Chapter 151: Masquerade (1)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 151: Masquerade (1)
[The video plays.]
He never imagined that those few short words...
...would feel so utterly devastating.
Baek Jin-ho stared at the screen, his face pale.
"T-this can't be..."
A low groan escaped his lips.
The contents of the video were nothing short of shocking.
"Gasp!"
"W-what kind of Ice Trolls are those?"
The Dangun Guild players watching the video alongside Baek Jin-ho also cried out in shock.
They knew Ice Trolls were considered strong for the lower floors.
However, the ones Jang Eun-seok was currently facing were completely different from the ones they knew.
The sheer pressure was palpable even through the screen.
...They were strong.
And among them, one troll with a far larger build was on an entirely different level.
"My god, they're being pushed back even with those numbers."
"I-it's not just being pushed back. They're completely..."
The woman who was about to speak trailed off.
She couldn't bring herself to say the words, "They're being completely toyed with."
But who could blame her?
It was obvious to everyone that the Dangun Guild's raid team was being obliterated without putting up any decent resistance.
But.
The real problem started from here.
Even though the Ice Troll presumed to be the chieftain wasn't killing the Dangun Guild players, Jang Eun-seok had instead grabbed a young Ice Troll cub and threatened it.
-Anne of Glowing Hair: Wow, is his personality for real?
-Mom, He's Eating Dirt: Well... winning is what's important. The success of the raid is on the line.
-KKK1004: Yeah, I get it, but it's not a great look. Did he really have to do that just because they're outmatched?
-Bug Exploiter: What are you talking about? Nothing is more important than winning. Stop acting like a hypocritical scholar. If they die trying to be honorable, are you going to take responsibility?
-Martial Arts Demon King: Guess it's a matter of taste. But I don't like it. If a third-rate guild did that, whatever, but I didn't expect this from Dangun. The number one guild should act like number one.
-Why Are You Crying Rockfish: Exactly. If they're Korea's strongest, I think they shouldn't cross the line even in a bad situation.
One of the world's top seven guilds, and Korea's undisputed number one.
Shouldering these titles demanded a massive amount of responsibility.
Even if it felt unreasonable, embracing that burden was the weight of holding the top spot.
Yet, that idiot had just demolished the tower they had painstakingly built.
At this point, it wasn't just a smudge on their reputation; he had completely dragged their name through the mud.
Unable to contain his rage, Baek Jin-ho flew into a violent fit of anger.
"Aaaaaah!"
Crash! Rumble!
With a heavy, roaring crash, an entire stalactite was sliced clean off.
"Huff... huff... huff... That... bastard. Send our people to drag him back right now. I don't care if he's at the top of the tower instead of the 7th floor, bring him to me this instant!"
Baek Jin-ho screamed like a madman, but no one made a move.
"Hey, you bastards, did you not hear me—"
"H-hyung...!"
The man staring at the screen swallowed hard.
"Look... look at this."
Where his finger pointed, there was a very familiar man.
Only then did Baek Jin-ho realize what was happening.
"Did he... upload this video aiming for this?"
The nightmare wasn't over yet.
It had only just begun.
The screen transitioned.
Jinhyuk appeared.
After subduing Jang Eun-seok in an instant, Jinhyuk entered a one-on-one duel with the chieftain.
"T-that's insane. Damn it. Just how many feints did he use just now?"
"Can a human really move like that?"
"He's fighting on equal terms all by himself against an opponent the entire raid team couldn't even touch..."
Exclamations of awe erupted.
The battle between the chieftain and Jinhyuk was truly a clash of titans.
To everyone else, it looked like a close battle where a single mistake would decide victory or defeat.
However, there was one exception.
No, it's not.
Baek Jin-ho alone let out a completely different kind of gasp while watching the same scene.
How on earth is that fighting on equal terms?
Most people didn't seem to notice because of how cleverly the video had been edited.
But as a high-ranking ranker, Baek Jin-ho could feel the immense gap between them from just a few movements.
A cat enjoying its play, and a mouse desperately struggling for its life.
That was the true dynamic between the two.
And as if to support his prediction, as time went on, Jinhyuk began to completely overwhelm the chieftain.
Of course, he didn't forget to satisfy the viewers' senses with appropriate dramatic flair and flashy performances.
It was proof that every single movement and line of dialogue was part of a perfectly calculated script.
-Anne of Glowing Hair: Wow. Mind-blowing. As expected of Korea's strongest!
-Mom, He's Eating Dirt: Korea's strongest? You could search the entire world and you wouldn't find another ranker who can fight like that.
-KKK1004: Agreed, agreed. I'm a huge fan of Kang-hyung's videos. He was ridiculously strong from the start, but what's even more amazing is that whenever a new video is uploaded, he's gotten way stronger.
-Bug Exploiter: But seriously, how many floors did a super-veteran like him climb in the past?
-Martial Arts Demon King: According to currently known info, the highest climber reached around the 20th floor. He's probably around there.
-Me, Bak Hyeokgeose?!: That's just a rumor too. Look at the level of players right now. Doesn't even reaching the 10th floor look like a miracle?
-Hair Salon Prayer Meta: True, no matter how top-tier a ranker is, I doubt they could pass the 20th floor.
-Sae Yeong Eon Hwan: Well, if it's Kang Jinhyuk, maybe he's gone even higher.
-Howl's Castle with Killer Moves: Either way, he's definitely a player to look forward to.
The difference in reception compared to the video uploaded by the Dangun Guild was night and day.
