Chapter 141: Blood Wayport (1)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 141: Blood Wayport (1)
Had a few dozen minutes passed?
Running alone, Jinhyuk finally reached the coast.
From where he stood, the island holding the Phoenix Feather was just over ten kilometers away.
Just as he had expected, a path made of black clouds stretched across the sea.
'Have they already crossed?'
They had set up a grand stage, but in the end, the Blood Clan had only one goal from the very beginning.
To reach the island holding the Phoenix Feather.
To be precise, it was to cast a grand magic targeting the entire island.
Jinhyuk's eyes narrowed.
Rumbleeee!
In the distance, a reddish mist shimmered over the faintly visible island.
In an hour at most, the magic circle would take effect.
In that case...
Jinhyuk pulled out the Frost Blade Tribe's Essence he had received from Caracal.
At the same time, his status window flared to life.
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Name: Kang Jinhyuk
Gender: Male
Age: 27
Level: 42
Strength: 22 | Agility: 22 | Stamina: 31 | Mana: 80 | Gap: 100 | Luck: 10 | Adaptive Stat: 78
Stat Points Available: 0
Coins: 251,558
Class: Rune Interpreter
Unique Abilities: Due to the large number of unique abilities, they have been set to 'Collapsed'. You can expand this section to view all abilities and skills if needed.
Barriers: Due to the large number of learned barriers, they have been set to 'Collapsed'.
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Flawless growth, with absolutely nothing to criticize.
However, to move forward from here, the word 'perfect' alone was not enough.
Perfection was merely the baseline; everything had to be overwhelming.
Only then would he stand a chance of returning from that island alive.
'My current mana is 80...'
It was a figure high enough to make any other player gasp.
Moreover, Jinhyuk wasn't just a pure mage; he was also highly specialized in close combat.
When factoring in his Gap and Adaptive stats, his build was so broken that no other player could even hope to compare.
Yet, there was no trace of ease on Jinhyuk's face.
'I need it to be at least three times higher to stand a chance.'
The mana radiating from the island was just that ominous.
Jinhyuk tossed the essence into his mouth.
Gulp...
He felt the hard, solid mass slide down his throat.
At that exact moment—
Vroooom!
A scorching energy erupted from deep within his body.
Jinhyuk's face contorted in agony as a pain that felt like his entire body was being torn to shreds assaulted him.
"Ugh..."
Even though he had expected it, he couldn't suppress the groan that escaped his lips.
[You have consumed the Frost Blade Tribe's sacred relic, 'Soul-Infused Essence'!]
[Your Mana temporarily increases from 80 to 320!]
[Time Remaining: 0h:59m:59s]
"Haa... Haa... Haa..."
Jinhyuk steadied his breathing.
His bones still throbbed, and his internal organs felt as if they were about to rupture.
Damn it. This was exactly why he hated doing things that overloaded his body.
Fortunately, the True Grand Purity Hwarang Heart Method made managing the mana relatively easy. Had he attempted this without it, veteran or not, his body would have been torn to shreds.
'But it's fine now.'
He wouldn't run out of mana anytime soon.
For the next hour, he possessed a level of power closer to his past prime than at any other point since the Tower of Trials had appeared.
* * *
Tap!
Jinhyuk crossed the bridge in the blink of an eye using the Sword Demon Emperor Stepss.
He was fast.
Thanks to his massively boosted mana, crossing the bridge took less than five minutes.
Thump! Thump! Thump!
His heart pounded furiously against his ribs.
This feeling.
This energy.
It was remarkably similar to the time he had raided the giants' village on the 18th floor holding nothing but a single sunflower.
'I remember now. That was back when I was obsessed with the book, Do Not Strike Even with Flowers.'
He had been so deeply moved by it, and with mana to burn, he had spent several months fighting with flowers instead of actual weapons.
Whether it was a rose, a hibiscus, or a dandelion, he had grabbed whatever was at hand and reinforced it with mana...
From his opponents' perspective, it must have been utterly demoralizing.
"Count yourself lucky. The fact that the 7th floor is too cold for plants to grow is a blessing for you."
Jinhyuk smirked.
Before him stood a man with silver hair.
"Oh?"
Michael's lips curled upward.
His expression made it clear he hadn't expected Jinhyuk to make it this far.
And indeed, with Bertion, Ophelia, and that massive horde of demonic humans all defeated, it must have been hard to believe.
Yet, despite the unexpected turn of events, Michael remained perfectly composed.
As if a variable of this caliber was well within his ability to handle.
"You must be the human, Kang Jinhyuk, of whom there are so many rumors."
"That's right. And what should I call you?"
"I am Michael. Though my name usually carries a few cumbersome titles, I suppose we don't need such formalities between us."
"Simple. I like it."
Jinhyuk nodded.
"Ophelia said she had never seen a human with such exquisite blood. Indeed, she did not exaggerate. I thought I had transcended hunger long ago, but it has been a while since I felt this sensation."
It was the look of someone who had been starving for a week seeing a juicy steak for the first time.
How on earth had he ended up as a vampire's gourmet lunch box?
This was all Alice's fault.
"Wow, I guess I really am famous if even the mosquitoes are talking about me."
"Haha. Yes, you have every right to be proud. To be honest, 'surprised' would be the correct word. Even I never expected a human to possess this level of strength."
Michael scanned Jinhyuk from head to toe.
