Chapter 1209
"Beg pardon...?"
Charlie’s eyes stretched wide, his face a mask of pure bewilderment.
"Se, seizing towers! What on earth are you suggesting! No soul has ever attempted such a madness!"
He let out a sharp cry, his voice cracking as he demanded to know why Raon was voicing such lunacy.
"They haven't?"
Raon tilted his head, his gaze fixed on Charlie with a look of mild confusion.
"And why not? Is it not the most natural thing to wage war over towers here?"
In a realm saturated with nothing but twisted cravings, it felt far more surreal to Raon that these inhabitants wouldn't prey upon the monuments of others.
"Well, that is..."
Charlie took a heavy gulp of air, preparing to explain.
"The explanation is quite elementary."
Priest Srude stepped forward, lifting a single finger. The very rhythm of that movement was a perfect mirror of Derus.
"It is because they are terrified of losing what they have already amassed."
He gave a slight shrug of his shoulders, his expression suggesting that Raon should have already deduced this simple truth.
"Terrified of loss?"
Raon let out a dry, mirthless chuckle.
"Are you claiming these monsters, who crawled all the way here to satiate their vile hungers, refuse to stake their lives because they fear losing their status?"
The notion defied every ounce of his logic, and he glared at Priest Srude, his brow furrowed in deep suspicion.
"Initially, as you imagine, they did indeed wager their towers in lethal contests."
Priest Srude gave a slow, measured nod, acknowledging Raon's point.
"The Masters of the Towers pour their most visceral obsessions into those structures, meaning a victor stands to gain immensely. Conversely, a loser is stripped of everything, plummeting from a position of absolute authority to the very dregs of society in a heartbeat. After witnessing enough of those hollow, ruinous ends, tower-wagering duels vanished. Now, no one dares suggest them."
A cruel sneer twisted his lips, as if he found such caution cowardly.
"Does that mean those with towers have ceased fighting altogether?"
Raon’s eyebrows dipped lower, pressing for clarification.
"No. Far from it."
Charlie shook his head with a somber expression.
"They engage in life-or-death struggles daily, but they simply refuse to bet the towers that represent their entire existence."
He smirked slightly, explaining that they leave their grand structures untouched, wagering only small fragments of desire to expand their towers by inches rather than miles.
-Hah...
Wrath wrinkled the bridge of his nose in sheer disbelief.
-They’ve abandoned true combat and turned into nothing but blood-sucking parasites!
He snorted in disdain, muttering that it was no wonder such pathetic humans were summoned to this place.
"I... I see."
Charlie exhaled a jagged breath.
"Those who have erected towers are the aristocracy of this paradise. A victory elevates them further, but a loss? They become lower than the most desperate paupers. They decided it was safer to never risk the foundation of their power!"
He bit his lip, admitting that if he were a Tower Master, he too would likely shrink from betting his entire legacy on a single blade’s edge.
"Particularly since these individuals achieved nothing in the world beyond, yet became lords here; they cling to that unearned status with everything they have. It's only human nature."
"And that is precisely why you all look so miserable."
Raon clicked his tongue, looking at Charlie with blatant disapproval.
"This realm is built so that you can keep rising as long as your spirit holds, yet the moment things turn grueling, you retreat. There is no growth in that."
Derus Robert had engineered this paradise to bleed human obsession dry, like twisting the last drop from a parched cloth. The prohibition of murder and the invention of desire-fueled duels were merely tools to harvest every scrap of human will.
Yet, these people failed to grasp the mechanics of their cage, living as failures even within this simulated heaven. Seeing them so utterly defeated made Raon feel a mixture of pity and sharp annoyance.
"Hmm..."
Charlie dropped his gaze, unable to offer a defense, and let out a long, self-deprecating sigh.
"Y, you’re right. I wasn't always this way when I first arrived..."
He ran a hand through his hair, confessing that at some point, he had traded his ambition for the path of least resistance.
"Ahahahahaha!"
Priest Srude broke into a sudden round of applause, his laughter echoing.
"You truly are a rare specimen! Fascinating!"
He nodded repeatedly, noting that he hadn't expected such insight from a newcomer who had barely settled in.
"Perhaps it is because he is fresh. He hasn't yet been poisoned by the lethargy of the others."
