Chapter 189: How a Veteran Makes a Second Class Change (1)
When the mastery of the Palm Technique reaches its peak, it manifests in the form of ‘Spear Break.’
A silent sword extends from the palm of the hand.
Atasha, with a hole blown through her abdomen by the wind, still couldn’t believe what had happened, alternating her gaze between her wound and Jinhyuk with a look of disbelief.
She had never imagined that such an absurdly powerful close-range skill existed and missed the timing to don her ultimate armor, ‘Thunder Shell’.
Yet, she felt no sense of injustice.
Even if she had poured everything she had… she still wouldn’t have been able to surpass this monster.
“I’m completely… outclassed… by you.”
Blood welled up from within her, threatening to choke her.
She knew better than anyone that her situation was beyond hope.
Moreover, the turn of the battle that had been overturned due to the shortage of the Karakal and Frost Blade clans was headed towards an uncontrollable disaster.
With the Lizard King beheaded at the hands of Karakal and Black Fang fleeing with his tail between his legs due to the combined attack of the Blackwind Association and the Moonshadow, there was no longer any means to turn the situation around.
However, despite this…
Atasha smiled. A cold, chilling smile.
“I still confirmed… one thing.”
With a face completely drained of blood, she took her last breath.
“What are you talking about?”
“Your level… is nowhere near… His Excellency’s toes.”
With those final words…
Atasha’s body collapsed.
Simultaneously…
The air suddenly became chilly.
[Your level has increased.]
[Your level has increased.]
[Your level…]
Notifications of level-ups appeared one after another, but there was no time to care about such things.
An ominous killing intent took hold of the interior.
It was a suffocating, foreboding atmosphere.
‘Can it be…?’
Jinhyuk lifted his head.
In the empty sky where there was nothing just a moment ago, a new shadow appeared.
An entity, never before seen, was warping space in black as it observed from above—the man, with black hair and heterochromic eyes, exuded an overwhelming presence merely by revealing himself.
Zap! Zap! Zap!
The stinging magic pierced the skin, all too familiar and irritating.
This feeling… this sensation.
He knew it.
How could he not recognize one of the highest entities in the tower, the ‘Demonic Race’?
With an air of arrogance, the demonic entity alternated its gaze between the body of the deceased Atasha and the invaders.
Tremble, tremble!
Not only the Ice Trolls from the Frost Blade clan but even the members of the Blackwind Association, known to carry out their orders in any situation, dared not make eye contact with the entity.
“This… impossible presence…”
“Lord!”
Only Karakal and Moonshadow managed to resist.
Even sweet potatoes and elementals were forced to reverse-summon back into the subspace inventory, unable to withstand the pressure.
It was overwhelming.
It wasn’t for nothing that they were considered close to the deities.
But Jinhyuk frowned, and it wasn’t just because the creature had appeared here.
‘Are they planning to break the contract…?’
Before this event, before entering the labyrinth, Jinhyuk had struck a deal with Rick.
[Player Kang Jinhyuk agrees to pass on the ‘information’ his superiors desire to middle manager Rick Hennessy. In return, Rick Hennessy must handle the 10-minute delay and editing of Player Freedman’s live broadcast, erasing all connections between Kang Jinhyuk and the Unknown. ‘All connections’ as mentioned here include manipulating the memories of all players present, including Freedman.]
[Furthermore, ‘top-tier powers’ are prohibited from intervening in this floor.]
The suspicious discomfort exuded by Melena from the Demon Association when she arrived.
Instinctively, Jinhyuk realized that this discomfort was linked to the Demon Kings and their kind, since their surface mission was to revive them.
Hence, he had made the contract to prevent such an event from happening in the first place.
However…
That contract had shattered like a broken glass.
Because one of the demons had manifested right here before him.
Jinhyuk clenched his jaw.
Damn it.
It was not a pleasant experience to find a hole in something he thought was perfectly prepared—especially if the survival rate was now nearly zero.
＊＊＊
Thud!
The demon descended to the ground from the sky.
“Hmm…”
Different-colored eyes turned toward Karakal.
It lasted barely a second.
“No, not that one…”
Then, the gaze shifted to Moonshadow.
“It’s not this guy either.”
And finally…
His gaze firmly stopped on Jinhyuk.
Eyes that seemed to see through everything looked straight at him.
“…It was you. You’re the one who massacred all of our people.”
The voice wasn’t coming from the front.
It was from the back.
Specifically, it was a voice whispering over his nape.
“…!”
Reacting half a beat late, Jinhyuk widened the gap significantly.
Even though he quickly assumed his stance again, the opponent had already disappeared like smoke from his sight.
Thump!
A black bullet aimed at his leg flew toward him.
Jinhyuk dodged the bullet, which was as big as his thumbnail, by a hair’s breadth.
He extended his fist immediately, but once again, there was no sensation in his hands.
‘Fast.’
To be honest, he hadn’t expected he would miss any trace of the enemy.
In the past, his level and stats were so high that he could detect the presence of even deities.
But now that everything had been reset to the reality of the tower, his past achievements were gone.
