Chapter 480
“What… what did you just say?”
Laicha’s face turned beet red.
“Oh, nothing. Just talking to myself. There are so many wicked people in the world—just thought I’d offer a friendly warning to be careful.”
That wicked smile. So vile, it made you wonder if a living devil might actually look like that.
And then—
The moment Laicha saw Jinhyuk’s grinning eyes, his body trembled.
“No way…”
“Eheh. Come on, what’s the point of doubting anyone at this stage?”
You get it, right?
The important thing is to prevent a tragedy before it ruins a barbarian’s dignity.
Tap.
Jinhyuk gave a subtle glance to the side.
“Tch.”
Chun Yoosung reluctantly pulled a bottle from inside his coat.
A high-grade laxative bought from a convenience store, and a portable tent toilet bought from a crypto exchange.
“It’s medicine that works instantly for diarrhea… and a toilet. What do you think? Interested?”
“Please… give it to me… No—please, I’m begging you.”
“Oooooh…”
“Please. Me too, I’m begging.”
The barbarians, drenched in cold sweat, reached out their trembling hands.
With their other hands, they were desperately clenching their buttocks.
“I don’t mind giving it, but before that—just one small thing. Not even payment, really. Just something I want from you.”
“Hurry up and say it. We… we don’t have much time!”
“Anyone here have a compass? Raise your hand.”
“Com…pass?”
“What’s that?”
“Is it food?”
“A new weapon?”
These idiots. Everything has to be either edible or a weapon with them.
“It probably has a red needle or something. Judging by your level, I’m guessing you made it out of a pinecone or some animal bones…”
“Oh, I’ve got one. It’s with me.”
Laicha pulled out a seashell attached to the end of his axe handle.
A clue that could lead them to the rough location of the [Hourglass].
…No mistake.
“B-But this is something Elder told me never to give to anyone…”
Laicha forced the words out with all his might.
Of course, it was meaningless resistance.
“Oh yeah? That so…”
Jinhyuk gave a nod toward Chun Yoosung.
“Damn it.”
Chun Yoosung clicked his tongue and picked up a rather hefty tree branch.
“W-What are you planning to do with that?”
“Nothing personal. I’m just following orders.”
Thud!
As the branch dug into Laicha’s lower stomach, a sound unlike anything before echoed through the air.
Grrrrgle! ROOOOAR!
“Uwaaaaaaah!”
Laicha looked like he was about to die from sheer bliss.
They could’ve sent him to heaven right then and there—but that would’ve made a horrible mess.
So they had to apply just enough pressure. Keep pounding on the abdomen carefully.
“Yoosung, we’re not done yet.”
“I know. Damn it. Stop rushing me. This is disgusting enough as it is.”
Chun Yoosung’s hands moved even more precisely.
Naturally, Laicha’s face began to drain of all color, turning from purple to white.
“Laicha!”
“Stop! You’ve done enough. You’ve already protected your pride.”
“Let’s just end this. It’s time for peace.”
Even the other warriors watching came forward, urging Laicha to surrender.
He had truly held out past his limits.
But—
No one could defy the sacred laws of nature.
“F-Fine! Take it! Just take it already!”
With Laicha raising the white flag, all the barbarians declared their surrender.
Plop.
The compass was handed over to Chun Yoosung.
“Now please… just let us preserve what’s left of our dignity…”
“Oh, that?”
Jinhyuk scratched his head through the screen.
“Sorry, but I lied. There’s no medicine.”
Come on. There’s no way a convenience store laxative would work inside the Tower of Trials.
What they were holding was just a digestive aid, not even the right thing.
And even if they did have the real thing, they weren’t saints. Why would they help their competition recover?
If anything, they would’ve given them something even stronger.
“Gyaaaaaah!”
The barbarians began crawling away, desperately searching for any kind of salvation.
At best, they could hope to find a crevice in the rocks hidden from view—but even that was too precious for these massive men.
⁕ ⁕ ⁕
About ten minutes passed…
And all competitors had vanished.
There was nothing left standing in their way.
“So now we just head to the summit?”
Chun Yoosung looked over the collapsed barbarians, foam at their lips.
His eyes flickered with sympathy—but only for a moment.
“No, there’s one thing we need to do first.”
“Oh! You mean the hourglass, right?”
Teresa clapped her hands.
On this floor, conquering the trial alone wasn’t enough—they also needed something to ease humanity’s collective anxiety.
The [Hourglass] that could extend time by 90 days.
“It must be buried around here somewhere. An item with enough magical energy to influence the system wouldn’t exist anywhere but the peak of Mount Valhalla.”
“You don’t mean… search this entire place, do you?”
“Pfft. Come on. Like I’d make you do something so brute-force. We’ve got someone perfect for this kind of task.”
Ahem! Ahem!
Jinhyuk cleared his throat.
“Gnome.”
The only surviving member among the summoned spirit beasts and ancient species still alive on this floor.
The earth spirit, Gnome, bowed with his whole body.
“Y-You called, oh merciful and mighty Master. Your lowly servant is here, hehehe.”
“Yeah, yeah. You’ve been eating well, I hope?”