Priest Srude’s delight was transparent; he clearly viewed Raon with high regard.
"Cut the flattery. It’s an impossible feat regardless."
Raon frowned, keeping his guard up against the priest.
"Allow me to ask one thing, seeker."
Priest Srude raised his finger again, his eyes turning piercing as they locked onto Raon’s.
"Do you truly mean to stake your tower and fight to the death, even if it means losing every gain you've made?"
His eyes flashed with a cold, blue light, demanding a sincere answer.
"Without question."
Raon didn't blink, giving a firm nod.
"Even if I am stripped of everything, I will simply begin the climb again from the dirt."
He tightened his fist, declaring that he would rise and challenge the world again even if every ounce of his desire were siphoned away.
"Utterly captivating."
Priest Srude’s shoulders shook with suppressed excitement as he bowed his head slightly.
"Very well."
"What’s so 'very well' about it?"
Raon’s scowl deepened as he watched the priest straighten up with a smile. The man’s resemblance to Derus Robert was grating, and Raon made no effort to hide his irritation.
"I shall act as your guarantor."
Priest Srude placed a hand over his heart.
"Moving forward, I will decree that anyone who accepts a tower-betting duel against you will see their potential gains doubled. And naturally, your rewards will be doubled in kind."
He nodded to himself, explaining that while the danger remained absolute, the spoils of victory would now be twice as grand.
"D, double?"
Charlie’s eyes bulged. Such a shift in the rules was unheard of.
"That is acceptable."
Raon gave a heavy, deliberate nod toward Priest Srude.
-Double...
Wrath whispered the word, his eyes narrowing into slits.
-Is he trying to trap you?
'It's not a trap.'
Raon gave a small, internal shake of his head.
'He was wary at first, but my performance when offering my desires fooled him completely. That man actually likes what he sees.'
-And why is that?
'Because I am the catalyst to fix this stagnant heaven.'
He let a small smirk touch his lips as he looked out at the distant towers.
-Stagnant?
'Precisely. Those who harvest the desires of this place need the subjects to keep clashing and risking everything to generate more energy. But the ones who finally gained power are just sitting on their hands, terrified of losing their comfort. The masters of this place must be incredibly frustrated.'
Derus likely built this arena expecting that power would breed a hunger for more power. Instead, he found a population of losers who, once they achieved a modicum of safety, became obsessed with self-preservation. Raon’s arrival was the spark they needed.
Since he was offering to break the stalemate, it was only logical they would treat him as a savior and offer extra incentives.
"Keep in mind, this bonus applies only when towers are the stakes, not mere fragments of desire. If you emerge victorious, your own tower will be bolstered by twice the value of the one you seized."
Priest Srude beamed, clearly anticipating the chaos to come.
"That will suffice."
Raon dismissed him with a wave of his hand, signaling he required nothing more.
"When shall we commence?"
Priest Srude folded his hands politely, mentioning he needed time to announce the new decree.
"What a dim-witted question."
Raon cast a look of pure annoyance at the priest, whose warm smile felt like a physical weight.
"Immediately."
The temple grew silent as night draped over the land following Raon’s departure.
"You have delivered a most intriguing piece to the board."
Priest Srude turned around, his warm mask falling away to reveal a chilling, calculating gaze.
"Indeed. He was far too interesting a specimen to leave rot in the Land of Clouds."
Vayph bowed low, showing his deference to Priest Srude.
"But did you vet him properly?"
He narrowed his eyes, his voice laced with the concern of a cautious subordinate.
"I scrutinized him as you requested. He is nothing more than a desperate worm who thinks his struggles have made him special."
Priest Srude rubbed his chin, thinking back to the "Zilfen" persona Raon had meticulously projected—a shell of hollow ambition.
"As I suspected."
Vayph let out a breath, his shoulders relaxing.
“What, did Karipen get in your head?”
Priest Srude gave a mocking laugh, sensing Vayph’s lingering anxiety.
"No. I merely sought certainty."
Vayph shook his head, insisting his caution was for the benefit of this paradise.
"This Zilfen creature is like a frog with a singular obsession for the heights. He just leaps and leaps, never looking down."
Priest Srude waved a hand, dismissing any further worry about Raon.
