Chapter 238: The World of Players (3)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 238: The World of Players (3)
Although the situation at the fortress had been settled, the flames of war across the middle floors had not yet been extinguished.
The border region between the Holy Kingdom Sedes and Murim.
A state of war had been declared here due to the appearance of two high-ranking demons.
Dong! Dong! Dong! Dong!
Along with the tolling of the bell, the castle gates swung wide open.
"All civilians, evacuate inside the castle! There's no time to pack your belongings, so get inside right now!"
The guard captain bellowed at the top of his lungs.
The rangers, the knights, and the rest of the detachment had already been completely wiped out.
All they had left was to rely on the castle walls, reinforced with divine power, and the holy knights.
"Lock the gates the moment the last refugee is inside!"
If they could just hold out, the Empire would eventually send reinforcements.
Until then, they had to defend the walls at all costs, no matter the casualties.
Right then.
"Krooooo!"
"Khehehe."
A sound like a roaring beast echoed from afar.
The disasters drawing closer by the second.
They were Magdra and Shelkerim.
Magdra, who took the form of a knight holding a halberd, stood at a massive height of about seven meters.
In contrast, Shelkerim resembled an adult human female.
Of course, wielding a long, thin scythe in one hand and a glass orb containing souls in the other, she was far from an ordinary woman.
After Antrad was defeated, the two demons had joined forces just in case, and they had been ruthlessly ravaging both the Empire and Murim factions ever since.
For hours, countless soldiers had swarmed them like bees, only to be turned into cold corpses.
Now, not a single fearless human remained to block their path.
It was just as they stood before their first target, the Holy Kingdom Sedes.
Along with the rustle of stepping on grass.
Rustle.
A single shadow appeared before the two demons.
"This is as far as you go."
"Another fool who doesn't know their place has appeared."
"Khehe. Tell me about it. Humans really seem to lack the capacity to learn. Even the knights and thousands of troops couldn't stop us. And you think you can face us alone? Seriously?"
The two demons flared their mana, looking down on the intruder.
Rumble!
The pressure weighing down on the entire body was not something a mere human could withstand.
At that moment.
Strands of golden hair cascaded over dazzling white armor.
"I can. If it's me..."
Turquoise eyes stared straight ahead.
"No... if it's 'us'."
It was Teresa, the Saint of Amsterdam.
[Teresa activates her unique ability, 'Blessing of the Stars'!]
A dazzling radiance fell from the heavens.
Teresa's blade was dyed pure white.
The divine power, which was the ultimate counter to demons, merged with the ability of a player who stood at the very pinnacle of this field.
Boom!
The light, amplified by the 'Blessing of the Stars', tore forward in a straight line.
A storm beyond imagination swallowed the two demons.
* * *
Sssss!
Thick smoke rose from the ground.
The long scar carved through the forest spoke volumes about the sheer power of the attack.
However, even the holy light was not enough to end the demons' lives.
Though they had taken some damage, Magdra and Shelkerim emerged, still standing strong.
"A holy knight? Quite fierce."
"Khehe! Indeed. Easily the most decent holy knight we've met so far."
Magdra and Shelkerim muttered respectively.
She was a fairly strong holy knight, but that was only by human standards.
She could never be a match for them.
They would close the distance in an instant and slit her throat.
Then, they would storm the castle behind her and slaughter every single human inside.
But then.
Another presence appeared from the opposite side of the forest.
Step.
This time, it was an elderly man dressed in light attire.
One of the two pillars supporting the Heavenly Demon.
It was the Dark Emperor.
"Haha. Were you in the middle of something? It seems I've interrupted at an awkward time."
The Dark Emperor let out a hearty laugh.
A heavy weight lay behind his light footsteps.
Even though he was merely speaking, the very air shifted.
"...!"
"..."
Sensing the unusual atmosphere, Magdra and Shelkerim also flared their demonic energy.
They felt it instinctively.
Rather than the holy knight wielding divine power, this old man was far more dangerous.
The Dark Emperor's gaze turned toward Teresa.
