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Chapter 33: Tower of Jinma (1)

Demon King

Tower of Jinma (1)

In 2F, the passages were broader and taller than in 1F, but here, everything was also wider and larger, not just the passages.

There must be a considerable distance between the Werewolf and Battle Spider domains and those of the higher species.

The mass appearance battle I was in was making a tremendous noise, yet none of the higher species have made an appearance.

As a matter of fact, I always had to leave more than half of my mana available, just in case I encounter a superior specie.

But what I felt now was excitement.

When I met Goblin Fighters while I was a Goblin, when I met Goblin Warriors while I was a fighter, I was afraid.

It's different now.

A Battle Spider hurriedly crawled on the ceiling, getting away from me.

[Lower Level Detection has become Lv 10 and evolved to Intermediate Detection Lv. 1]

[The range and precision increase. It becomes possible to recognize the signs of an enemy's attack.]

Good timing. Detection has grown to Intermediate Level.

It was telling me that the only survivors within a 50-m radius were three battle spiders.

Once they are done, the mass appearance is finished.

I built a strong will as if a hot iron core was inserted into my spirit and energized me.

By repeated predation while in battle, I had full mana, and I simultaneously used Leap and Beast Charge.

At the same time, I raised Blood Shadow as I jumped high.

With one swing, the head of the spider was chopped off without difficulty, while a black thunderbolt emanating from my sword's trajectory flew towards the other two.

"Cut!"

"Kyiiig!"

One of the spiders was electrocuted and fell to the ground, shaking helplessly. However, the other was lucky enough not to suffer an electric shock or curse.

Seeing his colleague, he tried to run as quickly as he can to another aisle.

It was pathetic.

I threw Blood Shadow down at the spider on the ground, piercing through its back.

Then, landing lightly, I threw a steel sword from the inventory to the one trying to escape.

"Key! Kiyak!"

The steel sword was significantly weaker than Blood Shadow, but it contained enough strength to kill a vulnerable spider.

[You gained 3,400 experience.]

[You acquired 2 silver 20 bronze.]

[Level up!]

[You reached the minimum qualification to enter the Jinma Tower. If you are prepared to suffer more than death where death is not allowed, summon the tower door.]

A pleasant notification popped up.

When I asked Rain about Jinma Tower, he told me it was a safe training ground.

I knew it was a special place, like a private shop, away from the Black Palace.

A door that can be called up just by thinking about it, like a dedicated store.

Unlike the store, it seemed not to charge any admission fees.

It was certain. In Jinma Tower, someone who was like Rain must be waiting for me.

Why not?

I have the confidence that one day, I will get the truth with my own power.

On my own.

I'll get stronger and stronger until I become strong enough not to be scared in front of anything.

And the means to get me stronger is to keep going through this passage and beyond.

The dungeon was calm and tranquil. Hundreds of Werewolves and Battle Spiders lie dead. There were corpses, torn limbs and heads all around.

I used Flame Magic.

I was not worried that higher species would smell it and attack me.

Grilling these meats won't make any difference.

I roasted the closest spider carcass, controlling the flame from my hand. It smelled delicious. To be precise, it smelled just like fried shrimp.

I couldn't stand it anymore because of the delicious smell and ate it right away.

Wow.

It tasted the same as it smelled. Even without the power of Predation, the spider's texture felt like fried and crispy shrimp.

What kind of taste does the higher-level Battle Spider Assassin or Giant Spider have? Maybe they taste like crab or lobster.

It was the first time that I was curious about the taste of another monster over its power or skill.

It was so delicious. I devoured the spiders with a huge appetite.

Whether it was because my Predation has reached Lv. 3 or because I have evolved into a larger Hob Goblin Assaulter, my stomach's capacity has increased considerably.

I ate the spiders and turned all the recovered mana into flames. It was an enjoyable cycle – roasting, eating, roasting.

Then, I turned to the wolves.

I felt like a human gifted with unlimited beef.

No more restraint. I baked everything around and ate them, turning my Detection at a minimal level.

