Chapter 21: The Corridor of the Fallen (2)

On their way to the ruins, Jinhyuk found himself accompanying Team Leader Kim.

Considering it was Jinhyuk’s first time participating in a raid as a porter and the raid’s difficulty boasted a notoriously low survival rate, Team Leader Kim meant to boost his courage in some way. Even if it came across as clumsy, the intention was understood—a warm wish that everyone present would return home safely.

“Do you come here to earn money too, Kang?” Kim asked.

“Yes, I need a fair amount of money to live.”

“True, we’re all in the same boat. I came here to feed my fox-like wife and rabbit-like kids too.”

Kim then took out his smartphone, which had a wallpaper of a middle-aged woman with a friendly face and two teens who seemed to be siblings. It looked like a happy family. Only…

‘Usually, showing pictures like this is raising a death flag…’

Why would he show this at a time like this? Jinhyuk couldn’t help but give a wry smile.

“So that’s why you take such risks.”

“That’s right. Even if I die, the compensation will be generous, so I don’t have many regrets.”

I will ensure my family’s survival, even if I die… It was a typical figure of a foolish yet reliable head of the family.

It was frustrating, but…

He didn’t dislike people with that kind of mindset.

“Don’t worry. Everyone here should be able to go home safely.”

“What? Hahaha! Sure, thanks for saying that. Kang, you’re a stand-up guy.”

Team Leader Kim laughed heartily, seemingly pleased.

How long had they been walking like this? After over seven hours of traveling, burdened with backpacks full of supplies, the porters finally reached their destination.

“We’ve arrived…”

“Here. This is it.”

“I thought we were going to die.”

All worn out from a forced march without rest, their strength had long since depleted.

Everyone collapsed on the spot as if falling apart.

“Great job, everyone. Rest until the attacking team arrives,” Kim encouraged them as he distributed ice-cold water and chocolate bars to the fatigued porters.

‘It’s been a while since I’ve seen something like this.’

Jinhyuk looked ahead with an emotion-laden gaze. Endless mountains and cliffs lay before them.

Ahead was the gate leading to The Corridor of the Fallen, a ruin known for its difficulty even in the Tower of Ordeal.

A tingling sensation! Even without entering, his skin prickled.

Indeed…

It was that kind of feeling.

His heart pounded with a strange sense of excitement and anticipation.

And it was at that moment.

Woooong!

A magical reaction was felt from a clearing nearby.

“What’s this?”

Jinhyuk looked up.

He could see the clouds parting.

At that instant.

The reeds swayed side to side.

Kwakwakwakwakwa!

A beam of light poured down from the sky.

It was the phenomenon that occurs when space transfer magic is used.

*”Ugh, my head. I’m still not used to this.”

“Is everyone accounted for?”

“All 50 members are safe.”

“Of course. Who would make a mistake with their magic?”

With a puff of smoke, over 50 people appeared.

Not miners with pickaxes, but an armed force with weapons and armor.

This was the main attacking team of the ‘Balhae’ guild.

“Is that man the team captain?”

“He looks young…”

“Don’t underestimate him because he’s young. He received an AA rating in the awakening test and even cleared up to the 9th floor of the Tower of Ordeal.”

All eyes focused on the man in front of the group.

A shield that towered over his height.

Armor engraved with geometric patterns caught the eye.

Playing the role of the tank, he was the core of the attacking team, responsible for all aggro.

‘This man is the captain of the Balhae guild…’

Jinhyuk quickly activated his ‘Eye of Truth’.

Name: Song Cheon-hwa

Gender: Male

Age: 29

Level: 14

Strength 30 Agility 18 Vitality 19 Magic Power 5

Unallocated Stat Points: 0

Coins: 3,850

Class: None.

Unique Ability: Item Lightening (輕量化)

Skills: Lv3 ‘Iron Shield’, Lv2 ‘Close Formation’, Lv2 ‘Persistent Vitality’, Lv1 ‘Throwing’

His unique abilities and skills weren’t bad…

[Copy Condition: Gain Song Cheon-hwa’s trust within the raid period.]

