novel
| ← Ch.175 | Ch.177 → |
Due to the dim gold light, anywhere far within the Black Tower looked dark.
And from within that darkness, a red light flashed resembling the eyes of a monster.
Red eyes.
It was likely that those eyes belonged to a devil.
But as Min Sung approached it, that red light disappeared as if it ran away.
As Min Sung steps grew faster, Ho Sung Lee and Bowl made sure to speed up so that they wouldn't lose him.
Ho Sung Lee and Bowl controlled their speed in order to stay close.
On the other hand, since the gold goblin, Ssol, was always fast, he was able to keep up with Min Sung easily.
Ho Sung Lee was impressed by this while Min Sung spotted a devil.
And just like a predator, Min Sung tracked down the devil and sliced its neck with his Orichalcum Sword.
The devil's neck wobbled off of its body as he died away.
Meanwhile, Bowl was right beside him casting his Undead Spell.
In the meantime, Min Sung continued to move in order to find more devils.
Ho Sung Lee didn't stay by Bowl's side and followed Min Sung.
In the end, Bowl was unable to cast his Undead Spell, so there was no need to watch over him.
It was more important for Min Sung to kill one more devil instead.
But unexpectedly, the Black Tower was quiet.
It didn't seem that different from the test Black Tower that they were at in Manhattan.
However, the problem was that there were Black Towers all over the world.
If the devils inside other Black Towers poured out while he was taking care of the one in Korea.
It was going to be hell.
That was what he was the most worried about.
Min Sung Kang was able to keep Korea safe, but he didn't even want to imagine what could happen in the meantime in other countries.
He just had to pray that the other Black Towers stayed closed.
***
They saw devils here and there, and Min Sung eliminated them with minimal effort.
He quickly cleared floor after floor and ended up on the 10th floor.
He was much speedier than when he cleared the test Black Tower.
This also proved just how efficient Min Sung could be if he didn't slack off and fought with all his might.
As Min Sung shook off the blood on his Orichalcum Sword a lock broke at the same time.
He saw stairs leading up to the next floor.
"How long have we been in here?"
Min Sung asked.
"About 59 minutes."
Ho Sung Lee trembled as if that was already too long for him.
But how was it possible for him to clear 10 floors of the Black Tower in just 59 minutes?
That was an unbelievable speed.
But unlike Ho Sung Lee's thoughts, Min Sung looked very dissatisfied.
"We're too slow, " Min Sung remarked.
In response, he almost blurted out, 'Aren't we too fast?'
There was no time to waste with such useless discussion.
"Bowl, how many devils did you turn into the Undead?"
Min Sung asked.
"5. Including the special devil I already have, we have 6, " Bowl said as he ran around Min Sung in circles.
Bowl was the only excited one there.
Min Sung wasn't satisfied even for a bit.
"Let's go up."
As soon as Min Sung took a step on the stairs...
"Huh... ?"
Min Sung's body wobbled.
Ho Sung Lee watched with startled eyes.
Luckily, Min Sung immediately regained his balance before he fell over.
Bowl and Ssol ran over in surprise and looked over Min Sung with worry.
"S-sir!"
Min Sung sat down on the stairs with a stiffened face.
Ho Sung Lee glanced at Min Sung.
"Are you all right?"
Min Sung breathed heavily, and his face looked stiff.
He covered his eyes with his hand and let out a long sigh.
"I have to rest for a while. Cover me, " Min Sung said with his head down.
"Yes, Sir."
Min Sung slowly laid down on the stairs.
He felt his body growing heavier.
Min Sung closed his eyes. He caught his breath and let his mind drift away.
Ssol cried without a sound while Bowl looked around him with fiery eyes in order to protect his master.
As for Ho Sung Lee, he looked at Min Sung with confused eyes and failed to conceal his shock.
***
... That damned dream again?
He had experienced it before.
A white space where he struggled through what looked like fog.
Since he had experienced his before, Min Sung waited for him to appear.
A moment later, he heard footsteps.
