Chapter 258: The Witch of Lamentation on the 15th Floor (Part 2)

Crash!

The fang thrown spun through the air before embedding itself in the ground.

“Kreee…”

The gate guardians protecting the Witch of Lamentation.

Among them, the Reaper guarding the shortest route was a named monster befitting the nickname of the Grim Reaper.

Suddenly, the air shifted.

As its arm rose above its shoulder.

[Gate Guardian ‘Reaper’ activates the skill ‘Grim Reaper’s Scythe’!]

Whoom!

The scythe swept horizontally.

But saying it ‘swept’ is just a way of describing it.

The scythe, leaving no afterimage, made its trajectory unreadable.

It was the very attack that had dissected countless raid teams.

However.

Jinhyuk already had a massive greatsword in his hand.

The Berserker’s Greatsword.

As massive as its name suggested, it appeared.

Boom!

The scythe and greatsword collided, sending a heavy shockwave rippling out.

“Kree…?”

A different kind of sound escaped from the Reaper’s mouth.

Naturally.

The Grim Reaper’s Scythe was a skill meant to cut off its target’s life in one stroke.

Yet for the first time, it failed to perform its function.

“Too slow.”

Jinhyuk swung the Berserker’s Greatsword, deflecting the scythe.

Crash!

Not a reaction based on sight, but an outcome of learning.

The slight tremor in the air, the amount of magical power flowing from the blindfold, even the subtle movements in the fingers holding the scythe.

There were countless ways to standardize a pattern.

“Kraaaa!”

A rage akin to a storm erupted immediately.

This time, the scythe began to slash like a tempest.

[Reaper activates its unique ability ‘Dance of the Reaper’!]

Head, shoulders, arms, abdomen, legs.

It was a barrage of strikes, indiscriminately aiming to mutilate Jinhyuk’s entire body.

The mere wind pressure from the scythe sliced through the stones on the ground like paper.

Boom!

However, Jinhyuk, even faster than the Reaper, swung his greatsword, deflecting every attack.

As if he knew exactly where each strike would come from.

“I told you.”

Jinhyuk’s lips curled up.

“Slow.”

At that, admiration spilled from both Lee Taemin and Yu Yeonhwa’s mouths.

Though it was a different kind of admiration than expected.

“Wow, hyung, I’ve never heard someone say that in real life.”

“Brother, this isn’t a game. Besides, the viewers are watching, aren’t they?”

Was it appropriate for someone who used to go by the nickname ‘Firestarter’ to say that?

Certainly, those two shouldn’t be the ones to talk.

• Special1: Ah, ‘so slow’ even the swinging of the scythe.
• kdb: Is this the difference between edited videos and live broadcasts? Oof, take responsibility for my cringe!
• sod: Magic resistance deficiency! Magic resistance deficiency! We can’t hold on any longer…
• Kim Kyung-soo: Crackling! This is the rear guard. Only those with strong magic resistance should proceed.
• Jelly: Oh my. Even baby widdle me can’t bear this anymore.
• Lee Seung-jun: I see why they only upload edited versions. They cut out stuff like this later, right?
• Se-yeong Eonhwan: Don’t be too harsh, there must be a reason for their actions.
• Jin Wook: —Wow. That was epic.
• Park Yeong-bae: Info) A grim reaper is a being that takes the souls of the dead to the afterlife when a person dies…

The chuckling of viewers seemed to ring in his ears.

But it was inevitable.

To defeat the Gate Guardian… no, to conquer this ruin, one had to understand their characteristics.

[Excessive confidence is a poison, but not to the master of this ruin. The ruins ‘Tomb of the Antichrist’ where the Witch of Lamentation resides is a massive temple fashioned after that sin. ‘Reaper’, one of the gate guardians, embodies the cardinal sin of ‘Pride’.]

Was it too delightful to watch the Seven Deadly Sins commit evil and despair that she wanted to create apostles like them?

The gate guardians here were replicas created by the Witch of Lamentation after meeting the ‘Seven Deadly Sins’ and crafting them in adoration.

And.

The Reaper before him was the first of those apostles.

Pride.

Deceiving its opponent, always carrying a lofty assurance of victory, no matter the situation.

