Chapter 254: Vlog Life in Europe (1)
Three days had passed since the eventful night. Although the Empire and the Martial World were still at war, a temporary ceasefire was declared to allow both sides to recuperate and manage the damage inflicted by the demon raids.
For those few weeks, they planned to recover and reorganize their ranks. During this time, Jinhyuk had been extraordinarily busy, addressing the backlog of tasks accumulated over the past three days.
Though the Giants’ Fortress had secured its status as a duchy, the management of its territory was no small task, especially since Balmung had suffered considerable durability loss and required repairs.
Luckily, the task of repairing it was taken up by Orun, the dwarf blacksmith, who agreed to it willingly.
“You want me to repair something this incredible?”
“Yes. I trust you with this task, Orun. It’s quite worn out, so please handle it with care. And don’t forget to send it back to the coordinates of my subspace inventory once it’s done.”
“What if I end up breaking it?”
“Then you’ll have to pay with your body. Ah, but don’t worry, I won’t kill you or anything. You’ll just be hammering away in a sunlight-deprived cell with only one meal a day, no pressure at all.”
…
A surprisingly warm exchange, indeed.
Having wrapped up his tasks in the Empire, Jinhyuk boarded a flight to Europe. Originally, he planned to rest leisurely in Korea before tackling the 15th floor, but at Teresa’s earnest suggestion, they decided to visit her family estate in Europe.
Jinhyuk, Alice, Andrea, Ophelia, Wolyoung, and Chun Yoosung were greeted at the airport by a Rolls Royce Ghost, which took them through the city to the tranquil suburbs. Soon after, Yoon Yoohwa and Lee Taemin joined them, completing the assembly of the main team members.
How long had they driven?
The car stopped at a scenic spot where nature thrived.
“Wow…”
“Whoa.”
“Man, rich people really are on another level.”
Exclamations of awe escaped everyone’s lips.
The three-story mansion near the entrance was entirely made of white marble, complete with antique statues, a wooden gazebo, and a small lake around it. Indeed, it was evident why they were known as a distinguished family in Europe.
Just then…
“You’re all here… Oh, but why are you all standing outside our house?”
Teresa approached, tilting her head in confusion.
“Alexandros… what?”
“Alexandros. You know, the one I gave you…”
Alexandros… could it be…?
Ah! Now I get it.
“The hamster you gave me, right? Wait, you mean this house is for the hamster?”
This massive mansion?
For real?
If this were in another continent, it could house not only three generations but also their extended families and neighbors.
“Yes, my pet likes spacious places. We wanted to give it freedom, so it ended up like this.”
Teresa said with an awkward smile.
Upon closer inspection, a stern-looking hamster clutching a sunflower seed, wearing a golden crown and a red fur cape—the portrait of Alexandros II—hung in the center of the mansion.
“What kind of hamster house is this…”
“To think I’ve been living in a smaller place than a hamster…”
Yoon Yoohwa and Lee Taemin’s mouths gaped open.
…
Even Chun Yoosung seemed flustered, his eyebrows knitting together.
As everyone’s attention shifted to Teresa’s wealth, Alice puffed up her cheeks.
Poke, poke.
Her sharp fingers jabbed into Jinhyuk’s side.
“Why?”
“My palace was much bigger and more magnificent. There are statues made of bats, and Pegasus run around in the gardens.”
She sounded like a jealous child.
Just a few days ago, she had been so noble and powerful.
“Sure, sure. You’ll have to show me your house someday.”
Jinhyuk chuckled and patted Alice’s head.
“Tweat!”
Goguma seemed envious of Alexandros’ portrait, blinking his pumpkin-colored eyes.
“Uh-huh. Next time, I’ll get you a fancy frame too. Much bigger than that one.”
After all, a creature of ancient lineage couldn’t be outdone by a mere hamster.
How long had they walked while taking in the surroundings?
It took a good while before they finally reached Teresa’s actual family home.
A mansion of another dimension entirely.
Beyond the edge of the forest, the mansion stretched farther than the eye could see.
