Chapter 269
Chapter 269
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>Translator: penny
>Chapter: 269
>Chapter Title: Clash with the Top Guilds
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[You have slain the fifth beast on the left path.]
>[You have slain the fifth beast on the left path.]
>….
>[You have successfully destroyed the trap before it could activate.]
>[Recorded in the Book of Adventures.]
How much time had passed since he smashed through every trap in his path?
>By the time he had cleanly butchered the beasts up to the fifth fork, a message appeared.
[Acquired title 'Trap Disarmament Master.']
>[Trap Disarmament Master]
>- Grade: Heroic
>- Description: You've dismantled traps one after another! You're a master of trap disarmament!
>- Effect: Trap detection range +20%, all stats +5
[Level up.]
'Oh, a title and a level up?'
Considering his level hadn't budged for three filthy days, this was a massive experience gain, but in a way, it was only natural.
>It was equivalent to taking down dozens of boss-grade monsters.
'Trap detection range doesn't feel any different. Well, with Eyes of Truth seeing everything in sight, it wouldn't.'
The title wasn't anything amazing, but as a heroic-grade one, the all-stats boost was solid enough not to complain.
And above all, the most noticeable change was his armor.
Kwaang! Kwang!
-G-Go with you, Master!
>-Ri-Riza!
>-Was Master always this tough?
>-Yeah! Seems like he's pushing the new armor to its limits.
Even the trickier traps to smash, he could just tank with his body and bulldoze through without issue.
>It wasn't just the high defense rating—there was another big reason.
[The effect of Reverse Heaven activates, amplifying all options on your armor.]
>[Defense and magic resistance increase.]
>[Maximum health increase rises.]
>[Damage reduction increases by an additional 5%.]
'The more adversity ahead, the greater the amplification... This effect is broken.'
Did tanking all those traps amid boss monsters count as adversity?
>The amplification was beyond expectations, to the point where blatantly eating hits to push through was sometimes more efficient than before.
>That was why Do-hyun could advance like a force of nature.
>It was also why Jihard and Charlie were scrambling to keep up, creating this bizarre scene.
'Just a few more, and I'll hit level 90.'
He was charging ahead, anticipating what skill might come next, when—
[Astr: Where are you right now?]
>[Astr: We should probably stick together soon. Things are getting dicey.]
Ding-
[You have escaped the labyrinth.]
>[Entering the labyrinth proper.]
>[Difficulty increases: paths grow more complex, monster levels rise.]
'Already?'
The cheerful alert rang out just as Astr's whisper arrived.
>He had just exited the maze section and entered the true labyrinth.
When he messaged back that he'd entered the labyrinth, a reply came quickly.
[Astr: Then come here. Sending you my location. Something weird here.]
That was the end of the response.
>No further replies came—probably sending the location—so Do-hyun turned his gaze away.
>A faint regret tinged his face.
'Should've milked the maze a bit more.'
Forces like the Top 10 Guilds were all clustered in the labyrinth now.
>Those still in the maze were stragglers without backing.
>Thanks to that, he'd monopolized the experience, but now it was over, leaving him inwardly disappointed.
But that lasted only a moment. Soon, Do-hyun's eyes sharpened with focus.
'From here on, we take it slow.'
No need to rush.
>Not until 'that thing' waiting beyond the labyrinth awakened.
He halted his runaway locomotive pace, and seconds later, a panting Jihard arrived.
>He'd refused a piggyback from Charlie at the end out of pride.
-Haaack, haaack, going slower now?
"Yeah."
-Phew... Finally, I can breathe.
>-Rizariza!
Hop. Do-hyun stroked Eliza, who jumped onto his head, with his index finger and resumed walking.
>A leisurely pace for stamina management.
'This part's different from last time too.'
The maze had changed, and so had the labyrinth.
>It felt overall larger and more twisted, with the red-glowing hidden traps more menacing.
>But that was it.
