Chapter 185: 40th Floor. Vampire Princess (2)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 185: 40th Floor. Vampire Princess (2)
Blood surged around Kang Jun-hyeok, the overwhelming dominance of the True Blood radiating from him. In terms of sheer status, he didn't fall behind the True Ancestor standing before him in the slightest.
Splatter!
Crimson liquid sprayed in all directions, threatening to swallow everything in its path.
Kang Jun-hyeok used his Authority to lash out at the vampire. The creature’s body staggered, forced backward by the sheer weight of his presence.
The vampire drew forth even more blood. Their respective tides of crimson began to clash and mingle, each side attempting to dominate and suppress the other’s life force.
“Uooooh!”
Grip.
The vampire lunged, seizing Kang Jun-hyeok’s arm. Through that single point of contact, it attempted to manipulate and rupture his internal blood flow. Kang Jun-hyeok bared his teeth in a sharp grin.
“I like that.”
Grip.
Kang Jun-hyeok grabbed the vampire’s arm in return.
His own body.
The blood swirling around them.
The opponent’s body.
He exerted absolute control over all of it.
Rumble!
He forced the swirling blood directly into the vampire’s body. It tore through the creature's insides, ravaging and shattering its internal form. The vampire coughed up a mouthful of gore. The expelled blood hovered in the air for a split second before lashing out like a whip to coil around Kang Jun-hyeok’s neck.
Crackle!
The vampire’s hand, still gripping Kang Jun-hyeok’s arm, tightened. The bones and veins in his arm let out a sickening crunch as they were crushed. Had he not possessed the reinforced body of a Player, his arm would have been rendered useless instantly.
It was a brutal struggle where both sides staked their very existence on their dominance.
Due to the clash of their Authorities, the blood began to rise slowly into the air. It started to rotate, eventually forming a shimmering, crimson boundary. Eldiria whispered:
[The Blood Fence.]
It was a private domain formed during duels between high-ranking vampires, designed to block all outside interference.
The duration of his Enhanced True Ancestor Awakening was two minutes. He needed to end this within that timeframe. Kang Jun-hyeok pushed his power to the limit.
He seized control of the blood. The liquid hovering in the air swirled violently, creating a miniature storm of gore.
BOOM!
The storm slammed into the vampire’s shoulder. The heavy impact caused the creature to momentarily lose its focus. Kang Jun-hyeok didn't miss the opening and threw a devastating punch.
Thwack!
His fist buried itself deep into the vampire’s chest.
[High-Output Gauntlet from Somewhere]
VROOOOM!
An intense, vibrating force shook the vampire’s entire frame.
A power capable of leveling a small hill exploded inside the creature. It was a miracle its body didn't burst into pieces instantly. The vampire let out a horrific, soul-piercing shriek.
“Kaaaaagh!”
The blood fence wavered chaotically before scattering across the floor. The creature had completely lost its dominance. Kang Jun-hyeok reached out, pierced the vampire’s chest, and seized its heart.
“Give it to me.”
Sluuuuurp!
The blood within the vampire. The essence contained within its soul. The True Blood. He absorbed and devoured every last drop. The vampire resisted desperately, but it was futile now that the momentum had shifted. In an instant, its body withered away, turning into a dried-up husk.
Finally, the vampire’s body went limp.
[Proficiency in Royal Blood has increased significantly.]
[Proficiency in True Ancestor Awakening has increased from E to D.]
[Proficiency in Control has increased...]
“...Whew!”
Kang Jun-hyeok exhaled sharply. He could feel the True Ancestor’s blood within him becoming even more potent, settling into his veins with a heavy heat.
What was the easiest way to increase a vampire’s power?
Absorption. If the target was a fellow vampire—especially a True Ancestor—the effect was peerless.
[40th Floor Quest Cleared.]
[Rewards will be determined based on your performance.]
[Calculating achievement rate...]
[Calculation complete.]
[Achievement Rate: 100%]
[Perfect Clear. Congratulations! Additional rewards will be granted.]
[The effect of the Title: Perfect Player has been added.]
[1,111 Gold has been awarded.]
[You have obtained the Perfect Clear reward: Prince's Crown.]
[Players who have Perfect Cleared the 40th Floor: 1]
[Universe Announcement.]
[Please offer your congratulations, Citizens of the Universe! A Perfect Player of the 40th Floor has appeared.]
[Feat +3]
He was the only Perfect Player of the 40th floor.
It was a deceptively simple floor where one only had to wait for the vampire to break out of its tomb, but that was exactly why it was difficult. It required the pure, unadulterated strength of a Player.
However, Kang Jun-hyeok had long since transcended that category.
He had reached a realm where an opponent of this level wouldn't even grant him a level up. Eldiria spoke, her voice sounding satisfied.
[That was a fair and honorable vampire’s duel. It’s a bit of a shame you used a skill, but I am very pleased that you didn't rely on internal energy or magic. That is how my sole successor should act. At this rate, you might even be able to undergo the Coming-of-Age Ceremony one day.]
Kang Jun-hyeok paused at those words.
“Can I also undergo the True Ancestor’s Coming-of-Age Ceremony?”
[Right now, you are in an ambiguous state. You are fundamentally human, but you can temporarily become a True Ancestor. There is no reason you couldn't perform the ceremony. Of course, you are woefully lacking right now... but I believe it will be possible eventually.]
“Hmm.”
The True Ancestor’s Coming-of-Age Ceremony.
It was extremely dangerous, but the value was undeniable. After all, even Eldiria had been relatively weak until she completed her own ceremony.
