Chapter 71

Chapter 70. The Tower's Inhabitants (1)

[Just how much do you know?]

Hyejinsoo's inner thoughts were fully conveyed.

And the content was shocking.

[This has to end here, with me. Absolutely... we can't let it be revealed that the Black Cloud Guild and the 'Inhabitants' had contact.]

Jinhyuk's eyes narrowed.

What is this guy talking about?

Could it be that it wasn't just about the money?

Suddenly, the copy condition flashed through Jinhyuk's mind again.

'Expose the corruption.'

At first, he thought it was just about uncovering corruption, but there was a deeper mastermind hiding behind it.

The Black Cloud Guild, one of the top guilds in Korea. And even more surprisingly, the story about the 'Inhabitants' who have lived in the tower for a long time.

The players have only conquered the third floor.

However, the Inhabitants who can freely move between the floors of the tower can only be met from the 15th floor and beyond.

That means...

'The Inhabitants must have initiated contact with the Warrior Guild first.'

I don't know the reason or the purpose.

But one thing is certain: their interests aligned, and Yu Cheonyeong is an obstacle to their future plans.

'From their perspective, humans and players are external threats to the tower...'

This is getting interesting.

Right then,

"Brother, what do you mean by that?"

"Are you saying they embezzled the money given to treat the Master?"

"Those damn bastards!"

"What kind of people would do such a thing for money? Don't even think about surviving here today!"

Yu Yeonhwa and those who followed Yu Cheonyeong shouted.

With the healers they trusted turning on them, their anger could not be contained.

Just as they were about to draw their swords from their scabbards,

"Please leave their punishment to me."

Jinhyuk interjected.

"Player Gang Jinhyuk. I appreciate your efforts in uncovering the truth, but I don't think my anger will be quelled without killing these bastards here and now."

"I understand. I feel the same way. To think we entrusted the Master to such scoundrels..."

The disciples expressed their feelings as if swallowing their tears of blood.

It was a difficult atmosphere to calm down.

"Instead, let me heal Elder Yu Cheonyeong. Right now, right here."

"......!"

"Is that... possible?"

The swords that were halfway out of their scabbards were sheathed again.

Revenge was important, but the most crucial thing right now was to save Yu Cheonyeong.

"Of course, it's possible."

He had dealt with far more troublesome plagues; a mere mana surge was nothing.

In the upper floors of the tower, this would be like the flu.

'Let's see...'

Jinhyuk gathered a few IV bags and medicines from the medical table.

Of course, these were just props for the performance.

To hide the fusion skill and make the scene more impressive.

After preparing, Jinhyuk's gaze turned to Hyejinsoo.

Watch closely.

How to use the elixir.

[Unique Ability 'Blessing of the Stars' and 'Elixir' are fusing!]

[Fusion successful!]

[You have obtained the special item 'Tears of the Stars (SS)'!]

[To fuse 'Tears of the Stars' again, a 90-day cooldown is required.]

Woooom!

Suddenly, the color of the elixir changed.

An indescribable bright light sparkled on the surface of the liquid.

Jinhyuk approached Yu Cheonyeong with the glass bottle.

'If he were an ordinary person, he would have died a long time ago.'

The blood vessels swollen to the point of bursting were a symptom of a mana surge that had exceeded its limit.

Indeed, the strong are strong.

To still hold on to life despite such excruciating pain is a testament to his strength.

'A few drops won't be enough; I'll have to give him the whole thing.'

Due to his severely deteriorated condition, he had to pour the entire elixir.

It was a bit wasteful, but a cheap price to pay for ability copying.

Glug! Glug!

The liquid flowed down Yu Cheonyeong's throat and into his body.

Then,

The pale face of Yu Cheonyeong gradually regained color.

"Huuu... Huuu..."

His breathing stabilized, and the cold sweat on his forehead stopped.

The blood vessels that had protruded grotesquely all subsided.

After a long period of suffering,

Yu Cheonyeong was finally restored.

[Condition met!]

[Please choose one of Yu Cheonyeong's skills.]

The choice was already decided.

Without hesitation, Jinhyuk selected one of Yu Cheonyeong's skills.

[Successfully copied the unique ability 'True Great Qinghua Heart Method (S)'!]

[True Great Qinghua Heart Method (S)]

Acquisition difficulty: S

Description: A cultivation method developed by Yu Cheonyeong that allows the absorption of ambient mana. When used, it increases mana recovery speed by 30%, and simply by cultivating it, it has the effect of making the body appear younger.]

[The copied skill will be stored in 'Memory of the World'.]

The status window appeared one after another.

Jinhyuk scanned the details of the newly acquired skill.

'Mana recovery and a youth-preserving effect...'

No wonder Yu Cheonyeong looked so young for his age.

The skill level he checked through the 'Eye of Gluttony' was a staggering 13.

Almost at the level of a top-tier named monster.

While Jinhyuk was examining the skill's detailed characteristics,

"Grandfather!"

Yu Yeonhwa caressed Yu Cheonyeong's cheek with trembling hands.

