Chapter 23: The Saint of Amsterdam
The owner of the voice was the saintess clad in white armor.
It was Teresa.
Judging by her panting, it seemed she had dealt with the Dullahans in the front and had come to assist those in the back.
Jinhyuk looked at Teresa with a slightly surprised expression.
‘The guys affiliated with guilds were all about saving their own skins…’
Unexpected.
It seems the title of saintess wasn’t bestowed upon her for nothing.
“May I have a word with this person for a moment?” Teresa asked, turning towards Kim Somi, who was wide-eyed with surprise.
“Yes? Yes, yes! Of course.”
Kim Somi nodded vigorously and quickly scrambled behind a rock, leaving the two alone.
Teresa then spoke up, “Did you… take down all the Dullahans?”
Her tone carried a hint of suspicion.
Understandably so.
The average rank of players participating as porters ranged from E to F, naturally far removed from combat.
Yet, here was someone who single-handedly defeated Dullahans, a feat even B-rank combatants would struggle with.
“It’s true, I did take down the Dullahans.”
“Why hide your identity? Why?”
“Everyone has their reasons. Mine is… well, personal.”
Jinhyuk shrugged, completing his previously interrupted sentence with, “And so is yours.”
“…What do you mean?”
Teresa’s eyes flickered with a barely noticeable tremor.
‘If you were an ordinary person, that is.’
Smiling, Jinhyuk continued, “At first, I couldn’t understand why someone of your rank would forsake the boss raid for this place. It was beyond my comprehension.”
The enormous rewards and honor of conquering the tower’s upper levels.
Teresa had chosen the ruins over that golden opportunity.
Why?
There could only be one reason: the rewards here must be greater than what could be gained from defeating the 3rd floor’s boss monster.
And Jinhyuk already knew what it was.
“You came here for a job quest, didn’t you?”
“…!?”
Teresa couldn’t mask her expression this time, her face stained with shock.
‘Only a few know that the ruins serve as the site for the paladin class quest…’
Normally, the paladin class quest would take place on the 6th floor.
But eager to advance faster than others…
Teresa had purchased information from the ‘black market,’ operated only among those who had climbed beyond the 10th floor of the tower.
Teresa’s eyes narrowed.
‘Could it be…’
Is this man also a member of the black market?
She needed to verify whether he was just bluffing with bits of overheard information or if he truly knew everything.
“Right. I’ve been hiding it because the place contains the Epistle of Saint John, and I haven’t pinpointed its exact location yet.”
Teresa disclosed her goal and reasons.
Of course…
Jinhyuk saw a slightly different content in the status window in front of him.
[‘Eyes of Truth’ activates.] [Teresa’s statement is ‘false’.] Cute.
‘Trying to test me, huh.’
Jinhyuk chuckled.
“It’s not John’s, but Peter’s Epistle. And of course, claiming you don’t know its exact location is a lie.”
He knew she must have located the epistle’s location before entering the ruins.
Her hesitation stemmed from the perilous journey to it, filled with thousands of traps more chaotic than orderly and over a thousand undead creatures.
“Really… you know everything.”
Finally, Teresa conceded.
Good.
Now they could move to the next stage.
“Actually, I too have business with the epistle. Oh, not the epistle itself, but something else there.”
“You’re asking to go together?”
“I’m saying I will accompany you.”
Jinhyuk clarified.
“I know the traps’ locations and how to navigate them. Of course, you could go with the players from Zion, but, well… except for you, I doubt anyone else would survive.”
But that’s not an option, is it?
For a noble hero known as the saintess.
If she were to lose all her comrades and be the only survivor, it would tarnish her reputation.
Even if she succeeded in her class change, the public’s reaction would be cold.
“I’ll think about it.”
“Take your time.”
She could ponder all day for all he cared.
The conclusion would be the same.
‘I’ll throw her the epistle and take everything else for myself.’
While the Epistle of Saint Peter, crucial for the paladin class change, wasn’t of interest to him, the other items there certainly were.
‘Frozen Tears’ and ‘Soulstone of Binding.’
Yes, acquiring these two was the best outcome.
Especially ‘Frozen Tears,’ known as the essence of magic power, which could significantly increase one’s magic power if absorbed.
“Increasing my magic power is a top priority that must be addressed.”
Currently, the magic power consumption of his frequently used skills wasn’t high.
But as skill levels increased and higher skills were combined, the importance of having a substantial amount of magic power couldn’t be overstated.
‘I was going to give up on the Frozen Tears due to the curse of cold…’
With Teresa’s presence confirmed, the plan changed.
Being able to manipulate holy powers, Teresa could likely mitigate the cold from the Frozen Tears.
“Before you decide, may I ask just one thing?”
Teresa, who had been pondering, finally spoke up.
“Go ahead.”
“The person who killed the sentinels and awakened the Guardian… was it you?”
Oh, so it comes to this.
‘From Teresa’s perspective, I’m probably the most suspicious person in the raid.’
Hiding too much and knowing too much.
Well, he could explain everything in detail, but that wasn’t his style.
Besides, it was tedious.
Jinhyuk opted for a more straightforward and direct approach.
“I understand your suspicion, but I’m not the culprit.”
