Chapter: 12
The method for obtaining a Subspace was simple.
‘The Alchemists.’
All you had to do was complete the quests given by the Alchemists’ Guild, where those disgusting bastards gathered.
The size of the Subspace you received depended on your quest completion rate. As far as anyone knew, the maximum size was about ten pyeong.
Roughly the size of a studio apartment.
There were larger Subspaces on the upper floors, but they were incredibly rare.
For an ordinary player, the largest one they could realistically obtain was the one provided by Terra’s Alchemists’ Guild.
That was the normal case, anyway.
Pushing what had just happened out of his mind, Eugene quickened his pace.
‘I’ll do better next time. Next time.’
He had long since forgotten what shame and embarrassment felt like.
His personality had become far too twisted to dwell on such things.
A short while later, he arrived at the Alchemists’ Guild.
Compared to something like Citadel’s Golden Hammer, this building was incomparably larger, grander, and more extravagant.
It was probably one of the five most magnificent buildings in all of Terra.
‘Those bastards have money.’
They crafted every imaginable item and potion, earning profits that bordered on extortion.
It was no wonder players hated alchemists.
But what could they do?
The potions made by alchemists were essential for hunting.
Without them, going out to hunt wasn’t even an option.
Players had no choice but to pay, even if it made them grit their teeth.
With a displeased expression, Eugene stepped into the den of those money-sucking parasites.
“Welcome!”
“Oh! A player!”
“Welcome to the Alchemists’ Guild!”
“Potions for hunting are on the east side of the first floor. Potions that aid growth are on the west side. Skills and items are available starting from the second floor.”
“Where would you like to be guided?”
Smiles everywhere.
The quality of service was definitely on a completely different level from that tiny hole-in-the-wall called Citadel’s Golden Hammer.
That place had nothing but one burly, bearded old man.
Here, beautiful women welcomed Eugene with radiant smiles.
Even the atmosphereāand the scentāwere on another level.
‘Everyone got fooled by this and had their wallets emptied.’
A place where the money people struggled to save disappeared before they even realized it.
That had been true for Eugene during his first playthrough as well.
Regardless of his strength, he had been rather naive back then.
If he didn’t want to repeat that mistake, he’d have to stay sharp this time.
“The thirteenth floor.”
His voice was as cold as possible, carrying an unmistakable warning not to approach him.
The bustling surroundings instantly fell silent.
“…Did you say the thirteenth floor?”
“That’s right.”
When Eugene nodded, the NPC who appeared to be the manager forced an awkward smile.
“I’m terribly sorry, Player, but our guild does not have a thirteenth floor.”
Officially, that was true.
From the outside, the Alchemists’ Guild only appeared to have twelve floors.
But Eugene knew the truth.
There was a hidden thirteenth floor inside this building.
“Stop testing me and just take me there. Or should I summon Cupiditas myself?”
Now it wasn’t just quiet.
Even the air had grown heavy.
The people who had been smiling only moments ago now stared at Eugene with sharp, wary eyes.
Naturally.
Cupiditas was the owner of the Alchemists’ Guild and one of the five lords who ruled Terra.
Very few people knew that fact.
Even among NPCs, the overwhelming majority had no idea.
There was no way some rookie player who had just stepped into the first floor should know someone like her.
The woman who had been assisting Eugene stared at him silently before lowering her head.
“I will escort you.”
Now that the name Cupiditas had been mentioned, this was no longer something a mere manager could handle.
Even if she was reprimanded later, she had no choice but to take Eugene to her.
Following behind her, Eugene stepped onto the large circle engraved in the center of the building.
It was a Skill Zone that functioned as an elevator.
Places like this normally used Leap [E], while much larger facilities employed Teleportation [B].
“Proceeding to the thirteenth floor.”
Hummmmmmā
The skill engraved into the floor activated, and the scenery around them began to warp.
Flash!
Just like when he had first been summoned into the Tower, the crumpled space unfolded.
An entirely different place spread out before his eyes.
The Thirteenth Floor.
Cupiditas’s laboratory.
A sanctuary no one could ever enter without her permission.
“We have arrived.”
Among the countless dimensions where the Tower existed, there probably weren’t even ten players who had ever set foot here.
Yet Eugene calmly stepped off the platform without the slightest change in expression.
“…You’re not surprised.”
“Should I be?”
“Not necessarily. It’s just that most first-time visitors have trouble keeping their composure.”
Understandable.
The interior of the thirteenth floor was beyond bizarre or grotesque.
Those words weren’t nearly enough to describe it.
An ordinary person would probably lose their mind simply by entering this place.
Not figuratively.
Literally.
Their thoughts would fill with endless negativity.
They would lose the ability to distinguish reality from illusion.
Eventually, they would even forget their own existence before fading away.
That was why those who knew of this place called the thirteenth floor…
The Abyss.
But Eugene was fine.
He had come here countless times during his first playthrough.
Since this phenomenon affected only the mindānot levels, skills, or traitsāit had no effect whatsoever on someone already accustomed to it.
“I guess I’m not ordinary.”
Replying casually, Eugene walked forward without waiting for the manager’s guidance.
“W-Wait! You can’t just wander around like that!”
“It’s fine. You can go back down now. I’ll meet Cupiditas alone.”
