Chapter 32

Chapter 31: How a Veteran Tames an Absolute Being

Jinhyuk checked his newly acquired ability with a satisfied look on his face.

"Star's Blessing."

Teresa's unique ability, receiving the blessing of the constellations.

Finally, he had obtained it.

"There really is a lot to gain from coming to the ruins."

Artifacts like "Frozen Tears" and "Brahm's Ring" were also quite useful.

However, they couldn't compare to the unique abilities of Cheonyuseong and Teresa.

"To obtain the abilities of two top-tier Rankers..."

He wanted to manage his expression, but he couldn't.

His mouth corners naturally curled up, as if he had won the lottery.

Huh, stay calm.

Jinhyuk took a deep breath.

There are so many unique abilities in the world.

He couldn't just settle for this.

Moreover, "Star's Blessing" could be replaced by a higher ability through fusion.

Cheonyuseong (Heaven Beyond Heaven).

Until he reached a position so high that even Rankers wouldn't dare to look, he couldn't afford to relax for a moment.

"First, I need to gather the skills that will synergize the best."

The combination methods were already in his mind.

At that moment.

"Um, Mr. Jinhyuk?"

Teresa gently tapped his shoulder.

Right.

This girl was here.

He had forgotten in his absorption with his new ability.

"Ah, I'm sorry. I was just checking something."

"It's okay. Have you thought of a way?"

"There's no grand method. I just want to try grabbing it with my bare hands."

"......What?"

Teresa's face showed that she thought it was an absurd idea.

No matter how versatile he was.

A cursed holy relic couldn't be touched without divine power.

And among them, the only one who could use divine power was...

Just one person.

"Actually, I have a very deep faith. I regularly attended Sunday school and continued religious activities even in the military."

"Can you use divine power with that?"

"Why? Don't you believe it?"

"Of course, I don't believe it!"

Teresa raised her voice, uncharacteristically.

"What did I say when I came here?"

"Un...conditionally... believe it."

You remember it well.

Indeed, smart students have excellent memory.

"Then believe it."

"......"

With a continuous flow of words, Teresa bit her lip.

She had just regretted not believing.

Therefore, it was difficult to repeat the same mistake.

"But, this is a different story."

Right.

This time, he wouldn't be wrong.

"Hmm. How about this? If I touch this and am fine, shall we make a bet?"

"A bet?"

At the word "bet," Teresa's voice trailed off.

It wasn't that she was afraid of losing.

She had already promised to give over 10,000 coins.

There was nothing else to bet.

"I won't make unreasonable demands. If I lose, I'll give you this holy relic. In return, if you lose, you'll appear as a guest on my broadcast later."

"That seems possible."

"Is it a promise?"

"Mr. Jinhyuk, you should keep your promise."

Keep it or not.

If I lose, that is.

Woo!

Right then, Jinhyuk's hand began to glow faintly.

A magical power that calmed the mind.

No doubt.

This was divine power.

"Ah......"

A deep sigh escaped Teresa's lips.

A sense of futility and frustration.

And beyond that, a feeling of despair as if everything she believed and protected had collapsed.

I can understand.

But at this point, you should accept it.

Like getting wet in the rain.

It was a very natural result.

"Thank you for being a guest."

Jinhyuk lightly tapped Teresa's shoulder.

With this, he secured a solid supporter.

[Fragment of Merlin's Staff (Material)]

Acquisition Difficulty: AAA

Attack Power: ?

Durability: 5/5

Description: A fragment of the legendary British great mage Merlin's staff. It is cursed, so only those who can use divine power can touch it.

An AAA-grade material that can only be obtained in labyrinths or ruins.

Selling it on the coin exchange or black market would be quite profitable.

It could also be used to make magical tools.

But there was a specific use for this.

'Only those who know nothing would handle treasures carelessly.'

Fools who can't use even a fraction of an artifact's true value.

'Well, thanks to such fools, veterans shine even more.'

Think about it.

If everyone had a pioneering vision and quick judgment...

What use would there be in the gap of information?

In a way, they might be more grateful than resentful.

'In any case, this raid was lucky in many ways.'

If it weren't for Teresa, he would have had to decode the Petrus' Oath and obtain the staff through a more troublesome method. He would have also needed a more intricate setup to deceive Ellis.

However, her presence made things easier.

Jinhyuk carefully collected the fragment.

It was time to leave this ruin.

***

"This is a scoop, so you must catch it."

"Whether it takes a day, a month, or a year, wait like a stone statue! Hey...! Hey, you. Since we got approval from above, just shut up and wait!"

Reporters from the broadcasting station, representatives from various guilds, porters, and miners.

Hundreds of people were waiting at the entrance, looking for someone.

-It will be over soon, the ruin's strategy.

The words left by a man wielding a worn-out sword, emitting a steady stream of killing intent.

This chaos was all because of these words.

"Director, is what that man said true?"

Jeong Jae-hyun, the manager from the Awakeners Association, cautiously spoke.

Then, Director Kim Tae-chun took a cigarette.

"I don't know. It's too absurd to believe. Damn, if I had heard it directly, I would have asked a few questions, but unfortunately, the porters who met that man were so scared that they sent him away."

The raid team went in without proper preparation.

No, even if they had been fully prepared, it would take at least three weeks for a raid.

