Chapter 63: 10th Floor. Vampire Princess (6)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 63: 10th Floor. Vampire Princess (6)
[Subject: Ah.]
[I thought the 10th Floor had ended rather abruptly, but I suppose this is how it proceeds. This is a first.]
* * *
“You wield a most peculiar power. What magic did my father bestow upon you?”
“I do not know the details myself, Your Highness. I merely study and memorize what he taught me, wielding it exactly as instructed.”
“My father’s insight into magic was profound. Still, you handle it quite well. You seem to possess great talent.” Eldiria paused, her eyes drifting to the fire. “Did my father also teach you how to cook?”
“He would never deign to perform such a trivial task. He did prepare a few meals for me when I was young… but they did not taste very good. Since then, I have prepared everything myself.”
“That must have been a disaster. Then….”
[She certainly has a lot to say.]
The Master of All Weapons muttered.
Having opened her heart to Kang Jun-hyeok, Eldiria had not stopped asking questions. He was having a hard time even keeping up with the fabrications.
However, this was the Eldiria he knew.
At her core, she was a chatterbox.
It was only because of her desperate situation—having lost everything and being forced into a life on the run—that she had been too wary and distrustful to show this side of herself.
“You said you have lived your life for me. But is that not too sad an existence? Live your own life. Though, of course, you must not abandon me.”
Kang Jun-hyeok faltered at those words.
He had heard something strikingly similar from her in his past life.
— Kang Jun-hyeok. You are far too obsessed with the well-being of others. You fail to enjoy what you should for their sake. Is that truly your own life?
“……I shall keep that in mind.”
He never imagined he would hear similar words from her past self. He nodded, feeling a strange sense of poignancy. Satisfied with his reaction to her advice, Eldiria opened her mouth to speak again.
As if determined to pour out everything she had kept bottled up, her stories never ended. Kang Jun-hyeok answered each one while preparing a meal. After she had finished every last bite, she gazed at him intently.
Understanding the look, Kang Jun-hyeok held out his arm. Eldiria reached out quietly and grasped it. Then, she carefully bit down with her fangs.
This was another change.
After meals, Eldiria now demanded Kang Jun-hyeok’s blood. Since it wasn't a difficult request, he gave her his arm willingly.
Kang Jun-hyeok closed his eyes and looked down at her as she fed.
Silver hair. Translucent skin. An appearance like a statue carved by a god.
‘In my past life, there were countless people who brought treasures just for a chance to have their blood sucked by her.’
Of course, he hadn't been one of them. She pulled away and licked the blood from her lips.
“Your body is as mysterious as ever. Not a single wound remains.”
“My stamina is depleted and injuries accumulate, Your Highness. They simply do not show on the surface.”
“My father’s magic is truly wondrous. It must have been difficult to train. Would it not have been easier to simply become a vampire?”
“As I mentioned before, that was a matter for Your Highness to decide. Besides that, I have no desire to become a vampire. It is far too bothersome.”
That was his honest feeling—not as a princess’s guard, but as the player Kang Jun-hyeok.
Vampires had many weaknesses. They took continuous damage in sunlight and couldn't eat garlic. They had an instinctive revulsion toward crosses and couldn't cross running water.
That was why he had rejected several opportunities to become a vampire in his past life.
“I like myself as a human.”
“……Is that so?”
If Eldiria had the power to turn him into a vampire, it was best to lay the groundwork now.
“Though Your Highness is a True Ancestor, so you likely do not suffer such weaknesses.”
Pure and solitary vampires. Direct descendants of the Progenitor.
Unlike ordinary vampires, they had no weaknesses. They were beings close to perfection.
After a moment of silence, Eldiria spoke.
“I have never seen the magic you currently wield.”
That was only natural. He had made it all up.
Eldiria, who did not know the truth, believed her father had created a specific type of magic solely for Kang Jun-hyeok.
“My father must have cherished you. To the point of seriously listening to a human’s opinion. Perhaps…… he even intended to turn you into a True Ancestor.”
“Pardon?”
Kang Jun-hyeok, who had been walking ahead, stopped in his tracks.
“Is it possible to create a True Ancestor?”
“Normally, a True Ancestor is born between two of their kind. However, an adult True Ancestor can, only once in their life, turn another into a True Ancestor. But that is an insult to our purity. It is forbidden even to speak of it.”
“……I see.”
Even the Kang Jun-hyeok of his past life hadn't known this.
None of the many vampires he had met, nor Eldiria herself, had ever mentioned it. It was likely a secret they wouldn't reveal even if the world were ending.
And yet, she was suddenly telling him this. Eldiria murmured as if lamenting.
“Since I am the only True Ancestor left, it is a meaningless insult now.”
Only then did he realize why Eldiria had suddenly brought it up.
She believed she was the only vampire left in existence. Therefore, she believed the secret no longer held any meaning.
In reality, that wasn't true. The universe was vast. Vampires existed in many places. Among them were several True Ancestors who carried the blood of the Progenitor.
‘I’ve learned something new.’
Since this was a past timeline anyway, it had no impact on reality. Kang Jun-hyeok figured he had simply learned a secret.
