Chapter 141: Eternal Spire (27)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 141: Eternal Spire (27)
"Mila Roseburg?"
I pretended to think for a long moment before speaking.
"Ah, the red-haired girl? I've been using her well as my cocksleeve. Her pussy's got a nice tight grip, makes her pretty useful. It's hilarious how she's always crying, 'Daddy, save me, help me.'"
"You die!"
My words made the middle-aged man explode with rage and attack. He drew his bowstring, and an arrow shot toward my face, accompanied by a powerful shockwave.
Swoosh!
But Isia, who was beside me, reacted in an instant. Her arrow cut through the air and struck the man's arrow perfectly.
Boom!
The two arrows collided and exploded in mid-air, sending a shockwave sweeping through the area.
In that moment, Yoon Jae-ho stepped in to stop him again. The eyes of Mila Roseburg's father, Randolph Roseburg, were filled with killing intent.
"Sir… you have to hold back for now."
Yoon Jae-ho gripped Randolph's arm tightly. His own eyes were simmering with fury, but he knew this wasn't the time.
"Grr… My daughter… My daughter…"
The bow fell from Randolph's hand, his shoulders trembling violently.
Watching the two of them, I provoked them further.
"Hehe, should I call you Father-in-law? By the way, Father-in-law, did Mother-in-law not come to the tower with you? I'd love to try a mother-daughter bowl."
As I spoke mockingly once more, Yoon Jae-ho gritted his teeth. Killing intent and magical energy began to rise around him.
"Jin Seo-yun… that's enough."
"Jae-ho, why don't you ease up on the death glare? It's so arrogant…!"
The moment I said that, I focused my internal energy into my legs and shot forward with explosive force. No one could stop me as I closed the distance to Yoon Jae-ho in an instant.
By the time his eyes met mine, my hand was already gripping his face. I lifted him up and slammed him straight into the ground.
Crash!
"Gah!"
The stone floor cracked as Yoon Jae-ho's head was driven into it. His scream echoed. It all happened so fast that his companions behind him were only just raising their weapons, but it was already too late.
"Jae-ho, has it been so long that you've gotten arrogant? If you keep this up, I'll broadcast the crystal containing your disgraceful behavior from that day to all the participants. How about that?"
I whispered, pressing his face harder into the ground as I bluffed about something that didn't exist.
"Wouldn't it be fun if everyone found out what happened that day? Hmm?"
At my words, Yoon Jae-ho's pupils trembled violently. His face instantly turned pale.
"Urk…"
I released my grip and slowly stood up. Yoon Jae-ho, who had been pinned to the floor, barely managed to push himself up. Blood was streaming down his face, but the fear etched on it was far more prominent.
"I'll play with you this much for today. See you next time, Jae-ho."
I turned away with a sneer. Isia and Lauren followed behind me.
*
"Jae-ho… are you okay…?"
Park So-young helped Yoon Jae-ho to his feet. Blood was flowing from his face, but he seemed to be preoccupied with something else entirely.
"Ugh… I'm fine…"
The man in the robe approached Yoon Jae-ho.
"Yoon Jae-ho, it seems your plan has failed. I will report this to Lord Austin. I believe we'll have to reconsider your usefulness."
The robed man said in a flat voice. Yoon Jae-ho was in no state to care about his words.
'Damn it… how did he get out of there alive?'
The records stated that if Tiamat's remnants were in any of the three dungeons, Tiamat would awaken no matter which one was entered.
'The 6th floor… was the boss too weak? No… the records clearly said that the power of Tiamat's fragment was as strong as those on the upper floors…'
Yoon Jae-ho's mind was in turmoil. It had been a perfect plan. But Jin Seo-yun had shattered it and returned alive.
Just then, the man's voice came again.
"No answer. I'll take that to mean you're fine with me reporting this to Lord Austin as is."
"Hey. You guys were the ones who proposed we take that monster down together, saying he was neglecting his growth to play with women every day."
Kim Min-su glared at the robed man and spoke.
"And now you're talking about usefulness?"
"We may have proposed it first, but you were the ones who led this plan."
"Enough!"
Everyone fell silent at Yoon Jae-ho's sharp cry.
"What's done is done. There's no point in blaming each other."
The robed man took a step back, a smirk twisting his lips.
"Fine. We'll end it here for now. But Yoon Jae-ho, if you make a mistake like this again, it's over."
He left behind his cold words and turned away. His robe fluttered in the wind, and he vanished.
