It wasn’t unexpected.

There’s a limit to avoiding conflict. We were bound to encounter each other eventually.

But that didn’t mean I was going to let myself be caught easily.

“Okay. Thank you.”

Seo Suji responded into the earpiece and then opened her inventory.

Following Eve’s advice, she had brought along quite a few traps. These were the type that, when planted on the ground, would explode or inflict status effects when stepped on.

They weren’t very effective against large monsters, so they weren’t used often, but occasionally there were opponents against whom these traps were useful for buying time.

‘I never thought I’d be using them against humans.’

Can be installed in a 3m length, 17cm width radius
When stepped on, 90% chance of reducing movement speed by 50% for 15 seconds]

The moment Seo Suji laid out 6 at the entrance of the stairs, Eve almost simultaneously set up items she had taken out of her inventory.

They were cheap launchers with timers attached. They looked extremely crude, and seemed too weak to be used multiple times.

Seeing these shabby things actually being installed made her chuckle involuntarily.

Explodes upon impact with a hard surface
Within a 3m radius from the point of explosion, 50% chance of reducing movement speed by 20%] [Firework (Lavender) Tier 3

Bright lavender-colored firework
Within a 10m radius from the point of explosion, 55% chance of reducing movement speed by 25%] [Smoke Grenade Tier 2

Emits smoke for disinfection and visual obstruction
Reduces visibility by 50% for 80 seconds within a 13m radius from the point of explosion]

When she saw Eve buying these items, she didn’t quite grasp the intention behind them.

While installing them, Seo Suji picked up an item and read its description, bursting into laughter.

Usually, for common attributes or items used against enemies, they were typically labeled as “effective against monsters.” However, the ones Eve had chosen were all low-tier items not specifically designated for use against monsters.

Although wielding a sword and facing opponents directly was more in line with Seo Suji’s usual style, she found this approach amusing as well.

“You really made some smart purchases.”

“I would have liked to gift you something more substantial, but…”

“You did well.”

Seo Suji remained vigilant of her surroundings while Eve finished setting up.

“Yes, it’s all done.”

As he whispered that while still bent over, a human shadow flickered on the stairs leading to the 8th floor.

Seo Suji, recalling Agha’s bloodthirsty demeanor that seemed to exude just from eye contact, wondered how she would react to this. With a mischievous expression, she grabbed Eve’s hand firmly.

“Let’s go up.”

She forcefully pulled Eve up and dragged him towards the floor above.

The 9th floor was the room of carnivorous plants. The entire room felt like stepping into the Amazon, filled with humidity and a damp atmosphere. Giant versions of Venus flytraps, pitcher plants, and sundews were prominently positioned.

She had thought that since these were familiar plants, just larger in size, they wouldn’t be too creepy, but she was wrong. The hair-like protrusions on the plants, as large as spikes, sent chills down her spine.

“Ah, really… What’s with this monster design sense?”

As Seo Suji complained again, the ‘Great Beings’ started muttering something as if to explain.

But something else captured Seo Suji’s attention.

Whoosh― Bang!

Whoosh― Bang!

The sound of fireworks flying and exploding echoed loudly.

It seemed Agha had reached the traps. The traps that Eve and she had set up must have all activated at once, as the loud sounds of fireworks erupted.

Even without seeing it, she could imagine how beautiful it was.

The lavender-colored fireworks exploding indoors rather than outdoors must have been not just beautiful, but absolutely stunning.

“You damn bitch!”

Being just one floor apart, the curses from below were clearly audible.

“Wow, hearing profanity in person is quite a novel experience.”

Seo Suji muttered while laughing cheerfully.

If it had just been cursing, it would have been truly unpleasant, but gathering all those trivial items to upset Agha felt quite satisfying.

Eve glanced down with a look that suggested he might rush downstairs and tear someone apart, then suddenly turned to look at the monster in front of them and murmured.

“…Your hand.”

“Pardon?”

“…It’s nothing.”

Only when he shook his head did Seo Suji realize that she was still firmly holding Eve’s hand.