The comments were flying in at a rate of hundreds per second, making it hard for even Baek Jin-ho to keep up.
While others risk their lives in raids, is he already fighting with the foresight to plan his video uploads?
Baek Jin-ho bit his lip hard.
It was incredibly hard to accept.
His stomach churned with a mixture of jealousy and awe, but his eyes remained glued to the screen against his will.
Because it was captivating.
And because it was just that overwhelming.
He had completely forgotten the fact that they were rivals.
* * *
While every guild and person in the world was focusing on the player named Kang Jinhyuk, Jinhyuk, the very center of the buzz, was currently having a painful time.
I must have been crazy. Why did I say that?
It was fine up until he parted ways with his companions and stepped outside the tower for a change of pace.
Yes. Up to that point, it was a perfect plan to relieve the fatigue accumulated so far.
The problem was...
"Fufu. Indeed, a carriage of this caliber is only fitting for my noble self."
The giant mosquito currently standing before him with a beaming smile.
Alice nodded repeatedly, looking thoroughly satisfied.
What she was currently riding in was the 'Apollo IE'.
It was a hypercar with only a single unit in all of Asia.
A monster among monsters costing 3.6 billion won, she had casually tossed a few jewels to purchase it, so it was only natural that it caused a massive stir.
With all the complicated delivery procedures bypassed using her status as an S-rank, there was nothing to hold her back.
Alice was overjoyed with this modern marvel that she could never have obtained inside the tower.
I shouldn't have told her she could do whatever she wanted just because she worked hard.
He thought she wouldn't go on another mindless shopping spree after buying so many things last time.
Ataraxia Family Head's greed was something he had severely underestimated.
"Do you... even use all the things you bought last time?"
"I never wear the same clothes or accessories twice."
"For someone who says that, you seem to wear the exact same thing every day..."
Caught off guard by Jinhyuk's remark, Alice's eyes suddenly widened.
"I-I just have multiple sets of the exact same outfit!"
Her voice instantly grew sharp.
Right. So you do know.
Just how ridiculous of a waste of money this is.
"Yes, yes. My apologies for not recognizing your grandeur. Why don't you just buy a whole country while you're at it? Then everything on that land would belong to the noble Alice."
"Hmm. A country... Indeed, it makes no sense for a being of my stature to not have a kingdom. Perhaps it wouldn't be a bad idea to establish a branch of the Ataraxia Family in the human world. I hear a place called Namsan Tower is quite high, so maybe I'll build a castle around there..."
"……."
The moment she started seriously contemplating this, there was no longer any reason to continue the conversation.
Letting out a small sigh, Jinhyuk left Alice to her delusions for a moment.
Unaware that she had been left to her own devices, Alice continued to lose herself in fantasies of building her own kingdom.
But right then,
Ding!
A status window appeared in front of Jinhyuk.
[An invitation has arrived from Rick Hennessy.]
[If you bring this invitation, you can participate in the 'Masquerade' held in the Great Banquet Hall on the 1st floor of the Tower of Trials.]
[Masquerade]
Details: A social gathering for the top-ranking players designated by the Tower. In addition to exchanging information with one another, various sub-events have been prepared, so we kindly request everyone's participation. (Please note that the masquerade will be held at midnight tonight.)
Oh?
Jinhyuk's eyes narrowed.
The Masquerade was one of the event-type quests in the Tower of Trials.
He hadn't expected it to pop up already, as it usually only triggered once players reached the 25th floor.
Well, doing it early is much better than doing it later like in the past.
In the past, by the time Jinhyuk reached the 25th floor, the number of people playing the Tower of Trials had dwindled to a mere handful.
At best, it was just the occasional newbie curious about the game, or streamers making a fuss to create rare content.
Because of that, despite being a grand masquerade with lavish decorations, fireworks, and all sorts of fanfare, the only person who actually showed up to the Great Banquet Hall was one person.
Not three, not two, but just one.
Yes.
Me, all by my damn self.
He remembered getting so pissed off dancing alone in front of a mirror in an empty room that he ended up burning down the entire ballroom.
Jinhyuk shook his head, pulling himself out of his reminiscence.
Let's forget about that dark past.
The situation now was completely different from back then.
This time, countless players were climbing the Tower of Trials.
Besides, the chance to meet the top rankers from all over the world is definitely an attractive offer.
He had briefly run into Namgung Cheon on the 7th floor, but opportunities to get acquainted with rising stars from Japan, North America, and Europe didn't come often.
Of course, "getting acquainted" didn't mean laughing and playing nice to make friends.
It meant helping himself to a high-end buffet of unique abilities and skills that made his mouth water just looking at them.
He didn't hesitate for long.
Jinhyuk quickly spoke up.
"Alice."
"Hmm?"
"Let's wrap up the shopping and get ready to go. We need to head back into the tower before sunset."
"W-what? I still have a mountain of things left to buy! And did you forget we agreed to eat fried chicken, gopchang, salmon, and beer?"
Alice was so shocked she almost shattered the hypercar's window.
No joke, the wings she had hidden behind her back were on the verge of popping out.
If she wasn't careful, raid teams from nearby large guilds would have swarmed the place.
"Be... careful."
"Careful or not, what about my food?!"
"I'll buy you all of that later. There's something way more important than that."
In truth, there was one interesting detail about this masquerade.
One that absolutely no one else knew.
A detail that even Rick Hennessy, one of the hosts, was completely unaware of.