Chapter 18

◈ Chapter 18. It's a Step Down (2)

"Manifestation."

I altered the statue's form.

I made the muscular legs, which supported the giant body, slender.

Crack!

The statue lost its balance and knelt down.

All of this was possible because the statue was not a monster.

It wasn't a monster.

How could I be sure?

I had confirmed it in the update log.

──────

New Rift, 'The Castle of the Asquira Family' has been added.

New Named Monster, 'Count Asquira': Level 430

──────

The Castle of the Asquira Family.

The only monster that appears is Count Asquira.

Perhaps direct intervention was possible...

That judgment turned out to be correct.

Not being a monster also meant not being a demon.

The [Predator-Prey Relationship] did not activate.

There was a bit of mana consumption, but it was fine.

"What was that sound...?! Huh?!"

"...Did everyone see that? He took down that monster in one go!!"

"Everyone, move! This isn't the time to be distracted!"

There were many players, not just me.

My entry through the main gate served as a signal.

Toppling the statue that acted as a gatekeeper was the final blow.

Players were flooding into the castle, like a tide.

I couldn't just stand still either.

Most importantly, I had a clear purpose.

─Hunt the vampire. (In Progress) ▲

●Announce that the hunt has begun. (Success)

●Make the hunted feel the fear. (In Progress)

Was I going to take down Count Asquira alone?

That would be arrogance.

It didn't make sense level-wise.

100 Level vs 430 Level

But I had the card of [Exorcism Ritual].

I had also brought the demonic item needed as an offering for the exorcism ritual.

So my task was simple.

Through the exorcism ritual, I had to make Count Asquira feel a bit of fear.

The rest of the process...

'Would be left to the other players.'

I would still get some credit.

I would gain experience points, of course.

If I was lucky, I might even get some loot.

Yeah, so...

Shouldn't my legs walk a bit slower?

I made a rational judgment based on the facts...

But I was overflowing with confidence.

As if I was walking on a runway.

I was striding confidently through the castle.

"Can you still eat after seeing such a portrait? Your stomach is quite strong, Asquira."

Suddenly, I reached a large dining table and began to criticize harshly.

The portrait hanging on the opposite wall.

It seemed to be of Count Asquira.

...Isn't it too realistic?

Ignoring the emaciated appearance.

The red eyes, the protruding fangs.

The portrait of Asquira was the epitome of a vampire.

Moreover, the eerie atmosphere of the castle made the portrait even more terrifying.

Of course, I was looking at the portrait from an aesthetic perspective.

"The details and the shading are clumsy. It's embarrassing to call it a painting."

...It seemed like I was just spouting insults after entering someone's house.

But I thought of it as a good thing.

If I didn't have this attitude,

I wouldn't be able to act alone like this.

"Like the statue, this is also a failure."

Click

*

The Castle of the Asquira Family.

Indeed, it was not a rift to be taken lightly.

The players' faces were drenched in cold sweat.

They were tense, carefully observing their surroundings.

"...It feels suffocating."

"Even with buffs, the pressure is this intense."

"Isn't it designed to be like this? Everything is unpleasant."

It wasn't just an act.

In reality, the players were suffering from various status effects from the moment they entered the castle.

[Count Asquira is watching you.]

[Your mental strength is too low.]

[Status Effect: Fear occurs.]

They hadn't even faced Count Asquira.

The portraits of Count Asquira hanging everywhere.

Just the red pupils in the portraits watching them.

"...I found it!"

Whoosh!

Upon discovering the portrait and burning it with a skill, they finally breathed a bit easier.

The players were speechless.

"Damn it. The entire castle is a trap."

"I thought it was just a scary atmosphere. It's not."

"Does it match the level? It's tough. Really."

It was more than just an atmosphere.

The statues.

The portraits.

Even the books on the shelves.

"...What? 'Human Cooking'? What kind of title is that?"

"Hey! Don't touch that!!"

"...?!"

Everything was...

Causing status effects in the players.

Guild, Gaon.

The analysis was relayed to Nam Taemin.

-So, everything inside the castle is a trap.

"It's evil, really. You can feel the malice."

-It wouldn't be a vampire's castle for no reason.

Nam Taemin reflected on his past experiences.

Including the time when Arcana was a game.

No matter how he thought about it, this concept was new.

"I would have really liked it in the old days."

It would have been challenging to conquer.

But not anymore.

