Chapter 34
Chapter 34
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Translator: Silver Dragon
Chapter: 34
Chapter Title: Clash with the Giant Lord
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That massive hand caught my attack without the slightest effort.
Before I could even react...
The other hand slammed into my entire body.
It was a strike unlike anything I'd ever experienced.
"Keuk."
A dull impact echoed as my body launched like a cannonball.
Struck by the giant's fist, I spun through the air several times before smashing into one of the temple's pillars.
The pillar was nearly shattered in half. After regaining my senses slightly,
I saw myself buried under a heap of stone debris.
'What the... hell.'
Blood.
I'm bleeding.
The wounds weren't severe, but blood seeped from several spots.
Realizing my entire body throbbed with pain,
Before the giant could close in, I urgently pulled items from my inventory.
Health potions and mana potions were a given, and I even used ones I'd been saving.
I chugged the stat potions I'd bought from the shop in a frenzy.
Each one took effect after just a sip, turning to plain water afterward.
Thankfully, thanks to my belt's effect and the health potion, the bleeding stopped quickly.
Before diving back into the fray, I reflected on what had just happened.
'That thing's strength is definitely higher than mine. I don't know about the other stats, but if all of them outclass mine...'
On top of that, its unique ability had triggered a message, meaning I'd taken real damage.
I considered using my trump card for this first wound I'd ever suffered.
But I held off.
I hadn't even fought at full strength yet.
The giant was probably on my level.
I'd just been caught off guard by an attack as fast as my own.
The real battle hadn't truly begun.
Trump cards aren't trump cards if you reveal them so easily.
I climbed down from the pillar and checked my body.
These shallow wounds wouldn't hinder me.
My demi-god power had been slightly depleted defending against the giant.
But the consumption was minimal, leaving me effectively at full capacity.
In other words, similar to when I'd first entered the fifth floor.
But things had changed.
I now recognized the giant as an equal-tier foe.
This realization sharpened my caution and hostility to unprecedented levels.
Brushing aside debris from the broken pillar, I circulated my demi-god power through my body.
I accelerated toward the giant again.
Gradually ramping up my demi-god power toward full output.
At maximum, it transformed my body into gleaming gold.
Even as I closed in unfazed by its fists,
The giant remained seated on its throne, gazing down with arrogant eyes.
To drag the king from its perch, I declared,
"Domain."
You're dying today.
As the domain manifested, the giant's gaze shifted slightly.
My magic sword voraciously absorbed my demi-god power, radiating overwhelming momentum.
The moment I closed in on the throne,
I kicked off the ground with all my might, leaping upward.
With domain-enhanced speed, the giant reflexively raised a hand—but it was too late.
Slash!
A deep gash opened on the giant's hand, blood spraying forth.
I bypassed a direct clash, slicing only its hand before darting past.
The giant, still on the throne, stared at its hand in shock.
Its massive frame made even the hand enormous; the wound was shallow, but undeniable.
I'd pierced the giant's defense in one stroke.
It meant our stats were comparable.
Finally, it focused fully on me.
Slowly rising from the throne, it asserted its colossal presence.
Standing tall, our eye levels didn't even align.
The intimidation of its size was instinctive for all living beings.
Even I felt that inescapable pressure.
Cautiously, I prepared my next assault.
Before it advanced,
I invoked the ring's power.
A crystal shard formed instantly, hurtling straight at the giant's face.
It tilted its head, dodging effortlessly.
As expected. It didn't work on an equal opponent. What happened on the third floor required an overwhelming stat gap.
Still, I fired more shards in succession.
Then,
The giant braced itself, tensing its entire body.
The shards seemed to inflict no damage.
Its muscles began swelling insanely.
Already monstrous, it became an even more muscular behemoth.
Each step shook the entire temple.
Thud.
Thud.
Thud.
Thud!!!
As the giant took its final step,
It shattered the temple floor, charging at me.
I didn't evade, meeting it head-on at full throttle from the opposite side.
In less than a second, we were close enough to hear each other's breaths.
I swung my magic sword with everything I had.
And in that instant,
My magic sword finally clashed with its fist!
BOOM!!!
A massive shockwave erupted in the temple's center.
Devastation enough to gouge out meters-deep craters.
This was our true clash.
But...
I was the one pushed back.
Even so, the giant recoiled as if surprised by my power.
It seemed to be recalibrating its strategy.
Watching it, I thought,
This giant is surprisingly cautious too.
Can't give it any openings...
? No way...
It retreated farther than I'd anticipated.
Continuing backward, it committed a grave error.
'...'
'Exiting my domain...'
The spot where it halted was precisely at the edge of my domain.
Previous monsters had ignored the domain entirely...
But not this one.
Had I misjudged it as arrogant?
Did it approach combat with utter seriousness?
Stunned, I resolved to use my trump card.
With the domain still up, it wouldn't approach again.
I began pulling more potions from my inventory.
Three... five... nine...
They seemed excessively plentiful, but I downed them one by one.