Even though he couldn’t properly see more than a step ahead, there wasn’t the slightest hesitation in his footsteps.
‘Three steps to the left from here. Then five steps forward.’
Like a veteran who had memorized every inch of a game walkthrough, Eugene moved effortlessly through the darkness.
‘Well… I really am a veteran.’
It wasn’t exactly wrong.
Leaving the dumbfounded manager behind, he walked for quite some time.
It felt like about thirty minutes had passed.
Impossible considering the size of the building.
But in this place, it was possible.
“I should be here.”
He stopped.
As if waiting for that exact moment, the surroundings began changing again.
The incomprehensibly twisted landscape dissolved into a gentle light before transforming into an entirely new location.
‘Looks exactly the same.’
The ground stretched endlessly in white marble.
Above, the sky was filled with a black cosmos.
The moon and stars bathed everything below in mysterious light.
It was breathtakingly beautiful.
Yet despite the mesmerizing sight, Eugene frowned.
‘Disgusting bastard.’
Because he knew exactly what those beautiful lights truly were.
Step.
“A guest I’ve never seen before.”
The lively voice of a woman came from directly behind him.
“I don’t remember inviting anyone. So how did you get in here?”
He didn’t bother turning around.
There’d be nothing to see even if he did.
“I took the elevator.”
“You know that’s not what I meant.”
“If you’ve got questions, come stand in front of me before asking them. Ever heard of manners?”
“…You’re an amusing person.”
Rustle…
The sound of fabric brushing through the air echoed overhead.
Not behind him.
Above.
As though an angel had descended, a woman wrapped from head to toe in flowing cloth gracefully landed upon the marble floor.
“There. Better? Now I’ll ask again. How did you enter this place?”
She had a beautiful face.
If you asked a hundred people, ninety-nine of them would give her a thumbs-up.
The remaining one, naturally, was Eugene.
“Didaskalia told me.”
He lied without the slightest hesitation.
Cupiditas’s expression immediately stiffened.
“…Is your name Seong Eugene?”
“Word travels fast. Didaskalia must’ve been pretty desperate. Looks like they contacted everyone.”
Eugene let out a small chuckle.
A smile appeared on Cupiditas’s face as well.
It wasn’t warm.
It was cruel.
Grotesque.
A smile reeking of blood.
“Very well. I’ll believe you.”
She knew better than anyone that Eugene was lying.
Yet she asked no further questions.
Because she had become even more curious about why he had come to the Abyss.
“Ordinarily, I would simply kill you. You’re an uninvited guest. But this time, I’ll make an exception.”
She spread her arms with exaggerated benevolence, as though granting him tremendous mercy.
“I wanted to see you at least once. Didaskalia convened the Grand Council because of you.”
“Oh? Really?”
He acted surprised.
In truth, he had expected as much.
That coward would naturally do something like that.
The real surprise was Cupiditas herself.
“How do you even know about that? You’re not an Administratorājust an NPC.”
“When you reach my position, you gain quite a bit of authority. Of course, it doesn’t compare to the Administrators’.”
She answered as if it were nothing special.
Then she asked,
“But… do you even know what the Grand Council is before saying things like that?”
The Grand Council was the highest assembly that could only be convened when the management of the Tower faced a critical threat.
Players didn’t even know it existed, let alone its name.
Yet Eugene acted as though he knew exactly what it was.
“A council, right? A place where everyone gets together and argues with words. That’s what a council is. If it’s a Grand Council… I guess it’s just a bigger meeting?”
Eugene shrugged.
Cupiditas’s eyes turned cold.
“You’re quite good at dodging questions.”
“Thanks.”
She stared silently at Eugene, who had accepted her sarcasm as praise.
Finally, she sighed and raised both hands.
“Fine. I’ll investigate the details myself.”
Seeing he had no intention of answering, she decided to step back for now.
“So tell me. Why did you come here? Surely you’re not planning to keep that a secret too?”
How?
Why?
Everything.
And this time, Eugene answered honestly.
He had been waiting for this question.
“Oh, nothing much. I wanted to ask you for a favor.”
“A favor? Why on earth should I grant one?”
This was their first meeting.
They knew each other’s names, but they had never met face to face before.
At least, from Cupiditas’s perspective.
Yet here he was, asking for a favor without warning.
His shamelessness was practically worthy of a Rank B skill.
“Because if you refuse, I’ll destroy the Alchemists’ Guild.”
“…What did you just say?”
“This hell you’ve built. This disgusting place where the screams of the dead are used as lights for your amusement. I’m going to destroy it.”
Those beautiful, enchanting rays of light.
They were the anguished screams of souls burning themselves until complete annihilation.
Eugene hadn’t learned that truth until he reached the 80th floor.
After returning to Terra, he had cut Cupiditas in half…
Then completely crushed this place into rubble.
“You revolting monster. Did you think I’d never find out?”
The countless souls illuminating the world…
They were the players who had died on the first floor.
“I’d love nothing more than to cut off your head right now and grind it beneath my heel. Unfortunately, I’m still too weak.”
Eugene lightly tapped the hilt of his Fire Dragon Blade [E] as he continued.
“So instead of killing you, hand over your Subspace. That’s my favor, you bitch.”
