"Urgh, urgh...!"
Closed eyes. The pitch-black darkness before me suddenly turned vibrant with bursts of color.
It wasn’t a pleasant sight. It wasn’t that the world had truly changed; it was just that my mind had begun to falter, conjuring illusions.
I had just died.
A series of slashes severed my waist and wrist. Countless, continuous strikes diced my entire body.
An axe descending from the sky split my head, and a hammer smashed my torso.
A serpentine spear pierced my heart, and the scythe’s blade severed my neck.
The Authority of Observation predicted these results, but my body couldn’t keep up to respond.
Horrifying sensations assaulted my mind. The grotesque feeling of life momentarily being snuffed out and then reconnected churned my brain.
I didn’t die.
I regained consciousness.
I found myself sprawled in the desolate wasteland where I had first entered the Tower of Growth, panting heavily.
"Damn..."
Moments later, the range of my observation caught a presence. It was the second iteration.
In the distance, it was trudging toward me.
The inventory opened. From within the swirling space emerged a pitch-black spear of dark steel. Holding the spear shaft tightly, the second iteration steadily approached.
I forced myself to rise. My brain and organs felt like they’d been mashed into a pulp, but my body swiftly prepared for combat.
"I can't die too many times."
A direct confrontation wasn’t an option.
Its skill overwhelmed mine. Without even considering expansion abilities, I was at a disadvantage. The very act of approaching the second iteration tilted the battle in its favor.
If I charged in recklessly and died again, my mental and emotional strength would deplete rapidly.
Once my spirit hit rock bottom, a catastrophic collapse of my Authority would follow.
"I need to create some distance."
Though it might start firing expansion abilities based on archery if I retreated, combining Taesan with elementalization should let me endure.
And then, if I could buy enough time...
...
Suddenly, my thoughts stopped. My retreating body froze.
I felt a strange sense of doubt.
What am I trying to achieve by stalling for time?
Gather information? Even with the Authority of Observation, the fastest and most precise way to acquire data and integrate their techniques in real-time is through direct confrontation.
"This is the Tower of Growth."
A place meant for growth. Survival or victory isn’t the priority.
Even if I’m defeated here, as long as I grow and return stronger, that’s what matters.
I won’t die in this place. Even if my body is reduced to pieces, it will be restored, and though my mind might suffer, it will remain intact.
The Blessing of Growth amplifies in this space. I can feel it even now. My body burns with growth, and my skills are advancing rapidly.
If worse comes to worst, I can declare my surrender and immediately return to reality.
The time allotted to stay in this absurdly advantageous space is no more than five days. Such a short span.
Why, then, am I wasting it by retreating, playing it safe, and stalling for time?
It’s not even worth considering.
"Manifesting Authority: Space."
Grinding my teeth, I opened a subspace. From the countless weapons stored within, I pulled out a spear.
A spear similar to the one wielded by the second iteration.
A head-on fight holds no chance of victory.
Its skill level is overwhelmingly superior.
There’s no need to mention expansion abilities—I’m at a clear disadvantage. Engaging it in close combat would be a fool’s errand.
Instead, I’ll push myself to grow faster and harder.
My body and mind will suffer. Somehow, this place replicates sensations with a painful realism, and it will hurt terribly.
Fear lingered. No matter how much time passed, some parts of my nature remained unchanged—I was still terrified of even the smallest prick, enough to bring tears to my eyes.
For now, I could use that as an excuse to retreat. But in the future, I wouldn’t have that luxury.
In the truly critical moments, when retreating wasn’t an option. When falling would mean disaster—not just for me, but for those more precious than myself.
To endure those moments, I need to grow here and now.
Gripping my spear tightly, I began walking toward the second iteration.
+++++
The space Baek Arin faced upon entering the Tower of Growth was a snowy plain, blanketed with thick layers of white.
The river that should have flowed gently was frozen solid, and the barren branches of the trees bore not green leaves but white blossoms of frost.
Baek Arin lifted her hand slightly.
