One , this resource is the one I am most familiar with.
Two , while I’m restricted and can’t act freely, Aisha can use her ability to manipulate and edit information as is.
Three , the magical girl can be tasked with activities like magic-powered stone cutting and magic-powered welding.
Four , the entire process is reviewed by a scientist-slash-engineer who has previously built a giant robot.
With these premises, we were able to transform Cheonma Chong into the "Heart-Pounding Cheonma Chong" with ease.
The gimmick where zombies burst out of sealed walls was replaced with a “Can’t Leave Until You Complete the Task” room series, and the arrow traps now shot soft sponge projectiles instead of actual arrows.
When we encountered unexpected unmanned opponents, we improvised on the spot, bluffing our way through with instant performances. Thus, the plan proceeded smoothly, and soon, relationships blossomed across faction lines like bamboo shoots after rain...
“Dad.”
“Hm?”
“Duck.”
Thunk!
Before I could even react, Aisha grabbed me by the hair and yanked me downward. Simultaneously, a chilling blade slash skimmed above my head.
Sssk-
A few strands of my hair were sliced off and scattered.
It was clearly a lethal attack. I lifted my head to identify the assailant who had unleashed such a menacing strike from afar. It was the same faction leader of the Orthodox Alliance I had previously encountered at the inn.
Jingle.
His earring swayed lightly.
“What are you scheming in Cheonma Chong?”
“...”
“...”
It’s a love variety show.
“I see you even have Sura Blood Ghost Rakshasa Baekcheonma by your side. Have you defected to the Demonic Cult?”
Hurriedly, I summarized.
“We’re not part of the Orthodox Faction, the Unorthodox Faction, or the Demonic Cult. We’ve united here in Cheonma Chong to prevent a bloody disaster. No matter which faction claims the Golden Key , war is inevitable.”
“Go on.”
“That’s why we aim to prevent the fighting and create a stage for harmony. This is a trans-factional crisis, and until the Heavenly Demon’s Curse is lifted, we must join forces.”
Silence.
A tense stillness fell upon the atmosphere.
Our stance had been declared. Now it was time to gauge the faction leader’s reaction and adjust our approach accordingly. Aisha and I didn’t need hand signals to communicate; a single glance sufficed. She subtly moved into a blind spot.
If the faction leader said something along the lines of, “Even so, I cannot ally with the Demonic Cult,” we’d have no choice but to launch a full assault. Restraining him, binding him tightly [N O V E L I G H T] with rope, and stashing him away somewhere would be the only option.
“...You make a valid point.”
Unexpectedly, the faction leader was unexpectedly accommodating.
“I, too, have worried about the needless bloodshed. However, I saw no way to prevent it and had given up. But seeing the situation now, I shall cooperate.”
“...Thank you for your wise decision, faction leader. I, Jegal Chaerin, am truly grateful.”
“This is amazing, boss! Isn’t this the best-case scenario?”
“...”
I glanced at Aisha. She, too, looked somewhat suspicious as she returned my gaze. It felt a bit too smooth, almost unnervingly so.
The faction leader didn’t even ask for specifics about what we were doing. He must have observed the changes we’d made to Cheonma Chong on his way here. Even so, isn’t it odd to have so few questions?
Was transforming Cheonma Chong into a crossover romance reality show set less of an issue than I’d anticipated? If it were me, I’d have asked questions for at least ten minutes straight.
But if he was willing to help, it wasn’t my place to complain.
Under the faction leader’s tacit approval, we proceeded to remodel Cheonma Chong even more actively. Whenever we encountered personnel from the Orthodox Faction during our work, we used the faction leader’s authority to bluff our way out of tight spots.
And then the time came.
Turning Cheonma Chong’s life-threatening traps into heart-pounding attractions meant the clearing process sped up dramatically. People who would have normally died to the traps were now surviving.
Thus, by the halfway point of Cheonma Chong’s invasion, all three factions—Orthodox, Unorthodox, and Demonic—simultaneously reached the deepest layer where the Golden Key was located.
++++
The animosity between factions had persisted for generations, and the rift of emotions ran deep. Now, with lives hanging by a thread under the grip of the Heavenly Demon’s Curse , it was no wonder that tempers flared violently.
