Chapter 235: Antrad, Kin of Guntaper (2)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 235: Antrad, Kin of Guntaper (2)
A multiple descent ritual.
The pillars of light erupting from the ground signified the manifestation of new demons.
Rumble!
The ground split open, and the sky began to tear apart.
Through the dark clouds, crimson pillars flickered one by one.
Beyond the forests and mountains...
...each of the demons was awakening, easily hundreds of kilometers away.
Antrad, from the Blazing Heat Hell.
Magdra, from the Ice Spirit Hell.
Valmariel, from the Extreme Poison Hell.
Shelkerim, from the Avici Hell.
The familiar demonic energy drifting from afar was of a kind he could never forget, even if he wanted to.
'Four of them in total, including Antrad who has manifested here... huh.'
Jinhyuk's eyes narrowed.
He had anticipated that the demonic humans would gather the sacred relics to summon Antrad, but he hadn't expected them to summon the other three as well.
Structurally, this should have been impossible within the system.
No...
Actually, there was exactly one way.
But the implications of that scenario were something he wanted to push to the absolute back of his mind.
Jinhyuk, who had been imagining the worst-case scenario, shook his head to clear his thoughts.
'What I need to focus on right now is dealing with the manifested demonic beasts.'
The problem was...
...how to stop the other beasts besides Antrad.
Someone else out there had to step up.
And they had to be incredibly skilled.
His deliberation didn't last long.
[Baeksa.]
Jinhyuk used telepathy to call upon his ally, who was not far from the fortress.
A close associate of the Dark Emperor and a high ranker who had promised to act as his hands and feet for the time being.
If it was Baeksa and the Shadow Unit, they could certainly handle this task.
[I was wondering why you hadn't looked for us even though the inside of the fortress is turning into a sea of fire. You're finally calling, I see.]
Baeksa's voice returned instantly, as if he had been waiting.
Indeed, there was no way he wouldn't notice a high-floor demon popping up.
[Since you already know, this makes things quick.]
[I hate to break it to you, but that guy is too much for us even if we all gang up on him. Personally, I'd recommend you run away rather than fight him, too.]
[I'll handle this guy myself. I have a different favor to ask of you guys.]
[Are you talking about the beasts that emerged from the other pillars of light? They're the same. To us, they're like natural disasters we can't do anything about.]
[I'm not asking you guys to do anything about them. Instead, explain the current situation to the people who can handle it and ask for their help.]
[People who can handle it... like who?]
[My master.]
Shelkerim of the Avici Hell, who had manifested near the Murim side.
To stop her, the Dark Emperor's help was needed.
[You're asking for too much. No matter how highly the Dark Emperor favors you, do you really think he would go so far as to do this?]
[Well, I think Master would do at least that much for his beloved disciple.]
Even in the past, when climbing the Tower of Trials, the Dark Emperor's affection for his disciple was extraordinary.
A man who was infinitely cruel to his enemies, but would give everything to someone he considered on his side.
That was the Dark Emperor Jinhyuk remembered.
[...Well, fine. Since I agreed to act as your hands and feet, I'll do it. Just don't regret it later.]
[And one more thing.]
[Hmm?]
[I have a companion in the Holy Kingdom. Her name is Teresa. Tell her to take care of Magdra, who manifested near the Holy Kingdom.]
[Teresa... Understood. I will pass on the message.]
There was no clear solution for the last one, Valmariel.
He could only hope that the Empire and the Murim factions would move to address it.
It was right when Jinhyuk cut off the telepathic transmission.
"Have you lost your mind because all your plans have gone down the drain? Why are you standing there, frozen in place?"
"Ah, sorry. I was just lost in thought for a second. I was trying to figure out how to cook all of you."
"So your tongue hasn't frozen over yet. Good. Slicing up a lively, resisting bastard is far more satisfying than cutting down someone who has given up on everything."
Antrad slowly reached his hand out into the empty air.
Creeeeak!
Cracks formed in space, and a massive sword that had been beyond the dimensional wall slowly revealed itself.
[Antrad summons the Lv.30 'Sword of Blazing Heat'.]
Every trace of moisture in the air vanished.
It was scorching.
An unimaginable heat pressed against his skin.
It felt as if hell itself had been summoned into the mortal realm.
This was the power possessed by the bloodline of a high-floor demon.
Thump! Thump! Thump!
Jinhyuk's heart beat rapidly.
It wasn't out of fear.
Rather, at his current state where his level wasn't even 100, he was insanely excited to see how well he could fight against an enemy nearly twice his level.
'Yeah, this is what the Tower of Trials is all about.'
If the difficulty is easy, it's no fun. There is no sense of achievement in a perfect run with no variables.
Breaking through a difficult and grueling path...
...and claiming the reward at the end.
That was precisely how he had been able to reach the pinnacle of this world.
Jinhyuk checked the information he obtained through 'Gluttony's Eye' once more.
[Antrad]
Race: Demon
Age: 5,583
Level: 165
Strength: 126 / Agility: 115 / Stamina: 382 / Magic Power: 177 / Fire Mastery: 224
Unique Ability: Will of Fire
Skills: 'Borderline of the Demon World' Lv.35, 'Hell Calamity Fire' Lv.2, 'Unbreakable Bones' Lv.22, 'Sanctuary of the Dead' Lv.22, 'Sword of Blazing Heat' Lv.30, 'Final Hour' Lv.19
Detailed Description: Antrad is a powerful demonic beast who plays the role of a vanguard in the wars of the Demon World. Because his base stamina and defense are so high, and his attack power is equally outstanding, an ordinary player cannot even leave a scratch on his body.
Copy Conditions: It is impossible for a player who has just begun to involve themselves in the middle floors of the Tower to defeat Antrad.