His slimy gaze felt like it was sticking to Jinhyuk's skin.
This is getting a bit disgusting.
"I don't have much tolerance for guys staring at me like that... but if you're trying to provoke me, you're doing a great job."
Even if the guy was handsome, he absolutely rejected that kind of attention.
"A pity. I find you quite intriguing, but it seems the interest is entirely one-sided."
"I'd appreciate it if you didn't try to stall for time like that. Honestly, it's so obvious it's boring."
"Stalling? Me?"
"Aren't you?"
"I have no idea what you mean. I am simply enjoying our conversation."
Michael countered smoothly, completely unbothered.
Well, he certainly had a good poker face.
It was a shame that an Oscar-worthy talent was stuck in this frozen wasteland. Directors worldwide would weep at the missed opportunity.
"If you're going to play dumb, let me refresh your memory. The Blood Wayport needs another fifteen minutes to become fully operational. Naturally, you want to hide that fact. It would be quite troublesome if some clumsy interference disrupted the magic circle, after all."
The 'Blood Wayport', forged from the blood of a thousand sacrifices.
It was a grand magic circle that activated as long as enough blood was spilled, regardless of whether it belonged to ally or foe.
To complete this, Michael had sacrificed countless lives.
Of course, he was now being held back right on the cusp of success.
"You know... about the Blood Wayport?"
Michael's pupils dilated in shock.
His voice trembled slightly, as if he couldn't believe the words coming out of his own mouth.
To him, the idea of a mere human possessing such knowledge must have felt entirely surreal.
Regardless, Jinhyuk pressed on.
It was time to drop the bomb.
"The Blood Wayport is an ability that summons mindless monsters using sacrificed offerings."
In other words...
"You're preparing for a war of territorial expansion, aren't you?"
He didn't know exactly which floor they were targeting.
The power dynamics and political interests within the Tower were far more complex now than they had been in the game.
A brief silence fell over them.
But it lasted only a moment.
"...Very well. At this point, I must admit it. It was my mistake to lump you in with the demonic humans or guild rankers."
In an instant, Michael's expression shifted.
A suffocating, murderous intent erupted from him.
It went beyond mere wariness; for a fleeting second, he had undoubtedly felt a deep, instinctual fear.
"I have many things to ask you, including about Alice. So do not worry. I will make sure to keep you alive."
Michael unleashed his mana.
Rumbleeee!
It was a power on an entirely different level.
It felt as though the entire island was shaking.
'Indeed... there really are tiers even among the Blood Clan.'
Prickle! Prickle! Prickle!
The energy pressing against his skin stung.
At this level, it was no exaggeration to say he belonged to an entirely different species compared to Ophelia and Bertion.
But why?
Even as a mountain-like storm of mana bore down on him, Jinhyuk was smiling.
He was smiling because he could fight a strong enemy.
And because he could face him under the absolute best conditions.
He felt every cell in his body hum with life.
Yes.
'This is what I live for.'
The sheer exhilaration of defeating an enemy far beyond his current level.
He had chosen to remain in this world precisely to enjoy this thrill and excitement.
And he had chosen to live in this world once more.
"I think you're the one who should worry. Because I don't have a single reason to keep you alive."
He held a dagger in his left hand.
And in his right, he gripped one of the Twin Dragon Swords.
The mismatched pair of weapons gleamed with a strange, sharp light.
At that moment—
[Unique Ability: 'Blessing of the Stars' has been activated.]
Incomparable to Teresa's...
The energy of the stars drifting in the night sky.
Descended upon the earth.
"Should I come to you? Or are you coming to me?"
Jinhyuk raised his glowing sword.
* * *
The air shifted violently.
Unfathomable amounts of mana collided head-on.
Craaaash!
Snow and earth were completely gouged out, carving a new path into the ground.
Dark red sparks crackled over the freshly gouged snow.
It was hard to believe this was a clash between mere individuals.
"Ugh!"
A thick vein bulged on Michael's forehead.
It wasn't simply because he was being overpowered.
He had cast seven spells in rapid succession, but the fact that every single one of them had been read was what truly shocked him.
'I... was outmaneuvered?'
He believed he had deployed the perfect combination of spells.
He had been certain he could reduce his opponent to tatters and force him to his knees with this single exchange.
Yet, this was the result.
Though the burns covering his body healed in an instant, his wounded pride remained unhealed.
Facing Michael, Jinhyuk licked his lips.
In terms of pure strength, Michael was a cut above the rock giants of the 10th floor.
Furthermore, his mana pool was incomparable to anyone Jinhyuk had faced before.
'Even though I countered with the most optimal spells, the impact was still this heavy...'
He knew it wouldn't be easy, but this exceeded his expectations.
Even after absorbing the essence to massively boost his mana, he had failed to land a decisive blow.
He had only seven minutes left.
'To finish this in time, I'll actually have to try for once.'
Jinhyuk adjusted his stance.
To bypass the vampire's high-speed regeneration and personal shield, he needed to create more openings.
Ultimately, this fight would come down to speed.
As he activated the Sword Demon Emperor Stepss, a brilliant light enveloped his legs.
To deliver the ultimate strike at absolute maximum speed.
Every sense in his body was honed to a razor-sharp edge.
But right then—
"This can't be..."
Jinhyuk gasped.
Something that should never have happened had just occurred.