna’s true backer and a veteran chosen by the Tower.

However, there was no sign of such a king here now.

“Hey.”

“Yes!”

A powerful reply rang out from beneath Habell’s call.

Until just now, the Necromancer had been standing on two legs.

Now, his hands had also turned into legs.

“For someone who’s been in the Tower for 50 years, is that all you know?”

“Th-that’s, I’ve only been in the Dark Zone.”

The Necromancer began to hesitate.

This is what Habell had heard from the Necromancer.

Originally, he had only handled corpses, but the moment he spent his 10th year in the Tower.

He figured out how to handle bad luck.

And as a result, he began to handle bad luck by implanting it into corpses.

“Then those Gehennas we met were.”

“Ah, y-yes, in fact, they’re all dead guys. They don’t know it themselves, though.”

That must be why the rabid guy tried to bite even after his head was cut off.

Habel tapped his arm slowly with his index finger.

“Are you aware that you are a trial?”

He blinked at Habel’s question.

I knew as soon as I saw his reaction.

This guy doesn’t know what a trial is.

‘He’s unconscious.’

He’s a black magic sorcerer who has virtually become a resident of the tower.

He probably played along with the tower’s intentions without realizing it.

Habel clicked his tongue.

I thought I could get some information at best, but there was nothing useful.

“Then let’s ask something else.”

This was the question I decided to spit out last.

“The whisperer, the duality of God.”

The two titles that the evil spirit in Habel’s body had reacted to.

At the same time, they are the titles that made Habel nervous for the first time since leaving the Devil’s Palace.

“Do you know either of these two?”

The evil sorcerer’s gaze briefly passed over the black hill.

Habel, who didn’t know the light, roughly raised his hand over his head.

Fired-

Very briefly, lightning flashed from his hand.

“Hic, heek!”

The evil sorcerer knew very well what that meant.

It meant that if he bowed his head, he would be burned to death.

“Th, that, the tower, it’s not the tower! I’ve heard of that name outside the tower!”

The evil sorcerer’s loud voice echoed.

“Outside?”

“Yes! Not behind, but in front of what you just said, the whisperer!”

Habel’s brow furrowed.

Because he couldn’t think of anything outside the tower.

“Keep talking.”

“Th, yes, yes, there was a time when I used to go out as a necromancer.”

“Skip the commentary.”

“At that time, a man who came to me mentioned that name. He said that he had come in the name of the whisperer.”

Received the name.

Habel opened his eyes sullenly.

I thought he was someone inside the tower.

But he was someone outside?

“So.”

“He said that if I came under the whisperer, I could everything. I sent him away, telling him not to talk nonsense.”

“Was there nothing after that?”

“Ah, yes, I just said that there will come a time when you regret letting this opportunity pass you by.”

Habell fell into thought.

At the very least, it had been 50 years since the Calamity Caster had been active outside.

Although the Calamity Caster himself lived an immortal life thanks to the tower,

That would not be the case for those who had lived outside.

It was also possible that there were no longer any who were related to the Whisperer.

‘No, that may not necessarily be true.’

There were also immortals like himself who would never die.

Furthermore, if they were to the point of being his subordinates, it would mean that they were a group.

‘That means that those guys could still be somewhere in the world.’

Would he be able to find them?

He could not be certain.

However, there was a possibility.

“Do you remember what he looked like?”

“It was as if he had cast a strange magic, his face itself was blurry.”

“What about the design on his clothes?”

“That, I do remember. But it’s hard to describe in words.”

“Draw it.”

Habell broke his staff roughly and tossed only the tip to him.

The Calamity Caster, who received it, obediently drew a picture.

What appeared was the design of a snake’s neck being strangled by a tail that ended in a triangle shape.

Of course, it was a design that Habell had never seen before.

‘I guess I should assume that it’s a group that was created after I entered the Demon Palace.’

He did not know what had happened during the time he had spent inside the Demon Palace.

‘Well, it’s been a hundred years.’

A whole century had passed.

It was funny to think about it now.

“This will do.”

Habell stood up from the Calamity Caster.

He no longer had any use for this guy.

“Th, then.”

The Calamity Caster’s face was filled with anticipation.

It was the anticipation of being spared since he had done everything he was told to do.

However, Habell only starred at him blankly.

As if contemplating when he would notice.

The Calamity Caster’s face slowly began to stiffen.

At the same time, the guy slowly touched his own throat.

