Chapter 151: The Masquerade Ball (1)
[The video plays.]
That short sentence…
…I never knew it could hit so hard.
Baek Jin-ho’s face went pale as he stared at the screen.
“How, how can this be…”
His voice was barely a whisper.
The contents of the video were nothing short of shocking.
“Gasp!”
“What the hell is with those Ice Trolls?”
Alongside Baek Jin-ho, the players from the Dangun Guild watching the video also screamed.
They knew that Ice Trolls were among the stronger creatures in the lower floors.
But the ones Jang Eun-seok was dealing with were on an entirely different level.
Even through the video, the oppressive aura was palpable.
…They were strong.
Among them, one troll of considerable size stood out as being in a different league.
“It’s unbelievable that they’re being pushed back with that number of people.”
“It’s not just being pushed back, they are completely…”
A woman tried to say something but trailed off.
She couldn’t bring herself to say, ‘They’re being toyed with.’
But who could blame her?
It was clear to everyone that the Dangun Guild’s raid party was being crushed without being able to put up any meaningful resistance.
But the real problem started from here.
Even though the troll chieftain, presumed to be an Ice Troll, wasn’t killing Dangun Guild’s players.
Instead, it was Jang Eun-seok who threatened a young Ice Troll offspring.
-BrightlyBaldingAnn: Wow, seriously, what a character?
-Mommy Ate Dirt: Well… Winning is what matters. It’s all about the success of the raid.
-KKK1004: I understand, but it’s not visually appealing. Do they really need to stoop to that when outnumbered?
-PlayerSoakingInBugs: What are you talking about? There’s nothing more important than winning. Quit playing the saint. Are you going to take responsibility if you die while seeking honor?
-DemonLordLevellingWithMartialArts: Matter of taste, I guess. It’s not for me. I wouldn’t expect this sort of behavior from a third-rate guild, let alone Dangun. Number one should taste like number one.
-UrokWhyAreYouCrying: Right. If they are Korea’s strongest, they should maintain their principles even in adverse situations.
The world’s top seven guilds. And Korea’s undisputed number one.
Bearing these titles meant a great deal of responsibility.
Even if it might seem unfair, that very weight of being number one demanded they embrace it all.
But that stupid guy just crumbled the painstakingly built tower of honor.
To the extent that it wasn’t just tarnished, it was well and truly smeared.
So Baek Jin-ho was raging beyond control.
“Aaaargh!”
BOOM BOOM BOOM!
With heavy sounds, stalactites were sliced cleanly off.
“Huff. Huff. Huff. That… brat. Send the guys to catch him now. I don’t care if he’s on the 7th floor or at the top of the tower, just bring him to me!”
Baek Jin-ho shouted like a madman, but no one moved a muscle.
“Hey, you guys, listen to what I’m saying…”
“Bro… brother!”
The man watching the screen swallowed his saliva with difficulty.
“There… Look at this.”
His finger pointed to a very familiar man.
Only then did Baek Jin-ho realize what was happening.
“This… they uploaded the video for this purpose?”
The nightmare was far from over.
It was only just beginning.
The screen transitioned.
It was Jinhyuk.
In an instant, Jinhyuk subdued Jang Eun-seok and engaged in a duel with the chieftain.
“Wow, unbelievable. How many points did he just use?”
“Can a human even move like that?”
“To think he’s holding his own in a fight where an entire raid team couldn’t…”
Exclamations erupted.
The fight between the chieftain and Jinhyuk was like a clash of dragons and tigers.
To everyone’s eye, the battle seemed to be on a knife’s edge, with a single mistake potentially deciding the outcome.
However, only one person…
‘No.’
Baek Jin-ho, despite watching the same scene, had a completely different reaction.
‘Where do they see an equal match?’
Most didn’t notice due to the cunning editing, but as a high-ranking player, Baek Jin-ho felt the disparity between them after only a few movements.
A cat playing with its prey and a mouse desperately struggling.
That was the true nature of their relationship.
And as if to confirm his suspicion…
As time passed, Jinhyuk began to thoroughly dominate the chieftain.
Of course, he didn’t forget to satisfy the audience’s senses with appropriate theatricality and flashy performances.
Every movement and line meticulously calculated as if from a perfect script.
-BrightlyBaldingAnn: Wow. Mind-blowing. The strongest in Korea indeed!
-Mommy Ate Dirt: The strongest in Korea? In the world, there’s no other ranker who can fight like that.
-KKK1004: Agreed, agreed. I’ve been a fan of Kang’s videos for a long time, and while he was strong from the start, it’s astonishing how much stronger he gets with each new video update.
-PlayerSoakingInBugs: But how high do you think he’s climbed in the tower before?
-DemonLordLevellingWithMartialArts: According to the information we have, the highest climbers have reached around the 20th floor. Maybe around there.
-I’mReallyKingGwanggaeto!: That’s just a rumor. Look at the level of the players now. Getting to the 10th floor looks like a miracle, doesn’t it?
-K.MeTaAtBeautyParlor: True, even the top rankers probably haven’t surpassed the 20th floor.
-SuperModelInAYoungEagle’sWorld: Who knows. If it’s Kang Jinhyuk, maybe he’s gone further.
