Chapter 323: Battle for a Spouse (1)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 323: Battle for a Spouse (1)
Just before the event began.
In Luoyang's largest tavern, the Myohwaru, distinguished guests of the Empire and elders of the Murim Alliance gathered together.
Among them, two men standing before the lake drew the most attention.
They were Penheimer, representing the Empire, and Ma Tae-bong, the leader of the Murim Alliance, representing the Murim.
"I never imagined... that we would be standing side by side like this, sharing a drink."
"Hahaha! One truly never knows how things will turn out in life. Thank you so much. Thanks to you all, we were able to avoid the worst-case scenario."
Ma Tae-bong expressed his sincere gratitude.
Having saved the Murim from the Heavenly Demon Cult, it was only natural for him to be overcome with emotion.
"What did I even do? The victory in the actual battle was entirely thanks to Lord Abraham."
Penheimer's gaze shifted to Abraham, who stood beside him.
Abraham, partially obscured by the shadows, gave a brief nod.
"Oh! You must be the master who faced the white jiangshi. I have heard much of your brilliant martial prowess."
Baekryeong, who had slaughtered peak-level masters as if tearing sheets of paper.
The one who had blocked that monster was none other than Abraham.
Though obscured by his dazzling appearance, Ma Tae-bong instantly saw through Abraham's level.
That he was by no means... beneath himself.
"He was no easy opponent. Above all... I never expected him to escape from that situation."
Abraham grit his teeth as he recalled the memory.
To think he would break through the knights' encirclement all by himself.
Even when completely cornered, Baekryeong had found a way out and fled.
Failing to finish him off weighed heavily on a corner of his mind.
"Do not dwell on it too much. Now that Samaja is gone, the remnants of the Heavenly Demon Cult will find it difficult to gather their strength again. Besides, today is not a day for worrying, but for raising a toast, is it not? Let us eat, drink, and enjoy this moment to our heart's content."
"Indeed. Besides, it seems the event is about to begin."
Penheimer pointed to an ornately decorated hourglass.
Shhh.
Shhhhh...
The sand fell at a rapid pace.
As if to say time was almost up.
At the same time, a strange tension began to flow between the two men.
"By the way, does the Empire truly intend to participate in this scramble?"
"Of course. The one with the beauty and grace befitting Player Kang Jinhyuk's spouse is on our side, after all."
"Hahaha! When it comes to beauty and grace, we are second to none. In fact, my youngest daughter has come of age, and I was thinking of marrying her off. She herself is very fond of Young Master Kang, so nothing could be more perfect."
"Oh dear, it seems your daughter had best look elsewhere. With our Second Princess participating, the outcome is already decided."
"What? Are you implying my daughter is lacking in some way?"
"Hahaha. Did it sound that way? My apologies. It seems my true thoughts slipped out."
The warm atmosphere shifted instantly.
The men who had been exchanging compliments and talking about the future were gone.
Only one thing remained.
If there was one thing they could absolutely not yield...
It was securing a connection with Jinhyuk.
Both sides were literally staking their lives on this matter.
Right then.
Ding!
[By the authority of the two factions, the 'Spouse Selection' match begins.]
All the sand in the hourglass had fallen.
Status windows began to flash in succession.
[The Broadcasting System is activated.]
[Viewers are entering.]
[For those currently inside the Tower of Trials who wish to participate, please begin registration.]
The war had begun.
* * *
Chomp, chomp.
Alice stuffed her mouth with yangjangpi and dongpo pork.
Her cheeks, puffed up like a hamster's, chewed busily.
"There's still plenty of food, so you can eat slowly... right?"
Teresa murmured worriedly.
Watching Alice empty her seventh plate already, Teresa felt a sense of awe that went beyond mere amazement.
"You're really amazing in so many ways, Alice. It's not like you have a subspace inventory in your stomach. How does so much food fit into such a small body?"
Andrea, who had come to sightsee the Murim, also stared with wide, rabbit-like eyes.
"You should eat carefully. If you get acute indigestion, you might experience pain or discomfort centered around your upper abdomen. Various pathophysiologies and underlying diseases related to the stomach or duodenum could manifest as well."
Finally, Cheon Yu-seong added indifferently.
Whether they spoke or not, Alice perked up her ears to search for new prey.
"I'm going to get that."
Seeing Peking duck roasting over the fire, Alice suddenly stood up.
After taking a few quick, light steps, she was finally able to pile her plate high with golden-brown roasted Peking duck.
"Hehe. As expected, the leg is the best part of the bird."
Alice popped the largest leg into her mouth, thoroughly enjoying its moistness and deep flavor.
Right then.
Ding!
A status window appeared before everyone in the banquet hall.
Munch, munch... "Huh?"
Alice's eyes widened.
Lodging voucher. Garden... Restaurant.
Spouse, spouse, spouse, spouse. Spouse.
Nothing else even registered in her mind anymore.
"How dare they! The 'Rose of Eternity' is mine!"
Alice threw down her Peking duck and joined the scramble.
[Participation of 'Alice von Ataraxia' has been confirmed.]
[All abilities are sealed.]
[You can invest Coins or other items to reclaim a portion of your abilities or restrict the target's movement.]
These were a few conditions added to enhance the thrill of the scramble.
To win this event, the key was how many Coins or assets one invested to secure an advantageous position.
Additionally, due to the contract with the intermediate administrator, Rick, the fact that viewers could participate through the 'Broadcasting System' was another key highlight of this event.
"Huh?"
Alice blinked in surprise.
Viewers had suddenly begun pouring into the activated status window.
-Zero Cider: Ohhhhh, I'm finally in!