After checking the copy conditions, Jinhyuk quickly lost interest in Song Cheon-hwa.

It would be easier to make him hostile.

Trust was not something that could be easily established in a short amount of time.

Especially when competing for a one-of-a-kind holy relic.

Speaking of which…

Jinhyuk’s eyes narrowed as he looked at Song Cheon-hwa.

‘A leader of a top 10 guild is only at this level?’

His stats and skill levels were far too low for his level.

It suggested that he had been more concerned with gaining experience than actual combat experience that could cost lives.

And didn’t he only climb to the 9th floor of the Tower of Ordeal?

‘The rest of the team members are even lower in level than Song Cheon-hwa.’

Of course, it’s not that he completely misunderstood the situation.

All top-tier guilds were currently engrossed in conquering the boss on the 3rd floor of the Tower of Ordeal.

Thus, by comparison, they lacked the manpower to invest in lower floors.

But, taking all that into account…

Their power was undeniably weak.

At that moment.

“Alright, stop staring and get up, everyone. The attack team is here now, so let’s get to work. We have our own jobs to do.”

Kim clapped his hands together.

The mining team digging up magic stones and harvesting byproducts from monster corpses would enter later, but the porters who transported necessary supplies entered at a much earlier timing.

Right after the battle had just ended.

‘This might work out well.’

Jinhyuk swiftly rose from his place.

This was a chance to see firsthand how a guild-level collective raid was conducted.

＊＊＊

About an hour after the attack team entered, it was the porters’ turn.

[Name: The Corridor of the Fallen]

Type: Ruin

Difficulty: Unmeasurable

Description: A place where the ancient bloodline is sealed. At the end of these ruins, the purest weapon and the deadliest death coexist.

Jinhyuk was hit by an acrid smell as he entered.

Whoosh!

A magic user at the front summoned a sizable flame.

The area brightened revealing the interior of the ruins.

“Follow me closely. Wander off and we can’t save you,” said the leader, careful to maintain the group’s focus so that nobody went astray.

“Unbelievable…”

“…It’s incredible.”

“This is the famed ruin.”

The exterior reminded them of the ancient Maya civilization.

Walls covered in moss and stone stretched in all directions.

As they moved further down the path, they encountered a commotion.

“Hey, over here! This way!”

“Team Leader Cheon-hwa! The porters have arrived.”

It appeared there had already been an intense battle since the area ahead was littered with monster corpses.

Ghouls and skeletons among other undead types.

There were easily more than a hundred.

However, not a single player’s body could be seen.

‘Something’s off…’

Even facing many monsters, it’s improbable that they sustained no injuries, especially given the strength of the Balhae guild that Jinhyuk had seen before entering the ruins.

“What are you doing standing around? Hurry up and distribute water and ice.”

The look on Team Leader Kim’s face suggested that this was common sense.

He then summoned several porters nearby.

“Let’s take care of this side, and you see those foreigners over there?”

Pointing towards a group of players with exotic looks.

“Four of you, go distribute to them.”

In addition to the main Balhae guild, another mid-tier guild had joined.

Was it one of them?

Jinhyuk quickly filled a large container with water and ice and headed towards where the ‘Sion’ guild members were.

＊＊＊

They handed out water and ice in turn.

There were brief exchanges of gratitude, but nothing of consequence occurred.

The last person, in contrast to the towering figures before, had a very petite build.

Barely over 160cm tall, she was much smaller.

Seemed like a woman rather than a man…

Since she was fully clad in an iron helmet and armor, it wasn’t certain.

“Here, please take some water.”

“Oh…!”

With a brief exclamation…

Clank!

Her helmet came off.

Blonde hair, previously tied neatly above her head, cascaded down with the wind.

“Ah!?”

“Oh my…”

The porters gasped in unison.