The reason the raid teams hadn’t broken through the Reaper was because they were overwhelmed in their first encounter.

‘Even its grim appearance and long scythe are devices for that effect.’

If one is intimidated even once, a wide-reaching debuff skill decreases all stats and abilities by 30%.

But.

Conversely, knowing all this and preparing for it means one could be free from the wide-reaching debuff skill.

Of course, the prerequisite is having the skill to back it up.

[Reaper’s wide-reaching debuff skill ‘Contempt for the Weak’ has been deactivated.]

Good.

The passive of the wide-reaching debuff skill ‘Contempt for the Weak’ has vanished.

It was thanks to not being dominated by the opponent’s momentum for a duration of three minutes.

‘The viewers’ reaction is good too…’

Now it was time to really start crushing.

To make everyone rave about this raid.

Shortly after, the rankers from the three major guilds who entered the ruin had to confront a reality beyond all their predictions.

“How can this be…”

“My word.”

“How can he alone…”

Their pupils shook with shock.

It was inevitable.

The Grim Reaper they had struggled so much against…

Was being utterly destroyed by this one man.

• mzs: Are these even human movements? Looks like he’s using hacks.
• Ankim: Who said Jinhyuk was human?
• Won Junho: I have a friend in the three guilds, and they said they all got wrecked by that Reaper.
• Nameless: Wow, so all the big guild rankers combined are no match for Jinhyuk alone?
• hyu: Even Nirasha, Maria, and Park Jungjin are named, but it looks tough to match Jinhyuk.
• Hwang Jaewon: Let’s drain our coins to donate.

[RegretfulReturnees donated 1,000 coins. – Enjoy buying bread with this.]

[indolence donated 800 coins. – Have a milk too.]

• Choi Seungri: Ah, if I knew there was a live, I would have saved some. I donated elsewhere.
• hal: Me too. Please leave a notice next time!
• uau: The skill is truly breathtaking. It’s like he’s playing with them.
• I love kids: At this point, the Reaper is becoming pitiable.
• Aaak: This is why I only watch Jinhyuk’s videos. LOL.

The flood of comments from the viewers.

Already, various communities and ViewTube were abuzz as Jinhyuk’s live broadcast skyrocketed in real-time rankings.

Rapid.

The large and heavy greatsword felt weightless.

What’s more astonishing, he wasn’t just being swayed by speed; he was creating new sword paths through it.

The Reaper was fighting back with all its might, but the balance had long been tipped.

Strike by strike.

With each crossing of sword and scythe, the Reaper’s form was greatly diminished.

It was almost over.

The battle was about to be decided.

And as expected…

Crack!

The third sword strike punctured the Reaper’s body.

“Kreaaaa!!!”

The tearing roar was the Reaper’s last dying scream.

With a thud, the Reaper’s body dispersed into a wisp of smoke.

A terribly anticlimactic end for a guardian that had tormented so many players.

‘To think that was possible.’

Nirasha bit her lower lip as she watched Jinhyuk.

She had bitterly felt his strength in the empire’s underground tomb, but thought she could win now after her second awakening.

But.

‘Is it possible?’

She doubted herself. If she fought him now, could she definitely win?

Her new mandala from the second awakening might allow her to surpass her limits, but…

‘Would I have to risk my life to even stand a chance?’

The fact that she needed to go to such lengths just to be on equal footing was a hard reality to accept.

Just then.

Jinhyuk dusted off his greatsword.

“Hmm.”

As if to say, not bad, he nodded and then turned to the gathered players.

The players, lost in the aftermath, only came to their senses as Jinhyuk approached.

“Player Kang Jinhyuk. It’s been a while.”

Maria was the first to speak.

Since they had a connection from the masquerade. Among those present, she was the most familiar face.

By now, she might have undergone her second awakening…

Curious if she had copied the highest-tier of flame magic, Hellfire.

“Pleased to meet you. I’m Park Jungjin from Dangun.”

Park Jungjin introduced himself.

These two were at least somewhat friendly.

“Normally, I don’t like to meddle in others’ affairs, but I had to step in after hearing the number of victims was increasing.”