>Ultimately, it still led down a single path, and traps were no obstacle to Do-hyun.
Kwang! Swish-
How long had he been dodging traps like that?
>The path widened gradually, and soon, bloodstains appeared on the walls.
>Pushing further, he spotted his first person since entering the labyrinth—far ahead.
>He'd finally caught up to the users who'd gone ahead.
"This is..."
Considering he'd entered 40 minutes late, it was an unbelievable speed, but Do-hyun frowned upon seeing them.
>Not because of them.
Kyaaah-! Kyaa!
"What the fuck is this!?"
"Another calamity?"
"Tank line, grab aggro already! Worry about formation instead of yapping!"
Silhouettes flickered in front of the users facing away.
>Gigantic beasts.
>Lion-maned horrors blending various beasts into a grotesque form.
[Encountered the calamity awakened from its seal, 'Riadna.']
>[Recorded in the Book of Adventures.]
-Master, that thing...
"Yeah. Looks like it."
It was unmistakably the statue modeled after the abyssal form he'd seen before.
Kyaaaaah!
Kieee!
But there was more than one.
"What kind of monster mash is this, damn it!"
"At least this spot's tame. Inside, they're raiding two at once."
"You fuck! Aggro's bouncing! Focus!"
Beasts rampaged everywhere, with different forces banding together to fight them.
>At least three visible just in his sight.
>The bizarre difficulty, requiring multiple forces per beast, confirmed they were abyssal beasts.
A question naturally arose.
>Why were these sealed-in-the-center things here?
'No, more importantly, why are they awakened?'
Was the difficulty spike what this meant?
'This screws up the plan...'
Level slowly, use vanguard guilds as meat shields to approach 'that thing.'
>Key was not awakening the statues.
'Hold on. If the statues are awake, does that mean 'that thing' is too?'
That would be a headache...
As Do-hyun's face grew troubled—
Kiaaaah-!
-My lord!
>-Master, look ahead!
A bizarre screech out of nowhere.
>Charlie and Jihard's urgent shouts followed, snapping his head up.
>He saw it: a thick shadow and massive claws hurtling in.
Kwaang!
His body reacted before his mind in the sudden crisis.
>Ducking low to evade the claws revealed the beast's underbelly.
>He switched Cheonbyeon to assassin's dagger, stabbed the vitals, pulled out the Fuse-Thread to bind its wings, and it tumbled pathetically.
[Using Fuse-Thread - Burst.]
>[Applying Darkness Enchant to Fuse-Thread; darkness property applied.]
----!
As Do-hyun quickly reset for the follow-up, bracing with the Fuse-Thread burst for time—
[The calamity awakened from its seal, 'Riadna's trait activates.]
>[Trait 'Mirror of Retribution' reflects physical damage dealt to a random enemy.]
>[You have slain Riadna.]
>[Last hit awards high contribution score.]
"……?"
Riadna's trait triggered instantly, and it died.
>No mistake—it really croaked like that.
'What the...'
Do-hyun blinked in confusion, unable to process, when an enraged voice roared from behind.
"Grraaak!"
"What the fuck! Who did physical damage!?"
"More importantly, who sniped it?"
The furious arrivals locked eyes with Do-hyun and twitched their brows.
>Do-hyun was no different.
'...That mark.'
A prominent lion-mane mark on shoulders and chest.
>Top 10 Guild, Leone Guild's emblem.
And not just them.
>Among the surging crowd, another famous mark mixed in.
'That shield mark's Aegis Guild.'
The two Top 10 Guilds had teamed up for the raid.
>Do-hyun had unwittingly stolen their boss.
>No wonder they were pissed.
"Not one of ours?"
"...Kaiser?"
"What? Kaiser's stealing our kill?"
"Ha, unbelievable."
A hostile atmosphere formed.
Did they notice the crowd surrounding him with cold glares?
"...Hey, look over there."
