The Story of a Low-Rank Soldier Becoming a Monarch
Ch 92 as of 22/11/22 - rate 3.5 so far ** art is average, some bad translation. ** missing ch 57 (duplicate ch). ** blurry, incomplete ch 59. - ML is Chris who dies as a 39yo mercenary after swallowing an artifact. He goes back in time to when he was a 15yo soldier. - ML saves his friend Lind’s leg by treating an infected cut. - To avoid becoming cannon fodder, ML arranges for his reserve unit of rookies to join the hunting party. ML bribed the hunting party with handmade cigarettes. ML helps to catch rabbits and a deer, while collecting various ingredients for himself. - ML recognises one of the hunting party members as Guillen “the Guillotine”, the illegitimate son of Count Ronald van Ludwig. - The camp has a problem with stray dogs. ML drugs the dogs using honey ant cobwebs with a sleep inducing effect on herbs that attract dogs. ML with Digo and Dokki find more dogs in the forest that were being lured there by an enemy scout from the 8 Gates. They kill the scout and the dogs. - A white wolf suddenly appears, only to collapse and die. ML finds a half-breed wolf cub that survived and calls it ‘Pumpky’. - Commander Kennery, a centurion and head of the 7th infantry. - He used to be Count Ronald’s knight but he became too close with the Count’s wife. He was demoted and sent to the infantry. Now he’s an alcoholic. - ML is promoted to decurion for his efforts with the enemy scout and other feats. His unit becomes responsible for scouting and reconnaissance. When ML assembles his unit to train, it inspires the other soldiers to get involved. - ML scouts ahead and finds the enemy’s supply delivery route. At night he and his unit attack a small group of enemy soldiers and steal their uniforms. The next day they steal 2 x carriages of supplies from the enemy. The replenished supplies for the under-resourced 7th infantry helps to boost morale. - Watching ML, Kennery is reminded of himself when he was younger. He stops drinking and personally starts official training with the soldiers. - ML suggests a plan to Kennery to attack the enemy delivery routes with the main force. ML and his strike unit take out the enemy scouts 1st. Then they take over the supply carriages disguised as enemy soldiers and go to the enemy camp. After they infiltrate the camp, ML and Lind kill the enemy commander, while the main force of the 7th infantry attack the camp. - Later the enemy ambush a couple of 7th infantry soldiers and infect them with the White Demon disease. ML was prepared for this as he’d already collected maiden grass from a nearby swamp to make the cure. ML has the soldiers observed for any symptoms then he treats them. - Digo tries to burn the patients as he lost his family to the disease and didn’t think there was a cure. Kennery was also not convinced of a cure initially, but ML promises to help him become a knight again if he allows the treatment. Later ML is hailed as a saviour by the soldiers. - ML warns Kennery that the enemy will attack what they think is a weakened 7th infantry. ML burns meat to make the enemy think they’re burning corpses. The enemy attacks but are caught by the traps laid by ML and the archers waiting for them. - Soon the enemy is surrounded. The enemy’s Wolf Knight arrives and he makes a lethal impact. ML faces him with Digo as his shield until it breaks. ML’s arm is broken but instantly heals and ML is able to plunge a dagger into the Wolf Knight’s neck. - The 5th infantry arrive and the battle is won. - Commander Kennery is unofficially promoted to Battalion Commander. ML is unofficially promoted to centurion. - Weehain Ludwig, 3rd Commander-in-Chief of the army and the Count’s oldest son. - ML suggests a plan to Weehain to end this conflict in 2 days. - The army will ambush the enemy delivery routes and destroy their supplies. A group of 100 elite soldiers are needed to fight the enemy elite soldiers who will come to defend the delivery routes. - ML asks Guillen to sponsor ML, Lind, Digo and Dokki in a team. - The artifact has given ML more skills and heightened physical abilities (ie healing) as he gains more experience points. - As the armies engage on the battlefield, ML leads his team to attack the enemy elite soldiers (“the Faltis Warriors”) from behind and kills most of them. ML rallies the other soldiers to charge after the retreating enemy until they’re victorious. - The Count himself is at the awards ceremony. Kennery refuses his knight promotion and has it converted to gold instead. - ML is awarded the medal of merit / honour and he asks to become a knight. ML is promoted to apprentice knight / squire. Digo, Dokki and Lind are among those promoted to centurion. - Later ML meets with Guillen who tells him to look for the group ‘Centuria the 100 dagger guild’ in the next city. - The army arrive at the city of Daybed. - ML makes a deal with a local chemist to supply him with the white finger herb for 1yr. This herb is a core ingredient to strengthening one’s body. - Digo pledges an oath of loyalty to ML after hearing his goal is to become King. ML names Digo as his 1st knight. - To prove his worth, ML is challenged to a duel by Streek / Strick the barracks chief. ML defeats ‘Peylor the undefeated’ by disarming him after he slips from thin ice on the ground. - Now granted access to the drug depot of the barracks, ML soaks in a bath of white finger and other herbs. He needs to do this for a year so his body becomes a vessel for accumulating internal energy. - ML looks for Taekeel, his martial arts master from his past life. He finds Taekeel as a regular at an inn where his daughter Alice works. - Taekeel is a retired knight from the royal guard, and was known as the Dancing Blade. He accepts ML as his disciple after they spar. - Alice also wants to learn and trains beside ML. First Taekeel has ML increase his stamina. ML uses a recovery herbal bath to recover faster to allow more time to train. - ML takes over management of the drug depot in exchange for having Digo, Dokki and Lind under his command. He has them train under Taekeel as well, while also giving them herbal baths. - ML subdues Murdoch the Hound’s gang and makes a deal with them to source herbs. ML makes the sleeping pure elixir that improves one’s skin and sells it to local nobles. - One night ML is attacked by bandits. ML follows them back to their base. He fights their leader Fox for control of the 100 dagger guild and wins. Guillen reveals himself as the true leader and tells ML to take over as guild leader. Jarans the merchant commissioned the guild to steal the sleeping pure recipe from ML. - The guild captures Jarans and he agrees to never mention ML again, under threat from ML. - ML refuses to become the knight of pervert Weehain, preferring to obtain the title on his own merits. Weehain punishes ML by assigning him to lead the escort for the temperamental 3rd Prince Edik / Erik. ML suspects a trap and has the guild obtain info. - The escort soldiers travel to the city of Highgard to meet the 3rd Prince. On the way they’re attacked by groups of goblins. Heading back to Daybed with the 3rd Prince, they’re attacked by assassins. - ML saves the 3rd Prince by using techniques learnt from Taekeel. - ML runs away with the 3rd Prince and the assassins pursue him, but they’re met by the traps ML setup earlier. Pumpky breathes fire at the remaining assassins. ML tells the 3rd Prince that he suspects