Chapter 13: The Orb of Wishes and the Return of the True Lord

Who is the strongest hunter in the world?
It’s a question everyone has pondered at least once.

Hunters across the globe continue to slay monsters and build their legends,

but who truly stands at the pinnacle?

On a small peninsula in the East, South Korea’s top S-Class Hunter, ‘Moomyeong,’ would have been the strongest contender if he hadn’t disappeared.

Currently, he and the second-ranked hunter remain missing,

leaving the title of the world’s strongest to a rival who had been locked in competition with Moomyeong since the early days of the Great Cataclysm.

This hunter, known as Cheon Ocheon , or Heaven Beyond Heaven,

was the master of China’s prestigious guild, Taesan Bukdu (Mount Tai’s Northern Star).

Dubbed Cheon Museong, he stood as a national-level power and was conducting a press conference,

regarding China’s newest national-ranked Hunter when a cascade of notifications interrupted:

• [Failed to defend the shortest clear record for the 10th floor of the Tower of Infinity.]
• [The shortest clear reward for the 10th floor has been revoked.]
• [Failed to defend the shortest clear record for the 20th floor of the Tower of Infinity.]
• [The shortest clear reward for the 20th floor has been revoked.]
• [Failed to defend the shortest clear record for the 30th floor of the Tower of Infinity.]

“…?”

With only one day left before the season ended, someone had emerged to rewrite records.

Cheon Ocheon’s mind raced. Few people in the world could achieve such a feat.
‘Could it be Moomyeong? Has he returned?’

There was no time to dwell.

The entire world knew the Tower’s season was ending today,

and the new season would begin after the system processed the rankings overnight.

Journalists surged forward, flooding him with questions:
“Master Cheon Ocheon, could we have your thoughts?”
“What do you make of the new record-breaker in the Tower of Infinity?”
“What are your plans after such an unexpected upset?”

Cheon Ocheon calmly responded:
“The center of the world, China, cannot afford to fall behind other nations in rank.”

“Tomorrow, when the new season begins, I will reclaim my record.”

Cameras flashed. His confident declaration was headline material.

While he couldn’t shorten records for floors he’d already completed, Cheon Ocheon smirked inwardly.
‘I wasn’t even trying my best when I climbed the Tower.’

Next season, he planned to show the world his serious mode.

HunterNet – Live Discussions

[Who the heck is Zz?]
Where has this guy been, and why did he suddenly start climbing? The Tower’s rankings are in chaos now lol.

• (Screenshot of the Tower’s shortest clear leaderboard)
• “What? I thought this was a joke, but it’s real?”
• “Zz strikes again?”
• “OMG lmao.”
• “Breaking every record—this is legendary!”
• “Clearing all floors in 5 seconds? Unreal!”
• “Guess it’s inevitable when you’re that fast.”
• “Even the world’s top Hunters are losing to Zz. Cheon Ocheon must be fuming lol.”

[Do you think Zz can hit rank 1 before the season ends?]
He’s collecting rewards for the shortest clears, but there’s no time left to grab first place overall.

• “You’re doubting the ‘light’ now?”
• “Even at light speed, making it before the rankings close seems impossible.”
• “Cheon Ocheon’s already on the 99th floor. There’s no way Zz can catch up before KR’s season deadline.”
• “Even if he could solo a world boss, he started way too late.”

While the global community was abuzz, Kiriel was steadily climbing the Tower.

She, the Celestial Valkyrie, continued her ascent with unwavering determination.

The Golden Knight stood tall, her armor shimmering like molten sunlight.

With every swing of her sacred sword, golden flames erupted, engulfing enemies in a single, dazzling strike.

It was a massacre swift, brutal, and absolute. None could withstand her blade.

Such efficiency meant that she consistently claimed the rewards for setting the fastest clear times.

‘Everything is for my lord.’

Her devotion was unwavering. To her, no force in existence could pose a true threat to her lord.

Yet, as a Valkyrie, her role was to preemptively eliminate all potential dangers.

Her loyalty wasn’t born merely from duty; it stemmed from love and admiration.

Anything that could benefit her lord was worth pursuing.

“Next.”

[Entering the 50th floor of the Infinite Tower.]

[Current fastest clear record: 00:00:20]
[Record holder: Tian Wai Tian ]

[Time remaining until monster spawn: 60 seconds.]

“This… could be a problem.”

The delay felt interminable.

Though the system granted all challengers an equal preparation time before combat, it only served to slow her down.

What was the point of defeating a monster in a single blow if she couldn’t bypass the countdown?

The season’s deadline for the Korean server was 6:00 PM. Having started late due to household duties, she now faced a time crunch.

At this pace, reaching the ranking brackets seemed impossible.

Moreover, the monsters were growing stronger with each floor, making one-shot victories increasingly challenging.

“…At least I can still secure the rewards for breaking the floor records.”

To her lord, such rewards were likely trivial.

But as a Valkyrie sworn to serve, she felt compelled to collect every token of achievement, however minor.

And so, she pressed on, scaling the tower until the clock struck 6:00 PM the season’s cutoff time.

[The Korean server’s Infinite Tower challenge has officially ended.]
[All challengers currently inside the tower will be forcibly removed.]
[The Infinite Tower will remain closed until midnight to prepare for the new season.]
[Rankings are being finalized.]
[Season rankings will be announced upon completion of calculations.]
[The Infinite Tower (KR) will reopen for challengers at midnight.]

