Chapter 326: 11 Hours Before the Gate Opens (1)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 326: 11 Hours Before the Gate Opens (1)
The question "Why?" was inevitable.
Because with only one second left on the time limit, Alice had definitely obtained the Eternal Rose.
"What is this? How on earth...?"
Alice stammered, staring down at the Eternal Rose in her hand.
The golden-glowing rose had not yet lost its luster.
"The flower on my right chest is a fake."
"A fake...?"
"Yeah. A fake. And this is the real one."
A new rose appeared on Jinhyuk's left chest.
[The 3-Star Barrier 'Vision Distortion' is deactivated.]
Using the barrier, he had hidden the real Eternal Rose pinned to his left chest, while placing a fake made with Glacial Shaping on his right.
Everyone had been so obsessed with getting the rose that they hadn't paid attention to its original position.
In the end, her premature confidence in victory became her downfall.
Thanks to using the item extorted from Squishy Black Crane as a sacrifice, the perfection of the Glacial Shaping was near-flawless, playing a major role in pulling off the fake.
"I... I thought I won. I thought I beat everyone and got the rose... sniff. I planned everything... to go to the lake, the restaurant..."
Alice whimpered.
Tears welled up in her eyes.
Hmm.
Seeing her so genuinely sad made him feel about 0.1 milligrams of guilt.
It felt like a tiny needle faintly scratching the spot where his conscience might be.
"Don't be so sad. Even if it's not for the event, I'll go with you to the places you want to visit later."
It wasn't that he didn't want to hang out with her.
He just didn't have the luxury of time right now.
"...Re...ally?"
Alice's eyes widened like a rabbit's.
"Yeah, so stop crying. You're supposed to be a True Ancestor. What is this in front of everyone?"
"...Okay, I get it. But in return, give me some blood! It's been a while!"
"Bl-blood?"
"I've been moving around a lot lately, so my energy is depleted. I usually would've seen through your barrier, but I didn't notice because my mana was low."
"...Sigh. Fine. I'll just think of it as donating blood."
As Jinhyuk sighed, Alice instantly calmed down as if she had never been crying.
Despite all the twists and turns, the affairs in the Murim were finally wrapped up.
Now...
Jinhyuk's gaze drifted into the distance.
Yes, from this moment on, it was time to prepare for the massive war that would soon strike outside the Tower.
* * *
Korean Awakeners Association.
Jinhyuk visited this place to discuss the impending worst-case Outbreak.
"Thank you for coming, Player Kang Jinhyuk."
Han Sang-jin, the president of the Association, greeted Jinhyuk with a heavy expression.
"Ah..."
He suddenly blushed, realizing he hadn't offered his guest anything.
"I'm sorry. I'm a bit out of it. We have coffee, green tea... and other drinks. What would you like?"
"I'm fine without a drink. More importantly, you mentioned you had information about the Gate... I'd like to hear that first."
Jinhyuk sat on the sofa.
Han Sang-jin also leaned back into the opposite sofa, his expression hardening further.
"To start with the most important detail, we believe we can predict when the Outbreak will occur."
"...! Does that mean you've finished analyzing the mana?"
"Yes. According to the measurements taken by our specialized team, we estimate the Outbreak will occur in about 11 hours."
Recently, analyzing Gate mana using High-Grade Magic Stones and sensory-type Awakeners had advanced leaps and bounds.
There might be a margin of error, but treating 11 hours as the hard deadline was the right call.
'It's almost exactly what I estimated.'
He couldn't help but think, 'The Association really has come a long way,' seeing how much their technology had improved.
"There's not much time left."
Needless to say, evacuating people at this point was meaningless.
No matter where they went, everything would be reduced to nothingness.
Han Sang-jin knew this as well, which was why he had called Jinhyuk here.
"However, there is still a way."
Han Sang-jin got straight to the point.
"Player Kang Jinhyuk, how much do you know about a Gate's mana capacity?"
"Are you referring to the rule that when a living being crosses a Gate to move to another location, an equivalent amount of mana is required?"
"Exactly. An A-rank monster requires an A-rank Gate, and an S-rank monster requires a Gate with at least an S-rank capacity. However, the Gate where the Outbreak is about to occur does not have a large enough capacity to withstand the monsters trying to cross over."
Jinhyuk instantly realized the implication of Han Sang-jin's words.
"You mean there's a separate power source elsewhere supporting the Gate's mana."
"That is our hypothesis."
Indeed... it made sense.
For an entity like Shub-Niggurath to manifest its true body, it required an amount of mana that defied common sense.
Naturally, the Gate alone wouldn't be able to handle it.
Especially now, as she prepared to manifest simultaneously across the globe, the required amount of mana would inevitably skyrocket.
'I have my own contingency plan, but its success rate is much lower.'
Preventing Shub-Niggurath's manifestation altogether would be a far more viable option.
"Where is the location?"
"A few hours ago, along with a magnitude 2 earthquake, we confirmed that a small new island has formed in the sea about 3 kilometers off the coast of Dokdo."
It wasn't very far.
If he used spatial teleportation magic, he could reach it right this second.