"Jae-ho…"
Park So-young looked at Yoon Jae-ho with concern. He tried to act unfazed.
"Hoo… Still, it's a relief that he still thinks of me as just a toy to play with."
The rest of the party remained silent at his words.
"What's your plan now?"
Randolph approached and stood beside Yoon Jae-ho.
"I'll have to get stronger. And it's not like we gained nothing from this."
Yoon Jae-ho took out the reward he had just received for clearing the dungeon from his inventory.
An old book rested in his hand. Its title, embossed in gold on the ancient leather binding, shone faintly.
[The Library of the Dead]
A faint smile spread across his lips. The plan had failed, but he had obtained the key for the next one.
"Haa… but what the hell does that monster eat to be so strong?"
A heavy silence fell again at Kim Min-su's words. As he said, Jin Seo-yun's overwhelming power was incomprehensible.
Over the past year, they too had grown stronger at an incredible rate. They trained without missing a day and fought countless life-or-death battles. But the movements Jin Seo-yun had just shown were on a level they couldn't even hope to match. The weight of his power settled heavily on their shoulders.
"Let's go back now."
Seeing the heavy expressions on his comrades' faces, Yoon Jae-ho tried his best to sound casual.
The party nodded silently and followed him.
'Damn it…!'
Yoon Jae-ho was in agony. His lower body, which had reacted upon seeing Isia a moment ago, still hadn't calmed down.
The memory of that day, which he thought he had erased from his mind, felt like it was about to resurface vividly.
'Ugh… No… Don't think about it…'
He clenched his fists, trying to still his trembling body. He bent his waist slightly so the others wouldn't notice, but the trauma Jin Seo-yun had planted in him continued to torment him.
＊＊＊
Upon returning to the city, I immediately took Tia to the temple for an examination.
Healing magic cast a soft glow inside the temple, enveloping Tia's body in a gentle light.
I immediately asked the priest.
"Priest, how is she?"
"Fortunately, there are no other abnormalities. However, her body housed a divine being, a fragment. She will need to stay at the temple for observation."
"How long does she need to rest?"
This time, Tia looked at the priest and asked.
"We'll need to observe you continuously for about a week."
She nodded lightly at the priest's words.
I was relieved to confirm that there was nothing wrong with Tia's body.
Just then, Tia looked at me and asked cautiously.
"Seo-yun… are you okay?"
"I'm fine. I'm more worried about you."
"I'm so… sorry. I should have been more careful…"
"It's not your fault. For now, just get some rest."
Once the treatment was finished, Tia was moved to a resting area inside the temple.
I nodded to the priest.
"I'll be going now. Please take good care of Tia."
"Rest assured, we will look after our sister well."
When I left the temple, Lauren was waiting outside.
She approached me and quietly gave her report.
"Sir Seo-yun, I have something to report regarding the matter you asked me to look into."
"What happened?"
"I made contact with Lee Su-yeon, an executive of the Holy Cross Knights. According to the data she sent, Austin and Yoon Jae-ho have been in secret contact for the past year. Also, Austin pushed through with this mission even though half of the Holy Cross Knights' executives opposed it."
I narrowed my eyes and muttered.
"Is that so…"
Austin.
It seemed the time had come to deal with him.
I looked at Lauren and said firmly.
"It's about time we got rid of Austin."
Lauren nodded lightly.
"Shall I mobilize our people within the Holy Cross Knights?"
"No, for now, just continue to support Lee Su-yeon from behind the scenes."
"Yes, I understand. And there is one more thing to report."
"What is it?"
"Austin is said to have acquired a unique item from the East Dungeon. However, we have not yet been able to ascertain the exact details of that reward."
I furrowed my brow slightly.
"Come to think of it, I didn't get to check the reward Yoon Jae-ho got either. Where did he go?"
"He headed north. But we lost track of him after a certain point."
"The north…"
I took a short breath and organized my thoughts.
"He most likely headed to one of the towns built by the Northern Alliance Guild."
In the north, there were towns that participants had built themselves. They were base cities created by small and medium-sized guilds banding together to become self-sufficient, free from the interference of larger guilds.
I asked Lauren again.
"Who's the current head of the Northern Alliance?"
"It's currently Kang Hyun-woo of the Moonless Guild."
"Kang Hyun-woo…"
The moment I heard the name, a memory from the original novel flashed through my mind.
The Sword God.
In the original story, Kang Hyun-woo was a being known as the Sword God.
I looked at Lauren and gave an order.
