Chapter 94: Vampire Queen Eldiria (3)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 94: Vampire Queen Eldiria (3)
“If you speak of true authority, I assume you desire my True Blood?”
“I won’t deny it.”
“Your greed knows no bounds.”
Eldiria narrowed her eyes. In all her long years, she had never bestowed her True Blood upon anyone.
“Fine. I shall accept your proposal. However, my True Blood is not given to just anyone. You will undergo a rigorous test.”
“As you wish.”
Kang Jun-hyeok gave a thin smile. Eldiria flicked her fingers. A stream of blood coalesced into an ornate chair, and she sat upon it, crossing her legs.
“First, let us hear what you possess. List the achievements you have attained.”
What had he accomplished until now? What had he done? Eldiria gazed intently at the Master of All Weapons.
“You possess the Master of All Weapons. I did not expect that arrogant fellow to ever be held by another. And that is not all. The flow of internal energy you wielded… that was undoubtedly his Mental Method. Did you teach it to him?”
[That is how it turned out.]
“To think you would teach your own Mental Method to another. Does this boy possess that much talent?”
[No. That is not it. His talent for martial arts is not particularly grand. He is the sort you could find with a bit of searching through any sect.]
Eldiria looked puzzled at the Master of All Weapons’ answer. “Then why?”
[Because I saw potential.]
The Master of All Weapons spoke with amusement.
[You will understand the meaning of those words in time, Eldiria.]
“Hmm.”
Eldiria leaned her chin on her hand and asked another question.
“Judging by the power you currently possess, I would guess you have reached roughly the 50th floor. Am I correct?”
Eldiria had met countless Players from all over the universe who had sought her out. She knew the floors of the Players and the approximate power associated with them. Kang Jun-hyeok shook his head.
“No. It is lower than that.”
“Then is it the 40th floor? That is decent enough. But to desire my True Blood, it is still lack—”
“It is the 15th floor,” Jun-hyeok answered.
Eldiria froze. After a moment of silence, she spoke. “The 15th floor?”
“Yes.”
“...How many floors in total have you Perfect Cleared?”
“All of them.” Kang Jun-hyeok smiled brightly. “From the 1st floor to the 15th. I have achieved a Perfect Clear on every single floor.”
“...”
Eldiria was lost for words. She, too, had a general grasp of the Tower’s difficulty. Because of that, she knew that a Perfect Clear was practically impossible.
It required more than just simple strength; it required an analysis of the structure, an interpretation of the system, and an understanding of the very purpose of the quests. One had to grasp everything. It was a realm beyond normal perception.
Even if she were to climb the Tower herself, she couldn't guarantee she could Perfect Clear every floor. Yet Kang Jun-hyeok was claiming he had Perfect Cleared them all.
Eldiria instinctively looked at the Master of All Weapons. The weapon confirmed it.
[It is the truth.]
“How?”
[Did I not tell you? I saw potential.]
“I also defeated Alessandro,” Jun-hyeok added.
“...Alessandro. The Knight of the Lost God. He died by your hand?”
“It was the result of a fair fight. That is not all. I received recognition from Yulsir, the God of Law, and was bestowed an Authority by him. Furthermore, I have received recognition and support not only from the Master of All Weapons but also from the Pixie and the Blacksmith.”
Kang Jun-hyeok activated Pixie’s Treasure Intuition and showed her the armor the Blacksmith had crafted for him. Eldiria’s eyes widened as she examined it.
He had been recognized not just by the Master of All Weapons, but by numerous Losers. And none of them were insignificant figures. Yulsir, the God of Law, went without saying, and the Pixie and the Blacksmith were among the best in their respective fields.
“And.”
[Rift Movement.]
Kang Jun-hyeok’s body blurred, moving through the rifts of the planet. In that instant, Eldiria’s body flinched reflexively. Suppressing the killing intent that flared up, she let out a low groan.
“...A Victor’s Authority?”
“The Hunger Growing in the Rift. I triumphed over that Victor’s trial and took the Authority as a reward.” Kang Jun-hyeok finished speaking calmly.
“...”
She had expected him to be no ordinary man, but this was beyond her imagination. If he was at this level... Perhaps.
Eldiria’s eyes grew heavy. She flicked her fingers. The chair vanished as she stood up.
“Well, fine. This should at least serve as a decent diversion. Now, prove the strength you possess to me.”
“Was the battle just now not enough?”
“It was insufficient. You merely did your best to survive. You did not prove your strength to me.”
“But there is an issue with my stamina.”
A Player’s stamina does not simply recover. Though he had the Grace of Benevolence and Royal Blood, their cooldowns were incredibly long.
“You need not worry about that.”
Eldiria flicked her fingers. A surge of blood enveloped Kang Jun-hyeok.
[Royal Blood.]
At the same time, the skill was forcibly activated. Kang Jun-hyeok’s eyes widened.
“...Is such a thing even possible?”
“The skill you possess was obtained through my True Blood. A simple intervention is well within my power.”
Eldiria spoke as if it were easy, but in reality, it was not. She had just intervened in a system created by the Master of the Universe. Among the Losers, she was one of the highest-ranking individuals who had played a major role in the Great War.
That was the Vampire Queen, Eldiria.
