Chapter 484: Into the Vatican (2)
Engraved patterns on the marble floor.
Among them, there was a section where the patterns didn’t align properly.
“Mogii Mogii!”
Goguma stood precisely in that gap, wagging its tail.
As if it wanted to be praised, it made exaggerated gestures like a cat presenting a caught mouse.
“Good job, Guma.”
Jinhyuk patted Goguma’s head.
[This area currently has a 4-star barrier ‘Distorted Vision’ and a 5-star barrier ‘Sealing’ in effect.]
A rather adorable set of barriers.
It seemed like they had put some effort into it…
But even at a glance, there were plenty of weak spots.
[Unique ability ‘Ancient Barrier’ has been activated!]
With a light wave of his hand, the barriers vanished completely.
Clang! Rumble… Thunk!
With a loud metallic noise, a staircase leading underground appeared.
“Oho, it’s been a while since we had a real adventure.”
“Huu… You say that so casually. How did the Vatican end up like this…”
Alice and Teresa each expressed different impressions.
But then—
‘What is this?’
Jinhyuk’s eyebrows furrowed deeply.
The mana emanating from below the underground passage.
It was identical to the most alien type of mana among the Vatican’s holy relics.
But that relic was supposed to be unusable—a half-complete object.
There was no way it could be activated through ordinary means.
Still, an uneasy feeling began to creep in.
‘I’d rather be wrong about this…’
Srrng!
Jinhyuk drew two daggers.
“They’ve probably set something up down there. Let’s proceed with caution.”
As they descended the pitch-black staircase, a musty stench hit their noses.
Hardly anyone came down here. The place was filled with mold and cobwebs.
How far had they gone down?
It felt like they had passed ten underground floors.
Swaaah—
A dazzling light greeted them.
It was a sight unimaginable for an underground prison.
This place, filled with a glowing blue liquid, was one massive aquarium.
So this was the extent of the fountain pen’s power.
The more he saw, the clearer it became—items related to the top floors were never ordinary.
“Hmm. Are we supposed to go underwater?”
Teresa looked a bit troubled.
Clad in heavy armor and carrying a shield, she would obviously be hindered in terms of breath and movement.
“Don’t worry. I’ve got that covered.”
He had collected and copied various abilities in preparation for times like this.
This wasn’t some lake on the upper floors of the Tower.
Just standing water like this was no problem at all.
[Unique ability ‘Will of the Currents’ has been activated.]
Wooooom!
The water inside the aquarium rippled.
More precisely, the water parted along the path Jinhyuk walked.
“My goodness. Even rankers specialized in water magic couldn’t dream of something like this…”
“Hehe. My contractor is pretty amazing, right?”
“Let’s go.”
“Eh?… Y-yes!”
Alice and Teresa followed closely behind Jinhyuk.
⁕ ⁕ ⁕
When they finally reached the bottom of the aquarium—
“Stop right there.”
For the first time since entering, a human voice was heard.
A long sword engraved with Vatican-specific emblems. Holy power completely covering his body.
No doubt, he was a Holy Knight of the Vatican.
“After dealing with nothing but fossils, finally a face to punch. I get it, we weren’t invited, but isn’t this a bit much for hospitality?”
“Brazen words for someone who illegally trespassed. Player Kang Jinhyuk. We will be lodging an official protest with Korea over this incident.”
“I don’t know… I think even the government would understand, seeing this mess. If word gets out that this sort of stunt is being pulled outside the Tower, wouldn’t that put you in more trouble?”
If anything, they’d become a common enemy of all nations.
After all, they had risked this just for their own benefit.
“If that’s your stance, then our position is simple—this must not be revealed to the outside. No matter what.”
“You’re saying you’ll kill us to keep it quiet? Are you serious right now?”
“There’s no reason we can’t. Anywhere else, we wouldn’t stand a chance against you. But here, this is our home ground.”
The Holy Knight pointed his sword forward.
“My name is Alfonso. I’m the Captain of the Holy Knights stationed here.”
No need for introductions.
He had already heard of this ranker—officially knighted by the Holy Kingdom within the Empire.
Rrrmmble…
From the distant water, dark shadows approached.
Giant piranhas and sharks over one meter long.
The strange part was that they, too, had changed completely due to the fountain pen’s influence.
“Devour them all.”
Alfonso infused mana into his sword.
“Kyieeek!”
“Kyaaaa!”
Hundreds of piranhas and sharks from both sides charged at once.
“I’ll take the left!”
“Such lowly beasts.”
Teresa drew a cross sign.
Alice summoned blood-forged skewers.
Slice!
Pffft! Pffft! Pffft!
No matter how enhanced they were, they were no match for Teresa, who had honed her holy power to its peak, nor for Alice, who had reached the pinnacle of her bloodline.
With a single slash, piranhas were sliced to pieces.
Sharks were turned into unrecognizable chunks by Alice’s skewers.
“Mogii Mogii!”
Goguma wrestled a piranha with both hands and fiercely bit down.
“Kegh! Kyaaaa!”
The piranha flailed wildly, but it couldn’t escape Goguma’s grip.
However—
Even though they had clearly been severed and killed—
Tendrils sprouted from the cut surfaces, reattaching the pieces.
“Kiiii…”
Wounds healing rapidly.
The piranhas and sharks reverted to their original forms as if nothing had happened.
[The holy relic ‘Room of Apollon’ has activated!]
