Chapter 14
Chapter 14
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 14
Chapter Title: Chapter 1 - 1st Floor #13
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It was a time-honored truth that any hero—no, any renowned hero—came paired with a renowned weapon.
Guan Yu's Green Dragon Crescent Blade.
King Arthur's Excalibur.
Roland's Durendal, and the like.
Even his father had wielded one such sword.
The Dragon Sword Kshatriya, Phaien's mightiest magic sword.
It was infused with the power of the Dragon God, a weapon so extraordinary that calling it the god of swords would not be an exaggeration.
'Son, a true hero always carries a holy sword or two.'
'Does it have to be a sword? What about a spear?'
'A spear works, an axe works too, but a sword is best.'
'Why?'
'Because swords are the coolest.'
Cheon-ho nodded thoughtfully and glanced down at the kukri in his hand.
It was impeccably sharpened—a true masterpiece—but it still fell short of qualifying as a hero's signature weapon.
"Lucille, can you tell me about the Empire Guardian Sword?"
"Yes, Hero."
Having finished her prayer for Notrang, Lucille explained with a serene expression.
Perhaps because she had just completed the prayer, she looked utterly holy in Cheon-ho's eyes.
"The Empire Guardian Sword... Holy Sword Mitra is one of the five goddesses, forged personally by Evnail, the goddess of war. Seven hundred years ago, she bestowed it upon a human hero to slay the demon king from another world that had appeared in our realm."
"Hmm."
It was a backstory befitting a divine sword—no, a holy sword.
"The human hero underwent countless adventures with Holy Sword Mitra and ultimately defeated the demon king. He then liberated humanity from the demon king's tyranny and founded a nation for humans. That nation became the Aiter Empire."
The human hero, now the founding emperor, did not rest on his laurels.
To expand and protect the human realm, he continued to lead from the front lines even after ascending the throne.
"Holy Sword Mitra was always at the founding emperor's side. And as time passed... the once-young emperor grew old. Sensing his end was near, he passed the holy sword to the crown prince, saying that Mitra would protect the empire."
"So that's why it's the Empire Guardian Sword?"
"Yes. From that day on, it became a sacred relic symbolizing the emperor's authority."
"Hmm."
It was a pretty compelling tale.
And if the stories held true, Holy Sword Mitra was a weapon with a history and origin rivaling even his father's Dragon Sword Kshatriya.
'The first wielder was a hero, after all.'
Which meant he had to protect it.
He had to claim it.
The phrasing felt a bit off, but Cheon-ho brushed it aside.
He looked at Lucille and said,
"Then next up is the side quest."
"Yes, it seems there are two more souls bound to this tower."
The royal maid Noir and Guard Captain Catllang.
'With Lucille here, ascension shouldn't be an issue.'
"Alright, let's get moving again. Things get monstrous from the 2nd floor, so stay sharp."
"Yes, Hero."
Lucille nodded with a firm expression.
Cheon-ho took a deep breath and opened the door to the 2nd floor.
*
What awaited Cheon-ho's party on the 2nd floor was a horde of skeletons.
Quickly swapping his kukri for the wrecking hammer, Cheon-ho calmly smashed the shambling skeletons just as he had outside.
'When facing skeletons that won't stay down, target the joints.'
That way, even if they didn't die, they couldn't get up.
As always, Cheon-ho faithfully followed his father's teachings. By focusing on shattering knees and pelvises, the skeletons writhed on the ground, unable to reach him.
And Lucille delivered the finishing blows to the broken ones.
"Light of purification."
Pink light bloomed from Lucille's fingertips, enveloping the skeletons. Black miasma erupted from the writhing foes.
The light purged their evil energy.
Cheon-ho broke them, Lucille purified them.
The two meshed surprisingly well.
'Only skeletons on the 2nd floor, huh.'
He had thought it was at least seven stories from outside, but the high ceilings made it about five floors in total.
'Assuming the Empire Guardian Sword is on the top floor, that leaves 3rd and 4th.'
