Chapter 134: Hounds of the Decasus Family (3)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 134: Hounds of the Decasus Family (3)
A radiance imbued with the energy of the constellations.
It was none other than the 'Blessing of the Stars'.
Aside from Jinhyuk, there was only one other person who possessed this unique ability.
Teresa, the Saint of Amsterdam, had arrived.
'Talk about impeccable timing.'
Jinhyuk looked toward the spot where the light was descending with an intrigued expression.
Judging by the massive surge of mana, Teresa was undoubtedly pouring everything she had into this.
The Demonic Humans she was facing were no pushovers either, but the moment they failed to capitalize on their surprise attack, the battle was as good as over.
It was only natural.
With continuous requests for backup, the number of players would only grow. On the other hand, the Demonic Humans had limited numbers.
"Divine power...?"
"Tch! To think someone here wields that cursed power."
Bertion and Ophelia gritted their teeth.
Divine power.
It was the natural enemy of vampires, but it was also a lethal attribute against the Demonic Humans currently blocking the Dangun Guild.
Moreover, with power of such high purity...
The Demonic Humans alone wouldn't be able to handle it.
If they weren't careful, their entire plan could fall apart—the entire process of retrieving Alice and subsequently achieving 'that objective'.
"Bertion!"
"Damn it, I know! I know!"
At Ophelia's shout, Bertion quickly backed away, widening the distance.
Before anyone knew it, the 'Blood Prison' he had deployed had been completely dismantled.
He was likely planning to abandon the fight and regroup with the Demonic Humans.
Right then.
[Lv7 'Daylight' has been activated!]
A white flash tore through the air.
KRA-BOOM!
Even if they had put some distance between them, it was useless.
After all, 'Daylight' was an area-of-effect skill with an effective range of several hundred meters.
The forest shook violently under the storm of light that lasted for over five seconds.
And a moment later, the light, which had felt like an eternity, finally subsided.
Sssss!
A massive cloud of steam billowed up from where the snow had melted away.
'Alright. Time to say it.'
Jinhyuk cleared his throat.
He had to say it now. Only by speaking at this exact moment would it carry its true weight.
"...Did I get them?"
His voice carried a hint of excitement, as if filled with anticipation.
A moderately racing heart and a flushed face.
No doubt about it.
This was perfect.
As if to back up his confidence, several status windows popped up before Jinhyuk's eyes at once.
[The second line of the copy condition 'Death Flag Dialogue' has been counted.]
[One of your unique abilities or skills will be randomly sealed.]
[The skill 'Fire Element' has been sealed.]
Just as expected...
A line expressing certainty about an opponent's death was indeed one of the most classic 'death flags'.
In fact, he could still sense the two vampires alive beyond the steam.
Normally, the next step would be getting pulverized by the opponent emerging completely unscathed.
But this time, it was the exact opposite.
Bertion and Ophelia were using the thick shroud of steam as cover to prepare their escape.
'I've made an opening for you, so hurry up and tuck your tails and run.'
Jinhyuk leisurely crossed his arms.
The situation had completely deviated from their initial plan.
With one variable after another, those two must be in utter chaos right now.
Therefore, their only viable option at this point was to flee.
They needed to retreat and buy time to regroup.
And of course, Jinhyuk did not pursue them.
Not only had he not met the copy conditions yet, but he had also just thought of a way to set up a much more entertaining board using the Demonic Human Association and the vampires.
'Sigh. Why does my brain work so well when it comes to scheming?'
Jinhyuk shook his head from side to side with his eyes closed, seemingly in awe of his own genius.
There were many mountains to cross for the plan to succeed perfectly, but that wasn't an issue.
After all, why else would a veteran be called a veteran?
* * *
Thirty minutes later, Jinhyuk joined up with the Dangun Guild.
A completely exhausted Jang Eun-seok and the players of the Dangun Guild were still panting heavily.
"Those damn, persistent bastards..."
"Damn it. Hoyeon and Suho are done for. Unless we have an Elixir, they won't survive those wounds."
"Whew... whew... whew... It's fine... No, it's not fine. It's fine... No, it's not..."
The scene was stained with blood.
Not a single person was left unscathed, a testament to how fierce the clash had been.
'What a disaster.'
Jinhyuk clicked his tongue.
It was a relief that Teresa and the other guilds had arrived to support them in the nick of time; otherwise, they would have faced total annihilation.
How long had they walked?
A few familiar faces came into view over the pure white snow.
This was unexpected.
To think someone he never expected to see here would be among them.
"Long time no see, everyone."
Jinhyuk spoke.
At his voice, the gathered crowd turned their heads in unison.
"H-Hyung!"
"Huh? Oppa, what are you doing here?"
Lee Tae-min and Yu Yeon-hwa cried out, their eyes wide with surprise.
"Jinhyuk!"
Teresa, who was tending to the wounded, also widened her eyes.
Since they had been separated for quite some time after the 6th floor opened, their delight at seeing him was palpable.
"Seriously, I run into you no matter where I go."
Finally, Cheon Yu-seong frowned.
Well, look at this.
It felt like a full-blown reunion.
Ever since they had gathered to stop the zombie wave on the 4th floor months ago, they had all been operating separately.
Though they had met individually, it had been a long time since they had all gathered like this.
"I came to get some Phoenix Feathers. Though I ended up getting caught up in something pretty interesting along the way."
"Huh? Phoenix Feathers? But Hyung, you..."
Lee Tae-min started to say something but hesitated.
He slowly looked around and lowered his voice significantly.
While the four people here knew about Jinhyuk's identity as Unknown, it would be troublesome if anyone from the Dangun Guild overheard.
