Chapter 109
Chapter 109
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 109
Chapter Title: The Wave Rider
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The ceiling of the underground prison opened.
In an instant, it transformed into an arena.
The spectator stands were packed solid with people.
'A prison..., into an arena?'
Does that even make sense?
How did they know we were coming here?
No matter how fabricated the setting or how artificial the souls, someone should tell whoever designed this floor of the Tower to at least pay some attention to plausibility.
Frankly, at this point, I'm curious.
The missions that players from all countries must face from the 71st floor onward.
Are they really the same as the mission I'm currently undertaking?
"They likely are not different, sire."
"Is that so? I wish they were different."
"For what reason, sire?"
"Because this mission is related to Gobang's past..."
He couldn't help but feel uneasy.
Because players all over the world could indirectly experience Gobang's past.
"There is no need to worry about that, sire."
"Why not?"
Gyeon Dal-rae explained in a calm tone.
"For those who do not know Gobang-nim's present or past, it will be a simple, ordinary mission. Merely stopping the tyranny of the mercenary group and eliminating the necromancer and king behind it."
Come to think of it.
The mission description doesn't even mention the first syllable of 'Gobang'.
The background info on the Super Monster Hydra only briefly mentionde a barbarian warrior.
And could a regular player even check the background information?
Like this:
＜Royal Guard Knight Commander Jornte＞
Grade: SSR (Special Super Rare)
Type: Knight (Human)
Details: Knight Jornte was a mercenary. He traveled the continent with the hero Arius, completing countless commission missions. When Arius became king of the Norton Kingdom, Jornte became the Royal Guard Commander, enjoying both honor and wealth. However, he was later tempted by the king and had his body modified, falling into a chimera state.
'Speaking of which, King Arius, that bastard is everywhere.'
I thought he only tricked Gobang, but he even lured his own Royal Guard Commander to be modified into a chimera?
And he was the scumbag who ordered the collection of children's souls for the purpose of restoring the Super Monster Hydra as a strategic weapon.
'Let's check some info.'
'Huh?'
Even if it's 'Advanced', it's just an R?
Pathetic and worthless.
At that level, wouldn't he just go 'Kek!' and die from a single hit of Razix's golden pickaxe?
- Arius was a bastard son of the Norton royal family. To escape the eyes of his jealous half-brothers, he left the palace and wandered the continent. Lacking strength, wealth, or influence, Arius's only weapons were his identity as a royal family member, his silver tongue, and his skill at packaging himself as a hero to deceive gullible people and build a faction.
- The event that made Arius famous throughout the kingdom was the subjugation of the Super Monster Hydra. His popularity soared because of it, and using that as a stepping stone, he returned to the royal family, co-opted the nobles, purged his half-brothers, and ascended to the throne.
He was just a two-bit con artist.
But why is a guy like that part of an extremely difficult mission?
Clatter, clatter, clatter.
The hundreds of soldiers and knights pouring into the arena, and the battle mage troops positioned around the throne where he sat.
Ah, right.
Arius's power was his army.
For a player alone to break through that force and kill Arius would, of course, be difficult.
'Hmm.'
But the same went for Joo-hyuk.
Even with his Summoned Beings, how could he reach that packed spectator stand?
If the target hid, it became hard to find.
'There's no way other than sniping that bastard Colonel.'
For example, with a large-caliber round or something.
But what about the mages stationed beside the king?
What if they use defensive magic?
If I failed, there wouldn't be another chance.
I might have to wage an all-out war against the kingdom's army.
Since it's a conditional conquest, he couldn't give up, and no time limit applied... he might be trapped in the Tower forever.
Mission: Impossible.
A mission impossible to succeed from the start.
Joo-hyuk might find a sliver of hope thanks to his Summoned Beings, but...
For ordinary players, the moment they accept the conditional conquest, they should consider themselves dead.
I need to warn them in advance to absolutely stop them from attempting it.
"Attack!!!"
The all-out assault began.
The spectators roared.
"Let's go!"
"Kill them!"
"Complete annihilation of the intruders!"