"Such an unbelievable thing..."

"Is the Master really recovering?"

"R, really! His mana fluctuations have stabilized."

Tears streamed down everyone's faces.

They were overwhelmed by the emotions of this dream-like reality.

On the other hand, Hyejinsoo, who had been watching the scene, stood there with his mouth agape, speechless.

'I can't believe it.'

The opponent is a combat type.

Yet,

How did he know the treatment for a mana surge, something no one has ever known before?

Adjusting the concentration of the elixir through IV bags and medicines sounds simple, but it was almost impossible without knowing the precise ratios.

But the opponent did it.

Something that even those who dedicated their lives to medicine couldn't attempt, he did so calmly.

Shiver!

Hyejinsoo's jaw trembled.

The insight to read all their moves.

The overwhelming potential that earned an S-grade.

And now, knowledge of medicine.

It felt like facing a monster.

His mind was filled with the thought of running away, but his limbs wouldn't move.

Then,

Jinhyuk approached the trembling Hyejinsoo.

"Since they're still in shock from the reunion, let's have a separate conversation over here."

"What do you plan to do with me?"

"Hmm?"

"Are you going to kill me?"

"No, inside the tower, it's one thing, but killing someone outside would be a headache. Besides, it's ridiculous to kill someone just for embezzling a bit of money."

So,

"Return all the money you've received. Then, I'll let you go."

"Return the money... and you'll let us go?"

"Isn't that a good deal? You can escape from the enraged disciples of Yu Cheonyeong, and I can make a nice profit from this opportunity."

Jinhyuk shrugged.

As if to emphasize that his only interest was money.

'Is money all he wants?'

Hyejinsoo swallowed hard.

If money was the goal, then giving him the money would be enough.

The mission to kill Yu Cheonyeong had failed, but at least the most important information hadn't been revealed.

The deliberation was brief.

"I'll do it."

"Once the money is transferred to this account, I'll let you go."

Jinhyuk handed him a piece of paper.

It was an untraceable account, one of the benefits given only to S-rank players.

And a moment later,

Ding!

[A new financial transaction has occurred.]

[36,350,000,000 won has been deposited into Gang Jinhyuk's account.]

An alert appeared on Jinhyuk's phone.

About 36 billion won.

A significant portion of the money embezzled from Yu Cheonyeong over the years had returned.

"Can I go now?"

Hyejinsoo asked cautiously.

"Yes. It was a very satisfying deal."

Jinhyuk smiled and stepped back from the door.

There was nothing blocking the door now.

This was the only chance to escape.

Creak!

"Ah!"

"Quick, get out!"

"We're alive!"

The moment the door opened, the healers rushed out.

They ran as fast as they could, worried that Jinhyuk might change his mind.

"Hmm. You're letting them go? That's not like you."

Ellis's voice rang out at that moment.

'So you were watching from inside the ring.'

He was always involved in everything.

Well, at least it saved him some trouble.

"Ellis."

Jinhyuk slowly spoke.

"Find out where that guy is going and who he talks to."

"What? You let him go on purpose?"

"Interrogating him here wouldn't make him talk easily. Besides, the Black Cloud Guild or the Inhabitants wouldn't have given much information to the ants at the bottom of the food chain."

Killing a few ants would be pointless.

So,

"Guide the fleeing ant to the queen."

Jinhyuk's lips curled into a smile.

＊ ＊ ＊

After the commotion, only Jinhyuk and Yu Cheonyeong remained in the room.

He had told everyone, including Yu Yeonhwa, that he needed to check if the elixir had properly spread through Yu Cheonyeong's body, so they had all left.

Jinhyuk looked at the motionless Yu Cheonyeong.

"Now, there's no one else here."

"......"

There was no response.

"I know you've been conscious since a while ago."

Jinhyuk added.

Then,

"Hehe. I thought I had perfectly hidden my presence. You're a much sharper young man than I expected."

To everyone's surprise, Yu Cheonyeong, who was thought to be unconscious, opened his eyes.

"Was my breathing that obvious?"

"No, it was perfect."

Even a player with a detection skill wouldn't have been able to detect Yu Cheonyeong's breathing.

Only because Jinhyuk had the 'Eye of Gluttony' could he see through such deceptions.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to deceive you."

"It's fine. The timing of my appearance was quite fortuitous. And the fact that you know the treatment for a mana surge, something no one else knows, is certainly suspicious."

"Hahaha! That's right. That's exactly why I did it."

Yu Cheonyeong burst into laughter, clearly amused.

If Jinhyuk had tried to make excuses or dodge the question, he wouldn't have believed him.

But his honest confession made Yu Cheonyeong laugh.

"It seems I misunderstood you. So, what do you want from this old man?"

"There's one thing I really want to ask."

"Since you saved my life, I'll answer anything I know."

Yu Cheonyeong nodded with a bright smile.

However,

"Did you fight the Inhabitants on the first day the Tower of Trials appeared... is that correct?"

Caught off guard by the unexpected question,

"How did you...?"

The smile vanished from Yu Cheonyeong's face.