Chapter 189: How a Veteran Takes a Dual Class (1)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 189: How a Veteran Takes a Dual Class (1)
When a palm technique reaches its absolute peak, it takes physical form. That is the 'Spear Wave'.
A pitch-black sword extending from his palm.
With a gaping hole in her stomach, Atasha stared back and forth between her wound and Jinhyuk's face, her expression still filled with utter disbelief.
She had never imagined he would possess a close-combat skill of such absurd power, leaving her without even the time to activate her ultimate defensive armor, 'Lightning Armor'.
Yet, she felt no resentment.
Even if... she had poured everything she had into the fight, she would never have been able to surpass this monster.
"He was... on an entirely... different level... from me."
Blood surged up from deep within her.
She knew better than anyone else that she was already beyond saving.
Furthermore, the tide of battle, completely overturned by Caracal and the Frostblade Tribe, was already spiraling into an uncontrollable catastrophe.
The Lizard King, whose head had been severed by Caracal's hand.
And Black Fang, who had fled with his tail between his legs under the joint assault of Wolyeong and the now-recovered Black Wind Society.
There was no longer any way to turn the tables.
Yet.
Even so...
Atasha smiled. A chillingly cold smile.
"But... still... I confirmed... one thing."
With a face completely drained of color, she exhaled her final breath.
"And what is that?"
"That at... your level... you don't even... reach his feet."
With those final words, Atasha's body collapsed.
At that exact moment, a chill ran down his spine, and the air abruptly shifted.
[You have leveled up.]
[You have leveled up.]
[You have...]
Messages announcing his level-ups popped up in rapid succession, but he had no time to pay attention to them. A suffocating, murderous intent flooded the area. The ominous energy was so thick it was hard to breathe.
'Could it be...?'
Jinhyuk snapped his head up.
A new shadow had appeared in the empty air where nothing had been just a moment ago. From a space warped in pitch-black darkness, an entity unlike any they had ever seen before looked down upon them.
The black-haired man with odd-colored eyes radiated an overwhelming presence just by showing himself.
Zzzzt! Zzzzt! Zzzzt!
The mana pricking his skin was so familiar it stung. This feeling. This sensation. He knew it. No, how could he not? It was a member of the Demon Race, considered one of the pinnacles of the Tower.
"……."
With eyes filled with nothing but pure arrogance, the demon looked back and forth between Atasha's corpse and the intruders.
Tremble, tremble!
Not only the Ice Trolls of the Frostblade Tribe, but even the members of the Black Wind Society—renowned for executing their missions under any circumstances—did not dare to meet his gaze.
"S-such unbelievable energy..."
"M-Master!"
Wolyeong and Caracal could barely hold their ground. Even Goguma and the spirit beasts, unable to withstand the crushing pressure, were forcibly unsummoned back into the subspace inventory.
It was overwhelming. They weren't said to approach the level of divinities for nothing. However, the reason Jinhyuk frowned was not simply because the creature had appeared here.
'Are they planning to break the contract...?'
Before this incident—specifically, before entering the labyrinth—Jinhyuk had made a contract with Rick.
[Player Kang Jinhyuk shall hand over the 'information' desired by Intermediate Administrator Rick Hennessy. In exchange, Rick Hennessy shall handle a 10-minute delay and editing of Player Friedman's live broadcast, erasing all connections between Kang Jinhyuk and Unknown. Erasing all connections here includes manipulating the memories of all players present, including Friedman.]
[Furthermore, the intervention of any 'highest-tier faction' on this floor is strictly prohibited.]
The suspicious sense of incongruity Melena of the Demonic Human Association had exuded upon arriving here... Jinhyuk had instinctively realized that this incongruity was related to the Demon Kings and the Demon Race. After all, their ultimate goal was to resurrect them.
That was why he had made a contract with Rick to prevent such an occurrence in advance. But that contract had now shattered like glass. For right before his eyes, one of the Demon Race had manifested.
Jinhyuk grit his teeth.
...Damn it.
It was never a pleasant experience when a loophole appeared in a plan he thought he had perfectly prepared for. Especially when it was a situation where his chances of survival were infinitely close to zero.
* * *
With a soft thud, the demon in the sky landed on the ground.
"Hmm..."
His heterochromatic eyes turned toward Caracal. After a brief second, he murmured, "Not him..."
Next, his gaze shifted to Wolyeong.
"Not this one either."
And finally...
His gaze locked onto Jinhyuk. His eyes held a power that seemed to pierce through everything.
"...So it was you. The one who slaughtered all of our kids."
The voice didn't come from the front. It came from behind. To be precise, it was a whisper right against the back of his neck.
"...!"
Reacting a split second late, Jinhyuk leaped back to create distance. He quickly took a defensive stance, but his opponent had already vanished from his sight like smoke.
Thud! Thud!
Black bullets flew toward his legs. Jinhyuk dodged the thumb-sized spheres by a hair's breadth.
He immediately threw a punch, but once again, his fist met only empty air.
'He's fast.'
To be honest, he hadn't expected to lose track of someone's presence like this. In the past, because his level and stats had been so high, he could easily sense the presence of even divinities.
But now that the game had become reality, everything had been reset. Although he was growing faster and more perfectly than in the past, he was still far from ready to face a member of the Demon Race in a head-on clash.
