novelraw Chapter 79
Chapter 79
Do-Jin didn’t hold back. His body was going to break down anyway if he just stood there, so his only thought was to kill before he got killed. Kusa, on the other hand, was too proud to back down. No way in hell it was going to lose the title of Floor 9’s Strongest Guardian without a fight. It doubled down and kept charging in.
The clash between a prideful human and an equally prideful spirit was already one hell of a rare sight. It wasn’t every day a player mage went toe-to-toe with a boss monster like this. What made it even crazier was the fact that the fight was starting to tip in the human’s favor and not that of the gigantic flaming serpent.
“Burn to ash!” Kusa screamed like a snake with middle-school syndrome before spitting out flames.
An attack that would’ve normally left any tank on the brink of death barely did any damage to Do-Jin. At most, they chipped away a sliver of his health each time. As fire incarnate, he was stacked with fire resistance and strangely tanky for a mage.
In contrast, every single water or ice spell Do-Jin fired wore down Kusa’s health alarmingly fast. Bit by bit, the fire spirit was losing ground.
Kusa, now noticeably smaller, suddenly yelled out in a panic, “W-wait a second!”
However, from Do-Jin’s point of view, there was no reason to stop and talk it out.
[Frozen Sphere]
He flung the rotating sphere of frost straight at Kusa without hesitation. Kusa whipped its tail and shot a blast of hot wind to melt the spell before it landed. Although the ice hissed and evaporated, the serpent didn’t get off scot-free, having burned its own energy for that last move.
“You bastard!”
After swallowing its pride to beg for a time-out only to get ignored, Kusa snapped. It channeled a fat chunk of its remaining energy to conjure up multiple fireballs.
“Hold up!”
Now it was Do-Jin’s turn to raise the flag. Kusa, halfway through winding up its next strike, looked seriously offended.
It wobbled its summoned fireballs in the air as it shouted back, “W-why the hell should I stop just because you say so?!”
Do-Jin ignored the protest and subtly turned his back, using the edge of his robe to hide the fact that he was downing a healing potion and a mana potion. The damage was still ticking over time, so his healing wasn’t exactly efficient. However, it’d be enough to delay death a bit longer. After sneakily patching himself up, he jumped right back into combat.
[Frozen Arrow]
[Frozen Sphere]
[Frozen Lance]
Having a conversation while fighting to the death was a joke. Every breath and every second was better spent squeezing out one more spell. Kusa was screaming its head off, clearly pissed, but none of it reached Do-Jin. All he did was keep casting, over and over, without stopping.
Eventually, the serpent stopped moving. Its eyes, which had looked almost playful or mocking before, now turned heavy and serious. At that moment, Do-Jin couldn’t cast anymore. His spells froze up. His health, which had been slowly ticking down, stopped. His mana was the same. Everything was locked in place.
Do-Jin tensed at the thought that a new phase might have begun, but that didn’t seem to be the case.
“How ridiculous. I never thought anyone would pass this trial... least of all someone like you.”
It almost felt anticlimactic to learn that he himself had cleared the Guardian’s trial. Apparently, Kusa felt the same. It shook its head like the result didn’t sit right.
Suddenly, Piercing Gale appeared on its right, having reformed out of a swirling gust right where Do-Jin had destroyed it.
“No, this is enough. He’s proven himself.”
On Kusa’s left, a lump of rock rose from the ground and shaped itself into a bird. It was Munda.
“I agree with Piercing Gale. Sure, the way he passed Kusa’s trial was borderline cheating, and it was a crude and brutal method. But sometimes, getting past an impossible wall means doing whatever it takes.”
Munda adjusted one of its stone feathers and gave Do-Jin a glance before clicking its beak. That was all it had to say.
“I already knew that,” Kusa replied with a sigh. “Whether you say it or not, the fact stands. He passed the trial according to the rules. That’s not something we can undo.”
Kusa slammed its tail into the ground, Piercing Gale stabbed its sword into the earth, and Munda struck the floor with its leg.
The three of them spoke in unison, “You are the first human challenging the Tower of Trials to pass our tests. Now choose.”
***
[You have cleared Floor 9 of the Tower of Trials.]
Among the three spirits standing side by side, Piercing Gale stepped forward. “Now you must choose, human.”
Munda flapped its wings as it floated upward. “You must select one of two rewards here.”
Then, it was Kusa’s turn. “One, you accept something that’ll make you stronger and go back to your world the way you came.”
The voices of all three spirits overlapped as they offered, “Or you get the chance to move beyond and see what’s up there.”
A deep rumble sounded behind them as a massive door rose up. It was the same kind of door that appeared when moving to the upper floors of the Tower of Trials.
[Reward Upgrade: Special Benefit for Selected User.]
[You have earned the opportunity to enter Floor 10.]
