Chapter 487
Drip… drip. Drip.
Water droplets fell at irregular intervals.
This was the 50th floor of the Tower.
And among its many secrets, this was one of the most hidden places.
Nyarlathotep walked through a cave filled with stalactites.
“Tch…”
The wound on his shoulder still throbbed.
Having forcibly descended the Tower brought on several restrictions, slowing his recovery.
How long had he walked?
At the end of the stalactites, a room bathed in rainbow light appeared.
And in the center of it stood a man veiled in shadows.
“Hm? We’re running into each other quite a bit. I thought we agreed not to make contact for a while?”
“Still, I thought you should be informed about how the matter was handled.”
“Tsk tsk. Judging by the state you’re in, it didn’t go so well, huh?”
The man chuckled.
“It was intentional. I needed him to believe everything was going according to his plan.”
Victory or defeat wasn’t the point of this operation.
The man had only asked for one thing.
Alice.
Her life.
“As expected of the True Ancestor who once led Ataraxia. She’s strong.”
Her unique holy spear was flawless. Her mana efficiency and aggression left nothing to be desired.
“However, I did discover a fatal weakness. One that might bring down not just Alice, but the entire Veteran Corporation.”
Nyarlathotep shrugged.
“Oh? That does sound interesting. What is it?”
“Jealousy.”
The most vile and fundamental of the deadly sins.
Nyarlathotep had observed in Alice a deep possessiveness toward Jinhyuk—and a void left unfulfilled.
“It’s not just Alice. The people around her are the same. I investigated through separate channels and confirmed it without a doubt.”
Chun Yoosung, Teresa. Yoo Yeonhwa, Lee Taemin.
They all wanted Jinhyuk’s recognition. They all longed to be at his side.
Whether expressed in twisted ways, or overly intense focus, each of them harbored deep jealousy and admiration in their own way.
“Hmm. So you plan to exploit that?”
‘Conveniently, there are those who govern the Seven Deadly Sins, aren’t there? If I offer the right compensation, they’ll switch sides. And, I plan to bait that old man of the Rosenberg family with an offer he can’t refuse—to stoke the jealousy even more.’
“Ooh, sounds exciting. What’s the bait?”
“Let’s save that part. It wouldn’t be any fun if you knew everything ahead of time. Just know this—it will bring ruin from within.”
The man stroked his chin with a finger as he listened to Nyarlathotep.
“Collapse from within, huh…”
Certainly…
It was much easier to move without the intervention of primordial beings.
Especially with system operators like the Owl constantly watching for any chance to strike.
If they pushed too hard and triggered system constraints, it would cause quite the headache.
The deliberation didn’t take long.
The man slowly stepped toward where Nyarlathotep stood.
“You really are a crafty one. Hastings seems to be making moves too. Looks like Kang Jinhyuk’s going to be sweating bullets.”
“That fool still hasn’t given up and wants another shot?”
“No. He’s actually well-prepared this time. Remember? He teamed up with the dragonkin Tamia and Excension to find the bones of an Ancient Dragon?”
“You don’t mean… he figured out how to weaponize them?”
“Seems like it.”
The bones of a named Destruction Dragon—one of the ancient dragons.
With that power, whoever the target was, they’d be left with fatal wounds.
‘Let’s see how you plan to stop this.’
A grin curled on the man’s lips.
‘Please, entertain me. Give this boring, dreary life a bit of thrill.’
Like a child about to enter an amusement park—
Ba-dump! Ba-dump! Ba-dump!
His heart, dormant for so long, began to pound with excitement and anticipation.
* * *
The warm morning sunlight streamed in through the window.
“Mmmph!”
Jinhyuk stretched wide, breathing in the fresh air.
As expected, mornings in the serene European countryside had a healing effect all on their own.
Even more so after wrapping up a major ordeal.
Since the incident at the Vatican, Jinhyuk and the members of the Veteran Corporation had been enjoying a proper vacation here for about a week.
“My fatigue’s completely gone.”
Jinhyuk savored the freshly brewed coffee as he strolled through the grand estate.
Thick forests, a beautiful garden, and even a lake straight out of a movie.
With birds flying and deer prancing about, it truly felt like this estate belonged to the Rosenberg family.
‘Looks like everyone else is still sleeping…’
Jinhyuk took another sip of coffee.
The one thing weighing on his mind was how to approach Odin.
He had helped in his own way, but ultimately failed to protect Yggdrasil.
From Odin’s perspective, there was no reason to show goodwill.
‘If I ask for the memory he’s stored over a lifetime, he’ll be even more reluctant.’
In other words, Jinhyuk needed an offer compelling enough to surpass all that.
He had a few candidates in mind…
But none were obtainable in the short term.
Just then—
Step.
A familiar middle-aged man appeared with the sound of approaching footsteps.
“Oh, you’re up early. Haha. I told them not to bother you until noon since you must’ve been exhausted.”
Dustin de Rosenberg.
The head of the Rosenberg family and Teresa’s father.
“Thanks to that, I rested very well. This place is amazing.”
“Glad to hear it. You’re welcome to live here forever, you know. It’d make a perfect newlywed home. Hahaha.”
