I Became a God in the Refrigerator

84. Conquering the Tower (1)

Zion was no exception.

He was undoubtedly a superior warrior than anyone stationed here.

His senses were sharp, his movements quicker than anyone else’s.

Even Idnis, who had grown as a warrior, was not a match for him due to his strength.

Perhaps without Zion, the elves would not be able to properly face the enemy.

Both were young but experienced, with a clear determination.

And they were also the youngest.

From the perspective of the elves, no, from the perspective of someone like Han, Pafona was still a young child who should be protected.

“Pafona. Stay here.”

“No! I…! I can do it too!”

At that moment, someone embraced Pafona from behind.

It was Alisa.

“Grandma…?”

“Do not leave this child alone here. All the other elves have left. There should be at least one person left to protect her.”

“…I…I…”

Pafona could not find the words and just lowered her head.

Han, who was watching, smiled faintly.

“…Yes. I understand, that sentiment.”

He felt the same way.

He wanted to go with his parents.

Even now, as an adult, the thought of what would have happened if he had taken them with him still remained unchanged.

His future would just be a silent stillness.

Though he had a wealthy and worry-free life ahead, without his parents by his side, it was meaningless.

“……”

Bitter.

Brush, brush.

Han gently stroked Pafona’s head.

He gestured for the young elf, Pafona, to put her hand on Alisa.

She looked up at him with a puzzled expression.

“Sir…?”

“I understand your feelings, but it’s better for Pafona to stay here.”

Was it that Han understood his thoughts?

Pafona soon nodded with a firm expression.

“Alright. I’ll stay by Grandma’s side.”

“The conquest will be over soon. It might even be over in the blink of an eye.”

Of course, that time would be nothing but fleeting.

The time scale inside the dungeon is twenty times faster.

Even if you were to spend a few days inside, not even an hour would pass in the Frey Planet.

Idnis, embracing his daughter, whispered, “I’ll be back soon, so wait for me, Parfona.”

“Yes!”

Elves disappearing beyond the open door of the tower.

Just as Parfona looked at them, Handa also gazed at them.

Their receding figures seemed to overlap with his own parents.

“Perhaps…”

Handa’s gaze clouded.

On that day, his parents disappeared just like that.

Maybe they felt the same as Idnis or Alisa do now.

***

Creak-

The world beyond the open door.

Elves entering the world of the tower through the door.

Groooan-

A solemn atmosphere and a chilly wind blew in.

It was a cold underground hollow.

The elves, who had tensed up, involuntarily lowered their shields slightly at the unexpected sight before them.

“Where is this…?”

“Is this… an underground chamber? No, rather, it seems to be a vast underground space somewhere else. From a different world.”

It was a bizarre sight.

An endlessly extending, dark and vast indoor space.

A railway track extending into the darkness.

Decayed underground subway with corroded metal and broken windows scattered around.

And most of all,

[EXIT]

[Har### #### #### Central Terminal 7 Gate.]

Text in the Earth’s language, ‘English’, even though some parts were damaged, making the exact name unclear, it was a phrase written in a language familiar to Handa.

“No way.”

As Handa looked around, his expression turned indescribable.

There was no way to know. This is.

It seemed to be a place set in the United States or some English-speaking area.

“Is this a subway station?”

[That’s correct. This level is a dungeon created based on an underground subway space on Earth.]

However, upon hearing the system’s response, Handa’s expression became inexplicable.

“Such a place exists on Earth? This is news to me.”

[It’s because this is not the Earth you belong to.]

“What? What are you talking about?”

[I’m sorry, but any further answers are being denied due to issues of fairness.]

As Han pondered over this fact.

The elves were also looking around.

“Despite being underground, it’s quite spacious here.”

“This… looks like some ancient ruins.”

Even Irina and the others seemed to realize that this place was no ordinary place.

Indeed, it was a space that even they could easily tell had a distinctly artificial feel to it.

Drip. Drop.

The underground subway, with its collapsed ceiling, leaking water, and in ruins, was so dark that one could barely see a step ahead.

A world covered in frozen snow. A silent underground dungeon.

The first and second floors of the tower were composed of such desolate spaces.

But this place exuded an even more ancient atmosphere.

No, it was closer to a sense of foreboding.

Click.

Han lifted the lantern on his shoulder.

The darkness around was illuminated.

“I’ll take the lead.”

As always, Zion, holding the ant shield, took the lead.

Yumina also sprang into action.

Petting the young direwolf in front of her, she softly pleaded, “Please, Direwolf. Protect us.”

Today, Yumina was accompanied not by the usual young direwolves but by a young direwolf, nurturing and petting it in front of her.

[……!]

Nod.

The Direwolf nodded in response to Yumina’s sincere plea and guarded the front of the group.

Of course, they couldn’t bring along full-grown adults.

Not knowing how large or small the inner space of the tower was, they brought along smaller cubs if possible.

Even so, being small was relative, compared to other direwolves.

In comparison to elves, they were considerably larger, giving a strong and sturdy feeling just by standing in front of them.

“Let’s go, everyone.”

The elves, leading Irina, held their bows and proceeded along the damp and humid subway tracks.