-Howl’sMovingCastleIsAwesome: Anyway, he’s certainly an anticipated player.
The comments on the video from the Dangun Guild were starkly different.
With hundreds of comments streaming in per second, it was a pace that even Baek Jin-ho had a hard time catching up with.
‘Are they already planning to upload videos in the midst of risking their lives in raids?’
Baek Jin-ho bit his lip harshly.
It was hard to accept.
His stomach churned with jealousy and awe, but his eyes remained unwittingly fixed on the screen.
Because it was captivating.
Because it was overwhelmingly so.
The fact they were rivals was forgotten.
＊＊＊
While the world’s guilds and people were focused on the player Kang Jinhyuk, the man of the hour himself was currently undergoing a trying time.
‘I must be crazy, why did I say that.’
It was good that he’d left the party and come outside the tower for once.
Yes. Up to that point, his plan to unwind from recent events was perfect.
The problem was…
“Haha. Indeed, a chariot befitting someone as noble as myself.”
There she was, smiling triumphantly in front of him – Queen Mosquito herself.
Elise seemed pleased as she nodded repeatedly.
She was currently in the ‘Apollo IE’, the only hypercar of its kind in Asia.
A beast that cost 3.6 billion won on its own, and she casually acquired it by tossing a few gems at the dealer.
She bypasses all the complicated processes involved in import regulations with her S-rank authority.
Elise greatly enjoyed the novelty she could not have inside the tower.
‘I shouldn’t have told her she could do whatever she wanted because she worked hard.’
I thought she wouldn’t go on another mindless shopping spree after buying everything last time.
But it seemed like I had underestimated the greed of the Ataraxia household head.
“Are… you actually using all that stuff you bought last time?”
“I only wear clothes and accessories once.”
“Considering that, you seem to wear the same thing every day…”
As Jinhyuk pointed out, Elise’s eyes widened in shock.
“This, this is because I have multiples of the same item!”
Her tone sharpened instantly.
Right. You do know how utterly absurd this spending spree is.
“Yes, yes, my mistake. How about you buy a country while you’re at it? Then everything in that land would belong to the most noble Elise, wouldn’t it?”
“Hmm. A nation… Indeed, it would be absurd for a being like me not to have a kingdom. Perhaps it’s not a bad idea to establish an Ataraxia branch in the human world. Since Namsan Tower is quite high, perhaps we could build a castle there…”
“… …”
At this point, where she was seriously contemplating this, there was no reason to continue the conversation.
Jinhyuk sighed softly and left Elise to her daydreams.
Unaware that she was left alone, she continued to immerse herself in the fantasy of building her own kingdom.
Just then.
Dding!
A status window appeared in front of Jinhyuk.
[You have received an invitation from Rick Hennessy.]
[With this invitation, you may participate in the ‘Masquerade Ball’ held at the 1st floor grand ballroom of the Trial Tower.]
[The Masquerade Ball]
Details: A social event for the highest-ranked climbers designated by the tower. Not only will it allow for the exchange of information, but various side events are prepared, so we hope for everyone’s participation. (Please note the ball is being held at midnight today.)
‘Hm.’
Jinhyuk’s eyes narrowed.
The Masquerade Ball was one of the various event quests within the Trial Tower, typically occurring after the 25th floor.
He didn’t expect one to come up so soon.
‘Well, it is better to get it done early rather than later.’
Back when Jinhyuk had reached the 25th floor, there were barely any players left in the tower.
Mostly curious newbies and BJ’s making a fuss over developing rare content every so often.
While the ball was grandly decorated inside and fireworks were launched, the only guest that arrived…
Was one.
Not three, not two, just one.
Yes.
‘Damn it, just me.’
He remembered being alone in the room, dancing by himself in front of the mirror out of frustration before burning the ballroom down.
Jinhyuk shook his head, letting go of the memories.
‘Let’s forget about that dark history.’
The situation was entirely different now.
This time, numerous players were climbing the tower.
‘Besides, the chance to meet the top rankers from all over the world is definitely an attractive proposition.’
He had briefly met Namgung Cheon on the 7th floor, but the chance to get acquainted with prospects from Japan, North America, and Europe wasn’t common.
Of course, ‘getting acquainted’ doesn’t mean sharing laughs and niceties.
He coveted their unique abilities and skills, eager for a taste of the high-quality buffet they offered.
He didn’t deliberate long.
Jinhyuk quickly spoke up.
“Elise.”
“Huh?”
“Let’s stop shopping and get ready to go. We need to get back into the tower before sundown.”
“What, what? There’s still a mountain of stuff I need to buy! And what about the chicken, tripe, salmon, and beer we were going to eat together?”
Elise’s shock nearly shattered the hypercar’s window.
Not jokingly – it seemed as if the wings she’d hidden were about to be revealed.
If she weren’t careful, raid teams from nearby large guilds might have swarmed here.
“Ca… calm down.”
“Calm down? What about my meal!”
“We can buy as much of that as you want later. There’s something far more important than that right now.”
The Masquerade Ball had an interesting point that no one knew.
Not even Rick Hennessy, one of the organizers.
A secret point.
