Chapter 299: What is More Important Than Pride (3)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 299: What is More Important Than Pride (3)
Sagittarius...
...Release.
Whirrrrr!
A dazzling light flashed in the sky.
An ability that perfectly replicated the power of a constellation.
The gathered light grew larger and larger.
It looked just like a giant meteor on the verge of crashing into Earth.
"It won't be easy to cut down with that scythe."
Sagittarius's arrow was an anti-army skill that covered a wide area.
Compared to a unique holy spear specialized in offense rather than defense... well.
It was the worst possible matchup.
"How can a human possess such power...?"
Abigail stammered, looking up at the sky.
The mana brushing against her skin was no less than that of any family head.
At that exact moment.
Kaaaa-booom!
An arrow made of starlight was shot toward the ground.
A long streak of light struck directly where Abigail stood.
Crash!
The clouds parted, and white flames erupted from the ground.
It was a strike that felt less like a simple piercing arrow and more like a sheer determination to burn the target to the bone.
[Abigail activates Lv38 'Wailing of the Ghost Tree'!]
"Kieeeeee!"
A screeching noise echoed from the giant eyeball on the scythe.
An area-of-effect shield.
And five of them stacked on top of each other.
But...
It was useless.
Crack!
Cracks spread across the surface of the shield.
The fractures gradually widened.
Ssssshh!
The brilliant light pierced inside the shield.
"Aaaaargh!"
A scream of agony burst from Abigail's mouth.
Yet, even though he had summoned the Zodiac, Abigail was still breathing.
A direct hit from that was powerful enough to obliterate even a thoughtform in a single blow.
I guess a family head is still a family head.
Her charred wounds were already rapidly healing.
The legendary regenerative power unique to vampires certainly lived up to its reputation.
"What is Alice... to you? Why are you interfering in our clan's business, which has absolutely nothing to do with you humans! Are you... really going to make enemies of all of us just to protect a single exiled family head? Do you honestly think that brat alone is worth all this?"
Abigail panted heavily.
Well.
"...Put that way, it definitely sounds like a losing deal."
It was true that their bond in the Corridor was special.
But they had only spent about a year together.
Hardly enough time to risk everything for someone.
"R-right? So, if you just quietly hand her over, we won't touch you either. No, in fact, our five families could join forces to sponsor you. Well? What do you say? That would be much better for both of us."
It was a sweet offer, but...
"There are some things in this world that can't be decided by simple profit-and-loss calculations."
And above all.
"I value one troublesome little lady far more than the support of all of you combined."
I draw the line here.
There would be no compromise.
Jinhyuk pointed his gun forward.
Click!
A bullet reinforced with a barrier was chambered.
"D-don't make me laugh. No matter how much of a monster you are, you just used a massive attack... You won't be able to use a skill of similar power in succession."
Abigail glared, her eyes wide.
In other words.
It was her turn now.
Thud!
As her scythe slammed into the ground, dark clouds blanketed the sky.
['Eye of the Specter' and 'Lightning Sanctuary' are activated!]
A giant eyeball appeared amidst the dark clouds.
Brimming with an ominous aura.
Simultaneously.
Crackle!
Zzzzt!
Red lightning began to flash.
An area-of-effect magic that spanned the entire city center.
Everything within the sight of the eye floating in the sky was within its range.
"Try... running. If you can, that is."
Abigail prepared to launch her massive assault.
However.
Jinhyuk still didn't budge from his spot.
He had no reason to run.
And even less reason to dodge.
"Didn't I tell you from the start? If I couldn't even handle you, I wouldn't have come here in the first place."
[An 'Ancient Barrier' unfolds through the lost language!]
There was a stage perfectly suited for this fight.
As well as an ability to decorate that stage.
[Lv5 'Battlefield Selection' has been activated.]
He had promised her the day they first met.
If she contracted with him...
...He would absolutely grant her wish.
['Corridor of the Fallen' is replicated.]
His vision shifted.
In the darkness where the moon and stars had vanished.
A place worn by the passage of time...
...where only fleeting, drifting solitude remained, revealed itself.
This was the cradle of a family head who had lost everything.
And the grave of someone who had nothing left but hatred and anger.
"..."
Alice silently stared at a spot in the Corridor.
The throne located in the center of the Corridor.
The very throne where she had spent eons in exile.
The very throne where she had wept, screamed... and cursed herself...
"You..."
Alice looked at Jinhyuk with heavy eyes.
"Alice von Ataraxia."
Jinhyuk spoke slowly.
"In accordance with our contract, from this moment on, I will kill those who stole your place and reclaim the position of the Ataraxia family head for you."
So that you will never have to shed tears again.
[You have used the unique ability 'Symbiosis of All Creation'.]
[The target is 'Alice von Ataraxia'.]
Crackle!
Behind Jinhyuk's back, a halo modeled after the solar ring appeared.
A tremendous amount of mana surged.
The outer walls of the surrounding buildings melted from the heat of blood and fire.
[The unique holy spear 'Revelation of Genesis' is activated!]
Alice's signature technique, and the full armament praised as her strongest.
This was the 'Revelation of Genesis'.
It was scorching hot.
He felt a pain as if every nerve in his body was being burned to a crisp.
For a moment, he almost lost consciousness.
"..."
Now that he was using it, he understood.
Just how incredible Alice's power truly was.
To think it's this intense when I've only manifested the halo, let alone the armor.