Weehain was behind the assassins. - The assassins were actually sent by Grand Duke Gaush / Gavush, the King’s younger brother who starts a civil war in the future. - The Grand Duke is the noble faction leader in the Sercado kingdom. - The Grand Duke’s knight is notified by the 2 surviving assassins and decides to go after ML himself. - ML can now sense salgi (killing intent) and detects the knight. - The knight’s attack on ML is interrupted by Guillen who has arrived with some soldiers as backup. The Grand Duke’s knight escapes. ML and Guillen are met by Weehain who is snubbed by the 3rd Prince. The next morning, ML is arrested on suspicion of organising the attack on the 3rd Prince. - At the trial overseen by the Count, Weehain frames ML for the attack. The 3rd Prince interrupts and proclaims ML as innocent. - ML is saved and the trial ends. - The 3rd Prince invites ML to come with him to the capital. - ML convinces the 3rd Prince to let him stay in Daybed for the next 3yrs and he’ll conquer Wolf’s Den, the enemy’s 1st stronghold in the 3rd Prince’s name. - ML asks the 3rd Prince to send him a wyze expert. - Sick Millon arrives from the capital. He’s been researching wyze for the last 10yrs. ML remembers Sick wrote a book on the basics of how to awaken wyze. ML knows mastering wyze means to absorb the mana around you. He wants to help Lind, Digo, Dokki and Alice to awaken wyze too. - The enemy attacks 1st by killing the reconnaissance squads. - ML has the guild pay off the villagers to evacuate and block their wells. As the enemy enters, they’re forced to go to the last 2 remaining wells in the area and setup camp there. - ML asks the Count for 100 cavalrymen and he’ll defeat the enemy’s reconnaissance squads. ML, Lind, Digo and Dokki wipe out the enemy’s elite soldiers. This team leads the soldiers in defeating the enemy’s 200 cavalrymen and capturing their intelligence HQ at the camp. They also capture the enemy’s red-haired horses, known for their greater speed and strength. - ML returns to his own main intelligence HQ and asks the Commander for 300 more cavalrymen. - The Count leads his personal knights into the main battle. - ML leads a small squad away while pursued by 100 elite soldiers led by an enemy knight. ML’s squad creates a dark fog, blinding the enemy. ML uses wyze and salgi to detect the enemy in the fog and kills them one by one, including the knight. ML’s squad kills anyone who escapes except for a couple of survivors allowed by ML who becomes known as the Black Fog Demon. - ML goes to Sunset Hide Castle as he knows it’ll be attacked next. 2000 enemy soldiers assemble before the castle walls. - Inside the castle along with ML’s cavalrymen, there are only 200 soldiers with most of them injured. - ML stops an assassin from killing Strike, the castle commander. - ML approaches the enemy with Digo, Dokki and Lind. The enemy force is led by the Wolves Clan who value honour above all else. ML challenges the enemy to a duel. Digo, Lind and Dokki win their duels. ML defeats the enemy battalion commander in his duel. - ML 17yo faces Sir Perth Wolves 21yo in the final duel that’ll decide who wins the castle battle. Perth was acknowledged as the youngest wyze knight. In ML’s past life, Perth was the one who destroyed Sunset Hide. In the end, ML badly injures Perth with his dagger using the Piercing Light Beams technique and wins the duel. - Reinforcements arrive just as ML’s duel ended, surrounding the enemy. ML commands them to halt and allow the enemy to pass safely, protecting the honour of the Wolves Clan. - ML’s cavalrymen and the reinforcements join the main battle. - The enemy force led by the Wolves Clan has also arrived. - ML kills the knight fighting the Count who dies after handing command of the army to ML. The enemy army are losing and are ordered to retreat. Afterwards, a funeral is held for the Count and Weehain becomes the new Count. - ML secretly visits the imprisoned Night Dagger assassin from Sunset Hide castle. She’s a beautiful young woman and isn’t sure if her name is #26 or Rachel. She hopes ML will help her to find her true name. ML promises to free her soon. - Before Weehain can force ML to become his knight, Count Ellergwon is sent by the 3rd Prince to bring ML to the capital. - Before he leaves, ML spars against Guillen and loses. - In the capital, ML saves a young girl Yabrian from some thugs. She’s the future head of the influential White Flag trading company. - ML asks the 3rd Prince to be given the territory of Fraunmunt, an abandoned and barren land. The King awards ML with the title of Baron and his name is now Chris Fraunmunt. - The 3rd Prince arranged a duel for ML with a royal guard / knight. ML easily defeats him with just a wooden sword. ML appoints himself as the 1st knight of Fraunmunt and is willing to duel anyone who wants to challenge this. ML defeats 28 royal knights. - 1st Prince Desilio - ML attends his 1st royal banquet, held in celebration of the war victory. He’s announced as the hero of the battlefield, the youngest wyze knight and as a Baron. - ML stops the situation from escalating between Lady Agatha and Baron Holben whom she hit for sexually harassing her. Agatha is the sister of Louis, ML’s friend and teacher from his past life. (Missing info) - The 3rd Prince reveals his secret hobby of painting to ML. - The outstanding works shown to ML are ones he recognises as by the genius painter Emol from his past life. - ML offers to help sell one painting to prove their worth. - ML is given a magic imbued spear by the 3rd Prince. - ML, Yabrian, Agatha and Louis travel for 2mths from the capital to Fraunmunt. They are met there by Digo, Dokki and Lind, who were asked by ML to cleanup the monsters in the territory. - ML is reunited with Pumpky who has grown even bigger. - ML and Pumpky explore the land. They discover an underground passage. ML, Digo, Dokki and Lind kill the goblins hiding there. - ML calls people to migrate to his territory, including Alice, Taekeel and Strick. He eventually calls Murdoch the Hound who has become a herbalist and his gang to migrate as well. - ML’s territory has a hidden resource: rock salt. - Currently rock salt is a royal monopoly. - Strick / Streek: barracks and troop management - Yabrian: trade with nearby territories and ethnic minorities - Digo, Dokki and Lind: rebuilding and construction - Louis and Alice: squires in charge of security that patrol Fraunmunt to ensure public safety. - ML invites nearby lords to visit. 