Well, if he wanted to fight, he could have just pulled his hand away.

It’s not like she was holding on that tightly.

Feeling somewhat embarrassed, she let go of his hand. At that moment, as if they had finished their preparations, the monsters simultaneously extended their long protrusions forward, targeting the two.

After repeatedly hindering Agha with such trivial items, they finally reached the 15th floor.

Instinctively, they could tell this was the top floor of .

From the 10th floor onward, it had been a succession of truly bizarre and unsettling monsters.

The time taken to conquer the Laurel Tower wasn’t particularly long, but in that short period, it had been an incredibly unpleasant tower that made one’s hair stand on end.

Seo Suji glared at the collapsing boss monster with a thud and caught her breath.

“…Bugs everywhere, is this also the Laurel owner’s taste?”

The insect-like appearance was already too much, and the characteristic sounds the monsters made as they moved around were spine-chilling.

As she dusted off her clothes and barely regained her composure, the completion message appeared.

Rewards:
20 Time Crystals
140 Imagination Crystals
1 Self-Regenerating Enhancement Fragment (Rare)
30 Hexagon Amon Bones (Rare)
10 Hexagon Amon Wings (Rare)
1 Hexagon Amon Guardian Stone (Rare)
1 Hexagon Amon Necklace (Rare)
10,000G
2 Rare Random Boxes
1 νόμος Ring (Hidden)
1 νόμος Secret Box (Hidden)
2 νόμος Special Hints (Hidden)] [νόμος applauds your actions.] [νόμος is pleased with your actions.] [νόμος cheers for your actions.]

Finally, it’s over.

She was glad it was over, and more than anything, she was pleased to have obtained the rewards without encountering Agha or the group.

Seo Suji sighed and habitually stabbed her sword into the ground, then sent a voice message to Kim Yeonju.

“I’ve received the rewards. I’ll be returning now.”

− Great job. The rewards are…

Kim Yeonju’s response could be heard, but then static interrupted and the sound faded away completely.

This device was provided through the Hunter System and had never failed to transmit within the tower before.

Is somehow different?

As Seo Suji raised her hand to touch her earpiece, her vision suddenly flipped. Then she felt a sensation of her body falling downward.

A system message flashed before her eyes and then disappeared.

She had been standing firmly on the ground, but suddenly her vision blurred and she couldn’t see anything. All her senses only told her that she was falling.

But the situation didn’t feel threatening.

Seo Suji had lived in an era where the Hunter System existed from birth. She was too familiar with the Hunter System.

Perhaps because of this, she believed that if it was a place under the system’s control, there must be a rational reason for it.

If she couldn’t see anything at all, it might have been different, but since a message had appeared, it was clearly an ‘event’.

It’s just that her body couldn’t accept it as such.

As expected, soon her vision cleared, and she felt her feet touch solid ground.

However, the scene before her eyes was completely different.

Having last been in a bright, narrow space, it took time to adjust to standing in a dark, vast land.

As she looked around to grasp where she was standing, she heard desperate cries that were painful to the ears.

“Kyaaaaaah!”

“Kyaaaaaah!”

“Aaaaaaah!”

“Save me!”

“Please, save me!”

Simultaneously, what seemed like dozens, hundreds, thousands of voices screamed from everywhere.

The sincere wails made her ears ring and her stomach churn. Though it was dark and she could barely see ahead, strangely, Seo Suji could observe her surroundings well.

If there was an end of the world, it would be like this.

If there was a hell, it would be exactly like this.

The sky was ‘open’ as if it had been torn apart. And through that opening, something enormous was protruding. That monster was similar yet different from anything she had encountered before.

In the sky, there was a massive mouth too large to measure, and near it, countless tentacles were extending down towards the ground.

Each tentacle was incredibly thick, possibly half the size of a skyscraper. With each pass, dozens of humans were crushed to death or scooped up as if being smeared onto the tentacle.

The people who had been screaming were instantly swallowed by the mouth that had appeared in the sky.

Yes.

If there were a depiction of hell, would it be like this?