Chapter 92: The Vampire Queen, Eldiria (1)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 92: The Vampire Queen, Eldiria (1)
Kang Jun-hyeok was left speechless.
The offer was entirely unexpected.
"Why are you suddenly doing this for me?"
"Because I want to!"
The Administrator spoke with absolute confidence. Kang Jun-hyeok shook his head with a dry chuckle.
Right. This is exactly the kind of being they are.
Rules, regulations, and laws meant nothing to the Administrator. The only thing that mattered was their own whim. The Administrator grinned broadly.
"Of course, you can still choose the original rewards! I’m not forcing you!"
"I see."
Jun-hyeok stared intently at the reward window.
[Please select one of the following rewards.]
[1. Gold befitting your rank.]
[2. Unique equipment tailored for you.]
[3. A Unique Skill tailored for you.]
[4. A very special material item.]
[5. A path leading to one of the Losers.]
"…You’re only opening the path?"
"Exactly!"
The Administrator spread their arms wide.
"Great gods! Swordsmen who cleaved worlds! Mages who grasped the truths of all creation! I will open a path so you can go to them!"
Those weren't empty words. The Losers were once the masters of this universe—beings who had nearly reached transcendence. The Administrator smirked.
"Right now, they are nothing more than pathetic, lowly Losers, but compared to the current you, there is a massive gap. Oh, don't get me wrong—I’m not looking down on your worth. It’s just that they no longer have the right to challenge the Tower. Understand?"
"I understand."
The Losers.
The powerful, mighty former masters of the universe.
If he could meet them directly and receive a reward, he would obtain something far superior to any other option. That wasn't all; building a connection with a Loser could make his future movements much easier.
However.
It’s a trap.
Not all Losers were favorable toward Players.
Some were hostile, while others were indifferent. There were even those whose favor was so overwhelming that it could actually have a negative impact on a Player.
But none of that mattered to Kang Jun-hyeok.
He knew exactly who was favorable and who would be of help to him.
What should I do?
Jun-hyeok wore a faint smile. It was the Administrator who grew flustered instead.
Wait, what?
They had expected to enjoy watching Jun-hyeok agonize over the choice, but he looked far too composed. After a brief silence, Jun-hyeok nodded.
"I’ve decided."
"Great! Who are you going to? The Giant Who Walks the Earth? The Old Man Who Carves Stars? Say whoever you like!"
"The Vampire Queen."
"…Huh?"
The Administrator faltered at Jun-hyeok’s answer. Jun-hyeok spoke again.
"The Vampire Queen. I would be grateful if you could open the path to Eldiria."
* * *
At that same time.
Other Players selected rewards befitting their achievements and returned to Earth.
Among them were those who had failed to achieve anything at all.
"Oh, I’m back."
A man returned to Earth with a smirk on his face. He was a Player who had failed the first Test. He had failed the temporary Test given this time as well.
Yet, his expression wasn't dark at all. With a look of relief, he lay down on his bed and tore open a bag of snacks.
"There’s no penalty anyway. I don't see why I should risk my life climbing the Tower."
The penalty for failing the first Test was merely being unable to climb the Tower for a single month. To him, it wasn't a penalty at all. If anything, it felt like a reward.
He wasn't the only one. A large number of Players had given up on passing the Tests and were simply idling away their time. Soon, a System window appeared before them.
[Hello. Upon review, it has been confirmed that you have failed the temporary Test following your failure in the first Test. We are very, very disappointed. A fitting penalty will be imposed.]
"Just give it to me already. What is it this time? Not being able to climb for two months?"
The man chuckled. As if responding to his mockery, the System window calmly delivered its sentence.
[I shall grant you death for 5 seconds.]
"…What?"
The man’s eyes widened.
In that instant, death descended upon him.
His existence was erased. His senses vanished, and all things became fleeting. It was a void so horrific and hollow that it was agonizing. The man wanted to scream, but even the mind required to scream had been extinguished.
A terrifying span of time, feeling like an eternity, dragged on.
"…Gah!"
Finally, the five seconds ended. The man gasped for air and bolted upright.
"Aaaah! Aaaaaah! Aaaaaaaah!"
His body thrashed as if in the throes of a seizure. He tried to tear at his skin with his fingernails and gnashed his teeth until his gums were crushed. He slammed his head against the wall. Fluid flowed endlessly from his eyes and nose.
A horrific terror overwhelmed him. Yet, despite that, he felt relief. He was alive. He hadn't died. He was here. At that fact, he simply wailed like a child.
The System window continued, indifferent to his state of mind.
[Health decreases by 50.]
[All stats decrease by 2.]
[Proficiency in all skills decreases.]
[You cannot climb the Tower for one month.]
[A temporary Test will be conducted before the third Test.]
[If you fail that Test as well, you will be granted permanent death. Please do your best to climb the Tower.]
"U-Uwaaaah…"
The man stared at the System window through streaming tears. Nothing else registered. Only one thing mattered: if he failed the next Test, he would be granted permanent death.
That single fact was burned into his mind.
"A-Ah, ahhh."
Tears fell endlessly from the man's eyes.
