The Demon King of the 100th Floor
[Moving to the 100th floor of the Tower.]
At first, Kangwoo thought it was simply a display error.
Normally, when someone awakened, they were transported to Floor 0, the tutorial floor.
Ever since humanity had experienced the Great Cataclysm, that had been common knowledge.
But Kangwoo’s common sense was shattered in an instant.
“Seriously… the 100th floor?”
It was the aspiration of every Hunter.
And, at the same time, the object of their fear.
Kangwoo had been transported to such a place.
I’m as good as dead.
The reason he thought that was simple.
Humanity had currently conquered only as far as Floor 32.
Hundreds of Hunters had died attempting to conquer it.
And those Hunters were at least C-rank or higher.
Their levels were also above 300.
But what about Kangwoo, who had only just awakened?
Level 1.
He had no rank.
A rank was assigned only after completing the tutorial.
And only after receiving a rank could one obtain various stats and skills.
In other words, Kangwoo was no different from an ordinary person.
And that ordinary person had been stranded on the 100th floor of the Tower.
“…….”
Kangwoo remained silent for a moment.
Then he looked around.
Rather than panicking or despairing, he moved first.
Yet even Kangwoo found his own behavior strange.
He was very different from his usual self.
There was no way he should be this calm and composed.
[The Demon King’s Soul is active.]
[Your mental strength has increased dramatically.]
At that moment, a message appeared before his eyes.
That was when Kangwoo’s question was answered.
“The Demon King’s Soul? Is it a skill?”
But another question immediately arose.
Normally, skills were granted after completing the tutorial.
But Kangwoo had not undergone the tutorial.
There was no way he should have a skill.
“…That isn’t important right now.”
After thinking for a moment, Kangwoo pushed the question aside.
It was inappropriate to dwell on such things right now.
What he needed to do was simple.
Find a way to survive on the 100th floor.
And find a way to escape.
“…….”
But it seemed hopeless.
He was only Level 1.
The fact that he had a skill meant he was somewhat special.
But even so, he was still Level 1.
Even C-rank Hunters above Level 300 struggled from the 30th floor onward.
And this was the 100th floor of the Tower.
Could he even find a way out?
“Hmm.”
Kangwoo raised his head and looked at the towering building.
It had a rather antique style.
There was an eerie atmosphere about it.
It looked like a castle from the Middle Ages.
“Should I go inside?”
The strange thing was that he felt drawn toward it.
Even though he should clearly be cautious about everything around him, his instincts were telling him to go to that castle.
Perhaps it had something to do with [The Demon King’s Soul].
Now that he thought about it, the castle before him might actually be what people commonly called a Demon King’s Castle.
A white moon hung above its spire.
The sky was red, covered with black clouds.
Even birds flew through that ominous sky.
“A Demon King’s Castle, huh? Sounds about right.”
Tap, tap—
Without hesitation, Kangwoo walked toward the castle.
He was standing on a field some distance away from it.
After walking for a while, he found a well-maintained road.
“…Oh.”
Kangwoo let out a small exclamation of admiration.
The road was so beautifully maintained that it looked like a painting.
It seemed to have become one with the elegant castle.
It wasn’t simply a straight road stretching ahead.
It felt like a part of a gigantic work of art.
The trees, streetlights, statues, and everything else placed along the road were the same.
As if admiring a work of art, he looked around while walking.
And after following the road for some time—
“…!”
A large open space came into view.
At the same time, he noticed four figures standing there.
The problem was the killing intent emanating from those four.
It was a sensation he had never experienced before.
Yet somehow, he understood it.
Kangwoo stopped walking.
Then he began to think.
What should he do now?
Should he continue along the road toward the castle?
Or should he turn back?
“Gwahaha! You’re all here!”
While Kangwoo was thinking, he heard a voice.
It came from the four beings in the open space.
He began listening carefully.
“Of course, Akriff. Did you really think I wouldn’t come?”
“The throne is empty. We all know what we have to do now.”
“Those weaker than me. Demon King. No. I will do it.”
The four beings radiated sharp killing intent toward one another.
As they glared at each other, the one called Akriff spoke.
“Fwahahaha! You all know, don’t you? The strongest demon becomes the master of that throne. So don’t be disappointed. It seems the next Demon King will be me, Akriff!”
Akriff laughed wildly.