He sure knew how to slither that in.
But Jinhyuk gently declined with a soft smile.
“Hmph. Well, I suppose for someone of your caliber, even a mansion like this might not be enough. But you know, our Teresa—she’s kind-hearted, a wonderful cook, deeply faithful. And not to boast, but her looks are top-tier too.”
Talk about a doting dad.
His love for his youngest daughter practically overflowed.
And honestly, with Teresa, it wasn’t surprising.
She was always in the Top 5 of any popularity ranking among players climbing the Tower of Trials.
More importantly, marrying into the Rosenberg family meant gaining access to wealth and prestige rivaling that of international conglomerates.
It was practically a cheat-level proposition.
“Miss Teresa is someone I personally think is a very good person…”
Jinhyuk, mid-sentence, suddenly flinched.
A chill crept down his spine.
A bloodthirst colder than anything he had felt even when facing Nyarlathotep or Shub-Niggurath.
It was bone-chilling.
Cold sweat ran down Jinhyuk’s back.
From the far end of the hallway…
He spotted a pair of red eyes glaring in his direction.
Goooo…
Freshly awakened, Alice’s silver hair was tousled as she glared like a demon.
Looking closely, the wall she was gripping had cracked.
If this continued, the entire mansion might collapse.
“Ahem! Ahem ahem! Please, go on. What were you saying about my youngest daughter?”
“…She really is a wonderful person, but I must say that right now, climbing the Tower for the future of humanity is the most important thing.”
“…! I see…”
Dustin trailed off, seemingly taken aback.
“You’re absolutely right. I almost let my own selfish desires get in the way.”
Hopefully that was enough.
He wished the man would realize that not only had he just saved his mansion—but his life as well.
From the wrath of the True Ancestor.
But then—
“In that case, what if I could offer something that might help with your climb?”
Dustin handed over a photograph.
“How did you get this…?”
Jinhyuk’s eyes widened in shock.
The object in the photo was beyond anything he could’ve expected.
“Hohoho. I knew you’d like it. It was incredibly difficult to obtain, but this moment makes it all worthwhile.”
Dustin proudly puffed up his chest.
[David’s ‘The Coronation of Napoleon’]
Acquisition Difficulty: SS
Description: The grand and majestic coronation of the Emperor. Whoever possesses this painting can recreate the peak strength and ability of their prime self. (Duration: 3 minutes. Cooldown: 1 month. However, if power exceeding the item’s limit is used, the item may be destroyed.)
Whether due to age, illness, or serious injury— using this painting would allow one to return to peak condition.
Only for 3 minutes, but it meant maximum efficiency.
‘If I use it… I’ll be able to unleash the full power I had when I reached the Tower’s peak.’
Even with the caveat that it might be destroyed, its value from a single use alone was immense.
And the merits of this item didn’t end there.
Enhancement.
If he asked the blacksmith Orun, he might be able to upgrade the painting.
‘The chances of success are slim, but with Old Man Orun, it’s worth the gamble.’
The value was enough to warrant the risk.
That’s because the enhanced version of The Coronation of Napoleon possessed an ability comparable to the ‘Gap’.
[Upon enhancement, ‘Partial Regression’ becomes available.]
Not only could it recreate the prime of a single person…
It could recreate the golden age of an entire era.
The peak of Norse power—when Yggdrasil stood tall.
“This… can’t be easy to get. How did you acquire it?”
“The Titan Guild obtained it by conquering a massive labyrinth on the 22nd floor. I secured it personally. Fortunately, their raid leader owed me a big favor. Of course, even with that, I had to pay a steep price.”
A labyrinth on the 22nd floor… so it came from the ‘Warlord’s Battleground’…
The drop rate was horrific, but not impossible.
It just required extreme grinding. If the conditions were met, The Coronation of Napoleon could appear.
“What would I need to do to obtain this?”
“Ahem.”
The moment Jinhyuk took the bait, Dustin cleared his throat. He wore a look that clearly said, “Got him.”
“Tomorrow night, we’ll be holding a traditional Rosenberg engagement ceremony. The invited suitors will gather and search this mansion for Teresa. The winner will not only win Teresa’s hand, but everything the Rosenberg family has to offer.”
“…An engagement… ceremony?”
“That’s right. If Player Kang Jinhyuk desires, I could even tell you Teresa’s location in advance. Hahaha.”
“Haa…”
Jinhyuk let out a deep sigh.
To obtain the item, he had to find Teresa.
But if he did that… it would naturally lead to marriage.
The biggest problem, though, was the True Ancestor Queen who was listening to everything from behind.
Now far beyond mere anger, Alice was radiating the will to destroy the world.
Her mana burst forth in torrents.
KUKUKUKUKUKU!
The entire mansion trembled violently.
“W-what’s this? An earthquake? Be careful, Player Kang Jinhyuk.”
Dustin covered his head with both hands.
“This region doesn’t get earthquakes at all…”
“I-It’s my first time experiencing this too.”
Even the mansion’s caretakers tilted their heads in confusion.
Something definitely felt off.
At this rate, even if he got The Coronation of Napoleon… he might not live long enough to use it.
