Chapter 29: Lord of the Fallen Corridor (3)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 29: Lord of the Fallen Corridor (3)
A player from the Black Crow Guild.
It was Park Ha-jin.
"T-This is impossible."
Park Ha-jin's voice trembled violently.
"Meeting you here... what a twist of fate. So, what brings you all the way out here?"
Smiling brightly, Jinhyuk grabbed Park Ha-jin by the throat with lightning speed.
"Ack! Gah! T-That's obviously...!"
"To clear the ruins?"
"Y-Yes."
"Cut the bullshit."
Jinhyuk squeezed harder.
"Urgh. Let go first, please. I-I can't breathe..."
"I'll keep this short, so answer with a yes or no. The ones who killed the sentries and woke up the guardians. That was you guys, right?"
"W-What do you mean by..."
Crack!
"Aaaaargh!"
Park Ha-jin writhed in agony.
As Jinhyuk pressed his thumb against his collarbone, an excruciating pain flared up.
"Yes! It was us!"
Just as I thought.
I had been certain when I saw the wounds on the back of the sentries' necks.
Those wounds were the work of an assassin-class user.
And since an assassin-class player, who was completely useless for clearing this ruin, had come along...
Park Ha-jin.
Yes, it could only be you.
"And your purpose for coming here is, without a doubt, to kill me."
"T-That's!"
Park Ha-jin's pupils shook violently.
In this inescapable situation, denying it would only make him look like a liar. But admitting it meant death.
"You're slow to answer."
Jinhyuk's brow furrowed.
At the same time, his mana-infused fingers dug into Park Ha-jin's shoulder.
Crunch! Crack!
The sickening sound of a collarbone shattering echoed.
"Aaargh! Stop, stop! I'll talk! Just stop!"
Park Ha-jin writhed even more violently than before.
"Wait, just a second. I... Yes! Our guild leader made me do it! I said no, but he threatened me, so I had no choice!"
If it's the guild leader of the Black Crow Guild...
"That guy, Shin Geon-su?"
I had seen him on TV.
It was on a program called 'Rising Rookie Guilds Special' or something like that.
His arrogant swagger, strutting around in a luxury suit and black sunglasses, was hard to forget.
"Yes! Shin Geon-su! That bastard ordered it. Please, believe me."
"...Fine. I'll believe you."
Jinhyuk loosened his grip.
"Phew."
Park Ha-jin let out a long sigh of relief.
"Don't sigh in relief just yet. I have no intention of letting you live."
Squelch!
A dagger plunged deep into his flesh.
"Gah... cough?"
Park Ha-jin stared blankly down at his chest.
It was right where his heart was.
"Normally, I don't give a quick death to those who target my life. But thanks to you, setting up the board has become much easier, so I'm feeling generous. Be grateful."
Spitting out the cold words, Jinhyuk slipped the ring off Park Ha-jin's finger.
[Braham's Ring]
Acquisition Difficulty: A
Magic Resistance: +10
Movement Speed: +5%
Unique Ability Suppression: +20
It was far too valuable an item to be left on a dead man.
Jinhyuk slid the ring onto his index finger.
Slash!
Then, without hesitation, he cut down the remaining Black Crow Guild assassins.
Perhaps due to the effect of [Cold Heart], there was not a shred of mercy in Jinhyuk's actions. Besides, there was nothing stupider than showing humanity to those who had targeted his life.
Amidst the blood-splattered scene, Jinhyuk turned his head and looked at Alice.
"I believe this is enough proof that I am a Demonic Human."
He had killed Teresa, whom the vampires dreaded facing the most, and even the captured hostages.
It was something he could never have done if he cared about the consequences.
Using [Communion] to lower her guard had also played a small part in swaying Alice's heart.
"Very well. Let us say I believe you."
Alice stood up.
Her long silver hair cascaded down her shoulders.
"How exactly do you plan to grant us our freedom?"
...Perfect.
Jinhyuk calmed his racing heart.
Stay calm. Don't get excited, keep a cool head...
The fish had taken the bait. Now it was time to slowly reel it in.
"I have prepared a 7-star spell. If we seal your soul inside an item, Lady Alice, we can temporarily deceive the ruin's barrier."
"Seal my soul? I have never heard of such a thing."
Of course she hadn't.
This method was only discovered on the 40th floor of the tower.
"To be honest, I got quite lucky. It wasn't easy figuring out the exact amount of mana to supply to each circuit in the formula that serves as the foundation."
Jinhyuk gathered mana into his finger.
Hummmmm!
A blue light gathered at his fingertip.
His finger sliced through the air as if writing.
A single word.
[signácŭlum]
And another.
[immortálĭtas] [sanctuárĭum]
...
He drew a hexagram composed of six words.
As he injected different amounts of mana into each word, the blue light began to burn even more fiercely.
Whoosh!
The hexagram radiated an ominous, extraordinary energy.
"Oh?"
Alice wore a slightly surprised expression.
"...This is."
"To think it could be used in such a way."
The watching vampires also gaped.
Their lips parted, seemingly overwhelmed by the sight.
Meanwhile, Jinhyuk placed 'Braham's Ring' right in the center of the hexagram.
[The level requirement (Level 1) of the caster 'Kang Jinhyuk' has been verified.]
[The 7-star incantation 'Soul Transfer' is being activated!]
[The spell will be completed upon obtaining the target's approval.]
[Only one soul can be taken out at a time.]
[The cooldown of this incantation is 365 days.]
Only one person could leave the ruins.
The next turn would only be possible a year later.
For a vampire blessed with immortality, time was of no concern, but...
Accepting a spell I've never seen before so readily doesn't sit well with me.