Simply survive Antrad's frontal attacks. Doing so will allow you to copy one of Antrad's unique abilities or skills.
(Required Time: 30m / If the distance from the target exceeds 100m, it will be deemed a failure.)
The gap between them was simply too vast.
Because of this, the system had also set survival, rather than defeat, as the condition.
Of course, even this was no easy feat.
Especially since he had to face Antrad, who had drawn his Sword of Blazing Heat, within a restricted space of 100 meters.
'If I don't perfectly dodge every single attack or halve their power with my skills, I'll die on the spot.'
It might have seemed easy at first glance, but in reality, it was among the highest difficulty copy conditions he had encountered so far.
However, high risk always came with high return.
'I have to seize this opportunity to copy a high-floor ability, no matter what.'
It was only natural.
Antrad's abilities possessed a value that couldn't even be compared to those of players or residents.
Jinhyuk took his stance.
Vroooom!
Layer upon layer of walls made from Glacial Shaping and 4-star barriers inscribed with Ancient Runic Language unfolded.
And at that very moment...
"Impudent fool! You think you can block my attack with mere ice dust?!"
Boom! Boom! Boom!
A torrent of fire collided head-on with the ice shield.
The intense heat reduced all the surrounding grass to ashes, and even the nearby demonic beasts were swept up in the searing heat.
* * *
Sssss!
Scorching heat surged from the ground.
Even though he had only swung his sword lightly, the scar left on the ground looked as if it would never fade.
Yet, even amidst that blazing gale, the ice barrier barely managed to maintain its shape.
Though it was practically half-destroyed.
"Are you... alright?"
Cheon Yu-seong, who was standing next to Jinhyuk, spoke up.
"More or less. You look like a total mess, though."
Smoke was gently rising from his entire body.
It seemed even his sword barrier couldn't completely offset the impact.
"I should consider myself lucky just to be alive. More importantly, our plan to gather the demonic jade was exposed. What do you plan to do now?"
Their only trump card had been discovered before they could even initiate it.
Using the insufficient demonic jade now would make it difficult to summon a high-ranking demonic beast capable of facing Antrad.
However...
...there was one thing Antrad was overlooking.
The fact that insufficient demonic jade could be compensated for with an abundance of demonic energy.
[Unique Ability 'Grave of Swords' is activated!]
Different from Blood Demon Qi.
A much purer and denser demonic energy erupted from Jinhyuk's fingertips.
'It's a relief I only used Blood Demon Qi instead of Grave of Swords earlier, just in case he noticed.'
Hide thirty percent of your true strength.
Who knew this saying would come in so handy?
Thus, his backup plan to catch the opponent off guard by inducing complacency began to shine.
Crack!
Creeeak!
Cracks simultaneously spiderwebbed across the surfaces of the demonic jades, and the black smoke trapped inside began to pour out.
'The demonic energy isn't quite enough, but I hope someone useful shows up...'
Jinhyuk swallowed hard and prayed fervently in his heart.
And a moment later...
"Kieeeeeek!"
A sharp shriek erupted from beneath the ground.
...Jackpot.
What revealed itself was a massive insect measuring ten meters in size.
A Tunnel Spider.
A scavenger of the Demon World whose sole purpose was predation, earning it the nickname 'The Glutton'.
Tearing through the still-thickly rising smoke, the Tunnel Spider threw its body toward Antrad, who stood blocking the way.
Boom!
Antrad swung his sword, but the Tunnel Spider met the attack head-on with its razor-sharp claws.
"How on earth...?!"
The flames flickering in Antrad's eyes wavered violently.
A high-ranking demonic beast that should have been impossible to summon given the quantity of demonic jade.
Since such a troublesome entity had suddenly popped up, it was only natural for him to be flustered.
However, before he could even grasp the reason, the Tunnel Spider's attack continued.
Splat!
Green fluid sprayed between Antrad's ribs, melting the ground.
It was highly acidic poison.
Crash! Crash! Crash!
Whoosh!
Furthermore, because its outer shell was so thick, even the flames couldn't easily stop it.
"Kieeeek!"
"How dare a mere, wretched bug bare its fangs at me! You must have lost your mind in your craze for prey."
Antrad roared savagely.
The two demonic beasts, both exerting an immense pressure just by their sheer size, bared their deadly weapons to end each other's lives.
* * *
The brief opening created by the Tunnel Spider.
Jinhyuk used this window to rapidly recover his magic power and stamina.
[You have used Lv.5 'True Grand Purity Hwarang Heart Method'.]
[Activating Lv.6 'Shallow Breathing'.]
Thanks to the two auxiliary skills, magic power surged through every corner of his blood vessels.
"Phew... Good."
He regulated his breathing and healed his wounds, bringing his condition back to a state where he could move properly.
"Thanks to that, we got through the crisis. Let's get out of here while that spider is running wild."
"No. We're not running away."
"What?"
At Jinhyuk's words, Cheon Yu-seong's eyebrows furrowed deeply.
"Don't tell me... you plan to fight? That monster?"
"Opportunities to face a high-ranking demonic beast don't come around very often."
Of course, simply buying time and running around would be enough to copy the ability.
But...
...he hadn't gone through all this trouble just for that.
The rewards that could only be obtained by hunting Antrad.
If he could make the impossible possible—something even the system deemed out of reach...
...that would truly become the cornerstone for his overwhelming growth.
"This is absurd. Risking your life just for rewards... No matter how much of a veteran you are, this is impossible."
He was right.
It would be impossible alone.
"Yu-seong. Do you know something?"
Jinhyuk called Cheon Yu-seong by his name for the first time.
The only companion among players to whom he could entrust his back.
At the same time, a powerhouse capable of forging a single strike that could part Antrad's flames and sever his bones alongside him.
That person...
"If it's the two of us, we can cut that guy down."
...was the only one.