Chapter 550: Eternal Spire[R-18] (69)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 550: Eternal Spire[R-18] (69)
I tightened my grip, and the scythe cracked before shattering into pieces.
Crack!!
“Wh… How…?!”
“How, you ask? It’s the power of Eunha-jjang’s first kiss! Uhyo~! With this first kiss buff, I’m already the strongest~!”
“You… you crazy bastard…!”
As the creature reeled in shock, I pulled my fist far back.
“Hmph—!”
BOOM!!!
My fist slammed into its abdomen, and the doppelganger’s torso bent at a grotesque angle as it flew into the air.
“Kuaaargh!!”
It shrieked as it crashed into the wall, causing the thick stone to crack like a spiderweb.
I dusted off my hands and shrugged.
“This is the power of love~ Got it, you mongrel?”
Behind me, Seo Eun-ha’s face turned beet red as she shouted.
“D-Don’t say such stupid things!”
“Hey, hey~ Eunha-jjang, this kiss buff is the real deal~”
“Oppa was NTR’d right in front of me!” Han So-young exclaimed, her eyes sparkling as she clasped her hands together.
“Uhyo~! Now for my finishing move!”
I leaped into the air.
“This is Weakling Disdain—!!!”
CRUUUUUUUUUNCH!!!
My leg crushed the doppelganger’s body, caving in the floor beneath it.
“Kuaaaaaargh!!”
The doppelganger’s torso was pinned to the floor, and it thrashed about wildly. But before it could even attempt a counterattack—
BAM! BAM! BAM!
I swung my leg down again and again without rest. A continuous stomp.
“Uhyo~! This is the Geum Tae-yang style! The Mad Stomping Rush!”
CRUNCH! CRACK! CRUNCH! CRACK!
The sound of its bones breaking echoed repeatedly. Black fluid splattered everywhere, but I didn’t care, stomping relentlessly.
“It’s not over yet!”
For the finale, I leaped high into the air, putting the full weight of my body into one last stomp on its chest.
CRACK!!!
The ground buckled, and the doppelganger’s torso was crushed into pulp.
“Hmph, this is Geum Tae-yang. You scum.”
I slowly lifted my leg, brushing off the dust. Beneath my foot, only a pile of meat, its original form unrecognizable, remained.
Behind me, Han So-young clasped her hands together, her eyes shining.
“Oppa… you’re so cool! Just… just like a hero!”
Han So-young’s eyes twinkled like stars. The way she looked up at me with her hands clasped to her chest, she was the very picture of a girl worshiping her hero.
In contrast, Seo Eun-ha’s face was flushed red as she gritted her teeth.
“……Idiot. Did you really have to be so over-the-top to feel satisfied?”
I grinned and shrugged.
“But I won, right?”
Seo Eun-ha let out a long sigh.
“Haa… More importantly… is it over now…”
“We can… finally get out of here, right?”
The two women moved closer to my side, glancing at the pile of meat that was once the doppelganger before looking around. The suffocating boss room fell silent, and at that moment—
Rumble!!
A massive vibration shook the entire room, and a multi-layered blue pattern unfolded above our heads.
[You have cleared the Special Dungeon <Hide and Seek>.]
[Confirming the survival status of participants…]
[Final Survivors: Geum Tae-yang, Seo Eun-ha, Han So-young]
[Calculating rewards…]
Everyone held their breath as the blue text appeared before our eyes.
“Is that… a system window?” Han So-young murmured, her eyes wide. Seo Eun-ha narrowed her gaze.
“…The fact that there are rewards must mean it’s really over.”
I wrapped my arms around both their shoulders and grinned.
“In conclusion, you all survived safe and sound thanks to me, right~?”
“…Thanks.”
Seo Eun-ha muttered under her breath, her face blushing. Her trembling fingertips gently came to rest on the back of my hand. I shifted my hand slightly to envelop hers, and she flinched, whipping her head away. I could clearly see her ears had turned bright red, but I pretended not to notice.
Just then, a new message appeared.
[Rewards will be distributed based on individual contribution.]
[Highest Contribution — Geum Tae-yang]
“Uhyo~! Isn’t this what the Protagonist’s Aura is all about~?”
[Great Achievement Unlocked]
[A special reward will be granted.]
[50,000 Gold, Unique Ability Unlock Ticket, Random Weapon Summon Ticket]
[All survivors will receive +3 stat points.]
As the last notification faded, a golden chest materialized in the air. Emitting a dazzling light, it slowly descended and landed with a soft thud at my feet.
“Ooooh! This is totally a treasure chest!”
I threw my arms wide like a child, making a fuss.
“Is that your reward, Oppa?” Han So-young tilted her head.
“That’s right. Hehe, wanna see?”
