Chapter 27: Lord of the Fallen Corridor (1)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 27: Lord of the Fallen Corridor (1)
"Ridiculous. If the True Ancestor had come here herself, that would be one thing. But a mere subordinate of the Blood Clan thinks he can take on all of us?"
Song Cheon-hwa growled at Bellus.
The damage would be severe, but now that things had come to this, they could just give up on the raid and break through the Guardian.
In other words, there was no need to fight the True Ancestor.
Yet, this fool actually thought they would meekly follow him into the enemy's stronghold.
To Song Cheon-hwa, it was utterly absurd.
"Hmm. Do you really think so? That I'm not enough on my own?"
"Of course. We've already hunted level 50 monsters several times."
The usual level of a True Ancestor was over 500.
However, the members of the Blood Clan who served them were much lower in level.
Around level 50, maybe 60 at most?
They were strong, yes, but a fully prepared raid team could easily hunt them down.
'This is official information released on the Tower of Trials administrator board in the past, so there's no mistake.'
Song Cheon-hwa confidently took his stance.
"Haha. As expected! I really don't understand why humans are so obsessed with the concept of levels."
Bellus sneered, seemingly amused.
And at that moment—
Crackle!
Red sparks erupted.
The air shifted abruptly.
At the same time, the smile vanished from Bellus's face.
"How dare inferior humans who don't know their place... look down on me?"
[Bellus activates Lv11 'Blood Bind'!]
It was at that exact moment that blood splattered.
Thousands of blood droplets, each the size of a child's fist, instantly engulfed the tankers.
"Ack?"
"Wh-what is this?"
"Dispel! Someone cast Dispel, quick!"
The panicked tankers screamed.
Despite wearing items that boosted magic resistance, they couldn't move a muscle.
But just before Dispel could be cast—
Bellus clenched his open palm.
Thud-thud-thud-thud!
Crunch!
Shatter!
"Aaargh!"
"Gaaah!"
Immense pressure crushed their armor.
There was no need to check what had happened to the people inside.
Amidst the spraying fountains of blood—
"You idiots! Are you just going to stand there and wait to die? Move, now!"
Song Cheon-hwa ordered the attack.
"Damn it! Charge!"
"We have to kill him before he casts another spell!"
The melee damage dealers lunged forward.
They formed a perimeter and ambushed him from his blind spots all at once.
Though most of their attacks were blocked by a shield of blood...
Squelch! Stab!
A few swords and spears managed to pierce Bellus's body.
Blood dripped down the blades.
But that was all.
Bellus didn't even bat an eye.
"How disappointing. You should have at least imbued your weapons with Divine Power before attacking."
And that was the end of it.
Splatter!
The bodies of the damage dealers surrounding Bellus dissolved into handfuls of bloody water.
Crushed chunks of flesh rained down onto the floor.
Their attacks weren't working.
On the other hand, the enemy's attacks were more than just powerful—they completely overwhelmed the entire raid team.
"H-how can a mere member of the Blood Clan be this strong...?"
Song Cheon-hwa muttered in disbelief.
Then, a sudden realization struck him.
If a single subordinate of the Blood Clan possessed this much power...
...then just how powerful was the True Ancestor who led them?
He couldn't even begin to fathom it.
Even if they brought every single top-tier player currently targeting the 3rd-floor boss...
...there was no guarantee they could successfully raid her.
“……”
Song Cheon-hwa lowered his shield.
He had to survive for now.
Only by surviving could he deliver this news to the outside world.
"Are you surrendering?"
"Before that, let me ask you one thing."
"A question... Very well. Go ahead, ask."
"Why are you trying to take us with you?"
To Bellus, wiping out the raid team didn't seem difficult at all.
If he wanted to, it wouldn't even take him an hour.
So why go through all this trouble?
"To use you as bait."
"Bait?"
