Battle Tower (3)
In the Battle Tower, there were sometimes floors with gimmicks.
On such floors, the difficulty increased when the corresponding gimmick was performed, and the rewards rose along with it.
The 15th floor was the same.
However, while the existence of the 15th floor’s ‘Mad Moon’ gimmick was known, the activation condition had not been revealed.
That was why people had thought it probably occurred at random.
But the truth was different.
The activation condition for the red moon—the Mad Moon—was ‘time’.
After opening the boss room door, one simply had to stand still without entering and watch until the red moon rose.
After the red moon rose, the strategy for the werewolf changed as well.
Until now, I had cleared them by using hit count to shave away the buff responsible for their evasion.
However, werewolves that received the power of the red moon were the opposite.
As if steel were being refined, the more they were hit, the stronger they became.
They grew faster, tougher, and cut off challengers’ lives with sharper teeth.
On top of that, the Mad Moon effect even added a passive skill.
【Mad Moon’s Ascension】
Description: Due to the influence of the red moon, the werewolf’s basic stats increase by 30%, and its evasion rate increases by 30%. When hit, each value increases by 1%, stacking up to 20 times.
For werewolves, who already boasted fast speed, a buff like the one above was truly the finishing touch.
That was why the 15th floor was infamous as the ‘Wailing Wall’ that beginners faced.
However, as always, a method existed.
“Master. The enemies’ condition is unusual.”
“I know. I have already prepared a new strategy as well.”
The clearing method was simple.
First, eliminate the boss who served as the core of the buff: the Wolf King of the Mad Moon.
Once he was killed, the morale of the other werewolves, who had lost their leader, would fall, and the buff would disappear as well.
The problem was that while anyone could think of this strategy, actually carrying it out was difficult.
If one could not kill the Wolf King in one blow with considerable overpowered stats, the success rate of the clear would plunge to the bottom.
But with me, the story was different.
“Hert.”
“Yes, Master.”
“Bring that beast, who dares call himself king before me, here.”
“...! As Master wills...!”
***
Carmin, Wolf King of the Mad Moon, awakened by the power of the red moon.
An irresistible sensation of slaughter stretched through his entire body.
There was a human before his eyes who gave off an extremely delicious scent, and he could not endure it.
‘This is no time to merely wet my appetite. I will bite straight into his throat and drink my fill of the blood that pours out.’
Carmin had no intention of losing this battle.
He was filled with that confidence.
Due to the influence of the red moon, he had become stronger than before, and he had gained even faster feet.
With power of this level, what could he not do?
On top of that, his opponents looked utterly unimpressive.
At first, he had been flustered when a giant golem walked in.
However, the golem was holding his own head with both hands, utterly terrified.
A golem helpless before werewolves.
“I will send you off before you even feel pain.”
Carmin ordered his subordinates to target the enemies before them.
Awooooo!
How long had it been since they tasted fresh human blood?
Now they would drink that blood and raise the honor of their race.
...That was what he had resolved, yet the situation unfolded strangely.
He had clearly given an order to his subordinates, yet not one of them obeyed.
“What are you doing?! I told you to attack them at once!”
“B-Boss. We c-can’t move.”
“What?”
What did that mean?
They could not move with enemies before them?
Carmin ground his teeth.
When it came to the bravery of werewolves, even other races trembled in fear.
For such werewolves to tremble before a mere five enemies and be unable to move?
It was beyond pathetic. It was dumbfounding.
“Fools. Then I will move myse—”
Something was strange.
His feet should have moved, but they would not lift.
Had he become frightened without realizing it?
No. Absolutely not.
Carmin, who had awakened through the power of the red moon, never felt fear.
Then what was going on?
Before he could grasp the situation, a woman wearing high heels stepped forward and snapped her fingers.
SNAP!
Then a black veil spread out and filled the boss room, and small threads pierced through every werewolf’s heart.
“Guh!”
Before they could fully feel the pain, she snapped her fingers once more.
SNAP!
A giant vortex began with the werewolves in the rear and pulled every werewolf hiding in this place toward the center.
Carmin could not avoid it either.
‘D-Damn it! Where in the world did this magic come from?!’
Inside Hertia’s Vortex of Death, Carmin felt that he was drawing closer to death.
However, he could not die like this.
Would this body, the Wolf King of the Mad Moon, die to a mere five enemies?
That would be a disgrace to the werewolves.
Carmin gave an order to the tenacious werewolves he trusted.
“Drink the blood of your dying comrades. Survive no matter what and kill them!”
Carmin bit the nape of a weak subordinate dying before him, cutting off his breath.
Then he transfused the creature’s blood into himself on the spot and stubbornly survived within the Vortex of Death.
Carmin and the tenacious werewolves that had been atop the cliff landed on the central path below it.