"Regardless, that frog is going to cause quite a stir in this heaven."
He let out a low, resonant laugh, predicting that the harvest of desires would soon grow exponentially.
"True. With the rewards for tower-betting doubled, even the most cautious will find the temptation hard to ignore!"
Vayph’s tongue flicked over his lips, knowing that even those obsessed with safety would be drawn in by such greed.
"Our Master will be most pleased. It isn't just about the desires..."
Priest Srude’s eyes went misty with a fanatic’s devotion when he spoke of his lord.
"It is because our ranks of Shadows will also swell."
"How tedious!"
Raon grumbled, shifting uncomfortably in his hiding spot among the thickets.
"Telling me to wait a full day... for a paradise, the bureaucracy here is pathetic!"
Priest Srude had insisted on a twenty-four-hour delay to set the stage for the new duels. The timing wasn't actually that slow, but Raon took the chance to vent his spleen at Srude—who was essentially a piece of Derus—by cursing him under his breath.
"Um, excuse me..."
Charlie swallowed hard, crawling closer to Raon.
"Are you truly going through with this? If you falter once, you lose everything."
He looked genuinely distressed, pointing out that a single loss would strip away every gain and cast him back into the lowest gutters of society.
"If I don't take the risk, how long will it take to finish that tower? Preying on the weak for scraps of desire would take years to reach the summit."
Raon pointed a finger toward the dark, oppressive sky of the realm.
'The top is likely unreachable through conventional means.'
It seemed tantalizingly close, yet it was a mirage if one only engaged in minor skirmishes. The only way to draw out an Archangel was to create a monumental disturbance through high-stakes tower-betting.
"L-lord Zilfen, your courage borders on a death wish."
Charlie shook his head in disbelief, claiming that if he were in Raon’s shoes, he would simply retire and enjoy the luxury of being a Tower Master.
"A life like that is hollow."
Raon’s tone was sharp and dismissive.
"It’s no better than a pampered house cat waiting for its next bowl of kibble in the Land of Clouds."
He sneered, stating he would choose death over such a pathetic existence.
"Well, that’s..."
Charlie started to argue, then hesitated.
"You’re right. It is a hollow way to live."
He bit his lip, the realization hitting him that his dreams of safety were nothing more than a fragile illusion.
'Even he is starting to see...'
Raon watched Charlie with a hidden, faint smile. The man was actually having a moment of genuine self-reflection.
'He has his uses.'
Despite his cowardice, Charlie’s ability to find clarity even in this hell indicated he had potential worth cultivating.
"But Lord Zilfen, why are we lurking in the bushes?"
Charlie looked around, confused.
"You just earned a bounty of desires; you could be sleeping in a proper bed tonight."
He blinked, wondering why Raon wasn't using the spoils he’d brought from the temple to improve his living conditions.
"They are too valuable for that."
Raon answered without missing a beat.
"With what I have now, I can add another floor to my tower."
He spoke with a hunger for progress, claiming every scrap was being saved for the construction.
"Ah..."
Charlie’s jaw dropped. The level of obsession was staggering.
"Wait a second. If you're so frugal with your desires, why do you spend a fortune on food?"
He looked completely baffled by the contradiction.
"Because a warrior cannot fight on an empty stomach."
Raon scowled, as if Charlie had asked why water was wet.
'In truth, I’d love to save on the food too...'
-I will not tolerate any budget cuts on dining!
With the King of Essence ready to wage war over every missed meal, cutting the food budget wasn't an option.
'Besides, it keeps up appearances.'
He had been a glutton since his time in the Land of Clouds; a sudden change in his eating habits might signal to the observers that something was amiss. He had to maintain the charade of the voracious Zilfen.
-Hmph!
Wrath gave a huff of pride.
-One day you’ll thank me for my standards. Once you truly appreciate the finer tastes...
'Quiet.'
Raon reached out, mentally silencing Wrath.
'The moment has arrived.'
-Hm? What’s arrived?
Wrath tilted his head, sensing the shift in Raon’s focus.
'The response to the signal I sent upon entering this place.'
Raon’s lips curled into a predatory grin as he watched the foliage nearby rustle ever so slightly.
'Evelyn is here.'
