Chapter 642
Snap!
Shylock snapped his fingers.
“Yes! Yes! Coming right up!”
“Hoo. Hoo. Heeik!”
“Hehehe! Let’s go, let’s go!”
Adorable goblins appeared, groaning as they lifted a huge box.
The treasure chest was so lavishly decorated that it took at least twenty-four goblins to carry it, and it was enormous.
“Aren’t they cute? They’re employees of our Merchant Guild.”
“Wow, they all look so pinchable. Seeing them worked this hard makes me want to report you to the Tower Labor Office.”
“Hehe. From what I hear, your company is far more vicious…”
“Just rumors.”
“Well, there’s no need to dig for the truth. More importantly, let’s see. It should be here somewhere…”
Shylock rummaged inside and pulled out a large jar.
Then he took out a syringe and carefully drew out the contents.
Wriggle, wriggle.
Black grains writhed inside the clear glass.
It was vile and ominous at first glance.
And judging by Shylock’s confidence, it wasn’t some common, well-known poison. He must have specially modified it and strengthened it further.
However—
‘Do you think I agreed to this human experimentation for nothing?’
At least when it came to poison, Jinhyuk could confidently say he had extreme resistance. He’d built it up through countless battles and experiences.
[Unique Ability ‘Heaven-Extinguishing Myriad Poisons’ is activated!]
[Unique Ability ‘Poison Lord’ is activated!]
[Unique Ability ‘Tail of Plague’ is activated!]
He had prepared thoroughly.
“Ah, before we begin.”
Jinhyuk retrieved Balmung, the mana stones, and the coins he’d placed on the scale.
Paying with his body was more than enough.
Balmung, in particular, had only been placed there to test the scale’s weight, and he had no intention of discarding it unless absolutely necessary.
“Hmm. I understand.”
Shylock smacked his lips, looking at Balmung with a hint of regret.
Still, he had already gained something far bigger, so he didn’t insist.
The moment the syringe pierced his body, a faint green light enveloped him.
A throbbing sensation.
He could feel the poison spreading through his veins.
A burning, tingling heat crept up and gnawed at his mind.
“Hehe. I recombined poisons gathered from very special minerals, poisonous insects, and venomous beasts from all over the Tower in my own way. It seems Player Kang Jinhyuk has some knowledge of poisons as well… but this will probably be very different from what you’re used to… huh?”
Shylock tilted his head mid-sentence.
This was a potent poison that took effect immediately on all kinds of monsters and residents—mythical beasts and even divine creatures included.
A liquid meant to kill even gods.
Wasn’t that the whole point of this masterpiece?
But for some reason, there was no meaningful reaction from the other man.
Normally, he should’ve collapsed on the spot, blood pouring from every opening.
“A-Are you alright?”
“Hmm… it’s spicy and sweet, but it lacks that fiery kick. It’s like I was expecting nuclear fire noodles, but got a bowl of mild Neoguri instead?”
“What nonsense are you spouting that I can’t even understand! Do you have any idea how much effort and research I put into this… and that’s what you say to my face…?”
“Sorry, sorry. I’ll be more serious. Ugh! My body is burning! Ouch, ouch. Is that better?”
Jinhyuk flailed as if he were tearing at his own skin.
That only irritated Shylock further.
“…Forget it! Let’s move on to the next one!”
Fuming, Shylock pulled the second item from the treasure chest.
The ominous energy flowing from it was on a completely different level from the poison.
It was inevitable.
This was a Sacred Relic among the highest-ranking curses in the Tower of Trials.
“I’ll admit you have high resistance to poison. But this is something that won’t be affected by that.”
Shylock wore a confident smile.
And he was probably right.
It was already a powerful Sacred Relic, and he had mixed it with the unique mana of demons and the curses that existed on the fiftieth floor.
There had been rumors that the Infinite Wheel had ties to ancient beings.
At that moment, those rumors stopped being rumors.
[‘Antichrist’s Cross’ is opened!]
[‘Gloomy Sigh’ is added!]
[‘Curse of the Horizon’ is added!]
A series of red status windows appeared.
Ominous energy spilled from the upside-down red cross.
In an instant, Jinhyuk’s blood vessels bulged.
“Kugh!”
Pain slammed into him so hard his mind went blank.
Unlike the poison he’d endured with ease, this curse was different.
The barriers and defensive magic he’d prepared shattered instantly, and it pierced straight through his basic stats—stats that had already been trained against countless curses and poisons.
His entire immune system collapsed at once.
“Cough!”
Black blood burst from Jinhyuk’s mouth.
Because the curse worsened over time, [1 Second Invincibility] was useless.
Even the Blessing of the Stars was futile due to the effect of residual thoughts that remained even after death.
“Hehe. Now your expression is a little more interesting. Didn’t I tell you? This time wouldn’t be easy. If you give up now and admit defeat, I might consider showing you some mercy—on the condition that you sign an exclusive contract with our Merchant Guild from now on.”
A move to secure every benefit at once.
Of course, from Jinhyuk’s perspective, it was the kind of suggestion that only deserved curses in return.
He was spouting nonsense with great care.
But still…
It was becoming harder to stay composed.