A small snowflake fell gently onto the back of her hand. Though it wasn’t snowing heavily, the flake landed precisely there.
The snow wasn’t cold.
It didn’t melt against the warmth of her hand.
In fact, her body’s temperature was so close to the snow that there was no reason for it to melt.
Baek Arin’s Changae was particularly specialized in handling cold. While she was adept at manipulating vitality, her true affinity lay in the frigid elements.
Thus, her body easily accommodated cold.
The energy flowing through her circuits was icy, and even her blood seemed chilly as if the crimson liquid in her veins carried frost.
Her bones, muscles, and skin—all were cold, devoid of warmth.
This hardened body dulled her senses.
"Cold."
Still, Baek Arin felt the snow was cold. Despite the snow’s temperature being close to her own, she perceived it as cold.
In truth, it wasn’t just the snow. She felt her mana, her blood, her entire body as cold.
And she hated it. A visceral sense of rejection rose within her. No matter how much fire scorched her, her body showed no signs of thawing, and it disgusted her.
Brushing the snow off, she turned her head.
The landscape had changed drastically since her initial entry.
The once pristine snow-covered ground had long since vanished. The aftermath of battle had left the barren soil torn and exposed, chaotic and desolate.
"Can’t you talk?"
She glanced toward a crater where a figure lay battered.
Covered in frost, its severed limbs frozen solid, no blood escaped from the stumps.
It was her replica, created by the Tower of Growth.
"Can’t communicate, huh? Is it a functional limitation, or is it intentionally blocked?"
Attempts at communication were futile. The replica responded only with unrelenting hostility, attacking the challenger.
"Well, I guess it’d be creepy if a replica could talk."
Talking to a doppelgänger destined to be beaten to death wouldn’t be pleasant.
Baek Arin nodded to herself.
She had just subdued the replica moments ago.
Of course, she wasn’t unscathed.
Her hair was disheveled, and she bore wounds all over, though she felt no pain. Her condition wasn’t as dire as her replica’s.
"Took me about four days...? That was rough."
Her first attempt to defeat the replica began on the first day.
Since their abilities and skills were identical, her odds of victory were initially fifty-fifty.
It had taken her four days to decisively overpower it.
"I wonder if Yeonhwa was faster. She’s such a brawler—she’s probably beaten hers already and moved on to fighting monsters."
In short, Baek Arin had grown enough in three days to easily subdue the version of herself that had entered the tower.
"The Tower really is broken..."
The Blessing of Growth and the entry effects were absurdly overpowered.
It was no wonder young prodigies and their guardians bowed to Siyoram Academy, unable to oppose it.
"I wish I could enter every week."
If that were possible, she thought she could reach the highest ranks in just half a year. Of course, that wasn’t realistic...
- Crackle.
As Baek Arin took a moment to recover, the replica twitched.
Its lifeless eyes stared up at her, and its body squirmed slightly.
It seemed to resist, but the ice stakes firmly embedded in its body suppressed any movement.
The stakes, imbued with curses of suppression and wound degradation, made it impossible to resist.
Furthermore, its core and circuits had been destroyed, and no residual mana remained to fuel a counterattack.
“......”
Baek Arin stared down at the replica.
It writhed on the ground, its severed limbs making it resemble an insect.
The replica bore her exact appearance.
Eyes like a clear, serene ocean and long, soft hair cascading down her back.
Even her curves, features, internal circuits, core, and mana properties were identical.
But it was different.
The replica didn’t smile.
Its eyes lacked emotion, and its lips never curved into a grin.
Those differences alone drastically altered how others perceived Baek Arin.
What once resembled a vast, tranquil sea now felt like an icy, static glacier.
"Tch."
She hated her cold, sluggish body and the impressionless face that failed to brighten even with a stupid grin.
No matter how much effort she poured into overcoming it, there had been little improvement. The only solace she had found was leaning on Hong Yeonhwa for hope.
Recently, however, a greater possibility had emerged.