"Glory to His Majesty King Arius!"
The chimera hounds and knight troops swarmed in.
"My Lord, Lucius Bardin is by your side."
Bardin, having shed his role as the Holy Sword, came to Joo-hyuk's side.
"VIP Protection Mode. Commander, do not worry."
Veronica, with her hundred-percent accuracy.
"Young maiden, shall we have some fun?"
Gyeon Dal-rae, was scattering talismans and dancing as if about to take flight.
And the Mad Demon...
'Huh? Where did he go? He was right here a moment ago.'
Anyway, battle start.
Ziiing!
Joo-hyuk had already activated his energy shield.
He held the Thunderstorm Mace in one hand.
He activated Blood Jade Astral Qi as well.
And the 10-use Blink Ring too.
Ready.
Now, he'd carry it out.
The rite of passage.
'Why can't I kill people?'
He could.
Whether human or hound, he'd wipe out everything he saw...
In that instant,
Joo-hyuk took one step forward, then halted.
'Wait!'
A thought flashed through his mind simultaneously.
'Why am I so desperate to fight like this?'
Because he was a coward lacking courage?
Because he wanted to live not as an ordinary guy, but as a real man?
He couldn't deny it.
That might be part of it.
But the biggest reason.
Was that he felt sorry.
For the Summoned Beings who only sacrificed themselves for him.
He didn't want to be a burden anymore.
He wanted to carry the weight they bore together, to pull his own weight.
But the thought occurring now:
Was this action really lightening the load for the Summoned Beings?
Had their burden become lighter?
Joo-hyuk stepped forward.
The sight of Gobang facing Jornte came into view.
Gobang, kept looking at him nervously, worried something might happen.
It wasn't just Gobang.
Bardin too,
"Light!!!"
He was brandishing his flail, circling only around Joo-hyuk.
As if trying to fill the void left by Kosak.
And if enemies approached even a little,
Screech! Thud!
He immediately charged, dealt with them, and returned to his spot.
What about Veronica?
She was the same.
Her class is disadvantaged if she draws aggro.
Yet, ignoring any enemies rushing at her, she silently pulled the trigger solely for Joo-hyuk.
And Gyeon Dal-rae's talismans.
The area they fell was extremely limited.
The talismans fluttered like flower petals only around Joo-hyuk.
'If it's like this...'
Could it be a proper conquest?
'Everyone is only looking at me.'
Joo-hyuk chuckled dryly.
This wasn't right.
And he slowly retreated.
Only then did the relieved expressions appear on the Summoned Beings' faces.
Joo-hyuk's act of stepping forward.
Wasn't lightening their burden; it was actually making it heavier.
'Damn it...'
He thought he'd become strong enough.
He judged that he was at a level where he could take care of himself.
Maybe this situation was similar.
Like the heart of an 80-year-old mother who worried anxiously every time her 60-year-old son went out.
There's no helping it.
He needed to become stronger.
Strong enough to at least be able to defeat his own Summoned Beings.
Gobang was facing Jornte.
The knight in plate armor tilted his head.
"You... look familiar."
Then, as if remembering something.
Clank! He removed his helmet.
"Right, you were the barbarian warrior. The dull, stupid meat shield."
Like the Royal Guards, he had a large, blood-red single eye.
Jornte was also a modified chimera knight.
Though the difference was that he could speak freely.
"...But you died. How?"
"Correct. I died. But I was called forth by my Summoner."
"Summoner? Hmm, I don't understand a word."
"You don't need to."
Thump, thump.
Gobang walked forward.
"You will die here."
"...Me?"
Shhhling.
A bluish greatsword was drawn from Jornte's waist.
"That's music to my ears. Please, kill me."
"How shall I kill you?"
"Kehahaha, you talk well. You've gotten quite clever. You should have been like that 50 years ago. If you were, you wouldn't have been tricked by Arius."
Whoosh!
Flames erupted from Jornte's sword.
Crrack!
Gobang's flesh hardened like diamond.
Gobang's expression was calm, but inside, he was very anxious.
Because that bastard was strong?
