Chapter 74
Chapter 74
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 74
Chapter Title: The Dashing Charge
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The shopping trip had been satisfying.
The built-in wardrobes in each room of the penthouse were now filled with clothes and accessories the Summoned Beings had purchased.
Well, they had spent that much money.
Although I still hadn't shaken off yesterday's shame.
I kicked the blanket so much during the night that my legs were stiff.
The fourth and final after-party was also spectacular.
We ate and drank lavishly at a barbecue restaurant.
Just the money spent that day was tens of millions of won.
But my bank account didn't even flinch.
It felt like the more I spent, the more it grew.
Not long ago, a Russian player came to Korea on a visit, paid the rental fee, and borrowed the Holy Sword.
Russia had two Towers.
They're on the 63rd floor, each with different conquest deadlines, so they had only conquered one, they said.
They made a reservation to come again in two months and left.
Fortunately, there were no accidents.
The conquest was successful, and the Holy Sword was returned safely.
Ten million dollars were deposited into his account.
That amount must be nothing to Russia.
The money received for conquering three Chinese Towers in succession through temporary naturalization must be astronomical.
The money was increasing like crazy.
Holy Sword rental fees, Tower ore supplied directly to the Management Bureau, and the leather payment hadn't even come in yet.
'Should I buy a building?'
That's also a good idea.
It's much better than just leaving money sitting in the account.
Anyway, let's try conquering the 65th floor.
The original plan was to park at the 64th floor.
The special privileges only went that far, sohe didn't intend to push recklessly.
He was planning to buy a car and tour the country once a new Summoned Being arrived and they'd bonded.
But his thoughts changed.
The evil Kosak's idea played a big part, as it allowed him to use the Heretic Inquisitor Lucius Bardin as a Holy Sword.
Recalling the ghouls exploding under his radiance even gave him a strange sense of pleasure.
What would a confrontation with the 65th-floor Dullahan be like?
It's an undead monster called a mid-boss, after all.
Going to higher floors had another advantage.
The number of item fragments that could be found through Razix's search increases.
In this situation, how could he call myself a Tower Alpha Male if he didn't go up?
Before climbing,
Joo-hyuk called Deputy Bureau Chief Jeon Gwang-il.
- Ah! Player Bong, to what do I owe the pleasure? You even called first.
"It's nothing special, but I'm thinking of trying to conquer the 65th and 66th floors... Is that okay?"
- Hahaha, of course, you should go up if you want to. However, please refrain from the 67th floor. As you know, we must fill the conquest deadline to the brim.
"Ugh, of course I won't go up to the 67th."
People would be shocked.
Even when I completed the S++ conquest of the 64th floor, the media went wild.
They said I should stop, that an uncontrolled genius is dangerous.
"Let's subtly leak it this time."
- Huh?
"That I won't go up to the 67th floor, that the Awakening Management Bureau had prior communication with Gobang."
- That's....
"Well, they probably already know anyway."
Holy Sword, leather, ore supply.
Unless they're fools, most people would have caught on.
That the S++ grade conqueror is on friendly terms with the Management Bureau.
- Understood. I'll subtly hint at it. Vaguely.
I'd notified them.
First, the 65th floor.
Joo-hyuk called the Summoned Beings in order.
Starting with the most senior,
"Choo-woong! Summoner Bong's right-hand man, the brilliant schemer, top-secret agent, Kosak has arrived."
He appeared wearing the luxury sunglasses he bought at the department store.
The exact same appearance as when I last saw him.
'He said it would be saved, and he really appeared just like that.'
Next, Gobang.
He was wearing a top-tier luxury suit.
Luxury shoes, a tie, and a shiny platinum badge on his chest.
"Summoner, Gobang is here too."
He looks cool.
The perfect fit is no joke.
"But you can't enter the Tower wearing those clothes. They'll tear when you enlarge."
"It's fine, Summoner. They won't tear."
"...Why?"
"They were saved and authenticated as my belongings. The clothes stretch when I enlarge."
"Ah!"
So, I'll get to see a giant Gobang in a suit?
Weird.
"Thank you for calling this one again today."
Jeans, a t-shirt, sneakers.
A perfect Korean teenager.
And Razix and Veronica?
"Hoeng!"
