kscans

Chapter 53 - Infiltrating Nemesis Tower and the Appearance of the Machine God Crow

By the time the floating lift finished its ascent up the steel tower, Nemesis Tower, that pierced the heavens, their vision was filled with the distorted city structure and the upper-level sectors emitting a strange light.

The lift stopped at the 70th floor. From here on, the tower began to take on a different appearance.

This was the space where the organizations directly under Magic-Armored General Crow were based. Research institutions, individual operations rooms, control bureaus, audience halls, and personal laboratories were spread out like a spider's web.

It was also the place that would become the most intense battlefield.

On each floor, "logic-based traps" were placed, designed on the premise of the advanced judgment and instantaneous response capabilities cultivated in the e-sports world championships of the past.

Floor 72, Corridor of Moving Floors. The entire floor moved and rotated periodically, a mechanism where you would fall if you didn't step in a specific order.

"If we're off by even a little bit... we'll fall straight down, yes!" Gilliam wiped away his sweat.

"There's a pattern! Bolt, predict the trajectory!"

"Three, two, one... now!" Bolt signaled, and everyone jumped at once. As the footing slid, everyone broke through.

Floor 74, Labyrinth of Falling Pillars. Countless steel pillars that fell on a time-trap system. It was not random, but controlled by the number of steps and the angle.

"A pillar is coming from an angle. ...Tiris, step back on the sixth step."

"You can read it?"

"This... is a puzzle. My specialty," Ares calmly gave instructions and guided them through the labyrinth.

Floor 75, Arena of the Falling Ceiling. A floor with a time limit, where you would be crushed to death if you stayed in a designated point.

"The ones who don't move get crushed first! Keep moving!"

"Old man! This way!"

"It's tracking us... this is a war of nerves," Bolt silently analyzed the route.

Floor 78, Coordinated Ceiling Trap and Magic Soldier Attack. A remote-controlled turret was installed that worked in conjunction with the moving ceiling.

"Each of the floor panels changes the angle of the ceiling, yes!"

Tiris immediately analyzed it. "If I step here... it will create a blind spot in the wall!"

"Alright, jump in there!" Ares made the decision, and they slipped through the gaps in the sliding ceiling.

Floor 83, Memory Interference and Fake Routes. Their progress was hindered by phantoms of former allies and false displays of the correct route.

"The branches... are they increasing?"

"No, this is a 'guidance trap'. It's designed to make us take the long way around on purpose," Tiris calmly saw through it.

"In that case... allow me to take a shortcut, yes!" Gilliam climbed up a wall and discovered a hidden passage.

Floor 90, Reaction Speed Test Zone. The floor would collapse upon visual reaction, and you would die instantly if you didn't jump over it in time.

"You want us to do this like it's an FPS... interesting!"

Ares ran, Gilliam jumped, Tiris performed an instantaneous evasion.

Bolt quietly said, "Optimal reaction time, 0.62 seconds... Gilliam, jump."

Floor 98, Multi-Layered Floor and Switching Traps. Identical floors were arranged above and below, with enemies and traps operating simultaneously.

"This is a 'dual-stage format'... a format that was in the e-sports finals."

"I know the rules... but I have no intention of losing," Tiris fired an arrow.

Through teamwork, they defeated the enemies and shut down the synchronized system's switching.

"Is that... all of them."

"We're finally at the top floor, yes... ah, I'm so tired, yes I am," Gilliam fell to his knees.

"Still, we're going. The real fight starts now...!" Ares gripped his sword tightly.

Floor 99, Throne Level, Core Ark.

The final floor they reached via a floating platform. It was a different world where even the laws of physics were unstable.

The walls, the floor, the ceiling, everything was "informationized," altered by a single thought.

At its center was a throne.

Sitting on the ominous steel throne was a single man, no, a god-like "vessel of will."

The reincarnator, Crow Sakakibara.

He was flanked by experimental magic soldiers and greeted Ares's party with a blank expression.

"The behavioral prediction coefficient for a hero is always unstable. Emotion, a sense of duty, hatred... all of it takes precedence over logic."

【Allowable Error Margin, ±4%】

"But your destructive actions... an error of 【23.9%】."

Crow's artificial eye rotated, announcing its conclusion.

"The error has exceeded the threshold. Therefore, it shall be eliminated as 'noise'."

"Go on and try it. I won't be stopped!" Ares readied his sword.

"Your actions have an error margin of 【6.4%】. In other words, you will be defeated."

Tiris glared back. "We don't live by probabilities. We move by will."

"All life is a waste of energy that has lost its purpose. I shall optimize it for you."

"Stop your damn preaching!!" Gilliam leaped forward.

"In that case, I'll 'optimize' you with my lightning," Bolt stepped forward.

Ares shouted.

"We settle this here, everyone! We'll defeat Crow!!"

They had finally entered into battle with the Magic-Armored General Crow, the ruler of a military state, clad in mechanical armor.