Chapter 467
A mere few dozen grams.
That was all it took to decide the winner.
“You coward… You just sat back and watched, only to steal the win at the last second? You have no pride or honor…”
“There’s no such thing as pride or honor in a battle for life and death. It’s not like I can engrave that onto my tombstone.”
Honor and pride might matter in the Empire or Murim, but not here.
Not among the veterans of the Tower, who had long abandoned such meaningless ideals.
More importantly—
“Shouldn’t you be worrying about your head instead?”
Jinhyuk pointed above Behemoth.
Whoosh!
The two spheres merged into one, forming a massive purple sun.
An inferno beyond imagination.
The searing heat scorched the air, radiating all the way to the ground.
Even Behemoth wouldn’t survive a direct hit.
“Go ahead and endure it. Or maybe you can use that oh-so-important honor of yours as a shield.”
Jinhyuk casually waved his hand.
At that moment—
[Due to the ability ‘Consuming Growth,’ the loser will be struck by ‘Abyssal Sun’!]
Like a falling meteor—
From above…
To below.
A massive sun came crashing down.
Blocking it was meaningless.
Aside from abilities related to gluttony, all other powers were sealed in this match.
Dodging was also impossible due to the fixed targeting.
In the blink of an eye, the distance closed.
“Ugh… Kuaaaah!”
BOOOOM!
The purple sphere smashed into Behemoth, crushing her massive body.
⁕ ⁕ ⁕
Crackle! Sizzle!
Sparks burst from her body.
The stench of burning flesh filled the air.
“Ugh… Ahhh….”
With her mana depleted, Behemoth reverted to her human form, groaning in pain.
“Wow, you actually survived that? That’s impressive in its own way. Kraken was the same. Guess ancient species really are built different.”
Jinhyuk looked at Behemoth with admiration.
“Cough! Ugh! Damn it… Just finish it already. Stop acting cocky… If you give me time to recover, you won’t get another chance like this.”
“Well, you’re not wrong.”
Killing Behemoth here would yield an enormous amount of experience and rewards.
Especially the black greatsword she wielded—one of the highest-tier weapons, boasting immense attack power and special skills.
It was practically on par with slaying a Demon King.
However—
‘Keeping her alive is even more valuable.’
Jinhyuk had no intention of letting Behemoth die so easily.
[Replication conditions have been met.]
[Successfully copied the unique ability ‘Consuming Growth.’]
[Consuming Growth (Passive)]
Acquisition Difficulty: Unmeasurable
Description: A unique ability of Behemoth. Every time something is consumed, its energy is converted into raw power, allowing infinite growth.
[The copied ability has been stored in ‘Memories of the World.’]
Copying a unique ability alone was a great achievement.
But forfeiting the opportunity to replicate another skill in 90 days? Unacceptable.
Especially Storm Stride—a skill that creates storms with every step.
If fused with Domain of the Wind, it could produce a synergy far surpassing Behemoth’s current usage.
And if Jinhyuk could acquire that one particular wind-based ability from the upper floors…
It could become a key skill for conquering the 50th floor.
Just the thought of gaining new abilities made Jinhyuk’s heart race.
Of course—
‘Why isn’t he finishing me off?’
From Behemoth’s perspective, watching Jinhyuk grin at the air was utterly baffling.
“If you’re trying to mock me…”
“No.”
Jinhyuk shook his head.
“That’s not it. No matter how much we fought, there’s no way I’d look down on an ancient species.”
Especially not one who governed Apocalypse.
Her presence carried significant weight.
Thus—
Jinhyuk extended his hand toward Behemoth.
Seizing the chance to recruit a new subordinate.
“Instead of relying on someone like Guntafer, who abandons his own comrades, why not join us? I’ll show you something beyond this dreary place—the very peak of the Tower itself.”
“The peak of the Tower… You mean, the summit?”
“I heard the view up there is pretty nice.”
“……”
A strange glint flickered in Behemoth’s eyes.
Throughout her countless years of existence,
No one had ever dared to speak of reaching the top of the Tower.
Everyone merely settled for their respective floors, satisfied with their position—or perhaps, slightly more ambitious, striving for the next level.
That was all they could do.
Because the beings guarding the 50th floor were beyond comprehension.
Primordial Entities.
Transcendent beings who simply observed everything from above.
They allowed no one to step into their domain.
And yet—
This human was saying he would go there?
“If it were anyone else… I’d dismiss it as nonsense. Even I have never entertained such reckless thoughts.”
However.
For some reason—
Behemoth didn’t find Jinhyuk’s words entirely absurd.
It wasn’t just because of his overwhelming mana or combat prowess.
It was something else.
A unique sense of composure.
Yes. That absolute confidence only those who had truly seen everything could exude.
“But you do realize, right? I’m bound to Guntafer by a subjugation contract. I can’t join you.”
Defying it meant death.
Betrayal was impossible.
“Don’t worry about that. I know how to break your contract.”
“How? Do you even know what kind of contract it is—”
“It’s the Chains of Ruin, right? The contract you made. The red serpent-shaped tattoo on your shoulder is the shackle. To break it, a third party unrelated to the contract has to interfere. And by ‘interfere,’ I mean extracting Guntafer’s heart before he dies.”
Behemoth’s face went blank.
She was at a loss for words.
“…What the hell are you?”
“Just an ordinary player.”
A climber of the Tower.
That was true in the past.
