Chapter 591

Ssshhh!

Thick smoke rose where the breath had scorched through.

“Hm. So, you endured that?”

“Tch! Pretty tough, for a vampire.”

Altera and Aden clicked their tongues.

Even if it was in human form, that breath had been unleashed with perfect timing.

And yet, it was blocked entirely by a defensive skill alone.

Worse still, just as the breath ended, a Blood Spear had come flying in counterattack.

This wasn’t going to be an easy fight.

“Phew.”

Jinhyuk looked over toward Alice and sighed in relief.

Fortunately, she seemed to be holding out fine.

Of course she was—after all that blood she drank, it would be strange if she couldn’t handle that much.

Just as that thought crossed his mind—

“Has the pressure of staking your life on this fight driven you insane? Or do you think you can deceive me with that pathetic gunplay?”

A murderous intent erupted from the Extinguisher.

Damn it. Not the time to worry about others.

He knew this would happen.

Honestly, if someone talked to him like that, he’d blow his top too.

“No, that’s not it—this is something I can’t really—”

“Silence!”

The Extinguisher aimed the gun again.

The motion was smooth, seamless.

Flash!

Fire burst from the muzzle.

[The Extinguisher activates the special skill ‘Bullet of Divine Slaughter’!]

When faced with an attack, there are a few options.

Deflect it.

Cancel it out.

Or dodge it.

But in that instant, Jinhyuk instinctively realized—he had to dodge.

His body moved before he could even think.

Pow! Pow! Pow!

The spot where he’d been standing moments ago was no longer the same.

A massive circular hole had been carved through the boulder behind him.

It didn’t just pierce the rock—it continued, blowing holes clean through the houses beyond it.

Just how strong was that gun?

Clicking his tongue, Jinhyuk wiped the cold sweat off his brow.

He could feel just how terrifying the Extinguisher became when enraged.

But what was even scarier was that he still had to keep provoking him.

[Skill Copy Quest is still in progress.]

The system message confirming completion hadn’t appeared yet.

Meaning—the system thought this wasn’t enough.

‘Colonel Teemo…’ (T/N: I think author is referring to Teemo from League?)

There was no choice but to recreate that era—singing the reconnaissance regiment’s anthem while firing darts and pistols.

He needed the Extinguisher’s unique spear ‘Billy the Kid’ to maximize the effects of those bullets.

‘I don’t plan to rely on guns if I can help it, but… just in case.’

The more cards he held, the better.

Under the given conditions, he had to weave together every possible option for the best result.

He didn’t have much time to think, but based on his experience, he chose the best path.

Jinhyuk made another purchase from the Coin Exchange.

[‘Seventeen Snake Sword’]

Acquisition Difficulty: A

Coin Price: 15,000,000 Coins

Attack Power: 2,800

Durability: 6,000 / 6,000

Description: A type of sabok sword possessing seventeen blades. Each blade carries a potent venom and requires extremely precise swordsmanship. A single mistake in handling can result in severe self-injury.

Shrrrk….

A viper was engraved in relief along the blade.

The linked swords stretched out into a long chain.

The cost stung a little, but it couldn’t be helped.

At least A-rank—otherwise, he wouldn’t stand a chance against that monster.

“……!?”

The Extinguisher flinched.

The gun itself was a rare weapon, but the sabok sword was even rarer—almost no one in the Tower outside the martial world could wield one.

“Things are about to get spicy. Everyone’s fighting their hearts out—can’t have the captain being the only one getting pushed around.”

Swish! Swish! Swish!

The blades moved unpredictably.

The serpent tore across the ground, lunging straight for the Extinguisher’s thigh.

The Extinguisher aimed his gun toward the oncoming blade.

Clever as the feint was, a mid-range weapon like this could still be countered with proper prediction.

Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!

Four bullets were fired toward the points connecting the chain of blades.

He’d calculated not only the current and future trajectories but also every possible variable.

However—

The serpent suddenly veered in an unpredictable direction.

Once, twice, three times…

He’d already lost sight of it multiple times in mere seconds.

“What…?”

Its movements defied all logic.

He’d fought weapons of similar design before, but never one this tricky.

And worse—

Thwip!

Poison darts flew alongside the sabok sword, making it even more troublesome.

The Extinguisher glanced at the dart that had grazed his cheek.

Drip.

Black blood mixed with green fluid.

Ordinary poison wouldn’t work, but this wasn’t ordinary.

“Paralysis poison…”

The type that disrupted mana flow and concentration.

Even the dead could feel its effects.

Neither attack was overwhelming alone—but together, the synergy was explosive.

…Slash!

Black blood gushed from his shoulder.

The Extinguisher looked down at the deep wound carved across it.

He couldn’t feel pain—he was already dead—but something long forgotten surged within him.

Excitement.

And anticipation.

