Chapter 587

Step.

With the sound of footsteps, a familiar figure appeared.

“Haa. Truly, your way of roping people in is exceptional. Even I would rather not be wandering around a place like this.”

The Tower’s great explorer, Pesis.

If it was his pathfinding ability, which could find routes even through the worst labyrinths, then in the Hermit’s Village he could secure the safest passage.

“Given the situation… I had no choice but to ask for help. You must have been in the middle of something urgent. My apologies.”

“Hahaha. Not at all. Rather, I’m curious. How did you know where I was? I hadn’t told a soul.”

“I just made a guess. It felt like that’s where you would be.”

Around this time, Pesis should have been exploring the ‘Yotleam Gorge.’

A treacherous land no resident of the Tower had ever seen the end of.

Naturally, it was more than enough to stimulate Pesis’s hunger for challenge.

But—

That great Pesis had ended up with the worst result: two whole months of wasted effort.

No matter how creatively he thought, it had all been going in circles.

‘It couldn’t be helped.’

Jinhyuk clicked his tongue inwardly.

To traverse Yotleam Gorge to the end required more than just pathfinding skill.

Unless one raised affinity with the forest spirits to a certain threshold, the hidden paths would never reveal themselves.

And even then, passing through required three hidden pieces—each with a hellish acquisition difficulty.

Without those, no amount of time would help.

“I’ve been there myself, so you don’t need to worry too much. Once this is all settled, let’s take a stroll through the forest.”

“You mean you’ll accompany me personally? Not just give information?”

Coincidentally, Yotleam Gorge was also a place he had promised to visit with Yoosung.

Their interests aligned perfectly.

Of course, there was no need to mention that.

It had to be packaged as altruism and human kindness.

“Of course. My motto is ‘let’s build a warm world where people trust and help each other.’”

Jinhyuk smiled brightly.

A smile warm enough to melt away even the faintest suspicion.

“Haha, as expected, you are truly altruistic, Jinhyuk. Very well. Then I too will do my utmost to find the path.”

[Pesis activates the skill ‘Search’!]

A new route unfolded.

—

“H-how….”

“This is impossible….”

The factions ruling the Hermit’s Village each let out hollow breaths.

The impregnable maze that had never once been breached.

A masterpiece completed with the best ninjas and maze designers.

But now, it was no longer a symbol of perfection.

Someone had appeared and was tearing through it without resistance.

“Don’t just stand there stunned! Activate the formation! Are you going to let them just stroll through?”

At the upper ninja’s roar, the maze designers scrambled.

Ninjutsu, sorcery, and illusions overlapped.

Defensive spells layered thick, shifting the maze’s shape moment by moment.

Rumble… rumble-thud!

Clank…!

New paths formed where none existed, old ones vanished.

In the frenzied shifting terrain, there seemed no trace of pattern.

At least, to everyone else present.

All except one.

“This way.”

Pesis.

Tap!

A narrow path stretched forward, cleaved between walls.

The darkness was pitch black, threatening at a glance.

Even taking a single step seemed impossible.

Yet without hesitation, Pesis pressed into the depths.

Traps sprang forth, but Pesis’s hand was always a beat faster.

‘He really is amazing.’

Jinhyuk whistled softly.

He had been thinking up ways to tackle the maze himself, but he couldn’t have found paths as clever and novel as Pesis.

Once again, it was clear—this man was a genius.

So much so that everyone in the Tower would envy him.

Of course, there was no need to admire his talent forever.

[Copy Condition: Though the great explorer Pesis has accomplished many feats, they have not been properly recognized. If you acknowledge and praise his achievements, you can copy one of his unique abilities or skills. The more you flatter him, the higher the rank of the ability copied.]

In other words—praise him to the extreme.

Even to the point it became unpleasant.

“Ahem!”

As the traps quieted, Jinhyuk cleared his throat.

Trying to give compliments felt like thorns scratching his throat.

“Do you have something to say?”

“Yes. Contractor, you must be hungry. Why don’t we take a break with a full-course meal and dessert? Not because I want to eat, of course… but because you look famished. Gulp.”

Did that guy have a glutton lodged in his belly?

How could food be all he thought of all day?