"There is a human our master has taken an interest in, and as luck would have it, one of them knows how to wield Divine Power. So, we decided to use a more convenient method."
This... was about Teresa.
So she was indeed their target.
The situation was desperate, but Song Cheon-hwa's mind quickly began searching for possibilities.
'If Teresa, a Holy Knight, joins us...'
Perhaps, just perhaps, they could create an opening.
Not an opening to fight and win, but one that would allow them to escape this place alive.
His hesitation didn't last long.
"...Fine. We'll follow you."
Song Cheon-hwa nodded.
At the same time, he pricked his palm with his thumbnail.
[Emergency Call Scroll has been activated.]
[The designated target is 'Teresa de Lorencia'.]
The blue status window blinked.
This was his only hope now.
Song Cheon-hwa prayed desperately in his heart.
Please...
Hoping that this entire situation would be conveyed to her exactly as it was.
* * *
True Ancestor, Alice von Ataraxia.
She was one of the top ten strongest beings in the Tower of Trials.
Or rather, she had been.
Because she broke her clan's taboo, she fell.
As a result, she was exiled to the lowest floor of the tower.
That was why the ruins were named the 'Corridor of the Fallen'.
Meaning the royal palace located in the abyss, where Alice and the few members of the Blood Clan who followed her resided.
'It's a story unknown to the world.'
Jinhyuk slowly opened his closed eyes.
A status window appeared before him.
It was a sort of invitation that had arrived earlier in the form of a personal quest.
[The Lord of the Corridor invites you.]
[If you wish to save the players and porters belonging to the raid team, come to the innermost room.]
[Difficulty: None
Reward: Meeting with the Lord of the Corridor
Details: Upon accepting the quest, all monsters and traps leading to the final room will cease to function.]
"What... are you going to do?"
Teresa glanced at Jinhyuk.
She was bound by a contract, so she naturally had to go help.
But Jinhyuk, who had come as a non-combat porter, was under no such obligation.
He could just wait here doing nothing.
And in a few days, when the rescue team broke through the Guardian, he could simply walk out.
Jinhyuk shrugged.
"Well. What should I do?"
"Pardon?"
"I don't particularly want to risk my neck, but if you desperately beg me, I might tag along."
"A request... of what kind?"
"Oh, you know. Just show a reasonable amount of sincerity. From what I hear, you have a pretty solid subscriber base, don't you?"
Jinhyuk made a circle with his fingers.
You know what I mean.
Why play dumb between pros?
Not cash, but coins.
Give me a nice five-digit sum, and even my dying motivation will surge back to life.
"What a twisted hobby. Didn't you have business with the boss anyway?"
Cheon Yu-seong, who had been watching, clicked his tongue.
"Ah, that's that, and this is this. It's not like I'm forcing her; I'm just asking for Teresa's opinion. Besides, aren't you heading out of the ruins anyway?"
"Yes. My purpose for coming here has already failed."
"Then quietly go on your way. Don't go throwing cold water on a perfectly heartwarming transaction."
Jinhyuk waved his hand dismissively.
At that, Cheon Yu-seong looked even more exasperated.
"...Sometimes I wonder. If one has to be as vicious as you to become strong."
This bastard?
"Whew. Forget it. I shouldn't even bother talking."
Talking to him is just a waste of breath.
Besides, he wasn't wrong.
Sighing, Jinhyuk turned back to Teresa.
"So. What will you do?"
"If I give you the coins... will you help me rescue the raid team?"
"I can't promise you the world, but I'll make sure you won't regret spending 10,000 coins."
10,000 coins.
It was an absurd demand that would make anyone curse upon hearing it.
At this point, the number of people who had gathered 10,000 coins could be counted on one hand.
But if it meant saving the entire raid team, it was a price well worth paying.
However, there was just one thing weighing on her mind...
"Aren't you afraid, Jinhyuk?"
This wasn't a normal raid; they had to face the absolute pinnacle of an entire species.
