Chapter 281: Chapter 279

Shallow Red Tower (천홍루).

With beautiful waterfalls and cranes flying over lakes,

This place is considered the best of its kind in Qinghai.

As befitting its name, a single day’s drink tab here would cost as much as what commoners earn in six months of work. It was no wonder that many desired to enjoy the pleasures here…

If there was a paradise on earth, it might very well be speaking of this place.

At present.

In the loft at the top floor of the Shallow Red Tower, which is considered the best spot, laughter and chatter of men and women echoed.

“Hahaha. That’s right, Arang. Your skills at pouring gold here in the Shallow Red Tower are truly unparalleled.”

A man with hair as black as pitch exclaimed in admiration.

His face was flushed red, suggesting he had consumed quite a bit of alcohol.

“My Lord. Compliments like that won’t do you any good.”

“Oh my, if you only praise Arang so much, this little one might grow envious.”

“Ah, it wouldn’t do for Goldflower to feel neglected.”

Two courtesans put on a display of charm.

It almost felt unfair to simply describe them as beautiful.

Petite and Goldflower’s appearances were so stunning as to be beyond description.

But at that moment everything changed.

“If you could also try some of this… Try… Hmm? Something’s stuck in my throat… Cough. Hack!”

“Ugh… Gag…”

All of a sudden, Arang and Goldflower clutched at their throats in agony.

Crash!

Wineglasses shattered and the strings of musical instruments snapped.

In an instant, the dining table was drenched in red.

“Cough…”

“…My… Lord… Please… save…”

Blood vessels burst in their throats and soon spindly streams of blood flowed from their mouths.

They were dead before anyone had time to assess their condition.

Yet the man seemed not to panic at all at the death of the two courtesans.

He just… clicked his tongue as if it were a shame.

“Ah, this is just great. Just as the fun was starting, too. Furthermore, it’s such a waste to kill such beautiful creatures with poison, isn’t it?”

The man scratched his head.

At the same time.

“A disaster is going on, and you’re still enjoying your drink?”

“I wondered where you had gone, and to think you came all the way to Qinghai.”

“You’re certainly living a fine life.”

From within the shadows, numerous figures emerged.

“Really now, you people are so stiff, constantly working away. So what’s all this commotion about?”

“We’re embroiled in a troublesome matter.”

The man at the forefront, Dokgoryong, began to speak.

“A troublesome matter?”

“Yes. It seems we must return to the main headquarters immediately. Left Guardian Law.”

Left Guardian Law.

With that one word, the atmosphere changed drastically.

The playful smile vanished, and in its place, a chilling frost began to rise.

The second in command of the Heavenly Demon Cult.

A powerful figure who sat to the left of the Heavenly Demon and enjoyed an exalted status—one step beneath heaven, above all others.

This man was none other than the Left Guardian Law, ‘Sama Ja.’

While he appeared to be barely over twenty, it was due to undergoing a transformation that revitalized his body.

“Speak up.”

“Right Guardian Law… No, the Dark Emperor has brought some strange people, claiming them to be his disciples.”

“Is that right? That old fellow is about the age to take on disciples. And you made such a fuss over that?”

“It’s not just any disciple. He’s mastered the Black Sky Demonic Emperor’s martial arts to the fourth level. According to spies within the Wulin Alliance and the orthodox factions, it seems he also caused quite an uproar at the Cloudy Mist Courtyard of Kunlun. In my opinion, if we leave him be, he could become a stumbling block in our plans.”

A woman next to Dokgoryong also chimed in.

Ranking tenth.

The bearer of the moniker Fire Dragon Purple Spear, ‘Chae Hong A’ of the Heavenly Demon Cult.

“Oh? The fourth level, you say… That’s quite impressive. I myself have not mastered the Black Sky Demonic Emperor’s martial arts. Hmm.”

Sama Ja smiled as if amused.

“It’s not something to laugh about. Right now, with the Dark Emperor’s permission, they’ve entered the underground prison. If by any chance they discover that…”

“Are you talking about the goblin fire?”

“Yes.”

Goblin fire, forced upon the goblins, was an item obtained through challenging deals with the upper ranks.