[Beginner Flame Magic becomes Lv. 10 and evolves into Lower Flame Magic. The number of fireballs that can be handled increases, and fine-grained control becomes possible.]

[Predation after hunting Werewolf 1,358/2,000]

[Predation after hunting Battle Spiders 1,582/2,000]

By the time I realized it, I couldn't find any more spiders or wolves around me. More than 1,000 bodies scattered across three or four aisles are now in my stomach.

After figuring out that there was nothing more to eat, I immediately stood up.

I could feel the difference in power inside my body.

Perhaps it was because I am now at Level 50, but it was also true that I had eaten a large number of monsters.

[Kang Si-ha (Fate)]

[Hob Goblin Assault Lv 50]

[Strength – 291 Stamina – 264 Magic – 125 Luck – ???]

[Skill-Ebon Heart, Predation Lv3, Lower Martial Arts Lv5, Lower Armor Defense Lv2, Lower Regeneration Lv8, Lower Flame Magic Lv1, Lower Trap Generation Lv. 4, Lower Black Lightning Lv2, Lower Power Attack Lv7, Lower Leap Lv9, Intermediate Surprise Lv3, Beginner Fairy Tale Lv8, Beginner Beast Charge Lv8…]

I knew it.

Strength and stamina were increased by more than 10%. War Wolf and Battle Spider had less mana, so predating them didn't increase my mana at all, but raising a few tens of units of strength and stamina in one sitting was not easy.

In addition, Beast Charge, which I used a lot during the battle, grew from eating hundreds of Werewolves and reached Beginner Lv.8.

In addition, the beast rush, which was used a lot during the battle, grew to the level of eating more than hundreds of war wolves and became a beginner level 8.

I took out my pocket watch and checked the time. It has been about 11 hours since the first mass appearance.

I don't know how many hours it took to predate, but I know that for the next few hours, the Werewolves and Battle Spiders won't respawn yet.

Of course, I can move on to the upper-level territory, but I decided to take that risk once I've completed the 2,000 requirements for Werewolves and Battle Spiders.

I had nothing else to do.

I checked the condition of my equipment and weapons, as well as the money I earned during the mass appearance.

28 gold 20 silver.

I wondered if this was enough to purchase an armor synthesis scroll. It should be cheaper than a weapon scroll, but I recalled Rain's smirking face.

Twenty-four hours haven't passed yet, so I wouldn't get another Today's Luck.

If I can't afford an armor scroll, I would be throwing 10 silver-worth of admission fee away.

Moreover, I don't have enough materials.

I had more than 10 carapace and manes, but the scroll can take up to three materials.

Going back to the first floor to catch goblins for more materials didn't sound wise.

In any case, there was nothing else to do.

It's time to go in.

Jinma Tower is a safe place. It is a training center.

I have decided.

I called out the door leading to the tower. A door appeared in front of me, and I calmly turned the handle and stepped in.

It was dark.

Dungeons are dark places. From the time I was a goblin, I had adapted to the darkness, to the point where I could clearly distinguish everything.

However, this passageway was darker than I've ever experienced.

A space with nothing, nothing but me.

However, even though my eyes are covered by darkness, I could feel countless beings alive and breathing.

Although I couldn't see them, they were definitely here.

And some of the presence I felt were the most difficult to recognize.

Infinitely huge, but infinitely transparent.

Infinitely strong, but at the same time infinitely fleeting.

Suddenly, without notice, I heard a sharp and heavy voice of a middle-aged man.

"You passed."

Even though the voice seemed to be coming from right in front of my nose, it was difficult for me to identify his position.

I immediately realized. It was evident that he had a surprise or a skill equivalent to, or even beyond. It's not even comparable to me.

I was just desperate to know where he is.

"I am the manager of the Jinma Tower, A."

"I…"

"You are Fate. You climbed the tower."

The next moment, as quickly as he approached me, he suddenly disappeared.

I felt alone again in the dark.

"The Tower of Jinma is on the border between the current and spiritual world. The traces left in the trajectory of life coexist in one place. This place was created for Fate, Top Challenger, and Climber."

Well.