As people emerged from the Tests and returned to the outside world, those who were joyful after receiving their rewards were soon bewildered by the despair and screams of those who had failed. They were horrified once they realized the situation the failures were in.
Only then did those driven into a corner begin to struggle desperately to grow stronger.
But a frog that has already fallen into boiling oil cannot escape, no matter how much it struggles. Except for a few exceptional individuals, they would simply boil to death. Every frog prayed that they were one of the exceptional ones as they hurriedly prepared to climb the Tower.
Once the chaos subsided, talk of the clears began to surface. Naturally, the topic focused on one person.
Yoo Jin-ha, the powerhouse who cleared the 46th Floor and ranked among the world's elite.
And the Perfect Player who was far stronger than even him.
The existence known as Kang Jun-hyeok.
* * *
While Earth was in a state of turmoil, Kang Jun-hyeok was not there.
He was currently at the outer edge of the universe.
It was a frozen rogue planet. No matter where he looked, he saw nothing but blackness.
It’s been a long time.
This was the residence of the Vampire Queen, Eldiria. She used to stay here whenever she was exhausted and weary. He had memories of visiting her each time to comfort her. A faint smile touched his lips at the memory of the past.
Jun-hyeok began to walk. It didn't take long for him to find his target.
Brilliant silver hair.
Crimson eyes.
Snow-white skin.
Beauty like a masterfully carved statue.
It was the Vampire Queen, Eldiria.
She’s the same as ever.
She had been his close friend in his past life. Her expression was just a bit stiffer and more hardened, but otherwise, she was no different from how she had been. A strange sense of nostalgia washed over him, as if he had traveled back in time.
"A Player, I see."
Eldiria, who had been staring blankly into the void, spoke.
"I wonder how many this makes. I’m sick of this."
She clicked her tongue and looked at Jun-hyeok. Jun-hyeok smiled thinly and bowed politely.
"It is a pleasure to meet you, Eldiria, Queen of Vampires. I am Kang Jun-hyeok."
"…."
Eldiria furrowed her brow slightly.
Every Player who had sought her out until now had poured out long-winded words and emotions, claiming they loved her or wanted to be with her. There was no other reason for them to seek out this remote planet in the first place.
But Kang Jun-hyeok was remarkably composed. He was looking at her with restrained emotion. There was no lust or false love in that gaze. Eldiria, observing his emotions for a moment, soon realized something.
Longing?
The emotion Kang Jun-hyeok held as he looked at her was longing.
Eldiria was taken aback. Normally, she would have struck him down immediately, but a strange curiosity piqued her interest, and she observed him further.
…He is weak.
Jun-hyeok’s power was nothing special. Among the Players who had made it this far, he was on the weaker side. It was actually surprising how he had even reached this place.
As she continued to examine Jun-hyeok, Eldiria suddenly realized a fact.
"…You?"
[So you finally noticed. It’s been a long time, Eldiria.]
The Master of All Weapons answered. Eldiria’s face contorted.
"It was you. To think you’ve ended up in this man’s hands. What a trivial end."
[That’s how it turned out. Quite funny, isn't it?]
The Master of All Weapons spoke cheerfully. Eldiria faltered at its remarkably lighthearted attitude.
"You’ve changed. You’re different from before."
[Many things have happened.]
Eldiria looked at Jun-hyeok again. As she studied him, she felt a sense of bewilderment.
I feel a strangely familiar energy from him.
It was a sense of closeness, as if she were meeting a blood relative. But no matter how much she looked, she couldn't find the answer. The thought that her past self might have bestowed True Blood upon him never even crossed her mind. After a moment of thought, she spoke.
"What do you know about me?"
It was the same question she had asked the Players she had killed in the past. Jun-hyeok answered calmly.
"I know many things. I know that you were foolish, that you were naive, that you craved affection, and that you were wounded at the same time."
"You are no different from the rest."
A chilling voice rang out.
"Those who see a fragment of the past trapped in the Tower and boast that they know me… I am sick to death of them."
She judged that this man was exactly like the Players who had come before him. Eldiria’s eyes turned a deep crimson. The Master of All Weapons muttered reluctantly.
[…It looks like she’s about to attack you.]
"Looks that way."
[Weren't you two close? I thought there was a deep connection since you seemed to know her so well.]
Jun-hyeok shook his head.
"This is the first time we've met."
To the current Eldiria, that was the truth.
Cr-crack.
Killing intent surged, freezing the very space around them. Jun-hyeok smiled.
[Are you not going to explain? You’re going to die.]
The Master of All Weapons spoke with absolute certainty. The gap between Eldiria and Jun-hyeok was like that between an elephant and an ant. He couldn't even touch her, nor could he find a single opening. The correct course of action would be to explain the situation immediately and calm her down.
But Jun-hyeok simply smiled in silence.
His opponent was Eldiria. She was one of the great Transcendents, a being the current him could not hope to reach.
If he fought her with his life on the line, what could he gain?
The Master of All Weapons realized his intent after seeing Jun-hyeok’s expression. It let out a hollow laugh.
[You lunatic.]
Eldiria flicked her finger. A surge of blood erupted. Jun-hyeok’s body moved on instinct.