Episode 166
166. Episode 166
“Hey, how long has it been since you had a guest like this?”
As soon as he reached the top floor, the one who greeted Se-un was not the stern-looking lord he had imagined.
He had a younger appearance than expected, a face full of playfulness, and was similar in height and build to Se-woon.
One thing that stands out among them is… … .
‘That sword looks familiar.’
The sword the lord was holding felt somehow familiar.
It was so translucent that it seemed like it was made of ice, so its exact shape could not be seen.
Crunch.
As the lord approached, Seun took out the sword he had picked up from downstairs.
Until then, the enemies had felt like training targets, but this enemy was like a boss monster on the 19th floor.
There was no call to fight, but at least some caution was required.
As Seun took out his sword, the lord smiled playfully and waved his hand.
“Woah, wait a minute. If the purpose of this trial isn’t to defeat me, then what’s the purpose? For example, to grant me a favor.”
Se-woon frowned for a moment.
How can you mention your ordeals so confidently?
Most of the people you encounter during the trials of the lower levels are similar to NPCs in the game.
They are simply there to guide the players through the trials.
Naturally, they do not realize that their lives are a ‘trial’.
This phenomenon decreases as the trials of each floor increase in the middle tier, but it is more evident at least in the trials up to the 20th floor.
But now, before Se-un could even ask, the lord mentioned the ordeal.
This was already the second time something like this had happened, excluding the encounter with Youngsoo on the 14th floor.
When Se-un heard that word and was embarrassed, Seong-ju smiled brightly as if he was happy.
“By the way, I heard the managers locked the door. How did they get in?”
“Do you know the manager?”
“Isn’t it weird not to know? Oh, these days players don’t know about this kind of thing?”
Not only the trials, but even the managers know.
Indeed, does it make sense for a being in the midst of trials to mention such things?
Then soon, Se-Woon was able to guess his identity.
‘This ordeal, perhaps… … .’
Even as I climbed up to the top floor where the castle lord was, I felt a strange sense of discomfort.
Because there was absolutely no consistency among the opponents waiting on each floor.
Rather than consistency, it felt like each person had their own distinct personality. It was as if they each came from different places and times.
That is, all the enemies that exist here… … .
“… …Are you a player?”
“Oh, that’s right! You’re smarter than I thought. Well, that’s how you were able to get up here, right?”
This was a player who challenged the ordeal called ‘Ice Castle of Tests’.
Of course, we don’t know if they are real players or just remnants of players.
However, Se-un placed greater importance on the latter.
castellan.
I didn’t notice it at first, but there was a subtle resemblance to one of the tower rankers that Se-woon remembered.
Although their ages and personalities were different, the sword the lord was holding gave away his identity.
And before Se-woon could even think about it… … .
“Okay, so from now on, shall we have a body conversation?”
Taat!
The lord rushed at Seun, holding out the sword he had been roughly draping over his shoulder.
Amazingly fast. Nothing compared to the enemies on the lower floors.
If I hadn’t been careful and tense despite my relaxed attitude, I almost missed the move.
By making use of the Taegeuk sword’s magic, he was able to block the attack with great difficulty without giving anyone a chance to miss the attack.
“Huh? You… … .”
Kang, Kang!
The lord took a greater interest in Seun and kept swinging his sword.
Horizontal and vertical cuts, and diagonal downward cuts.
They were honest attacks that seemed like they would appear in a textbook, but the sword had a unique heaviness and sharpness to it, making it difficult to block any of them.
Although he was desperate to stop it, Se-Woon did not take a single step back.
He stood still and honestly accepted the lord’s sword.
As with the attack right in front of you, it’s an honest defense.
If it had been any other attack, this alone would not have been able to completely block the attack, but for some reason, the lord’s attack was blocked so perfectly by Seun.
Finally, as even the stabbing full of weight was blocked, the lord smiled broadly, widening the distance.
“As expected, it’s our family’s swordsmanship!”
Our family.
With those words, Seun was able to confirm the identity of the lord.
“Francis Hamel.”
“Huh? How do you know my name? It’s not just the time, but this is the 19th floor.”
The Sword Emperor, Francis Hamel.
As a ranker who reigns at the top of the tower, he is also known as the best player in the tower in terms of pure swordsmanship.
He is a superhuman who has been climbing the tower since the beginning, so it can be guessed that he has reached the realm of immortality.
Not much is known about him, but the sword he wielded was quite famous.
That was also why Se-un felt familiar with the Lord’s sword when he first saw it.
In addition, the sword technique currently being used by Seun is ‘Hamelga Longsword Technique’.
This sword technique, which was first learned when starting the tutorial and using the power of greed, was something that Seun had acquired while recalling the techniques of swordsmanship.
This provides the answer.
He is a remnant of Francis Hamel, who climbed the ‘Ice Castle of Trials’ in the early days of the tower.
Although it was a scene from the past, Seun was now facing off against a player called Geomje.
He was the perfect target to test his current strength, which he had accumulated through his regression and the power of the demon.
– The third technique of the Blood Wolf Sword Technique, Blood Wolf Attack, is strengthened through internal energy.
– The power of martial arts is strengthened according to the secret of the ultimate deep attack.
This time, Se-woon rushed in first.
Leaving aside the Hamelga longsword technique that he had used to test the power of the lord, he drew out all the strength he had.
Of course, among them.