“I’ll do it if the opportunity arises later.”
With that positive note, Kang Jun-hyeok checked his updated skill.
[Active Skill: True Ancestor Awakening]
• Rank: Authority
• Proficiency: D
• Cooldown: 3 days
• Effect: Awaken as a True Ancestor for 2 minutes. All Health is restored, and all stats increase significantly. Gain near-absolute dominance over blood.
The vampire he had faced was a True Ancestor who had failed its ceremony. Thanks to absorbing a significant amount of blood from such a high-tier opponent, the skill had jumped straight to D-rank.
“Finally, two minutes.”
True Ancestor Awakening was undoubtedly a powerful skill, but its short duration was its primary weakness. Two minutes still wasn't long, but it was now long enough to be used meaningfully in a high-stakes battle.
[Prince's Crown]
• Part: Helmet
• Rank: Mid-Rank
• Stats: Strength +5, Speed +5, Defense +15
• Description: A crown bestowed upon a vampire prince. Everyone believed without a doubt that he would pass his Coming-of-Age Ceremony and become a true king. However, that belief was crushed in secret.
The Perfect Player title increased favorability with vampires. For him, who already held the title of Eldiria’s Successor, it didn't mean much.
Having finished his checks, the time had finally come. Kang Jun-hyeok called for Pixie. Having received his memories of the floor, she wore a complicated expression.
[It’s not bad... but it’s not exactly exciting either.]
[60 Starlight.]
The amount of Starlight was small.
But it was enough. Kang Jun-hyeok spoke with a smile.
“I’ll purchase Pixie’s Mana Box.”
[Pixie's Mana Box]
• Rank: High-Rank
• Proficiency: F
• Cooldown: None
• Effect: Consumes mana to summon a high-dimensional Pixie’s Box. There is no limit to the number of boxes that can be summoned.
[3,000 Starlight.]
[You’re really buying this? It’ll be hard for you to use... well, I’m sure you have a plan. I’ll enjoy watching you try.]
[You have acquired the Active Skill: Pixie's Mana Box.]
Kang Jun-hyeok happily accepted the skill.
Three days later, he entered the 41st floor.
[41st Floor Quest]
[Erase as much of the Breathing Forest as possible within one month.]
The setting of the 41st floor was the Breathing Forest.
The trees, plants, and the very earth of the forest were a single, massive organism. It was a type of monster that disguised itself as a forest to devour any life that approached. True to its nature, as soon as Kang Jun-hyeok arrived, the ground rose up like a giant maw to swallow him.
“Hup.”
[Thousand-Pound Weight.]
THOOM!
The rising earth was instantly crushed and flattened. With a dying groan, the ground slowly returned to its original state.
The Breathing Forest sought to consume Players. There was no place to hide, no place to rest. Most Players struggled just to survive for the month.
Even for the skilled, erasing this entire vast forest within a month was impossible. Above all, the forest regenerated itself at an incredible rate, making the task a nightmare.
Of course, that meant nothing to Kang Jun-hyeok.
He could simply activate the Glory of the Lost God a few times or use his internal energy and magic. He could erase it faster than the forest could ever hope to regenerate.
But his goal right now wasn't a fast clear. He grinned.
“Shall we test it out?”
* * *
The 41st floor was far too easy for him.
The forest’s attacks weren't threatening, and a week would be enough to erase everything if he put his mind to it.
In other words, he had about three weeks of free time.
His task during that time was clear: testing the skill he had just acquired.
[Pixie's Mana Box.]
A box made of pure, shimmering mana materialized beside Kang Jun-hyeok.
Pixie’s technique.
It was incredibly powerful, yet notoriously difficult to handle. He needed to practice beforehand, and the 41st floor was the perfect training ground.
“Summoning just one... consumes about a third of my mana? Ha.”
Kang Jun-hyeok laughed in disbelief.
Summoning just three would completely drain his mana pool.
When Pixie’s illusion had used them, the mana consumption had been minimal, yet when he used it, the cost was astronomical.
The reason was simple.
My proficiency is too low.
The Mana Box was incredibly complex.
It was beyond comparison to even the most advanced modern computers. Even though he was the one using it, he couldn't fully grasp the principles behind its operation.
When Kang Jun-hyeok tried to move the box even slightly, it consumed a significant amount of mana just for that simple movement.
That wasn't all. Moving it required extremely intricate mana manipulation. It demanded so much focus that he couldn't afford to pay attention to anything else.
He snapped his fingers.
Vring!
An intense light poured out from the box.
The light of extremely compressed mana erased everything within its range. A hole was instantly blasted through the dense forest.
The mana consumption for firing the light is lower than I thought.
The biggest problem was the mana and mental strength required just to summon and move the boxes.
His level as a mage was still relatively low. He couldn't handle both requirements at his current level.
Eldiria spoke as if she had expected this.
[It is a magic far too difficult for you to handle right now. You’ll need to grow a bit more before you can truly wield it.]
“No.”
Under these conditions, he had a workaround. Kang Jun-hyeok stared intently at the box.
Move.
The box began to move slowly according to his will.
There was absolutely no mana consumption involved.
[Hm?]
How? Eldiria, momentarily confused, soon realized the trick.
[...Telekinesis.]
“Correct.”
Telekinesis. The superpower to move objects with the mind.
What were the conditions for those objects? Could a box made of mana be moved?
The answer was yes.
Kang Jun-hyeok focused his mind. The box moved smoothly, yet firmly, according to his will—bypassing the mana-heavy requirements of the skill itself.