Markrun's Intervention
The Hop Goblin Hero glared threateningly at its surroundings. Its body, unprotected by armor, was torn in multiple places and bleeding profusely. It was obvious the creature was in terrible shape.
Even so, the fact that it had managed to shove Tom Reynolds away made the Conquerors swallow dryly.
“It doesn’t look good at all.”
“The plan worked. Lucky for us it was already weakened.”
Yoo Ji-sung frowned as he studied the Hop Goblin Hero. Crimson energy was flowing out of the gem and slowly enveloping the goblin’s body.
Did I really put that setting in the gem?
While Yoo Ji-sung was lost in thought, the creature staggered and dropped to one knee. It was clearly dying. Yet none of the Conquerors dared approach it carelessly. An inexplicable fear clawed at their hearts.
A vivid red light flashed in the goblin’s eyes—perhaps from the energy radiating off the greatsword’s gem.
No matter how I think about it, that wasn’t my doing.
“Krrrk! Human… are you…?”
What the hell is this bastard…?
Yoo Ji-sung felt goosebumps race across his skin. The creature was staring straight at him. And it had spoken—clearly expressing rage.
How can a goblin talk? How is that even possible?
“Kill it now! Ranged attacks—pour everything you’ve got!”
At Yoo Ji-sung’s shout, the Conquerors unleashed magic and projectiles simultaneously. The supposedly dying creature rose to its feet.
“Huuuumaaaan!!”
Whoosh!
“Aargh!”
“Kuaaak!”
A violent gust erupted from the goblin’s roar, forming a circular barrier that deflected every incoming attack. At the same time, the already ominous Red Moon blazed brighter. Its light crashed down onto the creature, releasing a powerful shockwave.
Weaker Conquerors and monsters were hurled away by the wind.
“Kyaaak!”
“Krrgh!”
“Damn it! What the hell is happening?!”
“Hold on!”
Yoo Ji-sung shouted without taking his eyes off the creature. His mind was already in chaos. He bit his lip to steady himself.
Kairas!
Markrun… this is his doing.
I figured as much! That’s definitely Marknus-faction mana! I thought we blocked it properly?!
He had prepared an arrangement in advance. I never expected him to notice…
Do we have time to dig holes right now?! What kind of arrangement is it?!
Yoo Ji-sung pressed Kairas for answers. There was no time to curse or blame the god.
The Hop Goblin Hero turned toward the scattered monsters. It grabbed one roughly and brought it to its mouth.
Crunch!
“Kieeeek!”
The monster screamed as it was devoured alive. At the same time, the goblin’s body visibly regenerated. Its killing intent grew so thick that Yoo Ji-sung’s skin prickled. The creature now felt as strong as a typical boss on the 30th floor.
Another message from Kairas appeared.
The key to conquering each floor. One monster most closely tied to it is strengthened by Markrun’s energy. An arrangement prepared after losing the Tower. That’s the only explanation.
Bullshit! Then why didn’t it happen in the Tutorial too?!
Monsters below the 20th floor cannot withstand Markrun’s power. Because you brought that one to the 11th floor…
Shit!
In the end, it was his own petty decision that had caused the problem. But what was done was done. Yoo Ji-sung took a deep breath.
Can you erase that arrangement?
It was meticulously prepared over a long time. Unfortunately… Markrun seems to have recognized your face and added his own touch. I can erase everything except that part.
Damn it. I’ll just be grateful we caught the trick in time. Fix what you can. I don’t want any more unnecessary suspicion.
Yoo Ji-sung ground his teeth in frustration. He had thought the fight between Markrun and Marknus was still far in the future. Watching the creature devour monsters made the back of his neck burn.
Markrun’s mana alone won’t raise its intelligence. Its strength and special abilities will be enhanced, but that’s the limit.
You could call it a provisional apostle. Since the arrangement only activates upon encountering Conquerors, eliminating that one will keep us safe for now. However, when the provisional apostle dies, Markrun’s divine power will transfer to another monster. It’s his will to never surrender the Tower.
So it’s not a one-time event. What happens if it activates?
If you fail to hunt the monster… it will roam the floor and hunt Conquerors instead.
“Haa… So that’s how it is.”
If unprepared Conquerors had encountered this provisional apostle, the entire floor’s population would have been wiped out—or at least suffered catastrophic casualties. It intends to kill everyone regardless of whether Conquerors enter or not. Toys from a planet that offended it are unnecessary.
Yoo Ji-sung exhaled heavily. His previously frozen mind began spinning rapidly again.
It’s not the worst situation. We’re only on the 20th floor—there’s still time. We’ll just use this as a way to train the Conquerors.
The difficulty had simply risen above his original plan starting from the 20th floor. On the bright side, dealing with monsters infused with Marknus-faction mana could prove beneficial.
You tried to screw me over, but you picked the wrong guy. I’ll exploit this to the fullest.
Yoo Ji-sung glared at the creature with a fierce expression. Kairas must have finished its work—the goblin’s gaze, previously fixed on him, now darted around restlessly.
That was enough thinking. Now was the time to focus entirely on eliminating it.
“Everyone, snap out of it! It’s recovering by eating monsters! This is our chance while it’s still weakened!”
“Ah… r-right… Got it, brother!”
“I showed an unsightly display.”
Dong-cheol Ma and Tom Reynolds regained their composure. A-reum Jeong forced her trembling body upright while Su-ho Jang nocked an arrow. Jin-ho Lee, who had been staring at the creature the whole time, charged first.
“Huuuumaaaan! Kill them! Kill them all!”
