Subscriber of the Gods Chapter 370 - The Trial of the Tower (1)

The pattern is usually like this.

Hero candidates entering the first gate mostly have considerable pride in their abilities.

That’s why they confidently accept any trial.

Five attempts limit.

When told this, they go all out on their first try.

They try to break the barrier with one powerful strike using all their strength.

Some even don’t think about what comes after.

After striking once and seeing the barrier intact, they wonder if their strength was insufficient.

After a brief contemplation, they strike again.

The smart ones realize after the second strike that they can’t break this barrier with force alone.

Of course, some figure it out in two tries, while others take up to three.

Only after three strikes do they realize.

That strength isn’t everything.

To break this barrier, they need to distribute their power precisely.

But by then, they realize they have very few attempts left.

With the penalty of death for wasting opportunities, they feel immense psychological pressure and become extremely cautious.

The only constraint in this first gate is the number of attempts.

Time is not an issue.

Some spent an entire day examining the barrier, while others meditated with closed eyes for a week.

That’s why it was new.

There had never been a challenger who showed such confident eyes after just one strike.

But there was something peculiar.

He seemed to know the nature of this barrier, yet it also looked like he might be acting.

Despite being confident in reading people.

The First Guardian gestured to Ethan to continue.

-If you think you know, then break it. You still have four chances left.

However, Ethan lowered his sword for a moment and spoke.

“What’s your name?”

-Name? You’re quite relaxed to ask for my name at this time. I have no reason not to tell you. I am the First Guardian. I’m the examiner in charge of this first gate.

“I heard that name earlier. What’s your real name?”

-You said you seemed to know, did you mean you thought you knew my name?

Ethan smiled slightly at the First Guardian’s words.

“I’m asking because I’m curious about why you’re bound here. There’s no time limit anyway, right? I’m also curious about who and for what reason created this Hero’s Tower.”

-Bound, yes. But that’s a self-deprecating remark. We’re not really bound, we voluntarily remain here. We made a promise. Well, perhaps ‘promise’ is too grand a word.

The First Guardian, who had been standing still, sat down with a thud.

-You still have four chances left. If you have any questions before you die, I’ll answer them as much as I can. I’m saying this because I like your composure.

The First Guardian could tell. That wasn’t an aura that came from pretending to be composed.

This person truly possessed composure.

-You must have been chased by something scarier, so this much feels relaxed in comparison, right?

“Compared to then, I can’t help but feel relaxed.”

Back then, even a single sneeze could have cost him his life. Compared to those times when death approached moment by moment, this much indeed felt relaxing.

-My name is Fientro. I had a hundred-year-long ill-fated relationship with the one who created this Hero’s Tower. We fought countless times, winning and losing against each other. Even bad relationships are relationships, and it soon turned into a bond.

The First Guardian candidly revealed his name and circumstances.

‘Fientro?’

Ethan wondered if it was a familiar name, but unfortunately, it wasn’t.

-One day, he came to me saying he wanted to do something interesting. He said he wanted to raise a hero. A hero to save the world, no less. And he abruptly suggested we do it together.

But heroes aren’t easily made.

-I was dumbfounded. I thought heroes appear, not get raised. But his thinking was different. He said heroes who appear after things happen are meaningless. He argued that heroes should be prepared in advance for contingencies.

In short, he wanted to be prepared.

“What was he preparing for?”

-Monsters, the primordial evil living in the underground.

‘Underground?’

Ethan momentarily showed a surprised expression.

-Do you know about it?

“Not in detail.”

Of course, he knew it very well in detail.

Among the quests on the continent, there are a few that completely change the continent.

These quests, called major quests, boast an extraordinary scale from their structure to their difficulty.

‘I never thought I’d hear about the Primordial Evil quest here.’

Who would have thought it would be related to that quest?

‘So that’s why they tried to create heroes. The Dark Elves already knew. That something was living underground.’

Just as the evil god was resurrected in the Gaister Desert, there was a high possibility that the evils of the continent would awaken sequentially.

Ethan decided to continue listening to the First Guardian’s story for now.

-The idea of creating heroes itself was interesting. Honestly, I liked it. So I joined him. After that, quite interesting days followed. He gathered not just me but other trustworthy individuals, and we all got along well. Above all, we all had different standards we pursued. As we talked for a long time, we naturally shared deeper conversations. It was really enjoyable. But… who knew he would die first.

The First Guardian smiled bitterly.

-So we decided to preserve this legacy he created here forever. His belief was that trials were necessary to create heroes. We completed this Hero’s Tower… by sacrificing our lives.

