Chapter 299. What’s More Important Than Pride (3)

Sagittarius…

…Open!

Woooong!

A dazzling light flickered in the sky.

The ability to reproduce the power of the constellations.

The gathered light grew larger and larger in size.

It appeared like a massive meteor about to hit the Earth just before impact.

“It won’t be easy to slash through with that scythe.”

The arrows of Sagittarius were large-scale attacks that enveloped a wide area.

They specialized more in offense than defense, unlike a unique holy spear… Well, it’s probably the worst matchup in terms of compatibility.

“How could a human possess such power…”

Abigail stuttered, looking up at the sky.

The magic coursing through her skin was not inferior to that of any Clan Head.

At that moment.

Kwakwakwakwakwa!

Arrows made of starlight shot towards the ground.

A long beam of light struck exactly where Abigail stood.

Kwaaaang!

Clouds split apart, and white flames surged from the ground.

The blow was not merely about piercing with an arrow; it carried the will to burn the target to the bone.

[Abigail has activated Lv38 ‘Wailing of the Phantom Tree!’]

“Kieeeee!”

A shrieking noise erupted from the giant eyeball on the scythe.

A wide-range shield.

And there were five layers overlapped.

But…

It was no use.

Chercherk!

Cracks appeared on the surface of the shield.

The fissures gradually widened.

Chiiieeek!

The brilliance dug into the interior of the shield.

“Aaaaagh!”

A scream of agony burst from Abigail.

Nevertheless, even after summoning the Zodiac, Abigail’s breath did not cease.

To take a hit head-on would have been enough to dispatch a spectre with a single blow.

As expected of a Clan Head, is that it?

The scorched wounds were swiftly healing.

The regenerative power unique to vampires was as legendary as the tales.

“Ellis… What are you that you’d interfere in our clan’s affairs, which have nothing to do with you humans! You… Are you really turning all of us into your enemies just to protect one ousted Clan Head? Do you truly believe that child is worth such a sacrifice?”

Abigail gasped for breath, one after another.

Well.

“…You say that as if it’s a losing deal.”

The connection made in the Hallway was significant, indeed.

However, the time spent together was barely a year.

It was not enough time to risk everything for someone.

“That’s right, isn’t it? So if you quietly hand over the kid, we won’t touch you. In fact, our five clans could even join forces to support you. Huh? What do you say? That’s much better for us both.”

It was a tempting offer…

“The world has things that cannot simply be resolved through cost-benefit analysis.”

Above all.

“I would rather cherish one troublesome little lady than all of your help combined.”

Here, he drew the line.

There would be no compromises.

Jinhyuk raised his gun forward.

Click!

A bullet reinforced by a barrier was loaded.

“Ah, don’t make me laugh. No matter how much of a monster you are, you used a strong attack just now… You can’t possibly use another skill of similar power in quick succession.”

Abigail’s eyes widened in defiance.

In other words.

It was her turn now.

Kwoong!

As the scythe struck the ground, dark clouds gathered in the sky.

[‘Eye of the Wraith,’ ‘Lightning Sanctuary’ has been activated!]

A giant eye appeared amid the cloud, brimming with ominous energy.

At the same time.

Pazhatz!

Chizik!

Red lightning began to flash.

A large-scale magic covering the entire downtown.

All the view seen by the floating eye was within its range.

“Run… if you can. If you’re able.”

Abigail was about to commence a massive attack.

However.

Jinhyuk did not budge an inch from his spot.

There was no reason to run.

And even less to dodge.

“Didn’t I tell you from the start? If I couldn’t handle someone like you, I wouldn’t have come here in the first place.”

[The ‘Ancient Barrier’ unfolds through Lost Language!]

A suitable stage for this battle existed.

And he had the power to adorn it.

[Lv5 ‘Select Battlefield’ has been activated.]

He made a promise on the day they first met.

If you make a contract with me…

…I will surely grant that wish.

[‘Corridor of the Fallen’ is reproduced.]

The scene changed around them.

The darkness where the moon and stars had disappeared.

It remained a place left behind only by the ravages of time…

…and the fleeting loneliness.

Solo Max-Level Newbie Translator

This was the cradle of an ousted Clan Head,

And the grave of someone consumed only by hatred and anger.

“…”

Ellis silently stared at a point in the corridor.

The throne at the center of the hallway.

The very throne where she had been exiled and spent an eternity.

Crying and screaming… cursing herself…

“Ellis von Ataraxia.”

Jinhyuk slowly began to speak.

“As per our contract, I will now kill those who took your place and once again restore your title as the Head of Ataraxia.”

So that you will never shed tears again.

[The unique ability ‘Shared Fate’ has been used.]

[The target is ‘Ellis von Ataraxia.’]

Paztsutsutsu…!

Behind Jinhyuk, a ring modeled after the sun’s corona appeared.

Immense magical power surged.

The heat of fire and blood melted the exterior walls of the surrounding buildings.

[The unique holy armament ‘Revelation of Apocalypse’ is activated!]

Ellis’ signature technique, also known as the ultimate arms.

It felt hot.

It was as though every nerve in his body was being scorched.

For a moment, he nearly lost consciousness.

“….”

He understood upon activating it.

Just how immense Ellis’ abilities were.