The warriors of the Orthodox, Unorthodox, and Demonic factions stood in a tense triangular formation, unsheathing their weapons. The sharp metallic sound of blades sliding free echoed chillingly through the chamber.
Whoever claimed the Golden Key
would escape the curse and gain liberation, while the other two factions would be condemned to suffer excruciating deaths from its devastating power.A warrior from the renowned Namgung clan of the Orthodox faction drew his sword and roared,
“You vile Unorthodox scum! You are the slimy fish polluting the clear waters of the martial world! Here and now, I shall deliver justice upon you!”
His indomitable spirit was as upright as a bamboo stalk, but the Unorthodox warriors were not to be outdone. They raised their unique weapons and summoned their murderous intent. However, one among them didn’t join in.
A master of the Demonic faction, clutching his massive saber, gazed at the Orthodox warrior with a wounded expression. His voice trembled as he muttered,
“You... lackey of the Orthodox faction. Was our friendship... a lie all along?”
“What? What are you saying...?”
“I knew it! You detestable Orthodox lackey... it was all lies, wasn’t it? Orthodox scum are all two-faced snakes...!”
“N-no, that’s not...”
The bamboo of righteousness wilted, boiled soft like a noodle. The previously resolute warrior stumbled, his spirit faltering like pickled radish, deflating the tension in the room. An awkward unease filled the air, as if everyone had accidentally walked in on a lover’s quarrel.
Unable to endure this ridiculous scene, a bloodthirsty member of the Unorthodox faction stepped forward. If they were to stake their lives in a brutal battle, how could they allow such nonsense to ruin the mood?
“Ha! Orthodox fools! You act all righteous and noble, but in the end, you’ve come here to save your own skins by claiming the Golden Key . Laughable! I, the Blood Claw, will rip that façade of yours to shreds and reveal your true nature!”
“...”
But as the Orthodox faction’s sound-based martial artist, holding a lute, cast an unwavering gaze, the Blood Claw faltered and had to revise his words. After all, he had been soundly beaten by her in a game of Twister in the past.
“W-well... except for you! You and your family, relatives, acquaintances, and friends—I’ll spare them. But everyone else, I’ll tear apart!”
“...”
“And, uh, people from our hometown! I’ll spare them too!”
The second attempt to provoke the Orthodox faction also fizzled out awkwardly. By now, everyone began to notice that they weren’t the only ones with personal ties complicating things.
Eyes darted around. Some began gravitating toward their crushes or subtly shifting closer to potential romantic interests. If love had bloomed between just one pair on the battlefield, it might have been tragic, but with nearly everyone involved, the scene resembled more of a sitcom.
Finally, a swordsman from the Demonic faction stepped forward. Frustrated from failing to find a match in the "Heart-Pounding Cheonma Chong" pairing process, and having trudged through active traps, his anger had reached its peak.
These lunatics were turning a battlefield into a circus of romance! Enough was enough.
If he struck someone down now, it would be the signal for everyone else to follow suit. The scent of blood would compel the warriors to kill each other for survival.
But as he prepared to swing his blade—
Crunch.
A delicate yet vice-like grip crushed his shoulder.
“Hey. Get a grip.”
“K-kugh! S-Sura Blood Ghost Rakshasa Baekcheonma! Are you defending them?!”
“...Don’t call me that. Just get a grip.”
“Didn’t you say to always use your full title before...?”
The seeds of discord were uprooted.
Now, the situation was too ambiguous for fighting yet too awkward for reconciliation. Silent glances were exchanged, and an uneasy stillness fell over the room. The timing was perfect.
The Mad Wizard was about to step forward to guide the atmosphere, but—
Jingle.
The sound of swaying earrings announced the Orthodox Alliance’s leader as he strode forward.
“This meaningless fighting ends now.”
“...Leader!”
“Thanks to the arrangements made by this young strategist here, we have a chance to talk. The Golden Key is a path to mutual destruction. Instead of fighting, let us come together and seek a way to counteract the curse.”
The faction leader’s proposal shifted the mood. Those gathered began to consider the possibility of true peace and harmony.
And who knew? Perhaps with the combined strength of the three factions, they might even find a meaningful way to counteract the Heavenly Demon’s Curse .