"Keep a close watch on Kang Hyun-woo's side as well. There must be a reason Yoon Jae-ho is heading north."
"Yes, I understand."
"Let's head back for now."
The sun was beginning to set. I headed to the guild hideout with Lauren.
As soon as I arrived, the female guild members flocked to me.
"Master! It's been a while since you've had a break, right?"
"You have to stay with us tonight~"
A few women smiled seductively, grabbing at my clothes.
Normally, I would have picked a few to spend time with.
"Not today. All of you, get out."
The women left with disappointed expressions.
I checked the reward I hadn't been able to look at yet.
[Special Reward]
Title: 'The One Who Subdued the Serpent Empress'
"An accurate title."
I was the only one who knew in what way she was 'subdued'.
[Fragment of Tiamat's Authority]
Grade: ??
- A fragment imbued with divinity. Unauthorized users risk annihilation upon use.
Effect: ???
Warning: This item is contaminated. Please be cautious when using.
"Contaminated?"
I frowned and held the fragment in my hand.
It looked like a dark red crystal on the surface. But upon closer inspection, I felt as if something was squirming inside.
A strange energy emanated from it when I touched it with my fingertip.
Fwoosh!
"Ugh…!"
Suddenly, the fragment emitted an intense, dark red energy and floated into the air.
'What the…?'
I instinctively backed away.
But, in that moment.
[Hnngh…♡ Found you…♡]
Along with a woman's moan, a strange, trembling energy tickled my ear.
A chill ran down my spine.
Stab!
"……!"
A searing sensation erupted on my palm, followed by a tearing pain.
I looked down to see the fragment embedded in the back of my hand.
Sizzle. Sizzle.
A dark red pattern spread across my skin, wrapping around the back of my hand.
And system messages popped up one after another.
[Warning: The Serpent Empress has interfered with the system.]
[The 'Mark of Tiamat' is being forcibly engraved onto participant Jin Seo-yun's body.]
[You have absorbed the Fragment of Tiamat's Authority.]
[All stats increase by +15.]
[You have acquired the unique ability: King's Dignity.]
I stared at the back of my hand.
As the dark red pattern spread, a lewd, moaning voice echoed in my head.
[Heheh…♡ D-did you really think you could get away with toying with me…! Hnngh…♡]
"Tiamat?"
Her voice had a completely different tone from when I faced her in the dungeon.
Tiamat had been arrogant and domineering. But this voice I was hearing now…
It sounded somewhat thrilled with excitement.
And…
The sound of something wet being prodded was mixed in with her words.
'No way… it can't be…?'
I rubbed the back of my hand in annoyance, but the dark red pattern wouldn't disappear.
Her voice, however, grew even more sultry.
[I-I shall always be watching you… S-so look forward to it…♡ O-oh…♡]
"…You crazy pervert."
I glared at the mark with a look of cold annoyance. Tiamat's voice was gone.
"Haa…"
I had a strong feeling I'd gotten tangled up in something troublesome. I let out a deep sigh and checked my new unique ability.
[King's Dignity]
Grade: SSS
- The wielder of this ability naturally becomes a ruler, and surrounding life forms will instinctively feel either submission or fear.
- Exerts a stronger suppressive effect on beings of a lower class.
[Ability Effects]
1. Absolute Authority
- When the user consciously releases their aura, all beings within a certain range will feel the king's presence.
- Beings of lower status or weak mental fortitude will automatically submit or have their actions restricted.
2. King's Domain
- The user can deploy a 'Domain' within a certain range.
- While the domain is active, all of the user's stats are increased.
- Enemies within the domain fall into a 'pressured' state, restricting their movements and reducing their combat power.
- Beings with mental fortitude below a certain level will have their actions restricted by the king's pressure.
3. Dragon Eye
- When the user looks at a specific target, they can see through the target's intentions as if with a 'dragon's eye'.
- Instantly sees through any lies or attempts at deception.
- Can intuitively grasp specific weaknesses, and the target will feel intimidated just by being in the user's line of sight.
4. Blessing of Domination
- The user bestows a special blessing upon allies within their 'King's Domain'.
- Allies share a certain percentage of the king's stats for a period of time.
"The ability is pretty useful…"
To be honest, it seemed more than useful; it was ridiculously overpowered. With a unique ability like this, I could probably go on a rampage through the tower.
After checking the rewards and abilities, I took out my smartphone.
I stared at the screen and muttered.
"Maybe it's time to return to reality."
I had spent more time in the Eternal Spire than I'd expected.