“Yes!”
“How strange… I didn’t know they gave rewards like this for clearing a dungeon.”
Seo Eun-ha stared at the chest with surprised eyes.
I wagged a finger and shook my head.
“Nope, that’s not it. Eunha-jjang, you learned this in class, didn’t you? The reward system for regular dungeons and special dungeons is different.”
Seo Eun-ha frowned and poked me in the side.
“You know… for a guy who was always sleeping in class, how do you know so much?”
I shrugged and gave a shameless grin.
“That’s just one of my mysterious charms.”
“Oppa, stop talking nonsense and show us the reward already.”
“Okay~”
I immediately opened the chest and took out its contents. First, I picked up a pouch full of gold coins and tossed it to Han So-young.
“So-young, you two split this.”
“Huh…? What about you, Oppa?!” So-young asked, her eyes wide.
“Hehe, I’ll be fine with just a little.”
At that, Seo Eun-ha crossed her arms and frowned.
“Wait a minute. You basically cleared this whole thing by yourself. It’s… honestly weird for us to get an equal share. If you’re not taking your part, then I can’t accept it either.”
“Hey, hey, Eunha-jjang. Are you rejecting my goodwill~?”
“I’m not rejecting it, I’m saying I don’t deserve it when I couldn’t do anything. If you really want to give it to us… then we split it evenly.”
“That’s right! You got hurt fighting and defeating it, Oppa, so you have to get your share too!”
Han So-young nodded in agreement.
I pretended to wipe a tear from my eye with my palm.
“Hey, hey~ aren’t you two just too kind? You’re making my heart melt with emotion.”
“Don’t get emotional over something so obvious. So-young, give Tae-yang his share.”
“Okay, unni.”
So-young opened the pouch and divided the gold coins. After putting my share in my inventory, I picked up the ‘Random Weapon Summon Ticket’. It looked like a ticket glowing with a blue light, illuminating the area around it.
‘A Platinum Weapon Ticket. It’s rare, I can’t believe I’m seeing one here.’
There were five tiers of tickets in total: Silver, Gold, Platinum, Diamond, and Black. Silver was the most common, but still hard to come by. Black was the highest tier. I had never obtained a Black ticket, or even a Diamond one, the tier just below it.
“Oppa, what’s that in your hand?”
“It says ‘Random Weapon Summon Ticket.’ I guess it summons a random weapon, just like it says.”
“Wow~ I heard about those in class! They said the odds of getting an Equipment Summon Ticket are abysmal, right? That they can’t even be traded and are priceless…”
“That’s right.”
“Then hurry up and summon it! I’m curious to see what you get.”
“Hehe, alright. Here I go—”
I tore the ticket.
Zzzzzing…!
In an instant, a blue light spread out in all directions, making the air vibrate. The dazzling beams of light gathered into one point, and a long, thin shape slowly began to spin in mid-air.
“Wow… that’s amazing.”
Han So-young’s eyes sparkled with admiration.
“……That shape looks a little familiar.”
Seo Eun-ha narrowed her eyes, observing it carefully.
Soon, the light faded completely, revealing its true form.
It was a heavy club that shimmered with a silver luster. Its surface was engraved with intricate patterns, and a silver aura flowed from every crevice.
I reached out and grabbed the club. A heavy sensation filled my palm. At that moment, a translucent system window popped up before my eyes.
[Crushing Staff (破碎棒)]
Material: 97% Mithril, 3% Orichalcum
Effect: Strength +20
A simple option. But the insane value of ‘Strength +20’ was already proof of this weapon’s worth. On top of that, it was mixed with the incredibly rare Orichalcum. This was a true treasure, among the highest tier of Platinum items.
I gave the club a light swing.
WHOOSH!!
A deafening roar ripped through the air as if it were being torn apart. A heavy vibration traveled up my arm, and the grip felt perfect in my palm.
“Hehe… this is totally my style.”
I grinned, holding the club.
“Makes me want to go crack someone’s skull with it right now.”
“Oppa, holding that… you look like a real punk.”
“Hey, hey~ A punk! How can you say that to a kind and righteous man like me?”
“…Stop with the nonsense and let’s go. It smells awful in here, and I don’t want to stay any longer.”
Han So-young nodded in agreement. We immediately headed for the exit.
The path that had been an endless, tangled maze on the way in was now a single, straight corridor on the way out.
When we finally stepped outside the dungeon, the Holy Cross Knights, the Moonless Guild members, and Yoon Jae-ho were waiting at the entrance.
“There are survivors!”
A stir went through the crowd in an instant. All eyes turned to the three of us.
Yoon Jae-ho stepped forward. His cold eyes scanned us.
“Survivors… are you three the only ones?”
