Chapter 590

Colonel Timo.

It was the nickname Jinhyuk once used while climbing the Tower, and the name of a ranker who held the strongest position among all handgun users.

An ID soaked in eleven years of memories.

Perfect in every way. Something he’d always liked.

Of course… only when reminiscing in fleeting moments of nostalgia.

‘Damn it….’

Jinhyuk bit his lip.

Never in his worst nightmares had he imagined the cursed system would force him to reenact the costume and roleplay of that time.

Even less did he imagine he’d be forced to show it in front of everyone.

But there was no choice.

The Extinguisher’s powers were the kind that must be obtained—an insurance no matter what.

Even before his head could reason, his body was already reacting.

Vwooom!

[Subspace Inventory is opening.]

[Coin Exchange is activating.]

The familiar clothes and hat, along with a cheap cigar and lighter, replaced his usual outfit.

“Haa…”

Gray smoke drifted from the cigar clenched in his teeth.

Cotton-candy cigars, made for nonsmokers.

“…What are you doing?”

The Extinguisher’s brows furrowed slightly.

His displeasure was clear.

Understandable.

To meet someone of the same craft, only to see this ridiculous playacting—it was insulting.

But what could he do?

The system was a pervert.

If he wanted to complain, he should complain to the one who made it.

[The system cheers for the return of Colonel Timo.]

[It demands that you say ‘that line.’]

Stop whining.

The Extinguisher was already riled up—provoke him more, and who knew what he’d do.

“You disappointed me. I shouldn’t have expected anything from worthless trash.”

The Extinguisher slowly raised his pistol.

Crackle!

The runes etched on the bullet blazed with resonance.

Compressed mana surged inside the muzzle.

Bang!

Bang!

But the gunshot wasn’t only his.

At the same instant the Extinguisher pulled the trigger, Jinhyuk drew his revolver like lightning.

The speed was unreal, almost impossible to believe.

And—

Clang!

The bullets met at a single point in midair.

Two deformed slugs clattered to the ground.

“…Ho.”

The Extinguisher’s eyes changed.

Bored indifference was gone—now, genuine interest gleamed.

Clack.

Jinhyuk spun his smoking gun and slid it back into the holster.

Dum! Dum! Dum! Dum! Dum!

A heavy background beat rumbled as a trail of cigar smoke rose.

A tilted hat cast deep shadows across his face.

The staging was perfect. The performance flawless.

Hold on. Almost there.

Shame was temporary. Skills were forever.

With a low, gravelly voice, Jinhyuk muttered—

“The sun… sets.”

An unbearable silence fell between them.

—

[Pesis uses Lv42 ‘Golden Compass’!]

Vwooom!

A compass inscribed with radiant sigils appeared in his hand.

A relic that guided its wielder to the optimal choice in desperate situations.

‘Left… then right again.’

Pesis twisted and rolled, straining to shake off the relentless Old Guard pursuit.

“That sluggish body moves well enough.”

“This is the first time we’ve cornered him this close.”

“He rarely exposes himself. Finally, an opening.”

“We must capture him. He’s as high-priority as Kang Jinhyuk.”

The ‘Fool’s Ravine.’

An ancient forbidden gorge sealed from outsiders, hiding primal secrets.

No one entered by chance.

Any intruder had to be captured alive.

To see how far inside they’d gone. To confirm what they had seen or heard.

But Pesis repeatedly slipped their nets, evading capture.

Even Crimson had once failed to take him.

A bitter memory of defeat.

But this time, there would be no failure.

‘We’ll torture him to pieces.’

‘He won’t confess easily—we’ll carve it out of him.’

The Old Guard clenched their teeth, tightening the reins of the chase.

At the same time—

Kra-kooom!

Boom!

Alice fought with all her might, blocking the enemy’s advance.

The Old Guard’s flawless formations were tricky, but the true threat was Altera and Aden, preparing their breath.

Rumble!

The golden mist grew, swelling with power.

Left unchecked, it would be catastrophic.

“Khuk!”

Alice summoned countless spears.

If nothing else, she had to prevent the breath from completing.

But—

Tap.

Step!

The Old Guard didn’t just stand by.

They slipped through her defenses, weapons glowing with pale navy light.