4 lords come, including Guillen. - ML offers to help Viscount Dutch with the goblins and bandits in his territory in the south for a monthly fee. - Baron Sabnak brought a wyze knight, most likely to test ML. - Yod, eldest son of Count Vantes has his escort knight kill a Fraunmunt resident who accidentally bumped into his servant. - Alice arrives to discover the dead man. Yod refuses to be taken away for an investigation and has his knight challenge her to a duel instead. Alice quickly kills the knight. - ML arrives and commends Alice on a job well done. - ML challenges Yod to a duel as the price for killing a Fraunmunt citizen. Yod begs for his life and is beheaded by ML. - Blitzkrieg warfare: Before word reaches Count Vantes, ML takes a small team (Lind, Digo, Dokki and Alice) to launch an attack first. Guillen also joins them. After they conquer the Count’s castle, ML sends Rachel to plant false evidence of treason in the basement to justify his attack. - ML wins a duel against Dokki to find out his real name. - Yenrid, the Chief’s son and last surviving member of the Wingless Hawk Tribe in the south. As a boy, he was forced to run away by his parents when their tribe was betrayed and attacked by the Roaring Elephant tribe. - ML takes Dokki (Yenrid), Yabrian and Pumpky to the first subjugation of the goblins and southern bandits in Viscount Dutch’s territory. About 1200 Southerners from various tribes have gathered and occupied land near the Viscount’s castle. ML sends Dokki out alone to duel against them (without killing anyone) until he’s acknowledged. - ML joins Dokki as an opposing Southerner army led by the Roaring Elephant tribe is seen charging towards them. With help from Dokki and ML, the enemy are defeated and forced to retreat. - ML and Dokki help to free the Southerners captured by the Roaring Elephant tribe. Dokki is reunited with Jellid, another survivor of the Wingless Hawk tribe. - ML learns the enemy forces are about 5000 in total. - As ML leads the friendly Southerners to a safer place, he’s detects the movements nearby of a large enemy force heading for the Viscount. ML sends Pumpky with messages to the Viscount and to Lind that a Southerner invasion is imminent. The Viscount calls for urgent help from the Sercado kingdom. - Sir Balmung Edstein, 1st sword of the Grand Duke - Sir Lydos Ben, 2nd sword - Sir Withran Feddas, 3rd sword - A few days later, the waiting Sercado allied forces and the Grand Duke’s wyze knights makes the enemy Southern army hesitate. The enemy leave after the wyze knights tell them to retreat now to avoid conflict. - ML had taken the friendly Southerners to Fraunmunt. - The Southerners are responsible for getting rid of the goblins in Viscount Dutch’s territory. Fraunmunt becomes a land where central and southern people coexist. Fraunmunt is now the 2nd strongest military territory after Count Ludwig. - Sir Paul Royer, a cruel knight under Marquis Jighal. - ML has been travelling to recruit and send more skilled people to help in Fraunmunt. He knew of a hunchback sage called Graffe from his past life. ML finds Graffe and his mother in Marquis Jighal’s territory. - Fraunmunt is growing rapidly and has started to trade in rock salt. - Baron Sabnak reports the rock salt trade to the royal court. - 1st Prince Desilio leads the survey team to Fraunmunt. - The nobles demand an 80% tax on the rock salt profits. - The Wolves’ Fortress, 1st fortress of 8 Gates. Instead of rock salt taxes, ML promises to capture and present this fortress to Desilio. - A spy for Baron Sabnak poses as a new chef and tries to poison ML and his leadership team. ML lets the rumour spread that he is bedridden from the poison. Baron Sabnak hires Rachel to assassinate ML, not knowing she’s on ML’s side. - Sir Jerpaul Sabnak, a wyze knight and the Baron’s son. - Greedy for the rock salt mine, Baron Sabnak gathers an army with other nobles to attack ML and Fraunmunt. ML and his army are ready and waiting for them. To avoid the needless deaths of innocent soldiers, Sir Jerpaul duels Alice and she wins easily. - Sir Balmung Edstein is there for personal reasons. He wants to test ML. He knocks out Alice with one punch. He also defeats Digo and Louis. ML duels Balmung and wins by cutting Balmung’s face with a dagger. After ML refuses to become the Grand Duke’s sword, Balmung leaves the battlefield. - With his army surrounded, Baron Sabnak surrenders. - ML executes the Baron, Jerpaul and the nobles involved. - Desilio is under pressure and orders ML to capture the fortress by the end of the year. The bedridden and now blind King seems to only trust the Grand Duke. - ML feeds silver worms to the honey ant spiders to make a unique thread. It’s an invisible silver wire that’s stronger than steel. - He has Agatha create a special garment with this thread. - ML, Alice, Lind, Digo, Dokki and Louis continue their wyze training. This includes holding their breath underwater. - Emilia Jighal, daughter of the Marquis. - She’s secretly a shaman who can cast an intuition spell. - The Jighal family remains politically neutral. - She brings troops to Fraunmunt to help conquer the Wolves’ Fortress. ML refuses her help and asks her to watch for now. - Count Hyde, a royalist - Fedora Wolves, Commander of Wolves’ Fortress - On a day when it starts to rain, ML leads his team of 6 wyzers to the Wolves’ Fortress. In ML’s past life, the fortress was destroyed by flooding from torrential rain at this time. - ML and his team infiltrate the fortress and capture it. - The Fraunmunt army occupy the fortress. Strick brings news that the King has died and the rebellion has begun in the capital. - Emilia sends her troops to Wolves’ Fortress to support ML. - In this civil war, House Ludwig has the largest military force. - Count Weehain Ludwig aspires to be the next king. - Jodphil, Weehain’s bodyguard - Sir Gedian Davau, Knight Commander, House Ludwig. - Guillen pledged an oath to his mother Daiz when he became a knight to be her sword. Weehain is holding Daiz hostage in a tower. - ML and Rachel climb the outside of the tower at night. ML gets Daiz’ attention through the window and she distracts the 2 maids who are also her bodyguards. ML and Daiz take out the maids. Then they help Daiz escape from the tower and reunite her with Guillen. - Guillen’s men intercepted a letter written and signed by Weehain to the 8 Gates. Guillen accuses Weehain of treason. Guillen assumes the title of Count and banishes Weehain from Ludwig county. - Guillen pledges his allegiance to ML as his lord. - Abel the Lance King. - He is the Tegis general and strongest man in the central continent. - Digo kills Sir Withran Feddas, 3rd sword. - ML lets the troops under Withran leave and join the main force under the Grand Duke. - Weehain had approached the castle held by Withran to seek refuge. ML disguised as a messenger meets Weehain and beheads him. ML shows the head to the Ludwig troops under Weehain. ML appeals to their pride and honour as guardians of the wall that protects the country. The troops led by Sir Gedian Davau join the other Ludwig troops led by Guillen. - With the combined strength of the Ludwig and Fraunmunt military forces, they head for the main battle between 1st Prince Desilio’s army and the Grand Duke’s army. - Lind, Digo, Dokki, Alice and Louis - Sir Lydos Ben, 2nd sword - Sir Balmung Edstein, 1st sword - Grand Duke wields Snow White, an ice element sword
Ramia - Hero & Demon Lord Chronicles
