Chapter 88: The Ritual of Sacrifice (2)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 88: The Ritual of Sacrifice (2)
The Knights of the Round Table.
The legendary knights of King Arthur, each possessing a unique and extraordinary ability.
Specifically, they held the power to reach the absolute pinnacle of their respective fields, whether it was magic, swordsmanship, illusion, or tanking.
‘They’re near the very top among second advancements.’
It wasn't for nothing that the unaffiliated Demonic Humans held such immense influence, completely free from the control of governments and guilds.
With such power and ability backing them up, no one dared to cross them.
‘And to think this man is one of those big shots...’
Jinhyuk wet his lower lip with his tongue.
Just confirming this made using the white elixir worth hundreds of times its cost.
While the 'Guardian's Ability' to reach the peak of a single field was useless to an all-rounder like Jinhyuk, 'Mental Barrier' was a highly coveted skill.
‘Acquiring this will give me the foundation to withstand gods or demon kings later on.’
However...
Upon checking the copy conditions, Jinhyuk felt a shock as if he had been struck on the back of the head with a hammer.
[Copy Conditions]
If both conditions are met, you will be able to copy one of the target's unique abilities or skills.
Once again, an utterly absurd condition had popped up.
Of course, considering who the target was, he could understand the copy conditions being a bit more demanding. He really could.
But...
Damn it.
‘Just what kind of lunatic is managing the Tower's system?’
No, seriously.
At this point, he seriously suspected that some developer had gotten completely wasted on six bottles of soju and accidentally set a penalty game as a copy condition.
Jinhyuk pressed his temples with his index finger.
"Why are you silent?"
Hosenbelt, who had been watching him, asked.
"Ah. My apologies. The Black Flame Dragon in my left hand was acting up, so I had to calm it down."
Jinhyuk gripped his left hand with his right.
His right hand trembled slightly.
As if trying to stop his left hand from running wild.
A brief silence fell.
It felt as though all time in the world had ground to a halt.
How many seconds passed like that?
"Is this truly the man you spoke of? I find it hard to believe he is an enemy we should worry about."
The Cult Leader spoke, wearing an utterly dumbfounded expression.
Hosenbelt was equally bewildered.
"...Absurd. Your life hangs by a thread, yet you spout such ridiculous nonsense?"
Even Braham's Ring on his finger was shaking violently up and down.
Alice was undoubtedly clutching her stomach and laughing hysterically inside the ring.
Yeah, I know it's absurd, so you don't have to remind me.
And please, stop ganging up to mock me.
I'm begging you.
"You seem to have lost your mind out of fear, so I will say this only once. Soon, you will be offered as a sacrifice."
"Heheh. A sacrifice, is it...? It reminds me of that time five years ago. The day my madness was first unleashed upon the world."
Jinhyuk covered half of his face with his hand.
If only he had a black cloak and red colored contact lenses, it would have been perfect.
Damn it.
Now that I'm actually doing it, I'm getting weirdly into character.
"..."
Hosenbelt hesitated at Jinhyuk's continued bizarre behavior.
He felt a sense of cognitive dissonance; this was far too different from the opponent he knew.
Could it be...
‘Does he have something prepared?’
What if all this talk of black flame dragons and madness was actually an activation phrase or a setup to trigger a unique ability or skill?
Considering Jinhyuk's exploits so far, that actually seemed far more plausible.
‘He is someone who must never be underestimated.’
After all, he was the player who had toyed with the Association's elites.
Hosenbelt heightened his senses to the absolute limit.
However, there was no sign of mana being activated.
There was no doubt.
It was all a bluff.
‘Damn it...’
Yet, why?
The sticky, clinging anxiety refused to fade away.
‘I must not let him play with me.’
Steeling his resolve, Hosenbelt got straight to the point.
"I know you are strong, but with your unique abilities and skills sealed, you cannot possibly survive the ritual."
"Hmm. Did you come all this way just to say something like, 'You are already dead'?"
"No. I came here to make that process a little easier for you."
Hosenbelt pulled a transparent glass bottle from his breast pocket.
The liquid inside sloshed around.
"What is that?"
"A type of anesthetic. It will spare you from the horrific pain inflicted during the ritual."
The ritual of sacrifice was notorious because the process was so gruesome.
If one had to die anyway, it was only human nature to want a painless death.
"I do not believe mere pain can break my will... but if you are offering, I shall not refuse."
Jinhyuk reached out.
At that moment...
"It is not free."
Hosenbelt pulled the glass bottle back slightly.
"Information on Unknown. Tell me that, and I will give you this in return."
Just as I thought.
Exactly as expected.
"You seem awfully curious about Unknown."
"We must crush any sprout with potential."
"Well, fine. I can tell you, but I don't need the anesthetic. Instead, let me ask you a question as well."
"A question?"
At the unexpected response, Hosenbelt's pupils narrowed.
His face showed he had never anticipated such a request.
"We each ask one thing we're curious about. It's only fair, right?"
Jinhyuk shrugged.
"...Very well. Ask."
"Your name and your rank within the Demonic Human Association. That's all you need to tell me."
"For a final question, you ask something quite useless. Why do you wish to know that?"
"I've always been curious about the Demonic Human Association. I'm the type who can't stand leaving questions unanswered, you see. Ah! And also... my Evil Eye sees through all things. Don't even think about lying to me."
