Chapter 292. The Eternity Tower (5)

“Heavenly King.”

“We humbly beg you to lend us your strength.”

Above the clouds stretched a vast, majestic expanse.

The King, whose frame as imposing as the countless years he had endured, looked down at those bowing before him. “You were the ones who made the pact. So why do you now ask me to act?”

One of them hesitated. “Well...”

The King of the Underground—the tenth largest shareholder—shifted uneasily.

The other major shareholders quickly chimed in, each adding their own grievance.

“We were stripped of everything by that vile man!”

“He was a master of schemes and threats. We were completely cleaned out!”

“We can’t just sit back and watch our company fall into his hands!”

As their complaints piled up, the Heavenly King frowned and turned his gaze. His emotionless eyes settled on the third largest shareholder, the Master of the Snowy Mountains. “Third, do you share their view?”

“We were forced to cancel the recent general meeting because of his threats,” the man replied. “But we have nothing left to lose now.”

“Which means?”

“If we prepare properly and face him head-on, there is no reason we cannot win.”

A deep crease formed on the Heavenly King’s face. His overwhelming presence remained unchanged, but a layer of fatigue surfaced beneath it. “What is it you expect to gain by coming all this way?”

“We ask that you lend us your strength,” the Master of the Snowy Mountains said.

The king pressed. “And what kind of strength would that be?”

There were two kinds of power. The first was social: shares, influence, and connections. The second was physical, including the kind of force used in war.

The Heavenly King had survived an age of endless conflict. He never wanted to relieve those dreadful wars again. Longing for peace, he built it, and believed he had secured it.

If they meant the former, he would guide them.

But, if they meant the latter... the Heavenly King presumed.

A chill swept through the bowed figures like a passing wind.

“We want the relic of the Undying.” Even the Master of the Snowy Mountains felt it, but he did not stop. “The combined shares of us major stakeholders amount to 34.5%. It’s not a majority, but if we add the Undying’s stake, it would be a different story. We can erase that thorn sticking out without leaving a trace.”

Finally, he declared, “Shouldn’t a beast that has climbed a tree it cannot descend from be corrected?”

The Heavenly King let out a long, hollow sigh. “Corrected?”

Guidance and leading something back onto the right path? questioned the Heavenly King.

In truth, it meant breaking the future that Eun-Ho was building and forcing the world to turn the way they desired.

“So you take my seclusion as deafness,” the Heavenly King said quietly.

It was infuriating. A bitter ache rose from the back of his neck. He couldn’t help but resent himself for allowing the company and the world to fall into such a state.

“Illegal dividends...” the Heavenly King muttered. “How could you commit such acts and still stand here?”

A low, beast-like growl escaped from one of them.

“T-that was clearly our mistake,” one of them stammered. “But this is a company we all built together. We must stop it from going down the wrong path!”

“Do you truly believe Eun-Ho is leading it astray?” the Heavenly King asked.

Another shouted, “Of course! It’s a world we created with our own hands! Of all people, you should know that. So why say something so weak?!”

How did it come to this?

The Heavenly King had known that they had changed. Still, he had believed them and that someday, they would return to who they once were.

He murmured, “So this was indulgence, masquerading as trust...”

Perhaps the fault was his. The weight of uncounted years had worn him thin, leaving behind a quiet resignation that taught him to look away. That way, he would never have to hope, and never be disappointed again.

“Indulgence?” One of them scoffed. “We’ve been running things just fine on our own!”

“That’s right! Haven’t we advanced the universe tremendously?”

“It’s all thanks to that Undying and our hard work!”

“Surely you don’t wish to return to those primitive times, do you?”

The new era had only just begun. The fragile sprout had only just broken through the soil, and he could not allow it to be trampled.

“You speak of the era ruled by gods with empty heads—”

“Enough!”

The word exploded like thunder. The overwhelming pressure crushed their voices, forcing their mouths shut.

“I believed your ambition would create a better age,” the Heavenly King said. “But my old friend was right. Desire inevitably turns into greed and greed invites ruin.”

It was time for him to act. It was time to settle the karmic debt and the twisted course of this world it had incurred.

“Where is the boy now?” the Heavenly King asked.

***

“I’ll open it,” Eun-Ho said.

Leaving Ji-Eun and Jae-Hyuk behind as they nodded, Eun-Ho inserted the key into the wall and turned it.

The key dissolved into golden particles, as if vaporizing into thin air. At the same time, angular and circular patterns spread outward, forming a radiant and golden door where nothing had existed before.

“Let’s go,” he said calmly.

Eun-Ho opened the door with a soft click and stepped forward.

Clunk—

Just like when the memory had first appeared, it flickered and began to fade. From within that dissolving scene, a faint sound echoed.

There was a rattling noise like a shaken box of marbles.

[Unknown gods interfere with your design.]

[The path of the trial—]

Fwooosh—!

A blinding burst of light swallowed everything.

