Chapter 261: The Seven Deadly Sins (2)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 261: The Seven Deadly Sins (2)
The seventh chamber of the Antichrist's Tomb.
The Wailing Witch stared into a massive glass orb and spat out a curse.
"W-what on earth is this crazy bastard...?"
It was a sight so absurd that even calling it ridiculous felt like an understatement.
Naturally, she couldn't help but panic.
Every single action of one of the humans who had entered the ruins transcended the boundaries of common sense.
"My Apostles... are being utterly demolished?"
When he first began fighting the Apostle of Pride, Reaper, she had merely thought of him as a slightly unusual intruder.
After all, anyone with exceptional combat ability and confidence could defeat the Apostle of Pride.
However, the intruder, who had crushed the Apostle in an instant, went on to breach the Path of Silence.
And shortly after, he was already making a fool out of the Apostle of Sloth, who guarded the end of the path.
-To defeat the Apostle of Sloth, do absolutely nothing.
Be lazier, more indolent.
Only those who have attained complete detachment and given up on everything can pass the second trial.
And yet...
The intruder was executing that strategy to an absurdly thorough degree.
"Damn it! What kind of Player gets a heart attack because they're too lazy to keep their own heart beating?!"
Lying down like a limp mollusk was one thing.
But his body had become so profoundly lazy that he had literally driven himself to the brink of death.
Even the Apostle had recoiled with a look of sheer disgust.
Not only that, but he had also worn a crazy outfit she wouldn't want to see even in her worst nightmares, sending the Apostle of Lust shrieking and fleeing in terror.
And he had even held a private counseling session with the Apostle of Envy to reform them.
He had bypassed the trials using the most absurd and bizarre methods imaginable.
It was a situation that practically begged for curses, yet at the same time, she had to admit it was the most efficient strategy possible.
'Already... four Apostles have fallen.'
There were guardian monsters protecting the Apostles, but they too had been swept away by a man using strange machinery and a woman utilizing martial arts.
The female mage casting spells was equally formidable.
In less than two days, four Apostles had lost their lives.
Because she had never imagined the trials would be breached so rapidly, the pressure currently weighing on the Wailing Witch was beyond comprehension.
It was then.
"That is why I told you. He is a human who must never be underestimated."
"We have already been defeated by him several times. If you do not prepare properly, even the great Witch will have to taste the bitter cup of defeat just as we did."
A man and a woman appeared beside the Wailing Witch.
They were Round Table Rankers who led the Demonic Human Association.
Gawain and Tristan.
The two had already emphasized Jinhyuk's danger several times.
Though the Wailing Witch had merely snorted in response back then.
"...Fine. It seems I dismissed your words too lightly. I underestimated our opponent far too much."
At this point, she had no choice but to accept reality.
That he was entirely different from the adventurers or witch hunters who had invaded before.
"So, what do you propose?"
"Throwing petty jabs at that man is useless. It will only serve to weaken our own forces."
Tristan stepped closer to the orb.
His pitch-black hair flowed past his shoulders, cascading down to his waist.
"We need a single, powerful blow. One so devastating that he won't even dream of standing back up after taking it."
There was a way.
That was precisely why the Demonic Human Association had personally come all this way.
"Tell me what you need. If it is within my power, I will grant it. Watching these insects crawl around my inner chambers is making my blood boil."
The Wailing Witch accepted the demonic humans' proposal.
At that, a bright smile spread across Tristan's lips.
"Time."
The vast space of the ruins and the advantage of numbers.
If they utilized these two factors, they could easily prepare a devastating blow.
* * *
"Kieeeek!"
"Kraaaah!"
The roars of monsters echoed through the chamber.
Atop the Fang, which had manifested the 'Grave of Swords', the forms of the Demon Soul Sword unfolded.
Slash!
A beetle-like monster was sliced clean in half.
Another monster, resembling a hybrid of a moth and a centipede, was also hacked to pieces before it could even last a single exchange.
But there was no time to rest.
For insectoid monsters that thrived in swarms, a few dozen casualties were easily replaced at any moment.
"More are swarming from the flank!"
Maria, who was casting a spell, shouted.
Hearing her warning, Yu Yeon-hwa and Lee Tae-min reacted.
"Huuup!"
Rumble!
Blue energy gathered around Yu Yeon-hwa's fists and feet.
Having already surpassed the 5-star level, her Grand Purity Hwarang Heart Method had reached a realm where she could project materialized energy more than 30 centimeters outward.
"Kroooar!"
The moment the pincers of a house-sized stag beetle snapped shut to tear Yu Yeon-hwa apart—
[Yu Yeon-hwa activates Lv13 'Red Blossom Force Release'!]
The condensed energy exploded forward.
Boom!
Not only did the stag beetle's body rupture from the inside out, but the surrounding insects were instantly reduced to dust and scattered.
On the opposite side, Lee Tae-min moved.
Armed in mechanical armor resembling the Empire's Titan, Lee Tae-min leaped off the ground.
Thud!
A leap heavy with immense weight.
The plating on his back slid open, launching mana bombs in all directions.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Boom!
What followed was a carpet bombing that turned the area into a sea of fire.
As if proving that nothing beats burning when it comes to exterminating bugs.
Dozens of mana bombs painted a crimson path of flames across the massive chamber.
Furthermore, since he was also capable of close-quarters combat using a titanium shield and a short sword, it was truly an all-purpose armament.
And...
The grand finale was Maria's Hellfire, which had finally finished casting.
"Thank you for buying me time to cast."
[Maria summons Lv7 'Hellfire'!]