Jinhyuk deliberately widened his eyes, glaring intensely.
"...Do not worry. I will not lie."
Hosenbelt nodded.
Then, he slowly introduced himself.
"My name is Hosenbelt. I hold a seat at the Round Table, and my knight name is 'Lancelot'."
Lancelot.
The knight who guards the Round Table.
That was indeed Hosenbelt's knight name.
‘Perfect.’
The corners of Jinhyuk's mouth curled upward.
With this, one of the two conditions was met. And the other was as good as done.
"Is your curiosity satisfied now?"
"More or less."
"Then it is my turn. Tell me the identity of Unknown."
That's easy enough.
"I'll only say this once, so listen carefully. Unknown is..."
Jinhyuk carefully gauged his reaction and spoke slowly.
"...a guy named Cheon Yu-seong."
"Cheon Yu-seong... Could it be?"
"Exactly. The very guy you're thinking of. Didn't you guys try to eliminate him once and fail?"
"..."
Hosenbelt fell silent, his lips pressed into a tight line.
So that was it.
Everything made sense now.
Why Unknown was so powerful.
Why he was hostile toward them.
Above all, it explained why a player like Kang Jinhyuk knew so much about Unknown.
Since they constantly crossed paths, they would naturally know each other well.
"Did you hear everything you wanted?"
The Cult Leader, who had been watching silently, asked.
"Yes. This is more than enough."
Hosenbelt nodded.
"Farewell, Kang Jinhyuk. We shall not meet again."
With one last look at Jinhyuk, he turned around without a shred of regret.
At that exact moment...
Ding!
[Conditions met!]
[Please choose one of the target's abilities.]
A status window appeared, announcing the completion of the copy conditions.
‘Perfect timing.’
Jinhyuk wore a satisfied smile.
Though he had to endure some serious public humiliation, he had achieved his goal.
"I'll copy Mental Barrier."
[Successfully copied the unique ability 'Mental Barrier (S)'!]
[The copied skill has been stored in 'Memory of the World'.]
[Mental Barrier]
Acquisition Difficulty: S
Description: A skill that strengthens the mental attribute. It secures the status window and protects the caster from various types of mental attacks.
An S-rank mental defense ability.
Considering what lay ahead, 'Mental Barrier' would undoubtedly be of immense help.
Just then...
"Bring the sacrifices out. The ritual is about to begin."
The head guard ordered the guards.
"N-No!"
"Please save me! Please!"
"I don't want to die here! I don't want to die!"
The imprisoned players screamed.
But it was futile.
One could not expect a shred of sympathy or pity from fanatics.
‘It's about time to go.’
The time had finally come to move to the final stage that would mark the finale of this madhouse.
Jinhyuk scanned the inside of the cell.
‘Found it.’
He spotted a brick that was a darker shade of gray than the others.
He tapped the brick seven times, leaving a one-second interval between each tap.
Rumble!
Miraculously, a small opening appeared on one side of the wall.
It was a gap leading directly to the sewer.
Jinhyuk carefully pulled out another elixir he had hidden and pushed it into the sewer.
The red elixir rolled away.
And a moment later...
Plop!
A satisfying sound echoed.
* * *
The Sacrificial Chamber.
The massive space, reminiscent of a colosseum, was packed with fanatics gathered to watch the ritual.
"Graaaah!"
"Groooar!"
The 'Breaker', known as the god's proxy, was slaughtering the sacrifices.
With every flash of axes and greatswords, the players' bodies were sliced in half.
"Kill them!"
"Glory to God!"
"Oohhh! More! More! More! We need more sacrifices!"
The overflowing blood stained the sand crimson.
Yet, the fanatics' madness showed no signs of abating.
They craved more blood.
If only to temporarily forget this maddened world.
Tremble!
And the faces of the players watching that living hell from the waiting room were pasty, pale with sheer terror.
"Urgh!"
"Bleh!"
Weeping or throwing up was relatively mild.
In severe cases, some wet themselves or fainted on the spot.
Because in just a few moments, they too would have to step inside.
‘It'd be impossible to fight the proxy with people like this.’
Jinhyuk clicked his tongue as he looked at the players who had completely lost their will to fight.
Those who tucked their tails before the fight even began would only be a hindrance.
But he couldn't entirely blame them.
After all, the real trash here were the fanatics playing with human lives.
A cold, murderous intent flickered in Jinhyuk's eyes.
‘I can really... wipe them out without a single shred of hesitation.’
The hidden quest to kill evil-doers and gain stats.
He had wondered if he would feel any reluctance about taking human lives.
It had been an entirely useless worry.
Now that the stage was set and the lead actors had all arrived...
‘Shall we get started?’
Jinhyuk pulled out a book he had masterfully hidden in his clothes.
The Grimoire of Makedrian.
There was only one reason he had chosen this book out of the countless grimoires in the Magic Library.
Flip, flip, flip!
The pages turned rapidly.
Countless characters written in runic language unfolded before his eyes.
An ancient dragon who had spent his entire life struggling to find loopholes in the laws of the world.
This book contained the life of that very dragon.
[You have read the Black Dragon's 'Grimoire of Makedrian'.]
Simultaneously...
[Your sealed unique abilities are released.]
[Your sealed skills are released.]
[Time Limit: 0h:9m:59s]
The shackles suppressing his power shattered.