Chapter 137
Chapter 137
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 137
Chapter Title: Masquerade攻略 Strategy
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Why the hell was this wannabe cultist kid acting all chummy?
"I once sensed a similar mana before. [He Who Comes from the Darkness]. You're from the Hungry Manor, right?"
An excessively suave voice.
If it had just been a nice voice, a beautiful voice, or something pleasant to the ear, I might've felt better. But this crossed the line into uncanny territory. The uncanny valley, they call it? It was so perfect it made my skin crawl just listening to it.
"So?"
"It'll be tough to escape here alone. Like the others are doing... how about we team up, at least until we break through the monsters?"
Ah, was he hitting on me just now? Looks like flirting isn't his strong suit.
"Sorry, but go find someone else—"
Didn't this guy have twelve other buddies from the same cult?
"—I'm not planning on teaming up with anyone."
I ignored the three-eyed freak from the Wasteland Church who was clinging to me like we were pals and expanded my detection field.
'For now, is this three-eyed creep the only one keeping an eye on me?'
Should I just clock him and knock him out?
The reason I'd been deliberately hanging back and observing wasn't to witness the tear-jerking friendships, efforts, and triumphs of the heretics crawling around on the floor.
This event was dangerous.
The judge-level heretics watching from the balconies. Every single one was on par with Heo Joo or stronger.
And there were at least fifty of them.
My level was higher now than when I'd faced Heo Joo or Hwa-in, but back then, I'd handled them easily only because of tricks and setups to exploit their weaknesses.
If I fought head-on in a place like this, even I could take damage.
'Hell, I'd have to brace myself to actually die just facing Dokgo Gyeom alone.'
Anyway, any variable outside my control would be too much to handle.
"Hey, Wasteland Church."
"Yes?"
"......"
A reply dripping with amusement. It pissed me off so much I forgot what I was going to say for a second. Classic scheming psychopath villain vibe. Exactly the type I hated.
I stared at the guy's face for a moment.
Three eyes stuck in awkward positions.
Hard to make eye contact. Ugh, annoying! I wanted to apologize to everyone who'd ever tried to meet my gaze before.
"Forget about me and look over there."
"Over there? Oh."
In the direction I pointed were more Wasteland Church heretics.
The one-eyed mask who'd picked a fight with me earlier was screaming as a mutant's tentacles wrapped around him. I couldn't exactly say he had it coming, but if left alone, he'd die soon.
"Oh dear, what a shame. I wanted to chat more with you, but it looks like I can't ignore my brothers any longer."
With that, the three-eyes bolted toward his comrades.
Yeah, that tracks. A heretic with a sense of camaraderie.
"Ugh, damn it. What a pointless nuisance."
I'd have to punch him later when the timing was right to vent.
"Alright. Anyway, is it time to move now?"
I couldn't delay any longer.
But rushing it wouldn't work either.
To repeat: this wasn't an easy event.
'Basically, I need to stand out just enough without drawing too much attention, and come in first in this chaotic heretic field day?'
No, standing out was necessary. But not too much.
After all, right now I was Heo Sang-hyun, the invitee from the Hungry Manor.
So I couldn't go all out.
The moment these idiots gathered here realized I was too alien among them, camouflage or not, the jealous judges would swarm to kill me.
'Anyway, the first one to reach that pillar wins.'
The mutants numbered over thirty now. Most heretics were blocked by their wall and couldn't advance further.
For a fake Heo Sang-hyun who'd been dawdling at the back to suddenly surge forward and take first, I needed plausible buildup.
'First things first: take first place.'
That was the initial hurdle.
[Fox's Keenness]
[Cat's Grace]
[Eagle's Eye]
I turned to check the wall behind me.
Then craned my neck all the way up to gaze at the ceiling. Red canopy curtains blanketed it, radiating from the center and connecting to the walls.
'Hmm, a leap should be fine even for Heo Sang-hyun, right?'
[Leap]
Haven't used it in a while. Magic circles floated around my body, granting surreal jumping power.
Thud.
Once.
Then I kicked off a protruding irregularity midway up the wall for a second leap.
Thwack!
Two leaps got me to ceiling height. Whew, pretty high up. About twelve meters?
Hooks secured the curtains extending from the ceiling's center to the walls.
I was hanging from one right now.
In the game, holding G let you hang forever, but my current grip strength wouldn't hold.
[Binding]
I cast another spell to link me with the curtain extending from the ceiling.
Turning my head, I could see the pillar rising on the opposite side.
"Guess I'm doing this after all."
I loosened my neck joints and took a deep breath.
A thought I'd repeated nonstop before arriving here resurfaced.
Causing chaos here was less profitable than preventing the event altogether.
Tension, fatigue, overcoming obstacles, adventure, hustle play. And at the end? Just one mask. Sure, a powerful artifact, but was it worth all this for one?
[□□□□ □□ □□□ □□□□ □□□□.]
Bzzzzt!