"Victory! Sergeant Veronica Caliber, reporting as summoned by the Commander!"
Both had done a lot of miscellaneous shopping, but nothing had changed.
The items Razix bought were stored in his subspace backpack, and Veronica's items were in the wardrobe.
"Shall we go to the 65th floor then?"
To catch the Dullahan.
We'd summon weapons inside.
The environment of the 65th floor was a plain region.
So, even from the safe zone, the appearance of the mission area was clearly visible.
It was like a sea.
Real waves were crashing.
Undead waves.
'It's terrifying.'
A legion strong undead army.
All the undead that had appeared up to the 64th floor were filling the vast plain.
And on a highland in the middle of the plain, a headless knight riding a skeletal horse.
The mission of the 65th floor was that guy.
It was game over if you just caught the Dullahan.
But it's quite difficult.
To reach where the Dullahan was, you had to break through the massive undead legion's forces, but how?
Of course, a relatively easy method existed.
The Dullahan didn't stay still on the highland.
It'd move soon.
As if trying to imitate a commander, it rides its skeletal horse alone, patrolling around the plain in circles.
Usually, the time it takes to start patrolling and reach the entrance of the mission area is about 5 hours.
So, if you did nothing, held your breath, and waited, it appears right in front of the player.
"It will be easy if we wait about 5 hours. Although the Dullahan is a knight, so the size and range of its dark aura are wide, it also has the disadvantage of having no head, so confronting it won't be difficult."
Meaning we can catch it after 5 hours.
"Then what about an S++ conquest?"
"It wouldn't be easy, would it?"
"Is it completely impossible?"
"It's possible with a frontal assault. Breaking through the undead legion and capturing the Dullahan directly...."
"Hmm."
Break through that and go past?
'That would be dangerous.'
Especially for the non-combat Summoned Beings, Gyeon Dal-rae and Razix.
But there's a way.
A frontal assault.
I have the Holy Sword too.
"Mr. Razix and Princess, move with Gobang. Ride on his shoulders."
Gobang has done it a few times, so he should be familiar.
However,
"Huh? No way. The Princess is one thing, but our worker Razix can roll around and move faster than Sergeant V. You ride him, Summoner Bong."
"Hohe!"
How can that be?
The child and teenager should go first.
No matter how much of an ordinary guy he was, he couldn't yield on this; it's embarrassing.
"Am I some kind of slug? Who taught you Shadow Step? Huh? Did you forget Void Striding?"
"Ugh, th-that's not what I meant."
"Master, please ride with the young lady. A scholar does not run even in the rain…"
"Enough, do as I say. I'll run, so prepare to run."
"…Yes."
Break through the undead legion and capture the Dullahan directly.
A conquest no one had ever attempted before.
Well, all my conquests so far had been like that.
"Let's begin."
Whoosh! Gobang's body grew as if touching the sky.
His suit stretched along with it, looking incredibly cool.
He shouldn't call him a barbarian warrior anymore.
The cool urban warrior Gobang. But infinitely warm to his comrades.
"Lucius Bardin, Designated Summon."
Spot!
"Summoner! You are being dec...."
"Shh! Skill ban except for Radiance Manifestation, Let there be light! Ban on other conversation, ban on struggling."
"..."
Gobang lifted the powerless Bardin.
"Bardin, Radiance Manifestation."
"Let there be light!!!"
Whoosh! A brilliant, dazzling radiance.
Simultaneously, Joo-hyuk and the party carefully moved forward.
Ready to run as soon as the mission appeared.
The headless knight Dullahan stood tall on its horse in the distance.
It was a full-on charge.
Destroy everything blocking the way.
65th Floor Mission
📍 Objective: Defeat 1 Dark Knight Dullahan.
⏰ Time Limit: Within 16 hours.
🎯 Progress: Dark Knight Dullahan 0/1
The completion time limit was on the longer side.
Then the time for determining the S++ grade would likely be long too.
"Run!"
Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud!
With giant strides, Gobang took the lead.
"Kyaaak!"
"Kak!"
"Kraaa!"
The undead hordes swarmed like piranhas that had found prey.
Whoom! Boom! Boom!
As the human Holy Sword Bardin was swung, undead shattered into pieces.
"Assault mode, buckshot small shells loaded, selector switch to full-auto, tactical firing implemented."
