Chapter 253: Ataraxia, Empress of Pure Blood (3)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 253: Ataraxia, Empress of Pure Blood (3)
[Dragon-Slaying Sword, Balmung - Indigo]
Acquisition Difficulty: Unmeasurable
Attack Power: 35,500
Weight: 37kg
Durability: 58,000 / 160,000
Effects:
The special active effect 'Recreation of Myth' can be used. 'Recreation of Myth' allows the user to reenact Siegfried's battle where he slew Fafnir. (Requires a certain level of understanding of Balmung.)
The indigo-tinted status window was shining more brilliantly than any item status window he had seen so far.
An attack power of a whopping 35,500.
It was incomparable to his Twin Dragon Swords or Fang.
After all, even Fang, which he had upgraded to rare (blue) grade, only had an attack power of 5,570.
Over six times higher...
Jinhyuk let out a sharp breath.
'This is absolutely insane.'
Even if Fang prioritized attack speed and lightness, a sixfold difference in attack power could only be described as absurd.
Armor Breaker and the Sword of Blazing Heat he obtained from Antrad also paled in comparison to Balmung.
Above all, the effect that nearly doubled his attack power against the Dragon Race would be an indispensable asset for climbing the upper floors of the Tower.
'I finally have it in my hands.'
Jinhyuk gripped Balmung.
Hummmmm!
Balmung let out a pleasant resonant hum.
Thump! Thump! Thump!
His heart beat rapidly.
This mana.
This feeling.
Yes, this was it.
This was the overwhelming sense of exhilaration that a top-tier Sacred Relic provided.
The corners of Jinhyuk's mouth curled upward.
At the same time, he pointed the blade forward.
[Unique Ability 'Blessing of the Stars' has been activated!]
[Unique Ability 'Mandala' has been activated!]
Pure white light and golden mist began to burn softly along the blade.
Now, it was time to bring this grand finale to a close.
* * *
Boom! Crash!
Exploding droplets of blood canceled each other out.
Though their power differed, their understanding of Blood Explosion was not much different.
'T-this makes no sense.'
Amuram's face grew increasingly pale.
He couldn't believe a mere human was using Blood Explosion.
Nor could he accept that the human's mastery of it was so high.
Furthermore...
Crash!
As Balmung's blade flashed, Amuram's body was sent flying several meters.
Shield or not, there was no defense that could withstand the Dragon-Slaying Sword.
There was no situation where the phrase "dodge, don't block" was more fitting.
His signature regenerative ability had long since been rendered useless.
Blood flowed increasingly from his wounds.
"Why are you groaning already? I'm just getting warmed up," Jinhyuk smirked.
Having obtained a new Sacred Relic, his body felt light as a feather.
"Urgh...! Arrogant bastard! If not for Balmung, a mere insect like you would have..."
"Well, I won't deny it. Relying on gear is definitely a thing."
Although he believed that a player's experience and skill triumphed over item performance in the Tower of Trials...
Once an item reached the 'Indigo' grade, even an ordinary person could easily fight a boss monster.
Let alone when a veteran player got his hands on one. It went without saying.
"But if you feel it's unfair, why didn't you get yourself something nice too?"
"W-what?"
"As a family head, shouldn't you have plenty of stuff piled up in your treasury? If you'd just brought a few things from there, you wouldn't have ended up like this."
Wasn't this what happened when he came empty-handed, relying solely on his vampire physical abilities?
"If only I had proper equipment... you wouldn't dare speak to me like this."
"Yeah, yeah. I also have a sword that can slice the galaxy in my shoe rack at home, and I'm raising a roaring invisible dragon in my bathroom."
"Argh... Aaaaargh!"
An enraged Amuram roared.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Everything in sight was dyed crimson, followed by a massive explosion.
He had stopped calculating escape routes and began firing Blood Explosions indiscriminately.
Naturally, Jinhyuk was not one to be hit by attacks that relied on pure luck.
'Sword Demon Emperor Stepss' and 'Shallow Breathing' made his movements swift and light.
Swish. Tap!
Just when it seemed he was skimming the ground to approach Amuram from the front...
He instantly took his back using 'Shadow Extreme Kill'.
Clang!
Amuram reflexively swung his claws, but Jinhyuk had already vanished.
Moving at high speed between shadows, Jinhyuk continuously caught Amuram off guard.
"Urgh!"
Amuram gnashed his teeth.
Ever since he arrived here, everything had been going wrong.
From start to finish, it was nothing but frustration.
But right now, the important thing was surviving this worst-case scenario.
Dealing with a single human was hard enough, but with Alice—who had manifested her unique Sacred Spear—present as well, continuing to fight was no different from begging for death.
He had lived for so long he had forgotten his own age.
Ruling from the highest position was the only life he knew.
He could not die in a place like this.
Amuram's gaze shifted backward.
An escape route.
He could still see a way out behind him.
If he abandoned the rest as a distraction to buy time, escaping alone would be...
Possible. Absolutely possible.
'Since I put on an act of attacking wildly in a fit of rage, they won't expect me to run.'
He didn't hesitate long.
"Bite them!"
Amuram gathered every last drop of his remaining mana.
Bark! Bark! Bark!
Growl!
The 'Blood Hounds' made of blood lunged toward Jinhyuk and Alice.
Simultaneously, Amuram bolted backward.
He only needed one second.
For a family head, one second was more than enough time to escape this place.
However...