A completely dried-up and twisted neck.

Even so, it was still a neck.

However, the moment he touched his neck, it began to split open with a crack.

“Th-this is different from the story…”

At that moment, the Evil Sorcerer’s neck split open and collapsed.

“I never promised anything.”

I just beat him up and asked him what I wanted to know.

Habell had never made a deal with the Evil Sorcerer from the beginning.

‘I should also gather information about the Whisperer outside.’

The information shop from last time was pretty good.

I should spend some money and visit it again.

As he thought that, words suddenly appeared before Habells eyes.

[The Tower has swallowed the resentment.]

[You have passed the trial that has descended upon the Dark Zone.]

[The achievement ‘One who made the Tower swallow its resentment’ has been registered.]

[The resentment of the ‘5th Trial of the Tower’ seesps into your body.]

[‘Darkness’ takes root in your body.]

– Strength has increased by 63.

– Agility has increased by 61.

– Tenacity has increased by 55.

– Aptitude has increased by 67.

– Proficiency has increased by 62.

-Resentment has increased by 57.

The resentment of the Evil Sorcerer flowed into him.

I became stronger like this once again.

After this happened, I wondered how much I had improved.

That was when it happened.

[‘Tenacity’ has exceeded 1000.]

[One of the attributes acquired for the transcendence of ‘Tenacity’ will be consumed.]

[Target: ‘Cold’]

[The transcendence of ‘Tenacity’ will begin.]

[99 hours, 59 minutes, and 59 seconds until the transcendence of ‘Tenacity’]

Suddenly, the transcendence of Tenacity began.

Tenacity, which had an unusually high value, barely exceeded four digits.

And on top of that, transcendence.

‘What in the world is happening?’

It will take 100 hours.

It wasn’t such a long time.

It seemed like it would be completed before I finished this level.

“They don’t even give me time to solve my questions.”

Habell clicked his tongue.

Maybe because of that, he became curious about the other stats as well.

“It was just lined up in words back then.”

What do I do?

Habell hesitated for a moment, filled with questions.

At that moment, as if to answer his thoughts, letters popped up.

[Habell Banpellion]

[Acquired Achievements]

Master of the 10th Floor of the Demon’s Palace

Fenrir Church, Master of the Forest of Demons

…

Status: Time Rewind, Immortal, Tower Challenger

Possessed Attributes: Brain, Darkness

Strength: 929 Agility: 891

Tenacity: 1000+54 (Transcendence in progress) Aptitude: 893

Skill: 765 Evil Tendency: 224

As mentioned before, Tenacity is currently undergoing Transcendence.

Furthermore, his Strength also seemed to be approaching four digits.

The numbers had increased significantly compared to the initial values.

He had a vague sense of having grown stronger.

However, seeing the numbers like this, he was surprised once again.

To be exact, there had been no opponent to test his strength so far.

‘No, that’s not true.’

The Whispering One and the Duality of God.

He knew nothing about those two.

‘Perhaps those guys.’

Like him, they might have cleared Evil Tendencies and become masters.

Just like Havell had become the master of the 10th floor of the Demon’s Palace.

‘I don’t know.’

Habell, who had desperately fought through the 10 floors of the Demon’s Palace, possessed tremendous power.

But what about now?

In the time between absorbing Evil Tendencies in the Tower.

Habell had become stronger much more easily.

Surely, in the not-so-distant future, he would become incomparably stronger than he was in the Demon’s Palace.

‘If this isn’t limited to me.’

During the 100 years he had spent fighting through the Demon’s Palace.

There might have been someone who had absorbed far more Evil Tendencies than him and grown.

“Ha.”

For some reason, laughter escaped him.

His mind, which had gone mad long ago, showed anticipation.

The anticipation that he might meet an equal.

“If you’re going to appear, do it quickly.”

Habell muttered, looking up at the sky of the Dark Zone.

“Before I become so strong that even a few of you can’t handle me.”

Hoping that his expectations would be met, Havel turned around.

To climb the tower once more.

* * *

As he emerged from the darkness, he could see people at a distance.

The three who had fainted, Sam, and Dante.

And only Peleban was standing guard.

As soon as Peleban saw Havel, he let out a long sigh of relief.

He had believed that Havel would be fine, but he had returned later than expected.

Havel approached him, feeling a little sorry.

“Get some rest. There’s nothing around anyway.”

“Yes, I will.”

Peleban replied and collapsed onto the ground.

