Chapter 984
Chapter 984
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 984
Chapter Title: Radiant Ascension Path
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…….
All around was silence.
The sky was pitch black, and even the occasional breeze had vanished.
It was the night of the eighth day since the fifth-floor trial had begun. The final night. Come tomorrow's daylight, the fifth-floor trial would end. But Moo-in wasn't rejoicing. He had a gut feeling that something was about to happen tonight.
This time, I couldn't just sit back either.
'I don't know what the sixth floor's trial is yet. If it's a competition trial... these bastards will come after me first.'
So, I'd make my mark here and rack up some favors.
'Doing a good deed at the end always leaves a lasting impression.'
And just as everyone had sensed, the enemies appeared.
"Damn it, the Darklings are here! Watch the shadows!"
"Twin-headed hounds charging from the right!!"
"Frost Hawks from the sky!"
Hundreds of yokai from three different types attacked all at once. The martial artists banded together. They'd learned from the past few days of battle: scatter and die, stick together and survive.
I tilted my head back. Darklings and twin-headed hounds weren't hard to handle if you stayed sharp. The real threat right now was the Frost Hawks freely soaring through the skies. They looked like hawks but were covered in frost. Get caught in their talons or pecked by their beaks, and that spot froze solid in an instant.
"I'll take the Frost Hawks! You all focus on the Darklings and hounds!"
"You think we'll trust you to handle the Frost Hawks alone?!"
Ha Mun-so's voice rang out from afar. I didn't reply. They'd see soon enough.
'Heavenly Eye, open.'
The moonless night sky was oppressively dark, but with the Heavenly Eye open, everything was clear as day.
'Thirteen Frost Hawks in sight right now. More appearing in the distance.'
Excluding those in other sectors, seven in mine.
'Just clean up the ones in my area.'
I locked eyes on the Frost Hawks and heightened my focus. Crackle. I heard lightning sparking inside me. Not a hallucination. A sound from my inner realm.
Rumble!
A bolt of blue lightning crashed from the sky onto a Frost Hawk. The beast, which had been soaring powerfully, plummeted to the ground, crispy on the outside and cooked through.
Crack-boom! Thud-thud!
Thunder roared, lighting up the area like midday. Then darkness returned, and without fail, another Frost Hawk corpse fell.
As a bonus, there was a side effect.
"Darkling over there!"
"Kill the Darkling! You cowardly bastards!"
They easily spotted the Darklings lurking in the shadows, waiting for the perfect ambush moment.
"Hoo."
I let out a long breath. I'd dropped lightning to take out ten Frost Hawks. But more kept coming from afar.
"Seong Ji-gon!"
I called for him, but no response. He was up front, locked in a life-or-death struggle with the twin-headed hounds.
"...Well, he's handling it."
I grabbed a nearby spear myself. Relying solely on lightning was draining my inner energy too fast.
'Even I don't have infinite inner energy. No telling when this assault ends, so I can't spam bolts.'
I gripped the spear and raised it. Spread my legs, lifted my chin, sighted the target. Pulled my hand back. Crackle. Blue electricity flowed along the spear.
'One for starters.'
I hurled it.
Boom!
Like a shell exploding, the thrown spear sliced through the air and struck the Frost Hawk dead center. It got dragged by the spear and crashed far away.
Bang!
Another massive impact. I'd reinforced my shoulder and arm with inner energy before throwing, and infused lightning into the spear besides. Just in case it shocked the hawk into falling even if it missed.
But that was unnecessary worry. My throws never missed. Synergy of Shooting and Heavenly Eye ensured perfect accuracy.
'This is fun.'
Throw and it always hits. How could it not be?
I kept hurling spears. After about twenty, no Frost Hawks remained in the sky.
'It's wrapping up.'
Now I aimed at the ground. Target: the remaining twin-headed hounds.
"Yap!"
The hound twitched from the spear hit. The martial artists didn't miss the opening.
"Now!"
"Even with two heads, it's still a hound at heart! Belly's the weak spot! Hit the belly!"
The battle ended as dawn brightened the night sky. The martial artists had survived. Thirty from my sector had died, but no one mourned.
A short while later, General Bae-un appeared.
"Congratulations on passing the fifth-floor trial. From the fifth floor on, we heal injuries for those who pass."
Behind General Bae-un stood sorcerers. I narrowed my eyes. Even without knowing their exact level, they were at least Outpost realm recovery specialists.
"Claim your rewards. Those who wish to forfeit, say so now or on the sixth floor. Doesn't matter."
About sixty thousand passed the fifth floor. Fewer than three thousand opted to quit.
Of course, I, Seong Ji-gon, and the Iron Five Group chose to ascend.
???
Seated, General Bae-un quietly gazed at the pond. It displayed the fifth-floor trial. Through this pond, they could watch those climbing the tower.
An old woman in light robes approached General Bae-un. She had white hair and a kindly face.
"General Bae-un. Anyone stand out?"
"Yes. A few. Thirty-five under fifty who've reached the Five Qi realm. True geniuses, every one."