As Kiriel was ejected back into reality, she heard a voice soft, yet tinged with unmistakable irritation.

“…Kiriel, care to explain yourself?”

Her lord stood there, hands on her hips, with an adorably stern expression and a vein pulsing on her temple.

It was a rare sight. Typically, her lord exuded a listless, half-awake demeanor.

Even this new, irate side of her was so endearing that Kiriel couldn’t help but smile.

But the smile quickly faded.

Something felt… off.

Her lord’s silver hair shimmered under the light as she raised a small, clenched fist, also adorned with the same pulsing vein.

“L-Lord…? What is happening?”

“Do you seriously not know what you’ve done wrong?”

“W-What could I have possibly done to warrant your anger?”

“You’ve made a grave mistake.”

Kiriel was bewildered.

She had done everything for her lord given her best efforts and yet, this was the reaction she received?

The adorable mix of irritation and disappointment in her lord’s expression was terrifying.

“Kiriel, do you have any idea how many notifications went off while you were off gallivanting in the tower?”

“B-But… it was all for you, my lord…”

“And yet, those incessant notifications disturbed my precious nap. Prepare yourself!”

Her lord’s muttering was quiet but menacing: “Bad girls get punished, you know.”

Even punishment from her lord would feel like a reward to Kiriel,

but she couldn’t bear the thought of disappointing her any further.

‘Think, think, think!’

She wracked her brain for a solution.

There had to be a way to fix this something to placate her lord’s anger.

And then, it hit her.

“My lord! I have a solution!”

“…Oh? Are you trying to weasel your way out of this?”

“Absolutely not, my lord! I have a way to turn off the system notifications!”

Her lord’s eyebrow arched slightly, a glimmer of intrigue breaking through her irritation.

One of her ears twitched as though she had heard something interesting.

‘If you were to gather all the world’s cuteness in one place, that would be my lord.’

“What do you mean by that? I’ve already tried asking the system to disable notifications, but it didn’t work at all.”

“With the Orb of Wishes, you can turn off the notifications.”

“The Orb of Wishes? What’s that?”

“When a challenger clears the 100th floor of the Tower of Infinity for the first time in a season, they receive an Orb of Wishes.”

“This orb can grant any wish. If my lord desires it, it should be possible to turn off the system’s notifications.”

Her lord didn’t speak for a while, tilting her head slightly and closing her eyes as though deep in thought.

Watching this, Kiriel struggled to contain her adoration. Her lord was so irresistibly cute that it felt almost painful.

Finally, her lord’s small lips moved slightly.

“An Orb of Wishes, huh…”

The typically lethargic demeanor disappeared without a trace.

Her half-closed eyes became wide and alert, her adorable face now filled with determination.

She emanated the aura of a soldier ready to march into their final battle.

“M-My lord…” Kiriel’s jaw dropped. This was…

This was the closest she had seen to the true lord she remembered.

“No matter how lazy I am, if it’s to get rid of those notifications…”

Clenching her tiny fists tightly, her lord pressed them against her chest, speaking in a firm and resolute tone.

There was not a hint of drowsiness or fatigue in her voice.

“I must give it my all!”

The strongest angel of heaven. The lord of yore had returned.

Korean Hunter Association Headquarters

“Director! We’ve detected activity from Zz!”

“Where?”

“It seems they’re attempting a Tower of Infinity run.”

“…What? The Tower of Infinity? But that doesn’t reveal their location, does it?”

“That’s correct. However, this marks their first official activity since the two World Boss hunts.”

Even the association had been closely monitoring Zz’s activity in the Tower of Infinity.

While Zz couldn’t make it to the rankings this season due to the time cutoff, every floor they challenged was cleared with record-breaking speed.

“The Tower of Infinity was traditionally the domain of the guild master of China’s ‘Mount Tai’s North Star’—Cheon Ocheon.”

“Understandable, since the tower’s rules favor martial arts hunters. With only one monster appearing per floor, their methods have an advantage.”

“That’s right. In one-on-one combat, martial artists hold the upper hand. Still, do you think Zz has a chance?”

“Well… it won’t be easy.”

The director’s brow furrowed in thought.

What piqued his interest was one question:

‘Can Zz surpass Cheon Ocheon?’

As much as he hated to praise a foreign hunter, there was no denying Cheon Ocheon’s skill.

He was a hunter who managed the strongest guild in China, under the principle that only martial arts can surpass skills.

“They said in their press conference that they plan to enter the tower as soon as the new season begins, right?”

“Yes, they boldly announced they’ll start clearing the tower immediately at midnight local time.”

“Sigh… how frustrating. If only we could locate Zz, we could send support.”

All the resources of the prestigious Mount Tai’s North Star guild would surely be directed toward Cheon Ocheon.

By now, they would have optimized their builds, factoring in cooldowns, buffs, and every tactical detail.

At least the Tower of Infinity didn’t allow external buffs, which was a small relief.

“Still, with the vastly different conditions… no matter how skilled Zz is, this won’t be easy.”

While the strongest hunters of various nations meticulously prepared their builds for the upcoming season of the Tower of Infinity, Zz…

“Hey, I’m back! Just had a teensy bit of alcohol at the company dinner. Where’s my sweetie? Oh, fast asleep, I see. Heehee.”

Zz… was peacefully asleep. It was bedtime, after all.