Chapter 192: The Kindred of Elise
The video posted in the “Hall of Fame” was edited by the administrator.
The scene conveyed through the screen was nothing short of shocking.
-HolidayBreaker: Is it even possible for a human to use such powerful techniques? At this point, I’m starting to feel bad for the monsters.
-SESFOV: Never thought I’d get to witness an Unknown battle scene firsthand. Good thing I didn’t go out today. Almost missed it because of too many appointments. Phew.
-Ppoppi: Hey, Mr. Kim. Snap out of it and get up. Break time’s over.
-Emperor’s Running Shirt: The more I watch, the more I can’t help but marvel. For real, my chest is about to burst with pride.
-San: It’s not just your chest that’s swelling, is it? Even your pants are bulging.
-Malang Black Crane: Ah, this is what they call ‘Martial Arts.’
-Tiger in the Delivery Box: There’s never been a player who cleared both the 8th and 9th floors at the same time, and there probably never will be again. Truly rewriting history.
-Bubble Tea: I want to see the original, not the edited version. Ha. So much has been deleted, it’s a shame. Even the players who were there can’t remember everything because of the shock.
The messages flooding in were devoid of any pretense.
Admiration for the overwhelming martial prowess.
And the realization that such a powerful ranker was climbing the tower alongside them had everyone’s hearts pounding.
– But then.
-Tier Identifier: But seriously, who’s the higher tier between Kang Jinhyuk and Unknown? There can’t be two number ones, can there?
The stronger Unknown became.
The more dazzling Kang Jinhyuk’s achievements.
Questions about who was on top poured out.
Common bait, but it was too tempting to ignore.
-Harvard Statistics Major, 7th Year: Having majored in statistics for 7 years at college, in close combat, it’s Unknown. At a distance, Kang Jinhyuk wins. Refute if you dare, tower noob.
-Speedwagon: A tower noob is someone who doesn’t know about the Tower of Ordeals.
-Ranker of UPFAE: Obviously, it’s Kang Jinhyuk. Does this even need to be debated? Honestly?
-Crushmundo: Are you blind? Don’t you see Unknown out there throwing punches like One-Punch Man?
-New Era Amphibian: Well, whatever it is, it doesn’t seem likely that we’ll see those two match up easily.
The comments were exploding to the point where the servers might burst.
While the world outside was buzzing about Unknown and Jinhyuk.
Jinhyuk himself was waiting for someone in the ‘Corridor of the Corrupted’ on the 1st floor.
More precisely, he was reviewing the level and stat points he hadn’t had a chance to allocate yet.
Name: Kang Jinhyuk
Gender: Male
Age: 27
Level: 74
Strength 50, Agility 25, Vitality 34, Magic Power 181, Gap 100, Luck 10, Adaptive 78, Energy 27.53
Available Stat Points: 21
Coins: 500,125
Occupation: Rune Interpreter
Unique Abilities: ‘Fusion,’ ‘Tomb of the Sword,’ ‘Blessing of the Stars,’ ‘Judgment of Anubis,’ ‘Blood Demon Qi,’ ‘Mandala,’ ‘1-Second Invincibility,’ ‘Thousand Poisons,’ ‘White Fierce Beast,’ ‘Universal Sharing,’ ‘Sanctuary of the Sun,’ ‘Heavenly Demon Emperor Technique’
Skills: Too many skills have been switched to ‘Folded’ state.
Barriers: The number of learned barriers is too great, they have been switched to ‘Folded’ state.
[A title you can choose is currently stored.]
Seven levels.
Thanks to clearing two strata simultaneously, an unimaginable amount of experience had been monopolized.
‘Really insane. I can’t believe I’m going to gulp it all down.’
The ‘title’ could wait since it was not immediately necessary, but the stat points needed to be distributed right away.
Considering the events on floor 11 and… the Empire.
This time, it was necessary to invest in something other than magic power.
Especially since going to the Empire could mean a confrontation with ‘that guy.’
Considering Murim attacked the Empire preemptively, that encounter was almost a foregone conclusion.
The deliberation didn’t last long.
Jinhyuk poured all his stat points into one place.
[Strength increases from 50 → 71.]
Whooosh!
Allocating stats for seven levels at once made the growth feel significantly more pronounced.
…Strength surged through him.
At this point, he felt confident that he wouldn’t be outmatched even if he fought the Lizard King with his bare hands.
Let’s see…
Jinhyuk casually punched toward the wall.
It was a strike intended purely to test the increase in strength, without any magic power imbued.
But then.
Crash!
The wall cracked like a turtle’s shell.
‘Too much…increase?’
Increasing sub stats like Gap and Adaptive along with strength proved to be excessively effective.
With this level of power, he was no less than a mid-sized monster, not an exaggeration to say.
‘Hmm. I also need to see how much weight I can lift now.’
Jinhyuk’s gaze turned to a large rock.
While he was testing this and that, more than an hour had easily passed.
Just then.
Step.
Accompanied by light footsteps.
A silver-haired girl approached.
It was Elise, whom he had sent to this place earlier.
Seeing Elise with a sullen expression, he still felt more glad than concerned.
“I gave you a chance to go out, but you seem to be in a not-so-good mood?”
“Uh? Oh… that’s…”
Elise tousled her hair, grumbling with puffed cheeks. It seemed there was some difficulty persuading the other party.
Well, he did look like someone with quite a bit of pride.
“Why. Is Velus not listening? It seems he’s quite displeased with you making a pact with someone like me?”
