Chapter 148: A Brief Respite (1)
Kukukukuku!
The size of the massive crater created on the ground was nothing short of extraordinary.
It was a skill known as the ‘Ring of Fire’.
When activated, it could deal fatal damage even to oneself.
But those caught in it could be turned to ash—a power capable of delivering a fatal strike.
At such close range, even the most resilient of vermin wouldn’t survive.
“Huff. Huff… F-finally, he’s dead. That detestable creature…!”
Michael expelled a sigh as if a millennium’s worth of congestion had been cleared from his chest.
Truly, he had never faced such a tenacious opponent.
Even when he underwent the test to earn the title of ‘Black Wings,’ he hadn’t struggled this much.
But in the end.
He finally succeeded in killing his adversary.
The fire’s temperature began to lower gradually.
The turquoise flame returned to its original crimson hue.
“Heheh….”
A smirk involuntarily crept onto his lips.
Leaving Elis aside—she could be killed with just the gritting of his teeth—now, all he had to do was deal with the Ice Trolls targeting the Golems and reorganize the forces at the Gate to prepare for the prelude to the great war.
Everything had concluded smoothly.
It should have ended there…
But just then.
Movement was detected amidst the blazing flames.
It was impossible, no, it should not have been possible.
No life could have survived in those raging flames.
Nevertheless, as the sound of footsteps grew louder with time, Michael had to accept this reality.
Crack-crackle.
Tiny fragments of shattered ice scattered in the air.
And emerging from among them was none other than Jinhyuk.
“How can you be… No, this is impossible. This simply cannot be!”
Without a single wound, he looked perfectly unharmed.
Despite Michael having sustained huge damage, exhausting most of his strength and magic.
How?
How was his opponent still in one piece?
To his nearly desperate question, Jinhyuk simply shrugged his shoulders.
“I understand you’re flustered, but.”
There was only a second, but…
“I too have the strongest shield of sorts.”
An ability obtained after dealing with the boss monster, the Boulder Giant, on the tenth floor.
‘1-Second Invincibility’.
This was the final trump card he had prepared for this fight.
“AAAAAAAAH!”
Michael screamed.
Kukukukukuku!
A blood-red energy possessed his entire hand in an instant.
It was more of an instinctive act to protect himself out of fear rather than actually trying to kill the enemy.
But it was already too late.
Jinhyuk was not one to be felled by such sloppy attacks.
Whirrr!
Whirrrr!
Dodging the clawed swipe through the air with ease, Jinhyuk infused magic into his fangs.
The blade, filled with green light, began to shine brilliantly.
At the same time.
The air around him rapidly changed.
‘Devil Soul Sword Dance’.
A secret technique passed down only among the leaders of the Demon Sect.
Therefore.
Anyone wielding this sword was the rightful leader of the Demon Sect.
And only the leader could perform the ultimate skill of this sword.
‘First Form’.
This was the First Form of that sword.
Though known to be difficult to master, the talent of the Sword Demon, unleashed through the ‘Grave of Swords,’ eradicated all challenges.
A power both heretical and frenzied seemed fitting.
“This is preposterous…”
Shock seemed to shake Michael’s pupils.
Instincts that had preserved his life for thousands of years commanded him to flee.
He knew if he got hit by this sword strike now, with his magic depleted, he would never recover.
However, his body would not move as his mind willed.
The energy amassed to its limit roared even more violently.
Kukukukukukuku!
It was as if a mountain had been compressed into a single line.
That very moment.
As if signifying the completion of the form, the magic was simultaneously unleashed.
‘Devil Heaven Extermination’.
The ultimate sword of the Demon Sect, which proves one’s strength beyond ranks.
In that instant.
It was reproduced by the hands of a single player.
― Shwshhh!
No need for flowery adjectives for the slash.
An unwavering line was drawn horizontally.
＊＊＊
“……”
Michael gazed blankly at his body.
His upper body crumbled away.
Shwshh!
Shwshshsh!
Rough jets of blood sprayed in all directions.
He was barely keeping balance, but that, too, was nothing more than the last flailing before death.
“And to think you avoided instant death amidst all this. You truly are worthy of being directly under the Patriarch.”
“Krr…uugh… Kuhuck! Don’t feel… too happy about winning now. By bothering us… your life is as good as over.”
Michael, frothing at the mouth with blood, still cackled and laughed.
Typical of these kinds of people, always posturing to the very end.
“Hide… Hide well… only then might you live another day. Keke. Of course, it’s meaningless since the Patriarchs are already watching everything through my eyes.”
As expected.
‘There are subordinates directly under the Patriarchs who can share their vision. This guy was one of them.’
This actually works out.
Many are likely watching and listening from beyond, so I don’t need to go out of my way to send them a message.
“I have no thought of hiding. No, even if you’re in a hurry, I’ll be coming to visit soon enough.”
“What… did you say?”
Though Michael asked in return, Jinhyuk calmly continued.
“All the clans that betrayed Elis… even those Patriarchs sitting on that hollow throne. Be prepared. Next time we meet, I will reclaim the title of Patriarch of Ataraxia.”
This was a declaration of war.
A warning about what was to come.
You will regret showing your fangs to the wrong person to the very core of your bones.
[The Nobles of the Night are outraged.]
[Several Patriarchs show a strong hostility towards you.]
[Exalted beings from the higher levels of the Tower start to observe you.]
Petty threats followed.
Of course, he wouldn’t have embarked on this journey if he could be scared off by such things.
Jinhyuk, deciding he had heard enough, swung his sword once more.