Upon reaching the door to the 3rd floor, a blue, translucent spirit appeared, just like with Notrang.
It was the royal maid Noir.
[Ah... Notrang went on ahead. I'm glad he found peace at last.]
Royal maids were often nobles rather than commoners, and Noir certainly looked the part of a refined lady.
Appearing in her late thirties, she clasped her hands together with a faint smile.
She seemed genuinely relieved about Notrang's ascension.
[Thank you so much, angel. And Hero.]
"Hmm, just doing what needed to be done."
Cheon-ho gave the textbook response, while Lucille, aware of Notrang's ascension process, writhed in guilt.
Their time was limited, regardless.
Cheon-ho asked Noir as signs of her impending ascension appeared.
"Noir, this tower has five floors, right?"
[Exactly as you said. Five floors total. Guard Captain Catllang is on the 4th.]
"Only skeletons on 3rd and 4th too?"
[No. The skeletons on the 2nd were just stray monsters that wandered in. The ones on 3rd and 4th stem from the true scourge that seized this tower—the monster on the 5th floor.]
"The 5th floor has the Empire Guardian Sword?"
[Yes, it dominates the entire 5th floor. According to Catllang, it's a plant-type monster... though I'm not entirely sure. In any case... 3rd and 4th are crawling with plant-type monsters.]
"I see. Thanks for the info."
[It's only natural. Still, Notrang the librarian ascended without sharing such tales... unlike him, who loved stories so much.]
"Hmm, he was in a rush to ascend, I guess."
[I see. Angel? You don't look well...]
"Ah, no, I'm fine. Haha."
Lucille forced a smile, and Noir tilted her head curiously but didn't press further.
[It seems our time is up. Hero, angel. I don't know if this will help, but it's all I have to offer. Please accept it.]
Noir held out a small leather pouch to Cheon-ho.
[Acquired Royal Maid's Sewing Kit.]
"Ooh."
It was stuffed with needles and thread.
Even a thimble emblazoned with the empire's crest.
Cheon-ho was genuinely delighted, and Noir beamed with a pleased smile.
[Seeing you so happy makes me truly glad. May the five goddesses' blessings be with you all...]
Noir's spirit dissolved into radiant light and vanished.
A model ascension.
"Hmm."
Cheon-ho offered a silent prayer, then handed the pouch to Lucille.
"Lucille, take good care of it."
"Ah, yes."
Cheon-ho was likely the only hero to get this excited over a sewing kit.
"Let's be extra careful from the 3rd floor. Time to switch back to the kukri. And..."
As Cheon-ho trailed off, Lucille pulled a pre-made torch set from her inventory.
Plants were weak to fire, after all.
"You're the best."
"Hehehe."
Lucille grinned bashfully as she handed over the torch, and Cheon-ho lit it with his flint.
He told her,
"Lucille, we haven't seen 3rd and 4th yet, but per Noir, the layout should be similar to 1st and 2nd. Plus, Catllang's on 4th, so let's make this quick."
"Got a plan?"
"Yes."
After briefing her on the strategy, Cheon-ho opened the door to the 3rd floor.
*
Cheon-ho's plan was simple.
Open the door.
Monsters appear.
Noir's description was spot on. The 3rd floor monsters weren't ordinary skeletons.
Vines clung to the walls like overgrown plants, wrapping around skeleton limbs.
Some had so many stems they looked like green monstrosities rather than skeletons.
Dozens of them.
The vines made them far faster than regular skeletons.
But Cheon-ho didn't panic. He signaled Lucille immediately.
"Lucille!"
"Yes!"
She spread her wings and took flight.
Wings on a humanoid weren't natural for flight, so Cheon-ho figured angelic wings were magical constructs.
And indeed, unlike birds, Lucille flew with considerable freedom.
She soared toward the top of the stone staircase lining the wall.
Cheon-ho moved at the same instant.
He dashed for the stairs, positions locked in.
The monsters reacted.
