Chapter 23: 3rd Floor. Dungeon (5)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 23: 3rd Floor. Dungeon (5)
Clang! Skreeee!
Alessandro swung his sword violently. The composure he had maintained until now was gone, replaced by a desperate struggle to parry and deflect Kang Jun-hyeok’s relentless onslaught.
Watching him, Jun-hyeok intentionally pulled his arm back, exposing a glaring opening in his vitals.
Alessandro was a master swordsman. Having survived countless life-and-death battles, his body reacted to the opening before his mind could even process it.
But this time, that seasoned instinct worked against him. As Alessandro reflexively lunged for the kill, he was met with a devastating counterattack.
Boom!
[Urgh!]
The impact sent Alessandro reeling back several meters. His arms went numb, and his muscles began to tear under the sheer weight of the blow.
‘To use such a method…!’
It was a strike delivered with utter disregard for one's own safety.
None of the forty-two players Alessandro had buried before had ever fought him this way. Their survival instincts always drove them to protect their vitals and focus on defense.
But Kang Jun-hyeok was different.
Jun-hyeok slammed his foot against the ground, yet not a single sound echoed.
[Stealth]
Every sound Jun-hyeok made was swallowed by the void.
Even as he charged, dragging his greatsword across the stone floor, the room remained deathly silent. This unnatural silence threw Alessandro’s senses into disarray, preventing him from reacting perfectly to the incoming blade.
Tap.
Jun-hyeok leaped into the air, bringing the greatsword down in a heavy overhead strike. Alessandro shifted his blade to deflect the blow and immediately lunged forward. Suspended in mid-air, Jun-hyeok should have had no way to dodge.
[Air Jump]
Low-Rank Active Skill: Air Jump.
Effect: Allows for a second jump in mid-air.
Swoosh!
Alessandro’s sword cut through empty air as Jun-hyeok’s body sailed over his head. Landing nimbly behind him, Jun-hyeok instantly swapped to a spear and thrust.
Crunch!
Alessandro spun around hurriedly to parry, but the armor near his shoulder shattered under the force.
[Ngh!]
Alessandro was a man who had spent his entire life tempering his swordsmanship. Now, that very experience was hindering him. He tried his best to adapt, but his body instinctively aimed for his opponent’s vitals, falling into the traps Jun-hyeok set.
Crack.
Fissures spread across his armor. The ink-black plate covering his body was shattered in multiple places, and his helmet was on the verge of breaking. He was barely evading the lethal strikes, but he was reaching his limit.
‘…In that case!’
Alessandro steeled his resolve and stepped forward. It was an aggressive lunge, unlike anything he had shown so far. His sharp blade whistled through the air, aiming straight for Jun-hyeok’s head.
Jun-hyeok tilted his head slightly. The blade grazed his scalp, drawing blood, but he didn't flinch. Instead, he used the opening to drive a dagger deep into Alessandro’s shoulder.
Crr-ack!
Alessandro didn't dodge. The dagger pulverized his shoulder piece. In exchange, Jun-hyeok’s own shoulder was sliced open.
Jun-hyeok realized the knight's intent.
“Going for a decisive blow, are you?”
[Thy health must be nearly depleted! I, too, shall trade my flesh for thy bones!]
Alessandro’s plan was simple: avoid vital hits as much as possible while dealing steady damage. It wasn't a wrong judgment. In the Tower, any being died once their health reached zero.
By fighting with total disregard for defense, Jun-hyeok had been struck dozens of times. Just as Alessandro predicted, his health was entering the danger zone. Aiming for that exact moment, Alessandro closed the distance to the absolute limit.
And Jun-hyeok had been waiting for that exact move.
“I was waiting for this.”
The moment Alessandro pressed close, a staff emerged from within the Master of All Weapons.
[Fireball]
An explosion of flame erupted at point-blank range. A fierce blaze flared up, brightly illuminating the pitch-black chamber.
[Aaaaaargh!]
Alessandro let out a pained groan and staggered. Flames engulfed his entire body, melting his armor and searing his skin. Caught off guard by a spell at such close range, he couldn't react. He tried to hurriedly create distance to shake off the fire.
Grip.
At that moment, Jun-hyeok emerged through the flames.
He thrust his greatsword forward with savage force. Alessandro desperately tried to raise his sword, but his reaction was delayed as he struggled against the heat. The greatsword pierced straight through Alessandro’s chest plate.
Thuck.
The blade erupted from the back of Alessandro’s chest. The knight coughed up a spray of blood.
[…How… through the flames…]
“I have a skill for that.”
Normally, Jun-hyeok should have taken damage as well, since he triggered the Fireball while they were locked together. However, he possessed the Fire Resistance skill. Having reached Rank C, that skill ensured he took no damage from a mere Fireball.
Alessandro let out a hollow, ragged laugh.
[Ha… haha… So even that… was possible…]
Staggering backward, Alessandro leaned against the wall. He was not a Player. Blood poured incessantly from his chest, and since his base health wasn't high to begin with, he couldn't survive such a fatal wound.
Leaning against the wall, Alessandro slowly slid down to the floor.
[So the title of those who climb the Tower is not Swordsman, but Player… This is what it meant.]