And it would remain true even now.
Jinhyuk reached out toward Behemoth once more.
“Our company doesn’t discriminate against non-human species. In fact, ancient species are especially welcome. Isn’t that right, everyone?”
He turned to his various companions, seeking confirmation.
“M-Mogii…”
Goguma subtly shook his head.
“Don’t go. Ahead of you lies… ‘hell’…”
“Miyoooo!”
“Stay!”
“Hehe. Having a new slave isn’t so bad. Just remember this—this place will be unlike anything you’ve ever experienced…”
Each of them blurted out their thoughts without filter.
Of course.
You. Will. Die.
After seeing the shape of Jinhyuk’s lips form those words, everyone immediately nodded in unison.
“We… We’re so incredibly happy!”
“M-Mogi! Mogi-mogi!”
“Miyoooo! Miyorororong!”
“Joining this company is the greatest achievement of my life as an Azure Dragon.”
Cold sweat dripped down their foreheads.
Their smiles were awkward.
Their voices trembled.
It was obvious to anyone that this was nothing short of coercion.
But no one dared to object.
“Well, it seems I have no choice. But as you said, the atmosphere here doesn’t seem too bad. A human respected by both ancient species and Spirit Kings can’t be all that bad.”
“So, can I take this as a formal contract?”
“…Fine. I can’t help you until my chains are broken, but at the very least, I won’t get in your way.”
Behemoth nodded.
And with that—
[Brand of Fiery Loyalty has been activated!]
A new ancient species had joined the ranks.
Good. Next up…
Jinhyuk activated his personal status window.
Ding!
—
Name: Kang Jinhyuk
Gender: Male
Level: 169
Strength: 109
Agility: 121
Stamina: 73 → 85
Mana: 429
Gap: 100
Luck: 10
Adaptability: 78
Energy: 125.89
Available Stat Points: 12
Coins Owned: 16,535,780
Class: Ruler of Runes
Unique Traits: Wheel of Heaven’s Reversal, Phase 2, Eight Swamps
Unique Abilities:
‘Fusion,’ ‘Grave of Swords,’ ‘Blessing of the Stars,’ ‘Anubis’ Judgment,’ ‘Blood Demon Energy,’ ‘Mandala,’ ‘One Second Invincibility,’ ‘Thousand Poisons,’ ‘White Beast,’ ‘Shared All Things,’ ‘Sanctuary of the Sun,’ ‘Black Heaven Demon Monarch Art,’ ‘Triple Magic,’ ‘Giant’s Strike,’ ‘Breath of the Fire Dragon,’ ‘Rapid Blade,’ ‘Tombgrave’s Right Arm,’ ‘Berserker,’ ‘Domain of the Wind,’ ‘Phantom Blade Dance,’ ‘Primordial Flame,’ ‘Blood Explosion,’ ‘Black Tears,’ ‘Tombgrave’s Leg,’ ‘Monstrous Strength,’ ‘Core of the Legion,’ ‘Ancient Barrier,’ ‘Heavenly Demon Divine Art,’ ‘Mantra Taming,’ ‘Nihilism,’ ‘Heavenly Extinction Poison,’ ‘Red Hare Mount,’ ‘Mechanical Overlord,’ ‘Kyokushin Taekwondo,’ ‘Nightmare’s Oath,’ ‘Will of the Ocean,’ ‘Heretic’s Golden Apple,’ ‘Consuming Growth.’
Skills: (Hidden due to excessive content)
—
This trip to the Demon Realm had increased his level by four.
Time to invest in Stamina.
Balancing his stats was crucial for future battles.
[Stamina has increased from 73 → 85.]
Crackle!
“Nice and clean.”
His breathing felt lighter, and his body surged with renewed energy.
With all the new abilities he had gained, he felt even more confident.
⁕ ⁕ ⁕
Northern Fortress.
Unlike the eastern front, where the angels were bombarding their forces, or the southern and central areas where Jinhyuk was rampaging—
This place was isolated.
Inside a grand chamber, high-ranking demons were pouring mana into a massive magic circle.
“Hurry up. There’s no time.”
“Yes, we’re almost done. Just a few more activations…”
Bzzzzzt!
A crimson glow emerged from the runes engraved on the floor.
A powerful black magic teleportation spell was being prepared.
Shortly after, multiple groups of demons appeared, bathed in a blinding light.
They were the forces of Pellod, acting under Guntafer’s orders.
“You’ve arrived, Lord Pellod.”
“What’s the situation?”
Pellod, clad in a long fur coat, removed his cloak.
“It was a little unexpected, but there are no major issues. The eastern front has been turned into a war of attrition, while the enemy infiltrating the center has been intercepted by Behemoth. No matter how skilled they are, there’s no way they can overcome that monster.”
An ancient species that governed Apocalypse was certainly a formidable force.
Even Kraken, who had once devastated the Demon Realm, had been a nightmare to deal with.
But Pellod listened to the report with mild disinterest.
He would make his own decisions after seeing the battlefield himself.
‘Still, them walking into this trap makes things much easier.’
The most important factor was surprise.
With the right timing, the intervention of the highest-ranking bloodlines would easily break the current balance.
However—
Step.
Someone approached the magic circle.
A figure with short, sky-blue hair.
Two twin spears radiating white mana.
“You’re not taking another step from here. I’ve been ordered to take you all down.”
An emotionless voice rang through the air.