But they couldn't touch the flying Lucille. With a ceiling nearly ten meters high, ground-bound skeletons were helpless.
They targeted Cheon-ho instead, but he was faster.
Reaching the stairs in a flash, he swung torch and kukri as one, smashing the blocking skeleton.
Sever the neck bone with the kukri, ignite the vines with the torch.
The motions blended seamlessly.
The headless skeleton staggered, wreathed in flames. Cheon-ho kicked it down and leaped over.
He shot up the stairs like an arrow.
Skeletons swarmed after.
Cheon-ho lit the one he'd felled midway, then shoved it down.
It tumbled into others. He hurled his torch—the fire spread naturally.
"Lucille!"
She was already at the top, holding out the wrecking hammer as he reached empty-handed.
Gripping it two-handed, Cheon-ho drew a deep breath. He channeled qi from his dantian into his arms and swung with full power.
Boom!
He smashed the stairs. Literally pulverized them.
The stairs were formed by embedding long stones into the wall, not a solid build from the ground—making it possible.
Chunks crashed down with a clamor.
Cheon-ho didn't stop.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
He shattered each step he stood on as he climbed.
Four stairs destroyed.
Gaps over a meter between remaining steps.
'Skeletons can't jump.'
That blocked their path for now.
He could figure out return later.
A meter-plus gap was a simple leap.
"Plan worked."
"Yes, Hero. Brilliant as always."
Lucille beamed at the hesitant skeletons milling below the gap.
Cheon-ho grinned back and opened the door to the 4th floor.
*
The 4th floor felt like a knights' training hall.
Straw dummies dotted the flat floor, and targets lined one wall.
But something else caught the eye first.
Countless stems descending from the ceiling along the walls.
Some looked like roots, not just vines.
"Grroooar!"
A guttural roar erupted the moment the door opened.
Tree monsters that had rooted into skeletons, feeding on them as they grew, shrieked in rage.
"H-Hero?"
"Fly, now!"
Cheon-ho shouted urgently.
Lucille took to the air instantly. He kicked off the ground as on 3rd.
But it wasn't as easy.
The tree monsters weren't slow like skeletons—they had ranged attacks.
"Lucille!"
"Eek!"
One hurled a fruit from its body like a cannonball.
Lucille twisted midair to dodge. The fruit smashed into the ceiling with a deafening blast.
"Hero!"
Lucille landed crouched by the 5th-floor door, calling out.
Cheon-ho was in dire straits too.
The tree monsters whipped vine tendrils like lashes.
Sharp, swift strikes grazed him repeatedly, slicing lines across his arms, thighs, and back.
It stung.
Clothes tore, blood flowed.
But Cheon-ho pressed on.
Instead of slashing the blocking tree monster with his kukri, he palm-struck it aside and vaulted over.
He thought,
'No time to smash stairs.'
They were fast, with ranged options.
Even Lucille at the top huddled behind her kite shield for cover.
"Haa!"
"Raaah!"
Roaring back, Cheon-ho unleashed another qi-infused palm strike—not a push, a sweeping blow. He knocked the stair-top monster down, then leaped with all his strength.
He vaulted to the top in one bound and shouted,
"Lucille! Bookshelf!"
Not the hammer.
Lucille's eyes widened but she caught on.
As Cheon-ho landed, she opened her inventory.
Heavy, bulky items like bookshelves weren't quick to deploy properly.
But if flung out carelessly, contents be damned...
It was much faster.
Slower than a simple toss, but seconds sufficed.
Cheon-ho assisted, toppling the first bookshelf onto the stairs and prompting another.
Two bookshelves blocked the stairs, forming a slanted barricade tough to surmount.
Lucille added a third upright as a wall. This one she placed carefully, taking extra time—but necessary.
The sudden cover threw the tree monsters into disarray.
Cheon-ho caught his breath, then added one more, toppling it onto the stairs.
Three total.
Heavy enough to risk collapsing the stairs, but that wasn't bad. A sudden chasm that size would halt even tree monsters.