“You expect me to believe just your word?”
“Yes. Especially since there’s definitive proof right before your eyes.”
“Proof? What are you talking about?”
“If I were the one who killed the sentinels and awakened the Guardian…”
Think about it.
“I wouldn’t bother with this annoying conversation and would have killed you instead.”
Sometimes, there are far simpler solutions than convincing excuses.
＊＊＊
Teresa’s solo action inevitably met with strong opposition.
The raid leader, Song Cheonhwa, vehemently objected.
“It’s absolutely not allowed! We’re just getting organized to move forward, and you’re talking about acting alone?”
If it were anyone else, perhaps, but not Teresa, who could be considered the core of the raid team.
But Teresa was not easily deterred.
“We have a map up to 20km into the ruins. Everyone has studied the tactics. My absence won’t make a significant difference.”
From the time the Tower of Trials was a game to its current reality, players had managed to create maps of the ruins through countless trials.
At least from the entrance to the 20km point, it was possible to advance without significant danger.
“Besides, wasn’t our agreement that the leaders of each guild’s raid team would maintain equal authority until the battle with the boss?”
“Tha-that’s…”
Faced with her logical argument, Song Cheonhwa stuttered.
Nothing she said was wrong.
Eventually…
After a deep sigh, Song Cheonhwa permitted Teresa’s solo action.
“Sigh. Fine. But you must return before reaching the end of the mapped area.”
“Understood. I’ll rejoin you by then.”
Teresa nodded.
“Ah! And… may I take one porter with me to assist?”
“Do whatever you like.”
Worn out from the argument, Song Cheonhwa waved his hand dismissively, his face devoid of energy, as if small details didn’t matter.
The porters shuddered under Teresa’s gaze.
Accompanying a ranker.
This wasn’t a stroke of luck or a fortunate encounter.
Rather, it was a first-class ticket to hell.
- Damn it. She’s definitely taking us to some dangerous place. Guys like us won’t make it back.
- Please, not me.
- Don’t make eye contact. Making eye contact is the end of us.
- I have a wife and children at home to feed.
Everyone prayed silently.
Hoping it wouldn’t be them.
Then.
Teresa’s finger pointed towards one of the porters.
＊＊＊
Jinhyuk was the one chosen.
And naturally, he agreed to accompany her.
“Whatever you’re thinking… I’ve lived nearly 50 years, and if there’s one thing I can tell you, it’s that love? It’s great. But it’s not worth more than your life.”
“That’s right. Listen to Team Leader Kim.”
“No matter how pretty the saintess is. Sigh. Youth is the problem, youth. It makes you lose your mind.”
The porters tried to dissuade Jinhyuk.
They seemed to be under some serious misconceptions.
As if he would choose love over advancing another floor in the tower. What were they even thinking?
“It’s not like tha…”
Jinhyuk began to object but trailed off.
Wait, hold on.
Half-hearted excuses won’t work in this atmosphere.
They were determined to prevent him from going at all costs.
Might as well go all in.
“The truth is… Teresa and I have known each other since we were kids.”
Set the genre.
Throw in some melodramatic childhood memories.
“In the ruins lies an item that can cure Teresa’s family back in Europe. She wanted to go alone initially, but I couldn’t let her face it by herself.”
And add a dash of tears for good measure.
He tried pinching his thigh, but alas, not a single tear fell.
Damn, too emotionally dry, perhaps?
“Even if my abilities are lacking and I end up losing my life… I will protect her to the end.”
Love, tragedy, heroism.
With that, the trinity of proven box-office hits like ‘Romeo and Juliet’ and ‘Wuthering Heights’ was complete.
The porters stared blankly at Jinhyuk.
As if remembering something long forgotten.
“Jinhyuk… you’re a real man.”
“A man of Goguryeo, indeed. An absolute man of the era.”
“Go ahead. What kind of man would you be if you couldn’t protect a childhood friend?”
“Youth is a beautiful thing. Youth.”
They each gave Jinhyuk a pat on the back.
＊＊＊
After quickly packing, Jinhyuk and Teresa ventured deep into the convoluted paths of the ruins.
About 5 hours later?
The duo, now separated from the raid team, finally arrived at their destination.
‘The defense is well-maintained.’
Jinhyuk carefully observed the monsters’ formation.
Mostly ghouls and skeletons were in the pit, but there were high-level undead mixed in.
Dullahans… and even a magic-wielding lich.
The magic power wasn’t overwhelmingly strong, indicating a low circle, but…
Liches were not to be underestimated.
Especially if hit by a debuff or curse, even the most adept player could suffer fatal injuries.
Teresa poked Jinhyuk’s side.
“There! The epistle is right in the middle.”
“I’ve seen it.”
At the center of the circle.
There lay Peter’s Epistle, along with the ‘Frozen Tears’ and ‘Subspace Inventory Blueprint.’
Since killing the monsters would result in leveling up…
He’d have to leave that to Teresa.
“Get ready.”
Jinhyuk prepared to move.
The dagger hidden within his coat spilled out red light.
“Understood.”
Teresa, too, readied her sword and shield, gathering her magic power.
But just then…
Ding!
A red status window appeared in front of them both.