Chapter 1
Deep, endless darkness.
In that silent place where everything had sunk into stillness, a familiar voice suddenly came from somewhere.
…Who is that?
I was certain I had never heard that voice before.
And yet, strangely, something deep inside my chest ached.
“Hyung-nim. Why do you look so miserable? Did something bad happen today?”
My vision gradually brightened.
A heavily built man stood in front of me, staring at me.
A body forged through countless battles. A scar running all the way down to the back of his neck.
For some reason, his face felt strangely familiar.
Behind him was a campfire.
The crackling sound of roasting meat mixed with cheerful laughter and drifted into my ears.
“You’re acting strange today. Well, I suppose you’re getting old too, Hyung-nim. Maybe it’s finally time for you to rest. Don’t you think so, Mihyeon noona?”
“What are you talking about? Just going by appearances, Bong Taesu, you look like the oldest one here.”
The woman called Mihyeon had silver hair that shone brightly beneath the moonlight.
Mischief danced within her crimson eyes.
“Ahem. I may look like this, but I’m still a young and handsome twenty-six-year-old. And like I’ve always told you, before entering the Tower, I was surprisingly popular with women.”
Bong Taesu proudly puffed out his chest.
Mihyeon immediately burst out laughing as though she had just heard the most ridiculous thing in the world.
“Pfft. Yeah, sure you were.”
The atmosphere was peaceful.
No.
It was strangely warm.
Yet their laughter somehow felt incredibly distant to me.
Then Mihyeon turned toward me.
She smiled brightly and waved.
“Lee Suhyeok! What are you doing over there all by yourself? It’s over now, so hurry up and come here!”
“Hyung-nim, stop standing over there and come join us. Let’s go back and have a drink.”
Why?
I couldn’t say anything.
Even though she kept waving at me, I couldn’t move a single step.
Swoosh.
My vision darkened once again.
And when I opened my eyes a moment later—
For some reason, Mihyeon was lying in my arms.
The warmth was slowly leaving her body.
“Cough, cough… Y-You, at least… s-survive….”
Only a faint smile remained on her lips.
Her face gradually turned pale.
Thud.
“……”
The head that had been held high with such a cheerful smile only moments ago fell limply to the side.
Her eyes were empty.
There was nothing left inside them.
The warmth that had once touched my fingertips disappeared.
Only a freezing cold remained.
I didn’t understand.
I didn’t know who she was.
I didn’t know why this had happened.
Throb.
Pain struck the center of my chest as though someone were tearing it apart with a knife.
“Urgh… ngh!”
I bit my lip.
The unbearable pain made my chin tremble.
Drops of water gathered around my eyes and fell one after another.
My vision went dark once more.
Step.
Step.
As if nothing had happened, I was now climbing a staircase illuminated by faint light.
Bong Taesu walked beside me.
“…Hyung-nim, it seems we’re the only ones left.”
His voice was quiet.
“Everyone promised we’d make it to the end together, but they went ahead of us first. What a bunch of people who can’t even keep their promises.”
…They’re all dead.
“Still, I suppose I should be grateful.”
Bong Taesu gave a bitter smile.
“If I had been the only one left, I probably wouldn’t have made it this far. I might’ve given up halfway.”
The bright and confident look I had seen in his eyes before was gone.
His gaze was dull and clouded.
It was guilt.
The guilt of failing to protect everyone and somehow being the one who survived.
“…Haha. Looks like I made things depressing again.”
He scratched his head.
“Come to think of it, Hyung-nim. Didn’t you say you were an office worker before you got dragged into this place?”
I muttered something.
Bong Taesu chuckled.
“Looking at you now, I honestly can’t believe it at all.”
He grinned.
“But there’s nothing to be embarrassed about. No matter what anyone says, isn’t who you are now what really matters?”
Before long, we arrived in front of a massive door.
The stone monument beside it had two characters carved into it.
[99th Floor]
“Since this is basically the end, why don’t we tell each other what wish we’re planning to make?”
Bong Taesu’s face lit up with childish excitement that didn’t suit his huge body at all.
“They say any wish will be granted once we reach the top of the Tower. And now we’re almost there.”
Seeing him like that, I quietly raised the corners of my lips.
Bong Taesu immediately looked offended.
“What? After coming this far, you’re still keeping it a secret?”
He clicked his tongue.
“Fine, do whatever you want. I’m telling you mine, though. Ahem. Anyway, my wish is……”
Before I could hear the rest of his wish, Bong Taesu’s voice faded away.
My vision once again fell into darkness.
BOOOOM—!!
An explosion erupted.
Dust swallowed my sight.
I somehow forced my staggering body upright.
After struggling to clear my blurry vision, I looked around.
The boss was already dead.
Its head had been severed from its body.
Flinch.
…No way.
My terrible feeling had been right.
Bong Taesu was lying on the ground.
Dark blood spread from beneath his back like a river.
His entire body was drenched in blood.
Thick, murky blood leaked from every opening.
I dropped to my knees in disbelief.
My trembling hand pulled out a potion.
“No… No, Taesu.”
I desperately poured it onto his wounds.
Again.
Again.
Dozens of times.
Hundreds.
It was useless.