Alice's beautiful brow twitched.
But it was only for a brief moment.
A smile returned to her slightly furrowed lips.
She had discovered a loophole in this incantation.
If I destroy the hexagram that serves as the foundation of the spell, I can break the magic itself.
Even if he was up to something...
As long as Bellus and the other vampires were here, they could kill the human and break the seal at any time.
With this, a safety measure was established.
Though a lingering sense of unease remained.
I cannot throw away this opportunity simply because of a slight hesitation.
She had been imprisoned for far too long.
Thus, the temptation of freedom was too strong to resist.
If not now...
She might never escape this underground palace.
Her hesitation did not last long.
"Very well. I accept."
Alice nodded.
At that moment:
[Braham's Ring absorbs the soul of the True Ancestor, 'Alice'.]
A dazzling light enveloped Alice's entire body.
* * *
"Haha."
Jinhyuk retrieved the ring from the hexagram.
Thump! Thump!
His heart pounded wildly.
...It was a success!
It felt as though all his past struggles were finally paying off.
If even a single thing had gone wrong, sealing Alice inside would have been impossible.
In fact, he had failed dozens of times in the past.
Thanks to the variable known as Teresa, things went much smoother.
[Hmm. This is not as bad as I thought. I expected it to be suffocating, but it is surprisingly cozy.]
Alice's voice echoed from the ring resting on his palm.
She seemed to quite like the interior.
What a relief.
I'm glad she likes her new home.
Right then.
"Ugh..."
A faint groan escaped from Teresa, who was collapsed on the floor.
"H-How is that woman...!"
"Was she not dead?"
The vampires' eyes widened.
They had clearly confirmed that her breathing had stopped.
They had even checked for any mana reaction just in case, but felt nothing.
It was an undeniable death.
Yet, why?
"Ah... I forgot to mention. That friend of mine can resurrect once upon death."
It was called the 'Blessing of the Stars'.
As long as she wasn't instantly killed, she would come back to life.
Jinhyuk marveled as he watched Teresa rise to her feet.
Man, seriously.
The more I see it, the more amazing that ability is.
They don't call holy classes 'holy roaches' for nothing.
[You bastard! How dare you mock me!]
Alice shrieked.
Having realized she was tricked, she was naturally furious.
On the other hand, Teresa, who had regained consciousness, muttered with a complex expression.
"So... this was your plan."
Thanks to the Blessing of the Stars, she had been able to witness everything even while her heart had stopped.
Seducing the True Ancestor with sly words.
And ultimately sealing her away. All of it.
So that's why he told me to trust him no matter what...
"I have many questions, but I suppose I should hold them back for now?"
"Indeed, since this is no time for idle chatter."
Yes.
Chatting could wait.
After all, it wasn't over yet.
[Teresa activates Lv4 'Holy Sign'.]
Teresa's sword swept left and right.
Snip!
Snap!
The gags and blindfolds binding the hostages fell away.
"Gasps..."
"Haaah!"
The people whose senses had been cut off gasped for air.
"W-We're alive! We survived!"
"Whoaaaa!"
Cheers erupted from all sides.
They had thought they were going to die, but now they tasted freedom once more.
"You came."
Song Cheon-hwa gave Teresa a brief nod.
"I'm glad I wasn't too late."
Teresa helped Song Cheon-hwa to his feet.
"How many are in the rescue team?"
At least three main raid teams from major guilds should have been deployed.
Even by conservative estimates, that much power was necessary.
However...
"Excluding me, there is only one."
The words that left Teresa's mouth completely crushed Song Cheon-hwa's expectations.
* * *
"If you had just kept pretending to be a Demonic Human, you might have saved your life."
"Foolish human..."
The vampires bared their fangs.
They had already received orders to eliminate all humans if any tricks were played.
There was no longer any need to hold back.
Whoooooosh!
Various blood-based spells began to encroach upon the surroundings.
Droplets of blood gathered to form a massive wave.
The wave grew taller, threatening to swallow the entire palace.
It was a chillingly powerful surge of mana.
"I-It's over."
"I thought we barely survived..."
"I... I don't want to die!"
They had already been devastated by that skill once before.
Tanks who could hold their own against giant monsters had been torn apart like paper.
The spells of various damage dealers had been erased by higher-tier magic.
It was a nightmare of a memory.
The problem was that the same thing was repeating itself before their wounds could even heal.
Song Cheon-hwa bit his lip in frustration.
"...Is this the end?"
Even with Teresa here, it was useless.
There were eleven more vampires now than before.
The gap in power had not narrowed in the slightest.
At that exact moment:
[Lv13 'Blood Wave' is activated!]
Rumbleeeee!
A wave of fresh blood surged forward.
It was impossible to block.
It was impossible to dodge.
"..."
Song Cheon-hwa closed his eyes.
Others hung their heads or covered them with their hands, waiting for the impending death.
However...
"...?"
The impact of the wave never came.
Neither did the pain.
Song Cheon-hwa cautiously opened his eyes.
And there, standing before him...
Was a man wearing a bizarre mask.
Roar!
A massive wall of fire blocked the wave.
No, it wasn't just barely holding it back.
As the moisture evaporated, the droplets of blood gradually vanished.
As if demonstrating whose mana was denser and more refined.
Who was he?
A ranker who wears a mask... and uses daggers? I've never heard of such a person.
He was undoubtedly a stranger.
But did that even make sense?
How could a player capable of using such powerful fire magic remain unknown?
He couldn't believe his eyes even as he watched.
Thus, he had no choice but to ask.
"W-Who on earth is that person?"
At Song Cheon-hwa's question, a gentle smile played on Teresa's lips.
"Someone you must trust."