Chapter 40
Chapter 40
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 40
Chapter Title: Black History #2
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I'd clearly been having a fairly enjoyable conversation with that newbie, in my own way.
Fortuitously, a connection had formed, allowing me to indirectly help him resonate with my black history—
that is, the 'object'—and clear the theme stage.
'Why.'
Why had I, the Tower Lord, been so shaken and intervened so much for a mere hunter like him?
I still didn't have an answer to that.
It was more than just a momentary diversion; as the Tower Lord, I saw quite a lot of potential in him.
"I wonder if you even realize."
What it meant for someone in the Tower Lord's position to personally watch over a hunter like this.
He probably didn't.
"Such an insolent newbie."
The image of that bold rookie came to mind—asking me for help so brazenly, trying to pry information out of me using memes of my black history.
It was muttered with a hint of annoyance, but surprisingly, the emotion that slipped from my lips was somewhere between amusement and something subtler.
"..."
After savoring the lingering aftertaste for a moment, Jinjo looked up at the sky.
There were few who could look down on her from here. No, there shouldn't have been any at all.
Yet Jinjo felt a massive presence from the sky, steeped in deep darkness.
It hadn't fully arrived yet.
An irritatingly leisurely pace.
She decided to wait patiently for it.
'Why me.'
Why had it suddenly summoned her here?
It had ignored her calls for conversation so curtly before.
After shoving her into this wretched space and never properly explaining itself for hundreds, thousands of years.
"Was it that bothersome?"
Jinjo pondered for a moment.
Was what she'd done really so unjustifiable?
She'd helped because she could, and in doing so, prevented the tower's balance from being disrupted.
As the tower's master, it was simply her duty.
Of course, she'd swung her iron fist in her own way during the process.
And letting rare truths about the tower circulate in the gallery was also part of the Tower Lord's—and moderator's—job.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ -Kugugugugu!! With a massive tremor shaking the ground, it finally revealed itself completely.
This sensation.
Jinjo knew the owner of this aura.
It was the same energy as the one that had thrown her into this wretched space and imprisoned her for hundreds, thousands of years.
"Is that you there?"
Joodak.
She was definitely facing the aura of 'Joodak'.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ -Kwadeuk. In an instant, Wine Lord's mana surged and reverberated through the space.
The source of the mana dominating the space was 'rage'.
Why it had suddenly appeared in this situation, why it had changed its silent attitude despite countless summons before.
None of that mattered anymore.
What mattered was the simple fact that this utterly detestable bastard had come before her.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ -Jijijik...! The hem of her alluring dress.
Jinjo's seductive leg stretched out as she took a step forward.
From the end of her perfectly doll-like presence without a single flaw, apocalypse propagated.
Jinjo's mana seeped through the colorless ground, manifesting a hellscape across the area.
Her goal was singular.
To reach that loathsome being somehow.
The woman at the pinnacle of the tower's summit, the apex of all monsters, unleashed all her power to attack that entity.
However.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ -Ttuk. The mana and phenomena spreading from her halted as if it were a lie.
"...Ha."
At the futility of her ended rebellion, Jinjo let out a hollow laugh.
Regrettable, but it seemed her antics ended here.
"What do you want from summoning me?"
"......"
It gazed down loftily at Jinjo.
The aura of Joodak stared at her relentlessly, as if observation alone was its purpose, offering no answer or words.
What could it possibly want to know, to break thousands of years of silence and appear before her?
"I'm in a good mood right now, so I'll gladly answer."
If there was no response, she'd simply enjoy it instead.
With that mindset, Jinjo put on a leisurely smile and feigned composure.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ The main monsters on the 5th floor were kobolds.
So, the appearance of the one slumbering beyond the boss room was entirely predictable.
"Kobold King."
Said the beastman hunter who had reappeared after a long time.
"Its individual combat prowess is average, but the problem is the lesser specimens beside it."
"What, how many are there?"
"Not enough to take us all on without issue. There'll be too many to count. Or maybe they keep getting summoned indefinitely."
Keep summoning?
What were they supposed to do with such a ridiculous concept shoved in their faces?
As Do-yoon shot the beastman hunter an incredulous look, he provided the solution.
"But if we just take down the superior entity, the Kobold King, all the other kobolds will vanish."
"Then we're good."
The end of the 5th floor was near.
Signaling that the theme stage's conclusion was approaching.
"..."
Do-yoon looked down at Eira.
The girl was still innocently swinging their clasped hands playfully.
"Heehee."
Seeing her consistently happy, beaming expression whenever she was with Do-yoon—
Do-yoon felt a stifling heaviness in his chest, like a stone weighing it down.