But it was fine.
He had the cursed doll he’d received from Hephaestus.
Jinhyuk pulled out the withered doll.
“I’m going all in too.”
[‘109 Curses’ is activated!]
[The curses from the doll will float throughout this area until the user’s consent is obtained.]
Hideous curses—too many to describe one by one—poured out.
It was as if Pandora’s Box had been opened.
“Kieeee!”
“Kuaaaa!”
The cursed doll that could withstand 109 curses was, in name, enduring them.
In reality, it was unleashing them.
“W-What is this!?”
Shylock recoiled in shock.
The floating curses seeped into the goblins surrounding him.
“Cough!”
“Keck! Ke-keck…”
Eyes bloodshot, the goblins writhed in agony and collapsed.
Shylock’s eyes widened.
This was absurd.
Due to the Unique Holy Spear’s Cruel Bargain, any means of harming the opponent should have been prohibited.
He couldn’t understand why Jinhyuk could use such an item.
“This is just a defensive mechanism so I can survive. It shouldn’t count as an attack.”
Jinhyuk shrugged as he watched the grudges and curses swirl through the air.
Fight poison with poison.
Just as poison could suppress poison, curses could also blunt curses.
With countless experiences behind him, Jinhyuk calmly combined them.
The key was to link weakened points and disrupt each other’s synergy.
[The effect of ‘Antichrist’s Cross’ is alleviated!]
[The light of ‘Curse of the Horizon’ dims!]
The goal wasn’t complete purification.
It was to slow the deadly curse from swallowing his body for as long as possible—and buy time.
Even so, Shylock and the goblins exposed to 109 curses were now in a situation where they had to gamble with their lives.
Thud!
Boom!
The goblins who had followed Shylock collapsed like puppets with their strings cut.
Shylock, shielding himself with numerous Sacred Relics, also struggled to withstand the grudges and curses flying in from all directions.
Eventually—
“I lost! Damn it, I lost!”
The giant Balrog raised a white flag.
[The second experiment is terminated!]
The moment he surrendered, the curses lifted.
Jinhyuk had cleared the second hurdle.
He was almost there.
As Jinhyuk wore a relaxed smile, Shylock’s expression crumpled.
The cards he’d prepared with confidence had all been shattered, the Sacred Relics he’d worn for protection were damaged, and his precious goblins were ruined.
‘How much was all of that worth….’
Even with immense wealth, Shylock was the type who hated losing a single coin of his own.
For a miser like him, this was a disaster—enough to make him shed tears of blood for a hundred years.
He couldn’t afford to lose now, if only for his pride.
Shylock pulled out his final trump card.
Not just to win the bet—
But to reel in the huge catch that was Jinhyuk.
⁕⁕⁕
Rumble, rumble, rumble!
Wild mana surged.
Alice spread a pair of wings beyond the red ring floating behind her.
[Unique Holy Spear ‘Apocalypse of Revelation’ is activated!]
“Did you know… we were coming?”
Velus met Alice’s gaze head-on.
“I knew you were a traitor a long time ago. I was merely watching in silence—to understand your purpose, and the mastermind behind you.”
Alice wore an arrogant, haughty expression.
Behind her, Ataraxia’s massive banner loomed.
“Hoo… I always thought you were only obsessed with snacks and Kang Jinhyuk, but unlike your appearance, you seem to have some thoughts. I suspected you might have figured out my identity, but I never expected you to predict this ambush as well.”
“Who’s obsessed with whom!”
Alice immediately unleashed a barrage of Blood Spears.
Bang, bang, bang, bang, bang!
The wall turned into a honeycomb in an instant.
Countless skewers ripped through the mansion and flew toward the forest on the other side, piercing into it.
A thick cloud of dust billowed up.
It was an attack that was difficult to block or evade—truly on another level.
“Cough…”
Velus stared at the spears embedded in his body.
Blood poured out.
A fatal wound by any standard.
And yet—
“Your hands are as rough as ever.”
Velus calmly grabbed the spears lodged in his body and began to pull them out.
“…You.”
Alice’s eyes narrowed.
It made no sense.
That attack had been a wide-area skill unleashed with the Unique Holy Spear activated.
Even if it was the first strike and she had held back, no one should have been able to stay calm after taking it head-on.
Bewilderment flashed first—
Then sharper, more powerful, blood-soaked skewers fired at Velus.
Bang, bang, bang, bang!
Bang, bang, bang, bang, bang!
Blood Spears at least twice as large shredded Velus’s body into something like a rag.
It wouldn’t have been strange if he had died instantly.
And yet—
Even with his entire body pierced by skewers, Velus’s fingers twitched again.
‘Something’s wrong.’
Alice pressed her lips into a thin line as she watched.
A sense of instinctive rejection rose in her.
To be precise, the attack hadn’t been ineffective.
It had shattered the Blood Clan’s unique shield and pierced cleanly through his body.
That meant it wasn’t that his defense was strong—
It was that his regenerative ability was absurd.
“You’ve been hiding an interesting ability. I thought your forte was that rapier.”
“Of course. Would I have shown you my true abilities? My one and only Lord.”
Velus bared his sharp fangs.