Even though he was growing faster and more perfectly than before, he was still far from being ready for a direct confrontation with the demonic entities.
And because the situation was unfavorable…
‘Interesting.’
Jinhyuk felt an excitement that was almost unbearable.
Indeed, this was why the Tower of Trial was so attractive—constantly encountering powerful adversaries.
Yes, only when it’s challenging like this, it’s not boring.
“Hoo?”
The demon raised his eyebrows as if he couldn’t understand.
It was obvious.
He was from the demonic tribe, feared by all living creatures.
Like the trolls and humans lying flat on the ground and shivering with fear, it would be normal to be in despair.
But why?
Why couldn’t he find such emotions in the human before him?
Instead…
‘He’s laughing.’
He was having fun.
Enjoying this situation.
And the fact that he was meeting him… genuinely seemed to be a pleasure.
“You don’t seem to be very tense.”
“Sorry, but I’ve dealt with nuisances far bigger than you.”
The mosquitoes that sucked blood were sent back to the first floor, so they were out of the picture now, but that was one of the supreme beings within the tower’s top ten.
The Egyptian friends from the animal farm that he had met in the desert were at least several levels above the demon kind.
And those beings on the 50th floor of the tower were in a completely different realm.
‘I have survived against all of them.’
And he’d surpassed them.
If he were to fear a mere demon, even in a situation where he was at a significant disadvantage, that would be a contradiction.
“Hmm. Do you know who I am?”
“Of course.”
Jinhyuk shrugged his shoulders.
He had already gathered information on the opponent through ‘Gluttony’s Eye.’
[Only partial information can be accessed due to the target’s level being too high.]
[Makedros – ‘Death Eater’]
Race: Demonic Race (魔族)
Rank: 26th
Overall Rank: ??
Age: ??
Level: ??
Strength ??? Agility ??? Stamina ??? Magic Power ???
Unique Ability: The First Magic
Skills: ???
Detailed Description: Makedros, a noble of the ‘count’ rank in the demonic hierarchy, holds the 26th position. Equipped with high-level magic, if you leverage the current state of war resulting from the competition amongst rankings, you might manage to manipulate the situation to your favor.]
It wasn’t just the ‘Eye of Gluttony;’ he had memorized nearly all the entities of the tower, but with the Eye, he could gain a wealth of additional information.
Jinhyuk’s expression sharpened.
War, huh…
‘This timing has been moved forward too.’
It was probably due to the tower’s attack timing and other variables.
But it didn’t matter.
No matter what happens, there’s a way to solve it.
He quietly reorganized the incoming information in his head.
The existence and purpose of the Demon Association, Melena’s significance, and the Demon King ‘Rotting Heart’ he met on the 5th floor which offered him the second class change ‘Black Apostle’.
He combined the cards and trump cards he held to create the ultimate trump card.
There were countless possibilities, but it didn’t take long for him to sort his thoughts.
Jinhyuk slowly began to speak.
“I know why you’ve come here. But I have a more interesting offer.”
“The audacity. To think I had even the slightest expectation of you for having some decent skill, but in the end, are you just trying to grovel for your life with an offer that lacks substance?”
“Aren’t you making a hasty judgment without hearing me out? You might change your mind if you listen.”
“No, there won’t be any need for that. Whatever a thing like you can promise, it would only be a waste of my time.”
Interest seemingly waned.
White fingers stretched once more towards Jinhyuk’s heart.
Fzzzt!
Black sparks erupted from the fingertips.
The same dark magic as before, but this time, he was simultaneously casting more than ten magic spells, ensuring there would be no escape.
However…
“If you are on the losing end of the hierarchy struggle, then even paying attention to a worthless human’s words might be the wise thing to do…”
Jinhyuk’s words.
“…You.”
Makedros’ fingers froze completely.
His face showed disbelief for the first time.
“How do you know about… the affairs of the demon world? Tell me everything, now!”
“No need to be concerned about information leakage—it won’t come from your side. Besides, that’s not what’s important right now, is it?”
“You rotten thing… It’s not you who decides priorities! Quit with your nonsensical talk and just answer what I ask. Unless you want to experience being burnt alive!”
Anger resonated thunderously in his voice.
Fwoosh!
The small spheres rearranged in an instant.
Pentagrams appeared behind Makedros, and each forming a magic circle, ominous black flames erupted.
Hellfire—or something akin to it, a unique dark magic belonging to the demon kind.
A 9th circle spell.
Among the highest tier of fire magic capable of vaporizing even stone, there’s nothing that can defend against it without a 10th circle shield or a holy relic.
Even if Jinhyuk attempted to block with his sword qi, his body would be burnt to a crisp.
‘No wonder he’s rated just below the ten Demon Kings. He climbed up to the 26th without just coasting.’
But…
Jinhyuk still did not fear the terrible blazing threat before his eyes.
He remained calm and undisturbed.
“Makedros.”
With a voice steady and unfaltering.
“I know the exact location of all the ‘relics’ capable of unsealing the Demon Kings.”
He mentioned what the opponent desired most.
And then…
“…!”
[Makedros has activated Lv?? ‘Mental Projection (心象世界)’!]
Time in the world stood still.
