### Chapter 230: A Day Off in the Fortress (Part 2)
[A new video has been uploaded to the ‘Hall of Fame’.]
The eagerly anticipated video that everyone had been waiting for was finally uploaded.
-PigeonChicken: Yo, it’s up. For real, it’s up! The video of Kang Jinhyuk’s giant fortress raid!
As someone’s words spread, people swarmed the video like bees.
With the war fodder between the empire and the martial arts world unfurling at the hands of the top guilds and players,
the response was naturally explosive.
-BlindDate10,000times: How can one win against a giant using sheer strength? Does that even make sense?
-RedFolderMagpie: For real. But why go close-range when long-distance would have been more advantageous? It’s like he deliberately only fought up close. Why is that?
-jkccil5005: Maybe it’s proof he could really pull off a 500 kg deadlift?
-FreshYoungHwan: There must be a reason. The important thing is that no matter what fight, they can’t beat Jinhyuk.
-LifeIsOver: Agreed. I’ve been looking up recent information on both the empire and the martial arts world, and even their boasted swordmasters and peak masters at each sect seem nothing special.
-faclift: It’s not that they’re nothing special. Those folks are insanely strong. Someone like you would probably be knocked out just by their spittle. It’s just that the player Kang Jinhyuk is extraordinarily, outrageously outstanding.
-Darami Cushion: Thanks to him taking down Ogre-kun and the giants, we gained extra 90 days. That player is just so charismatic that you can’t even bring yourself to hate him. Keuh.
-TheFireTruckDoesn’tStop: I’d believe it if it’s him. ANG.
Comments began to stack like links in a chain.
Now, whenever a video was updated, the servers would crash, almost turning into an annual event.
The rapidly climbing view count hinted it would easily surpass ten million today.
‘This one’s getting a good reaction too.’
Jinhyuk nodded in satisfaction.
Recently, he had been immersed in the tower, but soon he might need to venture outside. He had to check in with the Awakener’s Association and catch up on the situation in both Korea and other countries, including Kim Heewoong, Lee Taemin, and Yoo Yeonhwa.
But that’s when it happened.
“Do I really have to wear this?”
Elise approached with an expression that seemed to scream utter humiliation.
window.pubfuturetag = window.pubfuturetag || [];window.pubfuturetag.push({unit: "64ce79d606107d003c23ea27", id: "pf-5140-1"})“Wow. Everyone fits the bill perfectly. It was a good decision to make the penalty a Halloween theme.”
Black and white clothes appropriately combined, lace adorned skirts, hats, and parasols made them look like Western dolls.
Thanks to the pointed fangs and red eyes, additional makeup wasn’t even necessary to become perfectly vampirical.
“Lord Jinhyuk. I feel like these clothes are a bit too revealing.”
“Master. Although it can’t be helped since we lost… This is beneath the dignity of a swordsman.”
Andria, in a short black miniskirt, and Wolyeong, dressed in ceremonial robes, voiced their discontent.
Their constant fidgeting added a certain charm to the discomfort.
‘After all, modern clothing must feel strange to the two of them.’
Andria, styled after a nine-tailed fox concept, had nine tails attached to her skirt.
Wolyeong, following a mummy concept, had white bandages wrapped in several places over her robe.
Perhaps due to their fine base figures, if they were to step into Itaewon right now, they’d surely capture everyone’s gaze at once.
“Ah. Also take one of these.”
Jinhyuk pulled a green four-leaf clover-like gem from his spatial inventory.
“What’s this?”
Elise’s eyes widened.
“It’s called a Petal of Fensia… it’s not expensive, but it’s a gift for working hard. Think of it as a sort of employee ID, exclusive to our company members.”
“Really? You’re giving these out for free?”
“Yep. Everyone gets one.”
Jinhyuk handed out a Petal of Fensia to each person.
“Th…thank you, Lord Jinhyuk. I’ll cherish it.”
“Thank you, Master.”
Everyone was taken by surprise and delighted with the unexpected gifts.
“Now that you’ve all got yours, let’s get ready to welcome our guests. Some dignitaries from the empire and the martial arts world will be arriving in a bit.”
‘The Lord’s Banquet’, a special event that a player who has secured a stronghold could activate.
window.pubfuturetag = window.pubfuturetag || [];window.pubfuturetag.push({unit: "64cc9e79c7059f003e4ad4b0", id: "pf-5109-1"})For medium and small forces to expand their reach, such events were necessary to widely promote their existence. With giants like the empire and the martial arts world set to attend, the situation was hitting two birds with one stone.
What’s more, ‘that guy’ would be there as well.
The damned traitor.
“Can’t wait to see how to torment him properly to spread the word.”
Jinhyuk let out a half-angry, half-playful smile.
“Heh heh…”
The smile quickly twisted into a sinister grin.
“How dare… How dare he betray me, huh? Good, very good. He’s definitely getting a diaper cosplay.”
Soon, the room began to fill with a lunatic’s magical energy.
-He’s done for. That swordsman. To have fallen foul of such a lunatic. Shame, he had potential.
-I’d have bitten my tongue and committed suicide in his place…
-Don’t include me in that, surely. It’s making me anxious.
As people each harbored their own thoughts,
the destiny of their forces hinged upon the Halloween party just a few hours away.
Then…
“…!?”
Jinhyuk jolted.
He sensed something at the edge of his perception.
Too distant and faint to be sure, but an ominous and unfamiliar presence brushed past his skin.
“Elise. Did you feel something just now?”