His entire body was covered in skin that looked like mottled leather, crudely stitched together.
Seeing him, Sharlene, a woman with long blue hair, let out a cold sneer.
“Hmph. What an ugly corpse. That throne is mine!”
Blue flames erupted around her.
Those flames gave off both tremendous heat and intense cold.
“The strongest demon. The Demon King. That is me.”
Seeing Sharlene, the muscular giant Drakaron spoke in a blunt, somewhat awkward manner.
Now, according to the order, the last demon to speak was Rak.
He was a swordsman who wielded spatial swords and was the strongest candidate for the Demon King’s throne.
As the other demons swallowed nervously and looked toward Rak—
“…It seems none of you have noticed the anomaly.”
A calm voice escaped his lips.
The other demons followed Rak’s gaze.
And then they saw it.
“Wh-who are you?”
“Why is there a human here?!”
“Hmm? What is this?”
“…….”
A short distance away from the open space where they stood—
Someone was standing there.
Level 1.
Kangwoo.
“…….”
He remained silent.
He merely looked at the four demons with a cold gaze.
But that was a misunderstanding on the demons’ part.
Kangwoo was actually looking at the message floating before his eyes.
[The Demon King’s Soul is active.]
[You are exerting powerful intimidation upon the demon race.]
Without knowing this, the four demons flinched.
What they could clearly see was the body of an extremely frail human.
Even the energy they sensed from him was purely human.
But the instincts of the demons were telling them something else.
That human was their master.
The one who reigned upon an untouchable throne.
After realizing this, the four demons exchanged glances.
Should they rush forward and kill the human immediately?
Or should they wait cautiously and look for an opportunity?
“……..”
A strange tension flowed between Kangwoo and the four demons.
Then—
[You have encountered your subordinates.]
Another message appeared before Kangwoo’s eyes.
Seeing it, he let out a small sigh.
Judging from all the messages that had appeared so far, there was no doubt.
Am I… the Demon King?
It was absurd.
A Level 1 Demon King?
Apparently, the system had gone completely insane.
But rather than cursing at the broken system, Kangwoo needed to resolve this strange and uncomfortable situation.
No matter how powerful the intimidation he emitted was—
Even if those four demons were his subordinates—
They could still hurt him.
They were demons residing on the 100th floor of the Tower.
Their levels must be equally high, and so must their strength.
They were beings who could kill him at any moment.
In other words, Kangwoo had nothing to lose.
Whether he died now or a little later made no difference.
So he took a gamble.
“Guide me. To my throne.”
The throne those demons had been fighting over just moments ago.
Kangwoo declared that he was its rightful owner.
Then—
“…!”
The four demons in the open space flinched.
Kangwoo had no idea, but his voice carried an incredibly powerful force.
Powerful enough to make four demons whose levels exceeded 900 feel dizzy.
At the same time, a fear engraved into their blood and bones grew stronger.
If we resist, we die.
Even disrespecting him means death.
A chilling shadow of death began to loom over them.
“…The Four Heavenly Kings, Rak, greets the Demon King.”
The first to move was Rak, the swordsman who could cut through space.
Among the four demons competing for the throne, he had been the strongest candidate for the position of Demon King.
And he was the first to kneel.
“…!”
The remaining three demons immediately understood the situation.
If Rak was willing to kneel, then they—
“The Four Heavenly Kings, Sharlene, greets the Demon King.”
“The Four Heavenly Kings, Drakaron, greets the Demon King.”
“The Four Heavenly Kings, Akriff, greets the Demon King.”
One after another, their heads touched the ground.
Silence followed.
“…….”
Within that chilly silence, the Four Heavenly Kings remained prostrated.
They kept their heads down while glancing at one another from the corners of their eyes.
They wondered what they should do now.
Then—
“Do I have to say it twice? I told you to guide me to the throne.”
Kangwoo’s voice rang out again.
The boredom in his voice.
The composure.
The slight annoyance.
All of it seemed to say one thing.
This man really is the Demon King.
The four demons finally understood the situation and moved quickly.
“This is the Demon King’s throne.”
It was an extraordinarily magnificent chair.
Kangwoo sat in it as though it were the most natural thing in the world.
“…….”
After briefly exchanging glances, the four demons knelt before Kangwoo.
Then they silently waited.
What would the new Demon King’s first command be?
After a moment—
Kangwoo opened his mouth.