Pshashot! Pshashot! Pshashot!
It was Veronica's buckshot full-auto fire.
The purpose was to block the enemy's approach rather than penetration.
The undead hit by the bullets flinched and were pushed back a step.
Kosak followed behind, escorting Joo-hyuk.
Pat-pat-pat-pat!
Both used the same skill, Shadow Step.
"Bardin, Radiance."
"Let there be light!!!"
Whoooooosh! Crassshhh!
There was nothing to stop them.
Gobang charged forward, sweeping away the undead like a military unit clearing snow.
We must not stop even for a moment.
If we're careless, we'll be swept away by the undead wave.
How long would it take?
No one knew since it's a path untraveled.
Anyway, this conquest we were doing now was the fastest one.
"Radiance."
"Let there be light!!!"
Who could stop Gobang?
Swinging the Bardin hanging from his hand back and forth in front of him, he strode forward.
Crassshhhhhh...
Nevertheless, the undead hordes tenaciously rushed in.
When they approached, Veronica performed suppression fire.
Pshashot! Pshashot!
And Kosak used Shock Breaker, which momentarily stunned the target.
Chupirit!
Jingle-jangle.
Gyeon Dal-rae, who was riding on his shoulder, shook her bell, and Razix swung his golden pickaxe, encouraging Gobang.
"Hueeeek!"
But there were too many.
It's endless.
The undead came crashing in waves, forming wave after wave.
"Let there be light!!!"
Crassssh.
"Let there be light!!!"
But it's strange.
I didn't order Bardin to manifest Radiance.
"Let there be light!!!"
Is he doing it on his own?
He really was.
Lucius Bardin was shouting on his own.
"Let there be light!!!"
Bardin's eyes were bloodshot.
A voice filled with madness.
His expression was also insane.
Was he evolving from fake madness into real madness?
He wasn't staying still even when being swung by Gobang.
He was swinging the flail in his hand together, smashing the undead.
"Th-that guy's a pervert. He added an automatic radiance function by himself.
He's enjoying it. Ugh, it gives me the creeps."
He's enjoying this situation?
"Look at his face. Isn't he smiling? He's gone nuts. His tendencies are suspicious."
He's the one who made him like that.
Pot calling the kettle black.
When would he ever meet a proper Summoned Being?
'No, there is one. Our reliable worker Razix.'
Joo-hyuk looked up at Razix riding on Gobang's shoulder.
"Hueeeek!!!"
Razix, raising his golden pickaxe from the shoulder and screaming at the undead hordes.
"..."
Is he slowly going crazy too? It'd be troublesome if even Razix acted like that.
The remaining distance was about 100 meters. Gobang charging.
"Let there be light!!!"
Crassssh!
80 meters.
"Master, we're almost there. Please be careful until the end."
60 meters.
"Commander! Large shell preparation complete."
50 meters.
"Fire it!"
Zzzing!
Crunch! Boom!
The large shell hit the Dullahan's body.
The dark aura noticeably weakened.
Remaining distance about 30 meters.
Right at that moment!
Razix, on Gobang's shoulder, stiffened, his fur standing on end.
"Hueeeeeeh?"
Sniff, sniff,
There's a smell. A smell.
Something's there.
Right over there.
But it's a bit deep.
It'll take time to dig it out.
The 65th-floor conquest was about to end; could he dig it out before that?
It's tight.
If he was going to dig it out, he had to do it then.
Even if he came back in a repeat conquest, there's no guarantee it'd still be there.
Because the floor reset when the mission was completed.
"Hueeeek!!!"
Whoosh!
Finally, Razix leaped from Gobang's shoulder.
Simultaneously, rolling around, dodging the undead.
"Head Servant! Have you gone mad? Come here at once!!!"
Gyeon Dal-rae screamed in shock.
Joo-hyuk also witnessed it. It was a crisis.
"Mr. Razix!"
Spot!
Joo-hyuk followed Razix with Shadow Step. The undead swarmed in.
Uuuuung!
Blood Jade Astral Qi, was thickly wrapped up to both elbows.
Pat-pat-pat-pat-pat!
Joo-hyuk's figure was moving, leaving shadows behind.
Slash! Crack! Ssskkkk! Crasssh!
