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SERIES: Regression of the Cursed Blacksmith
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Chapter 25 - The Final Challenge
“……?”
“……?”
“……?”
There was a moment of silence.
For a second, people couldn’t comprehend the tower’s announcement.
“……!!”
“……!!”
“……!!”
Then, when they came back to their senses, their eyes widened in shock.
“H-huh?”
“Wh-what was that?”
“He’s challenging the 49th floor?!”
“Hey! Wake up! This isn't the time to be sleeping!!”
“Hey, fuck, turn on the stream! Go live!”
“Yes, Director, sorry to call you this early. It’s just... I'm in front of the Tower of Growth, and an announcement just popped up that said…”
All hell broke loose.
Reporters, YouTubers, influencers, guild officials—everyone shook off their drowsiness and got to work immediately.
And the news soon spread throughout the nation, and then to the rest of the world.
Just for one reason.
Choi Hyun had finally begun his challenge of the 49th floor, the so-called world record.
People got goosebumps.
It had only been 12 hours since Choi Hyun entered the tower.
Yet he had already pulled off the incredible feat of challenging the 49th floor.
“What the hell is he?”
“Wow, he’s insane…”
“Is he really a blacksmith?”
“Didn't they say he was level 1?”
The news also reached Jang Hae-hyun, who was sleeping in his room.
“Consultant Choi is challenging the 49th floor?”
“Yes, the news just came in.”
“What in the world…”
It also reached Han Young-min, who was in the middle of soothing his stress with alcohol and women.
“Wh-what the fuck?”
It was the moment Han Young-min's eyes widened more than they ever had in his life. And-
“……”
The news also reached the Martial God, Yang-hwi, the holder of the previous record for reaching the 49th floor and was known as the strongest player.
* * *
[ You have defeated the Corrupted Orc Shaman. ]
[ Your level has increased. ]
[ You have acquired 1 bonus stat point. ]
[ Heavenly Martial Body is activated. ]
[ Strength, Stamina, Mana, and Sense stats each increase by 1. ]
[ You have cleared the 48th floor. ]
[ The gate to the 49th floor has opened. ]
This was before the chaos erupted outside.
Choi Hyun had just defeated the Orc Shaman and cleared the 48th floor.
Choi Hyun had finally conquered the 48th floor and could stand before the gate leading to the 49th floor, the world record.
“It’s definitely getting tricky now that I’m near the end.”
The 48th floor was crawling with Corrupted Orcs.
The most troublesome among them were the Corrupted Orc Shamans, who relentlessly fired ranged attacks from the rear.
But in the end, Choi Hyun succeeded.
And he did so while maintaining his no-hit achievement.
Soon, a system notification appeared.
[ The Tower of Growth cheers for you. ]
[ The Tower of Growth wishes for everyone to cheer for you. ]
[ Do you permit your challenge to be announced to everyone? ]
The system's question.
The tower wanted to commemorate the achievement by announcing it to everyone outside.
There was no reason to refuse.
This was a grand declaration to all that he would succeed in conquering the 49th floor.
“I permit it.”
[ Your challenge will be announced to everyone. ]
[ The announcement is as follows: ]
[ The 48th floor has been conquered. ]
[ Player, “Choi Hyun” is challenging the 49th floor. ]
Choi Hyun smiled upon seeing the system's notification.
He could vividly picture the surprised and delighted faces of Jang Hae-hyun, the Chief of Staff, and Jin Hyun-geun.
And above all.
“I’m sure this news will reach Yang-hwi, too.”
This was the most impactful fact.
After all, in this life too, he had to form a connection with Yang-hwi and receive his help.
“I can’t save the world alone.”
Choi Hyun looked at the portal leading to the 49th floor and recalled his memories of Yang-hwi and the Tower of Growth.
It was known to the world that Yang-hwi had reached the 49th floor alone, but that wasn't the truth.
Yang-hwi would later confess that he had been “carried” to break the Tower of Growth record.
To be more specific, after obtaining the Heavenly Martial Body and before he was free from the Black Society, all of Yang-hwi's growth and actions were meticulously calculated by the Chinese government and the Black Society.
The Tower of Growth was a prime example of that.
Before Yang-hwi achieved the 49th-floor record, the highest record was reaching the 48th floor, set by an elite American party. In truth, this record was also an artificial one, created with American support.
The Chinese government was envious of this fact, and as soon as the Black Society created the monster known as Yang-hwi, they immediately launched the “New Tower of Growth Record” project.
The project itself was simple.
To make Yang-hwi a star player, China formed an elite party with members at the maximum level allowed to enter the tower, put Yang-hwi in it, and essentially gave him a “bus ride” by funneling most of the experience points to him as they climbed.
Then, just before conquering the 48th floor, all the other players left the party and the tower, allowing Yang-hwi to succeed in conquering the 48th floor alone and challenge the 49th floor by himself.