It wouldn't be long.
Once the theme stage ended and the floor was cleared, no one knew what would become of Eira.
"...She'll probably go back to where she was."
Last night, with a sleeping Eira left behind.
Rakiya Bells had secretly visited and informed him of this.
"Back to that horrible place?"
"Everything in the tower cycles."
Theme stages included, all floors blurred the line between life and death.
Slain monsters became gears again, reforming the tower's floors, and boss mobs whose hidden piece conditions weren't met were the same.
Objects weren't spared a different fate.
At least, from the common sense of other hunters like Rakiya Bells or the beastman hunter.
An object was highly likely to revert to its original form to weave its story anew.
Back to the days of torture and experiments by fanatics, her mind half-broken, harboring only malice.
"..."
A rage-like something boiled up inside him, but frustratingly, there was nothing Do-yoon could do.
Back again.
Everyone standing before the boss room looked to Do-yoon with unified resolve.
Before he knew it, he had become the leader of the hunter group.
He hadn't expected it, but it wasn't hard to understand.
"Let's go."
Thoughts of Eira kept nagging at him, but he had no intention of living here forever.
"This'll be funnn!"
Holding hands with Eira, who was still smiling brightly, they entered the boss room simultaneously.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ 「You have entered the boss room.」 「Subjugate the boss monster, 'Kobold King', to clear the floor!」 "Krurrrr!!"
"Kreaahh!"
In the distance, an army at a level mimicking human civilization glared at the hunters, drooling saliva.
"Those who can keep up, do. The rest, clean up the surroundings as you see fit."
"Yes!"
"Got it!"
With their spirited responses, Do-yoon charged straight into the heart of the enemy lines.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ -Sreung. He reached into empty air, grabbed the curved sword by the hilt, and swung it.
Inventory.
One of the useful functions he'd tested during the maintenance period.
"Kieak!"
A lesser kobold specimen took a single blow in an instant and tumbled pathetically across the floor.
Blood fountained from its headless neck—pushut!
"Hold on tight."
Do-yoon tapped the arm wrapped around his neck to signal.
"Yeah...!"
Eira.
The young Jinjo rode on his back, surveying the situation.
Ferocious beast heads charging from all directions.
To reach the Kobold King, they needed to roughly clear the surroundings.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ -Pajik. Eira, who had been watching the battle, ejected blood-red chains from behind.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ -Charrrruk! Like living snakes pursuing prey, they swept up the surrounding kobolds whole.
'Nice and clean.'
Ruthless power.
The source of terror that had hunters on edge and fanatics trembling.
But now, the object that had become his reliable ally was actively sweeping the battlefield.
'She deserves respect.'
He had already shared much communion with Eira for this very reason.
Convinced this spectacle was his rightful due, Do-yoon continued piercing through waves of kobolds.
And then.
"..."
"She's holding on like a total badass."
The posture reminded him of the departed Ugly Green Guy.
Over the muscular giant's fur-covered bulk, the beast's killing intent pierced through Do-yoon.
Undeterred, he charged at the 'Kobold King'.
"Do-yoon is approaching the boss mob!"
"Rear guard, sync up breaths; front, handle the surrounding lesser mobs!"
"Support him to the max!"
The reward-blinded hunters began fully backing Do-yoon.
The tide of battle swiftly turned in Do-yoon's favor.
And understandably so—his forces included an out-of-spec entity.
"Heehee! Doggy-dogs!"
A being that could be called a cheat or hack.
The Kobold King had to block Do-yoon's attacks while minding the chains striking from blind spots everywhere.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ 「Resonance achieved with target, 'Kobold King'.」 "Krur. W-wait. Let's talk this out."
How aggrieved it must have felt—the Kobold King, which had only growled beastly until then, now found its words.
"I'll end it quick."
"Kuheng! I-is this how it's done...!"
Deprived of its lesser specimens, the Kobold King's power was merely average.
And that was more than enough for Do-yoon alone.
"Wha. Th-this sensation..."
Just before its last breath was cut—
Without even seeing Rakiya Bells' massive axe coming from behind.
"Memories, memories are resurfa—"
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ -Kwa-jik! With a death cry Do-yoon couldn't fully make out, the Kobold King split in half and vanished into the air.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ -Dding! 「Hidden Piece conditions for the 'Boss Room' have been met.」 「Hidden Piece ▶Superior Horde」 「: Clear the stage with firepower overwhelming the Kobold King's horde.」 "...Huh?" 「Rewards enhanced due to Hidden Piece.」 「Boss monster, 'Kobold King', has been subjugated!」 「Receiving rewards.」 And as a bonus, they'd even cleared the Hidden Piece.