General Bae-un squeezed the orb in his hand. The pond's scenes flicked from one to another. Person by person, all Five Qi realm martial artists. Sung Yu-jin was among them. But neither General Bae-un nor the old woman reacted.
"Reaching Five Qi means they've started sketching their own inner realms. They're not the talent I seek."
"They're barely outlining those realms now."
"Erasing and revising those outlines takes time too."
"...Understood. Let's watch a bit longer. It's only the fifth floor of the Myeongmu Tower. The real start is still ahead."
???
The sixth floor was easier than expected. Half a day to kill one yokai—that was the trial. I stepped in to help the Iron Five Group. They all advanced to the seventh floor.
'No rule against teaming up. Piece of cake. Pure difficulty-wise, the fifth floor was tougher.'
We reached the seventh floor.
A vast plain stretched before a towering mountain.
"Seventh-floor trial. Pass this, and among your rewards, you can choose a dharma treasure."
The soldier continued.
Dharma treasure.
Greed flared in the Iron Five Group's eyes.
"What's the seventh-floor trial?"
I asked calmly.
"Somewhere on this land is the staircase to the eighth floor. Reach it within four days."
"What about the other challengers? Don't see them."
"Starting points differ for everyone this floor. Good luck, challengers."
The soldier descended to the lower floor.
Roooaaar!
A monster's roar echoed from somewhere in the mountains. A yokai lurked there somewhere.
"Sung Yu-jin-nim. I have a proposal."
Jin Gu-eon approached me.
"Proposal? Speak."
"We chose spirit medicines on the sixth floor."
The Iron Five Group picked martial arts on the fifth and spirit medicines on the sixth—the quality had spiked there. Among them were spirit pills. Some members took Intelligence Pills.
Intelligence Pills aided breaking into the Outpost realm. Even at the peak of Entry Style's tenth stage, advancing wasn't easy. But with an Intelligence Pill, the odds shot up.
"And?"
"One day. Just one day. Let us consume them and grow stronger. It'll help you too, Sung Yu-jin-nim."
I eyed Jin Gu-eon and the others. Their gazes burned with resolve.
"You know taking one day out of four leaves three?"
"We don't want to drag you down, Sung Yu-jin-nim. We'll train hard. We'll deliver results, so just one day."
"If you insist that much, fine. One day, then we move for real. Seong Ji-gon and I will stand guard while you take your medicines."
"Thank you!"
The Iron Five Group plopped down cross-legged. They chomped and swallowed their spirit medicines, then closed their eyes to circulate energy.
Seong Ji-gon and I watched, munching our own.
"You don't need to circulate?"
"Nah. This level? Nothing compared to what you give me. I'll do a quick session later."
You get used to spirit medicines after eating plenty. Seong Ji-gon had mastered handling spirit energy from force-feeding mine. Low-grade ones didn't waste energy even without circulation—his body was accustomed.
Half a day passed like that. A few yokai popped up midway, but only barely escaped my sword.
The members rose one by one, faces flushed with achievement.
"Thank you, Sung Yu-jin-nim!"
"Thanks to you, I reached Outpost realm!"
Three hit Outpost, Jin Gu-eon at fifth stage. The rest at least Entry Style seventh. Iron Five Group's power had surged.
"It's late. Rest, then move?"
"No. We can go."
"Confidence overflowing. Good. Let's move."
We scoured the mountain for two days. Not easy. Yokai interrupted hourly. But I had a way. Used Heavenly Eye to find the next staircase.
Problem: a Flame Toad guarded the entrance. Over four meters tall, flames flared from its nostrils with every breath. Transparent liquid dripped from its back. Gasoline stench reached us from over thirty meters.
"Yu-jin. That toad... bad vibes."
"Not Five Qi level, but... even I can't underestimate it."
No time to find another staircase. And if others had similar guards? Just waste time.
"Let's kill that toad. We can do it. Whatever happens, don't let that liquid touch you."
No lightning. it'd spray gasoline everywhere— one spark and boom, disaster.
Quick plan: I draw aggro, others hit blind spots. Only I could tank it head-on.
"Begin."
I charged the Flame Toad. At ten meters, its eyes snapped open. No intelligence there. It gaped wide and lashed its tongue—rubber-like, wreathed in fire.
'Flaming whip.'
Whip-crack.
Dodged the tongue. The impact on the ground was vicious.
The toad's tongue whipped erratically. I used Moment to pinpoint its path.
Slice.
Tongue severed, red stump fell.
Spurt.
Toad retracted, square pupils fixed on me. Chest inflated, mouth opened. Regrown tongue shot faster, hooked tip like a sickle.
'Moment!'
Sliced it again. Blood rained, melting my clothes and scorching skin. I gritted through the pain and yelled.
"Now! Attack!"
Seong Ji-gon charged a blind spot. Only him.
"Now!"
Jin Gu-eon shouted. Iron Five Group rushed me. Jin Gu-eon at the center.
"It was a long time of scorn and persecution... We'll kill you and return as the true Iron Five Group!!"
"Fuck!"
A curse slipped out. Planning to backstab them right after eighth floor for their treasures and pills—and now they beat me to it!
'Should've killed them the second we hit seventh!'
Regret dripped like the toad's slime.