“Isn’t goblin fire one of the key components in our plans? The prison was considered the safest place, since nobody can enter without permission from the Heavenly Demon or the two Guardian Laws. But now… it might become the most dangerous place.”

“Don’t worry too much. Even if that disciple sees the goblin fire, he won’t suspect anything and will just pass it off as some strange byproduct. After all, not even the leaders of the empire or the martial world know about the goblin fire, which resides in the upper floors of the tower.”

They couldn’t imagine that the player who started from the first floor and climbed up the tower would know of it.

“That’s true according to what Guardian Law says, but…”

Dokgoryong reluctantly trailed off.

He seemed convinced to a degree yet still uneasy.

Finally, Sama Ja presented a ‘certain’ to wash away that anxiety.

“Moreover, aren’t ‘they’ imprisoned in the last floor of the prison?”

“Ah…!”

“Are you suggesting we release them?”

“Left Guardian Law. They’re criminals so troublesome that even our cult struggled to handle them.”

Exclamations of consternation escaped from everyone’s mouths.

However, Sama Ja casually shrugged his shoulders.

“I’m suggesting it because you all seem anxious. We could always recapture the criminals we’ve nabbed once, couldn’t we, if we put our minds to it?”

“Hmm. We’re all here in the main headquarters and with the Left Guardian Law present, it seems possible enough.”

“Using poison to counter poison… That’s not a totally wrong approach.”

Steadied by Sama Ja’s words, the mood shifted again.

Except for one.

Excluding Dokgoryong.

“What would you do, then, if the Dark Emperor’s disciple manages to take care of all the criminals?”

“Hmm. You seem to overestimate him. Do you really think one mere person can handle all those vicious criminals? Seriously?”

“That’s why I used the word ‘if’.”

Just in case.

Despite it being unlikely, if by some chance the Dark Emperor’s disciple is that extraordinary…

“Then…”

Sama Ja smiled slightly.

“I’ll personally take care of it. I’ll annihilate the Dark Emperor and his disciple altogether.”

＊＊＊

First floor of the prison.

Jinhyuk leisurely gathered ‘goblin fire’.

‘So there are those within the Heavenly Demon Cult with ulterior motives.’

A place with restricted entry, the prison.

The presence of the goblin fire, only obtainable from the upper floors.

Considering the hatred Dokgoryung showed towards his master and the internal power struggles of the Heavenly Demon Cult, Jinhyuk roughly guessed what was going on.

The issue was how extensive this matter was and at what point they intended to act.

Right then.

*Ring!*

A large status window appeared before Jinhyuk.

[You have completed certain conditions!]

He had completed certain conditions?

What did that mean…?

Before he could dispel his doubts, more status windows followed in quick succession.

[A hidden quest has arrived!]

[Bloody Intrigue]

Type: Linked Quest

Difficulty: S

Description: You have noticed the immense conspiracy unfolding within the Heavenly Demon Cult. This incident will be the catalyst for a conflict not resolved previously, a power struggle within the middle layers! Reach the last floor of the prison and collect additional clues.

Reward: You may select one material item from the Coin Exchange and acquire it for free.

In the Tower of Trials, main quests are given when certain conditions are met. However, a linked quest?

‘Incredible…’

Different from ordinary quests, a linked quest signifies entanglement in a highly significant event associated with the entire tower’s scenario, one that only occurs when embroiled in such an affair.

Not limited to the middle layers.

‘This implies it’s tied to even the upper layers.’

Merely from the reward of obtaining any desired material item from the Coin Exchange, it was clear how difficult this quest would be.

Plainly speaking, he could even select materials capable of forging artifacts of the purple… grade.

‘I’m intrigued. There was one material I needed, and now I’ll be able to secure it with this opportunity.’

Even if it wasn’t for the quest, Jinhyuk had planned to deal with the entirety of the prison’s depths.

Yet, it seemed the situation might unfold into a much larger scale than anticipated.

“Everyone, wake up.”

He roused Elise and the elemental spirits, who were dozing off.

“Huh? Is it over already?”

“I haven’t even slept for thirty minutes, it seems.”

