MDPS 39

Episode 39

“My Dark Past is Too Strong

 The Fierce Battle Tower (4)”:

I felt a thrilling electric shock in my head.

Right before my eyes, the 100th-floor boss, Azaz, a demon nearly as strong as the Seven Deadly Sins, was kneeling.

A being with the rank of a boss, not obtainable with mere summoning tickets.

Normally, such a creature couldn’t be controlled as a summon.

But my “Seven Deadly Sins” weren’t summoned—they were conquered.

Even after the game became reality, if I could still command them…

Perhaps I could even “recruit” a boss.

“It’s possible.”

The game system was intact—and even improved in some ways.

Then I could try the same method I used to recruit the Seven Deadly Sins.

Relentlessly—subdue them repeatedly, but don’t kill them. Face them again and again.

Just like I did with Hertia, Caligo, and Theo.

Defeat, heal, persuade, request. Defeat again, heal, threaten, coax.

Simply tell them, “Be mine.”

“Azaz. Have you reconsidered?”

“I’ve made myself clear! I have no intention of bowing to you!”

[The Phantom King Azaz leaves afterimages and hides.]

Azaz is a stacking-type dealer.

If three afterimages are stacked on a target, he can use a special skill.

“But in this state, it’s impossible.”

The reason I spent my precious initiative on destroying terrain objects rather than directly attacking Azaz: to reduce the places he could hide.

Every intact structure had already been mapped.

All that remained was detecting the subtle tremor when he tried to conceal himself.

“Caligo. He’s hiding behind you.”

Startled, Caligo splashed a flask from his waist onto his back.

Immediately, Azaz, who had hidden in the afterimages, appeared.

“Argh!”

Azaz writhed in pain from the poison, yet a defiant spark still lingered in his eyes.

He needed more taming. To claim a strong creature, he must endure rigorous training.

“Hert, now. Attack on my command.”

“Yes, master!”

[The Witch of the End, Hertia, attacks the Phantom King Azaz.]
[Hertia’s attack slightly misses Azaz.]

Hertia’s strike grazed Azaz’s hand.

“Pathetic aim!”

Pathetic? What an absurd claim.

From now on, I would slowly chip away at his health—until his spirit broke entirely.

Hertia, Caligo, and Theo trembled as they watched Oh Hyun-woo.

Their trembling was not simple fear, but awe—a primal instinct.

They were witnessing the true face of Lucifer.

A whirlwind of emotions: rage, desire, and thrill, all cloaked beneath cold reason and strategy.

The absolute authority that ordinary fools outside the tower could never imitate.

The master they remembered—Lucifer.

• “Sage… that’s him, right?”

• “Yes. The same gaze he had when recruiting us.”

• “Everyone stay alert. One mistake and we’ll be punished.”

The reason they feared this version of Lucifer was simple: they had experienced his overwhelming desire firsthand.

Lucifer’s possessiveness could not be stopped.

At first, even they dismissed it like Azaz had—as nonsense from an ignorant mortal.

But everyone eventually realizes: whatever Lucifer utters will inevitably come true.

“I’ll handle this!”

Unaware of the danger, Merril moved first, eager to impress his lord.

At that moment, a sharp killing intent struck him.

“Stop, Merril.”

“Y-Yes?!”

“I said do nothing. Don’t move a speck without my order.”

Not a loud shout, yet the weight behind it was suffocating.

The unspoken wrath pressed down on Merril, who stumbled, drenched in sweat.

Oh Hyun-woo ignored him and issued new commands.

“Theo. Use your clones to target his skin. You, aim for his collar.”

“Yes, master!”

[The Dark Prince Theo moves his clone to strike the Phantom King Azaz.]

Even as Azaz showed openings, Oh Hyun-woo did not deliver a fatal blow.

Yet the Seven Deadly Sins followed without question—they knew every move was designed to dominate the enemy’s mind.

“How dare you toy with me!”

Azaz’s roar of anger met Oh Hyun-woo’s calm response:

“I haven’t even begun to play.”