When he looked behind him, he saw a familiar man.
It was the young face that he had met before.
He was smiling and approached Min Sung before, standing in front of him.
Looking at his smiling face made him feel something hot inside him.
But the man dressed in white watched Min Sung's attitude as if he knew everything that was going on.
"I don't even care who you are anymore. Just get to the point, " Min Sung said.
A world that wasn't even real.
There was no point in fighting with this man.
He was just bothered.
The man walked around Min Sung.
Although it was just a dream, his vision was shockingly clear, and his senses felt real as well.
While Min Sung watched him, he stopped in his tracks. He looked up at the ceiling and then smiled.
"I have something to tell you."
The man's voice sounded soft yet strong, and it sounded clear in Min Sung's ears.
He stared at Min Sung with his mysterious eyes and continued, "A tree needs nutrients in order to grow."
Min Sung knitted his brows out of confusion.
He walked even closer toward Min Sung and continued, "The Demonic Realm plays the role of manure full of nutrients, and the human world is the root, and above all that is a new world."
Min Sung wasn't sure why he was telling him this and signaled him for an answer.
"Manure is dirty, and it takes a long time to work, and once the work is done, you have to start all over again, which means you need time to prepare."
The man smiled and continued, "You'll face a vicious winter soon. You need to prepare for it."
"Stop your nonsense..."
Min Sung didn't know what else to say.
When the young man swung his arm, a clear video showed up like a hologram.
It was a video showing a new world that exists above the human world.
The video was short, but it was so impactful that it left a strong impression in Min Sung's memory.
Min Sung looked at the man with an interested gaze that he had never shown him before.
"Does that place... really exist?"
Min Sung asked.
The man nodded.
"So... We must spend our time wisely from now on."
After that, the man disappeared into thin air.
And then a dot appeared in the white space.
The dot began to grow, and once it was big enough, the darkness swallowed Min Sung whole.
***
Min Sung opened his eyes.
"Sir, are you awake?"
Min Sung got up as if nothing happened.
When Ho Sung Lee saw this, he grabbed his chest and sighed out of relief.
"You startled me. I thought you were going to sleep for a long time here."
"Let's go, " Min Sung said as he climbed the stairs.
Ssol stopped crying and followed Min Sung, and Bowl shook his head from side to side with excitement as he followed as well.
Ho Sung Lee let out a long sigh and shook his head.
On the other hand, Min Sung had many thoughts going through his head.
That man clearly caused him to fall asleep in order to meet him in his dreams.
The dream was so vivid that he couldn't simply call it a silly dream.
A world on top of the human world...
Min Sung clicked his tongue and jolted his eyes open.
***
He had to clear the tower as quickly possible and head over to the foreign countries.
And by that time, it was possible that the devils already broke through the barriers and popped out into the real world.
This was a time-limited game.
And in that game, there was a quest added onto it.
The man in his dream told him to get ready for a new world.
But there was a limit to how much he could physically level up.
When that man told him to get ready, it had to mean that he had to collect as many items as possible in order to fight in the new world.
Until now, he only used his Orichalcum Sword.
That was because he had no trouble defeating all of the devils with that weapon alone.
Another item inside his item window was a +7 Devil's Durandal.
Would using a good item have an effect on him as well?
If that world really existed, there was a need to experiment with new items.
That place... was a place that transcended the limits of mankind.
As soon as Min Sung stopped walking, Ho Sung Lee, Bowl, and Ssol all looked at Min Sung in confusion.
At that moment, Min Sung abandoned the Orichalcum Sword in his hand.
As it fell on the ground, the sound of gold ringing against the ground rang through the entire floor.
Bowl looked at the sword on the ground and looked up at Min Sung.
Min Sung opened his item window and waved his hand in front of it.
Swoosh!
The +7 Devil's Durandal moved toward Min Sung's hand while giving off substantial power.
And as soon as Min Sung's hand touched the Durandal-
Kaboooooom!
A loud sound of hunter rang through the entire floor.
