Chapter 255: Vlog Life in Europe (2)

The dimensional rift split open, revealing a space dyed in purple.

It was a gate leading to Amulam’s personal vault.

‘Now is the time to choose.’

Using the seal right now could grant access to all the relics Amulam had utilized on the 40th floor.

However, forcibly manifesting items from the upper floors or outside the tower would only allow for one relic to be taken.

‘The rest would be destroyed as a consequence.’

It was a decision between using one relic now or waiting to use them all later.

The best course of action in this situation was clear to Jinhyuk.

‘Obviously, I shouldn’t give up on anything.’

Why choose one over the other when he could use one relic now and still utilize the rest later on the 40th floor?

The vampires, blindly obedient to the system, never imagined there could be another way.

But even in a system that seemed perfect, there were flaws.

A critical flaw.

[Unique Ability Triple Magic – ‘Infinite Magic’ activates.]

Ancient runes circled around Jinhyuk, forming magical circles in red, blue, and green.

[Unique Ability ‘Blood Magic’ blossoms.]

A mysterious swirl of light appeared above the red magic circle.

He then layered ‘Mental Barrier’ over it on the green circle, encasing the Blood Magic to ensure its long-term preservation, as if wrapping it.

Finally.

[Lv13 ‘Glacial Sculpting’ activates.]

He began to freeze the dummy he created, following the blue magic circle. Frost spread, shaping the ice into a semblance of a sword.

‘Mental Barrier’ and ‘Glacial Sculpting’ preserved the dense magic of Blood Magic, replicating the unique scent of vampires while filtering out all other magical properties.

Jinhyuk sighed deeply, unaware of the cold sweat beading on his forehead from the intense concentration.

But at last, it was done.

‘This should be enough to fool the system once.’

By the time the system sensed the anomaly and tried to correct it, he would have already achieved his goal.

Now, to see which item to switch.

Jinhyuk scrutinized the items within the rift.

Rings, necklaces, a rapier, an old book, and a painting in a frame caught his eye.

He recognized the first three, but the last two were new to him.

‘It would be nice to check and choose, but it’s a pity that’s not possible.’

Merely activating the Gluttonous Eye would count as making a choice, so this decision had to rely solely on luck and intuition.

Choosing a known item was the safest bet, ensuring at least some value from using the seal.

But then something caught Jinhyuk’s eye.

The painting. Specifically, the script in one corner of the painting.

It was composed of a much more complex and arcane structure than any ancient runes he had known—a ‘Lost Language’.

Moreover, the scenery depicted in the painting felt strangely familiar.

Not an imaginary landscape, but one from reality.

‘This isn’t just a painting.’

It was more akin to a map.

Pointing to a location with the lost language, revealing one of the secrets of the tower he had been searching for.

No need for hesitation.

Jinhyuk switched the ice dummy with the painting.

Woooong!

The system emitted a strange resonance, but only briefly.

[You have acquired the Masterpiece ‘Where Silence Pervades’.]

-‘Where Silence Pervades’

-Acquisition Difficulty: Immeasurable

-Description: A painting owned by Amulam de Decasus, a clan leader of Decasus. It depicts a landscape of the tower, but the exact location remains undisclosed. Only those with a certain ability can truly discern its value.

That meant only someone who could interpret runes, specifically, someone who knew this was the Lost Language, could understand its true meaning.

The text was composed of multiple runes whose exact meaning was unclear.

‘Fire.’

Part of the rune definitely denoted that.

Conventional wisdom suggested not to set fire to a painting—clearly a deterrent against destroying such a valuable item.

‘Well, no one would be foolish enough to burn such a priceless artifact.’

Jinhyuk focused magic into his fingertips.

Fwoosh!

‘Primeval Flame’ licked the edge of the painting.

At that moment, as if by magic, the landscape within the painting began to change.

The sunlit forest and plains disappeared.

In their place, twelve black pillars stood tall.

‘…This place.’

It was a location even Jinhyuk recognized.

＊＊＊

Thirty minutes later.

Jinhyuk gathered the scattered members of the group.

“Yeonhwa and Tae-min, you two will undergo a simple test. Nothing grand, just spar with the opponents I designate.”

“Each of us against one?”

“No, you two will team up. You’ve been syncing well together, haven’t you?”

As they would play a critical role in ascending the tower, it was necessary to gauge how much they had grown.

Part of this was also to create a promotional video for the Deep Water Corporation.

‘With the organization having grown to a medium scale, it’s necessary to have a main video and a website to match.’

Yes, company promotion.

That was, in fact, the main focus.

The location was sponsored, the cast was stellar, and the production cost could be covered by their passion—conditions couldn’t be better.

Above all, the people here didn’t yet realize they were part of a promotional video for the company.

Of course, they would eventually realize they were being exploited, but by then, they’d already be deep in the mire.

“Are you sure it’s okay? Just one person against the two of us might be tough.”

“Bro, you shouldn’t think of us as we were before. Yeonhwa and I have conquered double-digit labyrinths together.”

Yeonhwa and Tae-min stepped forward confidently.

Indeed, the aura emanating from the two had completely changed from before.