Ch 6.4 as of 16/01/22 - rate 3.5 so far - Ramia is a petite, super buff, powerful warrior / mage. - Ramia returns to town and sees her youngest descendant Kusa 11yo for the 1st time. He doesn’t know who she is. - Kusa’s mother is Kaiya 49yo, Gertrude’s daughter and mayor of this town. His father is Serath 48yo. - Ramia meets Elder Gertrude 75yo (her great great grand daughter), a former hero and retired chief knight of the region. It was Gertrude who asked for help from her mentor, adoptive mother and old friend with an unsolved case … - Ramia stays at the home of soldier Alexander 27yo. He and his sister Clea as children were saved by Gertrude from monsters that killed their parents. Alex trained under Gertrude to be a soldier. - Ramia has her way with Alex in bed. She learns from him about the 8 women that have disappeared in the northern forest over the last 2mths. The last woman was his 24yo sister a week ago. - Ramia goes to the forest and encounters an underground octopus monster and a kachooli beast. They’ve been possessed by reincarnated souls from a parallel world. Working together they kidnapped and raped women who entered the forest. - Ramia kills the octopus with a stamp of her foot. She crushes the balls of the kachooli and makes him take her to where the women are. At a cave hidden by nature magic, Ramia finds the 6 remaining women. 2 of them were killed for being difficult. Ramia gives the women swords retrieved from her magical storage to kill the kachooli. - The high priestess who was kidnapped 1st attacks Ramia for killing her masters. She became a crazy pervert that created the hidden cave and helped the monsters to kidnap and torture the other women. Ramia breaks her legs and the other women wound her further but want to take her to the temple for her final punishment. - Ramia brings the women and the monsters’ bodies back to town. She’s confronted by Kaiya who orders her to leave. She calls Ramia a monster who committed an unforgivable crime against all humankind 30yrs ago. Gertrude smacks down Kaiya and tells her off. Alex and Clea run after Ramia and offer their thanks. - Alex and Clea asked to be trained by Ramia. She leaves them with a clone of herself that can last 10yrs. - Half-elf archmage Eldarius Ambrosius. - Aritimis, Queen of the Velalya Elves. - A new demon lord has arisen called Cassandra. - Matheinar kingdom, Captain Adler of the royal Eagle knights. - 30yrs ago was the last holy war. The hero Gertrude wield the holy sword of the Farumas kingdom and led the victory. The elite demon lord extermination squad was made up of Gertrude, Eldarius, Aritimis and Ramia. - Eldarius’ tower is suddenly attacked by a demon. - The city is also attacked by a demon …
Call of the Spear
Ch 49 as of 21/12/21 - rate 3.5 so far ** lots of confusing Korean mythology … DROPPED. - FL is Choa, the slave girl from Baek village offered as the sacrificial bride to the mountain tiger god SanGun of BaekSan. Her white hair and blue eyes means she has the blood of the white blooded ghost, which is a tempting elixir to all beasts. - SanGun tries to get rid of Choa by giving her wild ginseng to sell at Ungol village so she can provide for herself. She’s accused of stealing the ginseng and beaten before the ginseng is forcefully taken from her. Before SanGun kills those who bullied Choa, she stops him and asks for just the ginseng to be returned. - SanGun gives Choa a special Domojam hairpin (ie a binyeo) made from a 1000yr old peach tree. It’s to ward off evil spirits. Choa is extremely touched as it’s her 1st gift ever. - Hwaran, a female ghost servant of SanGun (ie she’s a changgwi, soul of a person who died from being bitten by a tiger. They lure people to the tiger to be killed). - After almost dying while saving Choa from the blood-casting mouse demon, SanGun seeks the primary lotus root needed to transform himself into human form. - In return for the lotus root, SanGun is tricked by Udan the wild boar mountain god to follow his son Uzi and the wild boar herd who attack a merchant caravan guarded by swordmasters for the Do Bong pills. The pills are a coveted treasure that can instantly raise one’s level. - SanGun flees after he is badly injured by Doseon Nokbang the Taoist master. Hwaran managed to steal the Do Bong pills and helped SanGun escape. Hwaran was injured by the 2 swordsman that came after them. She killed one and transformed the other to look like SanGun which Nokbang found and decapitated. Choa is left behind and thinks SanGun is dead. - SanGun accepts help from the black tiger and HongYeon, his changgwi servant. He gives them the pill in exchange for a special book on cultivation for spirit beasts. He and the black tiger enter Bi Dong, a hidden sanctuary under a ginkgo tree, to train and meditate in peace. SanGun emerges 3 days later as a human. - Wild boars are waiting for SanGun to take back the pill. He defeats them all with Gun Hwa, the special sword he obtained from the blood-sucking mouse demon. - SanGun sets up the Taoists who are still looking for him and the wild boars to fight against eachother at Mt Udun. He kills the remaining fighters including Udan using his sword Gun Hwa and blue flame. - Going through the items obtained from the Taoists, SanGun finds some letters which a young girl of Baek village helps to read for him. He learns the Red Sea has already declared war against the Yosu. He rewards the girl with a bag full of money. - SanGun takes 4yrs to absorb the intense blue flame power of the Phoenix spirit / divine beast that’s been hidden deep in BaekSan, in preparation for an upcoming war against demons and a period of great upheaval for humans and beasts. - SanGun looks for Yeon the young girl who helped him with the letters. Now a young woman, she’s to be offered as a slave concubine after the money he gave her ruined her family who were accused of stealing. SanGun asks her to teach him how to read and write. He saves her from being raped by her master and gives her a new path to follow, to learn swordsmanship and protect BaekSan. - 3mths later SanGun travels to Sun Moon Gate, a monastery in Jun San mountain. He joins a group of warriors to enter the gate to Yeongnae mountain, the 1st time in 100yrs. Many different sects have gathered for this opportunity. - It becomes a trap setup for SanGui the 3rd ranked demon king out of 100,000 to hunt and devour the souls of those who’ve entered. - SanGun bows down before SanGui who detects that SanGun is a spiritual beast turned into a human. SanGui tells SanGun to become his servant and he will give him what he’s looking for. It’s the Soul JeHang, a tool that can replicate anything that can fit inside it. - SanGui continues to hunt and one of the remaining humans turns out to be Choa, now a young swordswoman of the Bingung (Ice Palace) sect called Sister White Lotus. - SanGun stops SanGui from devouring Choa by chopping off his arm. SanGun has now become the enemy of all demons. - Choa and SanGun fight SanGui together. - After an epic battle SanGun deals the final death blow to SanGui with his Blue Flame Tiger Claw. - SanGun carrying Choa and another Bingung disciple are the only ones to emerge. - SanGun telepathically confirms with the spiritual beast gatekeeper that they let SanGui into Yeongnae mountain. The gatekeeper was promised the plaque that binds them would be retrieved and they would be free. SanGun agrees to get the plaque to prevent the gatekeeper from revealing that he’s a spiritual beast too. - Treasures from the battle with SanGui: egg of a gold leafed fern (eternal youth); the Soul JeHang; the twin crimson balls; and the spiritual devourer centipede. - Taoist master Doseon Yoo Jeong engages in battle with SanGun after revealing he knows SanGun is a spiritual beast. - HongYeon helps hide SanGun until the coast is clear. SanGun discovers the black tiger is a girl as she’s now a human (with animal ears). - Under the full moon, SanGun uses the Soul JeHang and duplicates the egg. He swallows one of the eggs. - SanGun gives Do Bong pills to his servants, the spirit ginseng and the golden carp spirits. (Too hard to summarise from Ch 30 on.)
Pathfinder
Toshokan No Daimajutsushi
Shinigami to Gin no Kishi
Really well written, very interesting story. Nicely illustrated too. Loved all the different characters. Well balanced.