“Can we really trust... hmph, fine. This proves there are decent people even among the Orthodox faction.”
Even potential dissent was suppressed.
So, what was to be done with the Golden Key ? The faction leader offered a suggestion while introducing the Mad Wizard .
“This man belongs to no faction—Orthodox, Unorthodox, or Demonic. Yet he has ties to individuals in all factions and was the one who created this opportunity for us to unite. What if we entrust the Golden Key to him?”
Oh Hye-in, Jegal Chaerin, and Aisha immediately chimed in.
“I’ll stake my name on this. Boss is someone you can trust!”
“I, Jegal Chaerin, affirm his integrity. Orthodox heroes, you can trust him.”
“Anyone who objects is my enemy.”
The proposal was accepted. The Mad Wizard glanced around the assembly before approaching the direction of the Golden Key . His expression was unreadable, haunted by a lingering sense of unease.
But regardless, the Golden Key was a key item. Although the conditions to clear this level were still unknown, touching it would surely reveal the next clue.
With that thought, the Mad Wizard gripped the key.
And then—
Fwoosh!
A dark light erupted from the Golden Key . It wasn’t friendly. It was a malevolent energy—a clear indication of something sinister.
“W-what?! Wait, this is...!”
Crack, crack!
The malevolent force coursed through the Mad Wizard’s body, twisting and contorting his form. Parts of his body began to swell, warp, and transform uncontrollably.
“Damn it, Dad! Let go of the key!”
Aisha’s warning came too late.
The Mad Wizard’s vision went dark—
++++
The first thing to destroy was the trust between the children. The test subjects must never unite their hearts and strength. Doing so would disrupt the experiment.
The ideal environment required them to distrust, hate, and betray one another.
Thus, before the experiment even began, the mages had already recruited one of the twelve children to act as a spy.
The child with the earrings.
“If I sow discord among them, you’ll let me live... right?”
“Yes, of course.”
Naturally, that promise was a lie, but the child with the earrings cooperated fervently. She positioned herself as a leader who opposed the mages, establishing her role among the group.
When Yuna Yurensto proposed, “Let’s work together” and called for unity, the earring-wearing child readily agreed. She helped Yuna persuade the other eleven children, securing a unanimous promise: none of them would use the Golden Key .
But the very next night, the child with the earrings used up the Golden Key entirely on her own.
And when the children woke up to the overwhelming pain that had suddenly overtaken their bodies, she shouted at them:
“Yuna used the key! Yuna betrayed us!”
She lied.
++++
My vision blurred, and my ears were ringing.
So... I picked up the Golden Key . Then, a burst of malicious data exploded out of it, like a Claymore mine. Was I too careless?
No, I wasn’t. In the previous floors, there were no sudden transformations of children into monsters, no Golden Doors turning out to be fake traps. Nothing like that.
Something changed on this floor—something decisive. Strange.
Through the ringing in my ears, I faintly heard the Orthodox Alliance leader shouting.
“He absorbed the power of the Golden Key ! I opened my heart to his talk of peace and harmony, only to find it was all lies. My apologies, fellow martial artists—I failed to see through the deception!”
“W-what do you mean, Leader?! He’s a victim of a trap!”
“A trap? No! Look at him! When I met him at the inn, he had no internal energy. Now, he’s gained monstrous strength! Surely, he schemed all along to claim the key’s power, driven by bitterness over his inability to master martial arts.”
“That’s ridiculous—!”
Oh, wonderful.
Sure, the one who pushed me toward the Golden Key was the leader himself. Was all of this part of his design? I can tell it’s a trap now.
But honestly, this is amateur-level slander.
With no proof or anything to back his claims, I just need a bit of time to regain control of the situation. I opened my mouth to counter his accusations.
“Grrrk...”
...?
“Ke-rrrgh?”
What the hell.
No words came out—just unsettling, guttural growls like an animal choking. Panicked, I glanced around. Aisha pulled out a small hand mirror and held it up to me.
Reflected in the mirror was... a petite kaiju.
“Grrk?”
A kaiju standing about two meters tall, roughly human-sized, with strength reduced to match its diminutive size.
I darted my eyes around, confused. Waking up to find myself in a monstrous form—this was... was this a warped version of the magical girl session sequence that Roderus experienced? Did they twist it like this?