“I need to leave this Tower.”
“…?”
The four demons were stunned.
But they did not dare object.
They simply nodded quietly and prepared to obey his command.
A long time passed.
A truly long time.
Kangwoo did not spend that time idly.
[You have consumed the Essence of a Level 927 Titan.]
[You have consumed the Divine Blood of a Level 965 Phoenix.]
[You have consumed the Frostflame of a Level 934 Frost King.]
[You have consumed the Marrow of a Level 918 Fenrir.]
.
.
.
Countless elixirs existed within the Demon King’s Castle warehouse.
He consumed every last one of them.
The reason this was possible was simple.
The Demon King’s Castle on the 100th floor.
Countless heroes had come there to kill the Demon King who resided within it.
Naturally, not a single one of those heroes had managed to kill the Demon King.
All kinds of elixirs they had carried with them had accumulated inside the Demon King’s Castle warehouse.
What was more, those elixirs had no effect on the demons of the castle.
Naturally, they had remained there completely untouched.
[Level increased.]
[Level increased.]
[Level increased.]
.
.
.
Kangwoo consumed every single one of those elixirs.
And simply by doing so, he raised his level.
But that wasn’t all.
[You have completely understood the Iron-Blooded War Codex.]
[You have completely understood the forgotten forces of nature.]
[You have completely understood the Primordial Runes.]
[You have completely understood the Last Words of the Spirit King.]
[You have completely understood Artemis’s Archery.]
.
.
.
He absorbed every secret manual stored in the warehouse into his mind.
Swordsmanship and magic.
Archery and spirit arts.
Even the techniques of druids.
The heroes who had come to the Demon King’s Castle from countless worlds had possessed an enormous variety of secret manuals.
Kangwoo continued to grow stronger.
To a level that no one could approach.
And it wasn’t merely his raw strength that increased.
“Today, all four of you attack me at once.”
He worked to completely master his newfound power.
Every day, he repeatedly sparred with the Four Heavenly Kings under his command.
As a result, Kangwoo eventually gained the skill to match his Level 999 status.
Around that time, he began preparing for what would come after his escape.
“From the first floor to the ninety-ninth. Find out everything about the Tower.”
He ordered the Four Heavenly Kings to gather every piece of information they could about the Tower.
Everything they learned was transferred into Kangwoo’s mind.
When I entered the Tower, Floor 32 was the highest floor humanity had reached.
Kangwoo prepared for the moment he would escape the Tower and return to his original world.
And so, more time passed.
Just when he began to think that he might never escape—
“Rak. What did you just say?”
Rak, the swordsman who could cut through space.
After countless battles with Kangwoo, he had reached a breakthrough.
“I think… I can open a dimensional gate.”
By exhausting all his power, he had become capable of opening a dimensional gate to escape the 100th floor of the Tower.
But only once.
“However, I can’t guarantee that it will take you exactly where you want to go.”
Although it was not a perfect dimensional gate—
Kangwoo did not hesitate.
“Open the dimensional gate, Rak.”
He immediately gave the command.
Slaaash!
Beyond the dimensional gate created by Rak’s sword—
Kangwoo suddenly disappeared.
And where he arrived was—
“…My apartment?”
Kangwoo.
It was the small studio apartment where he had been living.
The most surprising thing was—
“Time… hasn’t passed?”
He knew that time did not pass on the Tower’s tutorial floor.
But this was something he had never expected.
“…….”
Kangwoo stared blankly around his apartment.
It was incredibly shabby.
Then he checked his inventory.
[Lv. 931 Fang of the Abyss]
[Lv. 903 Holy Sword of Valerion]
[Lv. 976 Helm of Oblivion]
[Lv. 982 Dragonheart Pendant]
[Lv. 999 Eye of the Celestial]
.
.
.
[Book of Eternal Flames]
[Book of Silent Dominion]
[Book of Starlit Prophecy]
[Forbidden Book of Creation]
[Book of Celestial Incantations]
.
.
.
[Lv. 910 Secret Elixir of the Twilight Realm]
[Lv. 944 Tears of the Star Giant]
[Lv. 979 Honey of the Abyssal Flower]
[Lv. 904 Rainwater of Fate]
[Lv. 999 Primordial Dragon’s Divine Blood]
.
.
.
“Haha.”
Kangwoo let out a short laugh.
It seemed that his life had completely turned around.