To finish it in such a short time?

If it were that easy, this ruin wouldn't have such a bad reputation.

But.

It couldn't be dismissed as just a madman's ramblings.

It meant that someone had come out of the ruin and single-handedly defeated the guardian at the entrance.

A situation hard to believe and hard not to.

"Headache."

Director Kim scratched his head.

But right then.

Woo!

A bright light began to emanate from the entrance of the ruin.

At the same time, a golden status window appeared in front of everyone.

[The ruin 'Corridor of the Fallen' has been cleared.]

[The great achievement will be displayed in the 'Hall of Fame' for one day.]

"Director!"

"Was it... real?"

Director Kim stared blankly at the entrance.

People with wounds all over their bodies were coming out one by one.

The main force of the raid team, the Bohai Guild, and

The raid team of the Zion Guild.

Click, click, click, click, click, click, click, click!

Camera shutters went off like crazy.

"They're out!"

"Ooooh!"

People raised their voices to capture the heroes.

"Congratulations on clearing the first floor of the ruin!"

"Can I ask how you managed to clear it so quickly?"

"Who was the MVP of this raid?"

Reporters held up their microphones.

To get an interview, they had to find the raid leader.

Then.

"Hey, hey. Is this the raid leader, Song Cheon-hwa?"

A reporter asked a bald man with a shiny head.

At first glance, it seemed unlikely.

But upon closer inspection, it was definitely him.

Song Cheon-hwa, the raid leader of this raid.

"......"

But Song Cheon-hwa, with his dilated pupils, didn't answer.

He just moved his feet mechanically.

His expression, as if he had lost his soul, made the reporters comment.

"Good grief. Not only his hair, but his eyebrows and eyelashes are all gone?"

"What... happened in there?"

"Indeed, it must have been a brutal experience."

"It seems he paid with his hair for a second awakening. The Bohai Guild must be thrilled. It's a huge win."

Although he lost something precious, if he completed his second awakening, it was a profitable deal.

Of course, from the perspective of those who knew the background, the reporters seemed more cruel than vampires.

Finally, Teresa, who couldn't stand it, intervened.

"The one who cleared the ruin is not Song Cheon-hwa."

"Then, is it Player Teresa...?"

"Did the Zion Guild succeed?"

The focus shifted to Teresa.

The surroundings were so silent that the sound of swallowing could be heard.

"No."

Teresa quietly shook her head.

And she pointed to the person next to her with her palm.

Jinhyuk, wearing a mask with strange patterns.

"The entire raid was done by this person alone. We... were just spectators."

***

The emergence of a super rookie.

This fact made the [Tower of Trials] community and the entire country boil with excitement.

[The masked player. Who is he?]

[Single-handedly cleared the ruin! The emergence of an absurd monster!]

[Top-tier guilds worldwide. Decided to send investigation teams on the first flight tomorrow morning.]

[Three hours later, his achievements will be publicly revealed in the Hall of Fame.]

All attention was focused.

Especially since it coincided with the timing of the 3rd floor boss monster's strategy, which had not been successful, the government and media pushed this even more to give people hope.

A new hero recognized by the top European Ranker Teresa.

A player who saw the end of the impregnable ruin that no one had succeeded in...

"Damn, they've attached every possible adjective."

Jinhyuk scratched his head.

He had expected a strong reaction, but this was beyond his imagination.

At least, wearing a mask to avoid getting involved in troublesome matters was a good move.

'Now that I'm about to get S-rank, I'll just have to act accordingly.'

One hundred players.

The top two ranks have been decided.

The remaining task is to appropriately adjust the gap between them and design the board to my advantage.

Teresa has promised to keep quiet, so there's no need to worry too much.

This issue is settled for now.

Next is.

'I need to have a talk with the stubborn Jinjo.'

In the ruin, he solved it by stuffing her in his pocket,

But it would be difficult to continue using the AFK play.

'Even if she's hard to handle, there's no more useful card than this one.'

The arduous journey to the 50th floor of the tower.

This is the first choice that will determine whether the path will be easy or difficult.

Jinhyuk carefully took out the ring.

Then, a sharp voice came out as if it had been waiting.

[Daring to lock me in a dark, smelly pocket all day! Human. Do you know who I am...!]

"Hey, Miss Jinjo, or rather, Great-Grandmother."

It seems she hasn't fully grasped the situation yet.

Does she still think she's an invincible vampire?

Jinhyuk began to rotate his arm while holding the ring.

Whir!

Whirr!

His shoulder spinning quickly in a clockwise direction.

[AAHH! Stop. I'm dizzy, stop!]

Ellis screamed.

Jinhyuk stopped the circular motion.

"How about it, are you back to your senses?"

[Would you be back to your senses? Remember this! Vampires never forget a grudge!]

It still seems far off.

Good.

At least Jinjo has some backbone.

It wouldn't be interesting if she surrendered too easily.

Originally, he planned to mix carrots and sticks appropriately...

But his mind has changed.

I'll thoroughly train her with the stick.

"The next stop is Guro Station, Guto Station. A strong dizziness is expected, so please be cautious."

Jinhyuk volunteered to make the announcement with a clear voice.

[St... stop. Really, I'm going to throw up, so stop!]

"There's no door to get off... here."

Once again, the hellish hamster wheel of Korea was opened.