Chapter 80

Chapter 79. The Womb of the Dead 'Pendarial' (1)

[A new video has been uploaded to the Tower of Trials.]

Due to the video Jinhyuk posted, the Tower of Trials bulletin board was once again turned upside down.

- NyaNyaPunch: Wow, that large guild couldn't even stop a single zombie? What a mess.

- Taiwan Is Number One: Seriously, they're such a nuisance. They turned something already tough into hell mode. I heard no player knows about the hidden boss. How are they supposed to beat it?

- Line Up Properly: How could they not survive even the second wave? It's disgusting.

- Hongcha Tteokbokki: I heard a large attack team that tried to preemptively attack the queen was also wiped out. It's a real shame. Sigh. Those promising players lost their lives because of those idiots.

Swear words poured out like a flood.

However, the large Chinese guilds couldn't even utter a word.

The Triad was wiped out, and those affiliated with the martial arts world were not players, so they couldn't post any rebuttal videos.

Everything went exactly as Jinhyuk had planned.

- Unemployed Above All: Still, thanks to player Gang Jinhyuk, the mass slaughter was prevented.

- KingGodEmperor: Without Gang, everyone in the small stronghold would have died.

- David H: That's good, but can five people really fight the queen?

- Joseon's Best Swordsman: I don't know about others, but Gang Jinhyuk is an S-rank player recognized by the strongest gaming nation. He's worth believing in.

- Starbucks Maniac: If you search for Gang Jinhyuk, a series of related videos come up. Watch them all. He's a reliable card.

- New Young Hero: Where's Unknown when you need him? I want to see him fight alongside player Gang Jinhyuk.

In contrast, the evaluations of Jinhyuk soared to the sky.

The perception that Jinhyuk was the only hope amidst the situation where even top players were dying became widespread.

"Bro, didn't you really overdo it?"

Yoo Yeon-hwa let out a small sigh.

The Jinhyuk she knew always broke the rules and found a different path, but she never imagined he would overturn the entire board like this.

Her back felt numb.

"Bro, how did you know there was a boss monster here?"

Lee Tae-min was equally bewildered by the current situation.

"Well, I just tried a few things and found it."

"..."

Just tried a few things and found it.

Even though he said it lightly, he must have made countless attempts and challenges to discover the hidden quest.

"Was it you who destroyed the mart?"

Teresa asked about something she was curious about.

"I'm not sure. I don't know much, but it couldn't have broken naturally, right?"

However, Jinhyuk just smiled and changed the subject.

"Let's put the trivial stuff aside. So, do you have a way to deal with the queen?"

Finally, Cheon Yu-seong mentioned the most important thing.

That's right.

It was good to draw attention and turn the tide, but if there was no solution, it would all be a suicidal act.

And of course.

"There is a way to win."

Jinhyuk knew the only way to end this fight.

Of course, the process wouldn't be smooth,

But considering the rewards, it was worth taking the risk.

"It's a relief that you didn't act without thinking. So, what do we do now?"

"Will you do as I say if I tell you the method?"

"I'm willing to do anything to survive."

"Don't change your mind later. This time, your role is very important."

"..."

"Tell me."

Cheon Yu-seong nodded with a serious face.

He probably thought he would be given a very difficult task.

It is difficult.

Just not the kind of difficulty he expected.

"To give them a taste, we need a skill of considerable scale. The problem is..."

"The problem is?"

"It's quite expensive."

"Seriously...?"

Cheon Yu-seong's expression darkened rapidly.

"Don't joke around. Why should I give you the coins I've collected? And why are you trying to take coins from me alone!"

There are also Teresa, who is known to be wealthy, and Lee Tae-min and Yoo Yeon-hwa, who are doing quite well.

But why...

"Yoo Yeon-hwa got the Twin Dragon Sword. Teresa has already given her coins before. Besides, don't be so stingy. I know your recent video got a lot of views."

"Damn. You saw that?"

"Yeah, I saw it. You made it quite fresh and interesting, unlike you."

The title was probably 'Sword Techniques to Help Your Neighbor's Grandma Survive in a Dungeon.'

The Aggro was well-drawn thanks to the promise of direct guidance from the Sword Saint.

Of course, Aggro alone wouldn't make it a hit.

But thanks to Cheon Yu-seong's overwhelming skills, the video became a huge hit, even making it to the 'Hall of Fame' on the same day.

"I need to kill the guy who taught me how to edit the face mosaic."

"Don't be too harsh. I recognized you right away."

The guy tried to edit his face to avoid being recognized, but he couldn't hide the unique sword techniques of the Soul Chaser.

No one else could fool my eyes.

