Chapter 24: Frozen Tears
[‘The Master of the Corrupted Corridor’ is watching you.]
This was it!
Jinhyuk’s eyes narrowed.
It was definitely an indirect message from the boss monster.
“Did you see that? The status window just now…”
Teresa also exclaimed in surprise.
“Yes, I saw it.”
But there was no immediate danger of being attacked.
The indirect messages from intelligent boss monsters were merely expressions of their sentiments or intentions.
They couldn’t physically threaten anyone.
Yet,
‘This creature has never shown interest in players before…’
The master of the corridor always secluded itself in its room.
While it dealt with intruders when necessary, it otherwise completely cut off contact with the outside.
But now, it showed interest in this manner.
…Intriguing.
Its reason and intention were of interest.
“What does it mean for the boss monster to be ‘watching’ us?”
“Putting it nicely, it sees us as interesting enemies. Putting it badly, it means it won’t let us leave alive. You could interpret it that way.”
“So, it’s acknowledging us?”
“It acknowledges me. Not you.”
Trying to lump us together as if.
It was clearly because of me that the indirect message was sent.
“…”
Teresa gave Jinhyuk a look of utter disbelief.
A European ranker and a player who joined as a porter.
Ask a hundred people, and all hundred would favor Teresa.
Yet,
Where does this man’s confidence come from?
At this point, it was almost admirable in various ways.
Teresa had a lot to say but resignedly shook her head slightly.
“When you first spoke to me, you said you knew all the traps, right?”
“Yes. It’s been a while, but my body remembers.”
It had been a while since he was on the first floor.
Especially since his last visit to the ruins was well over six years ago.
But there shouldn’t be any problems.
The form might wane, but class is eternal.
“What should I do, then?”
“Just draw the attention of the undead monsters. I’ll handle the rest.”
By dividing their roles this way, he could obtain all the desired items without leveling up.
Jinhyuk gripped his dagger in reverse, preparing to descend into the pit.
“I’m ready.”
“Then, let’s start.”
Teresa gathered her magic.
And then…
Whoosh!
[Teresa activates Lv5 ‘Song of Battle’!] A dazzling light accompanied by a warm sensation filled every fiber of their beings.
[All stats are temporarily increased by +3 for 10 minutes!] An area-effect buff skill.
And a ridiculously powerful one that affected all stats.
‘Wow, this is useful.’
Jinhyuk silently admired it.
If it weren’t for Teresa’s ‘Blessing of the Stars,’ which allowed for resurrection upon death, he would have wanted to copy this skill.
Boom!
In the meantime, Teresa leaped into the midst of the undead monsters.
“Growl…”
“Screech!”
Ghouls and skeletons immediately reacted, exhaling poison and swinging their crude blades and axes.
But…
Crack!
Such weapons couldn’t even scratch Teresa’s armor.
Of course, they couldn’t.
Among hundreds of players, Teresa was considered one of the most balanced rankers.
Moreover, she was equipped with the replica of ‘Joan of Arc’s Armor.’
Standard undead monsters, no matter their number, stood no chance against her.
“Ugh!”
“Screech!”
Her shield moved as if measured with a ruler.
Bang! Boom!
Ghouls’ heads were crushed in a single strike.
The force was nearly comparable to that of a siege hammer.
Swoosh!
With each swing of her sword, skeletons were bisected.
Fast and precise attacks.
The encircling walls crumbled.
A path was cleared.
…Now!
Dash!
Jinhyuk sprinted, maintaining his speed with minimal movements to weave through the monsters.
Most of the aggro was on Teresa, but with so many monsters, some targeted Jinhyuk.
A ghoul lunged at Jinhyuk’s neck with its claws extended.
“Screech!”
He couldn’t afford to face each one individually.
Thud!
He targeted its joints to throw off its balance.
“Ugh?”
The ghoul staggered.
Its confusion was evident as it suddenly lost control over its body.
Jinhyuk used the same method to deal with ghouls and skeletons, pushing deeper inside.
And when the fog thickened slightly…
Fzzzt!
Black sparks flew towards him like lightning.
“!”
Dangerous.
Jinhyuk instinctively changed direction.
Boom!
A giant crater formed where he had been standing just a second ago.
As expected.
The destructive power made his hair stand on end.
‘If it weren’t for this, it wouldn’t be a ruin.’
Jinhyuk’s eyes quickly scanned the area.
To the left.
Specifically, between two rocks on the left.
He spotted a lich casting a spell.
A skeletal mage devoid of flesh.
Yet, the blue glow in its eyes seemed to pierce through everything.
“This place is not meant for humans.”
A voice grated like scraping metal.
As if.
So, is it an appropriate place for corpses to take a night stroll?
Jinhyuk dismissed the lich’s threat, laden with various assumptions.
‘Five Dullahans as escorts…’
He’d prefer to avoid a direct confrontation. But it seemed inevitable.
He had to deal with them all.
Ignoring ghouls and skeletons was one thing, but overlooking Dullahans could lead to being caught off guard.
“Turn back. One more step, and I’ll turn you into ash.”
The lich conjured black lightning in its palm.
At least a 5th circle spell.
Slyly.
Jinhyuk took a step forward.
“Oops. My mistake.”
“You dare…”
The lich nodded at the Dullahans.
“Roar!”
“Screech!”
The five Dullahans roared fiercely.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
They closed the distance in an instant, forming an encirclement, uncharacteristically strategic for their low intelligence.
Simultaneously, the lightning in the lich’s hand disappeared.
“Die in regret, human!”