[Moving to Trial Site Two.]

[Your rank has slightly increased from 20% to 40%.]

[Your physique resonates with the will of the soul.]

[There is a low probability of surpassing your limits.]

Then, ironically, there was darkness.

[The Second Trial will now begin.]

[Time limit: 10 minutes.]

[Open the door and proceed to the next trial area.]

“Where are we?” Ji-Eun asked.

“Ugh, it’s pitch black!” Jae-Hyuk groaned.

There wasn’t a single source of light. Eun-Ho couldn’t even see his own hand.

He was just about to warn them not to move carelessly when sparks flared within his eyes.

Crackle—

[Enhanced Vision - Unlocked]

The darkness quickly adjusted to his sight. At the same time, he pulled out the torch that had proven useful time and again.

“Beacon Fire,” he muttered.

A smokeless flame rose to life, gradually illuminating their surroundings.

Ji-Eun trailed off. “This is...”

A dark sky stretched above them, and beneath it lay an endless horizon. There was neither wind nor life but just a strange, silent expanse.

“It’s completely empty,” she said.

“Feels kind of lonely,” Jae-Hyuk remarked.

Though it was only a single torch, Eun-Ho’s enhanced senses allowed him to gauge the vast horizon with ease. The absence of even a single blade of grass made it all the clearer.

Jae-Hyuk muttered. “Yikes! If we’d walked without thinking, we might’ve fallen.”

The strangest part lay just a few steps ahead of where they stood. The ground dropped off sharply like a sheer cliff, forming a deep pit. Then, within that pit stood something enormous and imposing.

“Yeah, but what is that?” Ji-Eun asked.

A massive structure of crumbling stone stretched upward as if reaching the sky. They had to crane their necks to take it all in. Blocks jutted out, then receded, then protruded again in a strange, uneven pattern.

Ji-Eun guessed. “A tower?”

“Looks like a statue,” Eun-Ho said.

“Could it be stairs?” Jae-Hyuk asked.

Despite looking at the same thing, all three came to different conclusions.

Jae-Hyuk declared boldly, “I’ll check it out!”

Ji-Eun warned. “Careful! Don’t fall!”

Jae-Hyuk approached and stretched out his hand with a grunt, but he couldn’t reach the edge of the structure. Even when he jumped repeatedly, his fingertips fell short. Each level appeared to be at least twice his height.

“Come back,” Eun-Ho said.

Jae-Hyuk quickly gave up. “Yes, Hyungnim.”

They circled around the pit together.

Now that I see it from the side... Eun-Ho thought.

Eun-Ho suggested. “Is this a bridge?”

“Looks like a stone walkway,” Jae-Hyuk said.

From the side, it became clearer that the structure embedded in the pit was a massive semicircular slab of stone.

“Hmm, but isn’t it too uneven to be a bridge?” Eun-Ho asked.

The edges were jagged, like the teeth of a gear protruding and receding in a suspicious pattern.

“I don’t see any door, though,” Jae-Hyuk said.

They completed half a circle and arrived at the opposite end of where they had started.

Ji-Eun observed. “It looks the same as the front.”

“Hm... I thought it was the stairs,” Jae-Hyuk muttered, tilting his head. Then, as if struck by an idea, he reached out toward the stone. “Maybe a door will appear if we open this?”

Ji-Eun warned again, “Be careful. If you fall, that’s it.”

“I’ll be fine. Noonim, could you lift me up a bit?”

“Hmm? Why?” Ji-Eun asked.

“It’s so big, I can’t see it properly from here. Maybe I’ll notice something from above,” Jae-Hyuk said.

Wait...

At that moment, something felt off to Eun-Ho.

“Alright, then. Psycho—”

“Stop.” Eun-Ho grabbed Ji-Eun’s shoulder. “Jae-Hyuk.”

“Yes?”

“Sorry, but can you stretch your arm out for me?”

“Like this?”

Eun-Ho had him stand still, raise his arm, and even jump a few times. Finally, he reached his conclusion.

The height is different, Eun-Ho thought.

Earlier, on the opposite side, Jae-Hyuk couldn’t reach it even while jumping. Now, just standing still and extending his arm was almost enough to touch it.

Jae-Hyuk blinked. “Huh?”

“You can reach it, right?” Eun-Ho asked.

“Yes!” Jae-Hyuk nodded, clearly realizing it too. “This side’s stone is smaller, Hyungnim!”

However, Eun-Ho shook his head. “No. They’re the same size.”

“What? Even I can see the height difference!”

“This side is just more buried in the ground.”

“What?!”

This wasn’t a staircase, nor was it a bridge.

“It’s a wheel,” Eun-Ho said.

It was a half-buried wheel.

“Then how do we...” Ji-Eun began.

In an empty wasteland, where a wheel that should have rolled freely was stuck in the earth, there was only one thing they could do.

“Well, we roll it,” Eun-Ho said.

