Chapter 164: The Horn that Calls Despair (1)
Buoooooong!
A spear thrust forward with a terrifying sonic boom.
Although I was certainly provoked, I did not let my emotions guide the spear’s movement.
Speed and trajectory—both were part of a nearly perfect instant-strike, capable of cutting off the opponent’s breath in one hit.
However…
Kagagagak!
Jinhyuk parried the strike with ease, as naturally as if he had known exactly how the attack would come. There was not a single superfluous movement in his effortless counter.
It was only one exchange, but the outcome shifted drastically in that moment.
Yeomho stared at his trembling palms.
“Am I… being outmatched in spear techniques?”
That was impossible.
Wasn’t he one of the top five spear wielders in the demonic cult, a formidable opponent who had climbed the ranks to the title of Grand Blood Master through untold amounts of blood and sweat?
Yet…
What does this pressure mean…?
Thump, thump, thump!
His heart pounded rapidly.
This tension.
This atmosphere.
It absolutely could not be beneath him.
Even using full force, he did not feel confident about winning.
And then…
“Damn it.”
He was consumed by rage at the fact that he was feeling this way against a mere player.
“Calm down…”
The opponent was just a newbie who had entered the tower.
He had nerfs, chains that could cause critical damage upon even a near miss!
If he couldn’t handle this opponent despite having a tactical advantage, it would be an eternal disgrace in the history of the demonic cult.
Swoosh.
Yeomho readied his stance once more, gripping the spear with both hands, gauging the distance.
He resolved to put an end to this fight.
“I have to wait for the opponent’s concentration to falter. If I move first, I’ll be at a disadvantage. I need patience.”
No doubt, that person was likely thinking the same thing.
But just then…
Thud.
Jinhyuk approached, seemingly defenseless. There were so many open spots that, for a moment, it was confusing whether this was reality.
“Fool! Daring to step into my range!”
Yeomho did not miss this opportunity.
[Grand Blood Master Yeomho has used ‘Venomous Spear’!]
Like a snake eyeing its prey, the spear drew a strange trajectory.
A half-beat behind, Jinhyuk also swung his spear.
But…
Thwack!
The sound of flesh being torn did not come from the opponent’s side.
“Uh…?”
A hissing breath escaped Yeomho’s lips, his lips and pupils trembling violently.
It was surely the other guy who had approached in a defenseless state.
But why was it him, with a hole the size of a fist in his heart, who staggered back?
At that moment,
Something flashed through his mind like lightning.
If… if he had read the timing and trajectory of the attack—assuming that is true, then even a half-beat slower counter would make sense.
But could that be possible, that a first-time opponent could completely read his spear techniques?
“‘…The difference isn’t just one or two levels.’”
The only explanation for this occurrence was that the difference was a vast gulf, like looking down from an unreachable height.
“Monster…”
Yeomho slowly fell backwards.
＊＊＊
A ship without a captain sinks.
Thus, the fate of the Blood Demons was sealed from the moment they lost Yeomho.
“That wraps things up nicely.”
Jinhyuk nodded.
Casey and Jude had obliterated the enemy’s defensive formation and the five elemental spirits had begun chasing the fleeing enemies. They were undoubtedly competent enough to handle the minor cleanup.
With the storm passed, there was now time to have a conversation.
“When did you gather such creatures? Surely you didn’t deceive them with talk of some elite corporation and then bind them with a slave contract!” Cheon Yuseong asked incredulously.
“What nonsense! These are people who have signed legitimate work contracts.”
Sure, they might work over 100 hours a week without the four major insurances, minimum wage, severance pay, etc., but at least their lives were guaranteed.
In these times, that was no small thing.
“Enough. Let’s not talk about it. I just pity those poor souls who were outmatched by someone like you.”
“But I never imagined you could tame intermediate spirits like that. It’s as if Jinhyuk is now completely beyond our reach. Teaming up for raids might become difficult from here on out.” Teresa added.
Even as one of the top-ranking players representing Europe, each time she saw Jinhyuk, she felt an insurmountable wall.
After all, didn’t Jinhyuk single-handedly defeat a powerful enemy that they themselves struggled against even with their lives on the line?
‘I was right…’
Above all the promising players and rankers praised by everyone.
Even above the masters at the pinnacle of the major guilds.
Jinhyuk was far, far above them.
‘I lack the skills to continue alongside him…’
But that didn’t matter.
Just knowing Jinhyuk, just the fact that he was climbing the tower for humanity, was more comforting than anything else could be.
Then Cheon Yuseong spoke.
“That aside. What are you planning?”
“Huh? Planning what?”
“Don’t play dumb with that innocent face. Hell, don’t puff out your cheeks. If you do that one more time, I’ll cut your throat.”
Jinhyuk might be an exceptionally skilled player, but his peculiar habits could be infuriating.
With a sigh, Jinhyuk conceded. “Alright, what are you curious about?”
“You chose the 25th floor out of all the places for some reason, right?”