Thud! Thud!
Bookshelves collided with fruits, booming. Lucille yelped in fright but braced to keep them from toppling onto her.
"H-Hero! What now?"
Unlike 3rd, they needed to talk to Catllang—safety first.
Cheon-ho had her fetch one more, reinforcing the barricade. Two stacked now barely shook under fruit impacts.
"Calm down. They don't seem to have a way past right now."
Indeed, fruits aside, their attacks were limited.
Lucille exhaled raggedly, scanned around, and finally relaxed.
"Time to work."
"W-Work?"
Not cooking here, surely?
Fortunately, no.
Cheon-ho sliced vines and roots from the walls with his kukri, doused them in giant rat oil.
"We'll light 'em and toss."
Unlike prior floors, 4th teemed with roots and stems. Monsters were more plant than bone.
No intent to burn the whole floor.
Block the stairs—that sufficed.
Together, they hurled blazing bundles over the bookshelves. After ten or so, it took effect.
"Grroooar!"
"Grwuh!"
Flaming tree monsters thrashed, spreading chaos.
Fire leaped to more, filling the floor with searing heat.
"W-What if the whole 4th floor burns?"
Some wall vines were already igniting.
Cheon-ho replied calmly.
"We handle business quick and head to 5th—or bail."
"Uh..."
Fair point.
"So stay calm. Composure solves everything."
"Yes, Hero."
Lucille swallowed hard and nodded.
Amid it all, experience ticked up.
[Experience gained.]
[Experience gained.]
[Experience gained.]
The tree monsters burned nicely.
Glancing at his light spear, Cheon-ho hurried to the 5th-floor door. As before, a blue translucent ghost appeared.
[Wh-What's all this?]
A mustachioed middle-aged knight scanned the blaze in bewilderment.
No armor—just a sharp uniform: white jacket, black pants, dashing.
"No time. Quick rundown: I'm the hero, she's the angel. Here to reclaim Empire Guardian Sword from monsters."
[H-Hero and angel?]
"Angel Lucille."
She flared pink light urgently. Catllang nodded amid confusion.
[The halo confirms it. As the tales say, angels are stunning beauties!]
"Uh? Th-Thank you..."
Lucille nodded flusteredly. Catllang lightly kissed her hand's back.
[An honor to greet you thus, angel.]
Handsome face, fine build, perfect manners.
Lucille blushed faintly, but time was short.
'Not the time—ever, really.'
Muttering, Cheon-ho leaned in close.
"Captain Catllang, Notrang and Noir filled us in. We need to hit 5th for the sword."
[Hmm. With an angel here, entrusting it to you both is right.]
Nodding, he surveyed the flames.
[A massive tree monster rules 5th. Its roots and vines blanket the floor.]
"The whole floor?"
Lucille blinked in shock. The 4th alone neared fifty meters across.
[Yes. Ordinary methods won't fell it. Potent demonic tree—fire barely fazes it.]
"Wh-What do we do, Hero?"
Not mere meters—a dozens-wide behemoth.
And fireproof?
How to fight that?
Cheon-ho took a deep breath, closed his eyes, gathered his thoughts.
'Son, remember this always.'
'What?'
'Hoarding turns gold to shit.'
Father's wisdom.
Cheon-ho opened his eyes, resolute. He reached into his bosom, drawing the mightiest—and riskiest—hidden weapon.
A small, round leather case, like a glasses pouch.
He silently unstoppered it. Lucille's eyes widened.
"H-Hero?"
Unsettling magic pulsed from within.
No—tremendous power.
Instead of words, Cheon-ho withdrew its sole contents.
A dried parchment.
"Time to use this."
[Wh-What is that?]
Catllang gulped, asking. Mere proximity threatened to disperse his spirit—raw magical might.
Cheon-ho swallowed dryly, then unfurled the parchment—the magic scroll.
Not Father's.
Mother's creation.
A magic scroll she had made.
*