"Hmm. Who might you be, young lady? I heard that both the Empire and Murim forces had retreated, but you don't seem to belong to either faction."
"I am a player from Europe."
"A player... So you have no connection to this floor. Why risk your life for such a matter, then?"
At the Dark Emperor's question, Teresa hesitated for a moment.
The reason she came here.
The reason she stepped forward despite having no personal stake in this.
Because she couldn't stand by and watch innocent civilians get caught up in it?
Of course, that was part of it.
But the biggest reason was...
"I was asked by someone precious to me. To save the people here."
Jinhyuk had trusted her and asked.
No other reason was necessary.
"...I see. You must be the other person Baeksa mentioned."
"Baeksa...? Wait, did Jinhyuk ask you to help as well, Elder?"
Teresa's eyes widened.
"Haha, I took in a disciple in my twilight years only to get dragged into this mess. Good grief, what a troublesome talent he is..."
Letting out a self-deprecating chuckle, the Dark Emperor added:
"Still, seeing that there is someone willing to walk into the jaws of death just because of his word, it seems my trip wasn't entirely in vain."
A warm smile spread across his face.
This was likely his way of saying his choice hadn't been wrong.
The Dark Emperor took a step forward.
Simultaneously.
Thud!
Cracks spiderwebbed across the ground.
The earth split like a tortoise shell.
As if declaring that whatever stood in his way would never be allowed to pass.
The weight of this single step was immense.
[The exclusive martial art 'Black Heaven Demonic Emperor Art' blooms.]
Mana as deep as the abyss surged.
It was truly overwhelming power.
"Now, which of you will come first? I do not mind if you both come at once."
The Dark Emperor extended his hand toward the two demons.
* * *
"Khehe! How arrogant."
Shelkerim rested her long scythe on her shoulder.
"I'll take care of this old geezer. You handle the woman."
"Understood. Do not let your guard down. The woman aside, that old man is no pushover."
"You'd better not play around and get yourself killed."
"That is a terribly dry joke."
Magdra sneered.
Based on the level Teresa had shown earlier, there wasn't even a sliver of a variable.
He would finish her off quickly, join Shelkerim, and deal with the old man. That was all.
Boom!
Crash!
Soon after, the battle between the Dark Emperor and Shelkerim commenced.
True to her status as a mid-ranking demon, Shelkerim began unleashing a barrage of curses and spells.
Every single one of them was tricky and lethal.
Rumble!
And the martial arts of the Dark Emperor opposing her also far transcended the realm of humanity.
The terrain shifted in an instant.
The sheer might displayed by the two monsters was on a different level, enough to redraw the map.
"Apologies, but I must join the other side. So, let us end our fight quickly."
Magdra raised his massive halberd high.
Confident that the match would be decided in a single blow.
However, at the sight that followed...
"Huh?"
Magdra gasped in shock.
"Understood. I'll end this quickly for you."
[Teresa activates 'Corruption'.]
Black tears streamed down her pale cheeks.
Her pupils shifted to an ominous hue, and the corners of her lips curled upward.
What was even more shocking was the quality and type of mana rising from her body.
The holy light had vanished without a trace. The black flames rising from her sword carried a sinister aura.
Hummmm!
A dark red light flickered along Teresa's blade.
In the blink of an eye.
A thin, slender line pierced through Magdra's body.
Thrust!
Crimson blood sprayed from Magdra's back.
"Cough?"
The barrier of demonic energy was breached?
That was impossible...
Magdra stared at Teresa with eyes full of disbelief.
"The Softie said it, didn't she? That 'we' can win if we're together."
A sweet voice flowed from her alluring figure.
In a single breath, Teresa swung her shield imbued with divine power and her sword imbued with corrupted mana.
* * *
The major incident where four demons were manifested by the Demonic Humans.
Exactly two days had passed since the apocalyptic disaster occurred.
Antrad, who had appeared first, was destroyed by Jinhyuk and Cheon Yu-seong. Magdra and Shelkerim lost their lives on the plains of the Holy Kingdom Sedes to Teresa and a mysterious old man.