I don't understand the other things he said.

But I understood one thing. That the Jinma Tower was a place for me, like a dedicated store.

I focused my mind as much as possible to find out where he identified himself as A.

His presence, his spirit, the sound he makes. I tried to detect all of them clearly and put all my senses.

And it worked out. I still couldn't pinpoint his exact location, but now I had a vague sense of where he was.

[Intermediate Detection has become Lv2.]

That was enough. At least, I didn't want to produce the unpleasantness of looking at and talking to the empty air.

"… The trajectory of existence doesn't lie."

I ignored his bullshit and opened my mouth.

"Rain told me that this is a safe training center."

"Rain? … … Alas."

He paused for a moment and soon affirmed me.

Well, I knew from the beginning that Rain was using a pseudonym. And now, in response to A's reaction, it seems that A has an idea of the person I'm talking about, and hopefully, they know each other.

"It is not wrong. This place is full of the power of Jinma. Fate's soul and body, who have lost their boundaries and become one, are immortal in this place."

It seemed to me that I would never die here. I could not interpret anything else.

"What is Jinma?"

"No answer."

I couldn't stand it and asked about Jinma, but he cut my question.

I grinded my teeth and asked him something else.

"What is this place for?"

"Training and testing. Unity."

"What can I do here?"

"Prove yourself."

"What can I get?"

"Qualification."

If I had the power, I would have kicked his shin. I couldn't do that.

But when I was going to go for it, A added.

"And don't disrespect me."

Soon after, something happened between him and me.

Between him and me? No.

Front, back, left, right.

There was a huge invisible wall that kept me locked in a limited space.

It was in the dark, where even the field of view was not secured, but the senses I polished and polished gave me a rough grasp of the height of the wall rising from all sides and its intensity.

And the moment I figured out the identity of the wall, A's voice came out again.

"The first floor of Jinma Tower. The first adversary is the troll."

His voice could be anywhere from a long distance or whispering in my ear.

"Conquest takes place when all the trajectories of existence are brought together."

"I don't understand…"

At the end of his speech, I heard a harsh breath.

I knew it wasn't A's.

Didn't he just tell you?

The adversary is a troll. An intermediate-level troll.

It was too much. I would not have been here, knowing that there would be an intermediate-level enemy!

"Wow, wow, wow, wow!"

The troll screamed and rushed to me. Without any doubt, he was moving only to kill me.

Towering stone walls enclosed us.

A limited space where only me and the troll exist.

This is not a tower.

Arena.

That was the true identity of Jinma Tower!

Chapter 34: Tower of Jinma (2)

Demon King

Tower of Jinma (2)

It was a situation where nothing was visible, so I had to rely only on Detection.

It would have been more dangerous if the sense had not risen to the Intermediate level.

I desperately searched for him.

Fortunately, it was easier than locating A.

First of all, the troll was over 2 meters tall. He was running straight towards me, getting closer, holding something heavy in his right hand.

It was coming straight to my head.

I immediately decided that he's either more sensitive than I am, or he is not under the influence of darkness!

I desperately used simultaneous Leap and Beast Charge to dodge his heavy swing.

The thing he had, perhaps a huge blunt weapon, made a terrible smash that broke through where I was.

The moment he attacked, I was already out of his sight and leaped far enough to reach the arena's wall.

I concealed myself with Surprise and Fairy Tale.

"Oooh?"

The troll made a stupid sound and scratched his head comically. I almost burst out laughing.

Now, I'm sure he didn't have higher detection skills.

He is not affected by darkness!

"Oooh, oh, oh, oh!

However, what he did next exceeded my expectations. He yelled angrily and swung wildly around him with his blunt weapon, crashing through the ground and the walls.

Initially, I was just amazed at the immense vibrations from his weapon, then I realized…

He's detecting me with this vibration!

Damn it!

After a few moments, he jumped to my position, erasing the distance between us.

I felt the force of his swing as it hit the air, narrowly missing me.

It was so powerful that even just the wind coming from the swing was enough to push me backward.

