Chapter 392: Lu Bu Fengxian (3)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 392: Lu Bu Fengxian (3)
"Ah... Ah..."
Lu Bu reached out with his large, rough hand.
Toward Diaochan—or rather, Cheon Yu-seong disguised as Diaochan.
Since Lu Bu was utterly exhausted, and thanks to Jinhyuk's clever use of items purchased from the Coin Exchange, the disguise was near-perfect.
'I excluded Freina Undine because she lacked that distinct Eastern beauty, and it looks like I made the right call.'
No matter how much one altered a Western appearance using items from the Coin Exchange, there were limits.
A subtle sense of incongruity.
Yes, it was those fine details that would have been lacking.
In contrast, Cheon Yu-seong's natural features provided the perfect canvas to recreate Diaochan.
If they just removed a few masculine traits...
He could easily pass for the real Diaochan.
'Heh. I invested quite a few Coins into this, so of course it had to turn out this well.'
With a satisfied smile, Jinhyuk watched the poignant reunion of the two.
"I'll kill you. I'll kill you. I'll kill you."
"Hey. He's almost completely hooked, so just bear with it a little longer. I'll let you slash him or mince him however you want later, just like you wanted."
Of course, Jinhyuk didn't forget to throw in a word of encouragement to the cursing Yu-seong.
Grit...!
Yu-seong clenched his teeth so hard they nearly shattered, hiding his face behind a feather fan.
As long as he kept his mouth shut, there was no way Lu Bu would notice.
"D-Diaochan... Is it truly you? Have you really come to this place?"
Lu Bu walked forward slowly.
[The unique ability 'Domain of Wind' has been activated.]
Jinhyuk conjured a gentle breeze.
Whoosh...
Long, black hair styled in twin braids fluttered in the wind.
To top it off, Jinhyuk scattered some pre-prepared flower petals into the air, creating a peak dreamlike, ethereal atmosphere.
"Diaochan... Diaochan... Diaochan!"
Thud!
One step.
Thud!
Another step.
As the distance closed, Lu Bu's back became increasingly defenseless.
It was the desperate struggle of a man who had given up everything—no, a man who had thrown everything away for a single purpose.
Those pitiful, sorrowful steps...
"Phew, man."
Jinhyuk let out a long sigh.
It really was tragic...
...My ass.
"He's in the perfect position to be stabbed."
Hero-grade or not, a strike to the back of the head is a guaranteed one-shot.
Seriously, there was no easier prey than this.
[You have met the conditions for copying.]
[You have successfully copied the unique ability 'Red Hare Riding'.]
[Red Hare Riding]
Acquisition Difficulty: S
Description: An ability specialized in horsemanship. When riding a mount, all stats increase by 30%. However, depending on the proficiency of the unique ability, the increase can be raised up to a maximum of 100%.
Now that he had successfully copied the ability, there was nothing holding him back.
Whoosh!
The sword qi infused into Barnard blazed brilliantly.
If he hesitated any longer, Yu-seong might actually end up violated by that giant beast.
If such a tragedy occurred, Jinhyuk would have to spend the rest of his life being hunted down by the Sword Star.
For a clean, happy ending, he had to move right now.
"G-General!"
"Watch... Watch your back!"
The deputies screamed, but it was already too late.
To a completely entranced Lu Bu, their words didn't even register.
Furthermore, the soldiers, who were sweating bullets trying to deal with Frey, didn't dare approach Lu Bu.
Accelerated by the 'Sword Demon Celestial Stepss', Jinhyuk instantly closed in behind Lu Bu.
Swiftly and silently.
Barnard lunged toward the back of Lu Bu's neck.
But right at that moment—
Clang!
A blue barrier unfolded, blocking Barnard.
"We can't let it end so anticlimactically, can we?"
Sherry intervened.
"And you are...?"
"An ally of General Lu Bu... you could say. Since the General is temporarily distracted, I shall entertain you until he snaps out of it."
"An ally, huh... I've never heard of non-humans being mixed into the Romance of the Three Kingdoms mythology."
"Well, that is because this is the Tower of Trials, not the actual myth."
A place where anything could happen.
Alliances between different races were a common occurrence here.
However, at Jinhyuk's next words...
"Is that so? Hmm. Strange. No matter how I look at you, you seem like an Administrator. A mid-level one, at that."
"...H-How do you know that?!"
Sherry's pupils shook violently.
As a mid-level Administrator who had never been active in the outside world before, there should have been no way for an ordinary player to know her identity.
Yet, how did the human before her see right through her disguise as if it were the most obvious thing in the world?
In that split second, her composure shattered, and the strength in her hands wavered.
And Jinhyuk was not one to miss such an opening.
"Thanks."
Tap.
"Ah...!"
Before Sherry could do anything, Jinhyuk slipped past her.
The distance closed in the blink of an eye.
He saw Lu Bu reaching out to brush away Yu-seong's fan.
He also saw Yu-seong resisting with all his might.
Those rough hands were groping at his neck and back, giving Yu-seong goosebumps all over his body and making him want to die on the spot.
"Diaochan... Diaochan! Ohhh!"
"I'm not her, I said! So please, get your hands off me...!"
"What do you mean you are not? I am Lu Bu! Your lover, Lu Bu!"
"Fuck off, get away from me!"
Honestly, Jinhyuk wanted to enjoy this situation a bit longer.
If he sold the video he was currently recording to Soul-Chasing Shadow or various community forums, people would flock by the truckload to throw blank checks at him.
But...
This precarious tightrope walk had to end here.
"Hurry... I can't hold him off any longer. Hurry!"
There was zero chance Yu-seong could match Lu Bu in pure physical strength.
"You did good."
