Chapter 262: The Seven Deadly Sins (3)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 262: The Seven Deadly Sins (3)
"...A plan that benefits us all? What do you mean by that?"
Nirasha's hand paused.
At that, Tristan's smile deepened.
"Kang Jinhyuk."
A single name. That was enough.
As expected, Nirasha's expression changed visibly.
"...Are you suggesting we eliminate that human? By joining hands with you?"
"Haven't you all suffered quite a bit at his hands as well? We, too, are grinding our teeth in resentment."
"Admittedly, killing that guy is the Christmas present I want most this year. But if our association with you is exposed, it won't just drag our guild's name through the mud. The guild itself could vanish entirely."
If the ultimate goal of Players climbing the Tower was to prevent the destruction of humanity, the primary concern of Demonic Humans was to manifest the Demon Race in this world. Even putting that aside, associating with wanted criminals would bring far more harm than good.
"Well, that is true, but all of that would only happen if our alliance were to be leaked to the outside world."
"If you think you can prevent information leaks in a ruin where live broadcasting is possible... you are sorely mistaken."
"It's not a mistake. And of course, it's not baseless nonsense either."
Because...
"Because we are currently working with the master of these ruins."
An Archmage highly skilled in curses and barriers.
If it was a boss monster that had created seven Gate Guardians—when even controlling one was no easy feat...
Then deploying a barrier capable of interfering with the broadcasting system was well within her power.
The sneer completely vanished from Nirasha's face.
An alliance between a boss monster, the Demonic Human Association, and a top-tier guild.
"Indeed... if that's the case, it might be possible."
This was not a level that a mere single Player could stop. Even the military might of an entire nation would struggle against this.
"May I take that to mean you will join us?"
"Let me hear the plan first."
Though she spoke hesitantly, her mind was already half-made up.
All it needed was a slight nudge of reassurance.
"What we need from you and the Gandhara Guild, Lady Nirasha, is simple. Just cut off their supplies and rear support, and we will handle the rest."
"By rear support... you mean the Olympus Guild?"
"Yes. Exactly."
Currently, the 2nd Raid Team consisted of four people, including Jinhyuk, and Players from Olympus.
Since the four of them were handling the raid while the rest secured the rear...
If they could annihilate the rear, the ones in front would be completely isolated.
In other words, they would be rats in a trap.
"So you've stayed quiet until now to lure them as deep as possible. Interesting. I never expected Demonic Humans to be so patient."
"It's an easy task, isn't it? Since the core forces are excluded and you only have to deal with the small fry, there's practically zero risk."
"Fine... but we won't strike Olympus alone."
"Are you asking for support? With your strength, you could easily wipe out the rear on your own. Why?"
"In the off chance the plan fails, I want to have a way out. At the very least, I won't show my face there."
Nirasha drew a firm line, as if this was non-negotiable.
Ultimately, Tristan backed down.
"Then, we will provide one of our Apostles to support you. The Apostle of Wrath. And I will also have Gawain assist you."
Support from an Apostle and a Demonic Human executive.
That would be more than enough.
More than enough indeed.
* * *
Rumble, rumble, rumble!
The stone walls of the entire ruins shifted simultaneously.
The obstacles blocking their path vanished in an instant, and the various monsters that had been rampaging to defend their territory dissipated like smoke.
A wide-open path.
"Oppa... this is a bit strange."
"Hyung, all the bugs have retreated."
Yu Yeon-hwa and Lee Tae-min spoke up one after the other.
"I don't feel any mana reactions nearby either. It seems they've deactivated all the barriers and traps throughout the ruins..."
Maria, who was using detection magic, also wore a bewildered expression.
On the other hand, a strange, faint smirk played on Jinhyuk's lips.
'I see. So this is how they're going to play.'
This was an invitation.
Telling him to come forward if he dared.
Although they were blatantly throwing out bait, it also meant they had prepared extensively.
There was no reason to refuse since they were clearing the path he had to take anyway.
If anything, it saved him time, so he was grateful.