“Master, let’s rest a bit more. Just give us 5… no, 1 more minute.”

He wasn’t exactly waking up kids for the first day of school.

“Don’t worry. I’m not calling you to hurry up and work. I just need to step out for a bit so I wanted to let you know.”

“You’re going somewhere alone?”

Elise opened her rabbit-like eyes wide.

“Yes. I’ll go alone so you all can follow at your own pace. And don’t slack off just because I’m not here or you might never get out of the prison.”

“…Are you planning to do something dangerous again? Are you really sure you can manage on your own?”

“It’s nothing dangerous. I’ll be back as soon as I can.”

Jinhyuk lightly tapped Elise’s head with his finger.

＊＊＊

How long had it been since he last went on a solo raid?

Jinhyuk descended the dark corridor, heading for the second level of the prison.

Although he told everyone it was nothing serious, there was a significant reason for acting alone.

‘Given that the hidden quest offers such a reward, it suggests there’s an exceptionally powerful being in the prison.’

It wouldn’t be easy. Quite the opposite.

“Muwaaaah!”

“Mwoaah!”

The goblins spotted Jinhyuk and swarmed towards him.

Such creatures weren’t worth dealing with one by one.

Besides, if he left them be, Elise and the others following behind would take care of them.

Zip!

His form vanished in an instant.

Utilizing the ‘Sword Demon Emperor’s Step,’ Jinhyuk accelerated.

“Mwoah?”

As if swept away by a colossal storm, the goblins stared dumbfounded at where Jinhyuk had been just moments ago.

Kaboom!

He slammed into the ground.

Swoosh…

He leapt again.

From the second floor to the third.

Then from the third floor, he descended through a vertical shaft.

Upon landing, the scene before his eyes completely changed.

Clank!

The weight-detection mechanism was triggered.

‘This is the trap section.’

Between layers of cobwebs and heaps of dust, bamboo launchers appeared.

Although obscured by the dark, he could sense there were easily more than thirty.

And…

“Fresh food. Fresh food.”

“How long has it been since we had food?”

“We’re going to crunch every bone.”

After the goblins, now the ghasts appeared.

These creatures, too, were mere shells driven only by the instinct to devour prey.

“Hmm. Should I have brought Elise with me? With her flapping about, she would have been the perfect bait.”

Jinhyuk lamented as if it were a pity.

At that moment.

Thump thump thump boom!

Silver needles about 1 meter long were shot from all directions.

The ghasts, drooling, charged forward all at once.

“It’s always baffling, coming across monsters with no brains.”

From every direction—front, back, left, right.

The silver needles assimilated into the darkness.

Jinhyuk drew his longbow ‘Molar’ and strung an arrow formed with mana.

The sound of the wind and the slightest tremor in the air combined with countless repetitions of experience.

…Now!

Dozens of ‘red mana bullets’ fired from the arrow.

Crackle crackle crash!

Interception.

The dozens of silver needles collided with the arrows and their trajectories were altered.

Precisely towards…

Thump thump thump!

Spurt!

“Screeech!”

“Kaaahh!”

…the bodies of the ghasts.

“Why drool over food you can’t even eat?”

The silver needles turned the ghasts’ torsos into honeycombs.

It was a feat akin to acrobatics, with no room for a single mistake.

‘Now there’s only one floor left.’

The way to the deepest level, floor five of the prison, came into view.

[You have entered the fifth floor of the prison, ‘Hell without Interval (무간지옥)’.]

Crash crash crash!

Only after reaching the fifth floor did Jinhyuk’s pace finally come to a stop.

Where he had tread was now dented, with thin wisps of smoke rising up.

Merely 2 hours had passed.

Despite overlooking lowly goblins, the speed was unimaginably quick.

‘The Sword Demon Emperor’s Step has certainly evolved to a whole new level after such use.’

A skill that bordered on both a movement technique and an evasion method, its effect was staggering, as seen with the extended run he had just performed.

After all, it was now at level 12.

It was only natural for its performance to have improved.

Additionally, his breathing remained even, thanks to ‘Shallow Breath.’

At that moment…

“…Heh!”

From beyond the somber abyss, the sound of chains rattling echoed.

The End