"Your cowardice remains unchanged, whether in the past or the present."
The cold voice echoing from above Amuram's head refused to grant him escape.
Descending from the sky, the cursed vampire summoned dozens of red skewers.
"H-how...?"
"Are you wondering how I got past your hounds?"
Alice shrugged as if it were nothing.
"Did I not tell you? Whatever you can do, I can do as well."
Amuram saw his Blood Hounds being torn apart by another pack of Blood Hounds.
Alice had unleashed the Blood Hounds raised by the Ataraxia family.
Whine!
Yelp!
"It seems my puppies are a bit larger."
With this, his sole remaining hope vanished.
[Alice activates 'Vladimir's Harpoon'!]
Thud! Thud! Squish!
"Aaargh!"
His hands and feet impaled, Amuram shrieked in agony.
However, no matter how hard he tried to transform into bats, his wounds only glowed red; the transformation failed.
At that exact moment,
Boom!
Jinhyuk accelerated, gripping Balmung.
The greatsword unleashed a dazzling flash of light as it lunged toward Amuram's heart.
"To such... insignificant insects like you...! I... Iaaaaaargh!"
And those were...
Slash!
...the last words the head of the Decasus family left in this world.
[You have leveled up!]
[You have leveled up!]
[You have...]
[...leveled up!]
[You have acquired the 'Seal of Decasus'.]
[All deities and major factions of the upper floors will become aware of this incident in a few hours!]
[The influence of 'Veteran Corporation' has rapidly grown from a small-to-medium faction to a medium-sized faction!]
Along with the flood of messages, one of the great absolute rulers who dominated the upper floors of the Tower was obliterated.
* * *
Whoosh!
With a sudden burst of flames, an ornately decorated chair turned to ashes.
"...This is impossible."
Disbelieving sighs escaped the lips of those seated around the table.
It was only natural.
The burning of a chair meant that its owner had been obliterated.
"Could it be... the head of the Decasus family failed?"
The only woman in the room with long, flowing black hair spoke up.
Abigail von Revisita.
She was the head of the Revisita family, one of the Great Families.
"Since Amuram is dead, we must assume he failed. Dammit! For a family head to lose his life on the middle floors... what an absolute disgrace!"
"Since he had to leave all his Sacred Relics behind due to the restrictions, it must have been difficult for him to exert his full power. Sending a family head to the lower floors was a huge gamble for us in the first place."
"Even so, this makes no sense. To think there was someone down there capable of even wounding a family head..."
The other family heads chimed in one after another.
The atmosphere grew heavy and grim.
Despite paying an immense price, they had gained nothing. In fact, they had lost a family head who prided himself on being one of the strongest.
"..."
Even Exencion, who had succeeded Alice to lead the Ataraxia family, kept his mouth shut.
Right then,
"Didn't I warn you? I told you to be careful because there is someone capable of harming you, esteemed family heads."
A goblin warming himself by the fireplace stood up.
At that, everyone's gaze shifted to the goblin.
A transcendent being of the Tower whom even the family heads could not treat lightly.
It was none other than High Manager Hastings.
"Are you referring to that human, Kang Jinhyuk?" Exencion asked.
"Indeed. He is the very person who pulled Alice out of the Corridor and formed a contract with her."
"High Manager, you are overestimating that human far too much. I know Kang Jinhyuk is out of the ordinary, but he is by no means capable of killing a family head. If there was a possibility, it would have been Alice."
"Hmm. In my opinion, you all underestimate him far too much. Think about it carefully. Alice is not a variable, neither in the past nor now."
Even during her prime, when she was so incredibly strong, she was ultimately suppressed by the family heads and sealed.
Let alone now, when she doesn't even possess a fraction of her past strength. If we set our minds to it, we can easily find a way to suppress her.
However...
"Kang Jinhyuk is different."
He wasn't simply referring to combat power.
The power to force the grand premise of victory under any given conditions.
The ability to turn even his disadvantages into strengths.
That was the biggest reason they had to fear Jinhyuk.
"If left alone, the family heads gathered here might also end up dying by his hand. As time passes, the probability will only increase."
The death of the family heads.
Such an absurd assumption slipped out of his mouth so easily.
"How dare you say such a thing...!"
"Are you saying we will be defeated by a single human?"
"Enough!"
Naturally, the family heads tried to protest, but Exencion cut off their complaints with a single word.
"...I doubt you brought this up simply to get under our skin. It seems you have something to say."
"As expected, the new head of the Ataraxia family is quick on the uptake. Actually, I have something in mind. Since your method failed, let's try it my way this time. It will require some time, but it will be well worth the effort."
Hastings slowly began to explain his plan.
And...
As the explanation progressed, the expressions of the family heads changed drastically.
It was such a shocking plan that they could only listen intently, swallowing hard.
"...And that is the plan."
Hastings finally concluded.
"I see..."
"With that, we might be able to kill two birds with one stone."
"I agree as well. I'll do anything as long as we can tear apart those who dared bare their fangs at us."
Everyone nodded.
Except for one.
Exencion.
"I admit the plan is brilliant. However, as one who guards the balance of the Tower, why are you helping us?"
Administrators are originally supposed to maintain neutrality and manage the Tower of Trials to ensure its continued existence.
Thus, it was completely incomprehensible why Hastings was trying to intervene so aggressively now.
At that,
"I am currently guarding the balance of the Tower. More diligently than ever before, in fact."
Hastings wore a mysterious smile.