Chapter 195: Rising Flames of War (1)
Floor 24 of the Tower of Trials.
The interior of the castle, reduced to ruins by the attacks of the Martial Realm, was piled high with corpses like a mountain.
The acrid smoke rising in the air and the groans of the injured spoke volumes about the horrific nature of the battle.
And then…
There were two men on the watchtower, looking down at the entire scene.
The head of the Nangong family, Nangong Jinho, and…
Nangong Cheon, who had led China’s Zhonghua Guild.
“This matter has been quite troublesome. Thanks to your efforts, we’ve easily snatched one of the enemy’s strongholds.”
“It’s nothing… I merely did as the Head of the family commanded.”
“Hahaha! To think you’ve singlehandedly annihilated one of the empire’s proudest knight orders with such humility… Indeed, it was the right decision to welcome you into our Nangong family.”
Nangong Jinho looked at Nangong Cheon with a gentle expression.
The Zhonghua Guild was originally nothing more than a tool for the expansion of the Martial Realm’s influence. Even that had become nearly obsolete after being decimated by the ‘Three Great Despairs’.
But…
There was one exception.
Nangong Cheon was far too valuable to be simply discarded.
While not born within the Martial Realm and lacking its bloodline, he possessed an exceptional talent and skill that was simply too remarkable to ignore.
And so, Nangong Jinho had granted Nangong Cheon the true ‘Nangong(南宮)’ name, taught him the sword, and made him into a perfect warrior.
‘With this, even the other successors, including Hyun, will not be able to match Cheon. Had I known this, I should have taken him in sooner.’
Within the Martial Realm… and among the Five Great Families and the Nine Factions’ swords.
Someday, they will turn the empire into an inferno and mercilessly slaughter the dark factions and Devil Cult that they had reluctantly allied with.
As Nangong Jinho imagined such a scenario, a cold smile formed on his lips.
The day for their grand ambition to be realized was not far off.
“Before today ends, we must destroy another of their bases. The Martial Alliance has promised to support us with the ‘Shin Young Unit (新永隊)’ and seven peak-level experts. Do you think you can handle it?”
“Yes, I will ensure success.”
Nangong Cheon, too, had flames of ambition flaring in his eyes.
He had snagged the opportunity.
In this completely changed world, he would seize and climb the golden rope that would take him higher.
He clenched his fists tightly, as thoughts raced through Nangong Cheon’s head.
“But, Head of the family.”
“What is it?”
“What do you plan to do about that guy?”
Nangong Cheon had mentioned another figure.
Even without saying it, Nangong Jinho knew to whom he was referring.
Kang Jinhyuk.
The strongest and worst ranker.
The collapse of the Zhonghua Guild had been his doing, and he had clashed with the Martial Realm several times.
He was a dangerous, high-alert target.
Left unchecked, he would become a significant variable in this war.
“Don’t worry. The players won’t be in their right minds to get involved in this matter.”
“…You have a plan?”
“Yes. So you just focus on your assigned task.”
There was no chance of the plan falling apart.
The Martial Realm had already completed perfect preparations for the hunt, for this very day.
＊＊＊
Meanwhile, on floor 5 of the Tower of Trials, in the ‘psychiatric ward’, Jinhyuk, Elis, and Andria were deep in conversation.
The topic was singular:
‘How should one act to be an excellent boss monster?’
Considering the Troll Tribe’s Karaal and others had played a significant role in conquering floors 8 and 9, Jinhyuk planned to develop Andria, another of his hidden cards, into a reliable force.
That’s why he had summoned Elis, the veteran.
“It’s been so long since we met.”
Andria greeted Jinhyuk and Elis with a bright smile.
Wow.
Once she was a frightened girl among fanatics.
Now, she looked every part the boss, with a sense of dignity.
Wearing leaves crafted from laurel and garments of white fabric… What could you say? She resembled a goddess from Greco-Roman mythology.
Standing next to Elis, they looked like sisters, albeit with one always complaining and the other more compliant.
‘It’s nice to feel familiar even after a long absence.’
Jinhyuk surveyed the surroundings.
The gloomy and dark interior had scarcely changed since his last visit.
The madness of the fanatics had somewhat subsided, but the ambiance assuredly communicated that this was indeed the psychiatric ward.
“How have you been lately? The upper floors have been opened, but I’m sure there are still some annoying players hanging around, right?”
“Of the bosses in charge of the 11 zones, eight have lost their lives to players. Including myself, only three remain, and we’re all just keeping an eye on each other.”
Hmm. Already that many gone?
It seems as time passes, the level of the players increases as well.
“The survivors are the prison and desert island? They must be in a real panic right now.”
“Yes. At this rate, it won’t be long before all territories are conquered. The consensus is to unite what’s left. Of course, since no one wants to be absorbed by another, it’s a stalemate.”
In other words,
Their own lives were in danger due to the increasingly powerful players, but the thought of allying with each other to fall under someone else’s command hurt their pride.
That’s probably the sentiment.
As time went on, it would become increasingly difficult to stop the players growing stronger on the fifth floor.
Jinhyuk realized Andria needed to grow even faster than now.
And not just Andria… For his own future as well.
At that moment,
“Don’t worry. I’ll give you special training in attributes.”
