Chapter 25
Chapter 25
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 025
Chapter Title: Savior of Seoul (3)
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The interior of the Black Tower—or rather, the Tower of Jealousy—was surprisingly quiet. Having vomited out hundreds of goblins earlier, not even the sound of footsteps could be heard.
"...".
In contrast, the atmosphere was sticky and ominous. Even with torches flickering in various spots, a dank aura permeated everything.
Lee Sang-hyun scanned his surroundings carefully. Hidden in the shadows, things began to reveal themselves.
...Infected?
Grotesque, twisting tendrils covered the walls and ceiling, as if infected or parasitized by some unidentified alien organism.
Lee Sang-hyun frowned instinctively and expanded his sensory range.
...Wider than it looks from outside.
Even probing hundreds of meters in radius failed to map the entire tower. It was pitch-black, like a moonless night road.
...A different dimension, most likely.
Lee Sang-hyun surmised that the tower's interior was a space utterly divorced from Earth.
For now, press on. Whatever's here will show itself eventually.
Without overthinking, Lee Sang-hyun followed the gloomy torches deeper inside.
The first floor was a goblin hatchery.
Wriggle! Grumble!
Red, translucent eggs packed densely without a gap cradled growing goblins.
...Revolting.
It was a sight repulsive enough to warrant the word. Each egg held goblins developing in wildly different forms.
Thump! Thump!
The first egg to catch Lee Sang-hyun's eye contained only a heart and head—no limbs.
Beside it, one with bones and veins alone. Another existed solely as eyeballs, rolling about visibly. Beyond grotesque, it was spine-chilling.
Shing!
Before you can harm any humans, I'll wipe you out.
Lee Sang-hyun felt no misplaced pity. Goblins were enemies that had to be eradicated.
Without hesitation, he swung his sword.
Whoosh!!
Mana infused in the blade rippled outward like waves, shattering hundreds of eggs at once.
Splaaash...
Fetid liquid spilled alongside underdeveloped goblins.
The floor soaked through in seconds. Yet Lee Sang-hyun didn't retreat a step. Accepting it calmly, he widened his sensory field.
Here's hoping that's the end of it... No such luck. More hatcheries.
As expected, there was more than one. Five registered immediately.
And guardians lurked.
Clear them fast.
Gripping his sword, Lee Sang-hyun charged.
With players who cleared stages 2 and 3 of the final exam intervening, the monster wave was contained, falling quiet.
Crunch!!
"Looks mostly cleared..."
"Just in case some are hiding. Let's sweep a bit more."
"They might've slipped into the sewers. Goblins are rat-like, after all."
"Hadn't considered that!"
"Hope the other areas are holding up."
"Eh, probably fine."
Some players actively hunted goblins on purpose.
They're bound to tally scores later!
Rank us by kills!
Damn right! Can't pass up an event like this!
Have to crack the rankings, whatever it takes!
Given the tutorial precedent, it wasn't unfounded. Highly plausible, even.
"Hm?"
Sure enough.
A leaderboard materialized.
"Scores?!!"
Reactions to the sudden leaderboard split sharply.
"Knew it! Nailed the prediction!"
"Competition after all."
"11 points... Damn it."
"Only 1021 for me?"
"...Prioritizes kills over rescues, huh."
"Fuck! Should've known...!"
Proactive hunters cheered. Casual ones grimaced. Slackers spat curses.
Tremble!!
Dropouts who failed the final exam despaired—they'd just returned.
"Fuck, fuck, FUUUCK!!"
Choi Tae-seong, who'd arrogantly rushed stage 5, couldn't contain his fury.
Booom!! Boom!!
He ranted like a lunatic for a while, blasting goblins with his magic sword and wrecking buildings. Finally, he regained his senses.
Huff! Huff!
"Not... not too late yet! Start now, make it up... Whatever it takes...!"
Grind!!
Deprived of even the stage 1 artifact reward and goblin-hunting time, options were slim... but not zero.
"Orcs...!!"
The second wave offered dropouts a shot.
The hatchery guardians were Krugai. Larger and more agile than Black Wolves, these wolf-like monsters were relentlessly persistent—none dared claim second place.
Once they locked onto prey, they pursued to the ends of hell itself. Called Reaper's Hunting Dogs, they were vicious breeds that scorned death for vengeance.
Grrrrr...
But there was more than one. True to their pack nature, over a dozen prowled.
Each boasting strength surpassing an ogre's brute force—terrifying indeed.
If these broke loose outside... the hundreds or thousands of players freshly returned to Earth would be laughably torn apart.
Strong. But not my match.