Seo Eun-ha caught her breath for a moment before answering for the group.
“Yes… that’s right.”
“……Then that means the instructor who was with you is also dead.”
“…Yes.”
Yoon Jae-ho’s brow furrowed slightly. Without asking anything further, he spoke curtly.
“I’ll hear the details when we return to the training camp. Follow me.”
*
As soon as we arrived at the training camp, a healer treated our wounds. Han So-young, who was relatively unharmed, was treated quickly and went outside to wait.
After that, we were taken straight to a conference room. The guild leaders of each guild were already gathered there, and Seo Eun-ha stepped forward to report on the situation.
After hearing the whole story, Austin, seated at the head of the table, wore a grave expression.
“A doppelganger appeared, you say?”
“That’s correct.”
His gaze swept over the three of us.
“But… how did you survive?”
Murmurs spread through the room. Whispers came from the neutral guilds as well. Their gazes were all filled with suspicion and wariness.
Just then, Yoon Jae-ho took a step forward, his sharp eyes fixed on me.
“Geum Tae-yang. Explain exactly what happened.”
I deliberately shrugged and grinned.
“Hey, hey~ what’s with the interrogation vibe? Are you treating us like criminals?”
“……”
“We made it out alive. Shouldn’t you be congratulating us first?”
“Congratulating you?”
Yoon Jae-ho’s eyes grew cold.
“Fifteen level 2s and a level 35 instructor are all dead. And against a doppelganger you’d only see on the 5th floor, no less. Yet the three of you alone survived and are sitting here… It’s only natural to think you’re lying.”
The atmosphere instantly turned frigid. The surrounding guild members also began to glare at us with menacing eyes.
Yoon Jae-ho walked up until he was standing right in front of me and spoke coldly.
“How did you kill the doppelganger?”
I dropped my playful demeanor completely and looked down at him with icy eyes.
“Obviously, I beat it to death myself. If you don’t believe me, what, you want to go a round right here?”
“You arrogant bastard…”
“Arrogant? That’s rich.”
I sneered, glaring at Yoon Jae-ho.
“You came into the tower before us and got a few levels, so you think you can threaten us and order us around… but you couldn’t even properly assess a single special dungeon, and in the end, the three of us were the only ones who went through hell.”
A taut tension flowed between me and Yoon Jae-ho. Killing intent clashed in our gazes, and the air grew heavy. At that moment—
“Yoon Jae-ho.”
Austin’s low voice echoed from the head of the table.
“That’s enough.”
“Tsk.”
Yoon Jae-ho clicked his tongue and averted his gaze, reluctantly stepping back to his seat. The embers of conflict still lingered, but for now, he seemed to be obeying Austin.
Austin looked at the three of us for a moment before speaking.
“First, we did not call you here to interrogate you. I apologize for that.”
I shrugged in response.
“Yeah, well, everyone’s looking at us like they want to kill us.”
Austin’s expression remained stern as he continued.
“However… your report about defeating a doppelganger is, frankly, difficult for us to believe. So, Mr. Geum Tae-yang.”
“Yep, yep, go on.”
“Would it be alright if we… tested your skills?”
“Sure, I don’t mind~ I’m always ready.”
“Very well. For now, please get some rest. We will inform you of the schedule shortly.”
At Austin’s words, the three of us left the room.
*
The remaining guild leaders quietly looked at each other and let out heavy sighs.
“…How absurd. A level 2 defeating a doppelganger. There’s a limit to how much you can lie.”
“Something else must have happened inside that dungeon. Perhaps the instructor dealt with the doppelganger but was injured… and they took that opportunity to betray him.”
“There’s no need to discuss that now. It will all be revealed once we test Geum Tae-yang. Everyone, you are dismissed. Ah, Yoon Jae-ho. You stay.”
The guild leaders left one by one, leaving only Yoon Jae-ho and Austin.
“…Why are you so hostile toward Geum Tae-yang?”
At Austin’s question, Yoon Jae-ho silently clenched his fist.
“……My apologies. I don’t know why… but just looking at him fills me with an inexplicable rage.”
Austin pressed his forehead and sighed.
“If he is… ‘that person’ they spoke of, then it is by no means wise for you to show such emotion. If you end up in his hands because of it… I don’t need to spell out what happens next, do I?”
Yoon Jae-ho’s expression darkened.
“…I’m sorry. I will try my best to hold back.”
“Huuu…”
Austin let out a deep sigh and shook his head.
“If possible, avoid direct contact with Geum Tae-yang for the time being.”
“……Understood.”
“Good. I have nothing more to say. You may leave.”
After Yoon Jae-ho left, Austin took a blue orb from his pocket and muttered in a low voice.
“Yoon Jae-ho… I’ll have to discard him at the right time.”