"...So we just don't know who defeated the last one, Valmariel?"
Jinhyuk asked Cheon Yu-seong, who was walking beside him.
"Yeah. Since the Hall of Fame only uploads one entry per day, the identity of the person who killed the last demon will probably be revealed tomorrow."
He had figured Teresa and his master would be more than enough to handle the demons, but...
He had no idea who could have dealt with Valmariel.
'Whoever it is, they must be incredibly skilled...'
Who could it be?
Lost in thought, Jinhyuk soon chuckled.
This was why climbing the Tower of Trials was so fun.
Elements that piqued his curiosity kept popping up one after another.
"Stop grinning to yourself like a child. More importantly, when do you plan on giving me the items from the reward?"
"Ah... that? You should've said something sooner. It's already been two days, so I sold everything off. I'm completely broke now."
"Wh-what? You sold the loot from a joint hunt without even consulting me?!"
"Look, there's a statute of limitations in this business. If you don't settle it on the day of, it's gone. Have you only been playing this game for a day or two?"
In what game did someone try to claim ownership of items days after the fact?
If you didn't claim it then, that was the end of it.
"Besides, we're heading to the Empire's capital soon to receive a reward directly from the Emperor, aren't we? Just be satisfied with that."
The entire Empire was in a frenzy over what they were calling the 'Return of the Heroes' or something.
While it was likely a move to strengthen imperial authority, the Emperor had announced a grand banquet to reward the players for their achievements...
So they would probably make a handsome profit.
"You absolute bastard... How can you say that with a straight face! No matter how shameless you are..."
Cheon Yu-seong flew into a rage at logic that was practically highway robbery, but Jinhyuk had already plugged his ears with his fingers long ago.
Then, Alice, who was on the other side, poked Jinhyuk in the ribs.
"That's all well and good, but can't we eat first? We've been walking for hours, and I'm starving."
"Mogi!"
Alice and Sweet Potato demanded food in unison.
"Was our Mogi hungry?"
Jinhyuk's voice softened significantly.
Sweet Potato, who had completely cleared the Insect Labyrinth, had only returned to Jinhyuk's side early this morning. The quality of its mana was completely different now.
It had grown tremendously.
Of course, it was still so cute he wanted to squeeze it.
The five elemental beasts were also resting in his subspace inventory, so he would have to summon them soon to check on their growth.
"Yes, yes. You worked hard, Sweet Potato. Eat up. Eat as much as you want."
Jinhyuk hugged Sweet Potato tightly and popped a bone treat embedded with magic stones into its mouth.
"Mogi! Mogi!"
Sweet Potato's mouth moved busily as it munched away.
"Hey, what about me?"
"Don't worry. I've prepared a special treat for you too."
"Oh, how thoughtful of you. Well? Is it fine wine? Or top-grade steak? That dish from before with sea urchin and crab meat wasn't bad either. Tell me quickly, what is this special treat?"
Alice's eyes sparkled.
Her appetite thoroughly whetted, her small black wings fluttered rapidly up and down.
"Mint chocolate. I specifically packed a full half-gallon tub of it."
He had even asked them to pack it past the rim, so she could stuff herself all day long.
"Do you want to die, or do you want to stop breathing? Pick one."
Alice's expression turned ice-cold.
Seriously, why were there so many people who didn't appreciate this flavor?
It was just as Jinhyuk and Alice were bickering.
"Someone is here."
Cheon Yu-seong, who was walking at the very front, stopped in his tracks.
"Someone's here?"
Come to think of it,
at the end of the fork in the road, right where a uniquely shaped tree stood, a person was standing.
With the war between the Empire and Murim raging and demons running amok, there was no way a civilian would be in a place like this.
Nor would a soldier be walking around without armor.
But the moment he saw the person's face...
'Right, that guy was on the 20th floors too...'
Jinhyuk's pupils trembled slightly.
There was no way he wouldn't recognize him.
How could he possibly forget?
One of the people he had wanted to meet the most among the countless residents of the Tower.