The Player That Can't Level Up
Ch 110 as of 10/02/25 - also on Tapas ** End of season 1, Ch 69. … interesting but getting very complicated - ML is Gigyu Kim. - ML’s family consists of his mother Soojin Lee who has a serious illness and his younger sister Yoojung / Yoojeong Kim. - ML was invited to be a player when he was 18yo. - KPA = Korean Players Association - ML was identified as having a unique ability that was yet to manifest. He’s been working as a guide at the KPA but 5yrs later he still can’t level up past L1. His nickname is “the dysfunctional leveling player”. - 18yrs ago (when ML was born), the Tower appeared. - Gates / portals also appeared, with monsters streaming out. - A small % of humans had awakened powers and became known as players. The world became a player economy where everything revolves around players. - Seokwoo Yoo is a high ranker with a unique ability and is the same age as ML. He volunteered to guide ML when he first entered the KPA. He shared his plans to create his own guild and hoped ML would join him someday. He said levels don’t matter, especially for unique ability users. - Seokwoo has since become the leader and guild master of the Kine / Kayn guild, 1 of the top 10 guilds in South Korea. He treats guild members like his family. - Seokwoo recommends ML to guide his cousin. - 23yo ML takes care of the 4-member party (excluding himself) through the first few floors of the Tower with his expert knowledge. - At the 4th floor, ML senses danger and orders his party to quickly retreat. A guardian (boss monster) makes an unexpected appearance. ML leads his party to safety in a cave as they have injured members. ML goes out to shoot a flare to signal for help. He is attacked by the guardian and has no choice but to escape through the door to the 5th floor. - The test for the 5th floor is surprisingly easy for ML. - His ability is clarified and he could “link with ego.” - His job is “ego’s partner” and his skill is “synchronise”: he can be integrated with a linked ego and he can use an ego’s abilities. - He names his first ego “Lou”. - ML is found unconscious by the door to the 5th floor. - In hospital he is told that his party are all safe. - The guardian was cornered by other players but it got away. - Once out of hospital, ML goes back into the Tower. - He summons Lou for the 1st time by calling it’s name. - He is stripped of almost everything as ingredients are gathered for Lou’s form to materialise. Lou takes the form of a black sword. - After synchronising with Lou who is L7, ML’s nickname changes to “tutorial’s slaughterer.” Lou is the one that gets the experience points to level up and increase stats. Lou absorbs stats through blood so it’s stats are higher than it’s level. - One-time gates: they close once cleared. Higher risk. - Sustained gates: remain open so you may hunt repeatedly. - ML is warned that anomalies with the gates have appeared recently and to avoid entering gates for now. - Despite the warning, ML decides to join a gate-hunting party for the 1st time. The party of 5 enters a F-rank sustained gate. - ML’s performance is impressive. He even kills the boss monster, a ghoul with one strike. Lou acquires the skill “cannibalise”: recover health by devouring corpses. - Songsoo Ha, the party leader. - Harim, Songsoo’s bodyguard. - ML is wary of Songsoo and Harim as they seem to be strong and powerful. ML stops an attempt to kill Songsoo by another member, who was in league with the 5th member. - ML takes the “dagger of paralysis” that was dropped as his reward for saving Songsoo. ML leaves Harim and Songsoo to deal with the 2 party traitors. - After exploring the area, ML returns to the boss room and sees light shining through the cracks in a wall. Lou senses another ego. ML smashes through the wall to find a hidden room. - There’s a white sword in stone. ML draws the sword and links with it’s ego, naming it “Elle” (L8). - Suddenly everything starts collapsing and a giant eye appears. - ML runs to the boss monster’s corpse to enter the reward room. ML collects 30 violet crystals and a charm of protection pendant that will help his mother. - Crystals: the substance that becomes the material or fuel for various magic tools. Their value changes based on the amount of mana they contain, which also determines their colour. - Long after ML left that sustained gate, it was demolished. - Mass gate formations also occurred at the same time. - ML progresses through the floors of the Tower. - ML sold the dagger of paralysis at auction for $100k. - On the way home, a gate appears. ML is the first to report the new gate to the KPA so he gets priority to enter the gate first. It’s confirmed as a F-rank gate. - ML looks for some armour before he enters the gate. - ML meets a young boy touting the skills of his grandpa. - ML is taken to the store of Jichul Hwang, a blacksmith. - All of the items in Jichul’s store have nameless egos. - ML links with some armour that he names “Brunheart”. - The armour has the ability to reflect damage. - Taeshik Oh, Dept Head, Gate Supervision Dept. - Taeshik was Operations Manager in the Guide Dept and ML’s former boss at the KPA. Taeshik is also a former high ranker whose nickname was “Behemoth”. - Before entering the gate, Taeshik insists on sparring with ML. - In a training room below the KPA, ML manages to scratch Taeshik’s fist when he punched the armour. With this Taeshik is satisfied and he lets ML proceed. - Entering the gate, ML is attacked by a large pack of wolves. He defeats them easily and collects many crystals. ML drinks buff potions that temporarily increase all of his stats by 5+. - He faces the boss monster and gate keeper, a huge wolf called Changkyung. It’s a close match but ML wins in the end and receives a large blue crystal. Lou acquires the skill “Strong Will” (stamina recovery). With the cannibalism skill, Lou absorbs Changkyung‘s body which disappears. ML has acquired Changkyung’s ego. - ML can’t access the reward room as Changkyung’s body is gone. ML decides to kill all of the remaining monsters. - After that, all the energy of the gate gathers in the boss room. There ML receives an ego fragment. - ML hears from the doctor that his mother has just 3mths to a year left to live. He loses himself as he takes out his frustration and anger by going through the Tower floors 11 to 19 in 2wks. - Taeshik tells ML about a new maze gate appearing in the US. - The only thing that can help ML’s mother is an elixir, a powerful potion that can cure any disease. Only 3 elixirs have ever been given. 2 of those were after a maze gate was cleared. - Taeshik has made all the arrangements for ML to go to the US and Agent Seonghoon / Sunghoon Heo will accompany him. - ML is taken to the top secret International Transport Portal management centre run by the KPA. He goes with Agent Heo through a portal to the US. In the maze gate, Agent Heo initially helps ML adapt to the gate then returns home. - High rankers: - Iron Shield (USA), Athena (Europe), Demon King (Korea) - ML saves a teenage girl, Soojung Jung who claims she got separated from her party. She reminds him of his sister. - She has a buff skill that is helpful so he lets her join him. - ML is caught by Iron Shield and the Iron guild. ML is accused of spying. He’s brutally tortured then healed in a vicious cycle for days by the Korean-American player, Rogers Han. - Athena launches an attack with her forces on Iron Shield and the Iron guild. ML is taken aside by Rogers who tries to kill him. ML uses Brunheart to defeat him, which uses up the armour’s damage tolerance and it disintegrates. ML stabs Rogers in his vitals and leaves him to die. - Soojung appears with her subordinate Baal, and offers to help ML. Her real identity is the high ranker Demon King. - She confronts the boss monster, Demon Commander Heryond and defeats it with her unique ability, Ink Flame. - The defeat of Heryond drops 3 elixirs. Soojung makes ML drink one, which sharpens his senses as well as fully heals his body. ML is given another elixir to take to his mother. - Soojung makes a contract with ML and he becomes her disciple. She tells him to look for her after he’s cleared the 50th floor of the Tower. - After some coaching by Soojung, ML