Of course, the result of the challenge was, naturally, a failure.
“Yang-hwi said it himself. It didn't matter even if he possessed the Heavenly Martial Body and was decked out in good items, he had been carried up the tower, so he lacked the skill and experience to conquer the 49th floor.”
Even after gaining independence from China and the Black Society, Yang-hwi never revealed this fact to the world.
Later, when he had truly gained the skill and experience, he found it embarrassing to reveal the truth.
But he did reveal it to Choi Hyun. Because death was right before his eyes.
He confessed everything as if admitting his sins, and Choi Hyun comforted him.
He said that if it had been him, he would have done the same.
“Humans are inherently weak creatures.”
Finishing his recollection, Choi Hyun renewed his resolve and checked his status window.
[ Choi Hyun ]
- Lv : 28
- Class : Blacksmith
- Trait : ＜Demon's Eye＞＜Repair＞＜Curse of Memory＞＜Nameless Art＞＜Cheonmu Body＞＜Material＞
- Strength : 33
- Stamina : 33
- Mana : 33
- Sense : 33
- Dexterity : 65
- Unallocated Stat Points : 1
His level was 20 when he had just cleared the 36th floor.
And now, after clearing the 48th floor, he was at level 28.
To others, it was unprecedentedly rapid growth, but Choi Hyun still felt like it was lacking.
After all, most of those who survived until the end of the world, including the Choi Hyun of his past life, were in the hundreds of levels.
“Can’t be helped, I guess.”
Still, he was finally challenging the 49th floor.
Moreover, Choi Hyun was still maintaining his no-hit record.
Choi Hyun invested the bonus stat point into Dexterity and immediately headed to the next floor.
[ Moving to the 49th floor. ]
Fzzt!
Choi Hyun's form vanished.
* * *
After the news of Choi Hyun's challenge was announced, people all over the world went wild.
No, not just people, the entire world was in an uproar.
This wasn't just any record; it was a challenge for the world record.
What's more, he had started at level 1, entered alone, and his class wasn't even a combat class, but a blacksmith.
How could the world not be shocked at all this?
The domestic media, as well as foreign press, reacted heatedly.
- Wow, f*ck lol! This is insane. Is this even possible?
- I thought it was impossible, but it's actually happening?!
- Isn't this the birth of an unprecedented monster? lololol
- A pinch of fact ) He's already been born.
- lololol “already been born” my ass, stop making a fuss. China's Yang-hwi is still the strongest for now.
- Two pinches of fact ) Your face is more of a monster.
- Where do you live?
- Since Yang-hwi Awakened much earlier, he's the strongest at the current moment, but if Choi Hyun succeeds in conquering the 49th floor, Choi Hyun's potential would be judged as even higher.
- But isn't Yang-hwi's potential a bit overhyped? There's a rumor that he got carried up the tower.
- You're gonna get silently dragged away for saying that.
- You might even “disappear mysteriously”?
- Chairman! I saw nothing!
The comments poured in, and the reactions were fiery.
Everyone was excited about Choi Hyun's potential, thrilled that an unprecedented monster might be born.
In particular, comparisons between him and Yang-hwi, called the strongest in player history, were the most common.
But among the many discussions, the hottest topic was, of course, whether Choi Hyun would conquer the 49th floor.
China, in particular, was on the edge of its seat.
To be precise, China and the Black Society.
Yang-hwi was also tense.
It wasn't a fear of having his honor stolen.
If Choi Hyun were to break his record, Yang-hwi himself intended to accept the fact calmly.
He was a fake hero created by China and the Black Society.
He was the one who knew the truth behind the so-called "suspicion of being carried” that was only whispered about in rumors.
But the Chinese government and the Black Society would see it differently.
" Since my status as a hero of the people has been broken, they will relentlessly pressure and grind me and countless others down to create a new status symbol.”
Therefore, for his own sake and for the happiness of many others, Yang-hwi hoped that Choi Hyun would fail.
It wasn't because he disliked Choi Hyun.
It was because of China and the Black Society.
“Please.”
Yang-hwi prayed earnestly to a god he didn't even believe in.
* * *
[ Entering the 49th floor. ]
He arrived on the 49th floor.
The environment of the 49th floor was the same as before.
A wide field the size of a sports ground.
[ The challenge of the 49th floor will now begin. ]
The challenge notification appeared, and soon, a swordsman whose entire body shone with an inky light, as if carved from metal, appeared before Choi Hyun's eyes.
The being was of a similar height to Choi Hyun, and above its head was written:
- Dark Swordsman Lv.???
The Dark Swordsman.
Known to people as the “Dark Sword”, it was considered the final boss of the Tower of Growth.
It was also the being that had defeated Yang-hwi.
Shing-
The being drew its ink-colored sword.
The challenge began, and the Ink-colored Swordsman started running towards Choi Hyun with terrifying momentum.
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