"Let's go."
"Wait, Oppa. Doesn't this look like a trap? You want to just walk right in?"
A trap...
"It's only a trap if it can actually suffocate you with meticulous planning."
This was nothing more than child's play, born of wishful thinking.
"If you're late, I'm leaving you behind."
Jinhyuk took the lead.
"Hyung's confidence is really... sigh. Fine, I'm coming. I'm coming."
And the other three followed behind him, shaking their heads.
How far did they walk?
After passing through a long, winding corridor, they arrived at a room filled with countless monster statues.
The so-called Room of Repentance.
This was the final gateway to the Wailing Witch.
At the same time, it was the place guarded by the most troublesome of the Seven Deadly Sins.
"Grrrr..."
It was then that a phlegm-filled growl echoed.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
From among the statues, an Apostle standing well over three meters tall emerged.
Green skin and protruding tusks.
A bulging belly and muscular arms were quite impressive.
But what caught the eye most was the massive cart he was dragging.
Filled with bizarre, unidentifiable chunks of meat and strange plants, the cart seemed to explain exactly why he was called the 'Apostle of Gluttony.'
Tring!
A purple status window appeared before everyone.
[To inflict effective damage on the Apostle of Gluttony, you must consume the ingredients inside the cart he drags.]
[Otherwise, all innate abilities and skills will be rendered ineffective.]
The meat and plants in the cart contained a special component called 'Pectecrosin.' Only by dissolving it into one's mana could one damage the Apostle.
The problem was...
Setting aside the horrific appearance of the ingredients, they possessed a smell and taste so foul that an ordinary human wouldn't even be able to bring them near their mouth.
No matter how strong one's stomach was, it was absolutely impossible.
"We... we have to eat that?"
Maria took a step back, her face turning pale.
"They really try everything, don't they?"
"If that's the only way, we'll have to try... but this is going to be a massive headache."
Even Yu Yeon-hwa and Lee Tae-min, who had experienced all sorts of things, swallowed hard.
Right then.
"Groooar!"
Spotting the intruders, the Apostle of Gluttony pulled a mace from the cart.
The distance closed in an instant.
Crash!
The mace grazed Jinhyuk's head and shattered a monster statue right behind him into pieces.
'Still as fast as ever.'
Despite his massive size, his movements were as swift as a swallow.
If Jinhyuk hadn't known that the Apostle's pinky toe turned inward by about three degrees right before reaching maximum acceleration, his head might have been crushed.
But the attack didn't end there.
It was only just beginning.
"Graaaar!"
The Apostle of Gluttony swung his mace once more.
This time, too, Jinhyuk deflected the attack by slightly shifting his angle.
Or rather, he thought he had deflected it.
Sizzle!
A stinging pain flared in his shoulder.
It wasn't from the mace itself.
His skin began to burn upon coming into contact with the green smoke rising around the weapon.
"Did you coat it in poison from eating nothing but spoiled food?"
Jinhyuk widened the distance further.
According to the system's explanation, normal attacks wouldn't work, so there was no choice but to dodge.
At least, not until they ate that food.
Of course, knowing the method and executing it were two entirely different matters.
"Ugh, cough... Hyung, this... gag!"
"This isn't just terrible, it's downright criminal! How on earth are we supposed to eat this?!"
Lee Tae-min and Yu Yeon-hwa, who had been trying to force the food down with gritted teeth, spat out what they were chewing.
Squishy, gray chunks of meat splattered onto the floor.
No matter how desperate the situation, they simply couldn't stomach it.
Seeing this, the Apostle of Gluttony suddenly reached into his cart.
As if to demonstrate how food was meant to be eaten.
"Grrr, graaaar!"
Chomp! Chomp!
The chunks of meat slid down his throat in massive gulps.
[Attack Power increases by +10!]
[Agility increases by +12!]
[Movement Speed increases by +8!]
Status windows popped up one after another.
The more he ate, the more his stats rose.
His already thick arms seemed to grow even larger, and it wasn't just an illusion.