A power that heals wounds and allows growth with each death.
This was the true power of a holy relic.
“On top of that, with the divine mana bestowed by God, its effects are multiplied several times over.”
Black tendrils burst out from the bodies of the piranhas.
Pfffffft!
Alice retaliated immediately, but the outcome was drastically different from before.
What should have been shredded to pieces by her harpoons only lost a few tendrils and held together.
“This entire room is a holy relic. No matter how powerful you are, there’s no escaping from creatures that endlessly grow stronger!”
Alfonso shouted confidently.
He had prepared well.
Compared to how most large guilds handled their operations, this was overly thorough.
But if there was one thing Alfonso was misunderstanding…
They could use holy relics too.
Wooooong!
The jewel in Alice’s possession shone brilliantly.
[The holy relic ‘Tear of the Sun King’ has been activated!]
A drop of vivid red liquid flowed from the ruby— like a droplet of blood.
It instantly spread through the aquarium’s water.
This relic was a bit special…
It possessed the power to convert gas or liquid into her own attribute.
Due to how difficult it was to control, no one had chosen it.
But if used properly, its destructive potential was immeasurable.
Gradually.
The water turned blood red.
Not just in color—
the pungent iron scent was unmistakable.
“B-blood…?”
Alfonso’s eyes widened.
Within the bloodied water, the piranhas and sharks writhed in agony.
In contrast, Alice, now surrounded by a massive amount of blood, looked livelier than ever.
“Fufufufu. The black flame dragon in my right arm is going berserk. I’m so overflowing with power, I can hardly contain it.”
She flicked her finger.
Pfffffft!
Hundreds of blood-forged skewers ravaged the entire aquarium.
Overwhelming power.
It was like a storm of blood swept through the entire area.
“Kiiiii…”
“Kegh… keee…”
This time, there was no regeneration.
The fully unlocked ‘Blood Road’ blocked any form of healing.
“Not bad. Hehe.”
Alice looked lovingly at the ruby hanging from her neck.
Of all the holy relics, this one had drawn her the most.
Now she finally understood why.
On the other hand, for Alfonso, this felt like a living nightmare.
The holy relic he had been so sure would guarantee victory had been completely dismantled.
The shock was enormous.
“W-what is this absurd power…”
He thought the rumors were exaggerated.
But it was the opposite.
Veteran Corporation’s strength had been severely underestimated.
“If we get overrun here… I won’t be able to face His Eminence. I can’t let that happen. I must overcome this…”
Grit!
Alfonso clenched his teeth with resolve.
There was no turning back now.
“Activate it!”
“Yes!”
“We follow your command.”
“May the Lord be with the Captain.”
The Holy Knights who had been hiding and chanting revealed themselves all at once.
Akashic multi-chant.
Sacred Flame ‘Shairaina.’
[The holy relic ‘Last Supper’ has been activated!]
Joined now by the final meal shared by Christ and the 12 disciples.
A holy spell capable of blowing away this entire area was being cast.
From beyond the Catacomb’s ceiling, a pure white light poured down.
That marked both the beginning and the end.
KWA-KWA-KWA-KWA-KWA-KWA-KWANG!
A heatwave that could scorch the land itself.
A single flash engulfed the Room of Apollon.
⁕ ⁕ ⁕
Sssshhhh!
Smoke rose along the floor.
A holy spell that claimed the lives of not only Alfonso but also all the Holy Knights.
Yet, amidst the complete annihilation, a blood-forged sphere remained untouched.
“What a brutal attack. I didn’t expect them to self-destruct like that.”
“It was pretty strong, but I’m here, aren’t I?”
“How could the Holy Knights go this far… I still don’t understand what’s going on here.”
Thanks to Alice, everyone made it out unharmed.
Though the ruby had expended most of its stored mana, just surviving the fatal blow meant it had done its job.
‘With the Holy Knights all gone, things should get easier now.’
Cardinals prioritized honor and authority. They weren’t suited for battle.
Judging by the mana signature, the fountain pen wasn’t far now.
* * *
Guided by Goguma, they entered the deepest part of the Catacomb.
“Heehee… Living humans.”
“Flesh… give us fresh flesh!”
“Glory to the Pharaoh!”
Tattered mummies blocked the path,
but none were threatening enough to slow them down.
Their elite forces had been placed early on,
so there weren’t any significant traps left.
After about thirty more minutes, the group finally reached the innermost chamber of the Catacomb.
A place resembling a chapel.
At the center was the fountain pen—their objective.
Of course—
“…You’ve arrived.”
“…Tch.”
Cardinal Reitman Trochia, the mastermind behind it all, was waiting.
“I’ve already destroyed everything you prepared. So what now? Gonna keep resisting pathetically to the end? Or will you hand it over and release our comrades? If you do, I won’t bother letting this incident go public.”
Jinhyuk smiled gently as he offered what sounded more like a threat than a proposal.
He thought it would be over once he scooped up the last spoonful.
But—
That expectation was entirely wrong.
“Everything is as you commanded, O Great One.”
“Y-yes, it is.”
Suddenly, Reitman Trochia bowed his head.
At the same time—
Step…
A third figure appeared from between the columns.
“So you’re the human who tormented my mother. I’ve finally seen you in person. Must’ve been a tough journey.”
That voice—no way…
Thump! Thump! Thump!
His heart pounded violently.
Every nerve in his body stood on edge.
