Chapter 112: The Boundary-Breaking Mirror (2)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 112: The Boundary-Breaking Mirror (2)
[Time remaining for the Boundary-Breaking Mirror: 0h:29m:59s]
Along with the brief status message, the view before his eyes completely changed.
A meadow drenched in dazzling starlight.
In the very center, twenty-two Black Knights clad in iron armor stood in neat rows.
Even though they were still asleep, the mana radiating from them was extraordinary.
It made his skin prickle.
This meant that even their passive, unconscious aura was superior to most monsters.
'They must all be Named-grade.'
Jinhyuk calmly assessed.
"..."
Cheon Yu-seong also kept his mouth shut, sizing up the knights.
He was likely weighing the enemy's strength against his own.
"They're strong."
A brief assessment.
But if Cheon Yu-seong went as far as to say that, it was by no means an exaggeration.
Even if five or more raid teams from major guilds had allied to face them, victory wouldn't have been guaranteed.
"They're pretty tough. So, what do you think? Think you can handle them?"
"I think I can handle up to five at once. Any more than that, and the risk increases. Of course... all of this assumes that the monster at the very end doesn't wake up."
The two turned their gazes in the same direction.
Indeed.
The most eye-catching thing here was the massive stone statue standing at the end of the row of Black Knights.
"It's been a while since I last saw that guy."
Jinhyuk looked at the statue with nostalgic eyes.
The culprit that had frustrated and forced countless players to give up in the Tower of Trials.
The immortal boss and Guardian of the 10th floor exuded an overwhelming pressure just by existing.
Even if all the other Black Knights combined their strength, they wouldn't even reach the ankles of that towering mountain.
'Should I at least get ready?'
This time, he would clear it as Unknown.
[Subspace Inventory is being activated.]
Jinhyuk pulled out a mask engraved with geometric patterns from his Subspace Inventory.
The identity he had chosen for Unknown from now on was a 'Barrierist'.
He planned to edit out the scenes where he used other skills and reconstruct the video to focus primarily on his use of barriers.
'Since there are so many viewers looking for Unknown even at this very moment, it's about time I make an appearance.'
Above all, to secure both the 1st and 2nd ranks simultaneously, a proper distribution of boss battles was essential.
'If I have to deal with all the Black Knights as well, I'll waste too much mana...'
He had to avoid that.
To put on a flashy performance, he needed to conserve his strength.
Furthermore, for the sake of the production, a clean build-up was necessary.
In the end, to satisfy both conditions...
"Go, Sword-Saint-mon! I choose you!"
Jinhyuk tapped Cheon Yu-seong on the shoulder.
"Damn it! What on earth do you take me for?"
"Uh-uh. This is training. Training."
Didn't you say you wanted to get stronger?
Then don't talk back and just follow along.
In martial arts novels, they make you spend a year cleaning, a year cooking, and a year doing laundry before they even let you hold a sword.
I've drastically cut down on all that and am giving you an intensive crash course, so you should be grateful.
"Cut the crap. If we were fighting together, maybe, but I can't face all of them alone. Even for me, that's impossible!"
Hmm. As expected, he's pushing back.
"Then let's do this. If you clear out all those knights and hold out against the boss for just one minute, I'll grant you whatever you want."
At those words, Cheon Yu-seong's pupils dilated rapidly.
Defeating Jinhyuk was his sole reason for climbing the tower and his lifelong desire.
Therefore, this proposal held absolute sway over him.
"Are you serious?"
"Yeah. You want a 1-on-1 duel with me anyway, right?"
"If you go back on your word or pretend you never said this later..."
"Don't worry. If you succeed, I'll fight you whenever and wherever you want—whether it's Jamsil Stadium or the middle of Myeongdong."
"You... must keep that promise."
Shring!
Cheon Yu-seong drew his sword.
The sword, engraved with runes, scattered a dazzling light.
[Cheon Yu-seong activates his unique ability, 'Song of the Sword'!]