Alessandro finally understood. The swordsmanship he had built up was the power of a previous universe. He shouldn't have clung to it; he should have accepted and mastered the Tower’s system. Had he done so, his fight with Jun-hyeok might have ended very differently.
But he couldn't. He had clung to the ghost of his past, placing all his trust in swordsmanship alone.
One cannot reach the top of the Tower that way.
Alessandro understood this at the very, very end.
[The one who was lacking… was me. But I am curious. Thou shouldst be a Player who has only just entered the 3rd Floor, so how canst thou be so…]
“There are all sorts of ways,” Jun-hyeok replied simply.
Alessandro flashed a bitter smile.
[For a loser to ask for answers from the victor… how foolish of me. Truly… I apologize. To make one such as thee face a dullard like myself.]
“It doesn't matter. I got what I came for.”
Jun-hyeok glanced at the system messages in the corner of his vision.
[Proficiency in Spearmanship has increased significantly.]
[Proficiency in Axe Technique has increased significantly.]
[Proficiency in Greatsword Technique has increased significantly.]
The Tower grants greater rewards when facing powerful foes. He had just faced a formidable enemy in Alessandro. Even before the final blow, his skill proficiencies had been skyrocketing throughout the duel. This alone was satisfying enough.
Seeing that, Alessandro realized once more.
[…That is indeed what it means to be a Player. It was impossible for me from the start. O Master of All Weapons… you have met a magnificent master. He may truly be able to see what you once saw.]
[….]
The Master of All Weapons did not answer. Alessandro whispered his final words.
[Oh… is this… is this the final freedom… Not bad. Not bad at all…]
Crack.
With those words, his helmet shattered. Revealed beneath was the face of an old man with his eyes closed in peace. Simultaneously, system windows cascaded down.
[Level Up!]
[Health +30]
[Strength +1]
[Speed +2]
[Feat +1]
[Proficiency in Axe Technique has increased significantly.]
[Proficiency in Swordsmanship has increased significantly.]
[Proficiency in Fire Resistance has increased.]
[Proficiency in Pain Resistance has increased.]
[Proficiency in Stealth has increased.]
[Proficiency in Thrust has increased significantly.]
[Proficiency in Air Jump has increased.]
[Dagger Technique proficiency has increased from F to E.]
[Spearmanship proficiency has increased from F to E.]
[Greatsword Technique proficiency has increased from F to E.]
[Hand-to-Hand Combat proficiency has increased from F to E.]
[Obtained Accessory: Ring of the Wandering Knight]
“Heh.”
Jun-hyeok let out a short laugh. In a single battle, four passive skills had reached Rank E.
His other skill proficiencies had also risen substantially. His Swordsmanship was likely very close to Rank D now, and Thrust was right on the verge of Rank E.
Alessandro had been that much of an opponent. He was a powerful enemy one was never supposed to encounter on the 3rd Floor. Had Jun-hyeok’s understanding of the system been even slightly lower, even he might not have emerged victorious.
‘So a knight like this existed on the 3rd Floor.’
And Jun-hyeok realized one more thing. Alessandro had buried forty-two players here—people who, under normal circumstances, would have spread their names across the universe. All of them had failed to adapt to the Tower.
But Jun-hyeok had defeated him. No matter how many more people descended into the basement of the 3rd Floor, they would never find Alessandro again. In other words, the players who would have originally been killed by Alessandro would now survive in this life.
‘I’ll be seeing quite a few new faces.’
As that thought crossed his mind, a door opened in the wall. It was the exit from the 3rd Floor.
[3rd Floor Hidden Quest Complete.]
[The quest has ended.]
[Please exit through the door.]
Though he doubted there was anything left, Jun-hyeok scanned the room just in case. After confirming it was empty, he stepped through the door.
Finally, the 3rd Floor quest reached its conclusion.
[3rd Floor Quest Cleared!]
[Rewards are determined based on your performance.]
[Calculating achievement rate…]
[Calculation complete.]
[Achievement Rate: 100%]
[Perfect Clear! Congratulations! Additional rewards will be granted.]
[Obtained Shield: Shield of the Red Skeleton Knight]
[The effect of the Title: Perfect Player has been added.]
[3,221 Gold has been awarded.]
[Obtained Perfect Clear Reward: Active Skill: Grace of Benevolence]
Jun-hyeok’s eyes gleamed as he looked at the rewards.
‘An Active Skill.’
It wasn't something bought from the shop, but an Active Skill obtained as a Tower reward. That made it special and incredibly valuable. The rewards continued.
[Players who have Perfect Cleared the 3rd Floor: 1]
[You are the only one!]
[Universe Announcement]
[Please offer your congratulations! Everyone in the universe! A Perfect Player of the 3rd Floor has appeared. This is a feat that no one has achieved until now!]
[Feat +4]
[The Victors are taking a deep interest in you.]
[The Losers are taking a deep interest in you.]
Jun-hyeok frowned at the final sentence. The Victors and the Losers—the interest from both groups was growing stronger.
“Annoying pests.”
There was nothing to worry about for now. They wouldn't be able to approach him for a while. Still, it would be wise to be prepared.
Now, it was time to check the rewards. But before that, there was something to do. Jun-hyeok spoke up.
“To receive respect from a guy like that… You must have been something truly impressive originally.”
[….]
The Master of All Weapons remained silent.