Chapter 22: 3rd Floor. Dungeon (4)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 22: 3rd Floor. Dungeon (4)
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Steel clashed against steel. Kang Jun-hyeok’s blade thrust sharply toward Alessandro’s vitals.
His speed was lightning-fast, and the power behind each strike was immense. Based on raw physical stats alone, Alessandro shouldn't have even been able to mount a defense.
But the reality was the exact opposite.
Alessandro moved his sword with fluid grace. Though his movements were noticeably slower than Jun-hyeok’s strikes, he parried and deflected every trajectory as if he had seen them coming a lifetime ago.
Skree!
Alessandro’s blade slid down the flat of Jun-hyeok’s sword, biting toward the tendons in his wrist.
Jun-hyeok wrenched his arm back to shake off the blade, but he couldn't react perfectly. The edge sliced into his skin.
Tap.
Stepping back, Jun-hyeok sheathed his sword into the Master of All Weapons and drew a spear. He dropped into a stance and lunged forward with explosive force, thrusting at Alessandro’s throat at a speed that should have been impossible to track.
[Sharp!]
Alessandro didn't block, dodge, or retreat.
Stepping forward, he simply leaned his upper body back. The spearhead whistled past, inches above his face.
[A spear once thrust must be retracted.]
Jun-hyeok clicked his tongue and quickly pulled his arm back to retrieve the weapon. Alessandro snapped his head forward and lunged.
Slash.
The blade grazed Jun-hyeok’s shoulder.
This time, Jun-hyeok pulled out a greatsword. Intending to crush his opponent with sheer weight, he kicked off the ground and swung downward in a massive arc.
Screeeech!
However, Alessandro deflected the blow effortlessly, merely by tilting his sword at a precise angle.
Using the momentum of the deflection, he thrust toward Jun-hyeok's chest. Jun-hyeok twisted his body to evade, but the sword still left a long, stinging gash across his torso.
“Hmm.”
Retreating once more, Jun-hyeok sheathed the greatsword.
Hand-to-hand combat, spearmanship, swordsmanship, greatsword techniques, daggers.
He had tried them all, but he couldn't land a clean hit. With a single ink-black sword, the man deflected everything.
It was marvelous swordsmanship—a level of technique even the past-life version of himself had rarely encountered. To achieve such a feat through pure skill alone, without the assistance of passive skill corrections, was almost hard to believe.
“He’s damn strong.”
[…….]
The Master of All Weapons remained silent.
There is no chance of victory.
At this rate, Kang Jun-hyeok would lose to Alessandro.
This wasn't a biased opinion; it was the cold, hard truth. Jun-hyeok was certainly twice as fast and twice as strong as Alessandro, yet there was a level of technique that raw power simply couldn't bridge.
Of course, from the perspective of the Master of All Weapons, Alessandro’s swordsmanship wasn't actually impressive. To the artifact, the man's movements were clumsy, full of openings, and nothing more than child's play.
However, technique was always relative. At the very least, it was far beyond the level the current Kang Jun-hyeok could reach.
Jun-hyeok was going to die at Alessandro’s hands.
‘……Should I,’
Give him some advice?
The thought flashed through the Master of All Weapons' mind for a moment.
But advice? What could it possibly say? It was already broken, ruined, and collapsed. Above all, the gap was not something that could be bridged by a few words. Ultimately, the Master of All Weapons chose to stay silent.
The battle raged on.
But nothing changed.
Alessandro’s swordsmanship was vastly superior. Faced with such overwhelming technique, Jun-hyeok couldn't even find an opening to counter-attack, let alone build up proficiency. He continued to take damage.
Rip.
The blade grazed Jun-hyeok’s cheek. He retreated with a frown. Alessandro muttered, his voice tinged with disbelief.
[……Just how much health do you have?]
No matter how many times he cut him, Kang Jun-hyeok did not fall. Had it not been for the System’s protection, he would have bled out long ago.
His health, bolstered by his high level, and the defense provided by his equipment were drastically reducing the damage. Even now, his health had only just reached the halfway mark.
[But even so.]
Nothing changes. Alessandro gripped his sword with both hands.