However, Eldiria was staring at Kang Jun-hyeok with a very strange expression.
“Is something the matter?”
“No. It is nothing.”
Eldiria shook her head.
They continued to move forward.
They passed through forests, crossed rivers, and traversed deserts.
And at the end of it all, they arrived at a vast forest.
* * *
“……It is red.”
Intensely red.
Leaves like blood fluttered in the air. Crimson foliage scattered across the entirety of the vast forest.
This was their destination.
“So you are saying the Coming-of-Age Altar lies in the heart of this forest.”
“That is correct.”
“Very well. Let us go. I shall rely on you until the very end.”
“As the Princess commands.”
Eldiria reached out to Kang Jun-hyeok. He took her hand and kissed the back of it.
And at that moment, the world distorted.
[10th Floor Progress Quest Cleared.]
[Checking achievement rate……]
[Check complete.]
[Achievement Rate: 100%]
[Perfect Clear. Congratulations! Additional rewards will be granted.]
[Players who have Perfect Cleared the 10th Floor: 1.]
[You are the only one!]
[Universe Announcement.]
[Please offer your congratulations! Everyone in the universe! A Perfect Player of the 10th Floor has appeared. This is a feat that no one has ever achieved before!]
[Feat +3]
The timing of the quest clear was incredibly sudden.
Furthermore, no rewards were visible. It was a bizarre situation, but Kang Jun-hyeok looked as if he had expected it. Soon, a system window appeared.
[This will lead directly into the 11th Floor Progress Quest. Clear rewards will be distributed after all progress quests are completed.]
Kang Jun-hyeok returned to Earth.
The 10th Floor was not a floor that ended on its own. It was a floor linked directly to the next one—the 11th Floor.
“They should have just finished it in one floor. How bothersome.”
[Her story is too big to fit into a single floor. The Master of the Universe is perfect, but the problem is that the Tower Administrator is not. It’s a simple matter of capacity.]
Floors that connected like this appeared occasionally later on. One could think of it as a mid-way break. Kang Jun-hyeok sat on the edge of his bed.
“Whew.”
Kang Jun-hyeok exhaled.
Though he hadn't shown it, he hadn't let his guard down for a single moment throughout the 10th Floor.
He had to cater to Eldiria’s whims while guiding her so she wouldn't run away. He had to understand everything about her and persuade her. All the while, he had to perfectly grasp the path to their destination and gamble everything on a final move to earn her trust.
If he had slipped up even slightly, it would have been the end. He had merely been acting composed, and that was reflected in his skill proficiency.
[Passive Skill: Acting]
• Rank: Lowest-Grade
• Proficiency: C
• Description: The act of masking one’s own emotions and wearing a facade. Not only can you hide your emotions near-perfectly, but you can also fake your actions. You can create an entirely different persona and even fabricate suitable situations and memories.
[Passive Skill: Persuasion]
• Rank: Lowest-Grade
• Proficiency: D
• Description: Speech and actions that make others accept your opinion. Beings of the Tower will become significantly more conscious of your words and actions. They will listen to whatever you have to say.
His Acting skill had reached C-rank, and Persuasion had reached D-rank. It meant he had done that much work. The Master of All Weapons muttered in wonder.
[You certainly walked that tightrope well. To think that Eldiria would eventually come to trust you. You have an excellent talent for deceiving others.]
“It wasn't easy.”
[So that’s what she was like in the past. Her personality itself isn't much different from my memories. I wonder what will happen next.]
The Master of All Weapons murmured with an expectant tone.
The main focus of the 10th Floor was persuading Eldiria and building trust during the journey to the destination. It was focused on elements other than combat.
And if his memory served him right, the 11th Floor was the exact opposite.
‘I’d better prepare myself thoroughly.’
* * *
Three days later.
Kang Jun-hyeok entered the Tower again.
[11th Floor Quest Starting.]
[Prove your qualifications.]
“Now. Let us go.”
Eldiria greeted him, looking exactly as she had just before he left the 10th Floor.
Quickly regaining his focus, Kang Jun-hyeok stepped forward.
“Please follow me.”
“Very well. This forest is quite vast. It will take some time just to find the altar.”
Eldiria’s voice was very relaxed. Since this was the secret forest of the vampires, it was located in a remote area where no one else would visit. She had no reason to feel threatened.
However, Kang Jun-hyeok knew what he had to do on the 11th Floor. As he walked forward, he faltered.
“What is it?”
“Please wait a moment.”
Eldiria’s puzzled expression gradually hardened.
A sound could be heard. It wasn't the wind or the sound of an animal. Something was racing toward them at high speed.
Eldiria’s pupils dilated.
“……How! How are they here?!”
“You’ve finally come!”
“We’ve been waiting for you!”
Rough shouts echoed. Werewolves, their entire bodies covered in fur, let out a howl. Answering howls erupted all at once.
The howling shook the entire forest.
There wasn't just one or two. At the very least, there were dozens. Perhaps more than a hundred.
The werewolves sprinted through the forest, charging toward them.
“Kill the princess!”
“Exterminate the vampires!”
[11th Floor Progress Quest]
[Protect the Vampire Princess, Eldiria, from the ambush and reach the altar.]