Chapter 77
“Kerek! What? Escape?”
“That’s impossible!”
“Krrrk!”
Homaruba, clad in golden armor, Chanagita, wearing a leather brigandine with a bundle of keys fastened to his belt, and a slender goblin stood up from their seats.
“K-kerek! It’s true! The prey escaped from the sub-second floor and instantly climbed to the sub-first floor!”
“How can that be?! My keys are right here!” Chanagita shouted as he grabbed the keys on his belt.
The goblin who gave the report replied, “I-I don’t know, but the cells are being opened somehow!”
“Kerek! Do not panic! It’s a pointless struggle! They can’t get through the Cage,” Homaruba remarked.
The barrier sorcery Cage was the masterpiece created by Golden Wall Homaruba and his barrier and sealing unit. Not even Tutobure in his prime could break it because sacrificial sorcery had been used in conjunction.
“Krrrk! I don’t know how they escaped their cells, but they can’t escape further. The hunting and securing unit will arrive soon!” Homaruba shouted.
“Then I will keep them in one place. Kerek!” Chanagita answered and quickly left the room.
“Kerek. What will you do? Do you have an answer for me?” Homaruba asked as he stared sharply at the slender goblin.
“I-I will stay here. As for my answer... once T-Tutobure is dead...” the slender goblin trailed off.
He was Mitasra, the head of the collection unit. Homaruba and Chanagita had called him to this room to persuade him, but the meeting fell apart when the sudden news of the prison escape broke.
“Kerek! You know what will happen if you change your mind,” Homaruba warned.
“I-I know. I-I only follow the trends. B-by the way... where is Tutobure?”
“Who cares? Krrrk! He’s a cripple now. He can’t even square up to a Semi Ranker after losing to Lee Kang-San. We don’t need a coward who only knows how to hide on the sub-third floor!” Homaruba shouted as he left the room.
Once he did, Mitasra suddenly stopped trembling and smiled mockingly.
“Looks like Trophy is on its last rope... Nothing will come out of staying here any longer. Krrrk!”
***
“Yeah! We’re free!”
“Move your asses! We need to be quick so we can all get out of here together!”
“Chwik! I am Qwee, the war chief of the Blade tribe! Fellow orcs, with me!”
Over three hundred prisoners held on the sub-second floor were all freed. Thanks to Seong-Hwi rusting the cells and restraints, they climbed to the sub-first floor to free the rest of the prisoners.
“I-is it okay to follow them?”
“Anywhere’s better than here!”
“Look! It’s an elf! I-I think it’s okay to follow them!”
The inferior races of the sub-first floor, humans included, were skeptical whether they could follow the ones who freed them. Just then, Chlor, a lean male elf around 185 centimeters tall with pale skin, pointy ears, green hair, and shining emerald eyes, stood before the sub-first-floor prisoners.
“Everyone! I am Leafblade Chlor of Hod! We must head to the northern plain. There is an escape path prepared.”
“H-how are we going to escape? The goblins’ barrier sorcery blocks us off from the outside.”
“I-I’m not going! Who knows what kind of torture they’ll subject us to if we’re captured again!”
The prisoners did not trust Chlor, and some even returned to their cells.
“Chwik! Those who want to die here, stay! However, if you want to live, come with us!”
Roughly two hundred orcs had gathered behind Qwee.
“Chwik! We can trust a war chief of the Blade tribe!”
“Chwik! I want to get out of here!”
The orcs simultaneously followed Qwee, causing the other inferior races to talk among each other.
Just then, Sayo, a naga with the upper body of a beautiful woman and the lower body of a snake, remarked, “Hoho, let’s just go. There are only slaves here. Leave them to serve the goblins for the rest of their meaningless lives.”
Her eyes carried a faint pink light. Her words triggered the prisoners, especially the men.
“W-who are you calling a slave?!”
“You’re... sure about the escape path, right?”
The remaining prisoners were persuaded one by one.
Chlor told his comrades, “Let’s head to the north now.”
“Okay. We need to draw as much attention as possible to make it easier for the negotiation team to act.”
“Chwik. Hm? Where’s human friend Seong-Hwi?” Qwee asked as he looked around, but couldn’t see Seong-Hwi anywhere.
Muka answered, “Oh, Seong-Hwi told us to go ahead and went back down to the sub-second floor.”
“What? Why?”
“How should I know?”
“Growl! Leave him be. He’s strong. I don’t know how he did it, but he returned several times stronger. I’m not sure I could defeat him now,” Tigrinus said.
The others nodded. They had only known Seong-Hwi for a few days, but had developed a deep trust in him.
“Let’s move!”
***
The negotiation team, composed of Thumper and a few others who could move stealthily, moved cautiously toward the east of the third floor. Based on the goblins’ conversation, Thumper had deduced that the fairy was most likely located there.
“Looks like Chlor and the others did a great job diverting their attention,” Thumper mumbled as he searched the empty hallway.
Every goblin had gone to chase after the prisoners who escaped to the northern plain.
“Split up and search for the fairy!” Thumper said.