With this, there were no more obstacles. Kang Jun-hyeok gripped his weapon.
“You’ll adjust your strength for me, right?”
“Don’t worry. I’ll make sure you don’t die, even if I give it my all.”
“That’s not very comforting.”
“Come at me.”
Streams of blood rose up like stalks. Kang Jun-hyeok stepped forward with a smile.
* * *
From then on, Kang Jun-hyeok continued to spar against Eldiria.
Eldiria’s attacks were brutal. Her attitude suggested she didn't care if he died if he couldn't respond. Kang Jun-hyeok had to meet every single attack with total sincerity; he couldn't relax for even a second. When his stamina was depleted, she would forcibly recover it, and they would fight again. This cycle repeated for nearly a week.
Eldiria fired a stream of blood like a spear. Kang Jun-hyeok quickly raised his shield.
Clang!
His entire body felt like it would be blown away along with the shield. He gritted his teeth and held his ground.
[Block.]
Screeeech!
By activating the skill, he barely managed to defend himself. Eldiria withdrew her hand.
“That should be enough for now. We rest for thirty minutes.”
“Yes.”
Kang Jun-hyeok, having barely blocked the final attack, breathed heavily. Even for him, this was incredibly taxing. It was incomparable to all the time he had spent climbing the Tower combined. Every single moment felt like a threat to his life.
However, the results were clear.
[Proficiency in Block has increased from E to D.]
• Proficiency in Divine Art has increased...
Normally, proficiency wouldn't increase through simple sparring, but Eldiria’s attacks were filled with killing intent. Because she attacked as if it didn't matter if he died, the proficiency of all his skills was rising at an insane rate.
Since meeting Eldiria, the skills that had reached a new rank were Shield Technique, Block, Sword Ki, Sword Wind, Repulsion, Instant Acceleration, and Royal Blood. A total of seven skills. If he counted the skills that had simply gained proficiency, they were too many to number.
This is what I’m talking about.
Kang Jun-hyeok laughed joyfully. The reason he had sought out Eldiria was to obtain a proper Authority, but it was also to raise his proficiency. He had been in a state where his proficiency growth was half-stalled. Proficiency doesn't rise against inferior opponents, and he had become far too strong for his current floor.
That problem was solved in an instant through Eldiria.
“By the way, your martial arts proficiency is rising damnably slow. It’s still at F.”
[Did you think it would rise just by facing Eldiria? Focus more, and gain enlightenment. Only then will you be able to reach the end.]
“You’re a tough teacher.”
Kang Jun-hyeok conversed with the Master of All Weapons. Eldiria watched him intently.
He is certainly a peculiar fellow.
As the Master of All Weapons had said, Kang Jun-hyeok’s talent for swordsmanship or technique wasn't particularly grand. Talent of that level wasn't that hard to find. To be honest, it felt almost disappointing.
But... as a Player, he is something else entirely.
How he manipulated the structure of the system, how he utilized the traits of a Player, and how he handled the idiosyncrasies of his skills—in those regards, he was perfect. No, he was beyond that level. He didn't just use them; he wielded them like his own limbs. No Player she had ever seen could handle things the way Kang Jun-hyeok did.
It’s almost as if...
It felt as if he were a being born specifically to be a Player.
Is that truly a human?
It was incredibly strange. Kang Jun-hyeok, who had been sitting and resting, stood up. He soon pulled several bottles from his inventory, mixed them skillfully, and presented the result to Eldiria.
“It’s a Blood Cocktail. Please, enjoy.”
“...Hmph. You’re quick-witted.”
Eldiria took the cocktail. Her movements were very natural, and they had to be. During every rest period, Kang Jun-hyeok had been catering to Eldiria’s whims and making things for her.
Eldiria looked at Kang Jun-hyeok with a strange gaze. It wasn't for nothing that he received my ring.
Kang Jun-hyeok understood her tastes perfectly. He always accommodated her and did what she wanted without her having to say a word. To be honest, the past week had been quite peaceful.
Her emotions had always been razor-sharp. She had lost everything, even her past had been exploited, and Players who knew nothing about her would come begging for her love. She was exhausted. It was as if she were stabbing herself with a blade.
But since Kang Jun-hyeok arrived, her emotions had softened. It felt almost as if she had gained a family member. Having thought that far, she snorted.
Family? Ridiculous.
She had lost everything. She would never trust another person again, nor would she give them her heart. The reason Kang Jun-hyeok felt comfortable was likely because he had received her True Blood. It was only natural to feel a sense of kinship. Eldiria denied her own feelings.
And Kang Jun-hyeok guessed all of those inner thoughts.
She’s a stubborn one.
In his past life, he had gone through a great deal of trouble to open her heart. Honestly, compared to that, this was very easy.
Another week and she’ll be completely softened.
“...Why are you looking at me like that?”
“It’s nothing. Here, use this. You’ll like it.”
Kang Jun-hyeok placed a straw into the cocktail glass.
She used to claim that one of the greatest things humans ever invented was the straw.
“What is this?”
Eldiria looked skeptical, but she obediently brought the straw to her lips. After sipping for a moment, she looked surprised, and soon a look of peculiar satisfaction crossed her face. Kang Jun-hyeok watched her with a silent smile.