"Kaiser picking a fight with the Top 10 Guild alliance?"
"Kaiser? He's here?"
Users from nearby forces started reacting.
>Faces gauging the situation lit with interest.
"No way. If Kaiser stole it, huge."
"Crazy... major incident? Already controversy over killing Sina..."
"Shh! Watch your mouth. Don't wanna get marked."
"Anyway, nuts. They won't let this slide. It was all set up for the finisher."
"It's the emperor's imperial quest, crucial for the clear. No way they go easy."
As they whispered, the Top 10 Guild alliance showed no sign of backing down.
>They slowly encircled him.
-...Master.
>-Ri-Riza.
>-Insolent...
Jihard and Eliza shrank back.
>Charlie reached for his scabbard, visibly annoyed, in front of them.
Judging the encirclement tight enough, a representative-looking user stepped forward and spat curtly.
"Hey, Kaiser. How do you plan to take responsibility for this?"
"……"
"Got nothing to say? You stole our hard-earned kill without a sorry. Looks like deliberate provocation."
A burly man narrowed his eyes and butted in beside the pressuring one.
>They carried heavy authority—big names even among these elite forces.
>Naturally so.
'Sub-masters, huh.'
The sharp-eyed brown-haired knight was Leone Guild's sub-master, Rabaon.
>The hulking musclehead beside him was Aegis Guild's sub-master, Marpad.
Two Top 10 Guild sub-masters.
>The encircling members were no pushovers either.
>Given this raid party's elite composition, they were at least mid-cadre.
-Master, what now?
>-We can't just let this slide, my lord.
>-Shouldn't we back off?
>-Riza...
Despite the guardians' varied pleas, Do-hyun stood silent.
>His response came moments later.
"Ha."
A hollow laugh.
>Contempt filled his eyes as he smirked in amusement.
"...What's so funny? Can't read the room?"
"Read the room?"
Step.
He closed in a step, shrinking the distance sharply.
>Breath close enough to feel. Face-to-face, Do-hyun curled his lip.
Can't read the room?
>No, he read it too well—that was the problem.
"You used your heads for once. Gotta hand it to you."
"...What?"
A boss on death's door coincidentally attacks him, fresh off entering the labyrinth?
'Doesn't add up.'
Maybe noobs who couldn't hold aggro, but not a joint Top 10 Guild raid.
>Especially not with two sub-masters.
'Above all, that incoming Riadna had sloppy form.'
Less a dive, more shoved.
>Real aggro bounce wouldn't come in so sloppily.
The implication was clear.
'Ha, playing dirty, huh?'
They'd waited deliberately for him to pass, manufacturing cause.
>One of the many tricks guilds like Berze pulled on him in Delock.
"Guilds are all the same... Top 10 my ass, no shame."
"...What did you say?"
"Can't tolerate insults to the guild."
Do-hyun sneered at their stiffened faces.
"Why drag it out? This was your goal anyway."
"Arrogant as rumored."
"We gave you a chance to settle amicably. That hubris will be your downfall..."
"Why's your tongue so long? Shut up and come at me."
Do-hyun snarled, gripping Cheonbyeon, and they signaled as if waiting.
>Encircling guildmates drew weapons, entering combat stance.
"Same petty shit as Berze. What's the difference?"
"This is just retribution..."
"Rabaon, don't play around. Finish the job."
"...Right."
Regaining composure at Marpad's words, Rabaon assumed position.
>Sword in one hand, sideways stance—as Marpad charged with shield raised.
>A flashy effect burst from the shield, unleashing a shockwave.
Ta-at!
Do-hyun leaped back, creating distance, eyes razor-sharp.
>Roars erupted simultaneously.
"Wooooah!!"
"Kaiser's clashing with the Top 10 alliance!"
"Huge! Insane!"
[RCD recording in progress.]
'Alright, let's do this.'
The moment Kaiser truly collided with the Top 10 Guilds.