I cannot keep dodging forever. With Predation, I had infinite stamina and shoppingmode mana, but there is no food anywhere around me to eat!

I had two bodies in my inventory, but those are reserved for emergencies.

But isn't this an emergency?

I'm trying to figure out the characteristics of the troll as I kept avoiding his heavy and strong blow around the arena.

First, he is dull. When I use Surprise and Fairy Tale, he loses my position immediately.

But it is not to say that it is ignorant. He is a hunter who knows how to hunt in a different manner.

His power is strong. It's damn strong. The strongest of all the enemies I've ever met.

I quickly decided on how to attack him.

After avoiding his attack, I have to counter and strike at his neck at once.

Of course, because of Detection, I have an idea of where his neck was.

All that remains is my counter-attack.

Good.

I remembered the notification window that explained to me about the characteristics of a Hob Goblin Assaulter.

An Assaulter had the ability to defeat even an intermediate monster by himself.

I would be able to defeat him.

I am stronger because of the Ebon Heart.

Even during the Werewolf and Battle Spider mass appearance, the Ebon Heart remained calm.

Now, it was beating hard.

At first look, the enemy is far superior to me. However, my heart seems to be telling me that I can beat him, even a number of them.

I can't lose to A.

My will was at one with my Ebon Heart.

I rushed to him.

The heavy blunt weapon.

I leaned and avoided it as his large arm swept over the floor.

I skipped lightly and concealed myself.

"Oooh-oh-oh!"

When he lost me, he erupted into a frenzy, as usual.

But this time, I was already flying towards his neck with Leap.

"Oooh!"

Kyiiigii!

Before he noticed me, Blood Shadow has already bitten through his neck. The Power Attach and Black Lightning

tore through his leathery skin and deeply wounded his neck.

Blood sprayed on my sword and on my whole body.

How sweet his blood tasted.

"Ohhhhhhh!"

Suddenly, the sound of the troll's screams boomed around the arena.

As I savored his blood, I realized that there is no way I can end that monster in one hit.

His blood was full of vitality. It was full of the power of life that will not let him die, unless his head is totally cut off or if he is drained of this blood.

Suddenly, I felt something strange with my Detection.

The troll's neck, which bent at a strange angle due to my blow, was boiling and slowly coming back to its place.

I don't have the means to drain him of his blood, so there is only one way to end this.

By cutting off his neck.

The more I hesitate, the faster he heals his wounds. So, before he had totally recovered, the more likely I am to kill him.

However, my shoppingmode mana is not infinite now. So, there aren't many opportunities for me.

Five times. I have to finish him in the next five blows.

Of course, at the same time, I shouldn't allow myself to be hit.

Even with one blow hitting me, it will be over.

Feeling the throb of the Ebon Heart spreading over my body, I rushed at him once more.

I could feel A's gaze, but I didn't care. My nerves were all focused on my enemy, the troll.

His neck. The neck has not fully recovered.

I had struggled with the Werewolf's extraordinary acceleration, the Battle Spider's dreadful webs.

But however strong an opponent was, I could beat them the moment I caught them unprepared.

The same applies to me.

The troll was simple yet powerful. Even if he just swung his weapon at me, he could bring me down.

I have to catch him unaware while staying vigilant.

"Oooh-oh-oh-oh!"

"Shhh!"

I managed to avoid all of his attacks and somehow struck a sword at his neck once more.

It would not have been possible without a Leap and a Beast Charge.

The Ebon Heart gave me additional strength.

It gave me uninterrupted concentration and strength. But these limitations will soon be reached, without Predation.

Three more swings hit his neck. At the moment of the fourth thrust, I was sure that his neck was already cut off, but his head, which was almost falling, stuck to the neck once more.

For one, I was glad I could not see it. What a gross view it could be.

It was clear that a ridiculous level of regeneration is putting a burden on him.

The joints on the man's neck are so weakened that it won't recover for a minute or two.

His recovery is not working as fast as it did.

I was sure.

One more time.

If I hit him one more time, he's done.

"Oooh, oh, oh, oh!

The troll's yelling was more severe as it was threatened with death.