A failed conquest now meant death, not just a logout.

The responsibility was heavy.

Perhaps he noticed the small sigh of frustration.

Nam Cheolmin's voice came through.

-Don't get too frustrated thinking there's no way.

"...What do you mean? Suddenly."

-You're probably blaming yourself again. Don't.

Nam Taemin's class was Barbarian.

Except when [Rage] was activated, he had low resistance to status effects.

It was inevitable given the characteristics of warrior-type classes...

'The healers must feel the burden.'

Being a burden instead of a help.

Nam Taemin's concern was inescapable.

-We all have different roles. Everyone understands. Don't overdo it and get ahead of everyone. There's nothing good that will come from it.

Indeed, blood is thicker than water.

Nam Taemin chuckled.

"What, you know me so well? Anyone would think it's from experience."

A similar laugh came through.

-Haha. You're sharp, aren't you?

"...Sharp? Is it really from experience?"

-Who knows? But as a senior, take my advice to heart.

At that moment.

Suddenly, a presence was felt ahead.

Another guild? But it was just one person.

"Who is it?"

Hawk Eye.

A guild member identified the presence with enhanced vision.

"It doesn't seem to be Count Asquira... It's a woman. Her blonde hair reaches down to her waist... Wait, she's incredibly beautiful?! She's wearing a hat that only shows her lower face. Just seeing her lower face means...?! Ow, why did you hit me?!"

Huff

What should I do with this?

Nam Taemin shook his head in disbelief.

Nam Cheolmin's voice came through his ear.

-You said you were alone?

It continued as if it was obvious.

-Appropriate level, 400~450. Who could navigate this castle, where status effects trigger everywhere, alone? There's only one person.

Nam Taemin nodded.

"Yeah, there's only one person."

A magician, more than just a magician.

Jessie Haines.

She was the one.

*

My sharp criticism continued.

"The structure shows no sign of any thought at all."

Anyone would think I was looking at real estate.

It's fortunate that no one is here to see it.

I recalled the structure of the castle I had passed through.

Entrance → Garden → Corridor → Banquet Hall → Study

And the stairs in front of me.

So far, there had been no particular issues.

Nothing stood out.

Well, if I had to point out one thing.

There were too many portraits of Count Asquira.

That's why I kept spouting insults non-stop.

In terms of structure,

There's only one set of stairs leading upstairs.

There's no need to look for the opposite path.

If Count Asquira had appeared, there would have been some commotion. So the probability of him appearing on the second floor is high.

"The attitude towards welcoming guests is also a failure."

It seemed no player had entered the second floor before me.

No one had even discovered these stairs.

I was confident about that.

My steps were so fast, even I was surprised.

Full of confidence.

Walking with my legs straight.

As I approached the stairs with my steady steps,

"Ah!"

A delicate voice was heard.

Turning my head, I saw a large hat.

More accurately, a woman wearing a hat.

Before I could say anything, she approached me.

But what is this? The speed.

It was as if she had wings on her legs, but when I checked,

I was even more surprised.

'...Levitation.'

Her legs were floating in the air!

I felt like crying.

'Some people try to save mana by using science...!'

Some people use mana like water.

I felt the disparity in mana resources.

But I didn't show it.

The hat looked up at my face.

...Would it even be visible, I wondered.

The hat was pushed back, revealing the woman's face.

Blonde hair.

Green eyes.

Snow-white skin.

...A face I had seen somewhere before.

If I had seen it, it was probably a very famous player. Thinking that, my heart ached a little less.

Yeah, not just anyone can use levitation like that.

"I saw you!"

"?"

"You, really amazing magic!"

She said that to me right away.

Anyone would think I was 'really amazing magic' person.

However, from the sparkling in her eyes,

It seemed she had no ill intentions, just genuine curiosity.

"What kind of skill was that? I've never seen it before! I've watched that video dozens of times! But I still couldn't figure it out! I've never come across a magic skill I didn't know before!"

That's what she meant.

The video she mentioned dozens of times was probably the battle in the square.

The magic I used there was a very simple one to create walls and pillars.

But it's natural that she didn't recognize it. It was 『Magic』, not a [Skill].

"I was really curious and couldn't hold it in!"

Suddenly─!

I looked at the face that was thrust at me.

It was probably out of pure curiosity.

I might have answered her, even if she didn't understand, just because of her charming appearance.

"Can we talk about that