Chapter 155
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 155
Chapter Title: Ancient Tower (2)
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Within the game <Blackout>, the Ancient Tower was content that veteran players obsessively rushed into, like moths to a flame.
"It caused a huge uproar in the community for a while. Stuff like 'My build is awesome,' or 'Nah, mine's better'."
In the game, it served as a kind of 'challenge'—an objective gauge of how much your characters had grown.
A combat power meter, so to speak!
That's why hardcore players would craft their unique character combos, clear it, take screenshots as proof, and post them online.
"I never got that far, though."
From the start, Jun had focused on different aspects of the game compared to those veterans.
They obsessed over hiring the absolute best NPCs to maximize party efficiency.
Jun, on the other hand, specialized in raising NPCs so subpar that people would gasp, "You cleared it with those?"
As such, the Ancient Tower—which demanded peak efficiency to clear—hadn't held much appeal for 'Lee Jung-jun' back then.
"Which means my info on the Ancient Tower is pretty limited."
He didn't know exactly how many floors it went up to or what rewards it offered.
"Too bad. I should've looked up more details on the Ancient Tower."
Swallowing his regret, Jun scanned their surroundings.
A massive colosseum.
The structure gleamed with a subtle golden light, packed with countless spectators in the stands screaming like mad.
And naturally, all their cheers were aimed at the spot where Jun and his comrades had gathered.
They had awakened not in the stands, but dead center in the colosseum arena.
"Wh-what the hell is all this?"
A startled Aiden asked Jun.
"It's a colosseum. We've gotta fight whatever shows up here."
Elenoa, standing nearby, tilted her head in confusion.
"This doesn't match what Grandpa told me. He said it started in some dying forest or something."
"The stage changes based on how many people enter. That's one of the Ancient Tower's quirks."
The tower itself was so rare to find, and what little info existed was tightly guarded, so few people knew about it.
Even Maya, who'd spent her whole life in <Blackout>, had never laid eyes on it.
"But the people look weird."
"You can't see their faces properly, right?"
"Yeah."
Strangely, the spectators filling the stands had faces distorted like glitchy static, impossible to make out.
"Don't worry about it. They're not from this era anyway."
"Got it. So, what're we fighting?"
"That."
Jun pointed. In that direction loomed a lion with a massive golden mane, glaring right at them.
Its sheer size rivaled a building, hot breath steaming from its maw as it radiated murderous intent.
"Wh-what is that thing?"
"Goliath."
That was the golden-maned lion's name.
"As you can tell..."
"We avoid a frontal fight, right?"
By now, Aiden could read Jun's intentions without him spelling it out.
Jun nodded, and moments later, a deafening groan echoed as the iron cage holding the beast swung open.
Grrrroooar—!
Its roar reverberated like thunder from a cavern.
"It breathes fire, so watch out!"
"Got it!"
"Aye!"
Jun and Elenoa's support spells unfurled, just as Aiden and Maya darted in to draw its attention.
It was clear they didn't want that hulking lion anywhere near the two in the back.
Grah!
The beast responded in kind.
Despite its enormous bulk, it moved with shocking speed.
Each step shook the ground, its boulder-sized paws slashing toward Aiden and Maya.
Tat!
Kagagak!
The pair scattered to either side, leaving deep gouges where they'd stood.
They lunged to exploit the opening, but...
Grrrowl!
"...?!"
Maya bent backward like a bow in an instant, dodging something.
It was Goliath's tail.
'It wields mana...!'
Not just cloaked in it—the tail brimmed with an alien energy infused into the mana itself.
Her arched body got caught in its wake, yanked along.
Had she not twisted away, the follow-up tail strike would've nailed her.
Aiden, meanwhile, surged forward with blazing red aura, aiming for its throat—but Goliath whipped its head around faster, spewing flames.
Thanks to his [Beast Body] skill reacting, Aiden leaped back just in time.
"How is it that quick...?"
A claw slammed into where Aiden had been.
"Uh... We can kill that thing with our skills, right?"
Elenoa watched the scene, her voice half-dazed.
Jun had no time to answer—he began chanting a spell.
"Sigh. Let's not talk."
With a deep sigh, Elenoa unleashed another holy spell.
In this fight, neither had fired directly at Goliath recklessly.
The moment it switched targets, they'd be in danger.
