Chapter 156: The Promising Youngsters of the Seven Guilds (3)
“Low-rank administrator, eh…”
This is turning out to be quite fun.
Jinhyuk glanced sideways with a look of amusement.
Seeing the dwarf tribe administrator gathered with members of the Huá and Samurai Guilds, it was clear there was a hidden agenda.
And as if to prove his hunch,
Thud.
Kaman approached slowly towards where Jinhyuk was standing.
“Ha ha. How is it, are you enjoying the martial arts party we’ve organized?”
Kaman smiled cheerfully.
At first glance, he seemed like an innocent and cute little kid.
True to the nature of his unicorn tribe, even the small horn poking out from his curly hair seemed endearingly charming.
But the cruelty behind those piercing yellow eyes was a far cry from innocence.
“Yes, thanks to you, I’m having a great time.”
“I’m glad to hear that. Really glad.”
Kaman nodded his head.
But Jinhyuk knew the truth.
Those words were far from genuine.
“However, we are quite uncomfortable because of you. I heard you’ve severely injured one of our guests to the point they can’t even walk.”
“Oh my. Did that friend of yours get hurt that badly? I guess I’ll have to send flowers later. I hear Mexican cacti are all the rage these days…”
Jinhyuk exaggerated his concern, clasping his hands together.
At that, the playfulness vanished from Kaman’s eyes.
“I can see why those two consider you such a thorn in their side. Facing you directly, I’d also like to drive a horn into that smug face.”
An ordinary human jesting such words was infuriating enough for him. If it weren’t for the setting, he would’ve torn him to pieces on the spot.
Zzzt! Zzzt! Zzzt!
A prickling magical force pierced Jinhyuk’s skin.
Indeed…
Even as a low-rank, an administrator is still an administrator.
“I understand you’re getting heated, but don’t you think it reflects poorly on an administrator to threaten a guest?”
“You knew… you knew I was an administrator?”
“What, of course?”
“And yet you still act so brazenly?”
“Is there a reason not to?”
“Ha ha ha! Ah… This is truly absurd. Do you even know who you’re messing with? If I really wanted to, a mere nobody like you would be…!”
As Kaman’s rant dragged on, Jinhyuk sharply cut him off.
“Low-rank Administrator Kaman. It’s fine to feel proud about earning your merits, but getting too full of yourself for just that will lead to a hard fall.”
“You…! How… do you even know my name?”
Kaman took in a deep breath.
The true name that only a very few among the Huá and Samurai Guilds knew.
How could a human he just met know such a thing?
Stunned as if struck by a hammer, Kaman momentarily lost his words.
“What are you going to do if you’re shocked by just a name?”
If he really wanted to be surprised,
At least…
“The sacred relic of the unicorn tribe, the ‘Lost Horn’, I know on which floor of the Tower it is.”
Yes.
Only this level of knowledge could rattle an administrator’s composure.
“You damn monkey. Tell me how you obtained this information right now!”
Rumble rumble rumble!
Kaman unleashed his magic.
A massive storm swept through the interior.
The surrounding players turned to watch, as the atmosphere became incredibly tense.
“Speak! Tell me where our clan’s sacred relic is!”
The Lost Horn was a symbol of the tribe’s strength and also a scar of defeat for those who had failed to climb the Tower.
Although the entire clan had given up climbing and lived as low-rank administrators,
that didn’t mean they had given up on finding the horn – it was that meaningful to Kaman and the unicorn tribe.
‘As expected.’
The corners of Jinhyuk’s mouth subtly twisted.
Even a high-flying administrator had their own weaknesses.
To Jinhyuk, who had seen and known it all, exploiting such vulnerabilities was as easy as eating cold porridge.
“If you kill me, won’t it cause you trouble too?”
“For something insignificant like you to disappear, it wouldn’t matter much. Don’t worry about that.”
“My thoughts are different. It seems to me you’re making an enemy you can’t handle.”
“Ha ha ha! Who do you think is behind me? There’s nothing we can’t handle!”
Kaman’s confidence had a reason.
Wulin.
A massive force with overwhelming influence in the 20s floors of the Tower.
Even if they half-killed a player here, with his and Wulin’s protection, they could easily mitigate the situation.
After all, this masquerade ball was a stage solely influenced by the Tower’s middle floor powers.
Rumble rumble rumble!
The magic storm intensified.
Both the players observing and the ‘giant forces’ watching with interest from the second floor,
they all anticipated how this situation would end.
“The situation has become quite the headache. Do you always act without measuring consequences?”
Ellis sighed softly.
Though grumbling, her palm swirled with a reddish glow of blood.
It meant she was ready to join the fight if necessary.
An existence that unconditionally becomes an ally without asking for any reasons.
Having someone on your side was certainly comforting.
But not this time.
This time there was no need to fight.
From the beginning,
expecting the interference of administrators, including a challenge from the other side, Jinhyuk had prepared a card in response.
Just then,
“What is this mayhem?”
A familiar voice echoed from the direction of the stairs on the second floor.
＊＊＊
Before coming here,
Jinhyuk had one complaint at the clothing store.
A defect in the finished product.
“The button on the suit jacket seems about to fall off. Please fix it promptly. If ignored, I will post an extended review on the Tower of Trials community. Naturally, a one-star rating will be my free service.”