It seemed that he had reached his limit as well.

Since they had time to rest until everyone woke up, Havel recalled the ‘darkness’ he had acquired earlier.

He tried using the darkness, and his hand was enveloped in darkness.

Darkness was the complete opposite of the dawn that Havel wielded.

Yet, he was able to use it so easily.

It was an irregular way to acquire it, no matter how you looked at it.

“Ugh, uugh.”

In the meantime, the three who had fainted began to regain consciousness.

Havel shook his hand to get rid of the darkness.

“…Havel, may I ask you something?”

At that moment, Peleban spoke to him.

He was looking at the unconscious Dante with a complicated expression.

“Go ahead.”

“You said that the tower becomes stronger depending on who enters it, right?”

Havel nodded.

“I’ve seen your strength today, Havel. And I’ve heard that the tower has changed recently because you entered it.”

So, it had affected the other floors as well.

“So, you want me to leave the tower?”

Peleban shook his head.

He simply looked back at the unconscious Dante.

“I know that Havel will clear the tower regardless of such things. But.”

Peleban hesitated.

“But Dante is different.”

Peleban was surprised by Dante’s performance today.

His perseverance and effort had led him to become a Gold Gardner.

But even so, there is a limit to what a person can do.

Dante is currently climbing the tower with gritted teeth.

Only to follow Habel.

“I definitely think Dante will continue to get stronger.”

He too will do his best to grow until he reaches the Maginot Line.

“But even so, it will be impossible to catch up to Habel.”

Pelleban has seen many strong people.

However, even among them, Habel was an outlier.

A monster that transcended humans.

That was Habel.

“If you pursue something that is impossible, you will eventually be ruined.”

Pelleban said that Dante was exactly like that right now.

“Dante, you will die.”

He will eventually die while chasing Habel.

Pelleban was certain.

Habel’s eyes turned to Dante.

Habel also knew vaguely.

That Dante was slowly reaching his limit.

‘My path had a different starting point from the beginning.’

Through regression and immortality, Habel had surpassed the limits of humans.

On the other hand, Dante was burning his own life to grow.

Naturally, there was bound to be a difference.

This time was no different.

Because he had helped Dante grow when his death was imminent.

“So may I suggest one thing?”

Habel nodded.

That was a sign of permission.

“I want to take Dante to Austria.”

Pelleban reacted with shame.

“I know how shameful I have been.”

Now, even Pelleban acknowledged Dante and respected him.

“As I said before, Dante will continue to grow.”

Growth that grinds his bones is dramatic.

But slow growth that tears and recovers muscle fibers is also growth.

Instead of grinding his body down with dramatic growth.

Growth that is steady and definitely tailored to his own body.

“If they hang out with people who are a little higher level than them, Dante will be able to grow safely.”

That’s why Pelleban wanted to take Dante to Austria.

At the very least, Dante wouldn’t die in Austria.

“So you want me to take Dante to Austria?”

“Yes, it will help. Of course, I have no intention of removing Dante from Vanpelihon.”

Dante’s loyalty was something Pelevan had experienced firsthand.

Dante would not waver, especially considering Havel’s existence.

So he said that he would at least consider it.

Havel remained silent.

‘If someone on my level appears in the future.’

Dante would be caught up in it and die.

In a storm, humans are infinitely small.

They would just be caught up in the wind and torn to pieces.

Havel looked up at the tower.

There were still many floors to climb.

And above that, unknown beings appeared one by one.

Havel knew well.

That he was the only one who could stand up to such a thing.

Just as he had fought alone in the Devil’s Palace.

Even after leaving the Devil’s Palace, he was alone.

‘I guess I was a little mistaken.’

While climbing the tower with Dante.

He seemed to have forgotten his loneliness without thinking.

‘I still have a long way to go. A long way.’

He had forgotten his loneliness despite having been alone for so long.

‘By now, there’s probably no one who doesn’t know that I belong to Vanpelihon.’

Moreover, the Dawn Knights began to gather around Dante.

In fact, it was safe to say that Dante’s role was sufficient.

“I’ll consider it.”

So Havel replied to Pelevan.

Even if he were to be alone again, it would be different from when he was in the Devil’s Palace.

Because he had a family to support him.

The world was still too vast to be impatient.

And because he was immortal, he had infinite time.

‘In that case.’

It wouldn’t hurt to at least match those with a finite amount of time.

Havel thought so and just stared at the darkness alone.