At that very moment,
Rumbleeee!
Reacting to the intruder's mana, the Black Knights moved in unison.
Standing well over two meters tall and wielding two-handed swords measuring 1.5 meters, their pitch-black iron armor felt incredibly heavy, yet their footsteps were surprisingly light.
"This is the resting place of warriors."
"Only those who are worthy may enter."
"Those who failed to achieve great deeds as warriors in life are forbidden entry."
"And you lack that worthiness."
Grating, metallic voices poured out.
Seriously, guys who harp on about chivalry and whatnot are exhausting just to listen to.
And it's even less appealing when they don't even yield a single point of experience.
But when it came to being a stubborn, single-minded blockhead, Cheon Yu-seong was second to none.
"If you get in the way of my duel with him, I will cut you all down!"
Spitting out those chilling words, Cheon Yu-seong closed the distance in an instant.
Boom!
The Aura infused into his 'Soul-Chasing Sword' clashed head-on with a Black Knight's blade.
The Black Knight's feet dug deep into the ground.
Proof that it had lost the contest of strength.
"...Human!"
With just that single exchange, it was clear who held the upper hand.
However, the problem was... this wasn't a one-on-one fight.
"Strike!"
"Insolent fool!"
Two Black Knights flanked Cheon Yu-seong.
Their perfectly coordinated joint attack targeted his neck and heart with mechanical precision.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Red droplets of blood mingled with the flying sparks.
Just a hair's breadth.
If he had allowed them even a fraction of an inch more, a hole would have been blown straight through his heart.
'They're almost evenly matched.'
Watching from the sidelines, Jinhyuk let out a low whistle.
Is this what they call a nail-biter?
Pitting strong guys against each other was truly the best entertainment.
While watching complete newbies flail at each other had its own charm, a fight was always more thrilling when the combatants possessed a high level of skill.
'I still see plenty of openings, but he's clearly put in a lot of effort.'
He hadn't earned the title of Sword Master for nothing.
Considering that each Black Knight possessed a mana level close to 8,000, Cheon Yu-seong was essentially fighting twenty-two rankers all by himself.
His Soul-Chasing Sword technique had also reached its peak.
As a result, the battle gradually began to tilt in one direction as time went on.
'It'll be over in a few minutes.'
If there were spectators, now would be the perfect time to cheer.
After all, a single lion dominating dozens of hyenas was not a sight you got to see every day.
* * *
Thud! Thud! Thud!
Three sword wounds were carved into the center of the black armor.
No matter how strong they were, there was nothing they could do once the three life stones sustaining their bodies were destroyed simultaneously.
"How could a mere human... who has not even achieved great deeds..."
"...I cannot believe this."
"To think a warrior's pride would crumble so easily."
One by one, the Black Knights collapsed.
Naturally, as their numbers dwindled, the gap in power widened even further.
And finally...
Thud!
even the last Black Knight was sliced clean in half.
It was at that exact moment.
"Die...!"
Even in its dying breath, the Black Knight swung its sword, aiming for Cheon Yu-seong's legs.
An ambush from his blind spot.
Clang!
Fortunately, Cheon Yu-seong barely managed to parry the blow.
"Persistent bastards."
A cold sweat trickled down his back.
If he had let his guard down for even a second, he would have been done for.
Though he had sustained wounds here and there, his breathing remained steady. The same went for his remaining mana.
He had somehow succeeded in conserving his strength for that one minute against the final boss.
Now, he was just one step away from a rematch with that damn veteran.
Just a little longer.
If he could hold out just a little bit longer, he could achieve the goal he had yearned for so desperately.
"Get up."
Cheon Yu-seong pointed the tip of his sword at his sole remaining opponent.
At that,
[The 10th-floor boss monster, 'Rock Giant', is awakening!]
The giant, which had remained completely silent until now, opened its eyes.
Rumbleeee!
Heaven and earth shook violently.
The ominous, skin-prickling bloodlust was unlike anything he had ever felt before.