-Dark Chocolate Cookie: This is epic. A personal broadcast channel for the silver-haired Noona?
-Ripple 4600th Floor Buyer: I'm holding onto this coin. Just trust me.
"What are you lowly creatures? I must make the most important decision in the world right now. Do not disturb me."
Alice frowned.
-No Evolution: Noona, we came to cheer you on.
-Liofe: Looking at it, Teresa, Andrea, and a few other candidates are strong. But our chances of winning are still the highest. Though that means our payout odds are the lowest too. T_T.
-soe: Screw the odds. Over my dead body will I watch Jinhyuk go on a date with another candidate. Bro, I'm channeling Cheon Yu-seong here.
-Nangrang: Can't let that happen, lol.
Thanks to several videos Jinhyuk had uploaded, Alice's popularity was already skyrocketing.
On the other hand, although she belonged to the Veteran Corporation, unlike Teresa or Cheon Yu-seong, relatively little information about her had been released.
Because of this, the viewers were absolutely ecstatic about this opportunity.
"Ho. So you are saying that if I purchase those items, my chances of obtaining the rose will increase?"
-Mr. MIN: Yeah. But we checked the item prices beforehand, and they're insanely expensive. You'll need to choose carefully.
-Hobin: There are about 100 different types, and the price per item is terrifying, Your Highness.
-Uarooo: It's enough to establish a large guild. Enough to maintain an S-rank raid team.
-Woof Woof: Don't worry too much. We'll help you pick the most cost-effective and efficient ones.
-Asyam: Let's buy the item that tracks Jinhyuk's location first. That seems the best. The binding and slow scrolls look useful too.
-vie: Just trust us!
"Expensive, you say..."
If she were to weigh going on an outing with Jinhyuk against selling the treasures she had hoarded for thousands of years...
It wasn't even worth agonizing over.
A crimson subspace opened up behind Alice.
* * *
While the atmosphere was heating up, Jinhyuk, perched atop a secluded pavilion, let out a soft sigh.
So this 'ball' was actually an event where I'm the prize.
From the Wudang Sect, So Yu-myeong's younger sister, So Cheong-ah, had stepped forward.
From Mount Hua, Baek Seol-rin had joined the fray.
With even the youngest daughter of the Murim Alliance Leader proudly participating, practically the entire Murim had mobilized to claim him as their son-in-law.
On top of that...
From the Empire, families of Marquis and Count ranks threw their hats into the ring one after another like a string of candies.
To top it off, Second Princess Victoria officially stepped forward to represent the Reinhardt Imperial Family, marking the absolute peak of this scramble.
From Andrea to Ms. Teresa... this is truly insane.
The total number of participants alone was 279.
Just looking at the number made his head throb with a dull ache.
But the silver lining was... this event wasn't a one-sided loss for him.
[Time Limit: 3h:57m:27s]
[Reward: If you successfully protect the 'Rose of Eternity' within the time limit, you will obtain the item.]
The Rose of Eternity was a special event item with an Absolute Judgment effect.
It possessed the ability to instill favorability even in targets whose levels were twice as high as his own.
While it wouldn't work on those on the 50th floor, it was within the threshold to work on lower-tier deities in the upper floors.
I must get my hands on it. Even if only to gain the upper hand in my dealings with those Norse bastards.
He only had to hold out for four hours.
Surely he could survive for four hours in a city as vast as Luoyang?
There was just one catch.
Jinhyuk glanced down at his clothes.
A black tuxedo with a red rose pinned to his chest.
It looked sharp, but it was far too eye-catching.
This won't be easy.
It was then.
Tap.
Jinhyuk felt a presence behind his back.
"Jinhyuk...?"
It was Teresa.
Startled, Jinhyuk took a few steps back to put some distance between them.
"The timing is a bit too coincidental for you to just be lost. What brings you here?"
"W-well... actually, I didn't want to force anything like this. But my father asked me to, and... honestly, I also wanted to walk in the garden with you, Jinhyuk... Ahhh..."
Teresa mumbled, her voice trailing off.
Embarrassed by her own rambling, her blush spread all the way down to her neck.
-him: Don't be embarrassed! Hurry up and take the rose!
-yeeeee: Yes, yes! Our Teresa, do whatever you want!
-sungsungsung: I've been holding out for Teresa for a year. Is it finally bearing fruit?
-fashionister: You have to hurry. The Murim and the Empire have already emptied their gold reserves to buy location-tracking items.
The viewers who had bet on Teresa also flooded the chat like crazy.
However, Teresa could only stomp her feet in place, still looking completely at a loss.
But at that moment,
"Ah! Not right now... Wait!"
Teresa cried out in a panic.
But it was already too late.
[Teresa's alternate personality forcibly activates 'Corruption'!]
Whoosh!
Her once-holy energy dyed pitch black.
The Corrupted Saintess.
A newly transformed, dark Teresa emerged, radiating a seductive aura.
"I can't stand watching this anymore. Noona will play with you all day, so hand over that rose already."
Shring!
Teresa drew her sword.
Her pitch-black 'Blessing of the Stars' flared up fiercely.
"Hey... weren't you close with Cheon Yu-seong too? It'd be troublesome if the two of us became the official couple of the Tower of Trials, wouldn't it?"
Jinhyuk tried to subtly buy some time.
However,
"Why choose when I can just have both?"
Such stalling tactics didn't work on this Teresa at all.
-jam: A wise answer to a foolish question!
-instant: Reverse harem, let's goooo!!
-tokkobox: Let's finish this quickly before anyone else shows up. I bet my entire fortune on this!
-sunset: I fully support Yu-seong.
Like player, like viewers.
He began to get the distinct feeling that it was going to be a very rough day.