Chapter 145: Total War (2)
“Floor 29… Cough! It’s the 29th floor! I’m telling you, it’s the 29th floor! Just stop and pull me out, please. I feel like I’m going to sink!”
Ophelia screamed with the most desperate voice in the world.
“If it’s the 29th floor…”
There was a tremor in Jinhyuk’s eyes.
The 29th floor of the Tower of Trials.
How could one possibly be unaware of it?
The place aimed for by Decasus and the other five families was one of the floors ruled by the ‘Empire’.
‘This is getting interesting.’
He knew they were up to no good, but to think that they were targeting the Empire of all things.
If what this woman said was true, then preparing such a powerful army started to make sense.
‘It’s interesting enough that they aim for the floors below their own, but I’m even more curious as to why they would target the Empire, of all things.’
A big fight was surely waiting ahead.
Besides the demon-eating fish that Ellis had just dealt with, spirits and even more formidable beings were trying to cross over from beyond the gate.
Jinhyuk opened his mouth again.
“What is the purpose of attacking the Empire?”
“Cu… Cough! Pu… Purpose?”
“Yeah, the purpose. There must be a reason to target specifically the 29th floor. For example… wanting to weaken the power of the gods on the 48th floor and the single lizard they control, so as to reach the top of the tower… something like that.”
Upon the seemingly insignificant words Jinhyuk uttered,
“How… how do you know that!?”
Ophelia’s complexion turned completely pale.
She swallowed mouthfuls of seawater, but there was no time to mind that.
After all, the words that just came from Jinhyuk’s mouth should never have been said.
It was obvious.
Even she, a member of the Decasus family by blood, didn’t have perfect knowledge about the upper floors of the tower.
“A lively reaction is good, but answering my question a second earlier might be crucial for extending your life, don’t you think?”
“I… I don’t know… I really don’t!”
“Really? Really? Hmm. I wonder if this might jog your memory?”
Thunk! Thunk!
Jinhyuk pressed Ophelia’s head with a branch, repeatedly dunking her head into the water.
Gurgle! Gurgle!
Her lips fluttered resiliently, showing an astounding attachment to life even amidst this situation.
Indeed, this is why vampires have a reputation for being tenacious.
“Save me… fuck…”
“Did you say bitch?”
It seemed like she had swallowed so much water that her mind was starting to slip.
Just as Jinhyuk was about to infuse magic into the branch fervently,
“Fuck… Cough! Bundle…”
The interrupted syllable from Ophelia’s mouth finally connected.
Hmph.
He thought it was a curse, but it wasn’t.
Another unexpected word was mentioned.
Jinhyuk eased the pressure from the branch.
‘A bundle of rage….’
An entity whose location was untraceable; could it have been in the Empire all this time?
If it refers to the Dragon Slaying Sword (龍殺劍), a supreme class holy relic, it could indeed harm gods and ancient dragons at the top of the tower.
It wasn’t for no reason that it received the cobalt grade classification.
Little by little, the pieces of the puzzle started to fall into place.
“Good. That was some useful information.”
He could’ve ended Ophelia’s life here and level up, but he had a principle to keep promises.
Furthermore, Ophelia might be a valuable card to play not only with the six families, but also during encounters with the Empire.
With that in mind, a rough plan started to take shape in Jinhyuk’s head.
He pulled back the branch.
As long as he didn’t interfere, she could save herself.
“I’ll contact you later. Ah! And it’s better not to run off to the masters and spill your thoughts.”
He hadn’t marked her with the ‘Brand of Soul Consumption’ since there could be masters among them capable of identifying it, but let’s see if they figure out the pieces.
Those magnificent six families’ masters and me.
Of the two, who is closer to a devil, and who should they fear more?
“Eep!”
Reading his intent, Ophelia shivered all over.
“I’ll trust you’ve understood everything from our conversation here.”
Jinhyuk smiled brightly and gripped his swords once again.
Now, it was time to put an end to this fight.
＊＊＊
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The massive clash of magical powers and the brief silence that ensued.
“…Gah!”
A pained expression crossed Ellis’s face.
As her magical power drained instantly with each moment, the battle increasingly turned in her disfavor.
On the other hand,
“Phew. It’s quite annoying being restrained like this, but this much is manageable.”
Unlike at the start, Mihail seemed to have regained some composure.
Thanks to avoiding head-on confrontations whenever possible, the tide of battle had slowly turned in his favor, and at last, the balance had tipped significantly.
“You cowardice has not changed. Just like when you imprisoned me in the corridor… I would love to chop off your head right now, but it’s just that I regret this restraint binding my body.”
Ellis forcibly swallowed her anger.
Her once pure white hair was now stained with dust, and blood streamed down her cheeks, making a stark contrast.
“Haha. Well, even in your prime, I might not have lasted a minute against you before turning into dust.”
Mihail spoke, to which the name of the legendary Ellis fon Ataraxia – once evaluated as the strongest ever – meant something every vampire knew all too well.
Even the noble gods and ancient beings had avoided direct confrontation with Ellis.
However,
“It’s the present that matters, isn’t it, exiled head of Ataraxia. You should not have left that place.”
“Are you saying I should have stayed forever, shrouded in darkness, just for trying to protect our kind, no, the balance of the tower?”
