Chapter 195: Rising Flames of War (1)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 195: Rising Flames of War (1)
The 24th floor of the Tower of Trials.
Inside the castle, which had been reduced to ruins by the Murim's assault, corpses were piled high like mountains.
The acrid smoke rising into the air and the groans of the wounded spoke volumes about the sheer brutality of the battle.
And...
Standing on the watchtower, looking down at the scene, were two men.
Namgung Jin-ho, the patriarch of the Namgung Clan, and Namgung Cheon, who had once led China's Zhonghua Guild.
"You did well this time. Thanks to your efforts, we easily seized one of the enemy's bases."
"You flatter me... I merely did as the Patriarch commanded."
"Hahaha! To think you'd be so humble after single-handedly annihilating one of the Empire's proudest knight orders... Indeed, welcoming you into our Namgung Clan was the right decision."
Namgung Jin-ho looked at Namgung Cheon with a warm expression.
Originally, the Zhonghua Guild was nothing more than a tool to expand the Murim's influence. Even that utility had practically vanished after it was half-destroyed by the Three Despairs.
But there was one exception.
Namgung Cheon was simply too valuable to discard. Though he was an outsider to the Tower and did not share the bloodline of the Murim, his innate talent and skill were far too exceptional.
Thus, Namgung Jin-ho had bestowed upon him the true name of 'Namgung,' taught him the way of the sword, and molded him into perfection.
'Now, even Hyeon-i and the rest of the rising stars are no match for Cheon. If I had known it would turn out like this, we should have taken him in much sooner.'
As the sword of the Murim—specifically, the Five Great Clans and the Nine Sects—he would one day reduce the Empire to ashes and slaughter every last member of the Unorthodox Faction and the Demonic Cult, with whom they had been forced to ally.
At that thought, a cold, cruel smile played on Namgung Jin-ho's lips.
It wouldn't be long now.
The day they would realize that grand ambition was close at hand.
"We must crush another one of their bases before the day is out. The Murim Alliance has promised to support us with seven peak-level experts, including the Shinyoung Squad. Well? Can you do it?"
"Yes. I will make sure it succeeds."
A burning fire ignited in Namgung Cheon's eyes as well.
This was a lifeline he had fought hard to grasp. In this completely transformed world, he would hold onto this golden rope and climb to the very top, no matter what.
But as Namgung Cheon clenched his fists with bone-crushing force, a sudden thought crossed his mind.
"However, Patriarch."
"What is it?"
"What do you plan to do about him?"
Namgung Cheon brought up another individual.
Even without him saying the name, Namgung Jin-ho knew exactly who he was referring to.
Kang Jinhyuk.
The strongest and worst Ranker.
The collapse of the Zhonghua Guild was entirely his fault, and he had clashed with the Murim several times in the past. He was a highly dangerous individual who needed to be watched closely. If left unchecked, he would undoubtedly become a major variable in this war.
"Do not worry. The Players won't have the luxury of interfering in this matter."
"...You have a plan, then."
"Indeed. So, you only need to focus on performing your assigned duties well."
There was no way the plan would fail.
For this very day, the entire Murim had already completed their preparations for the perfect hunt.
* * *
In the "Psychiatric Ward" located on the 5th floor of the Tower of Trials, Jinhyuk, Alice, and Andrea were in the middle of a heated discussion.
The topic was simple: "How should one behave to become an excellent boss monster?"
Since Caracal of the Frostblade Tribe and the rest of the trolls had played a major role in clearing the 8th and 9th floors, Jinhyuk intended to properly nurture Andrea, who was one of his hidden cards. That was why he had summoned Alice, a grand senior of sorts, to join them.
"It has been so long since I last saw you."
Andrea welcomed Jinhyuk and Alice with a bright face.
Wow.
She used to be a terrified girl surrounded by fanatics, but now, she actually exuded the dignity of a boss.
Seeing her dressed in laurel leaves and white cloth... she looked somewhat like a goddess from Greek and Roman mythology.
Standing next to Alice, they looked like sisters. Though the difference was that one was obedient while the other was always being prickly.
'Still, coming here after a while feels familiar and nice.'
Jinhyuk slowly looked around.
The gloomy, dark interior hadn't changed much since his last visit. The madness of the fanatics had subsided a bit, but it still very much felt like a mental ward.
"How have things been lately? Even though the upper floors have opened, there must still be some annoying Players lingering around, right?"
"Out of the bosses in charge of the eleven rooms, eight have lost their lives to Players. Only three of us remain, including myself, and we're all just warily watching each other."
Oh? Had their numbers dwindled that much already?
As expected, the average level of the Players seemed to be rising as time passed.
"Are the survivors the masters of the prison and the deserted island? Those guys must be sweating bullets right now."
"Yes. If things continue like this, all areas will be conquered before long. The general consensus is to unite our remaining forces before that happens. Of course, we're currently just keeping each other in check because no one wants to be absorbed by the other."
In other words, their lives were in danger because of the increasingly powerful Players, but their pride wouldn't allow them to form an alliance and serve under someone else. That was likely what she meant.
It would certainly become harder to fend off the Players growing on the 5th floor as time went on.
Ultimately, he needed to make Andrea grow even faster than she was now. Not just for her sake... but for his own future as well.
Right then,
"Don't worry. I shall personally give you a crash course."