A tower created by sacrificing themselves.

That was the Hero’s Tower.

‘It’s become a bit distorted.’

This Hero’s Tower, built to create heroes, was ironically devouring numerous heroes.

Clearly, it was a tower built with quite a good intention.

Yet now, it had become a tower of death that tests those who come seeking to become heroes and kills those who fail the test.

“You said it was a tower built to create heroes, but isn’t killing those who fail a bit excessive?”

When Ethan asked about this cruelty that seemed to contradict the name Hero’s Tower, the First Guardian made a bitter expression.

-That’s the condition of the covenant. It’s unavoidable. We had to give up what needed to be given up to preserve this Hero’s Tower. But I don’t think it’s excessive. Living as a hero or dying as an ordinary person, isn’t that what the life of a great person is about?

‘To preserve this Hero’s Tower as spirits for a long time, a mediocre price wouldn’t have been enough. They must have had to kill the challengers inevitably.’

It seemed they had made a contract with a higher, great being, and were protecting the Hero’s Tower with the power obtained through that covenant.

‘They must have made a contract with a god. They probably promised to offer the souls of those who enter the Hero’s Tower and fail to fulfill the conditions of the covenant.’

Ethan clicked his tongue.

In this Hero’s Tower, there is no good or evil.

There are only heroes and those who couldn’t become heroes.

‘I didn’t expect there to be a story like this.’

Ethan came to understand roughly how the Hero’s Tower operated.

‘A tower completed by friends who sacrificed their lives and eternal rest to carry on the will of their deceased friend.’

It could be seen as a kind of memorial tower.

‘Either become a great hero or die without leaving anything behind.’

In a sense, those who enter here are given a fair and equal opportunity.

‘I thought there might be a way to survive even if you fail, but after hearing the story, it seems you definitely die if you fail? Considering that skilled individuals have entered so far and not a single one has come out…’

Surely, among the challengers, there must have been those who received strong divine protection like Ethan.

The fact that even they died according to the covenant suggests that the covenant is more absolute than any power.

This made it certain.

An extreme difficulty like walking on the edge of a blade. Failure is absolutely not tolerated.

“Hmm.”

As Ethan was lost in thought for a moment, the First Guardian observed him closely.

-There have been quite a few hero candidates like you. They tried to figure something out, just like you. Because the first gate is just a place to pass through. The real thing is on the upper floors. They tried to extract information about what’s above from me. Among them, there were many who possessed admirable heroic qualities that even I was impressed by. I talked with such individuals for about a week. How long will you take?

“It won’t take long.”

Ethan answered and took his stance.

Just like before, he aimed his Thunder Sword at the barrier and thrust it in.

Crash-!

He stabbed precisely at a single point.

It was a powerful strike imbued with the subtlety of the 3rd form of Ethan Swordsmanship. Lightning spread around, affecting not only the barrier but also the walls and ceiling.

Additionally, tremendous lightning erupted from Ethan’s entire body.

However, the barrier remained intact.

Despite receiving a proper strike, it remained unchanged.

-A good strike.

The First Guardian smiled. This hero candidate possesses considerable skill.

Also, he seems to have overcome numerous hardships, so he probably realized through this strike that the barrier can’t be broken by force alone.

But Ethan still had a strange expression.

He examined the part of the barrier he had struck once, then turned around to check the entire barrier once more.

-Now you have three attempts left. Take your time. You still have three chances left, and time is infinite. Of course, if you starve to death, that’s unavoidable, but so far, no one has died of starvation, so don’t worry about that.

Now it would be time for waiting again.

Despite two strikes, the barrier didn’t budge at all.

But Ethan looked around the barrier once more and then opened his eyes wide.

The First Guardian felt a chill for a moment at that gaze, which seemed to see through everything.

It’s not something you can simply figure out by just looking. You have to experience it physically to solve it.

“The conversation was enjoyable.”

Ethan, who had been examining the barrier, suddenly spoke.

Then he grinned.

“Now for the last question.”

Along with the question, Ethan drew out his Frost Sword in his other hand.

“How many chances did the hero candidates who successfully passed this first gate use?”

-…They used all five. There are no exceptions.

As he said this, the First Guardian slightly frowned. The aura emanating from Ethan was unusual. He had experienced such powerful forces many times before, but that wasn’t what mattered now.

Ethan was aiming for something else.

He wasn’t trying to use overwhelming power.

-You…

“Then I’ll set a new record.”

Ethan said with a confident smile.

“Because I’ll finish it in three tries.”