“That’s the issue. We have the power and capability to ascend higher, so why should we let our potential rot for that stupid peace and balance?”
“The 50th floor… No one should reach it. Wanna start a war just to die together? You know this as well, don’t you?”
“No, I don’t see it that way. And the great heads of the families agree with me.”
Mihail drew a line.
Everything was already planned.
To those relegated to the sidelines of history, there’s no right to discuss the future.
Therefore,
“It’s about time you die and I call the rest of the soldiers. Please, don’t thrash about in an ugly manner. You’re still a former head, and I’d like to preserve what’s left of your honor.”
Whoosh!
A heavy aura enveloped the entire rapier Mihail held.
In terms of both quality and quantity of magical power, he completely overwhelmed Ellis.
This would be the end.
Piercing the heart of the last obstacle meant that all the purposes of coming to the 7th floor would be achieved.
Certainly…
That was supposed to happen.
But then,
“Wow, look at this mess. Weren’t you boasting about being one of the strongest beings in the world like 24/7? To think you can’t beat that guy, I guess you meant you’re one of the ultimate strongest in your own house?”
A new voice interjected.
It was Jinhyuk.
＊＊＊
“You…!”
Ellis’s eyes widened like a startled rabbit.
She had expected him to come to help since he promised, but she hadn’t anticipated his arrival this quickly.
This was… too fast, wasn’t it?
Even against the vampires selected and brought over by the Decasus family.
Jinhyuk’s greatness was something she had already experienced several times, but this was yet another situation shattering common sense.
The situation was just as baffling for Mihail.
‘Couldn’t… keep him distracted for five minutes?’
He thought Ophelia and Bertillon could fend him off easily.
Well, he had considered the possibility of failure, but he never imagined being broken through in such a short amount of time.
Ultimately,
This situation totally caught Mihail off guard.
Being a perfectionist who liked to have everything under control,
Mihail had no choice but to watch as Jinhyuk approached Ellis.
“You, bedroom strongest! I would have managed if not for these restrictions. If I were at my best…”
“I know. You’ve done well.”
Mihail must have taken some damage too, so this was sufficient.
“You’re not thinking of fighting alone, right? Even you can’t handle this by yourself.”
“Does it look that way?”
“Obviously!”
Indeed, until just moments ago, he couldn’t guarantee victory in a one-on-one fight.
No matter how much the opponent had been weakened in terms of stamina and magical power.
But now,
‘It’s different.’
He had acquired ‘Soul Vampirism’ to gain a favorable position in the fight.
“Alright, leave the rest to me.”
Jinhyuk gave a faint smile.
Simultaneously,
[‘Memories of the World’ is being summoned.]
A golden parchment unfolded behind Jinhyuk.
The Great Library containing the truth of the world.
A repository of unique abilities and skills collected while climbing the tower.
Zzt-zzt-zzt!
Bright sparks scattered in all directions.
“This is…”
Mihail’s gaze narrowed.
Although he didn’t know exactly what Jinhyuk was planning to do, he sensed that something was amiss.
Boom!
Immediately, Mihail stomped his foot onto the ground.
Energy, heightened to its limits, burst out like lightning.
However, Jinhyuk was even quicker.
“I will fuse ‘Soul Vampirism’ and ‘Phantom Sword’.”
As the words ended,
[You have successfully fused the skills!]
[You have acquired the skill ‘Demon Soul Sword’ (SSS)!]
[“Demon Soul Sword”
Difficulty of Acquisition: SSS
Details: On the 21st floor of the Tower of Trials, this skill is exclusively transmitted among the leaders of the Demon Sect associated with the martial world. It consists of a total of nine forms, and the ninth form has never been mastered by anyone except the founder. Although the ‘Demon Soul Sword’ is recognized as one of the ultimate techniques, it’s a double-edged sword due to its complete disregard for defense.]
This was the reason he had spent time with vampires.
To preemptively gain access to skills that would normally take much longer to acquire.
And to overcome an opponent that would normally be unbeatable by regular means.
“The price for hurting our Queen Mosquito’s feelings… will be returned a hundredfold.”
[Unique Ability ‘Graveyard of Swords’ is active!]
Talent of the Sword Demon.
[Lv1 ‘Demon Soul Sword’ is activated!]
A sword technique revered even by the masters of the Demon Sect is replicated.
Swoooosh…
The atmosphere around changed drastically.
Jinhyuk’s foot took a step forward.
That was the signal.
Boom!
“Aggh!”
The impact felt like Mount Tai crashing down, transmitted through Mihail’s fingertips.
A staggering stance.
Even Mihail’s signature fencing, which could deftly deflect an opponent’s attacks like flowing water, was ineffective against such brute force.
Before he could regain his composure, Jinhyuk aimed his fangs at Mihail’s thigh.
After concentrating his opponent’s attention on the Twin Dragon Sword, he delivered a sudden stealthy strike.
Clang!
Yet Mihail managed to react to the sneak attack by a hair’s breadth.
“Hmm…”
Surprisingly cool-headed.
It didn’t seem like there would be any opportunity to find an opening with this guy.
Not if he was going by the book, at least.
Then how about saying this?
Jinhyuk slowly uttered,
And at that,
Mihail, who had maintained his composure until then,
“You… you damned wretched human…! How did you come to know of that!”
Finally showed signs of cracking.