Nonsense.
He could play with a guy like Jornte, torment him slowly, and then kill him.
Snap his ankles, break his back, rip off his arms one by one...
But the number of enemies inside the arena was quite large.
And with the assassin gone.
Then who would protect the Summoner?
He needed to finish this quickly and guard his side.
Personal revenge?
That's nothing.
The most important value for Gobang was solely the Summoner's safety.
Stab!
Jornte's blazing flame greatsword stabbed toward his heart.
That bastard was smart too.
The fight could drag on.
He needed to finish it before Jornte gauged his true strength.
'Give one, take one.'
Gobang didn't retreat but advanced instead.
He twisted his upper body slightly to avoid the heart area, then deliberately let the flame greatsword pierce his chest.
Thunk!
The greatsword pierced through the right side of his right chest.
"Uahahaha! Is that all you've got? Stupid barbarian!"
Ignoring the taunt, Gobang grabbed Jornte's shoulder with a clamp! and pulled him in.
"Y-you bastard..."
Snatch!
Grabbing the knight's head with both hands,
"Huhk!"
With a roar of provocation,
"Graaaaaah!!!"
Crrunch!
He twisted it,
Squelch!
And tore it off.
Thud.
Jornte fell, headless.
Next?
'Where's the king?'
But Gobang's eyes were fixed solely on Joo-hyuk.
Could something like revenge compare to the Summoner's safety?
The Summoner was unharmed.
Only now could he relax.
Gobang yanked the greatsword embedded in his chest out with a shluck!
Pffft!
Crimson blood spurted like a fountain.
But regeneration was immediate.
Gobang grinned.
Now he could properly protect his Summoner.
In the circular arena spectator stand.
At the highest point, watching the match, was Norton Kingdom's King Arius.
The Norton Kingdom's underground prison had no long-term inmates.
The prison was always empty.
Fresh, usable prisoners had their souls extracted, and the worthless, trash-like ones were herded together for gladiatorial games and killed off in one go.
Gladiatorial games where prisoners killed each other.
Sometimes, if live monsters were captured and thrown in, the games became even more exciting.
When games were held, the kingdom turned into a festival frenzy.
The kingdom's nobles and wealthy merchants gathered at the arena, paying large sums to enjoy the spectacle of blood and gore.
But it was impossible to continuously supply prisoners.
Unless they started a war and captured prisoners of war?
If there were no fighters, games couldn't be held.
That meant losing one source of income.
The national treasury was already nearly empty due to the funds going to the necromancer Noma for the Super Monster Hydra restoration project.
Well, there was a way.
Forcibly creating fighters.
That's what the chimeras were prepared for.
Untrained, wild chimera hounds.
And the chimera knights created specifically for the games.
Originally, a battle between hounds and knights was scheduled.
He'd opened the lid with a bored expression, used to seeing the same thing... but what was this?
The chimera hounds and chimera knights were all dead, killed by suspicious intruders.
Where did they come from?
All six of them.
Each one extraordinary.
King Arius's judgment was swift.
Those bastards could fight the match instead.
The opponents would be his loyal slave, Knight Commander Jornte, the knights, and the trained chimera hounds.
No matter how strong those six intruders were, could they compare to Jornte?
A guy strengthened with chimera magic, who had reached the realm of Sword Expert.
But as time passed, he grew uneasy.
They were no pushovers.
The hounds were dying off.
The chimera knights, synthesized with massive budgets, were being smashed by a flail, their heads exploding from some strange long-range weapon.
Especially that giant.
How enormous was he?
Jornte, with his minotaur body attached via chimera enhancement magic, looked small in comparison.
But he looked familiar.
Who was it?
It vaguely reminded him of that incredibly stupid barbarian from 50 years ago.
And then, Jornte died.
Even after being impaled by the flame sword, the giant pulled Jornte in and tore his head off.
The spectators began to get excited.
They were intoxicated by the cruel spectacle they hadn't seen in a long time.
But Arius grew anxious.
Dangerous.
If those bastards came out of the arena, who knew what would happen.
'...This won't do.'