Chapter 177: Chapter 177
Min Sung looked down at the +7 Devil's Durandal in his hand.
It was a weapon that was entirely the color of blood.
Since it was a devil's weapon, it felt unfamiliar in his hand, but he sensed a great amount of power within it, making the entire weapon wriggle around.
But if the item was good, it was possible that he had to use less force of his own.
He didn't like to rely on weapons, but in order to fight against the guys in the man's video, he needed more weapons.
'This never ends. '
Min Sung showed a displeased face and looked for the devils with the Durandal in his hand.
Bowl and Ssol followed Min Sung, but Ho Sung lee stared at the Orichalcum Sword on the ground.
Once he checked its stats, Ho Sung Lee grimaced as if he discovered something horrible.
'He's been fighting with this piece of crap all this time?'
He never realized this.
Because Min Sung Kang was so strong, he had completely forgotten about his weapons.
How could he show so much force with such a crappy weapon... ?
Ho Sung Lee looked back up.
"What are you doing?"
Min Sung glared at Ho Sung Lee.
"Oh... ! I'm sorry, Sir."
Ho Sung Lee hurried behind him.
He then glanced over at Min Sung's +7 Devil's Durandal.
'If a man like that holds that weapon... How powerful will he be?'
Ho Sung Lee couldn't even imagine the extent of his power.
***
Roarrrrrr!
A devil was annihilated as it let out a chilling scream full of resentment.
When Bowl ran over to cast his Undead Spell but noticed it was dead, he showed a sad look on his face, but he waited for his next opportunity.
Min Sung was already swinging his Durandal at the next devil.
Slashhhhhh!
An arm flew off and plopped onto the ground.
The armless devil glared at Min Sung with bloody arms and wobbled backward.
Min Sung Lee charged toward the devil and stabbed the devil in the chest with his Durandal.
Once the sword went through, the blood covering the sword glistened under a golden light.
As soon as Min Sung pulled out the sword.
Slashhhhhh!
The devil poured out blood and went down on his knees.
The devil that made all of mankind tremble in fear.
But those devils were weak compared to Min Sung.
On the other hand, Min Sung was also a difficult opponent for the world as well.
But for Min Sung, the devils were opponents that bothered him the most.
No matter how powerful one human was, it was difficult to annihilate them all in a limited amount of time.
It was going to be difficult, but he tried to reduce the time even by 1 minute or 1 second so that he could protect one more restaurant or chef from dying.
Min Sung walked off as Bowl cast his Undead Spell in order to find the next devil to kill.
As he moved, Min Sung glanced down at his Durandal.
He felt as though fighting was a lot easier after picking up a better weapon.
Weapons definitely made a difference.
He finally understood why average hunters relied so much on weapons.
The Orichalcum Sword was enough to slay devils in the current world but not in the upper world.
In order to prepare for the future, he had to adjust to other items.
Even if he was a God, not human.
If anyone tried to bring down his territory, Min Sung was ready to fight them.
Slashhhhhh!
A devil spilled blood and rolled backward.
Min Sung stepped on the devil's chest and sliced its neck with his Durandal.
The Durandal went through his neck as well as through the ground made of bricks.
After wriggling for a while, the devil collapsed on the ground.
The devil then melted like liquid and disappeared into thin air as it dropped its weapons.
As soon as this happened, the gold goblin, Ssol, ran over and picked up all of the items and put them in his golden pouch.
He did it all in the blink of an eye.
Min Sung patted Ssol as he stared back at him after collecting all of the items.
After that, he picked up his bloody Durandal and looked at the door toward the next floor.
Clanggg!
The magic lock was destroyed, opening the doors to the next floor.
"Ssol. Bring Ho Sung Lee and Bowl this way."
In response, Ssol disappeared at a very high speed.
When Ssol went to look for Ho Sung Lee and Bowl, they heard the bell sound that rang before they first entered the Black Tower.
It rang 11 times.
Ji Yoo Kim's prediction must have been correct.
He didn't know the exact calculation of the duration between bells, but the bell was clearly notifying them of the beginning.