[You are truly remarkable. You are more overwhelming than any Player I have ever seen here. That is why it is a pity. If you hadn't entered this place—if you had been satisfied with the rewards of the Underground—you could have let your potential bloom to its fullest.]
“A guy like that wouldn't have entered the Underground in the first place.”
A greedy Player who entered the Underground—and a talented one who cleared it—would never back down after seeing a new Quest.
“And you had no intention of letting a Player who cleared the Underground go anyway, did you? The bricks next to the door were obviously suspicious. They were practically screaming for someone to come in. Don't start acting like the good guy now.”
[……Perceptive. I won't deny it.]
Alessandro gave a bitter smile, as if his true intentions had been laid bare.
[I am a man of many sins. Despite being a Loser, I bury those of you who climb the Tower with rightful qualifications here. But I will not apologize.]
Alessandro spoke with dignity, like a hero or a great knight.
[I will climb the Tower and save this universe. So please, sleep in peace.]
“I don't know about that.”
Jun-hyeok had an ambiguous expression on his face.
“It’ll be hard to do that using this method.”
His voice carried the tone of someone who had already reached the summit, looking down at a childish challenger. For a moment, Alessandro felt like a young boy dreaming an impossible dream. Stung, he reflexively retorted.
[I can do it. Even if I start from the beginning as a Player, my experience and techniques will not go anywhere.]
“I suppose that’s true.”
Jun-hyeok didn't deny it. Alessandro was excellent. Even Jun-hyeok, who had reached the 100th Floor of the Tower, couldn't properly respond to Alessandro’s swordsmanship.
“No matter how hard I try, I probably won't be able to reach your level of swordsmanship.”
It was a difference in innate talent. Jun-hyeok could master many things quickly, but he couldn't reach the absolute pinnacle of a single craft. Even if he trained for the rest of his life, he would likely never beat Alessandro in the realm of the sword.
But it didn't matter.
He wasn't a swordsman.
“You are a magnificent swordsman. But unfortunately, this is the Tower.”
[……What do you mean by that?]
“It’s simple.”
The title for those who climbed the Tower was not 'swordsman.' It was 'Player.'
‘Now then.’
Jun-hyeok had spent his health as a cost to figure it out. He had identified the strengths and weaknesses of the boss named Alessandro.
Now, it was time for the strategy.
“Things will be different from now on.”
Thud.
Jun-hyeok charged, drawing his greatsword. He kicked off the ground roughly, intending to suppress his opponent with raw power.
Alessandro was puzzled. This action was no different from before.
Thus, just as he had done previously, Alessandro intended to lightly deflect the blow and cut Jun-hyeok’s throat. His sword moved fluidly to parry the greatsword’s trajectory, aiming for Jun-hyeok's thigh.
But this was where the difference began.
Jun-hyeok didn't try to dodge or block. He simply took another step forward. Alessandro’s sword sliced deep into Jun-hyeok’s thigh.
It was significant damage. To be precise, it was damage that reduced his health by about 12.
Jun-hyeok gripped the greatsword with immense strength and pulled it back violently. Alessandro hurriedly defended with his sword.
Clang!
Alessandro’s body was sent flying backward as if repelled. Quickly regaining his stance, his confusion was palpable even through his helmet.
[Wha…… What!]
Jun-hyeok had attacked him even at the cost of being cut in the thigh. It was madness. To expose a vital point for a mere feint—it was like trading one's bones to take the opponent's flesh.
But Jun-hyeok, despite his wounded thigh, immediately rushed at him again. Alessandro, who had hurriedly defended against the unexpected attack, suddenly realized.
[……Ah.]
Players in the Tower are protected by the System and do not suffer physical impairment from injuries. In other words, as long as one's health held out, there was no need to defend.
It was a privilege granted only to Players.
Clang!
From then on, the situation changed. Jun-hyeok no longer tried to respond to Alessandro’s attacks. He simply sought to trade blows.
[You!]
Alessandro had killed forty-two Players so far, but all of them had instinctively tried to protect their vitals or block attacks. This was the first time he had faced someone who pushed forward using their health as a resource.
However, Alessandro was a brilliant warrior with vast experience. Suppressing his panic, he calmly moved his sword to deflect the attack and counter.
Skreeee!