"Well... you certainly have an appetite. That's great and all, but make sure to chew properly. You might get indigestion."
Jinhyuk let out a bitter laugh.
"Groooar!"
Letting out a wild roar, the Apostle of Gluttony began to rampage once more.
* * *
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Crash!
Unlike the Apostle of Gluttony, who was growing increasingly ferocious, the party was struggling.
It was only natural, given that they knew the only way to clear the stage but couldn't use it.
They were dodging and weaving between the statues, but being caught was only a matter of time.
As the tide of battle tilted overwhelmingly to one side...
"You've finally quieted down."
"My stomach was turning watching you run amok in someone else's living room. Now, I must contemplate how to make your deaths as painful as possible."
New voices chimed in.
Shiver!
The air froze.
An ominous, dark energy began to consume the room filled with statues.
The black-haired beauty walking in front could not be ignored, but the truly dangerous one was the ancient crone clad in a tattered robe.
She was incomparable to any of the Apostles they had faced so far.
This mana.
This presence.
...There was no mistake.
Jinhyuk's eyes narrowed.
'That old woman is the Wailing Witch.'
Since she possessed thousands of faces, he had wondered what form she would take this time.
'It seems she chose to appear as an old crone.'
He had finally met her.
The most crucial figure of this raid.
"To think that self-proclaimed Demonic Humans and a boss would hide in the back, only to scurry out once our stamina is depleted. Isn't that a bit too cowardly?"
"Fufu. Wouldn't 'wise' be a more fitting term?"
"...And you are?"
"I am Tristan. A comrade of Lancelot, whom you faced... you could say."
To call him a mere comrade seemed to carry a bit more emotional weight.
But one thing was certain: he had no intention of letting them leave peacefully.
Jinhyuk glanced subtly toward the entrance of the ruins.
"If you're hoping for reinforcements, I suggest you give up."
"And why is that?"
"Because the Gandhara Guild, Gawain, and the Apostle of Wrath have all headed toward Olympus. Though, seeing you struggle like this, it seems a pincer attack wasn't even necessary."
Tristan shrugged.
"T-That can't be..."
At those thunderbolt-like words, Maria's pupils shook with shock.
It was shocking enough that the Demonic Humans and the ruin's boss had joined hands, but she had never dreamed that even the Gandhara Guild would betray them.
If this was true, there was no hope.
The disparity in power was beyond severe; they were completely outmatched.
After being systematically defeated individually, they would eventually be surrounded from both front and back.
However.
Even in a situation where everyone else was falling into despair, Jinhyuk was still smiling.
"There are two things you're mistaken about. First, I was also just biding my time against that fat lump."
"Hmm. Are you saying you did that on purpose?"
"I had to wait until you all crawled out. If you got scared and ran away with your tails between your legs, tracking you down would have been a real pain."
To hunt perfectly, it was best to make the opponent believe they were the hunter, not the prey.
A foolish assumption was always the greatest cause of letting one's guard down.
"Second, I already knew you would join hands with Gandhara."
He had already calculated every possible move the Demonic Humans could make.
He knew they were working with the Wailing Witch, but that alone wouldn't have guaranteed their victory.
Therefore, it was easy to predict that they would approach Nirasha, who was consumed by an inferiority complex.
"Splitting your forces to strike us and Olympus separately isn't a bad plan. Cutting off rear support and weakening the enemy is the absolute basic of tactics."
It was the textbook play.
But...
Being textbook also meant it was incredibly easy to predict.
"Cut the bluffing. Do you expect us to believe you predicted all of this? If you think you can shake us by retroactively fitting the facts to match your narrative, you are sorely mistaken."
"It might be a bluff, or it might not. You'll find out soon enough which one of the two it is."
"What... do you mean by that?"
Tristan's voice trembled slightly.
As if Jinhyuk's unwavering confidence had chipped away at his certainty.
"It means I've also prepared a defense for our rear."
He had called in a reliable ally.
"They're probably... far more powerful than whatever you've prepared."