Shwshhh!
That was that.
Michael’s headless body fell.
The battle was finally over.
And as if to prove it…
Ding!
Ding!
Ding!
Rewards more splendid than anything he’d experienced before began to appear one after another.
[Your level has increased!]
[Your level has increased!]
[Your level has increased…….]
[……]
[……Your level has increased!]
A whopping rise by 10 levels.
Considering the experience required increased exponentially with each level, the experience Michael provided was truly unimaginable.
‘All that hard work paid off.’
The corners of Jinhyuk’s mouth rose satisfyingly.
Indeed, the sweet rewards that followed a risky battle and bloodshed had the charm of making one forget all the exhaustion accumulated up to that point.
With the condition for duplicating Michael’s skills fulfilled, he could leisurely shop for new skills to duplicate.
‘Hmm. What to choose?’
Jinhyuk casually stroked his neck.
[Possible skills to duplicate are as follows:]
[‘Eclipsing Talons’, ‘Dark Martial Arts’, ‘Shared Vision’, ‘Ring of Fire’, ‘Bat Transformation’, ‘Intermediate Familiar’…]
True to being a direct descendant, Michael’s skills were each extraordinary.
Having fought with him firsthand, Jinhyuk knew this better than anyone.
‘Whatever I choose for duplication will come in handy.’
Moreover, he could fuse them with future unique abilities and skills to create higher-level skills, so it’s the same as having guaranteed expandability.
“……”
After a moment of contemplation, Jinhyuk selected one skill.
That’s right.
This is the best choice.
[You’ve successfully duplicated the skill ‘Eclipsing Talons(SSS)!’]
[Duplicated skills are stored in ‘The World’s Memory’.]
A skill that allowed one to manifest energy without a weapon.
‘Eclipsing Talons’ would serve as a hidden card in emergency situations.
Next were the stats to distribute.
Immediately, Jinhyuk activated his status window.
[Name: Kang Jinhyuk]
Gender: Male
Age: 27
Level: 55
Strength 22 Agility 22 Vitality 31 Magic 80 Sensory 100 Luck 10 Adaptability 78 Energy 7.79
Available Stat Points: 39
Coins Held: 373,675
Profession: Rune Interpreter
Unique Ability: ‘Fusion’, ‘Grave of Swords’, ‘Star’s Blessing’, ‘Judgment of Anubis’, ‘Blood Demon Energy’, ‘Mandala’, ‘1-Second Invincibility’, ‘Thousand Poisons’
Skills: Lv8 ‘Element of Fire’, Lv8 ‘Eyes of Gluttony’, Lv6 ‘Sympathy’, Lv6 ‘Branding of the Wandering Soul’, Lv5 ‘Toxin Eater’, Lv5 ‘Shallow Breathing’, Lv10 ‘Ice Sculpturing’, Lv7 ‘Daylight’, Lv4 ‘Giant’s Grasp’, Lv6 ‘Pursuing Sword’, Lv1 ‘Double Agent’, Lv5 ‘True Taecheonghwarang Heart Technique’, Lv6 ‘Sword Demon Emperor’s March’, Lv1 ‘Blurry Scent’, Lv4 ‘Mental Barrier’, Lv3 ‘Heavenly Melody’, Lv3 ‘Otherworld Diner’, Lv3 ‘Crimson Magic Bullet’, Lv2 ‘Heavenly Net Earthly Trap’, Lv1 ‘Soul Siphon’, Lv1 ‘Devil Soul Sword’, Lv1 ‘Eclipsing Talons’
Barrier: The number of barriers known is too many, switched to ‘folded up’ status.
With 39 stat points accumulated.
And he felt a surge of pride as he glanced over the robust abilities stored away.
‘Haha. This is crazy.’
Could any other player wield so many abilities?
Each one, a skill used by rankers and boss-level monsters as their mainstay.
‘So what if the Tower’s trial has manifested in this reality and there are more variables than before?’
It hardly mattered.
Unlike the past, he was armed with even better opportunities.
Plus, he had access to the optimal route that reduced trial and error, as well as special privileges he’d earned by being the first to ever reach the Tower’s summit.
If he lacked confidence with all these conditions met, he wouldn’t deserve to be considered a veteran.
He had not yet reached the Tower’s mid-section, but already Jinhyuk had visions of the future dancing in his head.
‘As for stats… I should invest mainly in magic and distribute the rest across three points each.’
[Strength increased from 22 → 25.]
[Agility increased from 22 → 25.]
[Vitality increased from 31 → 34.]
[Magic increased from 80 → 110.]
As he raised his stats, everything felt tangibly different.
Especially the magic aspect.
‘Did it feel so different because I raised it by 30 all at once?’
Currently healing wounds using the ‘True Taecheonghwarang Heart Technique,’ his confidence was even more assured.
The magic circulating smoothly through every corner of his bloodstream.
He had become so adept with the technique that he could now handle it as naturally as breathing.
Finally, what remained were items, the legacy of Michael.
Jinhyuk’s gaze fell downwards.
A large ruby in the center with a unique pattern etched into a black necklace.
‘I’ve never seen such a pattern before.’
Whether it was a randomly dropped item or not, he hadn’t seen such an item during his previous ascent of the Tower.
Jinhyuk picked up the black necklace.
But the moment he inspected the details of the necklace through the ‘Eyes of Gluttony’.
“Huh?”
His pupils dilated rapidly.
Shock was inevitable.
One of the details inscribed on the necklace was too astonishing.