His lower body had literally been torn apart.
“Kugh… Sorry… cough… I-It’s fine…….”
His voice sounded agonized.
Yet strangely relieved.
The strength slowly disappeared from the hand that had been gripping mine.
I gently placed both hands over Bong Taesu’s chest.
Then I quietly gave him my final farewell.
“…You worked hard all this time.”
My voice trembled.
“Rest now, Taesu.”
The memories flashing past like a revolving lantern finally came to an end.
We had seen hope.
We had been filled with joy.
And at the end of all of it—
Despair had been waiting.
Only then did I remember everything.
Who I was.
Where I was.
And who all those people in my memories had been.
Everything.
Lee Suhyeok.
A Player from Earth who had suddenly entered the Tower fifty years ago.
The sole raiding party remaining within this Tower.
“…So I’m the only one left in the end.”
Everyone was dead.
Only I remained.
We had made a promise.
Even if only one person survived until the end—
That person would escape this hellish place.
The image of Taesu dying with a peaceful smile resurfaced in my mind.
And with it came another memory from long ago.
—
“Ahem. So, Suhyeok. Who do you think will be the one standing beside you at the very end? Me or Taesu?”
Mihyeon looked at me with obvious expectation.
When I hesitated, Taesu answered instead.
“Why are you thinking so hard about it? Obviously, someone as strong and sturdy as me will survive. Noona, your body is too weak.”
“Pfft. Really? Then what was our record again? Two hundred ninety matches, two hundred ninety wins, zero losses. Wasn’t that it?”
“A-Ahem! I told you I wasn’t feeling well last time…! Hyung-nim, say something! Help me out here!”
—
They had been joking.
Neither of them had ever said it directly.
But deep down, they must have been thinking the same thing.
Realistically—
There was no way all of us would return alive.
“……”
Now that I was alone, those memories felt like massive weights pressing down on my back.
Step.
Step.
With every step I took, their voices echoed beside my ears.
—
“Hyung-nim, don’t go ahead without me.”
“Lee Suhyeok, isn’t it unfair to run ahead all by yourself?”
—
Clench.
Pain rose all the way to my throat.
I desperately forced my emotions back down.
I didn’t have the luxury of grieving.
I still hadn’t reached the final destination of all their sacrifices.
“…I can’t stop here yet.”
[ Congratulations! You have cleared the 99th Floor! ]
[ The Administrator of the Tower expresses infinite respect for your incredible achievement. ]
[ Reward: 100th Floor Entry Ticket x1 ]
Creeeeak.
The massive doors slid apart.
I walked forward through the darkness.
Soon—
A dazzling door appeared before me.
“So this is the 100th Floor…….”
Everything had happened because of whatever existed beyond this door.
Whoever it was—
I would kill them.
With that vow burning inside me, I opened the door.
Creak.
A pure white space.
At the center of that colorless world sat the only man who possessed any color.
He wore a perfectly tailored suit and maintained an impeccable posture as he quietly drank tea.
Long, narrow eyes.
Thinly curled lips.
He smiled leisurely, almost as if he had been waiting for this exact moment for a very long time.
“Hmm. The aroma truly is wonderful.”
His warm and relaxed voice echoed throughout the room.
He slowly turned his head toward me.
Then he greeted me with a refined smile.
“Welcome, Player Lee Suhyeok. I have been waiting for you here—”
CRAAACK!
BZZZT!
My thrust tore through the air along with a violent gust.
Half of the man’s body disappeared.
But the torn flesh immediately began reconstructing itself as if nothing had happened.
He calmly placed his teacup down and stood.
Then he leisurely walked toward me.
Click.
Click.
“My, you seem very angry.”
His smile never disappeared.
“I had hoped we might enjoy a cup of tea and have a pleasant conversation, but… that’s quite all right.”
He spread his arms slightly.
“I’ll wait. Feel free to vent your anger as much as you like.”
I instinctively understood.
That bastard—
He was the Administrator of the 100th Floor.
CRACK!
I swung my sword.
Then stabbed.
Then slashed again.
I unleashed the rage I had accumulated over the last several decades.
How much time passed?
THUD!
“Haa… Haa…!”
I swung my sword until every last ounce of strength disappeared from my body.
The result was miserable.
“Hmm. Are you finished?”
The Administrator casually straightened his clothes.
“I sincerely hope this helped relieve at least some of your anger.”
The way he spoke made it clear.
He had deliberately allowed my attacks to hit him.
That was how impossibly large the gap between us was.
…Ha.
So in the end, I couldn’t even leave a scratch on him.
I couldn’t touch him.
Unable to do anything else, I slowly returned my sword to its sheath.
As I was now—
I couldn’t even injure the man standing before me.
“…I’ll make my wish.”
The Administrator blinked.
Then smiled.
“Ah, your wish?”
He tilted his head slightly.
“A wish… Of course. Naturally, I must grant it.”
His smile widened.
“Please tell me. What do you wish for?”
Finally.
It was over.
I could undo everything.
The peaceful days from when we knew nothing.
All the companions who had died until now.
Everyone.
“My wish is to bring back everyone who sacrificed themselves until now—”
“Pfft… Khk!”
He suddenly covered his mouth.