Because of that.
Because the situation was so disadvantageous.
'This is fun.'
Jinhyuk felt an almost unbearable rush of excitement.
After all, being able to constantly encounter strong foes was exactly what made the Tower of Trials so appealing. Yes, it had to be at least this challenging to keep things from getting boring.
"Oh?"
The demon raised his eyebrows in disbelief. It was only natural. He belonged to the Demon Race, a clan feared by all living things. It was normal for humans and trolls to grovel on the ground, trembling in fear and despair.
Yet.
Why was that?
He couldn't find a single trace of such emotions in the human standing before him.
Rather...
‘He’s smiling.’
He was enjoying it. This very situation. And he was genuinely thrilled... to have met him.
"You don't seem tense at all."
"Sorry, but I've already run into guys far more troublesome than you a few times."
Although that blood-sucking mosquito bastard wasn't here right now because he had sent him down to the 1st floor, he was still one of the top ten absolute powerhouses of the Tower. The Egyptian animal farm friends he had met in the desert were also divinities at least several tiers above the Demon Race. And... 'those guys' on the 50th floor of the Tower were on an entirely different dimension altogether.
'And I survived against all of them.'
He had even surpassed them. So, it would be a contradiction to cower before a mere demon, even if the demon was currently several times stronger than him.
"Hmm. Do you know who I am?"
"Of course."
Jinhyuk shrugged. He had already analyzed the opponent's information using 'Gluttony's Eye'.
[The target's level is too high. Only a portion of the information can be viewed.]
[Makedros - 'The Devourer of Death']
Race: Demon Race
Rank: 26th
Overall Rank: ??
Age: ???
Level: ???
Strength: ??? Agility: ??? Stamina: ??? Mana: ???
Unique Ability: First Magic
Skills: ???
Detailed Description: Makedros, a retainer of the Demon World, is a noble holding the title of 'Count'. Ranking 26th in the Demon World, he can cast extremely high-level magic. Furthermore, a war has currently broken out in the Demon World under the pretext of rank competition. If you exploit this point, you will be able to design this situation to your advantage.
Even without 'Gluttony's Eye', he had memorized almost every entity in the Tower. However, having the eye allowed him to obtain useful additional information in various ways.
Jinhyuk's eyes narrowed.
A war...
'This timing has been pulled forward a bit as well.'
It was likely due to the timing of the Tower's conquest or other variables. But it didn't matter. No matter what happened, there was always a way to counter it.
Jinhyuk calmly rearranged the information in his head. The reason for the Demonic Human Association's existence, their purpose, Melena's presence... the Demon King 'Rotting Heart' he had met on the 5th floor, and the second class 'Black Apostle' he had offered. He would combine the hand he held with the cards he could play to create the ultimate variable.
Though the possibilities were countless, it didn't take long for him to organize his thoughts.
Jinhyuk slowly began to speak.
"I know why you came here. But I have a much more interesting proposal."
"How absurd. I had some expectations since you showed decent skills, but in the end, are you just trying to beg for your life with some worthless proposal?"
"Aren't you jumping to conclusions without even hearing it? You might change your mind once you listen."
"No, that won't happen. Whatever promise a bastard like you can make is bound to be a waste of my time."
As if he had lost all interest, his pale finger pointed toward Jinhyuk's heart once more.
Crackle!
Black sparks erupted from his fingertip. It was the same black magic he had used earlier. However, this time, he was casting over ten magic formulas simultaneously to ensure there was no escape.
Yet.
"Well, if you're falling behind in the rank competition, I think it would be wise to listen to even a lowly human's words..."
At Jinhyuk's words,
"……You."
Makedros's finger froze in place.
For the first time, a look of sheer bewilderment washed over his face.
"How do you know... about the affairs of the Demon World? Spit it out. Right now!"
"If you're worried about a leak, don't worry, I didn't get it from your side. More importantly, isn't that beside the point right now?"
"You insolent bastard... You are not the one who decides what is important! Stop playing word games and answer my question, unless you want to experience what it feels like to be burned alive!"
His voice, dripping with rage, reverberated through the air.
Whoosh!
The small spheres rearranged themselves in an instant. Five pentagrams appeared behind Makedros's back, and ominous black flames erupted from each magic circle.
It was a black magic unique to the Demon Race, similar to Hellfire. In terms of circles, it was 9th-circle magic. It was one of the strongest fire-attribute offensive spells, capable of vaporizing even solid rock.
Naturally, nothing could block this magic unless it was a 10th-circle shield or a sacred relic. Even if one countered it with sword aura, the aura might hold, but their body would still be incinerated.
'As expected of a high-ranking demon, second only to the Ten Demon Kings. He didn't reach the 26th rank for nothing.'
Yet, even in the face of this monstrous, apocalyptic fire, Jinhyuk did not flinch. He showed no sign of agitation or panic.
"Makedros."
In a calm, unwavering voice, he spoke.
"I know the locations of all the sacred relics that can break the seal on the Demon Kings."
He had mentioned the one thing his opponent desired most.
At that,
"...!"
[Makedros activates Lv?? 'Mental Realm'!]
The flow of time in the world ground to a halt.