For the first time in ages, he could fight a worthy opponent with everything he had.

“Interesting.”

For once, he was grateful that Nyarlathotep had revived him with those strange new emotions.

At least until he heard the song that followed.

[Hee-hee-hehahaha! Hee-hahha-ha! Don’t forget the Recon Corps Rules!]

Jinhyuk darted about, firing poison darts and waving a purple mushroom. (T/N: I knew it! Its Teemo from League! Darts and mushrooms are his weapons.)

That mocking, cheerful laughter—it served no purpose other than to provoke.

[Captain Teemo~ Captain~ Teemo!]

Grrrk….

The Extinguisher ground his teeth.

He was fighting seriously, yet this guy treated it all like a joke.

Of course that would drive him mad.

[The Extinguisher activates unique ability ‘About Time’ – ‘Ghost Rapid Fire’!]

Tat-tat-tat-tat-tat!

Green flashes flickered in succession.

Spectral figures shaped like skulls screamed as they rushed forward.

“Kieeeek!”

“Kreee!”

Unlike ordinary bullets that flew straight, these ghost bullets chased their targets relentlessly.

And being of the Spirit type, they couldn’t be blocked by normal physical defense.

Cancellation was out of the question.

Jinhyuk flung himself aside frantically.

“How about now? Can you still hum that ridiculous song while dodging this?”

Rumble!

Dozens of green guns floated around the Extinguisher.

Each one independently aimed—a spectral battery.

Once he gave the command, a bombardment unlike anything before would rain down.

[Copy conditions have not yet been met.]

[Due to loose execution, Skill Copy may be canceled.]

Even now, the damn system wouldn’t stop nagging him.

Jinhyuk continued humming the reconnaissance rules.

Naturally, the more he sang, the fiercer the Extinguisher’s attacks became.

Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!

The ground he’d been standing on moments ago turned into shreds under the explosions.

Even the boulders vaporized—terrifying destructive power.

But worse than the force itself was the timing.

Hundreds—thousands.

No matter how much he dodged, the ghostly barrage showed no sign of ending.

‘Persistent bastard.’

There was no time to breathe, no time to think.

An all-out bombardment that could erase the entire village.

It was impossible to survive by dodging alone.

In that case…

[Unique Spear ‘Lingering Moonlight’ activates!]

[Unique Spear ‘Phase 2’ activates!]

His duplicates multiplied under Lingering Moonlight, and his body strengthened under Phase 2.

Click! Click!

Dozens of Jinhyuks aimed their guns at the Extinguisher.

What followed was a chaotic battle that resembled urban warfare between two armies.

—

At the same time—

Nyarlathotep felt a hammer blow of disbelief at the sudden report from the Old Guard.

For a moment, he wondered if he was hearing things.

“What did you just say?”

“M-my apologies, sir. I-it seems intruders have entered the Fool’s Valley. Not one, but an entire attack squad.”

The Old Guards usually guarded the restricted zone with absolute vigilance.

Even he always kept his senses attuned to the entrance.

Except for today.

And understandably so.

After all, Kang Jinhyuk and Pesis—the only real threats—were both right here.

There shouldn’t have been anyone else who even knew about that place.

Even if they did, no one sane would willingly walk into that hell.

Nyarlathotep bit his lip.

“Who’s leading them?”

Someone working with the Veteran Corporation, bold enough to trespass into the Primordial Domain…

There weren’t many who fit that description.

“The Red Dragon Clan.”

Of course…

The news that the Gold Clan was to be appointed as the next Lord must have leaked.

“Those rat bastards… couldn’t die quietly, could they? Still thrashing around to the end.”

Nyarlathotep spat a curse.

The Red Dragons were the ones most obsessed with claiming the Lord’s seat.

Naturally, they’d sell their souls to demons to achieve it.

That’s why he’d wanted to keep the Gold Clan’s presence here secret at all costs…

But Kang Jinhyuk—damn that cursed human—had ruined everything.

‘How does a human even know about the Dragon Lord appointment?

What did he offer the Red Clan?

It must be something even more enticing than the Lord’s seat itself… but what? And how feasible is it?’

His thoughts spiraled endlessly.

One thing was certain—he could no longer focus solely on this village.

He wanted to handle it personally, but…

[Lv5 System Restriction is in effect.]

Even the relaxed restriction made combat difficult.

Not to mention, managing the Extinguisher and triggering the Apocalypse had drained more energy than expected.

“Lord Nyarlathotep…”

The Old Guard awaited orders.

If they did nothing, the secret hidden deep within the valley might be exposed.

And the clues to the Necronomicon could be lost.

They’d been struck perfectly at their weakest point.

He had to act.

Then—

Step.

“Heh-heh! Seems you’re in quite the bind.”

Another figure appeared before Nyarlathotep.