Wary of a sudden charge, I smashed the vials to drink faster.
With superhuman status, glass shards posed no threat.
Keep going.
Keep drinking.
Once all stats rose by 4,
4 stats is the limit...?
Quickly checking my status, Strength, Defense, and Mana sat at 39.9.
Including the potions from before, that was roughly a 5-stat boost overall.
This was the optimal use of my unique ability, discovered through two days of experiments.
The test potions had been pricey, but necessary to verify my trump card.
First trump card.
Having to use it on the fifth floor, of all places.
The giant hadn't noticed my change yet.
Domain?
I no longer needed it.
I dispelled the domain, recovering a bit of demi-god power.
Seizing the moment, the giant charged.
A faint smile crossed my lips as I swung my magic sword at it.
It blocked with its arm as if my strike were trivial.
But—
Slash!
The cut fully pierced its defense.
No longer just a trickle from its hand—the situation had drastically shifted.
I closed in instantly, slashing its torso.
Two successive hits twisted the giant's face in agony.
It fled swiftly. Not so arrogant after all?
But with my boosted Agility surpassing its own, I caught up easily.
As if resolved, the giant unleashed a barrage of blows.
Each punch carried immense power.
Even now, I had no desire to expend energy blocking, so I dodged every assault.
Dodging attacks from an equal was exceedingly difficult, requiring utmost focus.
Our size difference made it especially unfavorable for me.
Eventually, one un-dodgeable strike came from the side with my current stats.
To avenge my earlier defeat in raw power, I countered it head-on at full force.
The giant's massive hand recoiled with a boom.
Staring at its mangled hand, its expression gradually shifted—then it began to laugh.
Has it lost its mind?
This giant was undoubtedly intelligent.
But snapping mid-battle? My power must have shocked it that much.
That illusion shattered moments later.
A certain aura began emanating from it.
An evil aura.
An overwhelming aura.
Yet it resembled mana too.
Purple and white energies intertwined, enveloping the giant's body.
Once the brief transformation ended,
The giant exuded a completely altered presence.
'No way...'
Resisting its aura, I prepared to end the fight decisively.
I unleashed an ultra-fast strike at full power.
Or rather, I should have.
It blocked my sword with one hand.
Just like our initial clash.
Immediately, its fist hurtled toward me at impossible speed.
An attack on another level entirely.
BOOM!!!!!!
In a single blow, I was hurled hundreds of meters.
I smashed through a pillar, but didn't stop—crashing into the next one.
"Keuk!.."
"Haa... gah."
Pain like my bones were pulverizing crashed over me.
It happened in an instant.
Similar to the start, but the situation was worlds apart.
Blood poured endlessly, shock ravaging my body.
I couldn't breathe.
Bitter blood filled my mouth.
I didn't lose consciousness, but I was paralyzed momentarily.
'I could die... No... I'll die like this.'
This was a true crisis.
Death loomed.
I needed to deploy my next trump card desperately.
And that wouldn't suffice—I'd need everything.
The giant had transformed, seemingly surpassing 40 stats.
No, definitely.
A change in the tens digit created an absolute gap.
I knew that better than anyone.
'I can't die here... Guess I'll forfeit the next floor.'
It's coming.
Before I could use the item I'd just pulled from inventory, it closed in rapidly.
Buried in the pillar, I leaped out and activated it immediately.
It was none other than...
The [???] Key.
I plunged the key into my abdomen and twisted.
Aftereffects?
No time to worry about the future now.
The [???] Key's ability.
Temporarily unlocking life's latent potential by stabbing the key into oneself.
A tens-digit stat awakening normally impossible with items or potions.
But this key bypassed that limit.
However, its price was steep, preventing prior testing.
As all stats surged, my injuries partially healed instantly.
I'd also preemptively swallowed the high-grade stat-boost pills bought from the tower today.
The giant, smashing obstructing pillars at blinding speed, approached.
It hadn't noticed my change yet.
He resolved himself.
This giant that had pushed him this far.
He'd give everything to slay it.
Cold fury toward the giant poured from him ceaselessly.
Their battle raced toward its climax.
"Domain."
Even with the domain active, the giant ignored it and charged straight at me.
As its massive fist neared,
I evaded with unprecedented speed.
The giant instantly assumed a defensive stance.
I infused my magic sword with warping demi-god power and slashed.
Slash!
This proved the gap had reversed—from one I couldn't touch to one now favoring me.
The giant endured the pain, countering at full power.
I dodged its assaults desperately while seeking openings for retaliation.
We both fought with everything we had.
Soon after,
Dozens of exchanges passed.
We both instinctively knew.
The stat difference was clear.
Unmarred, while the giant brimmed with wounds.
Moreover, the magic sword siphoned demi-god power from it bit by bit.
Long-term, the gap would widen further.
If it were human-sized, the deep gashes would have killed it already.
Then,
The giant suddenly shifted its stance.
'What? Another trick? Impossible.'