confronts Iron Shield. - With his heightened senses, ML is able to dodge and block Iron Shield. Elle awakens after absorbing divine power from Iron Shield’s holy sword, Kallion. - Before Iron Shield can react, ML uses Arachne’s web to disappear and get back to the gate entry quickly. - Arachne’s web was given to ML by Taeshik as an emergency escape measure. - ML returns home exhausted. Agent Heo helps bring his mother home from the hospital. ML gives her the elixir and collapses. - He awakes to find his mother all better and looking younger. Taeshik visits and ML confirms later that Taeshik likes ML’s mother. ML tells Taeshik what happened in the maze gate. - ML plans to seek revenge himself and destroy Iron Shield and the Iron guild. - Taeshik has assigned Agent Heo as ML’s personal assistant. - Agent Heo helps to sell item rewards from the gate and even sources a new house for ML and his family. ML made a lot of money from the maze gate, including the amount made from selling the yellow crystal that came with the elixir. - ML pays back the money he owes to Jichul Hwang. - ML buys from Jichul a pair of new shoes he names Hermes (L45, speed), and a pendant he names Rain (L51, mana regeneration, aggravate wounds of opponent). - Having taken the elixir, ML and his mother are given a special health examination at the KPA. ML’s physical improvements include his appearance, height gain, and muscle mass gain. - His mana control and magical power are confirmed as SS rank, which means he has the potential to be a high ranker. - ML’s mother is perfectly healthy and even stronger than the average man. - ML doesn’t want to take the rank assessment test in case his results draw unwanted attention while the Iron guild are looking for him. - The C-rank subjugation team sent to defeat the 4th floor guardian can’t be contacted. Taeshik asks ML to join the B-rank team being assembled. The orc guardian seems to be hunting players to grow more powerful. - Morning Star guild: Seonpil Kim (archer, Seokwoo’s cousin), Haneul (mage), Seongwoo (swordsman), Jaewon (tanker). - ML saved them before on the 4th floor when he was a guide. - As C-rankers, they’ve joined as backup. The guild was named after ML. Seonpil’s team agree to let ML join as a temporary member so he can go on the raid. - Yeonseok Nam and other players from the B-rank Brother guild are rude to the Morning Star players. ML asks the team leader for a sparring match with Yeonseok. If ML wins, Morning Star switches with Brother to be a part of the main attack force. The match is agreed and ML knocks out Yeonseok with one punch. - The subjugation team follow the standard attack plan but it fails. ML recognises the orc guardian has the same attack patterns as a standard orc on the lowest floors of the Tower. - Using the combined abilities of his linked egos, ML singlehandedly takes down the guardian called Fereth, a lower rank demon. Cannibalism absorbs the body. While Fereth can't become an ego, Lou absorbs the ego fragments. - Donghae Kim, Vice-Leader of the Child guild, B-rank (almost A-rank). Team leader of the B-rank subjugation team. - Donghae tries to scout ML for the Child guild but ML politely declines. Donghae asks ML to contact him if ML needs help. - The KPA President questions Taeshik on his special preferential treatment of ML. - After the subjugation, Taeshik invites ML to have dinner with the President who is Taeshik’s (grand)father, Taegoo Oh. - The legendary player Asura is also Taegoo. - ML is asked to be a hired mercenary of the KPA. - Iron Shield authorises Rogers Han (yes he survived) to be the manager of a new Iron guild branch in Korea. - ML agrees to be a mercenary. Taeshik gives ML a special KPA ring to signify ML’s authority is on par with a KPA manager. - ML is given the codename “Morning Star”. - For ML’s 1st mission as a mercenary, he’s sent to a new gate in Yeosu that’s fluctuating between a C and F-rank. When ML arrives with Agent Heo, ML approaches the gate as Lou and Elle confirm that the gate is an ego. Agent Heo pulls ML away from the gate as it turns red, indicating a gate break. - The gate returns to normal and ML enters alone. He fights a skeleton army and a headless horseman but they’re very weak. He’s in a cemetery and a powerful lich, the undead king emerges as the boss monster. - Despite the lich even summoning a giant flesh golem, ML defeats the lich and the gate accepts ML as it’s master. ML names the gate after “Brunheart”. Lou absorbed demonic energy during the fight with the lich and has awakened. - Elle, L89 “Lord of the Holy Sword” - Lou, L?? “Lord of the Demonic Blade” - NB: ML has rings he uses to summon Lou and Elle. - So far only Lou and Elle can talk. - ML’s capacity for wielding egos increases the stronger he becomes. The distance his link remains with his egos also increases. - Agent Heo gives a mask for ML to wear in anticipation of the reporters because of the gate break warning. - The gate closes after ML accepted it as an ego. - ML reveals his unique ability to Taeshik, Taegoo and Agent Heo and describes what happened with the gate. - Despite the best efforts by the KPA, a photo of the masked ML was released and he’s identifiable from his rings and pendant. - ML chooses gauntlets from Jichul to hide his rings. - He names the L27 gauntlets “Oberon” (force: increases strength). The gauntlets can change their appearance to look like gloves. Jichul gives them to ML for free. Instead he asks ML to come to his aid once when he asks for it. - ML spends a week in the tower progressing up the floors and getting to know the abilities of his egos. - Brunheart the gate ego took on the form of the armour. - The gate ego inherited the memories of the original Brunheart and the reflect skill. The gate ego is also able to talk. - Brunheart can grow by absorbing crystals. - Open / Close: ability to open and close a gate. - Absorption: grow by absorbing other gates. - Domination: absorb gates of lower rank and dominate them. - Floor 29: ML detects a fight between players. - ML interrupts when he hears Seokwoo’s name. - The fight is between the Kine guild and the Smurf guild (red players, ie criminal players that kill other players). - After ML defeated some Smurf players, he and the Kine players are suddenly surrounded by 100+ Smurf players led by their guildmaster, Slayer Min Seok Choi the fallen ranker. - ML’s left eye colour has changed to purple since he started killing humans on this floor. He feels an intense bloodlust and killing intent at 1st, and then he finds the killing to be fun. ML thinks this has something to do with his contract with Soojung. - The Slayer invites ML to join the Smurf guild. - ML refuses and they fight. The Slayer boasts that his Flame Dagger accumulates damage against its opponent. ML uses Brunheart to reflect the accumulated damage back at the Slayer and defeats him. Lou cannibalises the Slayer who becomes an acquired ego for ML. - Seokwoo arrives and stops the remaining Smurf players from attacking ML by using his unique ability with ice. - ML heard from the Slayer earlier that they were looking for Seokwoo because of his 2nd unique ability: portal generation. - ML discovers Seokwoo is also a KPA mercenary called “Aroc”. - ML takes Seokwoo to see Taeshik. The KPA will assemble a team soon to take out the rest of the Smurf guild. Seokwoo asks for his guild to join that team. He wants to find his guild member that was captured by the Smurf guild, which is how they knew about Seokwoo’s 2nd unique ability. - ML is about to face the test for the 30th floor. When he did the tests for the 5th, 10th and 20th floors, the level of difficulty was decreased for him. This time a special test has been generated. - In a desert ML fights giant scorpions. Lou tells ML to go to the castle in the distance as he detects his physical body there. - ML arrives at the castle and 2 giant stone golem guards attack him. He deflects their power so they end up striking eachother. - The golems destroyed, ML enters huge doors and faces Lou’s body, the true Demon King, master of the demonic arts and the demonic blade. As ML fights a barrage of demonic swords, Lou lends ML some of his power. ML has gained the skill of Death. With Lou and this new