Instead, Elenoa focused on bolstering Aiden and Maya.
Right on cue, Goliath's claw hurtled toward Aiden.
Furious at his constant evasion, it ignored Maya charging from behind and zeroed in on him.
'Too late!'
A flicker of dismay crossed Aiden's face.
Dodging the storm of attacks had backed him into a corner.
Jun's warning against frontal assaults flashed in his mind, but...
'Huh?'
For some reason, Aiden felt he could break through.
And he acted on it.
Tat!
Even without Jun's buffs, Aiden's movements turned ethereal.
Like a gust of wind, he slipped past the massive forepaw and burrowed into Goliath's guard.
'The spirits' influence?'
That was likely.
He wasn't used to situations like this yet, but through countless battles, Aiden was blooming into his innate talent.
And then.
[Point in Light]
Elenoa's holy magic concentrated enhancement on Aiden's arms.
Unlike [Hymn of Light], which boosted overall physical abilities, this holy spell targeted and amplified a single body part.
It was a technique Elenoa had devised herself while enduring Jun's brutal training.
And its effect was phenomenal.
Kwaaang!
Sword met claw in a shower of sparks, and Aiden gritted his teeth, shoving the paw back.
A human blade—slender compared to the boulder-like forepaw—was dominating.
'Aiden's grown... Elenoa too.'
In response, Jun layered enhancement spells on Aiden.
Pang!
Power surged into Aiden's legs and arms. Finally, Goliath's forepaw rebounded, paying the price for overextending.
"Die."
Maya, having evaded the tail and closed in, drove Acander's fang into its hind leg.
* * *
Battles against large monsters always demanded utmost caution.
Even their slightest movements could deliver devastating blows.
But as the saying goes, good things come in small packages.
Jun and his team had prepared thoroughly for facing such colossal foes.
First: teamwork.
Aiden and Maya held the front line, with Jun and Elenoa providing ranged support.
When Aiden was in peril, Maya menaced the enemy; the reverse applied too.
If both were cornered, Jun and Elenoa stepped in.
A deliberate, patient battle—chipping away at the enemy's stamina and focus without rushing.
Jun's world tree essence amplified that synergy even further.
Second: meticulous planning.
Until now, Jun's party had relied on raw skill, but <Blackout> originally required stockpiling consumables for every hunt.
Enchant scrolls used by mercenaries and adventurers they'd met fit that bill.
Jun's magic had covered that role so far, but now was the time to deploy consumables.
One such: poison.
Grrrowl...!!
Goliath's movements, nimble despite its size, slowed noticeably.
Thanks to the paralyzing poison Maya had smeared on her blade during its assault on Aiden.
Given its bulk, the toxin should have taken ages to spread.
But the paralyzer Jun crafted from materials in Ervantus's contaminated zone struck locally first, then expanded its reach.
"Haat!"
Aiden charged like the wind. Goliath belatedly raised a forepaw, but too slow.
Aiden was already inside its guard, slashing its throat. Maya severed the opposite foreleg's ankle.
Finally, Elenoa's summoned golden spear pierced a leg joint.
Kraaaaoooh—!!
A scream-like roar erupted.
Jun's reserved finisher—[Flare]—slammed into its forehead to seal the deal.
Flames engulfed its body as it collapsed.
Woooaaahhh!!!
The faceless spectators stomped the stands in ecstatic frenzy.
"Huff... huff..."
But Jun's side was exhausted too.
Fighting a large monster that could inflict lethal wounds with the slightest error was a nightmare.
"Hoo... Is it over?"
Aiden approached, utterly drained, and Jun nodded.
"Good work. You all held up great."
Maya had faced dangers too, but not like Aiden, who tanked upfront.
His performance this fight was stellar.
"Why'd it fixate on me so much, though? I didn't even use [Beast's Roar]."
"Your skills and gear."
Aiden's equipment was all monster-derived: Destroyer's hide, Balrog greaves, etc.
[Beast Body] amplified them while drawing monster aggro to himself.
"Plus, Goliath's a beast-type monster. It saw you as a rival invading its turf."
"Ah..."
Aiden gained new insight yet again.
"Alright, let's head up. Good job, everyone."
A door to the next floor had appeared.
Stepping through led to the familiar pure-white space welcoming them once more.
Being a Mage in the Hero Party
156