Alice dodged by a hair’s breadth.

Bloodline magic exploded outward, shredding everything in a ten-meter radius.

A whirlwind of blood carved everything to pieces.

No living thing should have survived.

Yet—

“As expected. The near-prime strength of Ataraxia still remains.”

The Old Guard walked out unscathed.

“You endure well, surviving even that.”

“Haha. Only because our lady isn’t focusing on us fully. If she did, we wouldn’t last.”

A long-haired man approached, smiling.

Light and casual at a glance—but his power was on another level.

Cold, lethal killing intent lurked beneath the smile.

“You must be the leader.”

“Allow me to introduce myself. Crimson Ren Page, right hand of Nyarlathotep, commander of the Old Guard.”

A knight wielding a black spear.

His light armor bore the marks of countless hunts.

Alice knew instantly—this foe was no pushover.

“Crimson…”

“You wouldn’t know the name. Those who hear it rarely live. Though… there are exceptions.”

A hound that hunted only the strongest, most dangerous prey.

The tip of his spear pointed at Alice’s heart.

“As courtesy to a once-Absolute, I’ll give you a choice: Die by those dragons’ breath—or be impaled on my spear.”

“I’ve faced and overcome countless trials. Ataraxia’s name won’t be cheapened by a mere errand boy of the 50th floor.”

Alice drew her rapier.

Her crimson wings unfurled to their fullest.

Boom!

She surged forward.

Crimson raised his spear.

The twisted shaft spun as he thrust, lightning-fast.

A blinding flash.

It wasn’t just speed.

It was teleportation-like spearwork.

Alice’s defenses shattered as the strike pierced inward.

An attack no ordinary fighter could withstand.

But—

With True Ancestor reflexes and years of rapier training, Alice had reached a master’s realm.

Natural talent and bloodline met unrelenting effort.

Clang!

Her rapier scraped the spear’s side, diverting its path.

She closed in, stabbing relentlessly.

The spear couldn’t be recalled in time.

But—

Clang!

Crimson caught the rapier with his thin gauntlet.

Or so he thought.

The moment steel touched the surface, the blade bent oddly—

Like a serpent, it snapped upward, grazing Crimson’s face.

Snip.

Black strands of hair fell.

A few drops of blood with them.

If not for his insane reflex, he’d have been decapitated.

“…So the rumors of your lack of swordsmanship were false.”

“A genius like me learns quickly.”

“Haha. There are such geniuses indeed. But you haven’t forgotten—you’re not fighting only me.”

Step!

Two Old Guard members flanked Alice.

Curved daggers crossed.

Her reflex spears shot up, but they weren’t enough.

She had to defend more actively.

“Khuk!”

Her focus split—Crimson’s spear flashed again.

Boom!

A storm ripped past Alice’s head.

Even the lingering heat warped the air.

A direct hit would have left no time to regenerate.

And the danger didn’t end there.

[Altera and Aden use ‘Breath’!]

Twin mouths, one beam.

Rumble!

Humanoid forms weakened the breath’s power to a tenth.

But its speed and frequency were faster.

And even a weakened breath here would annihilate everything.

Alice gathered all her mana.

Her wings blazed, six-pointed stars of blood unfolding.

And then—

Rumble!

The beam ripped through the air.

Everything turned gold.

The strongest spear and the strongest shield collided.

—

“…Hmmm.”

Someone observed from afar.

The primordial being Nyarlathotep.

He twirled his staff.

This was a carefully crafted board.

The Old Guard, his personal guard, were deployed.

The Gold Dragons lured by the Dragon Lord’s bait.

And the ace of aces—the Extinguisher, a monster of another tier.

‘Half the Old Guard had to die to bring him down last time.’

The price was steep.

Painfully steep.

Now, it was time to reap returns.

‘This time, I’ll erase that troublesome human and the reckless guide together. They’ve gathered too many dangerous clues.’

Humans and even gods weren’t real threats.

At worst, buzzing flies.

Except for one thing.

The ‘Necronomicon’.

The only thing that could wound them.

The only thing that could sever them from primordial authority.

If it were erased from this world, there’d be nothing to fear.

Just then—

“Lord Nyarlathotep!”

An Old Guard member approached, face pale.