He learned by now that I was waiting for a counter-attack, so this time, he didn't swing his weapon.

Of course, that doesn't change anything.

I rushed through the darkness and lifted my Blood Shadow.

It was only him and me inside the narrow arena. I would not miss it.

[Intermediate Detection has become Lv3.]

I rushed forward without delay. It seemed that the troll was already at his limit.

The Beast Charge and Leap now naturally blend together to assist me.

However, once in the air, I sensed a little movement in his right thigh muscle.

It was something I didn't expect.

Suddenly, long sharp claws rose out of his foot, kicking towards me!

"This!"

Normally, I would have been able to dodge it, but in the air, I was exposed. I clenched my teeth and prepared for a crash.

A sharp claw protruding from his toe scraped through my iron armor. I leaned backwards to escape the full impact, then I saw his weapon swinging towards me…

In a few seconds, I will be crushed.

But if I stretch out my sword…

I sensed that the troll's wounds are recovering faster. It's still healing as he moved!

I have to do it now. I put all my remaining mana on the sword and threw it.

"Kaaaaaaaa!"

Blood Shadow, wrapped with flame and Black Lightning, flew through the air and struck his neck. Then, fire and lightning erupted.

The troll's screams rang out, almost blowing my eardrum.

His weapon didn't hit me as his strength faded.

However, I had no more strength and fell to the floor.

I rolled on the floor and used my senses.

I had no mana, and no stamina left.

I hope he's dead!

"…!"

The troll moaned. It was a gurgling sound of blood and phlegm.

Then, he collapsed on the floor with a thud.

I raised my hand, and Blood Shadow rose from his neck and flew towards me.

After I recovered the sword, I stood up and weakly approached him.

There was no more presence emanating from the troll.

It is completely dead.

"Hoo."

A sigh of relief popped out.

I was exhausted. I'm a little surprised that I didn't get any experience or silver after killing him, but anyway, success against an intermediate monster was good enough.

I looked back involuntarily, to where I sense A was.

But he said nothing. I felt his silent gaze.

I'm hungry.

The troll's weapon had disappeared, but his body was still there.

I didn't get any experience, so I had my doubts.

Is this troll just a virtual one?

But its blood smelled sweet.

"I will enjoy this food."

I ate the troll's head first. As expected from the beginning, his flesh was chewy and tasteless, but the blood in it was very sweet and cool.

It seemed somewhat akin to fruit, not meat.

Even if I was drained, the troll's blood flowed into me and was healing all my wounds.

The strength of vitality it filled me with made me shiver.

His blood was life itself. Even just a sip filled me with strength. It was too enchanting for a meal.

I ate all the trolls on the spot, savoring every drop of blood.

[Beginner Regeneration has become Lv9.]

The troll probably had Regeneration at an Intermediate level or higher.

I ate just one, but my skill has increased one level. This alone makes it worthwhile to fight this monster.

A was watching me without a word, and when I finished my predation, he spoke.

"Then we move on to the next stage."

"Next stage?"

I stopped talking and checked the quest window.

It was surprising that the quest has not renewed.

It was still the same.

[Conquering the 1st floor of Jinma Tower 0/10].

That moment. The Ebon Heart jumped once.

A terrible shock penetrated my whole body like lightning.

My body trembled. Now, I instinctively realized what A meant earlier.

No.

My muscles are losing power.

My heart gets weaker.

My bones are getting less durable.

My stamina is getting reduced.

My mana fountain becomes smaller.

No!

I cried desperately, but I couldn't stop the change.

A spoke calmly.

"There are four shapes drawn on the trajectory that Fate has passed. Hob Goblin Assaulter, Hob Goblin, Goblin Fighter, Goblin."

"What the hell, no!"

I clenched my teeth and clenched my fists.

I was already aware. The change was over; my body was weaker.

"When each of them has conquered the first floor, you move on to the next."

A frightful sound rang out of the arena once more.

"Koo-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh!"

I have degenerated from a Hob Goblin Assaulter to a Hob Goblin.

Now, I have to face the troll once more.