Alice's confident voice rang out from beside him.
Oh.
As expected, she actually had the makings of a great teacher.
Jinhyuk turned his head with an expectant look.
However...
"Sigh..."
The moment Jinhyuk saw Alice, he couldn't help but let out a deep sigh.
"How do I look?"
Alice wore a peculiar smile, dressed in black horn-rimmed glasses, a white dress shirt, and a black skirt. With her hair tied up in a bun, she looked like she had gone all out to prepare for this.
Furthermore, standing beside her was Bellus, whom she had summoned from her necklace at some point.
He was quite a sight as well... wearing a full Indiana Jones outfit.
Messy hair, a half-unbuttoned shirt, and even a leather whip. He looked exactly like the character from the movies.
What made it even more absurd was how well it suited him.
'This is why I can't stand people with superior genetics...'
Jinhyuk massaged his temples with his index finger.
"I heard this is the true image of a teacher that's popular among the people outside the Tower. They say doing this increases learning efficiency by fifty percent."
"What kind of crazy bastard told you that?"
"ViewTube! I looked it up on your laptop last night."
Damn ViewTube algorithm.
"Forget it, I'm not even going to bother. Just tell me what we need to do."
"It's a method we use often... fighting and fighting in here until we collapse from exhaustion."
Alice lightly bit her finger.
Crunch!
A drop of blood welled up, and soon, a massive barrier was drawn on the floor.
[Alice manifests Lv.?? 'Blood Arena'!]
A barrier that maximized experience and realization when fighting inside it. It was an arena primarily used by the young blood of the Ataraxia Family to undergo their rites of passage.
"Am I... fighting you, Sister?"
Andrea looked at Alice cautiously.
Although she occasionally sparred with Alice, the gap in their skills was simply too vast. Moreover, Alice preferred long-range combat, making her a poor match for Andrea, who specialized in close-quarters combat. It meant Andrea spent more time getting beaten up than actually learning.
Considering that...
"No, I'll do it."
Alice wasn't suited for this task.
Jinhyuk pulled 'Fang' out of his subspace inventory.
Swoosh.
The green-glowing dagger spun smoothly into his right hand.
"For Lord Jinhyuk... to personally teach me..."
Andrea clenched her fists, her face filled with deep reverence.
To her, Jinhyuk was practically a god—the savior who had changed her bleak past. Since he was the Ranker who had swept through the Psychiatric Ward with overwhelming martial prowess, the emotion Andrea felt was far more intense than anyone could imagine.
Andrea also gripped a pair of thirty-centimeter daggers in each hand.
Perhaps because she had trained quite a bit with Alice, her stance was incomparably firmer than when they had first met. Needless to say, her mana capacity had also skyrocketed since becoming a boss.
"I won't go easy on you, so come at me with everything you've got."
"Yes. I will do my absolute best."
Andrea nodded.
With that,
Dash!
Andrea moved first.
Utilizing the unique movement technique of vampires, she closed the distance in an instant.
Her daggers, spinning counterclockwise, aimed for Jinhyuk's torso.
Clang!
The two blades clashed with a crisp metallic ring.
What followed was a sword dance so dazzling it was hard to track with the naked eye.
Front, back, left, right—every single strike was so fierce that it made the term "sparring" seem meaningless. Anyone watching would have believed they were engaged in a life-or-death duel.
Yet, Jinhyuk parried her relentless onslaught with effortless ease.
Clash-clash-clash-clash!
"Ugh!"
Andrea bit her lip.
She had dedicated herself to training day and night to become a more perfect boss monster.
To catch up to Jinhyuk even by a single step.
To be of even the slightest help on the path he walked.
She had literally risked her life to grow stronger.
And yet...
'The gap isn't closing.'
The massive wall she had faced when they first met hadn't lowered in the slightest. In fact, the more she attacked, the more she felt an illusion of despair deepening.
The difference in their skills was just that stark.
Yet, despite this vast disparity, Jinhyuk perfectly adjusted the speed and depth of the spar so that Andrea could unleash her full potential. It was a near-flawless display of tailored instruction.
* * *
Watching them, Alice shook her head in sheer disbelief.
"Seriously, that guy gets stronger every single time I see him fight. At this rate, I might not even be able to handle him even if my seal is completely undone."
"Lady Alice... What do you mean by that? No matter how strong he is, surely comparing a mere human to you is..."
"Do you really think so? That it's impossible?"
Indeed, even saying such a thing was absurd.
The absolute ruler of the Tower.
The strongest bloodline.
A being feared even by the Six Families—that was Alice von Ataraxia.
But why?
Alice felt it instinctively.
The time those grand titles could sustain her was running short. As time passed, a new hierarchy would emerge among the countless powerhouses of the Tower.
'Still, it's not so bad.'
Her pride wasn't hurt.
Because... that incredibly strong person was the human she had contracted with.
And he would remember the promise he made to her.
With that thought, Alice stretched languidly, looking satisfied.
"If you don't understand, just watch. Things look different depending on your own level."
"I... understand."
Bellus nodded reluctantly.
However, the spar, which seemed like it would drag on much longer, came to an unexpectedly abrupt end.
[An incoming video call has been requested.]
A status window appeared in front of Jinhyuk.
The caller was Teresa.
The location was Europe.
But... that Europe had changed far too much from the one everyone knew.