‘Without even an armor, just manifesting the ring is this powerful?’

There’s no exaggeration to being one of the absolute rulers of the tower.

Yes.

Even with such power…

“She only knew suffering.”

With the activation of the ability, those feelings and memories were shared.

All the harrowing past and the struggles.

Swish.

Jinhyuk reached out his hand.

Red mana stretched from the ring of fire through the gun he held.

At that instant.

Kwaang!

A banging sound blasted through the air that was too monstrous to be called a gunshot.

A red magic bullet pierced through the atmosphere.

“….eh?”

A gasp of air escaped Abigail’s mouth.

Now.

Her right arm was gone.

From the shoulder socket, what should have obviously been there was not visible.

“Aaaaah!”

Her screams followed, but terror overwhelmed the pain.

She hadn’t even realized the shield was broken.

Unsightly. Unable to block or react.

“Die, die!”

Abigail swung her scythe instinctively.

The best defense was offense.

At this point, she planned to utterly devastate the area in any way possible.

Kukukukuku!

Magic condensed around the giant eyeball, and before long…

A judgmental lightning storm reminiscent of the apocalypse began to lash down.

Yet.

Right before the lightning that fell towards Jinhyuk’s head touched him.

Sergeuk!

The lightning split.

A blood-red saber emitting a murderous aura moved with unseen velocity.

Thus.

The thunder falling from the sky began to be sliced apart.

“It… It’s impossible…”

Abigail could only feel shock for a brief moment.

Almost simultaneously with cutting the lightning.

Jinhyuk drew out a long weapon made of blood.

The finishing touch was dealt by that very weapon.

[‘Vladimir’s Harpoon’ is activated!]

A long spear used in a state of unique holy armament.

Ukkuk!

Blood rushed up to his mouth.

Overloading his body with too much power caused a system shock.

But,

He had to endure.

Just this one time…

He focused all his accumulated magic from shoulder to fingertip.

The harpoon twisted like a twister.

Twisting and spinning to maximize rotational force.

“This is the end.”

From his fingertips.

…The harpoon disappeared.

Brighter and larger than any bullet, it violently crossed the void.

Faster than the speed of sound, it leapfrogged even the space itself.

Thwack!

A chilling sound of flesh being sliced echoed.

However, he could not witness Abigail’s end.

His consciousness blurred.

His sight… clouded over to black.

[You have succeeded in killing the last descendant of a great family.]

[You have rescued humanity from a great crisis that occurred outside the tower.]

[This event will be recorded in the ‘Hall of Honor’ for the upcoming day.]

[Rewards will be given.]

[Lev…]

That was all he seemed to notice before losing consciousness completely.

***

The fight was over.

To be precise, it was merely a brief respite before the gate of Shub-Niggurath would open.

Sapak.

Perhaps due to the connection with the 50th floor?

A snowfall descended across the country due to a weather anomaly.

Snowflakes fell tenderly on the ruins of the city, as if mourning the dead.

After a whole day passed, people began recovering from the shock and started to clean up the aftermath of the outbreak.

And now.

VIP room of Hanguk University Hospital.

“Thank you.”

Han Sangjin, from the Korean Awakeners Association, entered Jinhyuk’s hospital room and bowed at a 90-degree angle.

There was no need to check the Hall of Honor to know which guild played the most significant role in the outbreak.

Or who led that guild.

People knew.

But.

“Thank you my foot!”

“The patient needs complete rest right now!”

“If anything goes wrong, are you going to take responsibility!?”

Ellis, Teresa, and Andriana shouted at once.

“Y-yes…?”

“Going to take responsibility!?”

“So-sorry.”

Han Sangjin stepped back in surprise.

“Is Player Kang Jinhyuk really that seriously injured?”

“Yes. It’s a serious injury. He must remain absolutely stable.”

Ellis nodded firmly.

“Hmm. That does seem to be the case. Alright, we’ll leave it at that for today.”

Indeed, expressing gratitude in front of a patient takes a backseat to recovery.

Han Sangjin, after making sure to convey good wishes, left the hospital room.

Damn it…

“Just… call a healer… instead.”

Jinhyuk barely managed to speak.

He appreciated the concern, but simply being wrapped in bandages like a mummy wouldn’t heal wounds.

“Isn’t it supposed to? I just wrap a few bandages and heal up.”

You’re just inherently strong because you’re a vampire.

“How about we try praying to God?”

Could you please stop advertising sainthood? Before I actually convert.

“Hehe. I usually recover almost completely after a good sleep. Isn’t that the same for everyone?”

Let’s not talk about you. You’re basically a boss monster.

“Mogi!”

Marengi pulled a magic stone out of her mouth.

As if to generously offer up her treasured possession, her pumpkin-colored eyes shone brightly.

Surely she’s not suggesting eating this stone to recover.

Because if that’s the case, it would be deeply saddening.

“Master. I’ll get into some hot water and boil up some bone soup if you’d like. As a calcium lump, just gulp down a bowl and wounds like that will heal in a snap.”

T-Bone joined the conversation.

His head felt increasingly dizzy. Probably an illusion. Probably…

Lastly.

“Don’t worry. I’ll operate on you properly.”

Chen Yuxing unsheathed a scalpel.

“…”

It seemed that all of his followers were out of their minds.