The Canyon Inferno
Tom Reynolds let out a dry chuckle as he watched the gleam in Yoo Ji-sung’s eyes. “I can’t tell if you’ve lost your fear or if there’s something wrong with your head. You weren’t wrong, but… this is beyond anything I can understand.”
“Of course not. I simply believe in you. I believe you’ll see this plan through to the end.”
“Th-that’s right! I backed you up, so I share the responsibility! We’re running away anyway, so we might as well go all in!”
“This is for everyone!”
At Yoo Ji-sung’s words, Ma Dong-cheol slammed his shield and roared. Not long ago he had been full of bluster, yet now his teeth chattered from tension. He forced himself to shout to hide his fear. Jeong A-reum answered by gripping her staff tightly and nodding hard.
“Kyaak!”
“Krrraaagh!”
“Gwoooar!”
Thud-thud-thud-thud!
The monsters’ cries grew louder in response. Their charge accelerated. The ground trembled beneath the stampede of the massive horde.
Yoo Ji-sung spoke calmly as he watched their reaction. “Looks like they’ve received orders.”
“To kill us, right?”
Lee Jin-ho drew his sword without hesitation. He had agreed to Yoo Ji-sung’s plan and taken the front line. More than agreement, it was a deliberate step toward his own limits. He knew repaying the favor wasn’t the only reason; the operation wasn’t completely reckless. Though his expression remained tense, there was no hesitation in his movements.
Ma Dong-cheol, clutching his shield until it creaked, gaped at him. “You got no fear at all, do you?”
“If we can’t overcome even this, we’ll never conquer the Tower.”
“You’re gonna get yourself killed. Really, you don’t listen to a word anyone says.”
“Conquering the Tower, huh…”
Tom Reynolds looked genuinely surprised. Lee Jin-ho’s words carried real conviction. From the twentieth floor onward, Tom had stopped thinking about conquest and focused only on survival. Seeing a reflection of his past self in Lee Jin-ho, he curled his lips into a faint smile. When Noah had spoken to him, it had given him purpose and a future. Lee Jin-ho’s words stirred his chest the same way, yet the feeling was different.
“Interesting.”
Just as Tom Reynolds was moved, so were the three members of the Avenger party. Yoo Ji-sung was certain this was the protagonist effect and spoke again.
“I’ll say it once more. We cannot let ourselves be surrounded. But we can’t fight passively either. Keep just enough distance to stay out of reach while provoking whatever’s hiding out there—the key to this raid.”
“Krrng! I’ll do my best!”
“I won’t let anyone get hurt!”
“A dagger will work better than a bow.”
The Avenger trio spoke first. Tom Reynolds followed, greatsword still resting on his shoulder as he stepped forward.
“I’ll trust you to the end. For the guild leader’s sake, at least.”
“I’m ready.”
At Lee Jin-ho’s plain reply, Yoo Ji-sung signaled the start of the battle. Ma Dong-cheol shot forward with his shield, Jang Su-ho right behind him. The impact shuddered through Ma Dong-cheol’s entire body. Jang Su-ho’s twin daggers severed the monsters’ throats. Tom Reynolds brought his greatsword down in a crushing arc. Whether he used a skill or not, the ground where the blade struck caved in deeply. Shards of stone exploded outward, piercing the monsters’ bodies.
One swing of Lee Jin-ho’s sword split the wall of monsters into upper and lower halves. Jeong A-reum sprayed skills to support the front line while Yoo Ji-sung unleashed his thorns.
“Fall back! Dong-cheol, taunt!”
“Got it!”
After answering, Ma Dong-cheol let out a beastly roar. Mana carried in his voice struck the monsters, drawing their focus and giving the others room to breathe.
A heavy, ominous roar echoed from far away.
“Kyaak!”
“Ugh! What kind of monster is that?!”
Jeong A-reum groaned. The mana in the roar pressed down on her. As a support class with naturally weaker physical stats, she couldn’t help but feel shocked. For someone who had cleared past the twentieth floor to feel burdened by a monster on this floor was unthinkable.
Yoo Ji-sung steadied her as she staggered, then fixed his gaze toward the sound.
“That’s probably the core of this raid. It took the bait. And it took it hard.”
The creatures had hesitated at the canyon’s entrance. Now they poured in as if that hesitation had never existed. Every time the six retreated, monsters flooded the space they left behind. Little by little the narrow path filled with bodies. Though the canyon was wide enough for dozens to walk abreast with arms spread, the sheer number made it feel suffocating.
“Oppa!”
“Not yet! Just a little more! We need to pull in as many as we can!”
The fighters were visibly struggling. No matter how wide they spread their hands, they couldn’t block a downpour with two palms. Yoo Ji-sung raised walls and dug pits to help those in danger while watching for the right moment. At the same time he kept an eye on the other Conquerors’ movements.
[That crazy bastard! If Jin-ho gets hurt, I won’t let it slide!]
‘Hey, your own guild members are here too. Why are you only worried about him?’
[Move faster! Everyone’s in danger! Except that bastard over there! We’re all going to die at this rate!]
‘Good. At least you’re looking out for the guild members too. You crazy woman.’
Yoo Ji-sung stopped observing Noah. He had stepped in to help them, yet somehow ended up feeling like the villain.
‘She keeps pushing my buttons. Should I just flip everything upside down?’
[If you do that, I won’t let it go either.]
‘Ah. I’m being watched too.’