Arius gave an order to his subordinate.
"Have the soldiers pour oil into the arena."
"...Pardon?"
"The palace mages will prepare fire magic. Set it ablaze and burn them all to ashes. Make sure not a single one crawls out."
"But the knights are still..."
"So?"
Arius retorted as if asking what the problem was.
"After seeing that, you still say such things? Failing to eliminate just six intruders..."
"Five, Your Majesty."
"Huh? What did you say?"
"The intruders inside the arena are five."
Arius blinked and checked again.
There were definitely six at the start.
'Did one die?'
Just then!
"Have you found me?"
A voice echoed from the air.
Arius looked up.
"Huhk!"
An old man was floating in mid-air with his hands clasped behind his back, looking down upon the world as if overlooking it.
"You plan to set the arena on fire?"
The Mad Demon raised his hand.
Oooooooo...
In it was a swirling storm of Qi.
"Dare you threaten my Summoner?"
And a massive blade of Qi rose above his palm.
King Arius's pupils trembled.
'...Sword Master?'
No.
Stronger than that.
A Grand Master, the kind that only appeared in legends.
Shiver!
Goosebumps rose on Arius's arms.
Had he ever felt threatened to this extent before?
"K-kill that, that old man!!!"
Brilliant magic surged toward the Mad Demon.
Knights hurled their spears.
Swish! Kaboom! Whirr!
But none of the attacks could penetrate the Mad Demon's protective Qi barrier.
Still with his hands behind his back, speaking in a leisurely tone,
"Have you heard of the wave?"
What on earth...
"Since it's a circular arena, let's do the wave. From left to right."
And a massive crescent of Qi descended upon the circular arena.
"Gasp!"
"E-evade!"
"Block it!"
"Protect His Majesty the King!"
Tzapapapat!
The fiercely rotating Qi crescent.
Slicing through everything it touched,
Tziriririririt!
It circled the spectator stand once.
And a massacre unfolded.
The Crescent Boomerang Wave.
Twice, three times...
A mountain of corpses, a sea of blood.
There were no other words to describe it.
Joo-hyuk also witnessed the carnage in the stands.
'...Good grief!'
At first, he wondered where the Mad Demon had gone.
Then he heard commotion from the stands, looked up, and saw.
No, Mad Demon, the wave?
Isn't that something you do at baseball or soccer stadiums to cheer?
The spectator stand was devastated.
Corpses with severed necks, severed waists, severed legs.
The Mad Demon's mass murder.
Well, he was originally that kind of person.
Was the title 'The Most Evil in the Martial World' given for no reason?
He felt ridiculous for agonizing over whether to kill or not in front of such a person.
It wasn't just Joo-hyuk.
Everyone was speechless.
Gobang, Bardin, Gyeon Dal-rae, Veronica.
They just gulped dryly as they looked at the scene the Mad Demon had wrought.
And then.
Having reappeared at some point,
Pat pat pat pat!
Kosak, running over with a beaming smile, also,
"Summoner Bong, well, our manservant Razix... Whoa! Wh-what is that?"
Froze solid at the sight of the gruesome stands, and,
"Hweeeek!"
Razix, who had been rolling over confidently with a proud expression.
"...Hueh?"
His round body trembled violently.
But the Mad Demon was unperturbed.
Slowly descending from the air,
"Huh? Why is everyone so surprised? It's nothing new."
Hey, not being surprised would be abnormal.
And then. Ding!
Reward: High-Grade Magic Stone 73kg
Special Reward: Summoned Being Grade Breakthrough Rune (Conditional)
World Notice
📍 Player: Bong Joo-hyuk (South Korea)
⚔ Floor: 73rd Floor Conquest
⭐ Rating:S+++
🎁 S+++ Reward: 2 Platinum Badges
The message announcing the conquest success.
But even in this situation, one message rang clearly in his ears.
'Summoned Being Grade Breakthrough Rune?'
Not 'upgrade', but 'breakthrough'.
And the word 'conditional' was specified.
'The meaning of breakthrough... could it be...'
Spot!
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