Two cat beastfolk and a chameleon naga quickly opened one door after another. Thumper also hopped along the hallway and cautiously grabbed a doorknob.
“Kerek!”
Oh no! Thumper shouted inwardly.
The door suddenly swung open, and a goblin walked out into the hallway. His eyes widened once he noticed Thumper, and he was about to scream.
“OVER H—Kurgh!”
However, a golden hand suddenly flew and grabbed the goblin’s neck, cutting short his scream. The hand squeezed the goblin’s neck, breaking it. The goblin went limp.
“Phew. Thanks, human friend,” Thumper said.
“No problem, animal friend,” Gilder answered with a smile.
This hairless human is... super strong, Thumper thought.
Thumper stopped by the seventh torture chamber as Seong-Hwi had instructed and met Gilder there. Though skeptical, he added the human to the negotiation team because he trusted Seong-Hwi. However, the human had shown extraordinary combat prowess.
He might even be stronger than Chanagita.
Just then, someone called, “Thumper! Over here!”
***
Tutobure looked up at the ceiling, which had grown silent. The vibrations and echoing sound waves had died down.
What’s going on? Has the hunting and securing unit returned? Tutobure wondered.
He hoped his hunting and securing unit was fighting against Homaruba for treason, but soon shook his head.
No way. They only follow the strong. What in the world is happening?
The thought of a prison break never came to Tutobure because it was impossible.
“Haha. It’s pathetic how you shake with anxiety, goblin,” Illechebra mocked Tutobure, who only inferred the situation without leaving the sub-third floor.
“Kerek. Do not test me, Illechebra. Even now, I’m considering handing you over to Abyete.”
Tutobure put his left hand over his missing eye and thought, What do I do? Negotiation with Biphatogenes is impossible now.
Various possibilities flashed past Tutobure’s mind. He could hand Illechebra to Abyete in exchange for his safety, or to Echion’s enemies in exchange for information about an Elixir’s location or a method to regain his power.
Yes, Echion has many enemies. The son of Biphatogenes will serve as a great card for negotiation.
Tutobure expected demons to be the most suitable negotiation partners. Since they possessed various bizarre skills, they might have a way to restore his lost arm and eye.
Just then, he suddenly noticed a threatening presence.
“Kerek!”
He quickly turned around. A dagger missed his heart and stabbed his right shoulder instead.
“Kurgh! Who’s there?!” Tutobure jumped backward, enveloped his left palm with green mana, and fired it forward.
[Activating Race Skill: Contact Sorcery - Smashing Palm.]
The surroundings turned green as the wave dissipated.
“Kurgh! How did you get in here?!” Tutobure shouted as he glared at the empty area with a bloodshot eye.
A man slowly appeared as if an invisible dye was washing away. It was a human man with black hair and eyes.
“A human?”
“You’ve certainly grown weak. Your stats have fallen so far that you couldn’t even detect something like this,” Seong-Hwi remarked as he stared at Tutobure after his surprise attack succeeded.
His powerful aura during the Edu attack was gone, along with his right arm and left eye. After hearing from Muka that Tutobure was beyond the giant door leading to the sub-third floor, Seong-Hwi decided to execute a long-awaited plan, as this was the perfect opportunity to do so. It was to hunt the weakened Tutobure.
Seong-Hwi initially gave up on the plan because Tutobure was always surrounded by his subordinates, but it was a different story if he was alone. Although severely weakened, Tutobure was a High Ranker with a much higher caliber than him. Since Seong-Hwi possessed inferior caliber stats, he would undoubtedly achieve a feat if he killed Tutobure.
“Die and become fertilizer for my caliber!” Seong-Hwi shouted as he charged at Tutobure.
“Argh! Kererek!”
Tutobure’s humiliation and shame, which he had been suppressing until now, exploded once Seong-Hwi treated him like prey.
“I can’t believe even an amoeba is disrespecting me!” Tutobure shouted as he pulled out a mystical silver metal the size of his finger. “Janateel is my body! My body is janateel!”
[Activating Race Skill: Imitative Sorcery - Homology.]
Tutobure’s green skin turned silver like janateel.
“Hup!” Seong-Hwi grunted as he stabbed Tutobure’s chest with the Ackher Ring Dagger, which had dyed red earlier from Tutobure’s blood.
However, the dagger shattered like glass once it made contact with Tutobure’s chest.
“Kerek! Die!”
Tutobure swung his left fist, enveloped in green Sorcery Force and mana. Seong-Hwi also drew out mana of his B-rank Magic to counter it.
“Kurgh!” Seong-Hwi grunted.
It felt like he had punched a steel wall with his bare hand. The flesh over his fist tore and bled, and his bones rattled.
“Kerek! Janateel is everlasting steel! The likes of you could never penetrate my defenses!”
“I see. Steel, huh?”
Seong-Hwi did not hesitate to activate his skills.
[Activating Unique Skill: Symbol Embodiment.]
[Ace of Cups]
[Two of Cups]
...
[Five of Cups]
[Activating Skill: Rust of Ruin.]