I was already dissatisfied with the fifth floor's difficulty.
If it powered up more, I'd want to destroy the system's tower.
Yet my focus remained absolute on the fight.
Trivial emotions didn't affect me.
I held back retaliation, warily anticipating its next move.
In that moment.
Thud!!
'Ugh...'
The sudden rear assault caught me completely off guard, cratering the floor.
But with stats now exceeding the giant's, damage was minimal.
'It was right in front...'
Whirling around at this absurd ambush, I spotted a translucent figure hovering.
Identical to the giant but only upper body, slightly larger.
It attacked again.
I countered directly.
But the real giant's side attack forced me to take another hit.
'Its skill? Or gimmick?'
Aiming to dispel the figure first, it vanished moments later.
Seizing the gap, the giant struck again—no figure this time.
I blocked with my foot and added another wound with my magic sword.
Now the giant summoned a figure enveloping it.
Mirroring its movements, the figure punched—twice the giant's size, unavoidable.
With maxed demi-god power plus half my domain's force, I unleashed peak attack power.
BOOM!!!!!!
A clash of titanic forces.
The shockwave toppled a nearby half-ruined pillar.
No victor in this test of strength.
But the domain shattered from the impact.
I glared at the blood-soaked giant.
Yet I was utterly exhausted too.
A formidable foe.
It was truly formidable.
This giant was drawing ever closer to my limits.
I'd already used nearly all my trump cards.
I sensed the end approaching.
I prepared for the final battle in earnest.
The very last.
I'd hold nothing back.
Just one minute.
I had to finish it within Precision Enhancement's duration!
The fresh domain had nearly depleted my demi-god power.
The barely standing giant looked utterly spent.
But it too summoned a final figure with its dying strength.
The last figure was 3-4 times its original size.
A truly colossal, dozens-of-meters form enveloped it.
This was surely its final gambit and assault.
It appeared to have exhausted all power.
As I prepared to leap, smashing everything in my path toward it.
BOOM!!
The shock from my kick upheaved the ground.
In midair, I drew in the domain's scattered power from all directions.
Precision Enhancement allowed deeper domain control.
Aided by the new skill,
I channeled every ounce of demi-god power and controllable domain force,
Completing my ultimate strike.
Imbuing it into my sword, I leaped with even greater force.
Kicking the sky midway for extra height.
The perfected magic sword arced in a flawless straight line toward the giant!
The giant barely reacted, moving its colossal figure.
We unleashed our most powerful means upon each other.
An instant.
In that fleeting moment, our attacks collided.
BOOM!!!!!!!!
A horrific roar accompanied the explosion at the impact point.
Dozens of meters in radius were utterly obliterated.
The giant's figure annihilated completely.
Oheon had nearly depleted his power too.
But the giant couldn't even move.
It wore only a faint smile, as if accepting its end.
As Oheon approached slowly to deliver the killing blow,
The giant's body exploded.
'?!!'
Caught off-guard by the suicide blast, Oheon couldn't fully defend,
Slamming into the temple wall and collapsing...
The fiercest battle yet concluded just like that.
Rumble...
A roaring sound awoke Oheon.
Forgetting his brief blackout, he slowly surveyed his surroundings.
Still disoriented.
Only then did he recall he was conquering the fifth floor.
About to sense nearby threats, he realized no one remained.
The giant was dead.
I picked up the fallen item first.
An Epic-grade item.
About to check its details, a question arose first.
Why hasn't it moved me to the next floor?
To assess, I reviewed system messages.
No floor-clear alert.
Puzzled, I investigated the rumbling that woke me.
It came from above.
I looked up toward the ceiling.
Collapse.
The temple crumbled from the top down.
Endless darkness yawned beyond the ruined sections.
Gimmick?
A gimmick? Why now...?
I scanned hurriedly.
One anomaly.
Five circles.
I'd overlooked them amid battle.
I'd noted the floor circles upon entry,
But the urgent fight made me forget.
I rushed to a circle and stood in it.
It began filling from the center with color.
Too slowly—impossible to complete before total collapse.
'To evade that collapse...'
Ha...
No escape visible.
Tower forfeiture only from mid-floors.
Without clearing the fifth floor gimmick, impossible.
Power utterly drained from my body.
Injuries severe; rest urgently needed.
Recent system messages listed the battle's toll.
I assessed coldly.
He recalled his final option.
Can't embrace death.
Never thought I'd use it here.
I retrieved an item from inventory.
The key pivotal in the last fight.
Its ability wasn't just one!
The true power of the key was...
Holding it aloft, I shouted inwardly,
'Life Link Teleport.'
A key enabling travel to other dimensions.
That was the [???] Key's essence.
However,
Specify a dimension?
The description noted current dimensions couldn't be targeted.
Meaning, I had to designate one for use.
'Pick any dimension quick.'
The temple's collapse accelerated. Everything gone in minutes.
I recalled one at random.
'Dimension 34!'
Engulfed in light, I escaped the fifth floor.