skill, ML defeats the boss monster. - ML’s synchronisation has increased. - He is rewarded with new skills: - Synchronisation B: ability to wield 60% of an ego’s power. - Synthesis: ability to synthesise egos. - Embodiment: ability to embody egos. - ML also receives 3 ego fragments, like the one from the new gate near his home. Lastly ML receives bone pieces from Lou’s physical body. Lou is the soul that decided to seal away it’s memories to protect it’s existence. - ML’s family move into the new house and have a housewarming party. The Morning Star guild attend with Taeshik and Agent Heo. ML’s new home has a training room in the basement. - Taeshik tells ML that the Iron guild will be officially opening a branch in South Korea in 3mths time. - ML tests his new synthesise skill with Brunheart and an ego fragment. ML is teleported into the gate with the cemetery where he 1st met the gate ego. ML names the lich “Heart” and makes it the gate administrator. ML spends 4 days defeating monsters in the gate to raise the gate domination over the monsters to 100%. - ML asks to spar with Taeshik. They unleash the full force of their magic powers and demolish the KPA training room. - Taeshik advises ML to register as a ranker. - As a mercenary, ML’s identity will still be protected. - The benefits of being a ranker include being able to influence the KPA’s decisions and having access to more info. - Rankers are also part of a global association and therefore have global authority. - To be acknowledged by other rankers, ML will need to fight in an unofficial ranking battle. - Shin Yoobin, guild master of the Mist Flower guild. - She’s a ranker known as “Mist Sword”. - Her deceased father spoke highly of a guide who helped him and whom he learnt a lot from. - ML meets Yoobin in the ranker battle moderated by Agent Heo. The judges are Taegoo, Taeshik and Seokwoo. - Yoobin underestimates ML and he defeats her by disarming her. He recognises her from her father’s funeral. Her father spoke about her often to ML while he was being guided by ML. - ML arranges for Taeshik to accompany his mother as protection, to help him against Taegoo and the threat of an arranged marriage. - IPA = International Players Association - Lee Seonho, guild master of the Einzella guild. - Taeshik and ML suspect Iron Shield made a deal with Seonho. - The Einzella guild supported the establishment of the Iron guild branch in South Korea. (NB: Iron guild are 1 of the top 10 guilds in the world) - Lou’s awakening completed recently and is now L95. - Lou is the Lord of Demonic Blades and Demonic Arts. - Lou confirms that Soojung gave ML a Demonic Eye in his left eye. A portion of the eye’s abilities has opened up and ML can now see the true nature of all things. - With Lou’s Demonic Arts skill, ML can grant demonic power to egos. ML gives Oberon the binding skill which restrains an opponent with black magic. - Go Hyungcheol, player paparazzi and former ranker. - Mr Go was responsible for the photo of ML that was leaked. - ML wants to use Mr Go’s info network to find out about the deal with Iron Shield. Mr Go eventually reveals his true appearance to ML and agrees to a contract. Mr Go accepts the massive payment and also wants info on ML’s relationship with the Demon King (Soojung) and the Demonic Eye. ML says he’s Soojung’s disciple and ML explains the Demonic Eye sees the true nature of a subject. - ML approaches Seokwoo to be his ally against the Iron guild. Besides offering to the Kine guild all interests that arise from the collapse of the Iron guild branch, ML proposes to grant a single request regardless of what it is. - ML spends a month clearing gates assigned by the KPA as a lone mercenary. Mr Go meets ML for the 4th and last time with info that Lee Seonho of the Einzella guild needs an elixir after getting injured while clearing the Tower. Mr Go informed ML earlier that Iron Shield’s leg was severed (he now has a prosthetic). ML suspects Soojung might be involved as she has the last elixir. - ML has been feeding tons of crystals to Brunheart which has strengthened the gate ego and it’s monsters. - ML synthesised Rain with “Blue Star” (tbc Slayer?). - Rain has additional skills, including Elemental Water, Elemental Fire, and Elemental Dark. - Donghae Kim (now guild master of the Child guild) and Seonpil Kim (Morning Star guild) meet ML to request an alliance with him. - ML asks them to join him in a battle against an enormous enemy. - The day of the Iron guild branch opening, Rogers Han leads his guild members from the airport to the branch office location. - As planned with ML, the KPA announce a gate break and the area around the branch office is evacuated. - Grigori, the secret private army of the KPA are deployed to protect the perimeter and stop anyone from entering. - Seokwoo and the Kine guild, the Child guild and the Morning Star guild have gathered. ML opens Brunheart the gate and calls forth his skeleton army led by the headless horseman and Heart. - ML aims to keep the Iron guild teams separated. - He kills the 1st team leader Charlemont and cannibalism is used. Rain has taken the form of a huge wolf and defeats the remaining 1st team players with ML. - Rogers was given the holy sword Nine and is defeating the skeleton army. ML helps Seokwoo against 2nd team leader Rhodes (unique ability: regeneration) and 3rd team leader Carlen. - Seokwoo defeats Carlen by freezing her in an ice wall. - ML stopped Rhodes from regenerating with the aggravate wounds skill. Rhodes changes with his Berserker skill but he’s defeated by ML’s Elemental Dark skill. - Rhodes is cannibalised and acquired as an ego (tbc). - ML faces Rogers alone after sending Heart and the horseman back to the gate. Nine is actually a corrupted holy sword that’s closer to a demonic sword. It absorbs all of its user’s powers and transfers them to its true owner. Rogers is now a L1 with no skills or abilities. - ML is warned by Agent Heo that Lee Seonho is entering the area. ML throws Rogers and Nine into Brunheart the gate. - Lee Seonho will be the only one entering and he promises Taegoo that he won’t reveal to anyone what he sees. - Lee Seonho calls out to Soojung who he knows is watching. She appears with Baal. Lee Seonho’s vessel is contaminated and an elixir will only slow its progress. Soojung gives Lee Seonho the elixir after he promises not to touch ML for a year. - The Iron guild branch in Korea was annihilated on it's 1st day. - Soojung disappears with ML and Baal. ML wakes up in his basement with them. Soojung asks if she can live in his house. - She’s introduced to his family. He distracts them with Rain who has turned into a puppy. - At a cafe using Baal’s barrier skill, ML finds out Baal is an archdemon. Baal pays his respects to ML. Baal was one of those who betrayed Lou in the past. Soojung reveals she can hear the voices of ML’s egos and shares his vision. - The Demonic Eye is the symbol of demons. - Soojung planted the catalyst in ML but he was the one who manifested it's power. The colour of the Demonic Eye shows the demon’s rank. Purple is royalty, the highest ranked demons. - Soojung can use all demonic eyes. She received a demon transplant and has a cat shaped jewel in her chest. She has the other side of Baal and is half demon, half human. The cat side of Baal can devour and absorb other demons. - Back at ML’s home, Soojung removes their shared vision and being able to hear his egos by giving him a kiss. - In the basement, Baal has installed a space expansion barrier and an impact nullification barrier. Soojung spars with ML. She wants to make him stronger than Iron Shield within a year. - Inside Brunheart the gate, ML is torturing Rogers by making him build a pyramid by himself under Heart’s supervision. - Rogers’ rage is now focused on Iron Shield. - Baal draws a magic circle to improve the mana efficiency of the gate by gathering all of the excess mana in one spot. This mana is used to create transparent crystals. - Synchronisation A: able to wield 70% of an ego’s power. - Ability to control death has increased. - ML experiences almost being swallowed up by the darkness. - Soojung tells ML to look for the player with 100 swords. - ML needs a holy sword to strengthen Elle to