Chapter 208: Iron-Blood Guardian 'Empire' (2)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 208: Iron-Blood Guardian 'Empire' (2)
Blue status windows flashed repeatedly before Jinhyuk's eyes.
[Out of the mid-floor's major factions, the Empire and the Murim, you have chosen the Empire.]
[Gain the trust of the Empire's emperor, 'Reinhardt III', and lead the Empire to complete prosperity.]
[Upon success, the third privilege for 'The First to Conquer the Tower' will be unlocked.]
Thump! Thump! Thump!
His heart beat frantically.
The third privilege!
'I wondered why it had been so quiet lately. It seems it only triggers in connection with major events.'
A flash of greed crossed Jinhyuk's eyes.
But it was only for a brief moment.
'I don't even have time to enjoy a new event.'
Crash!
Clank!
Before he knew it, the Imperial Guards who had entered the conference room surrounded Jinhyuk in a circle.
Every single one of them was a knight capable of wielding Aura.
Among them were high-level knights whose temples bulged with power.
The body of a Gold Dragon was engraved on their armor.
There was no mistake.
They were the Imperial Guard, known as the heart of the Empire.
Shring—!
The Guard Captain drew his sword.
"How dare you trespass here! With that black hair, you must be a spy sent by the Murim. You had better confess how you bypassed the palace's distortion magic to teleport in."
Seriously.
I'm telling you, the guy sitting right over there gave me the teleportation artifact.
Jinhyuk gestured to Penheimer for help, but...
Penheimer merely looked back at him with an expression that was a mix of anticipation and sly amusement.
Damn it.
If I rely on that old man, even twelve lives wouldn't be enough.
If those guys who attended the masquerade—like the Empire's Iron Chancellor or whatever—were here, maybe they could clear up the misunderstanding.
Unfortunately, none of the people he had seen back then were present at this meeting.
'Did he calculate this too?'
In that case...
Jinhyuk quickly activated 'Gluttony's Eye' on the Emperor.
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Name: Reinhardt III
Gender: Male
Age: 58
Level: 37
Strength: 23 | Agility: 25 | Stamina: 26 | Mana: 11 | Charisma: 275
Stat Points Available: 0
Class: Iron-Blood Monarch
Unique Ability: Firm Leadership
Skills: Lv25 'Imperial Studies', Lv23 'Keen Senses', Lv23 'Iron-Fist Rule', Lv22 'Diplomacy', Lv22 'Vigorous Vitality'
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[Details: The First Emperor, Reinhardt, unified 17 kingdoms to establish a great empire. He secured an absolute position based on his overwhelming charisma and martial might. However, as time passed, the imperial authority weakened, while the power of the nobles grew day by day. Reinhardt III has spent his entire life trying to rebuild that imperial authority, but... at this rate, it seems Reinhardt IV will never wear the crown.]
[Copy Condition: If you gain the Emperor's trust, you will be able to copy one of his skills.]
"..."
The Emperor's eyes were lifeless.
It was likely due to the sense of shame and futility from failing to change the path to ruin despite a lifetime of effort.
A life spent burning his own body as firewood.
He needed to rekindle the embers in the heart of this old man, who now had not even a single spark left.
Jinhyuk drew 'Fang' from his subspace inventory.
"Do you intend to resist?"
The Guard Captain let out a scoff, finding it ridiculous.
"I'm about to be falsely accused of being a Murim spy. Do you expect me to just stand still?"
"Oh? You're not from the Murim? Then where on earth did you come from?"
"I came from outside the Tower. A 'Player'... does that ring a bell?"
At the word 'Player', everyone's attention focused on him once more.
"...!"
"He's a Player?"
"Come to think of it, I heard from the intelligence department that there are black-haired people outside the Tower."
"Is he one of them? But I thought Players hadn't even cleared the 10th floor yet. How on earth did he get all the way up here?"
Although most Players were still lingering on the lower floors of the Tower, their potential and value could never be ignored.
And for good reason.
If the residents bound to the Tower wanted to travel to the lower floors or go outside, they had to pay an enormous price.
On the other hand, Players were free from such restrictions, allowing them to move between floors at will. Furthermore, their growth rate was far superior to that of the residents.
This meant they were a vital resource that had to be secured, not only for the upcoming war but also to reach the upper floors of the Tower.
"Lord Penheimer. Is what he says true? Aren't you in charge of the Players?"
The Guard Captain immediately tried to verify the facts with Penheimer.
"Well, I have never seen this person before in my life."
Naturally, Penheimer denied any connection to Jinhyuk.
This confirmed it.
Penheimer was demanding that Jinhyuk get out of this situation on his own.
'More precisely, he wants me to use force... to show the Emperor exactly what kind of person I am.'
A shock to awaken the lethargic Emperor.
At the same time, he had to prove right here and now that there was a Player who could show that the Empire's future still held hope.
He had to prove it in this very place.
"I was looking forward to a relaxing sightseeing tour... I'm going to charge you a hefty price for this later."
Mumbling to himself, Jinhyuk immediately channeled mana into his dagger.
Crackle, crackle...
A blue energy spread along the blade.
"Oh? You know how to handle Aura? So you've mastered the basics at least. But coming here with only that level of skill was a mistake."
The Guard Captain smirked.
He then immediately barked an order to the guard standing next to him.
"Makan!"
