Chapter 160: 32nd Floor. Dwarf Kingdom (5)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 160: 32nd Floor. Dwarf Kingdom (5)
Demons or dwarves—it made no difference to him.
Since both sides had their own justifications, it ultimately boiled down to allies fighting amongst themselves. Whether he sided with the demons or the dwarves, the outcome for the world remained the same.
“…….”
Hierum realized it then.
The human standing before him did not possess human values. His very criteria for judgment were fundamentally different. He was an alien existence wearing a human mask. Hierum’s eyes grew cold.
“It seems dialogue is useless.”
If that was the case, the path forward was clear. Hierum donned his golden helmet and tightened his grip on his hammer.
“I shall strike you down!”
Boom!
With a thunderous roar, the earth exploded. The hammer, imbued with immense power, came crashing down. Kang Jun-hyeok smiled as he gripped his sword.
Clang!
Sword and hammer collided, sending a powerful shockwave rippling through the air.
“Hmph!”
Hierum used his short stature to keep his center of gravity low. Holding his ground as firmly as a rooted tree, he swung his hammer at Kang Jun-hyeok in a relentless arc.
Claaaang!
The screech of clashing metal rang out.
Dwarves—their stature was barely half that of a human, but their physical strength was double. It was notoriously difficult to contend with their attacks, which utilized condensed power in explosive bursts.
At least, that would be true for an ordinary human.
Clang!
The sound of impact rang out again. Hierum’s body staggered back. Even with his feet planted firmly, he was being pushed by a force he could barely withstand.
Screeeech!
“Urgh!”
Hierum’s strength was, at best, at the peak of the First Rank. In contrast, Kang Jun-hyeok was of the Second Rank. There was a clear, insurmountable disparity in power.
However, the fight wasn't entirely effortless.
Slash!
Kang Jun-hyeok’s sword cut across Hierum’s chest, but it was deflected by the armor protecting his body, failing to leave a wound.
His attack power was around 70. He could slice through ordinary armor like tofu, but what Hierum wore was master-crafted dwarven armor. Its durability was such that even Kang Jun-hyeok could not easily bite through it.
Furthermore, that wasn't the only equipment Hierum possessed. He raised his hammer high.
“Cry out! Helberscream!”
Rumble!
Lightning struck down from the sky, surging toward Kang Jun-hyeok. Unable to dodge an attack moving at the speed of light, he took a direct hit. Hierum’s expression brightened for a moment, only to crumple immediately.
“You’re unscathed even after a direct hit from Helberscream?!”
“I’ll have you know, that actually hurt quite a bit.”
The armaments the dwarves poured their hearts and souls into were certainly formidable. They were strong enough to bypass his defense and deal genuine damage.
Hierum shouted fiercely.
“Shine! Helmet of Glory!”
Whirrrr!
An intense light erupted from the helmet. It didn't just deal damage through searing heat; it also blinded the opponent. Seizing that opening, Hierum swung his hammer upward from below.
Claaaang!
The immense force lifted Kang Jun-hyeok’s body into the air. Hierum followed up with a brutal kick. The explosive power behind it sent Kang Jun-hyeok flying.
[Balancing.]
“As expected of dwarven gear,” Kang Jun-hyeok muttered, regaining his balance mid-air.
Dwarves were a race of the earth. Loved by the land more than anyone else, they could handle all sorts of materials with near perfection. Their armaments were truly special, defying comparison with anything created by humans. Even in his past life, he had gone through a great deal of trouble to obtain dwarven equipment.
‘But things are different now.’
He now had a blacksmith even more exceptional than any dwarf. And to obtain everything that blacksmith offered, he had to defeat the opponent before him.
Kang Jun-hyeok raised a finger.
[Judgment of the Law.]
“Kh!”
Hierum staggered as his speed was suddenly halved. Kang Jun-hyeok immediately lunged with his sword.
[Thrust.]
Clang!
Hierum’s body wavered as he was pushed back. He raised his hammer violently once more.
“Cry out! Helberscream!”
Helberscream—that attack was impossible to dodge. Therefore, Kang Jun-hyeok raised a shield.
[Block.]
He blocked the unavoidable lightning with his shield. The shield he held was the Great Shield of Rooting Slime. The lightning was perfectly absorbed into its surface. Hierum’s eyes widened.
“How…?”
Clang!
Quickly stowing the shield, Kang Jun-hyeok struck Hierum’s chest with a spear. As his body was forced back, cracks began to spread across his armor. Hierum gritted his teeth.
“Shine, Salamandia of Glory! Protect me!”
Vroooom!
The armor glowed, and a translucent barrier enveloped Hierum’s body. Kang Jun-hyeok laughed in amusement.
“A contest of pure strength. I like it. Let’s see who breaks first.”
[Anti-Field.]
A barrier similar to Hierum’s expanded outward with Kang Jun-hyeok at the center. Hierum tightened his grip on his hammer.
Boom!
A clash of raw power ensued. Without a thought for defense, they swung their weapons purely to crush the other. Cracks rapidly spread across the Anti-Field, but the barrier surrounding Hierum’s body was shattering even faster.
Crack.
The cracks on the barrier widened, creating a gap. In that instant, Kang Jun-hyeok raised his sword.
[Enhanced Single Point Penetration.]
His body blurred, moving faster than sound. He instantly pierced through the gap, shattering the barrier. He didn't stop there. The sword collided with the armor, and the metal began to disintegrate.
Hierum’s body was slammed into the gates of the royal castle. Unable to withstand the force, the gates groaned and finally splintered.
Crash!
Amidst the shattered debris, Hierum lay pinned to the earth. Kang Jun-hyeok’s sword was piercing through Hierum’s heart. He tried to stand, but his body refused to obey.