“Even the wealthy in the Middle East would envy this,” Jinhyuk thought.
The Rosenberg family, nobility of longstanding renown and now thriving on the crystallization technology of mana stones since the emergence of the Tower of Trials, was truly on a path lined with roses.
With Teresa having saved Amsterdam from the outbreak and her dazzling actions in the tower, it was as if a tiger had grown wings.
“Ah, I’ve been waiting for you. Please, come in.”
A genial middle-aged man greeted them.
“I am Teresa’s father. Just call me Dustin, haha.”
Dustin de Rosenberg.
Yes, this man was Teresa’s father, often seen in the news.
“Nice to meet you. I am Kang Jinhyuk.”
Jinhyuk responded with a bright smile, followed by brief introductions from Alice, Chun Yoosung, and the rest of the group.
“It’s an honor to meet such celebrities in person, whom I’ve only seen in the Hall of Fame or on VTube.”
“You know about us?”
“Of course. Who in this era doesn’t know about the Veteran Corporation? Especially Player Kang Jinhyuk, you’re a celebrity, more famous than any high-ranker for saving Europe from the Lich, single-handedly no less.”
Something reminded Dustin to pull out an envelope.
“Oh, look at me, getting so excited I almost forgot. This is a letter of thanks personally written by the Prime Minister of England. And this one here is from the President of France, asking me to pass it along. And it’s not just them; all of Europe is truly grateful to Player Kang Jinhyuk.”
A bunch of letters cascaded down.
Hmm.
Having spent so much time in the tower, Jinhyuk hadn’t realized how widely his name had spread.
Seeing leaders from various countries stepping forward like this made it quite evident.
The corners of Jinhyuk’s mouth twisted slightly.
‘Gratitude is just a front. Through Dustin, they want to establish a connection with me…’
He understood.
The influence of a ranker capable of acting in the tower was greater than an army’s.
“It was nothing more than my duty. I’m overwhelmed by your kind thoughts.”
“Ah, such humility too. Truly, a top-ranker is different. I really envy you.”
Envy…
Was he thinking of connecting with the European guilds?
Such scout offers were nothing new to Jinhyuk.
However, Dustin’s next words caught him off guard.
“How about it? Why not consider meeting my youngest daughter seriously? It might be improper for me to say, but I can assure you Teresa is second to none. They’re both of the right age for marriage, so why not have a grand engagement celebration?”
Even Jinhyuk, who had faced countless trials, was taken aback.
“…Excuse me?”
“Father!”
“No!”
Three voices rang out simultaneously.
Jinhyuk looked stunned, Teresa’s cheeks flushed red, and Alice bared her fangs.
“It seems we came here to relax, but I guess that was a mistake.”
Chun Yoosung clicked his tongue in disgust.
“Woaaaah. Heh.”
Only Andrea’s eyes sparkled, watching the drama unfold like a morning soap opera.
Dustin’s bombshell comment caused a storm to pass through.
It was the first time Teresa looked so embarrassed and the first time Alice appeared so enraged.
The exact reason was unclear, but probably the concern that their contractor might get distracted by talks of marriage and break their agreement.
“Father, can we talk… just the two of us? Jinhyuk, I’m really sorry. My father shouldn’t have said something so strange…”
“Oh, haven’t you always spoken highly of Player Kang Jinhyuk? If you like him so much and such a fine person is available, you should seize the opportunity. Player Kang Jinhyuk, please consider it seriously. Our family would certainly not harm you. We’ve recently discovered a new technique for enhancing weapons with mana stones…”
“Father!”
Dustin was dragged away somewhat forcibly by Teresa, bringing an end to the matter for the moment.
Later, the group decided to tour the mansion and spend some free time before dinner.
Alice, seemingly upset, disappeared.
Chun Yoosung sat in a gazebo overlooking the lake, engrossed in the anatomy and osteology PPTs on his I-pad.
And Jinhyuk…
He headed alone into the midst of the forest.
‘Is this far enough?’
There were still important tasks to address post-raid.