At the Hop Goblin Hero’s roar, the surrounding monsters froze. Then they absorbed the red mana emanating from it. Their bodies, unable to withstand the foreign mana, burst open in multiple places. The survivors’ muscles swelled, bones hardening and sharpening. All others died instantly—only to rise again as undead, snarling at the Conquerors.
The monsters charged as one. The unplanned second phase of the 11th floor conquest had begun.
Crash!
Jin-ho Lee’s sword clashed with the creature’s greatsword. His knees buckled, but he barely managed to deflect the blow. Twisting with every ounce of strength, he slashed across the goblin’s chest.
Shhhk!
“Krrgh!”
The recoil from the blade made Jin-ho’s joints throb. The Hop Goblin Hero’s eyes locked onto him.
“Weak human…”
Crash!
“Kyaaak!”
Just as the creature swung its greatsword, Tom Reynolds stepped in. Wreathed in sword aura, he slammed into the goblin with full force, sending it flying. He staggered from the pain radiating through his body.
“Krrgh! Nasty. Jin-ho, I understand how you feel, but you’ll have to support me for now. Without sword aura, your attacks won’t work on it.”
“…Sword aura, huh.”
Jin-ho Lee’s gaze shifted to the glowing aura on Tom Reynolds’ blade. His teeth clenched.
The earlier strike had only left a shallow scratch on the Hop Goblin. Jin-ho bit his lip at his own weakness and nodded.
At that moment, the risen Hop Goblin Hero lunged at nearby Conquerors.
“Kuaaak!”
“Kyaaak!”
“Damn it! Martin! Lupa!”
The greatsword that Jin-ho had barely blocked sliced through several Conquerors—armor, weapons, and all. Dong-cheol Ma rushed in to protect them while Su-ho Jang provided covering fire. Yoo Ji-sung’s spikes erupted from every direction, but the creature shattered them with punches and kicks.
“Krrgh! I can’t even breathe!”
“Dong-cheol! Fall back!”
“Shit!”
“I need to help.”
Every time Dong-cheol Ma blocked the greatsword, he was forced back, knees buckling. After enduring several exchanges while holding his breath, he groaned in agony. Su-ho Jang’s mana-infused arrows were all deflected by the greatsword.
Jin-ho Lee and Tom Reynolds quickly joined Dong-cheol Ma. Tom Reynolds, sword aura blazing, charged repeatedly only to be repelled. Despite wielding a weapon larger than its own body, the creature showed no signs of fatigue.
Yoo Ji-sung frowned.
Damn it! Even my attacks don’t work?! That bastard Markrun!
He gritted his teeth and cast magic. Martin and Lupa—now zombies—shambled forward. Other fallen Conquerors had also risen as undead. The living Conquerors, pale-faced, hesitated to strike down their former comrades.
“Th-this can’t be… Martin? Why are you pointing your weapon at me?”
“L-Lupa? O-oh god…”
“Su-ho hyung.”
“…Understood.”
Yoo Ji-sung and Su-ho Jang granted the undead Conquerors peace. The others understood the necessity, yet their rage remained.
“Fuck! Kill those bastards!”
“Die! Die!”
“Yellow flag! The yellow flag is in danger—blue flag, support!”
The Conquerors fought through tears while Noah shouted commands at the top of her lungs. Numerous flags prepared on Yoo Ji-sung’s advice fluttered above the canyon. The Conquerors, now aware of their positions, gritted their teeth and charged.
Pure chaos reigned.
Meanwhile, Jin-ho Lee threw himself at the creature again. Its bloodshot eyes turned toward him.
“Kyaaaak! Die!”
“Krrgh!”
Enduring the roar, Jin-ho extended his sword. The blade, already chipped and cracked, screamed as it deflected the greatsword. Only perfect timing and angle prevented it from shattering instantly. After several life-or-death maneuvers, his sword found the exposed shoulder.
“Kihik! Fool!”
Whoosh!
The creature swung its greatsword anyway, accepting the injury. Tom Reynolds blocked the blow while Jin-ho’s blade carved into the shoulder.
“Kyaaaak!”
The wound was shallow, but it hindered movement. As the creature howled in pain, the two men retreated in unison. Dong-cheol Ma filled the gap while Su-ho Jang’s rapid shots struck the greatsword.
Clang!
Clang!
Crash!
The arrows’ force had been reduced, yet the impact on the shield was tremendous. Dong-cheol Ma dropped to one knee without even crying out. If Tom Reynolds hadn’t grabbed and pulled him back, the follow-up attack would have killed him. Yoo Ji-sung erected a wall to buy a moment’s respite, allowing Dong-cheol to retreat safely.
Jin-ho Lee wiped cold sweat from his brow.
This won’t work.
He clenched his teeth. Yoo Ji-sung and A-reum Jeong’s groans reached his ears—they had pushed their mana and holy power to the limit.
Sword aura…
Before luring the monsters, he had briefly spoken with Tom Reynolds and asked how to manifest sword aura.
Tom Reynolds had also been a genius who never consciously learned how to manipulate mana from the core. He simply swung his sword as naturally as breathing until the mana core responded on its own.
Fwoosh!
Now I understand.
His entire body felt like it was being crushed. As stamina bottomed out, his survival instinct made the mana core pulse visibly. Something beat like a heart near his dantian, igniting.
Following Jin-ho Lee’s will, the mana core began releasing mana.
Hum…
His sword, on the verge of death, let out a clear ring. Mana-infused, it glowed blue, and so did Jin-ho’s eyes. Yoo Ji-sung stared in shock at the blade—clearly different from any skill activation he had seen before.