Alessandro’s sword slid up the greatsword, aiming for the tendons in Jun-hyeok’s wrist. It was the instinct of a master swordsman.
Jun-hyeok didn't dodge. Instead, he pushed his wrist further in, as if inviting the cut. Alessandro’s blade accurately severed the tendons.
Clang!
[Ugh!]
Yet, the power behind Jun-hyeok’s sword didn't diminish in the slightest. Alessandro couldn't withstand the force and was sent stumbling back.
Clearly, it was Jun-hyeok who was being hit, but it was also Jun-hyeok who was doing the cornering.
Jun-hyeok immediately rushed toward the staggering Alessandro. He sheathed the greatsword into the Master of All Weapons and drew a spear. Gripping it firmly with both hands, he used a skill.
[Thrust.]
Alessandro leaned his neck back to evade, just as he had before. A spear once thrust had to be retracted—he planned to spring forward and counter-attack during that moment of recovery.
That was a fatal miscalculation.
Jun-hyeok’s body made a bizarre movement. Without retracting the spear, he followed an incomprehensible trajectory from that very position to stab Alessandro.
Active Skills were gifts bestowed upon Players by the Master of the Universe. No matter the posture, no matter the situation, if the Thrust skill was activated, it would inevitably strike the target. That was the nature of an Active Skill.
From Alessandro’s perspective, it was something he could neither easily accept nor adapt to. Even though he had seen the Thrust skill before, Alessandro twisted his body in a panic.
CRACK!
The spear struck Alessandro’s helmet. Cracks began to spiderweb across the metal. Alessandro rolled across the floor and hurriedly widened the distance.
Having seized the momentum, Jun-hyeok did not stop. He charged again and thrust his spear. The Thrust skill had a cooldown, but Alessandro, who didn't know that, had no choice but to be wary.
So, instead of parrying the spear, he moved closer. He deflected the spear's trajectory to the side and closed in on Jun-hyeok.
The advantage and disadvantage of a spear was its range. Against a distant opponent, it held an overwhelming advantage, but against an opponent who had closed the gap, it was helpless. It was a move aimed at that weakness.
But that, too, was a miscalculation.
The spear vanished from Jun-hyeok’s hand, replaced instantly by a dagger.
The Tower’s equipment: the Master of All Weapons. Its ability allowed for the free swapping of weapons even in the heat of combat. Holding the dagger, Jun-hyeok aimed for the nape of Alessandro’s neck.
[……!]
Feeling the blade at the back of his neck, Alessandro twisted his body. He narrowly evaded, but not perfectly. The cracks on his helmet spread further.
“You can even react to that? You’re damn strong.”
Jun-hyeok clicked his tongue and lunged with the dagger. Alessandro took a stance to respond to the short blade. In that instant, the dagger turned into a massive greatsword. He tried to change his posture in a hurry, but it was already too late.
BOOM!
[Ugh!]
Alessandro’s body was sent flying.
[……This is,]
The Master of All Weapons let out a mental groan.
Alessandro’s swordsmanship was lofty. He had reached a realm that Jun-hyeok could never hope to touch. By its calculations, Jun-hyeok should never have been able to win.
But this was the Tower. It was not the universe.
Those who entered the Tower were governed by a new order and set of laws: the System. And a Player was an existence that climbed the Tower upon that System. Conventional common sense and concepts were entirely irrelevant. Swordsmanship was merely a tool, not the end-all-be-all.
The one climbing the Tower was a Player, not a swordsman.
That was what Jun-hyeok’s words meant.
Realizing this, the Master of All Weapons felt a chill run down its spine. It had seen a glimpse of this when he fought the Goblin King, but compared to what he was showing now, that had been a mere fragment.
And because of that, the Master of All Weapons realized another truth.
This was a realm that a mere Fake Tower could never reach.
The dynamic of the battle had shifted. From Alessandro’s overwhelming advantage to Jun-hyeok’s dominance. Jun-hyeok drove the dagger downward. Alessandro grabbed Jun-hyeok's wrists with both hands, but he couldn't hold back the overwhelming difference in stats.
Clang!
The dagger grazed Alessandro’s helmet. Cracks began to spread across the visor like a spider's web.