– The eyes of envy begin to gaze upon ‘Francis Hamel’.
The power of jealousy was also included.
Why use your power to confirm your current power?
Of course, the power of the three gods is also Seun’s ‘force’.
Although the time zone is different, I had no intention of limiting myself in dealing with the remnants of the player called the Inspector.
“Yes, after all, conversation is done with the body!”
Kyaang!!
The lord swung his sword in earnest.
At first, he shows off his even more powerful weapons as if he was trying to show mercy.
Seun, who had incomparable abilities compared to players of the same level thanks to the power of gluttony, was unable to display overwhelming strength.
Indeed, the player called the Sword Master.
Even though it was an image from the past, it was a force that could be said to be that of one who had reached the pinnacle of swordsmanship.
However, there was one problem with this.
“But I really don’t understand. There’s no way I spread our family’s swordsmanship, so how on earth do you know about our family’s swordsmanship?”
Se-un knew the sword technique he was using, ‘Hamelga Long Sword Technique’.
It wasn’t that he had been using it as his main weapon, but since he had built his foundation on Hamel’s longsword technique, the movements and habits were completely ingrained in his body.
Because of this, it was much easier to predict the lord’s attack.
Conversely, Seongju had a hard time adapting to the colorful swordsmanship Seun used.
Because the average inspector usually focuses on one type of swordsmanship.
It wasn’t easy to find a player who could handle multiple swordsmanship styles with completely different personalities like Seun.
– The Taegeuk sword is strengthened through internal energy.
– The third technique of the Blood Wolf Sword Technique, Blood Wolf Attack, is strengthened through internal energy.
– Through internal energy, the Taesan Shippalban Sword’s Jeo-o first form, Taesan Apjeong (泰山壓頂) is strengthened.
Kaga River!
Seun naturally combines different swordsmanship techniques like flowing water.
He flows endlessly and smoothly, then exposes his fangs and pounces on his enemy, then strikes down with his sword with a weight as heavy as a mountain.
He lowers his center of gravity extremely low to cross the lower part of the castle, then uses his technique to jump high, kicking the ceiling and dropping like an eagle.
A series of completely unpredictable attacks.
This was Seun’s true fighting style, built up using the power of greed.
Up until now, I had only used it to deal with monsters, so it was a fighting method that I had only thought about in my head and had never used properly.
Shh.
A smile appeared on Se-un’s face.
The feeling of pouring out all the skills I had learned and mastered so far was truly exhilarating.
I felt like strength was bursting out of my whole body.
“You crazy, what are you really? You seem so young, but is it really possible for you to reach this level?”
The amazing thing is that even though Seun is showing off all his might, the castle is not falling.
Hamelga was blocking Seun’s attacks one by one with his unique simple yet sturdy defensive technique of longsword fighting.
The surprising thing was that in this short period of time, Seun’s swordsmanship had become increasingly faster and faster.
Even after their swords had clashed about twenty times… … .
Phew!
“Ah~ What a pity. What the hell is that spell? It feels like poking a slime with a club.”
The lord’s sword passed over Seun’s sword and pierced his heart.
I was barely able to dodge the sword by momentarily strengthening my legs and twisting my body.
Even that wasn’t completely avoided, as a red line appeared on his left arm.
The attack didn’t end there.
The lord clung to him persistently, as if he did not want to miss this opportunity to win.
Kang, kaang!
The swords clashed more than ten times in less than a second.
Seun sensed the horizontal slash coming through the square with his skin and dodged the attack by jumping high into the air.
Then, as if he had been waiting, the lord changed his grip on the sword and put his right foot forward.
“That’s the difference in experience, kid.”
The lord’s sword approached quickly.
Even the most capable of swordsmen have a hard time avoiding enemy attacks while floating in the air.
Moreover, the opponent is the remnant of the one called the Sword Master.
It didn’t seem like there would be any space to avoid it even if you twisted your body. It was an attack that seemed like it would hit a vital point no matter how you avoided it.
And at that moment.
“This is the difference in power.”
– The Treasure Trove of Greed has been opened.
[ Ice needle ]
– A lethal magic that pierces enemies by creating countless ice thorns using the ice magic of the Blue Tower.
A blue light shimmered from Seun’s hand.
The lord’s attacks were fast and fierce, but Seun’s magic, which he had mastered the secrets of the tower, boasted a casting speed that was even faster.
Kkwaduk!
The first ice spike deflected the lord’s sword.
A second thorn pierced the lord’s sleeve.
Only when the third thorn reached him did the lord hastily withdraw his sword, and when the fourth thorn rose, the lord instinctively leapt into the air.
A similar situation to what happened to Se-un.
However, the distance was far, so it seemed difficult to land a blow from the air like the lord had done.
‘With a sword,’ I mean.
– The power of ‘Ice Needle’ is strengthened according to the Black Tower’s magic.
– The speed of ‘Ice Needle’ increases according to the magic of the green tower.
– The stability of ‘Ice Needle’ is strengthened according to the magic of the Blue Tower.
– The ‘Ice Needle’ becomes more solid according to the magic of the Yellow Tower.
– The casting speed of ‘Ice Needle’ increases according to the magic of the tower.
Kkwaddeuk!!
“Haha, crazy… …. Are you a dragon or something?”
Dozens of ice spikes rose from beneath the castle, emitting a chilling chill.
fantasy,