The claim that she was one of the absolute rulers of the Tower was by no means an exaggeration.
Yes.
Even with this kind of power...
"She had to do nothing but suffer."
As he manifested the ability, her emotions and memories were transmitted to him as well.
All the painful and difficult moments of her past.
Whoosh.
Jinhyuk reached out.
The red mana extending from the halo of fire flowed into the barrel of the gun he held.
At that moment.
Boom!
A roar far too deafening to be called a mere gunshot echoed out.
A crimson magic bullet tore through the air and vanished.
"...Huh?"
A hollow gasp escaped Abigail's mouth.
Right now.
Her right arm was gone.
What should have been attached to her shoulder was nowhere to be seen.
"Aaaaargh!"
A scream followed, but the terror was far greater than the pain.
To not even realize her shield had been shattered.
It meant that blocking or even reacting to it was utterly impossible.
"D-die!"
Abigail instinctively swung her scythe.
The best defense was offense.
Now that things had come to this, she intended to lay waste to the entire area by any means necessary.
Rumble!
Mana seemed to condense around the giant eyeball, and then...
...a storm of judgment lightning, reminiscent of the apocalypse, began to rain down.
However.
Just before the lightning could strike Jinhyuk's head.
Slash!
The lightning was split in two.
A whip-sword imbued with dark red Aura moved at an invisible speed.
Just like that.
The thunderstorms falling from the sky were completely sliced to pieces.
"T-this is impossible..."
Her time to be shocked was brief.
Almost simultaneously with slicing the lightning.
Jinhyuk drew a long weapon made of blood.
The grand finale had to be this.
['Vladimir's Harpoon' is activated!]
A javelin throw executed while in the unique holy spear state.
Throb!
Blood welled up and spilled from his mouth.
Using power far beyond his limits had overloaded his entire body.
But.
He had to endure.
Just this once...
Only one step left.
The mana poured to its absolute limit traveled past his shoulder and toward his fingertips.
The harpoon twisted like a coil.
Twisting and turning, it maximized its rotational force.
"This is the end."
From his fingertips...
...the harpoon vanished.
A flash of light, thicker and grander than any bullet, sliced through the empty air.
A flash exceeding the speed of sound.
It ultimately bypassed space itself.
Splat!
A sickening sound of tearing flesh pierced his eardrums.
However, he couldn't watch Abigail's final moments.
His consciousness faded.
His vision... was dyed in pitch black.
[You have successfully killed a True Ancestor of a Great Family.]
[You have saved humanity from a major crisis that occurred outside the Tower.]
[This achievement will be recorded in the 'Hall of Fame' for the entirety of tomorrow.]
[Rewards are being distributed.]
[Le...]
He merely felt like he had seen such status windows right before completely losing consciousness.
* * *
The battle was completely over.
Though, to be precise, they had only bought a brief reprieve before the gate where Shub-Niggurath would appear opened.
Crunch.
Was it because of the connection to the 50th Floor?
Due to abnormal weather conditions, snow fell across the entire country.
As if mourning the deceased, pure white snowflakes drifted down upon the ruined city center.
Only after a full day had passed did people shake off their shock and begin to clean up the damage from the Outbreak.
And now.
The VIP room of Korea University Hospital.
"...Thank you."
Han Sang-jin of the Korean Awakened Association entered Jinhyuk's hospital room and bowed at a ninety-degree angle.
Even without checking the Hall of Fame, everyone knew which guild had played the biggest role in this Outbreak.
And who the leader of that guild was.
Everyone knew.
However.
"Forget about thank yous!"
"The patient needs absolute rest right now!"
"Are you going to take responsibility if something goes wrong, mister?!"
Alice, Teresa, and Andrea shouted in unison.
"Y-yes?"
"I asked if you're going to take responsibility!"
"I-I'm sorry."
Han Sang-jin recoiled in surprise.
"B-but... is Player Kang Jinhyuk really that severely injured?"
"Yes. He's critically injured. He needs absolute rest."
Alice nodded assertively.
"Hmm. He does look that way. I understand. I'll leave it at this for today."
Indeed, in front of a patient, recovering health took priority over expressing gratitude.
Han Sang-jin offered his well-wishes and stepped out of the room.
Dammit...
"Just... call... a healer."
Jinhyuk barely managed to speak.
He appreciated their concern, but wrapping him up like a mummy in bandages wasn't going to heal his wounds.
"It doesn't? I usually heal after wrapping bandages a few times."
That's because you're a vampire and naturally resilient.
"Then, how about we offer a prayer to God?"
Please stop advertising that you're a Saintess. Before I convert to another religion.
"Hehe. I usually recover almost completely after a quick nap. Isn't everyone like that?"
Let's not even talk about you. You're a boss monster.
"Mogi!"
Goguma spat out a magic crystal from its mouth.
Its amber eyes sparkled brightly, as if it were specially offering something it had been deeply treasuring.
Surely, it doesn't expect me to eat this to recover.
If so, I'm going to feel really sad.
"Master. Shall I jump into some boiling water and brew a bone broth for you to drink? It's packed with calcium, so if you down a whole bowl, a wound like that will heal in no time."
T-Bone chimed in as well.
I feel like my head is spinning even more now. It must be my imagination. Surely...
Finally.
"Don't worry. I'll make sure to perform a proper surgery on you."
Cheon Yu-seong pulled out a scalpel.
"..."
It seems my employees have all lost their minds.