"The raid teams of major guilds, including Dangun and Ssaulabi, are scheduled to be deployed. We would like to ask you, Player Kang Jinhyuk, to lead them there. Of course, you will have absolute authority over the raid, and we promise a national-level reward once this matter is resolved."
Within the remaining 11 hours.
They had to find and destroy the source of the mana.
"Understood."
Jinhyuk accepted the Association's proposal.
* * *
Crackle, crackle!
The sound of a crackling campfire echoed.
In the attic, Hastings silently stared at a massive screen.
On the screen, a recorded video of the event that took place in Luoyang a few hours ago was playing on a loop.
"..."
After watching the video over and over for a long time, Hastings crushed the wine glass in his hand.
Shatter!
The broken glass fell to the floor in shards.
Right then.
"So the Murim side failed in the end. Samaja... I thought he was somewhat useful, but I didn't expect him to waste the Blue Dragon so pointlessly."
The woman sitting across from Hastings spoke.
She had long, flowing purple hair.
The mysterious aura emanating from her alluring eyes was striking.
She was Hyacinth de Shefiltino, the head of a great vampire family and leader of the Shefiltino Family.
"We even went out of our way to teach him how to control the Four Guardian Deities. At this rate, I'm starting to wonder if this player, Kang Jinhyuk, is a divinity rather than a human. No, perhaps he is even more remarkable than you Administrators."
"...Cut the sarcasm. I am not in the mood to laugh off such remarks."
"Oh my, my apologies. I made a slip of the tongue in front of the great High Manager."
Seeing Hastings's brow furrow fiercely, Hyacinth raised her hands slightly.
"We have already lost two family heads. Perhaps sensing the danger, none of the other heads attended this meeting except for Lady Hyacinth. If this continues, our alliance itself might be in jeopardy."
Exencion, who was also present, chimed in.
As the new head of the Ataraxia Family, watching the former head, Alice, steadily grow her power made him feel as if he were sitting on a bed of needles.
"I understand your anxiety, family heads. But please, have a little more patience. In fact, I have already recruited a highly capable individual."
"Are you saying there is a pawn left who is even more capable than Samaja?"
"Indeed. Ah! It seems they have just arrived."
Hastings looked toward the door.
At that moment,
Creeeak...
The wooden door opened.
Two figures revealed themselves.
One was Melena, a red-haired woman belonging to the Demonic Human Association, and the other was an elderly, haggard man nearing his seventies.
"W-we have arrived."
Melena looked around anxiously.
She was already enslaved to the devil Jinhyuk by his brand, but the beings before her were, without exaggeration, absolute rulers who held the Tower in their hands.
It was only natural that her hair stood on end and her throat went dry.
"Aren't they just humans? Don't tell me they are the capable individuals you spoke of, Lord Hastings?"
Hyacinth frowned.
To think the card she had anticipated was merely a couple of players.
And bugs whose mana could barely be felt at that?
With a lineup like this, they wouldn't even reach the ankles of low-ranking vampires, let alone Samaja.
"Fufu. Do they seem that way to you? Then why don't you test their skills yourself, Lady Hyacinth?"
"You can't be serious. You want me to use my power against humans who look like they'd die from a simple flick of my wrist? They won't even survive a single blow."
"Hmm. It seems you really don't trust them. If you can subdue him in a single blow as you say, I will give you anything you want from my personal vault."
A High Manager's personal vault... it would overflow with treasures far grander than those of most high-floor bosses.
"Very well. Make sure you keep that promise."
Hyacinth drew her blood-red rapier.
Crackle!
Mana condensed, and the lightning skill unique to the Shefiltino Family flickered to life.
However,
"Huh?"
As Hyacinth tried to activate her skill, her pupils shook violently.
[The activation of Lv.?? 'Lightning Spear' has been canceled.]
Sizzle! Crackle... fizzle!
The dazzlingly bright lightning gradually died down.
It wasn't a lack of mana.
Nor was there any other issue.
It was as if she had been blocked by something.
Hyacinth's ability had been sealed.
"You... just now...?"
It was unbelievable.
That such an ability could even exist.
"That is why I told you. It will definitely work against that damn human as well."
The corners of Hastings's mouth curled upward.
"It is a pleasure to meet you, great absolute rulers of the Tower. I am Nietzsche, the beginning and the end of the Round Table that leads the Demonic Human Association."
The old man bowed deeply for the first time.
Codename Arthur.
However, he was the only executive representing the Round Table who was called by his name rather than a codename.
'Nihilism'.
The wielder of the power of nothingness.
In his presence, any unique ability or skill would lose its luster.
In short,
he was an ability user who could completely block out all variables.
"The humans should be heading to the island by now to take the bait I've prepared. You two family heads simply need to escort this man. If their abilities are sealed and they are forced to rely solely on raw physical strength, whether it's Kang Jinhyuk or Alice, wouldn't killing them be easier than wringing a chicken's neck?"
"It would be... more than possible."
"...Now that sounds rather enticing."
A thick, murderous intent bloomed on the faces of Hyacinth and Exencion.