"You can speak freely. I've already set up a barrier to prevent our voices from leaking."
"Hyung, you can go straight to the 11th floor. Why did you come all the way down here instead of going there?"
There was no denying that the 'Phoenix Feather' was an important item.
But that was only relevant when clearing the 7th floor.
For Jinhyuk, who already had access to the 11th floor, there was no absolute reason to obtain the 'Phoenix Feather'.
At least, that was what Lee Tae-min thought.
'Well, Tae-min has only climbed up to the 20th floor, so it makes sense he'd think that.'
In the upper floors of the Tower, there were freezing zones with environments far harsher than this.
Furthermore, the benefits obtainable from the 7th floor weren't limited to just the 'Phoenix Feather'.
However, Jinhyuk had no intention of explaining every single detail.
No matter how close they were as comrades, there was no need to share everything.
"I had some personal business."
That excuse was enough. Tae-min wasn't the type to pry further once a boundary was drawn anyway.
Shrugging, Jinhyuk changed the subject.
"By the way, what brings you guys here?"
"Ah. Yeon-hwa nuna and I came because of the Fish Dragon in the sea. You know about it, right, Hyung? Making a weapon with the Fish Dragon's Heart."
"To make a gauntlet for Yeon-hwa?"
"Exactly. I came along to help her out. Then we heard the Dangun Guild's request for backup and joined up here."
So that was it.
Hunting a Fish Dragon was no easy feat, but the two of them were more than capable.
Though they were now about to embark on a much bigger hunt than a Fish Dragon.
"I heard there were many casualties in this area, so I came to see if there was anything I could do to help."
That was so like Teresa.
One could practically feel her resolve to sacrifice herself for the sake of others.
Sure, fine. Let's say the Saint of Amsterdam was entirely capable of that.
She was famous for her good nature, after all.
But...
Jinhyuk's gaze shifted to the person right next to her.
The Sword Saint, looking like a sculpture of ice, still had a thoroughly displeased expression.
Cold city guys might be trendy, but at this rate, it wouldn't be surprising if ice water ran through his veins.
"So, why are you here? Don't tell me your inner healer's soul suddenly caught fire."
"I owed this woman a debt, so I followed her."
"Wow, seriously? No, Teresa, what on earth did you do to make this leech follow you so obediently?"
Normally, this guy wouldn't even bat an eye.
To make him follow her like a gentle lamb... He was dying of curiosity to know how she did it.
"W-Well, you see..."
Teresa trailed off, looking flustered.
Right then, Cheon Yu-seong cut in.
"Cut the nonsense. Do you even realize how serious the situation is right now?"
"I have a rough idea. The Demonic Humans came to raise hell, and those sharp-fanged mosquitoes joined in, right? And the ice cream trolls are on the move too, for good measure."
"If you know that, how can you be casually cracking jokes? I don't know what they're after, but I have a bad feeling about this. Something major is definitely about to happen."
"I know."
"What?"
"What they're after, and how they're going to move. I know all of it."
No, it wasn't just a matter of knowing.
There was a way to screw over both the Demonic Humans and the vampires, while simultaneously dealing with another headache.
On top of that, there was a way to sweep up every single benefit available here.
"Listen closely."
As Jinhyuk's explanation continued, expressions of sheer shock washed over everyone's faces.
Cheon Yu-seong even wore a look that asked how such a devil could exist in this world.
And by the time the conversation concluded, no sound could be heard around them except for the whistling of the wind.
They seemed incredibly shocked.
Their mouths were hanging so wide open that a fly could have flown right in without them noticing.
"Well? Interested now?"
Jinhyuk grinned.
* * *
"Damn it... Damn it, damn it!"
Looking at his raid team, which had been reduced to tatters, Jang Eun-seok spat out curses.
Due to the ambush just now, 20% of the entire raid team had been rendered combat-incapable.
The death toll was also significant, and above all, the depletion of mana among the healers and damage dealers in a situation where supplies were scarce was a painful blow.
'The damage is far greater than I thought.'
They would have to spend at least a full day doing nothing but focusing entirely on recovering from the damage.
But that meant the success of the entire raid could soon be jeopardized.
A decision had to be made.
A major decision that could turn the tide.
Right then,
"...Huh?"
Jang Eun-seok spotted Jinhyuk and the other four.
"P-Player Kang Jinhyuk!"
Jang Eun-seok quickly ran over to where Jinhyuk was.
It was obvious at a glance that they were preparing to move somewhere.
And they were doing so with Teresa, Cheon Yu-seong, Lee Tae-min, and Yu Yeon-hwa—the very people who had played the biggest roles in stopping the ambush earlier—all in tow.
He had to stop them somehow. Or at the very least, ask where they were going, and if possible, if they could tag along.
"Wait, please wait a moment!"
His voice grew urgent.
Jinhyuk glanced back.
"What is it?"
Since he was forced to speak with someone he had no desire to see, his tone was bound to be sharp.
However, Jang Eun-seok shamelessly pressed on with his questions.
"Well... I wanted to ask where you are heading right now."
Seriously, he was an impressive guy in more ways than one.
Well, if he wanted to know that badly, there was no harm in telling him.
"We're going to the 'Freshwater Lake' in the center of the forest."
"T-The Freshwater Lake...?"
At Jinhyuk's words, Jang Eun-seok's pupils shook violently.
Although not much information about the 7th floor had been released, he wasn't ignorant of what that location signified.
The place where all the mana on the 7th floor converged.
In other words, it was the place where the most powerful monsters of this floor were gathered.