What the hell had I been thinking?
The box at the giant pillar's tip? The reward... the mask!
'Right, the mask! I want that mask!'
There's a mask up there.
The fastest way to reach it...
[Blades of Darkness]
[Spell Enhancement: Multi-Cast]
A 1st-circle spell. Pitch-black blades of shadow dimensions flew in all directions.
Shred shred shred shred!!
They precisely sliced the ends of the ceiling-covering curtains.
'This is my own攻略 I came up with.'
There's probably a 25-minute guide video I uploaded somewhere. 78 views. Why didn't anyone watch it? For this god game.
Oh, but don't cut all the curtains here. Leave the one you're hanging from.
Flutter—
All the curtains except the one I was on cascaded to the floor.
"What, what!?"
"The curtains!"
"Grraaaahhh!!"
They poured over the tangled mess of heretics and mutants. They'd buy some time, tangling their feet.
The curtain I was on...
No need for extra spells. I infused my released mana with cutting power and sliced it.
Riiip!!
One end still fixed to the ceiling center, I became dead weight hanging from the torn curtain.
Whoooosh.
Like an acrobat swinging on an aerial trapeze.
See? You can cross while hanging from the curtain like this.
I rocketed across the chaotic party hall at tremendous speed.
"Ooooh!"
"What the hell is that guy!"
Cheers and gasps erupted from the galleries. The judges' reactions, still clueless about my identity. Not knowing I was an infiltrator, they marveled at whose kid was so clever.
Having fun? I'm dying here.
"Grraaaahhh!"
But it was too flashy an entrance.
Mutants rampaging in the hall went berserk and charged me.
That's why I'd dropped the curtains. The dangling fabric snagged on their tentacles, tripping them up.
It even gave breathing room to heretics chased by mutants. Mouths agape, they watched me zip across the hall.
At some point, someone among them shouted.
"That idiot, it's too short!"
Yeah, it's short. I know.
Long enough to cover the ceiling, but the rotation axis fixing them was too far back.
Hence, an extra leap was needed.
You can only get the feel through hellish trial-and-error, but here's the easiest way: right after grazing the fourth balcony, spam spacebar!
[Leap]
"Or just play a mage!"
Thud!!
"He jumped!"
"Whoa! He's flying!"
Not perfect timing, but decent enough.
No more curtains to grab. I soared several meters unsupported, like flight.
'Damn it, with the Night Veil Wings I'd fly, what a waste!'
Kim Shin-hwa could fly, but flight didn't fit Heo Sang-hyun. The next spell was one he'd used to attack me before.
[Spirit Explosion]
So many had died here already. I gathered the grudge of wandering spirits in the hall and slammed the idiotically designed pillar.
Kabloooom!!!
Too massive to snap—it crumbled instead.
Rumble rumble!! Boom!!
Debris scattered everywhere, dust clouds billowing.
'Whew, talk about a rampage.'
With this, I took first in this heretic field day mess?
I lightly cast a feather fall spell for a controlled landing.
"Oh my oh my oh my!"
From the gallery right by the collapsed pillar, Dokgo Gyeom sighed.
"That mana! That power! An unimaginable unique idea! And that insane star quality! Who the hell is this guy?!"
Murmurs from speechless judges.
I spotted the weird-speaking guide from the entrance rushing toward Dokgo Gyeom.
"Ah, I see! Do you know why Fomalhaut's heirs, our top contenders, didn't show? It's because of this guy! Heir to the Hungry Manor! Undying mage serving [He Who Comes from the Darkness]! His name is... oh, right, it's a secret."
"No way! Heo Joo's master's disciple?"
"Hungry Manor! Ahh, of course—so that's what all those body experiments produced!"
"Woooaaahhh!!"
Cheers exploded among the judges. If they'd known the name, it'd probably be Heo Sang-hyun chants in this mad atmosphere.
Hmm, quite the popularity.
Sang-hyun... you watching?
I made you this year's super rookie heretic.
'No, not the time for idle thoughts.'
Anyway, up to here, all according to plan. Including making Heo Sang-hyun a super rookie.
As I thought that, Dokgo Gyeom announced the next phase of the mad heretic field day.
"Everyone, it's not over yet! The box hasn't opened!"
Right. The box was still rolling amid the pillar rubble.
"Amazing wit and skill! But can he survive among all these competitors to the end?"
Every monster and heretic in the vast hall fixed their gaze on me.
"Grraaaahhh!!"
"Grreeeehhh!!"
Berserk mutants.
"Drag that bastard out!"
"Kill him!"
"That's mine!"
Jealous masked faces—no, masked heretics—screaming and charging.
"Ugh, this is bad."
Whatever else, I was thrilled to death.
Over a hundred diverse, personality-packed masks rushing me. My broken brain pumped dopamine like mad.
Was this heaven made for me?
Masks everywhere my eyes touched. Masks masks masks masks masks.
What a beautiful sight.