Fast.
But as the black tendril aimed for Jinhyuk’s heart…
Whoosh!
A fierce flame erupted.
The lightning shattered against a barrier of fire.
“How can a mere human…!”
It was a full-powered attack.
Yet, it was blocked so easily.
The lich had prided itself on never being outmatched in magic by any human.
But that pride was now shattered.
Right at this moment.
Crack!
Thousands of sparks burst from the flames.
Within them…
“I’m short on time, so I’ll make this quick.”
Jinhyuk targeted the Dullahan closest to him.
Tap.
Stepped on its thigh.
And then…
Leap!
He jumped high, reaching nearly 5 meters off the ground.
Jinhyuk pulled his shoulder back.
“My strike might not be as fast as lightning…”
But he assured one thing.
“Your shield won’t block it.”
Energy infused into his dagger, enhanced with the gap stat and adaptive abilities.
A 5th circle shield stood no chance.
At least two tiers higher might have a slim possibility.
This time, Jinhyuk’s dagger vanished.
A red flash.
A beam of light shot straight at the lich.
“Ugh!?”
[5th circle ‘Energy Shield’ activates!] The lich reflexively raised its magic power.
The shield unfolded, a transparent barrier enveloping the lich.
But…
Crack!
The shield shattered like glass.
Naturally, the lich behind it was perforated.
“Cough…erk…”
In disbelief, the lich alternated its gaze between its wound and Jinhyuk.
But only for a moment.
The fierce blue light in its eyes gradually dimmed.
The severe impact had dispersed all its gathered magic power.
While it wouldn’t disperse thanks to the Life Force Vessel, it was immobilized for the time being.
‘That should wrap things up.’
Jinhyuk retrieved his dagger from the ground.
“Growl…”
“Grunt…”
The Dullahans, having lost the lich’s command, slowly retreated.
Probably due to their lost will to fight.
Jinhyuk didn’t pursue them.
After all, his purpose here wasn’t to level up but to secure items.
“Sigh.”
He steadied his breath.
Now was the time to be on alert.
He had to pass through numerous traps.
＊＊＊
“What kind of porter is that?”
Teresa muttered weakly.
She had joined Jinhyuk after clearing the undead and felt her heart racing.
She had been ready to confidently tell him how strong she was…
That she was this powerful.
But after seeing Jinhyuk’s battle, her pride plummeted to the ground.
‘It was true.’
The tale of him single-handedly taking down four Dullahans.
She had doubted it, but it was true.
And that wasn’t even his full strength.
He had completely toyed with a significantly higher-ranked lich…
‘His confidence is justified.’
With such strength, it’s no wonder he was so relaxed.
However,
The surprises didn’t end there.
Upon entering the trap zone,
Teresa found herself speechless.
“Ah…”
Her lips parted in shock.
＊＊＊
Thwack!
Jinhyuk dodged spikes that suddenly emerged from the ground.
Almost simultaneously, fifteen arrows flew towards him.
They were threatening, but a decoy.
The real threat was the invisibly coated wire.
‘With the fog, even more attention is needed.’
Crack!
As Jinhyuk deflected the arrows with his dagger, he continuously checked where to step.
Then…
[Your vision distorts.] An uncomfortable sensation hit his retina.
‘From now on, the gaps will be about 32cm off.’
Any attack would feel much faster than perceived.
This was the main reason why this section of the traps was so challenging.
He adjusted the timing he had memorized by a notch.
…Forward.
He moved again.
Ssssh.
Something grazed the ground.
This time from behind.
Right as a snake-like rope aimed for his ankle, Jinhyuk lunged forward.
Click! Click!
Each movement triggered a succession of traps.
Naturally, in this area, everything was a trigger for traps.
‘Three steps here… then two to the right.’
He kept moving.
Choosing the less dangerous path was the only option.
Physical traps were relatively easier.
The challenging ones affected the mind.
Those had to be avoided at all costs.
Just a little more.
Only about 100 meters left to the target.
[Your hearing dulls.] [Your touch numbs.] As they neared, their senses dulled.
Even the advantage of reflexes was negated by the environment.
Studying rules.
Trying to find patterns was futile.
That’s why.
Beyond this point, everything became meaningless.
The only solution was to die thousands, tens of thousands of times, memorizing the entire sequence to pass through the traps.
Boom!
Jinhyuk deflected a spear with his dagger.
Despite the chaos of his senses, he remained conscious till the end.
Bang!
Parried.
Boom!
Once more.
Bang! Bang! Boom!
And again.
‘This is… the end!’
Vroom!
He caught a spear aimed at his heart with his bare hands and tossed it to the ground.
[All senses return.] [The fog in the pit disperses.] [The undead enter eternal rest.] He groaned while reading the status window.
“My muscles are aching as if it’s been a while.”
Really, his right wrist and shoulder were sore. If only he were a few years younger, it would have been effortless.
‘But seeing this makes it all feel worth it…’
He looked at the items atop the rock.
First to catch his eye was the ancient Latin script on a long parchment.
Teresa’s desired ‘Peter’s Epistle.’
And then…
‘Yes, good to see you again.’
A crystal emitting a blinding blue light.
‘Frozen Tears.’
Finally, he was about to claim it.
‘I’ll first collect the Subspace Inventory Blueprint and the Soulstone of Binding, then call Teresa to neutralize the poison and cold from the Frozen Tears.’
Touching it with bare hands could result in severe frostbite.
But just as he was about to call Teresa…
“Put that down. Slowly.”
A low voice came from behind Jinhyuk.