“That’s right. It wasn’t just on a whim.”
But…
“I can’t tell you why right now.”
Jinhyuk shrugged, and Cheon Yuseong bit his lip. It wasn’t the first time Jinhyuk had kept his plans to himself. It was almost expected.
“Fine. I’ll change the question. How long will it take to escape this labyrinth, and where do we go from here?”
“I can at least answer that. It will be over in an hour or two. And there’s no need to go anywhere specifically. Just stand still for a little bit, and a new path will reveal itself.”
“…What?”
“You can clear the labyrinth that quickly?”
This time, both Cheon Yuseong and Teresa’s eyes widened in surprise. Only Ellis, who stood quietly by, seemed to anticipate Jinhyuk’s actions.
Well, like calls to like.
She must have known something about the secrets of the labyrinth.
At that moment, the runes that were written on the passageway began to shimmer with a faint light. It was beginning.
Since entering the labyrinth, the long-awaited moment had finally arrived.
– The labyrinth located on the 25th floor, ‘Valley of the Monarchs,’ contains several hidden routes. Among them, one route leads to the tombs of the kings, which opens at a special time to honor the kings every day at 11 PM, accessible using a special key.
Jinhyuk took out ‘Fang’ and lightly cut the palm of his hand. Bright red blood droplets quickly formed.
This was the special key.
The one that leads to the tombs of the kings.
“Gulp.”
A sound like a vampire starved for blood gurgling close by reached his ears, but Jinhyuk ignored it.
Soon after, he placed his bloodied palm on the spot marked with the rune ‘ỽ’.
At that moment…
Whoooooosh!
A dazzling radiance burst forth from the rune.
[The path to the ‘Royal Tombs’ has been opened!]
A magnificent gate adorned with gold, the only route that could circumvent the labyrinth by clandestine means, now emerged before them.
‘Good.’
The corners of Jinhyuk’s mouth turned up.
It was finally time to unfold the labyrinth’s highlight.
＊＊＊
As they stepped through the gate, the darkness gave way to light.
What appeared was a staggering amount of gold beyond imagining.
“My God…”
“…Incredible.”
Teresa and Cheon Yuseong gaped in awe.
A golden city-like El Dorado, if it existed, might look something like this. A colossal golden temple, statues reaching ten meters high, diamonds larger than fists, and various jewels.
In a scene more incredible than any movie, it was no wonder exclamations escaped their lips.
“If we took these treasures to the outside world, even the wealthy would be envious of our riches.”
“If it’s this amount, we could buy a country straight up.”
Even the normally less materialistic pair reacted strongly at the sight of the treasures before them. However…
“I know how you feel, but touching the treasure recklessly will cause regret.”
As if proving his words…
Additional notifications appeared.
[The kings entombed here warn the grave robbers who have trespassed.]
[You may only take one treasure from this place.]
[Those who defy this and become greedy shall be cursed by the ‘Curse of the Kings’.]
“Surely, everyone has seen Aladdin.”
Touch anything other than the lamp and you’ll end up deep-fried like a chicken in oil.
Of course, the curses in this world are far more dreadful than simply dying in lava.
“Understood. We’ll have to choose carefully.”
Both of them nodded.
“And before the treasures, there’s something else we need to do. Follow me.”
Finding treasure was just a bonus.
What was most important was completing the task that would let us leave this place.
Jinhyuk led the way.
After passing mountains of gold and treasures, finally an architectural structure with a different aura appeared.
North, south, east, west—the long stairs leading straight upward…
“A… an altar?”
Yes.
That was an altar.
And the most eye-catching thing at the top of the stairs was the square-shaped table and the black bell placed on it.
The black iron bell was inscribed with ancient runes that were entirely different from those seen in the passageways.
‘A double-layered rune…’
Jinhyuk’s eyes narrowed.
Judged to be closest to the ‘Forgotten Language’, even Jinhyuk had previously sought clues to the forgotten language through this one.
‘Having changed to a Barrier Master and secured the moon’s engraving, I will definitely acquire all languages this time.’
For someone so deeply immersed in knowledge as him, the prospect of learning something new was thrilling.
“Is that our target?”
“Yes. We need to acquire that in order to leave the labyrinth. It’s basically a key to the outside world.”
“In that case, there’s no need to drag this out. Let’s secure it immediately.”
Cheon Yuseong was ready to charge toward the stairs on the spot.
“Hold on a minute.”
“Why? Are there traps there too?”
“I mean, it’s essentially a tomb. The most important treasure won’t have traps?”
In the labyrinth, the most troublesome and annoying traps were scattered like grains of sand up those stairs.
“From the looks of it, you’re not too familiar with the traps, are you?”
“I know how to avoid them. But with a feeling something’s nagging at my back, how could I focus on avoiding traps?”
“You mean…”
Yes.
We weren’t the only guests here.
“Time to come out, don’t you think? Such rudimentary barriers won’t work in front of me.”
Jinhyuk nonchalantly motioned with his head towards a pile of gold to his right.