Her face was so stunning it made people question if she was really human.

The pale skin and blonde hair contrasted beautifully with her armor, creating a breathtaking scene.

But the reason for everyone’s shock wasn’t merely her appearance.

Her innate talents, accumulated achievements, and noble lineage—

All three pillars supported her.

‘The saintess of Amsterdam…’

Teresa de Lorencia.

How could anyone not know her?

One of the most famous players in Europe.

Jinhyuk’s gaze sharpened.

The youngest daughter of the Lorencia family, a real noble, and a hero who saved Amsterdam from ruin during the Outbreak.

That was her identity.

It finally made sense.

Why no member of the Balhae guild had suffered any injuries.

‘With her abilities, she could effectively counter the undead.’

Possessing the power to use holy energy, with offensive, defensive, and even healing support skills, she was a versatile player.

Reviews said that she was instrumental in clearing the second floor of the Tower of Ordeal.

However, something didn’t add up.

‘Why did she choose this location over the 3rd-floor boss conquest?’

Even if the holy relics from the ruins were valuable, wouldn’t it be more advantageous to proceed to the next floor, unless they were holy relics specifically related to her class?

And it seemed unlikely that the Sion guild could afford to hire a ranker like her.

…How did they manage to bring her in?

Jinhyuk paused his thoughts and shook his head.

Predicting Sion guild’s finances wasn’t the priority.

What matters was Teresa’s abilities.

And how to copy them.

‘This is an opportunity too good to miss.’

His ‘Eye of Truth’ then activated, but…

[Your skill has been canceled due to the level difference with the target.]

A red status window blocked his vision.

‘Damn it. A level difference?’

She must have already surpassed level 20 if she wasn’t affiliated with any guild.

As that thought crossed his mind…

[Your Luck and Adaptive stats have nullified the level difference.]

[You can now see the target’s status window.]

With a sizzle, the red window shattered, and Teresa’s personal information became visible.

‘Right, I had this option.’

His Luck and Adaptive stats had come to his aid at an important moment.

Name: Teresa de Lorencia

Gender: Female

Age: 22

Level: 29

Strength 42 Agility 31 Vitality 25 Magic Power 30

Unallocated Stat Points: 8

Coins: 10,850

Class: None (Currently undergoing a class quest.)

Unique Ability: Blessing of the Stars

Skills: Lv5 ‘Divine Strengthening’, Lv5 ‘Stealth Operation’, Lv4 ‘Blessed Touch’, Lv4 ‘Sanctum’, Lv4 ‘Illusionary Barrier’

[Copy Condition: Teresa is a ranker in the top 100 worldwide. Saving her life will allow you to copy one of her unique abilities or skills of your choice.]

The stats were impressive.

‘No wonder people are so thrilled by her.’

Jinhyuk let out a soft exclamation.

It was a feast of high-quality abilities.

Moreover, knowing that she was here for a class quest gleaned from her status window…

‘It was for that reason.’

So she had abandoned the boss conquest for this place.

Things were getting interesting.

He might be able to use this card to his advantage.

As he contemplated, an ability activated.

[Lv1 ‘Empathy’ has been triggered.]

[A slight affection towards you has been felt by the target.]

A warm sensation fluttered.

Teresa smiled softly at Jinhyuk.

Her teal eyes looked like they could draw him in.

“Thank you… I appreciate the water.”

She should be thanking him.

It was he who felt the gratitude.

‘Blessing of the Stars’.

Regarded as one of the best abilities for those who choose the Paladin class.

And she had given him the chance to acquire it.

The only issue was…

Creating a situation where she’d be in danger.

And then saving her life from that predicament.

‘It’s not an easy condition.’

Jinhyuk moistened his lower lip with his tongue.

A habit that arose when he pondered deeply.

Just then.

“Team Leader Cheon-hwa, come quickly! Over here – now!”

The ensuing cry of alarm turned everyone’s attention to one side.