“After sticking your spoon so deep into the dish, you sure talk a lot. This is a ruin we claimed. If you want to raid, look elsewhere.”

Nirasha’s eyes flared with killing intent.

Well, we’re not exactly on chatting terms.

We were just drawing weapons to take each other’s lives a moment ago.

But does Nirasha realize?

Whatever she says, it’s already too late.

• Noname: What did she just say to Jinhyuk?
• Heyhey: Wow, Gandhara Guild. I had high hopes after their rapid growth, but this is disappointing.
• AEng: Gotta capture this and post it on the community. They’re willing to throw away humanity’s future over their pride.
• Kang Hanseong: With only two months left, if they fail, will the three guilds take responsibility?
• qpq: Unsubscribed, here I come.
• peter: I’m not even eating curry anymore. Blech, ptooey.
• Ahn Enbri: Monopolizing is really crossing the line.
• 108: If there was a chance, maybe, but they’ve been failing all along, haven’t they?
• That’s Right: Came back after exams only to see something I wish I hadn’t.

Do you know what’s most important in politicking?

‘Making allies.’

No matter how absurd or nonsensical one might be, if there are those who applaud, their words carry weight.

Even falsehoods can be wrapped in seemingly plausible truths by public opinion.

“Let me ask you once more.”

Jinhyuk grinned.

“Do you really want me to withdraw my hand?”

He was willing to give them the decision.

Of course, there was only one choice available.

Ultimately, Nirasha had to grudgingly accept Jinhyuk’s participation.

With hundreds of thousands watching, raising objections would have been untenable given the potential backlash.

As the situation settled, Jinhyuk found a quiet spot to bid farewell to his viewers.

“Well, this concludes the broadcast. I don’t know when the next live will be, but I hope to see you again soon.”

• Hyun: Ah, why not continue the live until the boss is defeated? There’d be tons of donations.
• Squirrel: He needs to focus on the fight, let’s understand. Let’s not pressure him too much.
• Let’s Go: Totally Jinbari, which means ‘Jinhyuk Bye’ in slang.
• Cheonri: The timing to catch a boss is just too perfect to hold him back.
• gur: Hyung, please upload one video a day. The upload interval is killing me.
• Quack: Can’t help it. But make sure to upload the video on ViewTube.
• Lee Eun-seop: Yep, subscribed and waiting 24 hours.
• plo: Bye bye, see you next time Jinhyuk oppa.
• app: Yeah, till next clumsy.
• ild: Always supporting you, so hang in there!
• Ko Young-jun: I’ll hold my breath till you come back. Whew!

Viewers expressed their regret as they left one by one.

[The broadcasting system has been terminated.]

The status window went dark as everyone left.

But Jinhyuk didn’t move from his spot.

Instead…

He muttered towards the empty air.

“I have something I’m curious about. I really want to ask, so please don’t pretend you don’t know… It’d be tiring for both of us to act now.”

It was a question that wouldn’t return.

But.

• Se-yeong Eonhwan: Hmm? Were you calling me? Oh, I guess I’m the only one left in the chat.

A viewer responded.

A curious incident.

The broadcast system had been off for a while.

Doubt turned to conviction.

Or perhaps he had suspected it all along, just needing more time to face that reality.

Se-yeong Eonhwan.

When he first entered the broadcast, someone had asked why he chose that ID.

His response was ‘because new heroes are always welcome.’

“But did you know? At that time, I was wearing a mask and posing as Unknown.”

His first broadcast was activated during the raid of Thousand-Eyes Avalokitesvara.

He had definitely started and ended the broadcast masked.

But from then until now…

Se-yeong Eonhwan had always left comments as if he equated himself with Unknown.

Additionally, he had left significant, incisive comments on every video unlike other viewers.

Not merely laughing and chatting, delighting in every move of the player…

Yes.

As if he saw through to my essence.

A deity?

Impossible.

Merely a deity couldn’t do what was happening.

Even they hadn’t seen the top of the tower and were bound by its laws, merely being higher beings.

More importantly, deities wouldn’t have cared about fledgling entrants to the tower at that time.

So…

The answer is clear.

“You are the one who…”

Jinhyuk trailed off.

“Let me correct myself. Are you the one who created this world?”