Day -3,231 of Sejun’s Stranding
Flap flap.
The first calamity of Destruction—the Locusts—had invaded.
But in , the word “invasion” sounded almost silly. The atmosphere was more like a festival.
“Kuahaha! Look at this! Hff!”
A single Crimson Giant Bear walked toward the swarm of locusts and inhaled deeply. The locusts were sucked straight into the bear’s mouth.
“Hehehe.”
Crunch. Crunch.
The Crimson Giant Bear chewed up the locusts alive and happily munched on them.
“Oh! I bet I can suck in even more than that!”
“Yeah? Then it’s a contest!”
“A contest?! Let’s do it!”
After that, the second calamity—the Giant Bloodsucking Leech, the third—the Fire Moth, and the fourth—the Petrifying Spider all made their appearance.
“Oh! This one tastes kinda weird.”
“Really? Then I want a bite too.”
To them, it was just another tasty snack.
Years passed like that.
“What’s that?”
“A tower?”
The Black Tower appeared in , but few of the bears showed any real interest.
There was so much food all around that they had no reason to think about going elsewhere.
Of course, not all bears were the sa. So, driven by curiosity, ford an exploration party to investigate the Black Tower.
And the one who led the party was none other than Princess Luluna Bears of Bearutopia.
The exploration party gradually climbed the tower, gathering information about it. And in ti, love began to bloom.
Luluna fell in love with Max Zakran, the rcenary King who protected the party.
That didn’t an they neglected their original mission. While exploring the tower, they uncovered many things.
Like how the things the bears had been happily munching on were actually calamities sent by Destruction.
That the residents of the Black Tower hadn’t always lived there—they had co into the tower from other worlds, just like the bears.
That the purpose of the tower was to save the survivors of worlds ruined by Destruction.
As they learned more, so of the knowledge made them worry for ’ safety. But no one in the party actually did worry.
After all, every ti a calamity appeared, the bears just ate it. They thought there was no way could ever fall.
Then, one day—
“Max, I’m pregnant with your child.”
Luluna boldly told Max she was expecting.
“Princess, is it true?! Oh my god! Ah—! I’m not saying I don’t want it. I’m just... so happy. So incredibly happy! Hahaha!”
Max wrapped his arms around Luluna with a look like he had just inherited the world.
Several months passed, and when they finally reached the 66th floor of the tower—
“That’s a race I’ve never seen before. Has the tower already connected to a new world?”
“Kkyut-kkyut-kkyut. Looks like it, Master.”
The party t a turtle crawling along the ground, carrying on its back a pure white baby hamster, who was reading a book larger than itself.
“Nice to et you. I’m Woonso, Master of the Gravity Tower.”
The turtle stood upright and introduced himself as the Master of the Gravity Tower.
“Kkyut-kkyut-kkyut. I’m Woonso’s apprentice, Iona!”
The baby hamster, who had rolled off Woonso’s back along with the book, introduced herself and imdiately turned her attention back to reading.
Then—
“Hmm. You all have a lot of destructive energy built up in your bodies. Don’t tell ... you’ve been eating the calamities alive?”
“Yes. Is that a problem?”
“Of course it is. Even eating the corpses requires waiting a few days for the destructive energy to dissipate. But eating them alive... Go back right now and stop your kin from eating any more of them. If you don’t, it could beco dangerous!”
Woonso issued a grave warning and even teleported the exploration party back to the first floor of the Black Tower.
And so, after a full year away, the party returned to —but the paradise they once knew was gone. In its place was a living hell.
The earth had beco barren like a desert.
Boom! Crash!
Kuoooo!
Crimson Giant Bears were killing and devouring each other with savage, murderous eyes.
Not all had gone mad, thankfully, but the scene repeated itself often enough on the way to the royal palace.
Realizing the situation was dire, the party rushed toward the kingdom—only to find an even worse nightmare waiting there.
“Kuahahaha! Co in, my daughter Luluna. I wonder... what flavor your flesh will have.”
The one who greeted them was none other than Luluna’s father, King Hyoduk, ruler of all Crimson Giant Bears—who was gleefully tearing into the queen’s flesh with his wild, bloodshot eyes.
“Ah...”
As Luluna saw the tornted faces of the queen and her siblings writhing on the ground in agony, her mind went completely blank.
And then—
“No—!”
She collapsed, sobbing uncontrollably.
“Princess! We’re escaping to the tower!”
The mont Luluna fell unconscious, Max gathered the remaining mbers and fled toward the Black Tower.
But the way was not easy.
Rumble.
Thud.
Black Towers around the royal palace were collapsing one after another under the assault of Crimson Giant Bears.
The sky above had turned to ashen gray.
***
How much ti had passed?
“Mm... Where am I?”
Luluna opened her eyes inside a small cabin.
“Princess... you’re... awake...?”
Max, his eyes pale and hollow, spoke in a voice filled with pain.
“Max?”
Luluna quickly turned to look at him.
“Max, you... What happened to you?!”
She couldn’t finish her sentence.
Max’s left foreleg had been roughly torn, and there was a long gash from a claw down his side. And that wasn’t all—his body was covered with countless wounds.
“Hahaha. The mighty rcenary King Max Zakran... looks a bit pathetic, doesn’t he? Still, if I get a little rest, I’ll be fine.”
Seeing Luluna’s tearful eyes, Max forced a grin and tried to laugh brightly.
“What’s going to be fine?”
It was the most beautiful smile she’d ever seen in her life, but Luluna couldn’t stop crying.
“Princess, it’s ti to get up now. Can you walk?”
“Yeah. But... where are the others?”
“They died saving you.”
Max’s voice was heavy as he answered her question.
He could have lied and said they made it back ho safely. That they escaped.