“Thanks to your constant care, I’ve been living comfortably.”
“That’s good to hear.”
Jinhyuk nodded in satisfaction.
“So, what do you need me to—”
“Nothing too big. Just flip this whole place upside down and find one hourglass. You’ve got one hour. The compass I got from the barbarians should help narrow it down.”
“Eh?… I—I beg your pardon?”
“What’s with the shock? Is it impossible?”
A slave under the Veteran Corporation refusing an order?
Well, that wouldn’t end well.
After all, many other spirits had already vanished, scattered like petals in the wind.
“O-Of course not, hehe. I’ll crawl till my body turns to dirt. If I can’t find it, I’ll make one from scratch.”
Gnome dove underground, tearing through the earth at a speed that left him invisible to the eye.
At the same time—
Outside the Tower of Trials, another team was on the move at Jinhyuk’s request.
“Man, it really has gotten tight. Ever since the Tower appeared, international travel isn’t what it used to be.”
Lee Taemin fanned himself with his hand.
“Nah, it’s just this place that’s weird. It’s not usually this strict.”
Yoo Yeonhwa muttered, clearly frustrated.
And rightly so.
Italy was now enforcing a lockdown, strictly forbidding entry to outsiders.
It was hard to believe if you remembered the Rome that once overflowed with tourists—or the beauty of its other cities.
Something stank.
A sour, sticky kind of corruption.
“Kehkehkeh. Still, it’s lucky I’ve got friends in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. We managed to get through immigration somehow.”
“Don’t get too excited. It still reeks of trouble. If I get caught, I’m looking at a life sentence, minimum.”
Yoo Cheonyeong chuckled, standing beside Melena—one of the few surviving members of the Demonic Association.
The four of them had arrived at Rome’s international airport.
“By the way, Yeonhwa.”
“Yes, Grandpa?”
“I got you this far, but how are you planning to get into the Vatican?”
The real reason Italy was shutting out tourists was because the Vatican was involved.
It wasn’t something they could just brute-force through—not with connections, and not even with official channels.
The place had locked itself down and fortified its own sanctuary.
“I’ve got a contact helping us from the inside, but… honestly, I don’t trust the guy. He said he’d meet us at the airport, but there’s no sign of him.”
Yeonhwa scanned the area while pretending to adjust her outfit.
Taemin also activated his senses and scanned the airport.
“…Only guards. No one else. Guess Jinhyuk-hyung isn’t showing up on time?”
“We’ll handle this ourselves. This is something Jinhyuk specifically asked for—are you really gonna whine for him when it gets a little tough?”
“No, that’s not what I meant… I-I just meant that with you here, and Grandpa too, we’ve got more than enough support.”
“Hmm. Well, I see what’s going on. Let’s just handle this ourselves as far as we can.”
Yoo Cheonyeong, seemingly having made up his mind, called the group together.
They didn’t know what exactly Jinhyuk was aiming for—but they were all determined to carry out his request.
And when you’re digging for secrets in a place that doesn’t want visitors… there’s only one way.
⁕
Tall stone walls. Dimly lit street lamps barely casting any glow.
Not a single trace of life.
It looked no different than a ghost town.
But—
“Just as I thought. The whole city is wrapped in a barrier, layered with all sorts of alarm spells.”
“I flew some drones, but there’s nothing visible even from above.”
“Using owls as familiars was clever… Still, this side looks like the easiest route. Should we take care of them all?”
Melena gently stroked her whip.
If they dealt with the owls flying along the left ridge, they could open up a viable path inside.
“Let’s go with that. The other routes are way too suspicious, even for this old man.”
“Alright. I’m starting.”
“Wait—before that…”
Yoo Cheonyeong pulled something from inside his coat.
“Grandpa?”
“…You’re serious? You really want us to wear that?”
A black mask that only exposed the eyes, nose, and mouth.
Classic bank robber style.
And Yoo Cheonyeong—the man recognized as a living national treasure of Korea—was suggesting they use that to infiltrate foreign territory.
Out of all things, it was his taste that was the most offensive.
There were plenty of cooler, more stylish masks out there.
“Haha. Jinhyuk insisted we wear these. Said it’d be a real problem if our identities got revealed.”
Hearing that Jinhyuk had asked for it erased all complaints on the spot.
Snap! Snap! Snap! Snap!
Melena’s whip lashed through the air.
“…!?”
“……”
Before anyone could even react—
The owls’ necks were instantly snared by her whip.
Since familiars relay their destruction to their master, they couldn’t be killed.
“I’ve subdued them.”
Strangling them unconscious was enough.
Five owls dropped to the base of the wall.
Thud.
Tack!
Immediately, Yoo Cheonyeong and the other three scaled the wall.
But—
Something felt wrong the moment they landed.
Yes. If they had to describe it: dissonance.
An oppressive pressure that shouldn’t exist in reality pressed down on their minds.
This wasn’t…
This wasn’t the Vatican they knew.
“…There really is something here. Everyone, get ready. We have company.”
Yoo Cheonyeong stared down the alleyway.
From beyond the creeping mist—
Thud!
Something was approaching.
