Chapter 142: Blood Wayport (2)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 142: Blood Wayport (2)
"What is this...?"
An abrupt anomaly.
Jinhyuk, who was about to spring off the ground, froze in his tracks.
Prickle! Prickle! Prickle!
It wasn't so much a feeling of pressure on his skin from powerful mana, but rather...
It felt as if thousands of insects were crawling all over his body.
The moment that thought crossed his mind:
[Blood Wayport is being activated!]
A crimson status window appeared in midair.
Crackle, crackle...
A red hexagram began to draw itself along the ground.
"Unfortunate for you, but this high magic is activating much faster than you anticipated."
Michael spoke slowly.
A gentle smile spread across his face, as if he was already certain of his victory.
'So this is why he was so confident.'
It was annoying, but he was absolutely right.
Jinhyuk had miscalculated the speed at which the mana would construct the entire spell formula.
As a result, the Blood Wayport had been triggered.
Everything had exceeded his expectations.
Sssss!
The shape of the massive magic circle grew even clearer.
Now, the ground was dyed a blinding shade of crimson.
At the same time,
Enormous gates revealed themselves, centered around the eastern and western sides of the island.
They were well over a kilometer wide and reached a height of a hundred meters.
Jinhyuk raised his head.
'It really is magnificent.'
His neck was starting to stiffen.
He could confidently say this was the largest single gate scale he had ever seen.
"Groooar!"
"Kieeeek...!"
Soon after, voices that didn't sound of this world echoed out.
Through the shimmering surfaces of the gates, something was desperately trying to cross over into this world.
Squelch! Squelch!
Rough ripples formed on the surface.
The shapes of hideous faces and hands repeatedly pounded against the barrier.
...As expected, those bastards were coming.
The demonic beasts with the worst appetites imaginable, known as the 'Agwi'—the hungry ghosts.
If these creatures were crossing over, it meant the Blood Clan would soon follow.
It was just as Jinhyuk shifted his gaze elsewhere.
Creak!
A crack seemed to form in midair, and soon, a black vortex erupted.
From within the vortex, two figures emerged.
"Whew. I worked up quite a sweat dealing with those annoying paladins. Keeping just the right distance while playing tag with them is really no way to live."
"Agreed. Having to put on a show with those brainless demonic humans was exhausting as hell."
The ones who appeared with these grumbling complaints were Ophelia and Bertion.
Due to the power of the Blood Wayport, even the two members of the Blood Clan who had been outside the island were summoned here.
On top of that:
[Two worlds are being connected!]
[The 'Agwi' are manifesting from the Demon-Beast Realm!]
[Time Remaining: 05:59:59]
The Agwi that finally passed through the gate and entered the mortal realm were all of immeasurable strength.
He could only guess that they easily exceeded level 50.
'They're a small species, under two meters tall, but those claws of theirs are going to be a real pain.'
Jinhyuk's eyes narrowed.
The curse coated on their claws was the type that would rot one's flesh to the bone with just a single scratch.
Indeed, it was a worthy trump card prepared for territorial expansion.
Most floors of the Tower would struggle to hold out for even a single day against an army like this.
Just like that, the tide of battle turned in an instant.
No, with a gap this massive, it was hard to describe it as merely "tilted."
Standing like a lone palm tree before an oncoming tsunami would be a generous comparison.
"No matter how much a mere human struggles, you cannot even reach my toes. In the end, the one who laughs last is always me."
Michael quietly declared the end of the battle.
Since there was absolutely no way to reverse this situation, he had no choice but to anticipate his victory.
It was only natural.
With an endless stream of Agwi crawling out, two members of the Blood Clan, and Michael—who held a position as one of the Black Wings—how could anyone even speak of a turnaround?
Even if they gathered players from large guilds, or poured in every sacred relic they possessed, the outcome would not change.
And all of this...
...was exactly the picture Jinhyuk had wanted to paint.
"I knew."
"What?"
"I put on a little act of being surprised, and you looked so cute getting all excited, thinking you'd won. I guess I just missed my chance to tell you."
Believe it or not, he had been a member of a children's theater troupe back in the day.
Unfortunately, he never landed a leading role, but he had stood on stage nonetheless.
Damn it. Playing a streetlamp on the side of the road was a bit of a stretch, though...
Jinhyuk shrugged with a bitter smile.
"Human. Do not bluff so pointlessly."
"This is ridiculous. What is this human babbling about? Has he lost his mind from sheer terror at this point?"
Bertion and Ophelia let out hollow laughs.
Indeed, if he were in their shoes, he wouldn't believe it either.
Anyone would react the same way to someone who was just running their mouth.
In that case...
He had no choice but to add a slightly more detailed explanation.
"Didn't you find it strange? No matter how much you rushed, the Blood Wayport's magic circle activated far too quickly."
He had to admit Michael had sped things up on his end.
The spell formula had been completed much faster than expected.
However, Michael wasn't the only one responsible for that.
A piece of the story was missing. A very crucial, core piece.
"...What do you mean by that?"
What else could it mean?