Checking his growth and rewards.
‘I told Taemin and Yoohwa to come in 30 minutes, so I better check quickly.’
Firstly,
Jinhyuk activated his personal status window.
Ding!
——————————————————
Name: Kang Jinhyuk
Gender: Male
Age: 27
Level: 94
Strength 89 Agility 30 Stamina 40 Magic Power 221 Rift 100 Luck 10 Adaptation 78 Energy 4,367
Available Stat Points: 24
Coins: 0
Class: Rune Interpreter
Unique Abilities: ‘Fusion’, ‘Tomb of the Sword’, ‘Star’s Blessing’, ‘Judgement of Anubis’, ‘Blood Magic’, ‘Mandala’, ‘1 Second Invulnerability’, ‘Thousand Poisons’, ‘White Beast’, ‘Shared Prosperity’, ‘Sanctuary of the Sun’, ‘Black Sky Demon Emperor Art’, ‘Triple Magic’, ‘Giant’s Strike’, ‘Breath of the Fire Dragon’, ‘High-Speed Sword’, ‘Tombgraver’s Right Arm’, ‘Berserker’, ‘Domain of the Wind’, ‘Shadow Extreme Kill’, ‘Blood Explosion’
Skills: ‘Primordial Flame’ Lv13, ‘Gluttonous Eye’ Lv12, ‘Sympathy’ Lv9, ‘Brand of the Soul’ Lv10, ‘Poison Eater’ Lv8, ‘Shallow Breathing’ Lv8, ‘Ice Sculpting’ Lv13, ‘Daylight’ Lv11, ‘Giant’s Grasp’ Lv8, ‘Soul Chasing Sword’ Lv9, ‘Double Agent’ Lv2, ‘True Great Clear Flower Knight Heart Method’ Lv7, ‘Sword Demon Emperor’s Step’ Lv12, ‘Blurry Scent’ Lv3, ‘Mental Barrier’ Lv5, ‘Celestial Melody’ Lv4, ‘Otherworldly Diner’ Lv4, ‘Crimson Magic Bullet’ Lv10, ‘Heaven and Earth Net’ Lv3, ‘Soul Vampirism’ Lv4, ‘Demon Soul Sword’ Lv3, ‘Nail that Hides the Moon’ Lv9, ‘Draw Sword’ Lv2, ‘Undead Manufacturing’ Lv5, ‘Battlefield Selection’ Lv4, ‘Diplomacy’ Lv2
Barriers: Too many learned barriers to display, switched to ‘Folded Away’ status.
——————————————————
Jinhyuk’s face lit up with a contented smile as he looked at his unique abilities and skills.
‘Indeed, the experience from a head of family level is on a whole different scale.’
A whopping 8 levels.
He had secured 24 stat points from defeating Decasus.
Considering he was nearing triple-digit levels, gaining 8 levels at once was simply phenomenal.
‘I’ll need to distribute some points to strength to handle Balmung better.’
[Strength increases from 89 → 101.]
[Magic Power increases from 221 → 233.]
Good.
With the stat points allocated, it was time to check the long-awaited rewards.
Jinhyuk’s gaze shifted to a red accessory he had just pulled out from his subspace inventory.
Decasus’s Seal.
He hadn’t expected this item to appear.
While he had hunted heads of families in official raids past the 40th floor, this was the first time he had confronted one under such unfavorable conditions.
‘That’s why the reward must match the challenge.’
Decasus’s Seal not only granted authority over all vampires of the Decasus family but also conferred the status of a head of family.
In essence, a new head of family was born.
However, the true value of the seal did not stop there.
It was the artifact used by Amulam in his lifetime, a powerful relic comparable to a unique holy weapon, allowing its holder to summon it outside its original floor…
This was why the seal was an overwhelmingly valuable reward.
“Phew.”
Jinhyuk steadied his trembling heart.
Magic flowed from his fingertips into the seal.
Simultaneously.
Whoooom!
[‘Decasus’s Seal’ is activated!]
A dazzling light flashed.