Water droplets fell one by one along the pipes on the ceiling.

It was a strange sight.

Various glowing mushrooms filled the subway tracks endlessly.

At some point, the oppressive darkness lifted, and the faint fluorescent mushrooms dimly illuminated the surroundings.

Even Han, who was observing, noticed it.

The elves also felt a subtle tension.

“…This floor seems a bit unusual.”

It was a cautious moment as they moved forward.

“Hu…?”

In the dim vision, the elf Ananta almost tripped over something.

Instinctively looking down, she doubted her eyes.

“T-This…? No way!”

“Ananta, what’s happening?”

Startled, all eyes turned to her.

Ananta shouted urgently with a desperate expression.

“Enemies! Everyone, step back! Quickly!”

From Noble mtl dot com

“What’s going on…?”

It was that moment.

[Grrooo-!]

Kwoong!

As dust rose, numerous hands suddenly sprang out from beneath their feet.

[aaah!]

It wasn’t just a few.

There were dozens, countless.

From beneath the ground, numerous undead, digging up the earth, emerged in droves.

“T-This is!”

Ananta’s eyes were stained with confusion at the endless emergence of rotting corpses that seemed to fill the surroundings.

Ghoul

• Cursed undead beings in a state of decay, endlessly roaming the lower depths.

“Ghouls?!”

Rotted, decaying flesh.

Body parts torn away, incomplete bodies.

It was that creature well known for its zombie-like characteristics.

[Grrr-]

[Kraaah!]

Countless ghouls crawled out, reaching out towards the elves.

“Attack!”

Thud!

Sion shattered the approaching ghouls in a single strike.

“Over here, sis!”

“Everyone, step back and secure the front line!”

As the startled elves stepped back,

[─!!]

Clang!

With a silent roar, a massive fist struck down on them.

Ghouls, numbering around three at a time, were sent flying like toys, crumpling.

The giant holding a log also acted as a barrier, blocking the enemy.

“Halt!”

“Be careful!”

Irina’s shield magic blocked the approaching ghouls, while the elves’ arrows found their mark on the creatures’ heads.

Observing the returning situation, Han mumbled to himself.

“They’re definitely weak. It’s apparent even at a glance.”

It was because of their numbers; these creatures were weak.

Even weaker than the skeleton soldiers that had appeared on the first floor of the tower last time.

The durability of these creatures was dismal.

After a long time of decay and bodily damage all over, even a slight impact would cause them to lose their balance and crumble.

“Boosting the elves’ power was the right move.”

The elves were easily defending themselves.

The initial confusion was merely due to the sudden attack, nothing else.

Thud! Thwack!

With fierce momentum, an arrow flew and brought down the last ghoul.

“Phew.”

Irina breathed a sigh of relief.

Looking around, she spoke up.

“This should be the end.”

Over thirty ghouls had fallen.

Monsters that had swarmed from all directions, filling the surroundings with darkness.

There were precarious moments, but with the increased power of the elves, they prevailed.

Just as they let out a sigh of relief, a voice from the system was heard.

[The 3rd floor of the Endless Tower is set against the backdrop of a post-apocalyptic stage infected with a zombie virus (HIV).]

A stage?

Could such a thing really exist?

[In most cases, each floor has its own theme. The first floor of the tower you encountered had underground chambers infested with skeletons, while the second floor had a desolate planet covered in snow. The contents of the tower, mimicking dungeons, are closely modeled after real backgrounds from somewhere in the world.]

“…Closely modeled after?”

The fact itself was somewhat known.

However, Han could now realize a new fact.

“Is this a place that actually exists on Earth, could it be?”

Click.

He took a photo with his phone.

While Han briefly looked around to leave evidence, the elves began to advance once more.

[Oh no!]

Ghouls.

Hidden in various places, the creatures that had been lurking attacked.

The elves, having learned from the previous assault, were vigilant.

They not only focused on what was in front of them but also started to watch for creatures hiding beneath the ground.

Their exceptional sharp eyes and arrows pierced through the ghouls, rendering the initial confusion insignificant.

“Shield!”

“Haat!”

As Irina rushed forward, blocking the path of the ghouls with her shield, Zion and Ednis wielded their swords to confront the creatures.

The scene was so impressive that even Han, who was watching, was taken aback.

“…Impressive, isn’t it?”

Due to the immense power contained in their bows, the ghouls were being struck by arrows and falling down instantly.

None of them allowed easy access.

It was like no other, as if a well-trained army was pushing forward.

“As expected, there’s no gang as tough as this one. They seem to be pushing forward relentlessly.”

Though they appeared slender, these were survivors of the wilderness.

Their roughness was beyond that of ordinary humans.

With Han’s golem standing tall like a barrier and even the mice and snails present, the situation was under control.

They advanced a bit further like that.

“…It’s strangely quiet from here on. I can’t see any more monsters.”

The elves began to sense something, visibly becoming tense.

Irina, too, pulled her bowstring tighter than before.

It was a silence within the quiet.

“The air… feels heavy.”

Amidst this, they faced a massive stone door blocking the path.

“What’s this?”

“A door.”

Irina’s eyes gleamed with tension.

“Perhaps beyond this… the master of this floor awaits.”