Lee Sang-hyun gauged their power instantly. No fear stirred in him.
Confidence swelled within, while the Krugai lowered their heads and bared fangs at his might.
Grrraaah!!
Lee Sang-hyun struck first.
He charged the pack boldly and swung.
Whoosh!
Crescent sword qi lanced forward at blinding speed. The Krugai registered only a flash.
Slash!
Only after one head rolled did they comprehend.
"Kraaaang!!"
Roars erupted as crimson flames ignited in their eyes.
The Krugai unleashed fury toward their kin's slayer.
Fwoooosh!!
Ash-gray flames devoured the charging Lee Sang-hyun in an instant. Vicious beyond savage, they'd char flesh black on slightest contact.
"Here."
"?!!"
Of course, he wasn't consumed. Dodging nimbly, he slashed a foreleg.
Slash!!
The horizontal stroke sheared a hind leg clean in two.
Slash!
The follow-up rent the flank and foreleg of the neighbor.
"Kraaaang?!!"
Two crumpled in a blink.
Unsated, he lunged for the fourth.
Fwoooosh!!
Ash flames blocked ahead, but a beat too slow. Before they fully bloomed, he sliced right fore and hind legs.
Slash!!
It collapsed.
"Khaaaang!!"
At the leader's command from behind, the pack swarmed.
Cunningly from all four cardinal directions, they wove a triple encirclement to trap him.
Lee Sang-hyun leaped skyward effortlessly. Unlike the clogged ground, above lay open.
Aimed for this.
But a misread. The leader had anticipated exactly that.
It sprang, spewing ash flames.
Fwoooosh!!
Flames engulfed him. Evasion seemed impossible now.
On open ground, maybe. But midair's unnatural dynamics challenged even him.
"?!!"
In the end, he couldn't fully evade the ash flames.
But he cleaved them. Mana-shrouded sword parted the blaze, averting crisis.
Landing, he tsked.
...Sloppy. Attack, guard, dodge—all amateurish. Proof the body's not fully attuned to its new power.
Frankly, it stung.
He'd permitted a hit from an opponent he could crush effortlessly. A strike lethal against anyone lesser.
Excuses? Plenty. But recognizing the need for them marked defeat.
Lee Sang-hyun reflected on his frailty.
Train harder.
He vowed never to repeat it.
The dozen-plus Krugai lay felled. Only the leader remained.
"Kraaaak...!!"
Yet it didn't flee. Despite its pack's annihilation, rage blazed fiercer.
Definitely stronger.
1.5 times larger than the rest, it excelled in power, speed, defense, agility—everything.
Its unscathed leg hide, despite prior slashes, spoke volumes.
Two of them might've been dicey.
Acknowledging its prowess, Lee Sang-hyun charged.
Tat! Tat! Tat!
Zigzags deceived its eyes. Speed varied strategically, sowing chaos.
"Khaaaang!!"
His intricate footwork dizzied it. Its mind tangled.
Crunch!!
Fangs whiffed absurdly wide—no near miss.
Opening!
He exploited it, diving sideways to slash the right hind leg.
Slash!!
Short of severing, but tough hide parted.
Fwooosh!!
Ash flames from its maw ravaged the area.
Retreating sharply, Lee Sang-hyun loosed sword qi at the flayed spot.
Whoosh!!
Qi rocketed, burrowing into the hind leg.
Puuk!!
"Kraaaak?!!"
Unprecedented agony ripped a scream. Terror flickered briefly in its eyes.
Penetrating now.
Composing himself, he synced his movements to the leader's.
Tat! Tat!
Mirror images, barring biped versus quadruped.
Now!
A heartbeat too fleeting to notice. Yet he swung—crisp, precise.
"?!!"
It sensed doom, twisting frantically... too late.
Slash!!
Sword qi amputated the right hind below the knee, crippling mobility.
"Kraaa...aak...!!"
The decisive blow. No swift movement now.
Undeterred, it gaped at him.
Fangs poised to rend.
Crunch!!
Air alone.
Even four-legged, it missed; three-legged proved futile.
"Time to end this."
Lee Sang-hyun vaulted onto its head and drove his sword down with full force.
Puuk!!
The blade pierced hide smoothly, shattering skull.
Shudder...!
Its body convulsed violently. Even dying, it tried spewing flames—but collapsed onto the cold floor.
Thud...
Not a cinematic triumph, but meaningful all the same. Facing this formidable leader Kruga pack had exposed his shortcomings.
Keep moving.
No time to savor victory. The goblin eggs trembled ominously.
Wriggle! Wriggle...