[If you choose to claim the Floor 10 entry ticket, all existing rewards will be replaced with upgraded Floor 10 rewards.]
[If you choose to claim the Floor 9 reward instead, your challenge in the Tower of Trials ends here.]
System messages popped up one after another.
Do-Jin was caught off guard.
What the hell is this? I have to gamble again just to get into Floor 10?
He had already promised himself not to push his luck anymore when it came to rewards. The plan had been simple: take everything on Floor 9 and attempt Floor 10 without any pressure. Now they were telling him that once he claimed the reward, he couldn’t even enter.
So Floor 9 is basically the last official floor, and Floor 10’s just a hidden level...
In less than a second, a storm of thoughts spun through his mind.
That was when Kusa spoke. “Are you struggling to choose, human?”
After trading a few words with him, Kusa sounded a bit too familiar now.
Do-Jin nodded. “Of course I’m hesitating. Going to Floor 10 means I might be giving up a lot.”
“You just have to pass the trial there too. That’s all.”
He let out a short breath. “I barely made it through this one. No way Floor 10 will be easier. It’ll probably be a nightmare.”
Kusa sneered. “You sound unsure. You didn’t seem like the type to flinch when you charged at me. Fine then. Tuck your tail between your legs and back off like some scared little mutt. What is there to contemplate?”
Instead of answering, Do-Jin pointed at the door behind Kusa.
“I’m thinking because I want to know what’s behind that.”
“You must be curious, then.”
“Yeah.”
“Then allow me to tell you what’s on the other side of that door.”
“What?”
Kusa’s sudden friendliness made Do-Jin narrow his eyes.
Kusa stared at him for a beat, then burst out laughing. “I lied! I can’t tell you because I don’t know either!”
It then laughed even harder, like it was getting back at Do-Jin for the earlier humiliation. Do-Jin watched the oversized snake crack up and shook his head.
Piercing Gale let out a slow breath and turned to him. “I apologize. Don’t take it the wrong way. That idiot’s the only spirit I know who acts like that.”
What? Me? Kusa conveyed through his glare, but Piercing Gale and Munda ignored him completely.
“Your hesitation makes sense,” Munda said calmly. Its gaze shifted from Do-Jin to the towering door. “Curiosity can drive progress, but it can just as easily lead to catastrophe.”
Then it added, “There is one more thing I should tell you that might tip the scale.”
“What is it?”
“If you do not open that door, the power suppressing the Star of Ruin will soon run out. However, if you do open it, the Star of Ruin will remain dim until this tower vanishes.”
To sum it up in plain terms, if Do-Jin were to stop at Floor 9, the buff would end in a few days and the debuff would kick in. However, if he just enters Floor 10, whether he clears it or not, the buff stays until the world event ends.
The entire world’s EXP gain now hinged on this one decision. It wasn’t as if he cared about other people leveling faster or slower, but at this point, his curiosity had started boiling over. He couldn’t walk away without finding out what the hell was behind that door.
The reward matters. Of course it does...
His rational brain screamed at him to take the Floor 9 reward and walk away. However, his instinct grabbed on to that voice of reason and body-slammed it onto the floor. There was no way he was really about to run away now, right before the real gamble.
Shit... It’s happening again, isn’t it? With his mind made up, Do-Jin closed his eyes and let the thought settle. The more rewards I give up, the bigger the payoff... only if I win.
Naturally, high risk meant high rewards. It wasn’t a meaningless gamble.
Well, that’s not always the case, but whatever.
He clicked his tongue and met the eyes of the three spirits. “I’ve made my choice. I choose to move forward.”
Their gazes locked onto him, sharp and intense. Piercing Gale, Munda, and Kusa spoke out at the same time.
“It is a fitting choice for one who steps into the Tower of Trials.”
“You’re reckless, but brave.”
“Hmph. They say idiots are the bravest ones.”
Do-Jin gave Piercing Gale a nod and offered a thankful look to Munda. Kusa was completely ignored. Since the serpent was still looking like it wanted to pick another fight, Do-Jin didn’t even spare it a glance.
“Thanks. For helping me make my decision. If my choice stops all of Lostania from going to hell, then it’s worth it.”
“We said it because we believed a challenger who gave his all would choose risk over safety, not just for himself, but for others too,” Munda replied.
[We pay our respects to the one who gave up guaranteed treasure and stable growth to walk the path of a great challenge.]
[The light of the Star of Ruin, Laves, dims over the world of Lostania. It begins to fade. The light of the Star of Creation, Bella, flares bright and fierce!]
[Floor 10 of the Tower of Trials is now open.]
A blinding white swallowed his vision. The last thing Do-Jin saw was the three spirits watching him disappear. As the white finally faded and his vision returned to normal, what greeted him was something he never could have imagined.