“Dad, we need to run. With your pretty face now looking like a monster, the humans are getting uneasy. They’ve started drawing their swords.”
“...”
Well, shit.
Right. First, I needed to get out of Cheonma Chong
. The warriors were still unsure and hesitating, which gave me a window. If I could at least speak properly, I might have tried something else, but in this state, there wasn’t much I could do.“Are we really supposed to capture that thing?”
“He absorbed the Golden Key right in front of us. Then he transformed into this sinister... repulsive monster. Isn’t the leader right?”
“Let’s capture it first and think later... Wait, it’s running!”
Thud!
I slammed my slimy, gelatinous hand against the wall, activating a mechanism. A section of the wall spun, revealing a hidden passageway. I bolted for it.
The sound of daggers and arrows cutting through the air followed. I braced myself to take a few hits before the passage closed—
Whizz, whizz! Swoosh!
“...Kek!”
The projectiles veered off course, their aim misaligned.
That’s right, the kaiju form had a passive target nullification ability. It seemed to be working, albeit weakly!
With that small advantage, Aisha moved swiftly.
“ Dragon Scale Shura Burst ! If you don’t want to die, don’t follow us.”
Boom-boom-boom!
Explosive scales shot out, forcing the pursuers to halt. She covered me as we fled. I thought as I ran. This whole setup... it was maliciously designed.
I recalled trying to read the data from Jegal Chaerin earlier to understand the conditions for clearing this level, only to be blocked with “[No access until Act 2 begins].” They deliberately hid the conditions.
Then they lured us into Cheonma Chong through NPC guidance... and planted the landmine that was the Golden Key . This structure was designed to screw over players.
And the master of this session was Yuna.
“Graaaagh!”
“What are you saying, Dad?!”
It was a sorrowful roar, born of the suspicion that Yuna might bear ill will toward me and had created this cruel trap on purpose.
“Grruuuuh...”
“I said, what are you even saying?!”
But thinking calmly, there was no way this was Yuna’s doing. I had evidence.
If Yuna had designed this trap, she wouldn’t have mixed a wuxia setting with magical girl elements, giant robots, and firearms like mine. A purist of traditional wuxia like her wouldn’t have created a hybrid like this.
Thud, splat-splat.
I dashed through the secret passage and emerged outside Cheonma Chong . The world was bathed in moonlight. A brilliant full moon rested against the night sky, gazing down on the world below.
The situation was a mess, yet the sky’s beauty only added to my frustration.
I knew now who had laid the trap. I knew who was trying to manipulate Yuna’s tower to exclude me.
On the first floor of the tower—
I had met someone who looked strikingly similar to Yuna.
She had attacked me and Yuri Lannester with Subtraction magic. Yuri had insisted on holding her off and sent me to the upper floors.
Yuna’s look-alike. It was her. She had set this trap.
“Dad, your deduction is fine and all, but you should focus for now.”
“Grk...?”
“Look at the moon. A monster’s here.”
In front of the full moon, the silhouette of a witch on a broom appeared.
It was Yuna—matured and grown. But her eyes glimmered with undeniable hostility as she gazed at me. Framed by moonlight, the witch spoke in Yuna’s voice, calm and deliberate.
“Yuna knows you’re a monster. Left unchecked, who knows what chaos you’ll cause. So I sealed your magic and restricted your physical abilities. And now... you’re trapped in the kaiju frame.”
“Kek.”
“You know what that means. By receiving the kaiju attribute, you’ve essentially become an NPC. You can no longer escape the Tower of Illusions . You can no longer break free of the narrative.”
Creeeeaaak!
The world twisted as space distorted. A mass of crimson darkness spiraled into the witch’s hand, gathering with ominous force. My danger sense blared loudly, screaming of impending doom.
Even Aisha was sweating nervously. The witch’s power was on a level I couldn’t guarantee victory against, even at my best.
The witch pointed her countless arms, extending from her conical hat, and declared:
“Die here, wizard. Yuna will protect ‘Yuna.’”
Beeeeeeep—!
The countless hands radiated the light of Subtraction .
“...Aaaaaagh!!”
“Dad! You don’t need to shout for me to know we have to dodge!”
We needed an escape route—fast.