maintain the balance with his demonic arts. - ML gets a call from Jichul Hwang about his grandson Minsoo. ML goes to Jichul’s store to find it's been trashed with all of the items taken. Jichul is on the floor and will die soon. - Jichul says he’s one of the Pioneers, ie people who became players on the 1st day the Tower appeared. At first he was a tank but stopped climbing the Tower to focus on his forging skills. - Jichul reentered the Tower when his forging skills hit a wall and he was searching for a clue on how to advance them. - He spent years trying to find the Tower’s basement. - He found the door to the basement and entered a completely different world. He faced a powerful monster but was saved by his future wife (tbc) - Lou says there are countless other worlds that exist. - Jinchul gives ML a map of the 1st floor with the location of the door to the basement. ML also receives a small golden mallet. - With Jichul’s permission, ML activates cannibalism. The egoification of Jichul fails but his fragment is absorbed. - Jinchul’s request is for ML to save Minsoo, who is a blacksmith that will surpass Jinchul. - ML goes to the 1st floor and uses the mallet to open a barrier. - ML questions a guard and learns the Carvan guild plan to sacrifice Minsoo to open the door connected to another world. Minsoo has the same blood as the Gatekeeper. - Minsoo’s father hurt his own father and kidnapped his son. - Minsoo’s father was born and raised in another world where the flow of time is different to Earth. His name is Chae-il Hwang. His other name is Paimon’s Descendent. Chae-il transforms into a Fire Giant demon. ML defeats him with the Death skill. ML activates cannibalism and egoification is successful. - ML’s skeleton army took care of the Carvan guild members. - They carry Minsoo in the coffin through Brunheart the gate. - Lou says Paimon and Andras are archdemons that hold 2 of the 72 seats of power under the true Demon King. Baal has the 1st seat. Paimon is one of the 2 gatekeepers of hell. He’s also the great blacksmith of hell. - ML tells Soojung what happened. She takes ML to meet with Taegoo and Taeshik. She’s also a KPA mercenary. - Taegoo, Taeshik and ML’s father were all Pioneers. - Andras is the Marquis of Discord and Carvan guild leader. He wants to unseal the Tower’s Rulers and cause the end of the world. Theo was a former guide who quit to join the Carvan guild. - The Tower intersects and connects each of the other worlds. The Tower also acts as the chains and slowly eats away at the worlds it’s connected to. The Rulers of the Tower exist in the upper floors. They are the Masters who created the Tower and are former rulers of other worlds. - With Baal’s help, the barrier around Minsoo’s coffin is broken and ML wakes up Minsoo with a potion. Minsoo has lost his memories, most likely due to trauma and shock. He thinks ML is his father. ML gives the golden mallet to Minsoo who sculpts a lifelike statue of Jinchul from the stone coffin. - Baal says ML can restore Jinchul’s ego by synthesising Jinchul’s ego fragment and a piece of ego, with the holy sword Nine and a transparent crystal. The statue that is Jinchul’s vessel awakens as an “ego human” guardian. The dead Jinchul has resurrected? - ML assigns the region around his place for Jinchul the guardian to protect. ML gives the house next door to Jinchul and Minsoo. - As an ego, Jinchul can now hear the voices of other egos. - “Paimon’s Inheritance” was taken from Jinchul by the Carvan guild. The only ones who can use it are Minsoo and Chae-il. - Soojung and Baal leave ML’s place to prepare, now that the Carvan guild are active. - Floor 34: ML fights beholders to increase his psychic attack resistance. Lou reaches L100 and evolves. - Morning Star and Child guilds have merged. - Floor 40 trial: - ML faces numerous holy swords that become (zombie?) angels. They become rusty swords after they’re defeated. - The final boss is Elle as an archangel. ML at the last minute hesitates to strike Elle and she pierces him through the chest with her sword first. The link between Elle and ML is broken. - Elle uses Kallion’s ability and sacrifices herself to save ML. - He passes the trial and Elle disappears, leaving behind a rusty egoless version of herself as a sword. As a reward ML receives “Elle’s Token,” a white feather. - ML returns to his basement at home. - ML meditates and sees the enormous void that is his vessel. - Within the void, ML finds the roots (power? links?) of his egos: “Death” for Lou, “Life” for Elle, and then the other egos. - ML reconstructs the territories for his egos in his vessel. - He can now wield life as well as death. - His ego assimilation is at 80%. - To practise his control over life, ML trains for a month by trying to revive the rusty holy swords collected from the Floor 40 trial. ML succeeds with the last 3 swords becoming angels. He names them Hamiel, Camael and Anael. He gets the angels to stay inside Brunheart the gate. ML stops a fight between the angels and the undead army led by Heart. - Lou advises ML on how to resurrect Elle. - First Jichul repairs Elle as a sword. Then ML uses life on the sword and she is resurrected as an angel who can turn into a sword. - ML clears the monsters inside a unique gate with the help of his egos, angels and undead. The defeated gatekeeper is a griffin king that becomes ML’s newest servant. - Brunheart absorbs the unique gate and the landscape inside Brunheart changes. Jichul is assigned as the new gate administrator while Heart is demoted to vice administrator. - With Brunheart growing stronger, more headless horsemen have appeared. ML names the original headless horseman “Hal” who becomes ML’s death knight. - Iron Shield has made a deal with Andras … - Rogers begs ML for a chance to take revenge on Iron Shield. - ML kills Rogers and gets Lou to cannibalise him and turn Rogers into an ego. - 5 unique gates of immeasurable rank suddenly appear in Sth Korea. 20 of these gates in total have appeared globally. - ML examines the 5 gates and thinks they’re related to demons. - All 20 gates are possibly demon occupied territories. It’s highly likely Andras has intentionally caused this to happen. - All 11 mercenaries are summoned to a secret meeting at the KPA. 5 mercenaries volunteer to scout each gate in Sth Korea. - Kim Dohyung, guild master of a top 10 guild. - masked mercenary - twin sisters - Yang - ML is sent to the US where many other high rankers have gathered for an IPA meeting. The Pope is among them. - Iron Shield arrives and he’s accompanied by a demon in disguise. - High rankers: - Tao Chen / Beautiful Beard from China - Susanoo from Japan - Oil King from the Middle East - Blood Emperor is from the US and the IPA chairman. - He’s 1 of the first 5 high rankers in history. - After Brunheart evolved, it gained the ability to open more than 1 gate and leave them open at specific locations. The gates can function like portals to allow travel from one location to another. - ML goes to NY to infiltrate the Iron guild HQ. - He uses his new skills: Elemental Water (body can change into water) and Spirit Fusion (able to use a spirit’s skills by fusing with spirits of the same attribute). He also has Elemental Fire and Elemental Dark skills. - ML deploys a gate in the sewers underneath the Iron guild HQ building. As he’s leaving, ML is met by Archangel Michael? - Elle speaks with Michael who stops trying to fight ML. - All contact has been lost with the 20 recon teams. - Choi Changyong, Blue Dragon guild master - Cain (Kine?) guild - Mist Flower guild - Shin Yoobin’s grandma and mentor / advisor - They enter a gate with ML and Agent Heo near Gangnam station that Seokwoo entered with his recon team. It’s the territory of an archdemon … - Absorption: absorb blood and souls of monsters - Egoification: you may egoify an absorbed soul - Michael - Tao Chen - ML enters another portal to a different dimension. - He challenges Vothis the demon to a territory battle. - ML astounds everyone with his overwhelming power and personal army against Vothis’ forces. As Vothis awakens, ML stabs himself with Lou who possesses ML. Lou kills and cannibalises Vothis who becomes an ego. Then he finds and rescues Seokwoo.
The Strongest Ever