Kang Jun-hyeok let out a low whistle.
“So this is the power of Enhancement.”
As expected of a High-Rank skill, even though it had only gone from F to E-rank, it was remarkably powerful.
“This is the end.”
Coughing up blood, Hierum spoke weakly.
“Why… why would someone like you side with the demons? Why have you betrayed this world…?”
“My position requires it.”
“Ah… Lord Malabur. I am sorry… I could not protect your kingdom….”
Kang Jun-hyeok looked down at Hierum for a moment before speaking.
“I am sorry, Hierum.”
Hierum’s eyes widened. Kang Jun-hyeok had suddenly switched to formal speech. That wasn't all—the look in his eyes was filled with genuine emotion. It was the face of someone who seemed to know him.
“But please, do not worry too much. You protected your kingdom magnificently once before.”
“What on earth does that…?”
He couldn't finish his sentence. Hierum’s head slumped. After staring at the corpse for a moment, Kang Jun-hyeok pulled out his sword.
[Level Up.]
[Stamina +20]
[Strength +1]
[Speed +1]
[Glory of the Lost God’s…]
“Then things should be wrapping up over there as well.”
Hierum was the only one capable of stopping Asokan. And that Hierum had just died at Kang Jun-hyeok’s hands. The war was coming to an end.
* * *
“Thank you, Kang Jun-hyeok.”
After everything was settled, Asokan approached cautiously and bowed.
“Thanks to you, we were able to achieve our goal. Here is what you desired.”
The golden hammer was placed in Kang Jun-hyeok’s hands. He could feel a powerful divinity radiating from within it. This was Malabur’s Hammer—the objective of the quest given by the Blacksmith.
“Good work.”
“No. It is you who worked hard, Kang Jun-hyeok.”
There was fear in Asokan’s eyes as he spoke. It was the same for the other demons. Even though he had led them to victory, they didn't feel any sense of closeness to him at all.
Kang Jun-hyeok didn't care and tucked the hammer away.
“Then handle the rest yourselves.”
“Ah. Yes.”
Asokan nodded hurriedly. With that, the floor came to an end.
[32nd Floor Quest Cleared.]
[Rewards will be determined based on your performance.]
[Checking achievement rate…]
[Check complete.]
[Achievement Rate: 100%]
[Perfect Clear. Congratulations! Additional rewards will be granted.]
[Title: Perfect Player’s effect has been added.]
[4,312 Gold has been granted.]
[Perfect Clear Reward: Obtained 'Malabur’s Hammer'.]
[Perfect Clear Reward: Obtained 'Helberscream'.]
[Players who Perfect Cleared the 32nd Floor: 1.]
[You are the only one!]
[Universe Announcement.]
[Please offer your congratulations! Everyone in the universe! A Perfect Player for the 32nd Floor has appeared. This is a feat that no one has achieved until now!]
[Feat +3]
He was the only one to achieve a Perfect Clear. The floor itself was easy, but paradoxically, that made a Perfect Clear difficult. If a player hesitated even slightly, the dwarves would handle everything on their own.
The Master of All Weapons asked quietly.
[You helped them with all your heart and soul. Yet, they could not accept you until the very end.]
“The existence of a Player isn't exactly familiar to the beings of the universe.”
Most beings in the universe could not accept that sense of otherness. The reason he had been accepted by the inhabitants of the floors without issue until now was because he had acted the part.
However, on the 32nd floor, he didn't particularly need the demons' trust. So, he had simply acted as he pleased. This aspect was more important than one might think. Later on, there would be floors that could only be cleared if one was not trusted at all.
“Now then.”
Kang Jun-hyeok held up the hammer.
[Malabur’s Hammer]
[Rank: High-Rank]
[An artifact Malabur gave to his children. The wielder of this hammer gains the metallurgy of the dwarves.]
“Whew.”
Kang Jun-hyeok whistled. To gain the skills of a dwarf just by holding it—it was truly an item worthy of being called an artifact.
‘It’s useless to me, though.’
But there was someone who wanted it. Kang Jun-hyeok immediately went to see the Blacksmith.
“You’re back. Did you bring it?”
“Here it is.”
Kang Jun-hyeok handed over the hammer. A strange light flickered in the Blacksmith’s eyes.
“You finished faster than I expected. I thought it would take quite some time.”
Muttering to himself, the Blacksmith stared intently at Kang Jun-hyeok. It was a gaze that seemed to be searching for something. Kang Jun-hyeok did not look away.
After a moment, the Blacksmith spoke with interest.
“You don't seem to have any particular emotional agitation.”
It was a cryptic remark. Kang Jun-hyeok frowned.
“Was the reason you wanted the hammer just to see my reaction?”
“I know the general gist of the 32nd floor. A fight between demons and dwarves, right? To get the hammer, you have no choice but to side with the demons.”
The Blacksmith chuckled.
“You must have destroyed the kingdom of the poor dwarves and killed their king. Is that not so?”
“That’s a twisted hobby you’ve got there,” Kang Jun-hyeok grumbled.
The Blacksmith said softly, “You must continue to climb the Tower. You cannot move forward if you are swayed by every single floor.”
He tossed the hammer behind him like a piece of trash.
“The Tower is a fragment of the past. Whatever happens there does not affect reality. If you become immersed in it, you will no longer be able to climb. Keep that in mind.”
“I know.”
Kang Jun-hyeok knew that fact better than anyone. He had seen those who had broken for that very reason.
“At any rate… you passed magnificently. Congratulations. Now, I suppose I should do my part.”
[Hidden Quest Cleared.]
[Rewards are being granted.]
[1. The Blacksmith will perfectly craft the equipment you desire.]
[2. The Blacksmith will give you one of the armaments in his possession.]