Sizzle!
Moisture evaporated instantly.
As the air dried up, a metallic taste of blood lingered on chapped lips.
This was one of the strongest fire-attribute spells.
Hellfire, known as the final stage a Player could reach.
Roaaar!
Nothing remained in the wake of the passing inferno.
Even the common screams of agony were incinerated into silence.
Having lost the majority of his insects, the Apostle of Greed was driven into a corner.
"More... I need more bugs. I must spread more curses. Not yet, not yet."
Crunch!
Ultimately, he lost his life at Jinhyuk's hands.
[You have acquired the 'Key of Greed'.]
[You have acquired the 'Key of Sloth'.]
[You have acquired the 'Key of Lust'.]
[You have acquired the 'Key of Envy'.]
Including the Key of Pride, this made five.
Jinhyuk stored the keys he had gathered from defeating the Apostles in a corner of his dimensional subspace inventory.
They had rushed forward so relentlessly that they had lost track of how many hours had passed.
No matter how optimized his methods were, it was a grueling schedule that squeezed his mana to its absolute limits.
"Pant... pant... pant..."
"Seriously, Oppa, are you even human? How are you not exhausted after all this? You weren't slacking off while we were fighting, were you?"
"Noona, Hyung took care of all the insects in the rear by himself. Plus, he killed the Apostle alone. His stamina management is just... superhuman."
Having dealt with the trash mobs surrounding the Apostles, the three who accompanied him were already on the verge of collapse.
They needed to rest, even if only for a little while.
Jinhyuk pulled three glass bottles filled with a blue liquid from his dimensional subspace inventory.
"These potions will help restore your mana. I specifically got highly effective ones, so make sure to drink up."
"You're giving them to us for free? Seriously?"
Yu Yeon-hwa's eyes widened.
"Our companions' safety is on the line, so of course I wouldn't charge you. It's on me, so don't worry about anything else and just focus on recovering."
"Hyung..."
"Oh, Oppa, you've really changed. I guess you've finally grown up a bit?"
"Thank you, Jinhyuk-ssi. I'll drink it gratefully."
While everyone was deeply moved, Jinhyuk's mind was spinning rapidly.
The price of one potion was about 2,000 Coins.
On the other hand, the experience gained from putting these three to work, combined with the secondary Coin revenue from the video, was worth at least 70,000 Coins.
It was a business that could yield at least a thirty-fold profit.
The corners of Jinhyuk's mouth curled upward.
Hurry up and recover.
So I can put you to work again.
Gulp, gulp.
Everyone sat comfortably, drinking their potions and resting.
After watching the three with a pleased expression for a moment, Jinhyuk quietly slipped away to the back.
'Now... let's see what kind of reward I got.'
It was a reward given by none other than an Administrator-equivalent entity.
It had to be something unobtainable through normal routes, much like the 'privilege for the first to conquer the tower.'
Thump! Thump! Thump!
For the first time in a while, his heart pounded with pleasant anticipation.
His trembling finger tapped the status window.
And at that very moment—
Ring!
The long-awaited reward appeared.
[Shadow Gate]
Acquisition Difficulty: Unobtainable
Description: The 'Shadow Floor', where High Managers reside. This is a hidden, flip-side world of the Tower that only High Managers can enter. However, by using the Shadow Gate, which is crafted from materials outside the laws of the world, one can gain entry to this floor. (This gate will be destroyed after one round trip.)
This was... an entirely unexpected item.
To think an artifact capable of granting access to a High Manager's domain actually existed.
This was why the Tower of Trials was so insanely fun.
New variables that even veteran players didn't know about kept popping up.
[The Tower's Hidden Floor, the Shadow Floor]
It was an area he hadn't even visited in his past life, when he had reached the very top of the Tower.
In the first place, it was a location that strictly forbade the entry of Players.
'Does this mean I can meet not only Hasting, but also the other High Managers?'
Jinhyuk bit his lower lip.
Its potential applications...
Were beyond imagination.
This variable might just shake the very foundation of everything he knew.
* * *
Five days had passed since they entered the ruins.
As time ticked away, the 1st Raid Team, to which Nirasha belonged, couldn't help but grow anxious.
While they had made no visible progress over the past five days, the 2nd Raid Team had advanced incomparably further.
Furthermore...
When she learned that Arun, whom she had sent as a scout, had instead been taken down by the enemy, she felt as if her entire world was collapsing.
-There is a way to wake up quickly from this slumber, and I am offering this method at an incredibly low price. Not even 300,000 Coins, but a mere 299,999 Coins! Send just 299,999 Coins, and I will let you know immediately.
Sensing something was off when contact was lost, she had sent someone to investigate, only to find Arun and the rest of the Gandhara Guild Players fast asleep.
To top it off, a note was neatly placed right by their heads.
'I have to find another way.'
This was no longer the time to let pride or bravado get in the way.
The real problem was that they would end up as mere extras to the other team at this rate.
However, no matter how much she racked her brain, no clear solution came to mind.
But right then...
A faint trace of mana was felt inside Nirasha's private tent.
"...!"
With a heavy ripple, a black wave surged up from the ground.
"A demonic human...?"
A dense murderous intent erupted from Nirasha's body.
The intruder was a demonic human, a public enemy recognized worldwide.
Hummmm!
The Flash of Mandala began to fill the tent.
Yet, the intruder made no attempt to resist.
That said, they didn't seem to have any intention of being easily subdued either.
"Fufu. I hope you won't look at me with such prejudice. I have brought a proposal that will benefit you... no, all of us."