Jinhyuk meant it.
Slash!
The sword qi-infused blade pierced through Lu Bu's back.
Crimson blood sprayed forward.
However...
"...?!"
The sword had failed to pierce his heart.
To be precise, it had penetrated exactly five centimeters away from the heart.
"Damn it..."
Jinhyuk turned his head back.
"Fufu...! If you knew I was an Administrator, you should have known I possessed this level of authority."
Sherry.
Damn it, she was intervening to this extent even after her identity as an Administrator had been exposed?
"If you abuse your Administrator authority like that, you won't be able to handle the backlash, you know?"
"I do it because I'm confident I can handle it. And if you have the luxury to worry about me, shouldn't you be worrying about yourselves instead?"
"You are... not Diaochan!"
An enraged Lu Bu grabbed Yu-seong's neck with both hands.
"How dare you play such a trick on me! I will snap your neck like a chicken's!"
Crack!
"Urgh!"
Due to the terrifying grip strength, Yu-seong's eyes bloodshot.
"Stop! That guy is my precious cash cow... I mean, my one and only companion!"
[The Heavenly Demon Divine Art 'Heavenly Demon Divine Fist' has been activated!]
Boom!
Lu Bu's body slammed directly into the ground.
If Jinhyuk had been even a second later, Yu-seong would have died right then and there.
"Cough... wheeze. Gasp. Gasp."
"Is your face okay? No, forget your body. Is your face fine? That's your only asset."
"Does this look... cough okay to you?! Seriously, why did you pull such a crazy stunt and drag my self-esteem down to hell? Damn it!"
"Hey, I thought it was a flawless plan."
Copying the ability, wrapping things up cleanly, and getting a secret video on top of it.
He had firmly believed it was a perfect three-birds-with-one-stone strategy.
"Forget it. From now on, I'm doing things my way."
Rip.
Yu-seong tore off the cumbersome skirt.
Gripping his sword with both hands, he regulated his breathing once more.
"I'm going to kill that bastard myself, so just sit back and watch."
Before Jinhyuk could say a word, Yu-seong lunged forward.
Clang! Cl-cl-clang!
The Fangtian Halberd and Ryuhwa clashed frantically in midair.
The rampaging Lu Bu had completely lost his mind to rage.
"Graaaah!"
As if he didn't care about getting wounded, Lu Bu pressed forward with pure, unadulterated offense.
'In a one-on-one, Yu-seong might stand a chance, but the Administrator won't just sit idly by.'
If she supported Lu Bu, Yu-seong would be in mortal danger once again.
In that case...
'I'll eliminate the Administrator.'
The target switch was instantaneous.
Boom!
While Yu-seong dealt with Lu Bu, Jinhyuk targeted Sherry.
"Ha...! Are you serious? A mere player dares to point a blade at an Administrator?"
"If you were an Administrator faithful to your duties, I'd leave you alone. But someone who acts out of line and ignores the system needs to be taught a lesson."
"Laughable. If you thought we were weak just because we usually watch from the sidelines, you are sorely mistaken."
Sherry drew a pair of glowing red daggers.
Even a glance revealed a terrifyingly sharp aura emanating from them.
Are those made from Red Dragon teeth...?
"Of course, I know very well that you guys aren't weak."
He also knew they simply couldn't fight properly due to the system's constraints.
Yet, the fact that she was stepping forward so confidently meant...
She had calculated that she could get away with acting on her own.
'This isn't something a High Manager could authorize.'
It was someone higher.
Jinhyuk clenched his fists tighter.
Nyarlathotep.
That bastard, who could move freely between floors, must have pulled some strings.
He was likely exploiting a loophole rather than doing something outright illegal...
But as expected of one of the beings who knew the most secrets in the entire Tower, this situation clearly had a much more complex backstory than a simple raid.
And the most likely motive was, of course, only one thing.
"You're determined to get your hands on the Spring of the Sun. Were the beings on the 50th Floor looking for it too?"
Jinhyuk threw out a bait based on the information he possessed.
"I have absolutely no idea what you're talking about. Is there something else here besides the Spring of the Moon?"
Sherry tilted her head as if hearing this for the first time.
But Jinhyuk immediately caught the subtle twitch at the corner of her left eye.
[Mid-level Administrator Sherry. A beautiful Wood Elf. 168 cm. Famous for cleanly executing her assigned duties as a close-combat specialist. Favorite food is Bebelime Beef Tartare. Note: The corner of her left eye twitches 5 to 6 times when she lies.]
...This was exactly why having prior information was so crucial.
If he hadn't met Sherry back when he played the Tower of Trials, he would have completely missed this reaction.
On the surface, she was sweet-talking Lu Bu, promising to find Diaochan and claiming this labyrinth was a crucial strategic point.
But behind his back, she was scheming to protect and locate the Spring of the Sun flowing somewhere within the labyrinth.
Northern Europe, the 50th Floor, and even the Administrators.
Seriously, everyone was only busy looking out for their own interests.
"But thanks to you, I've figured out how to make use of the Spring of the Sun."
If he played his cards right, he could secure the most advantageous position among the various factions.
All thanks to her.
"You speak as if you actually know where the spring is."
Sherry adjusted her grip on her daggers, dumbfounded.
She wanted to end this quickly, disgusted by his nonsense.
"Yeah. Smooth talk alone won't make it believable, I suppose."
But he had no intention of kindly refuting her.
Since they were enemies now anyway... he might as well give an Administrator a firsthand experience of getting utterly crushed by a player.
"You seem pretty decent with daggers. Let me give you a customized lesson on how to actually use them. Come on."
"Arrogant brat! I'll slice off that tongue of yours first!"
Sherry initiated the attack.