'To think it would be this powerful.'
Cheon Yu-seong let out a low groan.
Since he had skipped floors so rapidly, his growth was still incomplete, making it impossible to defeat this opponent.
He knew that.
Yet, he hadn't imagined he wouldn't even be able to hold out for a mere minute.
Because he had grown stronger.
Because he had grown incomparably, overwhelmingly stronger than before.
He was confident that much was well within his capabilities.
But... the moment he faced the boss, Cheon Yu-seong realized.
Why Jinhyuk had set the condition of holding out for just one minute.
And just how terribly mistaken he had been all this time.
'Damn it.'
A mana as heavy and deep as the abyss.
For the surge in mana between its sleeping and awakened states to be this absurd...
...It was an absolute monster.
'One minute against a thing like this...?'
It was impossible.
There was no way.
Though they hadn't even exchanged a single blow yet, Cheon Yu-seong keenly felt the vast gulf in their abilities.
This was... on an entirely different level.
"To come to this floor, defeat my Black Knights, and wake me..."
The Rock Giant looked down at Cheon Yu-seong.
Its expression was filled with genuine interest.
And understandably so.
Countless non-human species had challenged the 10th floor, but none had ever defeated all the Black Knights single-handedly.
"I see. So you are the strongest among the humans."
Reaching its conclusion, the Rock Giant stood up completely.
Standing five meters tall, its shield and greatsword, which resembled massive boulders, were lethal weapons that could not be ignored.
Furthermore, because its entire body was encased in heavy armor, there wasn't a single opening to exploit.
Its offense and defense were flawless.
This was the first time since Jinhyuk that he had faced such an insurmountable mountain.
But he couldn't back down now.
He would rather die than let that smirking bastard behind him have the satisfaction.
Crackle!
Blue light flickered along the blade.
Sword Qi, drawn out by pouring in every last drop of his mana.
He had managed to partially manifest the third form of the Soul-Chasing Sword.
'The best defense is a good offense.'
If he unleashed a relentless barrage, time would fly.
For now, he had to focus entirely on holding out by any means necessary.
Swish!
Cheon Yu-seong's figure vanished.
He reappeared behind the Rock Giant.
Having taken its back, Cheon Yu-seong slashed his sword horizontally.
Boom!
However, not a single scratch appeared on the Rock Giant's surface.
[Invincibility].
Literally a unique ability with absolute judgment that granted immunity to both physical and magical attacks.
This was the ultimate shield, which neither Sword Qi nor even Sword Aura could pierce.
"Sword Qi... a parlor trick used only by the insignificant. Then, let me teach you a lesson this time."
[The Rock Giant activates Lv.15 'Stone-Shattering Slash'!]
The Rock Giant's greatsword cleaved through the air.
Crashhhhh!
With a deafening roar, everything in sight began to disintegrate.
The ground split open, and the grass was completely torn to shreds.
This was merely the shockwave, not even a direct hit.
"What absurd brute force...!"
Cheon Yu-seong cried out, deploying his Sword Ward.
His sword spun like a pinwheel.
But it was all in vain.
Though it was technically just a single swing, that one strike easily overwhelmed the Sword Master's defensive skill.
Crash!
"Cough!"
Cheon Yu-seong's center of gravity collapsed instantly under the blow.
It was a mind-numbing impact.
Yet, there was no time to catch his breath.
The second attack followed immediately.
This time, it was a thrust.
The massive greatsword, over two meters long, shot forward like lightning, targeting a single point.
It was dangerous.
This was impossible to block or dodge.
Cheon Yu-seong took a shallow breath.
Sensing his impending death, the strength drained from his hand holding the sword.
But then...
Hummmm!
something blocked the path.
Pure white ice crystals scattered around a crimson dagger.
It was hard to believe even while looking at it, but the massive greatsword was stopped dead in its tracks by that tiny dagger, unable to advance any further.
"One minute."
A relaxed tone.
"Too bad, you failed."
It was Jinhyuk.