“…That mouth of yours! I will tear it off myself!”

[Phantom King Azaz absorbs his afterimages into his sword.]
[Azaz casts ‘Thousand Smoke, Ten Thousand Shadows’.]

Azaz gradually revealed his hidden power.

Yet, this only stoked Oh Hyun-woo’s possessiveness—and it was expected.

‘Of course. With the power core ready, I anticipated such a trump card.’

[Black Priestess Merril is replaced by the Cowardly Golem Iron.]

A team consists of four main summons and one replacement.

This replacement, Iron, was planned to block Azaz’s secret move using its second skill.

[Summons are repositioned.]
[Cowardly Golem Iron moves to the front.]

Oh Hyun-woo commanded Hertia simultaneously.

“Now, Hertia.”

Hertia attacked Azaz and activated an artifact.

[The front deployment effect of ‘If a knight says, I shall do it’ activates.]
[Cowardly Golem Iron charges forward, eyes covered.]

Iron struck Azaz, causing him to falter.

[Phantom King Azaz enters a ‘Shocked’ state.]
[Azaz’s ‘Thousand Smoke, Ten Thousand Shadows’ is interrupted.]

Azaz was shocked.

He was strong, or so he thought—no one could defeat him if he wasn’t weakened.

Yet somehow, facing this man, he didn’t feel he could win.

Even worse, his body seemed to weaken as if soaked by a light rain.

‘How… did it come to this?’

He hadn’t taken any serious blows.

‘Wait… my armor is gone.’

The black smoke surrounding Azaz’s upper body was nullified.

“Finally noticing? You’re slower than I thought.”

“You…!”

It was Theo’s second skill effect:

[Law of the Throne effect activates.]
[When the same target is hit twice, one piece of their armor is nullified for this battle.]

Oh Hyun-woo smiled casually.

This cycle repeated dozens of times: subdue, heal, subdue, heal.

Azaz, for the first time in his life, felt true fear.

“This can’t be… this can’t happen…”

In the Fierce Battle Tower, he had feared no one.

Even against stronger foes, he felt pride, not terror.

But now, his body refused to obey.

Legs grew heavy, hands shook, breath faltered, eyes avoided contact.

Not out of submission—but pure survival instinct.

“Ugh!”

Azaz lifted his sword, trying to move, but he couldn’t.

‘What is that monster?’

Unconsciously, Azaz dropped his weapon and knelt.

Oh Hyun-woo approached with a faint smile.

“Again I ask—have you reconsidered?”

“…”

“If you wish, I can grant you salvation.”

“…Salvation?”

Hertia stepped forward.

“Even I, the Witch of the End, was saved by Master.”

The name “Witch of the End” struck Azaz like lightning.

He had heard it before—met her long ago, though he had forgotten.

“If you are the Witch of the End… then this man…”

“Yes. My master, Lord Lucifer.”

Azaz finally understood everything.

Oh Hyun-woo gave him a moment, then extended his hand.

“…My sins are heavy. Could a mere mortal really grant me salvation?”

“If you wish it.”

Azaz grasped the hand, kissed it, and pledged loyalty.

“I dedicate everything to my savior.”

[Phantom King Azaz has been subdued.]
[Obtained Phantom King Azaz Summoning Ticket.]
[First Achievement: ‘Tower Boss’ completed.]

Then, a server-wide message appeared:

[An unidentified adventurer has cleared the 100th floor of the Fierce Battle Tower on KR server first.]

Followed by:

[Cleared 100th Floor ‘Endless Afterimages’.]
[Unbelievable record!]
[Time: 23 hours, 28 minutes, 37 seconds]
[New Clear Time Rank: 1st]
[Clear Grade: SSS]
[Record updated.]

Though subduing Azaz took time, it was the first clear, so it didn’t matter.

Amid the massive rewards, the last notification left Oh Hyun-woo slightly puzzled:

[The 100th floor of the Fierce Battle Tower will be deleted.]

‘…Deleted?’