“No, what I meant was, Pesis, your pathfinding is truly impressive. I can’t help but wonder how one gains such keen eyes.”

“Hahaha. Too kind. Surely my paltry skills cannot compare to the great Kang Jinhyuk, recognized even by the gods.”

Wait—what? He was supposed to praise him, not get praised himself.

The humility was ingrained to the point of absurdity.

Uplifting this type was truly difficult.

But it was fine.

He had seen it.

The tiniest twitch at the corner of Pesis’s mouth.

For someone starved of recognition, such praise could only be welcome.

Good.

If he liked sweetness, then he’d get enough to choke on sugar.

“What’s recognition from the gods worth? They can’t even find their way through a maze. But you, Pesis—you can conquer even impregnable labyrinths. In terms of ascending the Tower, your talent is unmatched. Compared to that, I’m just a hunting dog, or at best a mantis with some fight in it.”

“…P-player Kang Jinhyuk?”

“Contractor. Did you eat something bad?”

Both their faces twisted into expressions they had never shown before.

Of course they were dumbfounded.

Even speaking, Jinhyuk’s face burned with shame.

[The system praises you for doing very well!]

[The system urges you to belittle yourself even more and exalt the other!]

It was as if it was panting in his ear.

Once again—this system was a true pervert.

But if he could copy an ability…!

If he could then fuse it into a higher dimension of power…!

A bit of shame was nothing.

“I envy you, Pesis. I am honored to journey with you. This conquest will one day be history, legend, myth itself! At most, I’ll be remembered as the baggage boy trailing behind the hero leading this expedition!”

Jinhyuk poured out his speech, on and on, until the status window of success appeared.

“S-stop… please, stop. Someone might hear. I beg you.”

“Contractor. I’m struggling not to kill you right now.”

Pesis’s neck flushed red.

Alice gagged.

The system window laughed madly, filling his vision.

And still Jinhyuk pressed on.

At last—

Ding!

[Ability Copy Successful.]

The nightmare ended only after everyone but the system had suffered enough.

—

Enemies had attacked from three directions.

At first, they were sure less than twenty intruders would be crushed in moments.

After all, three of the Hermit’s Village’s ruling factions had united.

Even if gods themselves had come, it would not have been easy.

But the result overturned all expectations.

They were strong.

Overwhelmingly so.

The fledgling pirate crew, though few in number, fought with a strength greater than most great factions.

“Hm. So rabble alone won’t cut it.”

Nyarlathotep stroked his chin.

His calm reaction was as if he’d expected this.

“At least they’ve bought some time.”

“The green powder’s concentration has surpassed 70%.”

The Old Guard assessed the situation without concern.

Treating everyone else as mere tools.

…It was enough to test the patience of the village’s leaders.

“We were only a distraction?”

“We fought with our lives, and that’s all you have to say—!”

Splat!

The protest never finished.

An aged ninja burst into a spray of blood.

A torturer was split clean in half.

Thud.

Flesh scraps dirtied the ground.

Nyarlathotep shook off the blood and meat from his violet tentacle.

“I humor you a little and you forget your place. A hound must at least hunt well, yet you cannot even manage that.”

His voice turned icy.

Even attempting a reply—no, even the gesture of trying—would mean death.

Fear crushed their hearts.

Moments ago they had tried to stand tall. Now, they were mute like silenced beasts.

“W-we apologize. We lost our tempers. Never again will we offend you.”

“No. That’s fine. It happens.”

Unexpectedly, Nyarlathotep’s killing aura dissipated easily.

Sighs of relief rose here and there.

“Thank you for forgiving us. We have suffered heavy losses, but if we gather the remaining troops, we can still counterattack. Give us a little time and we’ll prepare another ambush in the plaza.”

“No need. Your role is finished.”

“…Excuse me? What do you mean…?”

“Exactly what I said. Scraping together worms won’t change the outcome. No need for tiresome ambushes. Ah, though there is one last thing left for you to do.”

A hooded figure silently approached Nyarlathotep’s side.

The Extinguisher.

A monster that had once threatened even the primordial beings.

[The harbinger of Apocalypse grows immensely strong.]

[Only one condition remains until full activation.]

“Consume them all.”

Nyarlathotep murmured softly.