And that was what made him realize that they didn't have much time.
'How kind of them. '
Min Sung laughed bitterly and walked up the stairs to the next floor.
***
Ji Yoo Kim and the Central Institute soldiers looked at the Black Tower as if it was extraordinary.
The speed of the floors lighting up was beyond belief.
They couldn't believe it with their own eyes.
The floors lit up so quickly that it almost looked like an elevator was going up.
"I've said this already, but he's very impressive..."
One of the Central Institute soldiers said with sincerity.
In response, Ji Yoo Kim and the other Central Institute soldiers nodded in agreement.
"I feel like we'll be able to protect Korea thanks to Min Sung Kang, " one hunter commented with a smile.
The other Central Institute hunters looked at peace as well.
But not Ji Yoo Kim.
"We can't let our guard down until the end."
In response, the Central Institute soldiers fixed their expressions.
She continued as she looked up at the Black Tower.
"Maybe Korea will be fine, but once the devils start coming out of other countries and the defense barriers go down, it'll be hard for any of the cities to handle it."
In response, the hunters realized just how serious the situation was.
"How far along is the 3rd defense line?" Ji Yoo Kim asked.
"One moment."
An executive hunter beside her used his phone to check on the situation.
"It's about 70% complete, " The executive hunter answered.
"If we happen to have some time left over, the construction of the 3rd defense line isn't the end. We have to make sure to buy as much time as possible before those from foreign countries cross over to Korea."
In response, the executive hunter showed a troubled look on his face.
"But... The laborers are very tired, and going out there means they have to put their lives on the line. The laborers won't get out of the 3rd defense line so easily. Their schedules have been so hectic that they've been complaining."
Ji Yoo Kim stared at the executive hunter with a sharp gaze.
"This is no time to negotiate. We must send someone who can convince them to put their lives on the line."
"... Yes, Ma'am."
The executive hunter took out his phone and excused himself.
Meanwhile, Ji Yoo Kim looked at the Black Tower and bit down on her lower lip.
Min Sung was clearing the floors of the Black Tower in a quick manner, but she still felt anxious as if something was wrong.
She felt as though she was forgetting something very crucial.
She wanted to deny the feeling, but as time passed, it became more and more evident.
She felt unpleasant and scared without knowing the reason.
***
As soon as they arrived on a higher floor, they were faced with more devils.
But just because there were more devils didn't mean things were any different.
There were only 2 special devils.
And as soon as Bowl acquired 10 Undead Devils, Bowl made them cover Ho Sung Lee and focus more on the battles.
As a result, they were able to clear the floors at a much higher speed.
Min Sung left behind a pool of 50 bloody bodies of devils and charged toward the last devil with his Durandal.
Kaboommm!
The Durandal made a thunderous noise and made the devil's body explode.
Min Sung then turned around with a calm face and stepped through the pool of blood.
"Bowl, why do you still only have 10 devils?" Min Sung asked.
Bowl dropped his head in discouragement.
"I think that might be my limit..."
Min Sung looked back at the pool of blood and then nodded.
"I guess at your current level, you can only control 10 devils."
Bowl grabbed his head in embarrassment.
"Bowl."
In response, Bowl lifted his head in shame and looked up at Min Sung.
"Summon 6 Undead Devils."
"Yes, Master!"
In response, Bowl cast his dark magic.
Shortly after, 6 devils appeared out of thin air at the same time.
The 6 devils stood while staring into space as if they were AI robots.
Since the Undead only acted upon Bowl's command, this was natural.
"Step back, " Min Sung ordered.
Ho Sung Lee and Bowl made room with puzzled looks on their faces.
Min Sung then flashed his eyes, his Durandal made a thunderous noise, and a strong force cut through the 6 Undead Devils that Bowl summoned.
The Undead Devils didn't respond because no order was given.
And Min Sung's power was so powerful that the bodies were immediately annihilated.
When Bowl saw this, a gold question mark popped up on top of his head.
| ← Ch. 175 | Ch. 177 → |