Naturally, there was no defect.
It was just deliberately created.
However, due to the cute threat, the person who made the outfit had to come here.
More accurately, it was Jinhyuk’s curiosity-driven plan to see what he was scheming.
“What’s all this chaos about?”
Descending the stairs was a goblin.
Slowly, step by step.
But with every step he took, the air inside changed dramatically.
The magical power released by Kaman was long gone; instead, an alien force now dominated the room.
Everyone present felt a chill.
The newcomer was none other than High Administrator Hastin,
positioned at the very top of the administrative hierarchy.
By his side stood Intermediate Administrator Rick, as if volunteering as his aide.
[A high administrator has descended!]
[A partial restriction of the system is now in effect!]
Not just the players, but also the major players within the Tower were seldom seen,
stirring up commotion inside.
Especially, the stir among the residents on the second floor was intense.
Multiple voices from Wulin erupted.
“A high administrator is here.”
“My gosh… I’m seeing one for the first time.”
“Unexpectedly ordinary. I naturally thought they’d be some monsters several dozen meters tall.”
“Don’t be foolish. It’s scarier that he looks so ordinary. It’s better than being judged by appearances.”
Most people only realized that Hastin was one of the high administrators upon seeing the system message.
“Uh… Huh?”
Kaman’s pupils shook like an earthquake.
Tremble, tremble, tremble!
Uncontrollably, his arms and legs quivered.
Seeing even an intermediate administrator was rare enough in the lower ranks.
And now, a high administrator, who could wipe out such intermediates with a single word, stood before him.
The sovereign makers of the Tower’s lofty laws,
a ‘heaven’ far out of reach for mere lowly beings like himself.
“Administrator Kaman.”
“Yes? Yes! High Administrator.”
Kaman stuttered, nearly biting his tongue.
In fact, he did bite his tongue a little.
Blood seeped from his lip, but he had no leisure to care about that.
Even if the world was ending right now, answering his inquiry was more important.
“Why were you treating a guest I invited so rudely? Please, explain yourself.”
“High Administrator’s invited guest…? Could it possibly mean?”
Kaman glanced aside.
Jinhyuk, humming a tune nonchalantly, came into view.
“Is that human… your invitee…?”
“You heard right. Player Kang Jinhyuk received a direct invitation from the high administrator for this ball.”
Rick added his piece to the conversation.
Then everything clicked.
Now he understood why that man could be so confident.
‘Is… is this even real?’
The lower administrators were strictly restricted from accessing certain information, and thus unaware of Jinhyuk’s encounter with Hastin.
Focused on recruiting for the Huá Guild, Kaman had overlooked how far Jinhyuk could have reached.
And now,
these small details cumulated into the current situation.
But no amount of regret would change the past.
Seeking the higher-up’s mercy was the only way to avoid obliteration.
“I… I was unaware of…”
“If you’re unaware, would that solve everything?”
“No… it doesn’t.”
Kaman bit his teeth hard.
“Administrators must always maintain fairness. However, some accept bribes and favors from various forces behind the scenes, accommodating their interests.”
Hastin clicked his tongue.
“I’m not singling you out for blame. There are more than a few like that. And it would be unfair to place all the responsibility on you. Besides, I can overlook some transgressions as long as they don’t cross a certain line.”
Hastin continued speaking.
“However, this case is an exception. If administrators harm guests they’ve invited, who will respond to our invitations in the future?”
“Everything you are saying is correct.”
“Good to hear of your repentance. Now, apologize.”
“Yes?”
“If you’ve done wrong, isn’t it only natural to apologize to the aggrieved party? Or, perhaps you’re only pretending to agree with me outwardly?”
“Of course, not! I would never dare…”
While stooping low, Kaman slowly turned around.
There stood Jinhyuk, arms crossed, smirking triumphantly.
“That’s right. That’s right. Now, give a good apology.”
“I’m sorry… Please forgive me this once.”
His pleading voice slipped out.
A manager pleading for forgiveness from a human.
This humiliation would be etched forever alongside Tower’s existence.
But Jinhyuk wouldn’t stop at just that.
No chance.
[Video recording now commences.]
A so-called ‘immortalization.’
Everything would be shared for all to see inside and outside the Tower, courtesy of Jinhyuk.
Knowing that the recording function was active, Kaman’s face twisted even more miserably than before.
But what could he do?
Refusing now would directly incur the wrath of a high administrator.
“We can’t hear you.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Did you skip breakfast? Louder!”
“SORRY!”
“That’s it! Put some power into your diaphragm!”
“I’M SORRY!”
Finally, after an almost sobbing apology rang out…
Kaman could escape this nightmare.
＊＊＊
“You’ve really played that administrator.”
“He’s quite capable. Indeed, worthy of all the attention.”
“But he doesn’t seem to be in good terms with Wulin.”
“If we approach him rashly, we’d need to be prepared to conflict with Wulin too.”
Numerous voices echoed.
The reactions were mostly similar.
To recruit Jinhyuk would mean clashing with Wulin, one of the great powers on the 20th floor.
Therefore,
‘It seems… we absolutely need to secure him.’
Another power of the Tower’s middle layer, rivaling Wulin.
‘The Empire’ began to make its move.
