Chapter 32 - Indomitable (2)
Amid everyone's focused attention, events were unfolding in real time.
The gallery users who spotted the five assassins—whose identities were revealed as they forcibly infiltrated the dungeon Reina had already entered—were buzzing with excitement, snapping screenshots and spreading them across the community.
Even if the information on these lackeys of the Assassin Gallery constellations became public knowledge, it wouldn't directly stop their activities. But it could still cause interference.
Of course, that interference would later make those spreading the info prime targets for the assassins once again.
Reina, the one they were rooting for, had to fight them without knowing a thing. It seemed like she'd vaguely caught on, thanks to her sharp senses.
No matter how powerful the constellations were, no one could perfectly foresee the countless possibilities of the future.
As a result, opinions among the users were split. Some believed Reina had prepared well and would win, while many others worried she'd get hurt or even die in the fight.
"We move according to plan."
Meanwhile, the five assassins who had infiltrated the dungeon were swiftly executing their prearranged strategy.
"Everyone, equip your proper weapons. While Dave heads for those rookies, the remaining four of us overwhelm her."
"You really gonna go through with this? Do we have to drag those kids into it too?"
"Always prepare for contingencies."
Their target wasn't just Reina. They planned to take the entire Shadis party hostage as a backup in case things went south.
The orc warrior Decar, shedding his disguise armor and donning his real gear, declared it in a cold tone.
From their perspective, it was a ruthless, meticulous plan designed to leave no room for error—purely to ensure mission success.
But the gallery users watching it all cheered and mocked their moves instead.
They knew Reina had already anticipated and prepared for this.
If those preparations foiled their hostage plan, Reina would face one fewer enemy.
One of Reina's countermeasures had landed perfectly, but it wasn't time to relax yet.
Stat penalties for descending layers varied by personal level. The assassins, closer to the 35th floor, lost less, while the much higher-level Reina lost more.
With stats now roughly equal, other factors like skill and experience weighed heavily.
To the gallery users who had experienced everything, Reina's PvP skills against fellow tower climbers—using the same system—were clearly distinct from her monster-slaying prowess.
Could the Reina who dominated evil beasts show the same against a challenger with comparable stats?
Even her longtime fans couldn't easily predict it. She'd never paid much attention to human fights before.
The one reliable thing was that Reina had sensed trouble and prepared.
The users, having watched her every move since entering the dungeon, held their breath in anticipation.
If she pulled off a perfect counter-ambush as planned, how satisfying would that be? Everyone knew.
And finally, the assassins—approaching boldly without hiding their identities—found Reina in the flickering lights of the ruined underground shopping mall.
"Who are you?"
Reina, fully armored in her main gear including Hermetica, stood atop the corpses of beasts she'd already slain, glaring at them.
"She knew we were coming?"
"Bold. Figured there's no escape in this dungeon anyway?"
Including Decar, they were slightly rattled by Reina waiting as if she knew they were coming.
'As the constellation warned, huh.'
It wasn't impossible, as Decar thought. The contracting constellations already knew Reina's constellations were aware of the hit and trying to block it.
"You, and you. I feel like I've seen you two before..."
Reina's finger pointed at Decar in black heavy armor and the mage Sioko in a flashy red robe embroidered with gold.
The tower was vast with countless people, but the upper layers narrowed sharply. It wasn't odd for Reina, now among the strong, to recognize them.
"Pretending to be innocent up front while scheming behind our backs."
"We didn't come to hear your sermon. No personal grudge, but cutting your head off is enough for us."
Decar leveled his massive polearm and declared. The other assassins readied their weapons too.
Even if Reina was a top ranker, they believed she couldn't crush them in these penalized lower layers when they'd come prepared.
"That arrogance in not fleeing despite knowing. You'll regret it as you die."
"Talking like you've already won. If you'd caught me off guard... maybe."
But Reina smirked cutely at them and snapped her fingers.
Cagos's Lungs (A)
"Th-this is...!"
At the same time, one of Reina's hidden items activated.
Cagos's Lungs spewed a thick, curse-laced poisonous mist across the area upon activation—a trophy item.
The dense purple mist, indiscriminate between friend and foe, rapidly filled the sealed underground mall.
"Gahk..."
"It's not just poison. It's a curse!"
Anyone without curse or poison resistance couldn't move freely in this fog.
The only ones less affected were Algos, an assassin with the ability Immunity to All Poisons, and Reina, who purified all curses and poisons with her S-grade trait Radiance enveloping her body in brilliant light.
"If you're ganging up, I deserve some advantage too."
Reina, modulating Radiance to protect only herself, leaped down from the beast corpses and charged at the panicking assassins.
'This is a ranker... Moonlight Sword Radiance...!'
Decar shuddered inside his helm at the sight of Reina approaching, her silver hair gleaming.
He'd thought it'd be easy prey if things went to plan, but no.
Before them stood a top-tier powerhouse even among the tower's elite, selected from countless worlds.
They were the ones who needed to go all-out, prepared to die.
'Now who's the prey.'
Decar gritted his teeth, enduring the poison and raising his polearm with surging power.
"...?!"
"If you came to kill, you must be ready to die too."
As Reina walked slowly—then vanished in an instant—Decar instinctively swung, barely blocking her sword from behind.
But Reina, with a sly grin, hadn't even used full power.
"Attack!"
Now, everyone here had one choice: fight fiercely and win.
The assassins, powering up, unleashed a barrage at Reina, who had breached their formation.
The assassins fought impressively enough to earn admiration from the real-time spectators.
They dodged Reina's powerful slashes with movement skills in unison, then synced a combined assault with the mage's control spell to pierce her defenses.
Stats were even. A solid hit would wound her too.
"Why won't it land...!"
Algos, emerging from stealth at her flank to slash her throat, vented frustration.
Reina didn't dodge—she caught the dagger barehanded. The tip grazed her neck, drawing faint blood, but didn't penetrate.
"How can someone who only thinks about stabbing beat someone ready to take hits?"
Reina chuckled, then thrust her sword into Algos's frozen body.
One of the four assassins dropped dead instantly.
But the massive fire spear launched with killing intent only incinerated Algos's corpse—Reina had high-speed blinked away.
'She's changed. So fast!'
They all realized in horror that Reina's fighting style had completely evolved.
Clad in lighter armor than heavy plate, maximizing mobility, she cut and pierced them one by one.
"P-please, spare me."
Mage Sioko, gripped by the throat after her spell and barrier shattered, dropped her staff and begged in terror.
"You already know the answer."
Reina coldly crushed her tiny skull with a fist, smashing it like a watermelon.
As the corpse hit the floor—face half-gone, jaw dangling—only orc warrior Decar remained of the four.
"One of us is already grabbing your comrades. Their lives are on a knife's edge by now."
"Bragging about how thorough you are?"
Decar played his last card.
But Reina scoffed, pulled out her phone right there, and made a call.
"Lady Reina! Th-they really invaded!"
"Is that the guy you meant?"
Decar sighed at the video. It showed the Shadis party holding a barrier and his comrade raging helplessly.