***

“On three, we lift,” Eun-Ho said. “One, two, three. Got it?”

“Yes sir!” Ji-Eun, Jae-Hyuk and the Skeleton Knights answered in unison.

They climbed down below the cliff, rolled up their sleeves, and lined up in front of the massive wheel.

Jae-Hyuk stood beside Eun-Ho, and next to him, the Skeleton Knights formed a straight line.

“One, two, three!”

“Hup!”

“Keugh!”

“Ugh!”

A chorus of shouts and strained groans erupted at once.

Although Ji-Eun was assisting from behind with Psychokinesis, even that couldn’t ease the crushing weight pressing down all over them.

“Keugh! It’s not budging at all!” Jae-Hyuk commented.

The sheer size of it matched its overwhelming weight. It felt less like moving a wheel and more like trying to uproot an ancient tree whose roots had sunk deep into bedrock.

“Huff...”

Their breathing grew ragged.

“C-Commander!” one of the Skeleton Knights rasped.

Even the Skeletons, who were lifting with violet energy surging through them, began to creak under the strain.

Jae-Hyuk’s face flushed red, then pale, as he pushed himself to the limit. “Huff!”

“Stop,” Eun-Ho said.

Jae-Hyuk blinked. “Huh?”

Eun-Ho shook his head and released his grip. “Let’s find another way.”

He wasn’t sure if it was purely the weight or if there was some hidden condition. However, if it still wouldn’t budge even with all twelve of them working together, brute force probably wasn’t the intended solution.

“Let’s look for something we can use as a lever first,” Eun-Ho suggested.

“I-I think I can do it if I push just a little more!” Jae-Hyuk insisted, refusing to give up. “Pain Suppression one hundred percent!”

Like a giant trying to hold up the sky, Jae-Hyuk attempted the absurd: moving something thousands of times heavier than himself.

“Jae-Hyuk, don’t force yourself!” Ji-Eun called out.

“I’m fine!” he shouted back.

“The ground’s sinking under your feet!” she warned.

Ji-Eun fidgeted anxiously, clearly worried, but Jae-Hyuk pressed on. Sweat poured off him like rain, and his bare torso bulged with muscles and veins, seemingly about to explode. His face, flushed deep red, swelled like it would explode at any moment.

“Stop,” Eun-Ho said again.

This wasn’t the final challenge. If Jae-Hyuk exhausted himself here, it would affect the next trial.

Eun-Ho was just about to say as much, Jae-Hyuk strained harder with a strange roar. The wheel trembled, but didn’t move.

Just then, there was light. Jae-Hyuk’s neck, chest, and back began to glow. A faint radiance rose like smoke, wrapping around him.

“Eun-Ho! That’s—” Ji-Eun started.

“Shh,” Eun-Ho cut her off.

Eun-Ho had a guess, remembering the message they had received after the second trial.

[The body resonates with the will of the soul.]

[There is a low probability of surpassing your limits.]

Jae-Hyuk had always possessed exceptional Stamina and Strength.

Thud—

The ground shook.

Thud—

The tremor was faint at first, but it steadily grew stronger. The wheel, which probably hadn’t moved for ages, vibrated violently. Then, it began to rise and turn.

Ruuumble—!

The entire space shook. If they had forgotten they were inside a structure, they would have believed the whole world was trembling.

Amid the overwhelming vibration, an unfamiliar voice echoed.

[The Wheel of Fate begins to turn.]

“Huh?”

Eun-Ho felt like he had heard the name before. As he tried to make sense of it, a faint mist of light spread from the center of the wheel. Like scattered flower petals carried by the wind, the lights drifted upward into the dark sky and embedded themselves above.

Pop— Pop— Pop— Pop— Pop—

Ji-Eun exclaimed, “Eun-Ho! Look at the sky!”

The once empty, pitch-black sky was studded with stars. At the same time, memories spread like spilled paint.

Within one star, a young girl grew into a woman only to cough up blood and close her eyes forever. Within another, a boy became a man before his head was severed. Within yet another, a half-grown child fought desperately, only to be captured and lose their life.

One face stood out as it was a familiar one. It was the brown-haired boy Eun-Ho had glimpsed in the memories before. The child whose life had ended finally rose into the sky as a star.

[Reincarnation has been resumed.]

The cycle of life and death was only resuming now. It had likely been halted until this moment.

Ji-Eun asked softly, “Uh, what does that mean?”

It was a question with no answer. Neither Eun-Ho nor anyone else there knew. This was something beyond them, a glimpse into a far greater world. Therefore, they simply watched in silence.

Before long, the particles of light filled the entire night sky, weaving it densely with stars.

Ji-Eun pointed. “Over there! Look!”

The stars began to connect, forming constellations. Dozens of them aligned in a straight line, bent at sharp angles, then straightened again before returning to their starting point.

Finally, a rectangle appeared, which seemed to be the door.