Yoo Ji-sung clicked his tongue at Kairas’s remark. Following Noah’s orders, the other Conquerors began to move. Lined up on the opposite side of the canyon, they finished preparing to strike.
Yoo Ji-sung drew a deep breath.
‘They’re all inside now.’
“Now!”
At his shout, everyone retreated at once as if they had been waiting for the signal. The monsters tried to pursue, but froze at the noise from above.
Creak!
Rumble!
“Kyak?”
“Kreeh?”
“Ever heard of a rockslide?”
The moment Yoo Ji-sung finished speaking, the overloaded mechanisms gave way. Massive boulders prepared in advance crashed down onto the monsters. When Yoo Ji-sung added his power, spikes erupted from the falling rocks.
‘Tch! Still too far for full effect, huh?’
Yoo Ji-sung forced his trembling body upright and gritted his teeth. The sight that followed was worth the effort.
BOOM!
CRASH!
SPLAT!
THUD!
Monsters were crushed beneath enormous boulders, producing sickening sounds. Even those outside the direct impact zone couldn’t escape unscathed. The protruding spikes pinned them down. As the spikes shattered, the rolling boulders caused secondary damage. Long-range Conquerors, including Noah, rained magic and projectiles. The monsters’ screams were drowned beneath the thunderous noise.
“What the hell…”
Usually quiet Jang Su-ho cursed under his breath. The canyon battle he had seen in movies was child’s play compared to this. Blood and chunks of flesh bloomed through the rising dust. The tremors shook their bodies with fear, and the ceaseless rain of magic and arrows sent chills down their spines. None of them had ever witnessed such a scene inside the Tower.
“Now that’s a spectacle! As expected of you, brother! That’s how a real man does it!”
“Ugh… Oppa, stop shaking your legs while you talk. It’s embarrassing.”
“I’m not shaking, the ground is!”
Jeong A-reum scolded Ma Dong-cheol while pressing both hands on her knees. Tom Reynolds burst into loud laughter. Lee Jin-ho’s eyes shone as he stared at Yoo Ji-sung, the intensity almost burdensome. Ignoring their reactions, Yoo Ji-sung shouted.
“Oil!”
Whoosh!
Splash!
Oil poured from every direction, drenching the entire canyon. Flames that had clung to the monsters and new ones launched by the Conquerors touched the oil. Surviving monsters turned into living torches and screamed. In the raging inferno, black shadows flickered. It looked as though the damned were receiving punishment in the depths of hell.
“Kyaak!”
“Kieeeek!”
“The plan worked perfectly. As expected of you, Ji-sung.”
“No. The quest isn’t over yet.”
Yoo Ji-sung cut off Lee Jin-ho’s premature celebration and stared ahead. From within the hellish scene came another fierce roar.
“Krrak!”
“Kek!”
“Ugh! What is that?!”
Most of the Conquerors who had surrounded the canyon from above and behind staggered. The cries were weaker than before, yet rougher, as if carrying raw life force. A black silhouette emerged from the sea of flames. If the previous one had been a sinner writhing in pain, this one resembled a warden overseeing the damned. A lone black figure stood upright and began advancing.
“This is where it really begins. The monsters will fight desperately to escape hell. Especially that one—it’s on a completely different level from anything we’ve faced. Stay sharp.”
The instant Yoo Ji-sung finished, a Hobgoblin wielding a greatsword revealed itself. Through its tattered armor, skin warped by fire was visible. Its eyes, bloodshot to the point the entire sclera had turned red, looked demonic. Uncontrolled monsters still burning with fire rampaged in front of it.
“Kyaak!”
Slash!
Slash!
Its sword cleaved through the monsters blocking its path. A red aura bloomed from the swinging greatsword. Lee Jin-ho frowned.
“That greatsword seems to be the key.”
“Yeah. I think so too.”
The remaining Conquerors, now fully prepared, lined up behind them. There was no escape unless they could fly. The Hobgoblin Hero looked up at the sky, roared, and charged. Tom Reynolds met it head-on as if he had been waiting.
“Kyaak!”
“Just a goblin! Hup!”
BOOM!
“Kuhak!”
Splash!
Tom Reynolds was pushed back, sliding across the ground. A Conqueror who had reached the thirtieth floor had been overpowered in raw strength. Even without using sword aura, it was unbelievable.
“This is ridiculous…”
‘Of course it is. There are plenty of long-time Tower residents this round. Naturally the balance had to be adjusted. This cycle is the only one getting the deluxe hemorrhage service.’
“It’s a Hobgoblin Hero! My appraisal skill confirms it!”
“A Hobgoblin Hero?! I’ve never even heard of that monster!”
One Conqueror shouted the creature’s identity. Yoo Ji-sung nodded.
‘A trash mob that lives past the thirtieth floor. Exciting, right?’
It was the absolute limit of what could be placed on the eleventh floor. Its specs alone reached that ceiling, and the Red Moon had strengthened it further. Yoo Ji-sung barely suppressed a laugh at Tom Reynolds’s shock.
‘Did you really think you could take it down in one hit? Don’t be ridiculous. That one belongs to our Jin-ho.’
The Hobgoblin Hero raged at the fact that its greatsword had been blocked. Tom Reynolds’s expression stiffened while Lee Jin-ho’s eyes darted rapidly, calculating. The strongest trash mob that should never appear on the eleventh floor—let alone the thirtieth—let out another roar. Yoo Ji-sung felt satisfied as he watched it. At the same time, he felt a strange curiosity toward the red energy flowing from the gem embedded in its greatsword.