"Yes, sir!"
The summoned guard stepped forward, gripping his sword with both hands.
"Oh!"
"We finally get to see an Imperial Guard in real combat."
"I'm looking forward to this. Subdue that arrogant intruder at once!"
The watching nobles also waited with expectant eyes for what was about to unfold.
The outcome was already decided anyway.
What they looked forward to was the process leading up to it.
Cheers erupted from everyone's mouths at the thought of witnessing the greatness of the Empire and the miserable end of the intruder.
"Subdue him, but don't kill him. It doesn't matter if you cut off an arm or a leg."
"Leave it to me."
Makan took his stance.
A robust physique and solid fundamentals forged through rigorous training.
Indeed, he was worthy of being an Imperial Guard, the pride of the Empire.
Tap!
With a light step, Makan closed the distance to Jinhyuk in an instant.
In a split second that might as well have been simultaneous, his sword slashed horizontally toward Jinhyuk's thigh.
However...
Whoosh!
The attack he thought was perfect sliced through empty air.
Whoosh!
Whoosh!
A second strike, a third...
He continued to pour on the attacks, but the result was the same.
Instead, Jinhyuk slipped behind Makan and grabbed him by the scruff of his neck.
"Cats usually go limp when you grab them by the scruff of the neck. I guess humans don't."
"H-How dare you!"
Thoroughly provoked, Makan tried to shake off Jinhyuk's grip at once.
But contrary to his expectations, his body wouldn't move the way he wanted.
* * *
Jujitsu.
While holding Makan by the scruff of his neck, Jinhyuk subtly disrupted his center of gravity.
Thud!
Having fallen flat on his backside in an unsightly manner, Makan flailed his arms and legs on the floor.
Of course, it was only for a brief moment.
Crack!
A merciless kick slammed down, crushing his jaw.
Instantly, the surroundings fell as silent as if ice water had been poured over them.
The sneering laughter, the relaxed, chattering gossip...
...all of it vanished.
Jinhyuk shrugged his shoulders.
"Surely this isn't the level of the Empire? If so, I'm deeply disappointed."
It was a blatant provocation.
What an absolute embarrassment in a place where His Majesty the Emperor and numerous nobles were gathered!
If they couldn't resolve this right now, none of them would have any right to complain even if they were all executed by beheading.
"Shane! Bayrn!"
The Guard Captain roared once more.
Thud!
Clack!
This time, two knights lunged forward simultaneously.
A perfectly coordinated Combined Attack Formation unfolded.
But even that appeared incredibly slow in Jinhyuk's eyes.
Sending only two...
"You still haven't learned your lesson."
Dodging the blade tips by a hair's breadth, Jinhyuk moved his hands at a speed almost invisible to the naked eye.
Thwack!
Thud!
The hilt of his dagger struck the backs of their heads.
Because he delivered the blows with precise force and speed, the two knights couldn't even dream of dodging or blocking.
Knocked unconscious on the spot, Shane and Bayrn collapsed to the left and right.
It had happened in the blink of an eye.
"How... how can this be?"
The Guard Captain's jaw dropped.
Only now did he realize that the situation was highly unusual.
'His movements are extraordinary.'
Seeing him handle the knights as if they were children, he was undoubtedly a highly trained intruder.
However, no matter how good his movements were, that was all they were.
Acrobatics could never surpass true martial skill.
"From now on, I will face you myself."
The Guard Captain extended his sword forward.
Rumble!
A blue light completely enveloping the blade shot up by about 30 centimeters.
This was not merely the level of forming Aura on the blade, but the realm of materializing its shape.
It meant only one thing.
A person who could wield a completed Aura Blade.
In other words...
A 'Sword Master'.
"This is what an Aura Blade is. It is a realm on a completely different level from what you use. Regret looking down on the Empire's Imperial Guard... Gasp!?"
But as he spoke, the Guard Captain's eyes widened as if they were about to burst.
He was so shocked that he almost dropped his sword.
And with good reason.
He had proudly shown off Aura, which could be called the ultimate skill, but his opponent had drawn the exact same thing.
Rumble!
A pure light that seemed to burn the very air began to dominate the entire conference room.
It wasn't a mere 30 centimeters.
The Aura, shooting up to nearly two meters, possessed an obsidian hue that seemed capable of sucking everything in.
It was, without a doubt, an Aura Blade.
And one that was incomparably more perfect than his own.
Tremble, tremble!
Regardless of his pride or dignity, he couldn't stop his limbs from shaking.
And none of the nobles blamed him.
For it was only natural for a rabbit standing before a tiger to be paralyzed with fear.
"To think... such a vivid Aura Blade exists."
"Is... is that man a Sword Master?"
"No."
The one who flatly denied it was Merton, the Empire's Minister of Diplomacy.
He was a man who had interacted extensively not only with the Empire and the Murim but also with various factions of the Tower.
Having met countless powerhouses over several decades, Merton could be certain.
"He is beyond that."
Above a Sword Master.
A dreamlike realm that only two people in the entire Empire possessed.
A Grand Sword Master.
A realm that could only be reached when bone-shattering training—to the point of having to learn how to hold a sword before learning how to walk—was combined with a talent that appeared once in a century...
No, a realm that could only be reached when even innate luck supported those factors.
And yet...
A stranger he had never seen before had achieved it.