But Max didn’t.
Luluna needed to know. To understand the hearts of those who had given their lives for her.
And with those feelings in her heart, she had to survive—desperately.
That was the responsibility of soone who owed her life to others.
The two of them headed toward a Black Tower that had not yet collapsed.
Kuooong!
Kuong!
They were attacked by other bears along the way,
Kuong!
but Max fended them off. Even with only one foreleg left, Max still overwheld the other bears—it was no wonder he had once been known as the rcenary King.
And then—
“Max! I see the Black Tower over there!”
“It’s real!”
Just as Luluna spotted the Black Tower in the distance—
“Ugh!”
Labor pains struck her. It was a blessed signal that new life was about to erge—but the situation outside was far from a blessing.
“Let’s find sowhere safe first.”
Max supported Luluna, who looked like she could give birth at any mont, and led her into a nearby cave.
“Uuurgh!”
“Hahahaha! Luluna—it’s a # Nоvеlight # boy!”
Luluna gave birth to a baby that looked like a perfect mix of herself and Max.
To ensure the child’s safety, they had no choice but to stop moving and focus entirely on caring for the baby.
Everything was exhausting. And yet, that ti was so deeply happy it could never be erased from their mories.
But like all things, that happiness had an end—and it ca far too quickly.
A few days later—
“Lu...luna... Please take care of our child.”
Max, gripping Luluna’s hand, pleaded as he gasped for air. His body, which had endured far too much, had finally reached its limit.
He knew this request was cruel. It would be unbearably painful for Luluna.
But still—it had to be said.
This was the only way to save their child.
And the only way to save Luluna.
And then—
“Okay. Max, don’t worry. I’ll raise him well!”
As Max had expected, Luluna answered with a resolute expression.
Shiver.
Even as Max felt the trembling fear in Luluna’s hand, he quietly closed his eyes.
Forever.
One life had co to Luluna—and one life had left her.
After Max’s death—
Kuooong.
Luluna finally let out the sobs she had been holding back and cried out loud.
But she couldn’t afford to stay lost in grief.
She was a mother now. She had to be strong.
Fortunately, the primal instinct of motherhood had engraved itself into her body, and that instinct gave her strength.
Luluna buried Max’s body in the ground, cradled their baby, and began her journey toward the Black Tower.
Kuooh!
She was attacked again along the way, but she fought back with everything she had and continued toward the tower.
When she was finally nearing the Black Tower—
Kuooong!
Kuong!
An enormous swarm of Crimson Giant Bears was charging toward the sa Black Tower she was headed for.
No!
Luluna, holding her child, sprinted with everything she had toward the tower.
If that tower collapsed before she reached it, she had no idea whether she could survive long enough to reach another one.
Everyone was rushing toward the Black Tower—and then, a massive shadow fell over all of them.
Goooooo—
At the sa ti, an imnse presence blanketed them all—or rather, it blanketed the entirety of .
—Two surviving souls? Hurry inside.
The Great Black Dragon glanced down at Luluna as he spoke.
Huff—
He took in a deep breath, and Luluna hurried into the Black Tower.
And the mont the two of them vanished—
Kuuoooo—
The breath of Kaiser Pritani, the Great Black Dragon, snuffed out the last flicker of life left in the nearly-destroyed .
***
42nd Floor of the Black Tower
About a month after entering the Black Tower—
“M...Mom...”
Luluna’s last hope uttered one final cry, calling for her—before ending his short life.
He died without ever receiving a na.
Born weak because Luluna hadn’t been able to nourish herself properly during the pregnancy, the child suffered a fatal injury during their escape.
Even with help from Woonso, the Master of the Gravity Tower, and receiving the best dical care in the tower, it was no use.
Like pouring water into a broken jar, the child’s condition only worsened until finally, he left Luluna’s side.
Monts later—
“No... My son isn’t dead... He just needs treatnt... He’ll get better...”
Luluna wandered aimlessly through the tower, clutching her lifeless son in her arms, her face blank with madness. She couldn’t let go of her last hope.
“When the crazed Pink Fur wandered the tower cradling the corpse of her dead child—”
Kuong.
[It was thanks to Queng that I ca to my senses.]
Pink Fur interjected as Wu Il-cheon-gu spoke.
[Black Tower 99th Floor — Honeybee No. 13,124: (BeeNews) Shocking Testimony from Black Minotaur Wu Il-cheon-gu! Pink Fur’s true identity is Princess Luluna Bears of Bearutopia!]
[Black Tower 99th Floor — Honeybee No. 13,124: (BeeNews) Pink Fur once had a husband!]
Because of Honeybee No. 13,124 constantly uploading headlines to the staff comms, there was no way not to find out.
Ahem! Ahem!
[Pink Fur, I-it’s just that... h-he was the one who asked to say sothing!]
A flustered Wu Il-cheon-gu pointed at Wu Il-cheon-sa.
Ahem! Ahem! Ahem!
[When?! You were the one who volunteered and said you knew everything first!]
Wu Il-cheon-sa shouted back, pointing at Wu Il-cheon-gu.
If either of them was judged to have done sothing wrong, they might lose a horn.
So they were both desperate.
But—
Kuhohoho. Kuong.
[Hohoho. It’s alright.]
Pink Fur didn’t bla them at all.
It was a painful and sorrowful past—but it was still just that.
The past.
And now—
My child... Are you getting along with your father up there?
“Our Queng doesn’t even co visit his mom? Should I be the one to drop by?”
Pink Fur, wearing a slightly sulky expression, began packing a tuna lunchbox as she got ready to descend the tower.
Before anyone realized it, dawn was breaking, and the night sky of the 99th floor of the Black Tower was beginning to brighten.
Reviews
All reviews (0)