"It means I also played a little trick to amplify the mana on this island... something like that."
With those final words:
[The 4-Star Barrier 'Mortal Binding' is activated!]
A barrier unfolded, partially easing the System's suppression while simultaneously amplifying the caster's mana.
A translucent wave instantly began to envelop the entire island.
"Th-this is...!"
"How is this possible? We didn't notice a large-scale barrier of this magnitude?"
"...!"
The expressions of the three Blood Clan members turned into quite a sight.
"Personally, I'm grateful. It's entirely thanks to you guys that I was able to play this card."
Compared to the Blood Wayport, his barrier was incredibly modest.
Thanks to that, he had been able to completely hide its existence from everyone.
If he had tried to pull off this kind of underhanded trick in a vacuum, he would have been caught immediately.
"...It is certainly impressive how you exploited our complacency. But so what? Do you think this situation will change just because you've become slightly stronger?"
Michael quickly regained his composure.
Tsk, I really wanted to see that guy's jaw drop and drool run down.
'He doesn't startle easily, does he?'
But his ability to wear that relaxed mask would only last a moment longer.
The climax of this movie was about to begin.
"Do you think I met the ice trolls to boost my mana and set up this barrier just so I could fight you guys alone?"
It was a casual question.
However, the answer to that question would be anything but light.
Jinhyuk wasn't the only one who realized what it meant.
—Easing the 'suppression' of the Tower.
This meant it didn't just boost the caster's mana.
For the first time, Michael's composure shattered.
"Could it be..."
"Exactly. Actually, I'm not the only one who has business with you guys."
There was a friend who was absolutely grinding her teeth in rage.
The one currently renting a room inside my ring, that is.
Jinhyuk channeled mana into 'Braham's Ring'.
At that exact moment:
Rumble, rumble, rumble!
The True Ancestor imprisoned within the ring was released.
* * *
A height of over 170 centimeters.
Silver hair reaching down to her waist and crimson eyes proved she was of pure blood, descended from the vampire family with the noblest bloodline.
"..."
Alice's eyes turned toward the members of the Blood Clan before her.
Just her gaze alone bound the space with an unimaginable pressure.
Even with the suppression eased and her mana boosted, she was only manifesting about 20% of her original power.
And yet,
What on earth was this? This absurd level of power?
As if to show that they were on entirely different dimensions...
Alice revealed her true status without reservation.
"To think she still maintains this kind of power after being in the ruins for so long..."
"I-I can't believe it."
Shiver, shiver!
Ophelia and Bertion's bodies shook like aspen leaves.
Michael was equally bewildered by the current situation.
"To release her power like this... and she doesn't kill her contractor?"
He had never imagined Jinhyuk would undo Alice's seal.
Normally, one would suppress her power to the extreme or keep her locked away deep inside.
If he gave Alice her power back, it was obvious she would immediately kill her contractor and reclaim her complete freedom.
But that expectation had been shattered.
Michael's face contorted subtly.
'This means they aren't just in a relationship of mutual exploitation...'
It made no sense.
For the proud head of the Ataraxia Family to build a relationship of trust with a human.
If he told this to the other families, not a single soul would believe him.
It was at that moment.
A flat, emotionless voice flowed from Alice's lips.
"My name is Alice. Alice von Ataraxia."
The great six families that ruled the night.
And the being who stood at the pinnacle of those families.
The one who floated at the highest peak, looking down on everything below with disdain.
All of these were modifiers that described Alice.
"During the years we spent exiled in endless darkness, we lost far too much."
The beauty of the stars and the moon illuminating the night sky.
The gentle touch of the wind and the freshness of the grass.
All of it had become a distant memory.
Though she had been able to escape that shackle thanks to Jinhyuk, Bellus and her kin were still trapped in the Corridor.
Still yearning for freedom in the darkness, they would be waiting for her return.
"The time of slander through lies and deception is over."
Indeed, this was a declaration.
A declaration she had to make to the other five families who had betrayed her, and to those who followed them.
"And from this moment on, I will hold you accountable for the sins you have committed."
With those final words,
Alice very slowly drew up her mana.
Rumble, rumble, rumble!
The temperature was already easily below minus fifty degrees, but the chill emanating from Alice's body now was incomparable.
A coldness that seeped into the very marrow of their bones.
One could not even begin to fathom the sheer weight of the wrath she had accumulated.
* * *
'She must be in pain.'
Jinhyuk bit his lower lip slightly.
This was different from a mere piece of game data he only knew through lore.
Because of the emotional sharing through their contract, he could feel an indescribable sorrow radiating from Alice even at this very moment.
'I don't feel too great about this.'
He meant it.
Though she always grumbled, she was a companion who had always been by his side.
Therefore, because he understood her feelings better than anyone else, Jinhyuk did not feel comfortable with this situation.
Shring!
Clack!
A pair of swords extended forward.
As 'Blessing of the Stars' and 'Grave of Swords' opened simultaneously, each sword was dyed in a different color.
...It seemed this fight would be quite brutal.
Because one of the two sides would definitely not survive today.