Fifteen blue cups were embodied. The water inside each cup turned dark red through Rust of Ruin. Corrosive water poured throughout an area too large to dodge.
Tutobure had no intention of dodging from the beginning. Instead, he boasted about his defenses, “Kererek! Your attacks are obsolete before janateel—Krek?”
Tutobure’s eyes widened as he watched rust spreading throughout his body, covering it, and preventing him from moving. His body could only creak.
“T-this can’t be! Ah! You’re him! The one from back then!”
Tutobure remembered the blonde human with green eyes who had thrown a spear at him during the Edu attack. The spear itself wasn’t a threat, but the hand he had used to grab it had corroded. At the time, he believed he had been seeing things.
[Activating Unique Skill: Symbol Embodiment.]
[Penetrating Spear, one of the symbols of No.7 The Chariot]
[Urim and Thummim, one of the symbols of No.7 The Chariot]
A spear appeared in Seong-Hwi’s hand, and pauldrons shaped like human faces appeared on each shoulder. One pauldron was black and the other was white, symbolizing advance and retreat. The smiling white face pauldron on his right shoulder was Urim, symbolizing advance. The despairing black face pauldron on his left shoulder was Thummim, symbolizing retreat.
“Chaaa!”
Taking the chance of Tutobure’s movements being restricted, Seong-Hwi thrust the spear as Urim on his right shoulder laughed silently.
[Boosting the penetrative power of Penetrating Spear as per the effect of Urim of Advance.]
“Kurgh!” Tutobure grunted.
The Penetrating Spear stabbed Tutobure’s corroded abdomen. Tutobure immediately canceled Imitative Sorcery - Homology.
“Kerek! Kurgh!”
Tutobure regained the ability to move once the rust disappeared. He placed the janateel back into his pocket and pulled out a small black wooden tile.
“Black hardwood is my body! My body is black hardwood!”
Tutobure activated Imitative Sorcery - Homology again, turning him black this time. He had become one with black hardwood, harder than steel, after realizing his opponent possessed an unreal rust skill.
“Krrrk! Bastard!” Tutobure shouted as he charged at Seong-Hwi.
Seong-Hwi did not avoid a clash. Thunderous booms echoed throughout the sub-third floor. Seong-Hwi took as much advantage of Tutobure’s missing right arm and the blind spots formed from his missing left eye as possible. However, Tutobure was not weak enough for Seong-Hwi to overpower him despite the handicaps. They continued to exchange blows against one another.
“Huff! Huff!”
“Krrrk! Krrrk!”
Seong-Hwi and Tutobure widened their distance momentarily to catch their breaths.
I have to kill him in one blow! Tutobure thought as he stared at the panting Seong-Hwi.
Although his weakness contributed to the prolonged battle, the human’s combat prowess was nothing to scoff at. Hence, the only way was to trample on the human with immense power.
“Kerek! Haaaah!”
[Activating Race Skill: Contact Sorcery - Overlord’s Fist.]
A dark green aura, so powerful that it could destroy an entire mountain, enveloped Tutobure’s fist.
“I will defeat you with—Kerek?” Tutobure expressed confusion as he looked at Seong-Hwi standing still, defenselessly, as if the battle was over. “Krrrk! What are you doing? Have you given up?”
He thought the human had lost the will to fight after seeing the power infused in the Overlord’s Fist.
However, Seong-Hwi smirked and mumbled, “I couldn’t have been a worse opponent for you. This is revenge for all the humans you’ve killed. Goodbye, goblin.”
“What are you talking about—Krrk?”
Tutobure was shocked once he noticed his body glowing red. It was not an effect of his Overlord’s Fist.
[Activating Exclusive Skill: Nature’s Judgment.]
Tutobure exploded. Realizing Tutobure had turned into wood, Seong-Hwi borrowed Unabomber’s destiny and infused all his attacks with the waves of Nature’s Judgment while exchanging blows.
“Gurghhh!” Tutobure’s left eye rolled backward, and he collapsed as black smoke came out of his mouth.
Seong-Hwi embodied the Ace of Swords and beheaded the fallen Tutobure.
[You defeated an enemy of far higher caliber.]
[Condition of Trait Quest: Rebellion of the Weak II, fulfilled.]
[Converting Trait Underdog to Giant Killing.]
[Eternally recording this feat in the Akasha.]
[Heightening the caliber of Destiny Force.]
[You defeated an individual with countless Murderer Karma.]
[3,452,508 Karma obtained.]
Seong-Hwi examined the Akasha Messages as he picked up Tutobure’s head. The caliber of his Destiny Force was heightened as he had expected. His trait was upgraded, and although the Karma he obtained was low compared to what one would get from killing an infamous High Ranker, it was satisfactory considering he had been severely weakened. Most of all, Seong-Hwi managed to test his current abilities.
He was weakened, and my skills matched well against him, but still... Seong-Hwi trailed off in his thoughts.
He clenched his fists. He had become much stronger in a short period.
If I can keep getting stronger at this speed—
Just then, he heard clapping from behind and a boy’s voice saying, “Haha! I’m impressed, human.”