I could recite the techniques of the Soul Chaser with my eyes closed.

"…It was a personal quest I had to do."

"Sure. I understand."

To grow as a Sword Saint, he needed to complete quests that gained the recognition of many.

In the past, the number of players was so small that the standard was low,

But now, with the attention of the entire world, he needed recognition from millions, not just a few hundred.

"So, I know you have a lot of coins. Donate for the team."

"How much?"

"100,000."

The exact amount of coins Cheon Yu-seong earned.

Cheon Yu-seong's expression turned as if he had eaten something foul.

He had to give up the seeds he had carefully saved for the future.

"You have a lot of coins too, right? You don't have to take them from me..."

"I do, but 100,000 coins are still valuable to me."

Why use my own money when there's a reliable source right in front of me?

"Hurry up, I don't have time."

Jinhyuk snapped his fingers.

I'm the captain of this stronghold.

You are the crew.

Most importantly, to face the powerful enemy outside, you must absolutely obey the captain's orders.

"…You. You won't die easily."

[You have received 100,000 coins from player Cheon Yu-seong.]

Cheon Yu-seong gritted his teeth and coughed up all his coins.

Right then.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

From a distance,

The ground-shaking footsteps began.

They are coming.

And at a very fast speed.

***

Except for special floors like field-type or maze-type, each floor of the tower has a boss monster that dominates it.

Absolute rulers defined by a single word: 'strength.'

However, their power does not necessarily correspond to the floor they dominate.

Some insist on staying on a lower floor because they find it boring or annoying, or because they like the floor they have.

And Pendarial was one of them.

In the apocalypse where everything has been destroyed,

This land, where only the dead can wander, was the ideal world she pursued.

"Kieeee!"

"Kraaaah!"

Countless zombies roared in the middle of the street.

But they didn't move, as if waiting for something.

At that moment.

Thud.

Pendarial took a step forward.

Sssssss!

Thick smoke rose from the asphalt.

The 'Corrosion' effect caused by Corpse Poison.

While ordinary zombies have some level of Corpse Poison, Pendarial's was on a different level.

It could even burn the air around it upon contact.

"Is this... all you can do, humans?"

Pendarial's mouth split horizontally.

Her terrifying appearance, drenched in blood.

Her pale skin and red hair that reached her waist were a sight from a nightmare.

"Kuuuuu..."

A man in front of Pendarial groaned.

Ian Smith.

A ranker from the large European guild 'Panteon,' Smith formed an attack team and set out to hunt the queen after watching the video Jinhyuk uploaded.

All of them had played the Tower of Trials for over a year and had experience with recent relic raids.

But this was the result.

The 55-member attack team, without even touching the queen's collar, turned into rotten corpses.

"What kind of absurd monster is this..."

No one could defeat this monster.

The very existence of such a creature defied logic.

Smith looked up at the queen for the last time.

The empty, cold eyes of an absolute ruler.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

And that was the last memory of the ranker, once a promising star in Europe.

"Leave that human. Kill the rest. I will kill him myself."

Pendarial gave the order to the endless line of zombies.

"Kieeee!"

"Keek!"

The zombies charged forward in unison.

3-meter-tall enhanced zombies took the lead, tanking, followed by special zombies with elongated arms or abnormally long heads.

Creatures that only appeared in the later stages of a wave.

If not for the special situation of awakening the queen, they wouldn't be fighting now.

But all these powerful enemies were gathered in one place.

Boom!

Crash!

The plants guarding the entrance were completely destroyed.

Rock plants and self-destructing plants sacrificed themselves to block, but couldn't hold them back for even a few minutes.

Of course not.

They were not the kind that could be stopped by just the third wave.

"It's over."

Pendarial, watching the battle from a distance, was certain.

Very soon, the arrogant human would be dragged before her.

But the message from the zombies that attacked the arena completely overturned her expectations.

[Four humans are trapped in ice. And the human you mentioned is nowhere to be seen.]

"Trapped in ice? Inside the ice?"

Did they put themselves in the ice?

Out of fear of being tortured to death?

Or could it be...

'They have another plan?'

Pendarial's eyebrows furrowed.

They deliberately provoked to draw the zombies into the stronghold.

Why?

'To weaken our forces.'

By thoroughly dispersing their strength.

'...To hunt me.'

When she realized this, Pendarial's mind went cold.

And at that moment.

[Ice Formation Technique, Third Form, 'Ice Prison of Ten Thousand Transformations' has been activated!]

The world, once dark and twisted, was painted white.

Thus.

Whirrrrr!

Numerous walls of ice glass completely enveloped the queen and the zombies guarding her.