If they died, the coins...
...and the relics would all be useless.
And yet.
"Well. Should I be?"
Jinhyuk wore a strange smile.
He was incredibly calm.
It was a smile that seemed to say he already knew how this would end.
“……”
Teresa bit her lip.
His words bordered on arrogance rather than confidence.
Yet, why was it?
Thump! Thump! Thump!
Teresa's heart fluttered with a strange sense of anticipation.
Now, she had to choose.
Whether to follow probability, or...
...trust her intuition.
It was at that very moment of hesitation.
"I'll be taking my leave now. It looks like breaking through the Guardian will take quite some time."
Cheon Yu-seong turned around, drawing his iron sword.
"Ah. One more thing."
He paused, as if suddenly remembering something.
"If you're having trouble deciding, take this as a reference."
He glared at Jinhyuk with a somewhat displeased and annoyed expression.
"I don't know whether that guy can defeat the True Ancestor or not."
As a mere bystander, he couldn't guarantee the outcome of the battle.
"However."
Because he was someone who had clashed swords with him countless times.
And because he knew his opponent better than anyone else.
He could guarantee one thing.
"If that guy can't overcome her, then no existing player can defeat the True Ancestor."
The player who was the Sword Saint of the past...
...and who would become the Sword Saint of the future, had acknowledged him.
Acknowledged who the most outstanding player currently in the Tower of Trials was.
And if she could have that player by her side for 10,000 coins...
...then it was by no means a losing deal.
"Just some pointless muttering. Of course, the decision isn't mine to make."
Muttering to himself, Cheon Yu-seong resumed his steps.
"...Thank you for the advice."
Teresa nodded.
And as if she had made up her mind, she bowed slightly toward Jinhyuk.
"I will make the contract. Please, fight alongside me."
* * *
[You have accepted the quest. (2/2 players)]
[The monsters fall into a deep sleep.]
[The traps cease operation.]
Rumble!
The various traps and monsters that had ironclad protection over the entire ruins fell silent.
Thanks to that, their path forward was quite smooth.
It compressed a journey that would have taken at least several weeks into a matter of hours.
[Mana increases by +12.]
Jinhyuk gradually absorbed the 'Frozen Tear' that Teresa had thawed for him.
[Frozen Tear]
Acquisition Difficulty: SS
Absorbable Mana: 100
Details: An essence that can be obtained from the 7th floor of the Tower of Trials, 'The End of the World'. Upon absorption, it significantly increases mana, but if it does not undergo a specific refining process, it will inflict fatal injuries on the user.]
'...This is seriously lucrative.'
A whopping 12 stats.
In terms of levels, it was equivalent to gaining 4 levels.
Jinhyuk felt the distinctly changed mana throughout his entire body.
When he had activated 'Grave of Swords', the pain made it feel as if his entire vascular system was tearing apart.
But now, that pain had lessened considerably.
No wonder everyone was so obsessed with their mana pool.
'Since the total capacity is 100, if I can absorb all of it...'
...I'll be able to freely use not only Cheon Yu-seong's 'Grave of Swords' and Teresa's 'Blessing of the Stars', but also the unique abilities and skills of other rankers.
'Since the thawing Teresa can do is limited to 12 stats, I'll have to be satisfied with this for now.'
12, 18, 30, 40.
A total of four stages.
The amount that can be absorbed varies depending on the skill used to alleviate the cold.
This meant that to reach the next stage, he would need someone with a higher-tier skill or a special item.
'Well, I'll worry about that later.'
For now, he had to focus on the task right in front of him.
Jinhyuk retraced his past memories in his mind.
Countless challenges and failures.
And the sole path to survival found at the end of it all.
Indeed.
No matter how much he thought about it, there was only one way to defeat Alice.
Though it was a path of thorns that would be far from easy...
...he had no choice but to break through somehow.
There wasn't much further to go.
The passageway began to grow wider and wider.