Elis’s confident voice was heard from the side.
Ooh.
As expected, she’s surprisingly a competent teacher.
Jinhyuk turned his head, his face filled with anticipation.
However…
“Sigh…”
Upon seeing Elis, Jinhyuk couldn’t help but let out a deep sigh.
“How’s this?”
Elis was dressed in a curious ensemble, wearing black-rimmed glasses, a white dress shirt, and a black skirt. She looked incredibly prepared, even having her hair done up.
And next to her, out of nowhere, was Velus, who must have been summoned from her necklace.
That guy was an anomaly himself…
Dressed exactly like Indiana Jones, with tousled hair, half-undone shirt, and even a leather whip. It was like he stepped right out of a movie.
And yet, they seemed so oddly matched.
That’s why I have issues with those born with superior genes…
Jinhyuk massaged his temples with his fingers.
“They say this is the true appearance of a teacher, popular among the people outside the tower. Supposedly, this boosts learning efficiency by 50%.”
“Who in their right mind told you that?”
“YouTube! I was browsing on your laptop last night.”
Damn that YouTube algorithm.
“Alright, let’s not talk about that. Just tell me what needs to be done.”
“Our commonly used method is… To fight and fight until we collapse from exhaustion,” Elis said, gently biting her finger.
Eudeuk!
A droplet of blood emerged, and soon a vast array formed on the ground.
[Elis has manifested the Lv?? ‘Bloodsport Arena’!]
The array maximizes experience and insight from combat within its boundaries.
The Ataraxia family’s young vampires commonly used this fighting arena for their rite of passage.
“Me… fighting with you, sister?”
Andria asked Elis cautiously.
Although she often sparred with Elis, the gap in their abilities was so vast, given Elis’s preference for ranged combat, which didn’t mesh well with Andria’s close-combat specialization.
More often than not, she learned less and got hit more.
Taking that into account…
“No, I will do it.”
Elis didn’t fit this particular situation.
Jinhyuk took out ‘Fang’ from his spatial inventory.
Swhoosh.
The green-tinted dagger flowed smoothly in his right hand.
“Jinhyuk… Sir, you will personally teach me…”
Overwhelmed, Andria clenched her fist.
From her perspective, Jinhyuk was nothing less than a deity.
He was the savior who changed her bleak past.
The ranker who swept through the psychiatric ward with overwhelming martial prowess, thus, her excitement was beyond imagination.
Andria also took two 30cm daggers into her hands.
Her stance, significantly improved since their first meeting, along with her increase in magical power as a boss since then, needed no explanation.
“I won’t hold back, so come at me with everything you have.”
“Yes. I’ll do my best.”
Andria nodded.
With that as the signal,
Thud!
Andria moved first.
Covering the distance in an instant with the vampire’s unique movement skill, her rotating dagger aimed for Jinhyuk’s torso.
Kaang!
A sharp metallic sound echoed as the two blades crossed.
What followed was a sword dance too swift for the eyes to follow.
North, south, east, west.
The intensity of their exchange rendered the term ‘spar’ insufficient, with each strike vicious beyond compare.
To an observer unaware, it might be believed they were engaged in a real duel.
Nonetheless,
With torrents of attacks unleashed, Jinhyuk responded with effortless ease.
Kakakakang!
‘Kuk!’
Andria bit her lip hard.
She had devoted herself day and night, not distinguishing between day and night, solely to grow stronger and become a more perfect boss monster.
To catch up to Jinhyuk, even by a single step.
To be of any assistance to him on his path.
It was dedication to strength, risking life itself.
But still…
‘The gap isn’t closing.’
The vast wall seen their first meeting hadn’t lowered a bit.
The more she attacked, the greater the sense of despair, almost a delusional feeling.
The gap between their skills was that palpable.
Yet despite this, Jinhyuk skillfully moderated the pace and depth of the spar, helping Andria unleash all her latent potential.
Almost perfect in terms of a tailored education.
＊＊＊
Even Elis, observing the scene, shook her head in disbelief.
“Seriously, he gets stronger every time I see him fight. At this rate, even if my seal is released, he might be too much to handle.”
“Elis… Madam. That’s absurd! Even then, to compare a mere human to you, Elis Madam…”
“Do you really think so? That it’s nonsense?”
Indeed, it is absurd to make such a claim.
The absolute sovereign of the tower.
The most powerful bloodline.
Even the six families feared the being known as Elis von Ataraxia.
Yet, curiously,
Elis felt it instinctively.
The ‘shelf life’ of those grand titles wasn’t as extensive as one might think.
With time, within the tower’s many powerful beings, a new hierarchy would emerge.
‘But it’s not too bad.’
Her pride wasn’t hurt.
Because…
That formidable individual was the very human bound to her by a contract.
And he would remember the promise they had made.
Comforted by this thought, Elis stretched satisfyingly.
“If you don’t get it, just watch. Things look different according to one’s level.”
“Under…stood,” Velus reluctantly nodded.
However,
The spar, expected to drag on longer, came to an unexpectedly swift conclusion.
[A video call request has arrived.]
A status window appeared in front of Jinhyuk.
The caller was Theresa.
The location was Europe.
But that Europe…
Was vastly different from what everyone knew.