They were once ranked among the ‘Strongest Duos’ in the Tower’s community forums.

Koreans truly were different.

Then…

“Andrea.”

Jinhyuk turned to Andrea.

“Me?”

“Yes, you can use the ‘Fox Orb’.”

“…Alright, I’ll give it a try.”

Andrea nodded.

[Andrea has activated the beast transformation spirit ‘Nine-Tailed Fox’.]

Silently, nine fiery tails grew behind her, and her ears sharpened as her pupils turned yellow.

This was going to be a hit.

He could already feel the views skyrocketing.

On the other hand…

“Tae-min.”

“Yeah, I see why he asked us to face two. It’s going to be tough.”

The smiles vanished from Yeonhwa and Tae-min’s faces.

Instinctively, they realized that having two people didn’t guarantee victory.

The refined energy of the True Great Clear Flower Knight Heart Technique now took a complete form, showcasing its formidable close-combat prowess.

Kwang!

Yeonhwa dashed forward.

[Tae-min activates his unique ability ‘Mechanical Lord’ – ‘Apocalypse Guardian’.]

Tae-min also used his power.

Clank!

His entire body was enveloped in silver armor.

Ah.

Jinhyuk’s eyes narrowed.

Unlike before, where he primarily used drones and small turrets, this form allowed the caster to engage in direct combat, similar to the Titans seen in the empire.

‘Tae-min has really mastered his Mechanical Lord ability.’

This was getting more interesting.

A great BGM and a fitting narration would make this the perfect prologue video.

Jinhyuk recorded every scene without missing a beat.

＊＊＊

Hours later, an extraordinary scene unfolded in the garden of the Rosenberg mansion.

“I, I am… the ultimate sword of the Deep Water Corporation. Sword Saint Chun. Yoo. Sung… What a bunch of crap! What the hell am I doing this for!”

Chun Yoosung threw down his sword, his chest heaving with rage.

So unprofessional.

“Your sword-drawing scene really clicks with the audience. Just get the mood and voice right, and the views will skyrocket.”

“Don’t make me laugh. It’s all just for your benefit. There’s no reason for me to do such an embarrassing thing.”

Chun Yoosung flatly refused.

Hmm…

“No choice then. Wolyoung, you take over as the sword saint.”

“Me, my lord?”

“Yes. Honestly, you’re not lacking in skills or looks. Actually, you might even be better.”

Jinhyuk glanced slyly at Chun Yoosung.

His face turned ashen, clearly enraged.

“I’m… less skilled?”

“Officially, yes. This video is also meant to sort out our company’s hierarchy. Wolyoung will take over as the sword saint, and you can be… well, passing guard #3.”

The kind of extra who gets knocked out by the main character’s sword from a distance, barely appearing for a second on screen.

“Gah! Step aside. I’ll do it.”

Chun Yoosung grabbed his sword again.

As expected.

With the new semester starting soon, even Chun Yoosung would want to avoid being introduced as a mere extra in front of undergraduate students.

At that moment…

Jinhyuk’s gaze shifted.

There, Goguma and the spirits were striking poses in unison.

“Earth.”

“Fire…”

“Wind…”

“Strength…”

Their voices were utterly exhausted.

It was their 78th take of the Spirit Special Forces & Ancient Species Air Show collaboration, understandably tiring after repeated NGs.

Due to multiple takes, Salamander’s mouth now emitted black smoke instead of flames.

The gnome’s body was no longer covered in fresh mud but soggy sludge.

But…

“No, that’s not it. Let’s try again with more passion. You know, more intense, impactful, majestic yet beautiful. Right? Kind of like that?”

Jinhyuk clapped, demanding the 79th take.

Unable to endure any longer, Sylphid stepped forward to represent them.

“Master, we feel like we’re going to die. Even spirits have the right to a 50-hour work week and a 10-minute break per hour of work.”

“You want a break?”

“Yes.”

“There was another guy who said that an hour ago. Aren’t you curious why you don’t see Undine around?”

Jinhyuk smiled slyly.

Water spirit Undine.

Now that he mentioned it, there was indeed a vacancy among the spirits.

“Where is Undine, master? She’s just resting comfortably, right?”

“Hmm. How should I put this?”

“Answer, master. Where is Undine right now?”

“She said she’d rather die than continue. Wanted to rest leisurely in flowing water.”

So he let her rest.

In the lake right in front of them.

But now, the normally calm lake’s surface began to churn violently.

“Master, why are there waves in the lake?”

Salamander flicked its tongue.

“Well, I put some ‘Blood Piranhas’ in there for feeding time.”

The more they moved, the more tender their flesh became—a delicacy unique to the tower.

And probably, Undine was energetically playing tag inside.

“Eeeek…!”

“Master! I think I heard Undine’s screams?”

“You’re mistaken. Undine is resting comfortably. Of course, if you’re curious how comfortable she is, I can let you rest too.”

“…”

“I like filming movies. I’ve always dreamed of being a superstar in the spirit world.”

“Me too! Me too!”

“Hehe. I can’t wait to shoot again.”

No more complaints from the spirits.

They all sweated profusely as they debated how to perfect their poses and scenes for the next take.