“Huh? Honestly, I had a fleeting thought that you’re a great demon… No, that’s not it. I didn’t feel anything. For real, I was just spacing out. Seriously.”
‘Maybe it was my imagination.’
Considering Elise’s lack of reaction, he might just have been too sensitive.
＊＊＊
window.pubfuturetag = window.pubfuturetag || [];window.pubfuturetag.push({unit: "663633fa8ebf7442f0652b33", id: "pf-8817-1"})In ‘Sedeth’, one of the kingdoms within the empire and a holy nation that worships the goddess Feris, the birthplace of paladins, an incident that should never happen was unfolding in the catacombs where the kingdom’s holy knights rested…
Drip… drip…
The sound of water droplets falling from the ceiling echoed in the vast tomb.
“…Is everything in place now?”
A man slowly opened his mouth.
A leader of the Mages’ Association and also an esteemed ranker of the Round Table.
Gawein was his name.
Next to him, an aged man with a cackling laugh softly rubbed his palms together.
“Kekeke! Yes, it’s a pity we don’t have all the divine relics, but this should be enough to summon a fairly powerful demon.”
To manifest the Demon King, an essential ingredient: ‘Cursed divine relics.’
Players and residents of the tower, associated with the Mages’ Association, had been scouring the tower like mad ever since its arrival.
To fulfill their wishes and survive the tower’s curse.
To adapt to the radically altered laws of this world.
Up to this point, they’ve been single-mindedly pursuing their goals by any means necessary.
The result was right there before them.
Four Divine Relics and three Lesser Divine Relics.
With these, they could bridge the gap for their main plan to unfold without a hitch.
“Good. Begin then.”
“Keke! Yes, let’s start.”
The elder imbued the central relics with his magic.
At that moment, a purple smoke began to drift from his body.
Woooom!
[The Holy Relic reacts to the magic of the target!]
[With the 7 Cursed Divine Relics, a gate to the demon world is activated!]
[The summonable demon’s rank is limited due to the incomplete nature of the relics.]
Red status screens popped up one after another.
“Ooh!”
“Finally…!”
“Our mighty minions have arrived.”
Exclamations poured from the onlookers jaws. A long-desired achievement was at their fingertips.
Kukukuku!
The ground started to crack at that moment.
Ssshhh!
A tremendous heat surged from the split earth, illuminating the dark tomb with its red lava glow.
It was coming.
From deep below…
Something unspeakable.
Crack!
Crunch!
Skeletons within the tombs were sucked down one after another as if they were being absorbed entirely.
A short while later.
“Grrr…”
Emerging from the lava was an enormous flaming skeleton, towering over 10 meters.
Its size was enormous, but the aura of magic radiating from the creature was unlike any monster they’d encountered previously.
This was one of the descendants of ‘Guntapher’, a high-ranking demon, the likes of which could only be encountered in the upper levels of the tower.
Just its appearance had a monumental impact.
But.
Suddenly, the flaming skeleton extended its hand.
Skeletonized arms covered with lava and combustion snatched a man who had bowed his head.
Ssshhh!
In mere seconds, the player was reduced to a handful of ashes.
“What? What’s happening?”
“Why is it attacking us all of a sudden!”
“Ahhhh!”
“Run… Run away!”
Awe and accolades transformed into cries of desperation and doom.
They had to escape.
The sooner, the better, to survive this dread.
However, the escape was restricted by narrow corridors, allowing only a minority to flee.
Kaboom!
A volcanic blast swept through the players in an instant.
“Grrr!”
The flame skeleton showed no regards for the players who had summoned it.
Yet amidst the chaos, only Gawein and the elder seemed to be spared from its wrath.
It was no surprise.
The unremarkable mages of the Mages’ Association present were the sacrificial offerings…
Set up by none other than the two of them.
‘Almost there. All who opposed us will become nothing but ashes today.’
The corners of Gawein’s mouth curled upwards.
＊＊＊
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Colorful fireworks decorated the sky above the fortress.
As the grand display unfolded to celebrate the stronghold’s new lord, the castle gates swung open.
Dignitaries from the empire and the martial arts world who had received invitations began to step into the castle.
“Urgh. It’s humiliating for me, of all people, to suffer such indignity at the hands of a player residing outside the tower…”
Count Hoviar, the commander of the fortress siege, clenched his jaw in frustration.
Even if unrestricted passage through this stronghold was essential, there was no reason for a noble of high standing to attend the party of a base-born commoner.
But, any complaints now were pointless.
‘Curses. If it weren’t for the orders.’
Hoviars’s face, as sour as chewed-upon bile, entered the castle.
Meanwhile.
The martial arts world delegates who had received invitations reached the western gate of the castle.
Baek Seyoulin and Namgung Cheon, among many others, heightened their senses as they walked.
Cheon Yuseong was also there.
‘….’
Cheon Yuseong looked uneasy, glancing around the castle interior.
[Attendees from the martial arts world must bring Cheon Yuseong, or access to the castle will be denied. – Fortress Lord Kang Jinhyuk Note]
The message on the invitation was clear.
Undoubtedly, the most wicked demon within the tower was now targeting his very neck.
Then, at that moment.
Cheon Yuseong spotted a familiar figure.
The last person he wanted to face.
Yet one he inevitably had to confront.
And they stood there, holding what seemed to be a rather generously sized French maid outfit.
Gasp.
Their eyes met.
Cold sweat trickled down Cheon Yuseong’s spine.
For some inexplicable reason, an intense feeling of dread seeped into his bones, beyond all imagination.