Smiling brightly, Baek Arin hopped forward.
She approached the replica, sprawled helplessly in the crater.
Glancing down at the wriggling replica, she gripped an icy spear forged from Changae.
The sharp, menacing tip glinted as it aimed at the replica.
"Well then... maybe I’ll try summoning a monster too."
- Crunch!
The spear plunged into the replica’s chest, piercing it through.
+++++
- Crunch!
In an instant, the gleaming spear pierced through his chest.
A chilling sensation of sharp steel digging into his flesh surged through him.
Crack! Clenching his teeth, Lee Hayul barely managed to grab hold of the spear shaft, halting its advance. The tip quivered as it scraped against his ribs.
For a brief moment, they struggled for control.
If this continued, he would be skewered.
Lee Hayul swung his fist at the spear shaft.
Expansion Ability of All-Rounder
Thousand Variations - Iron Breaker Palm Strike
Crunch! The black iron spear shaft snapped like a brittle reed.
Without hesitation, the second iteration discarded the broken spear and moved both hands. Aura wreathed its crimson hands as they shot forward.
This wasn’t the first time Hayul had faced this.
He’d been caught before, felt his bones wrenched out, and died after successive blows burst his heart and head.
This time, Lee Hayul reached out as well.
- Crackle! Their hands blurred in a flurry of white and red afterimages, intertwining in a chaotic clash.
The second iteration’s eyes locked onto Hayul.
Its hands shot out like lightning, twisting limbs the moment they made contact.
Reacting instantly, Lee Hayul brought his elbow crashing down on the forearm aimed at him.
Deflecting the attack, Hayul retaliated, extending his hand toward his opponent.
His movements differed from the second iteration’s. His attack, veiled like a swirling mist, blurred his form and targeted the second iteration’s neck.
‘Expansion ability.’
The second iteration evaded, analyzing the hazy attack and twisting its trajectory. Its eyes immediately pinpointed a small opening.
- Boom! A short, explosive step propelled its body forward, twisting its torso and driving its shoulder in.
Expansion Ability of Ten Thousand Techniques
Step Forward, Break Through the Mountain
An expansion ability featuring a devastating body slam. The second iteration’s massive frame collided with Hayul.
- Thud!
A powerful shockwave erupted, shaking the ground violently.
The immense force surged into Hayul’s body, but he remained composed, stomping firmly onto the ground.
- Crack!
The earth beneath him crumbled instantly. Dust and debris dissipated into the air as Hayul skillfully dispersed the impact. He opened his hand.
Aura coiled like a vortex from his elbow, swirling tightly.
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Replicating the Whirlpool Palm technique he had learned, Hayul substituted water energy with aura and unleashed a strike.
- Whooosh!
A brilliant white vortex expanded, sweeping forward in the direction of his palm strike. The spiraling force tore through everything in its path.
Just before the vortex could expand fully, the second iteration retreated, landing softly at a distance.
The raging vortex gradually subsided.
Despite the swirling dust obscuring the battlefield, the second iteration’s eyes found Hayul without fail.
Brushing off the remaining vortex aura from his arm, Hayul turned his body.
“......”
The second iteration observed, analyzing their recent clash.
The Lee Hayul who had first entered the Tower of Growth.
Resourceful and skilled, but manageable. Even when showcasing his abilities, Hayul had been relatively easy to subdue, especially as he insisted on sticking to close combat.
Now, however...
"He’s no longer easy to suppress."
Despite revealing considerable skill, the second iteration struggled to dominate the battle.
On the contrary, it was now facing counterattacks.
In just a few days, Hayul’s abilities had surged to an alarming degree.
This rapid growth, though expected, was astonishing even by the standards of the Blessing of Growth.
"So, this is the difference of the real thing."
It was a foolish, hollow thought, yet it lingered.
Suppressing its bitterness, the second iteration braced itself as Lee Hayul charged forward once more.
+++++
[The unique ability "All-Rounder" is growing rapidly.]