He shouted while slicing off the necks of approaching undead with his Blood Jade Astral Qi.
"Mr. Gobang, the Dullahan first!"
"Ah, understood. Summoner."
Razix already had nothing else in his eyes.
He too was in a frenzy.
Item, item..., badge, badge.
A golden pickaxe in each hand.
"Huek! Huek! Huek!"
Bang-bang-bang-bang-bang-bang-bang-bang!
He dug into the ground like a madman.
Joo-hyuk, Veronica, and Kosak were busy protecting Razix.
Gobang faced the Dullahan alone—no, together with the Holy Sword Bardin.
Skreeeak!
The Dullahan, holding a long lance, charged on horseback.
Snatch!
Gobang firmly grabbed the Dullahan's lance with one hand, raised Bardin high, and smashed him down.
"Let there be light!!!"
Brilliant radiance.
The spiked armor Bardin wore.
Plus the combined attack of the flail.
Whoosh! Thwack! One hit.
"Let there be light!!!"
Whoosh! Thwack! Two hits.
"Let there be light!!!"
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh....
Thwack! Thwack! Thwack....
Gobang pressed down on the Dullahan with the Holy Sword Bardin as if threshing grain.
Crunch! The Dullahan was crushed.
Crunch! The skeletal horse wasn't spared either.
The Dark Knight Dullahan turned to dust and scattered.
And,
"Hueeng!"
Covered in dirt, Razix raised a large rune fragment from the hole he had dug.
+ Reward: Platinum Badge
+ Challenge to 66th Floor Unlocked
Spot!
Joo-hyuk's penthouse.
"Haa,"
"Hoo,"
"..."
"Umm."
"Hoe…"
I didn't know it would be this hard.
Everyone was exhausted.
Joo-hyuk, the Summoned Beings, and even the Holy Sword in Gobang's hand.
Bardin's face was pale, his pupils unfocused, spiked armor crumpled, and drops of sweat were trickling down his face.
"Kkeuoooh...."
He looked like he was about to die. I had no choice but to send him back.
"Lucius Bardin, Summon Release."
Spot!
After calming his mind for a moment, Joo-hyuk looked at Razix and asked.
"...Why did you do that?"
"Hue, this."
Razix handed one rune fragment to Joo-hyuk.
"No, just for one rune fragment, huh? What was so urgent about this!"
You almost died.
You could have mined it slowly during a repeat conquest.
But I should still check the information....
"Huhk!"
The information about the rune fragment that popped into his head.
Nearly Completed Summoned Being Grade-Up Rune (6/7)
"G-good find?"
"...This is amazing, right?"
No wonder it was a large chunk.
Just one more fragment and it's complete.
And Joo-hyuk's inventory was filled with numerous rune fragments.
'If even one of them attached....'
He opened his inventory, and poured out the fragments in a stream.
Gulp, swallowing dry saliva, he tried attaching the fragments one by one.
Slide, slide, slide…
That's when it happened. Slurp, click!
One rune fragment attached like a magnet.
Summoned Being Grade-Up Rune
A complete rune capable of elevating a Summoned Being's grade.
"Hwit-ja!!!"
"Click!"
"Congratulations."
"How many is this now? Amazing."
Hmph!
Razix snorted.
His badge edge seemed to shine sharply.
That makes four?
"Mr. Razix."
"Hoe!"
"You did well."
"Hueeee,"
"But there is no badge."
"Hohek?"
Razix's eyes widened into circles.
He couldn't just praise him recklessly.
How dangerous was that impulsive action?
If he praised him here, he might do it again next time.
"Who told you to rush out alone without any orders? Do you want to be in a 100-day non-summonable state?"
"…Hoe, sorry."
"I was originally going to impose a 3-day summon ban, but I'll forgive you because of this."
"Hue,"
My heart ached, but rewards and punishments must be strict.
Anyway.
"Ms. Veronica?"
"Sergeant Veronica Caliber!"
"Congratulations on your promotion in advance."
"Ah!"
"Thanks to Mr. Razix…"
"S-supply Officer!"
Veronica hugged Razix tightly.
Razix was buried deep in her enormous chest.
Wouldn't he suffocate and die like that?
'...Hmm.'
'...Hmm.'
'...Hmm.'
Anyway, what would her SSR appearance be?
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