A bloodhound belonging to the Decaruss family, who had tried to shake the tower through the Blood Wayport. Michael.
And from dealing with him, Jinhyuk had a special item.
[Necklace of Powent]
Obtained Difficulty: Overrank
Description: A necklace completed by the High Priest Powent with the aid of the divine. It is specialized in ‘seals,’ particularly effective against dark attribute beings. (Note: This item can only seal one entity.)
Jinhyuk used this to take one of the kindred left in the corridor with him.
Elise went to the 1st floor to do just that, leaving Jinhyuk for a while.
The fact that the necklace on Elise’s neck had changed color confirmed that she successfully brought out Velus, one of the kindred leaders.
The problem was…
That creature with strong self-esteem could not accept the fact that Elise, the head of the Attaraxia family and its true ancestor, was bowing to a mere human.
“Sorry. Even so, over time, he’ll understand. You’re a contractor I’ve recognized.”
“Although it’s nice of you to say that, I can’t waste years seeking approval from a subordinate employee.”
This wasn’t a democratic society.
It was a dictatorship where power strictly dominated all.
Most importantly, he had no intention of keeping someone who didn’t know his place.
“What are you going to do?”
Elise asked with a face full of fear.
And then.
“What to do?”
Jinhyuk responded with his usual smile.
“We’ll have to open the squirrel cage again.”
Someone said that.
The squirrel cage of Hell Joseon opens twice.
＊＊＊
[Arggh! Cough cough! Blargghh!]
Returning from the corridor to Signiel, Jinhyuk sat leisurely on the sofa, repeating the same ordeal he had once done to Elise.
A torture session that lasted about 2 hours followed.
360 degrees was the basic course, and he even mixed in a 540 and 270-degree reverse spin course.
Thanks to this, a breathless sound echoed from the necklace continuously.
“Now. Tell me. Who is your master?”
[I… am a guardian of the Attaraxia family. Such things will never break me. The only master I serve is Elise von Attaraxia.]
Hmm.
At this level, he was not a vampire, but more like a Joseon dynasty scholar…
One could even wonder if bamboo sap ran through his veins considering his firmness.
A king with a broad capacity might laugh heartily at this juncture, admiring such spirit.
‘Unfortunately, I have a heart as small as a penny, a cruel tyrant.’
Sejong wasn’t the model, Yeonsangun was.
It was the role model for the monarch leading the Deepwaters Corporation.
Jinhyuk briefly placed the necklace on the table.
[Why? Is your wrist sore from turning it so much that you’re going to give up? I am fully ready to endure much more.]
“Oh? Really? I hope you keep that word.”
At least, the sore wrist was something he could relate to.
Hence, from now on, he was going to leave the rest to the pet he got from Theresa.
Jinhyuk tied the necklace firmly onto the wheel in the hamster cage.
“Chirp!”
The pure white Pearl hamster tilted its head.
Alexander the Great.
A proud member of the noble ‘Rosenberg’ family of Amsterdam, to which Theresa belonged, the great hamster with a pedigree.
[What is this?]
Velus cried out urgently, but Jinhyuk did not answer.
Instead, he hung a delectable cheese on top of the wheel.
Skitter skitter!
“Chirp! Chirp! Chirp!”
Alexander the Great began running frantically on the wheel to get the cheese.
[You… damned rodent dare! Stop. I command you to stopppp!]
Screams filled Signiel, but no guards were going to intrude in a place where the residents’ privacy was utmost respected.
“Elise.”
“Uh, uh-huh?”
“I’m going out for a bit. You absolutely must not take this thing out. Got it?”
“That… absolutely?”
“Yep, absolutely. Oh! And if you dare… If you ever dare to do such an atrocious deed, then keep in mind that the accessories inside the washing machine might not just be one.”
Rings go well with necklaces in a set.
If desired, another spot could be arranged inside the wheel.
Our Alexander the Great is full of vigor from the love of a saint,
certainly capable of handling both a ring and a necklace.
“Don’t worry! I’m really obedient, you know. Hehe.”
Elise smiled awkwardly.
Early education does pay off. Quick to understand.
And to a well-behaved child, one must give a treat.
“I’ll bring back loads of chicken, salmon, tripe, and more, all the stuff you like, when I come back. Be excited. And I’ll take you somewhere you’ve never been before.”
Jinhyuk wielded the carrot and stick perfectly.
Not doing ten things well and failing at one earns disappointment.
But failing ten and succeeding at one means overwhelming gratitude…
“Okay! And I… also want to try that… beer thing!”
As expected, Elise brightened her red eyes expectantly, waving goodbye.
＊＊＊
Enjoying a rare outing, Jinhyuk basked in the warm sunlight and headed to a nearby cafe from Signiel.
“Isn’t that player Kang Jinhyuk?”
“Yeah, it is. Who thought he lived in Signiel?”
“Seriously… Could I ask for just one photo with him? Or even a word…”
“Athora. They say there are people who pissed themselves just from eye contact with an S-ranked player. And with someone like Kang Jinhyuk… they might faint right away?”
Now fairly famous, more people recognized him on the streets.
‘It’s going to be hard to walk around freely.’
Sunglasses wouldn’t cut it. He needed a better solution.
Through the crowd, he arrived at a cafe with an ambient atmosphere.
Thunk!
The door opened to reveal a completely empty interior.
Despite being in a busy area, not a single customer was to be seen.
Even… the staff was missing.
As if someone had rented out the entire place.
“Over here, please.”
The familiar voice heard then.