When they landed, the corpses of their comrades fell from the sky like rain.
THUD, THUD, THUD.
Seeing this, Carmin furrowed his brow.
Arrogant things.
He would definitely show them what kind of end awaited those who dared do such a thing in his territory.
Carmin shouted at Hertia, who was wearing a black dress and loitering before him.
“Is that the end of your attack?”
“......”
“I do not know what kind of trick you used, but I will praise you for taking the first turn. However, from now on, it is our...?”
Carmin was confused.
The enemy’s attack had clearly ended.
Even if they had stolen the first turn through some method, once they had finished attacking once, its effect should no longer be active.
Then why could he still not lift his feet?
The question in Carmin’s head was answered by Hertia before him.
“How foolish. Iron. It is your turn now.”
“Yeeeees?!!”
“If you do not target him immediately, I will send you to Caligo’s laboratory.”
“Ah, no, th-that is...”
Iron trembled in fear.
However, his movement was forced by Hertia’s artifact.
“Stop behaving disgracefully and go smash that creature’s head!”
“Hweeeeeek!”
With Hertia’s sharp voice, Iron found himself running forward.
“Uh?! Uuuh! D-Dodge, please!”
Iron’s right fist gradually grew larger and flew toward Carmin’s face.
《The 1st effect of the skill <I Am Scared, Though!> activates.》
《Iron, who was forced to stand in the frontline, delivers a blow with all his might!》
Iron’s special effect, ‘Trauma’.
Iron, when standing in the frontline, had all his stats concentrated into ‘vitality’ and ‘defense’, and when attacking, he dealt damage proportional to vitality.
In other words—
“W-Wait—”
KABOOOOM!
With a tremendous roar, dust rose like fog in an instant.
“Grrk...”
Inside the dust, Iron was utterly frightened and stepped backward as he was.
“Wh-What should I do? I-I think I hit something. I-I’m sorry!”
At Iron’s reaction, Hertia did not answer and turned around, approaching Oh Hyunwoo.
“Master. It seems to be over.”
Along with Hertia’s words, Oh Hyunwoo smiled brightly.
《Destructive Blow!》
《‘Carmin, Wolf King of the Mad Moon’ has died in a single blow.》
《The werewolves’ morale falls due to the death of their leader.》
The remaining tenacious werewolves were terrified as they looked at Carmin’s corpse beside them, which had been damaged so badly that its shape could no longer be recognized.
“The leader is dead. Caligo, Temina. Take care of the remnants.”
“Oho! It is finally my turn to step forward!”
“I will make them very hot.”
The werewolves had lost their will to fight.
Caligo and Temina dealt with them very quickly.
When the final enemy fell like that, a system window notification arrived.
《You have cleared the 15th floor of the Battle Tower, ‘Red-Hued Rock Forest’.》
《An unbelievable record!》
《Time Taken: 1 minute 00 seconds》
《You have broken the clear-time ranking and reached 1st place.》
《Clear Grade: ‘SSS’》
《You have broken the clear-grade record.》
《Level up! Your adventurer level becomes ‘28’.》
Along with the messages saying that the record and adventurer level had risen, the rewards began to appear.
‘Sweet! So sweet!’
***
《An unidentified adventurer has cleared the 15th floor of the Battle Tower in 01 minutes 00 seconds.》
The two covered their gaping mouths with both hands.
It was an unconscious reaction because the record displayed on the monitor was far too astonishing.
“Team Leader. Is this right? How does someone clear the 15th floor in just 1 minute?”
“But it is not just the ordinary 15th floor, is it?”
They already knew from the Record Tower’s records.
The 15th floor that had just been cleared was not an ordinary 15th floor.
It was the 15th floor with its gimmick unlocked.
《An unidentified adventurer has unlocked the gimmick of the 15th floor of the Battle Tower, causing the red moon to rise.》
The difficulty of the 15th floor of the Battle Tower with the gimmick unlocked was beyond imagination.
It was difficult enough that even a mid-level level 40 adventurer would struggle.
It was a floor that could only be challenged with equipment set up to that degree, yet it had been cleared in just 1 minute.
“Taegyun. What was the previous record for the 15th-floor dungeon with the gimmick unlocked?”
“Uh... the fastest one was over 1 hour.”
“1 hour? But this person took 1 minute? That means while others clear the 15th floor once, this person clears it 60 times alone?”
“To be precise, that was the 1st-place record. The others are even longer. Looking at the record, is this not a monster rather than a super rookie?”
“He certainly is not ordinary.”
“Then... do we hide this too for now?”
This was something she had continued to agonize over while looking at the Battle Tower records.
Should she submit a report, or should she delay it for a while?
However, a record of this level was not something that could be concealed just because they tried to cover it up.
Right now, it was only slow to be confirmed because it was a record set on the lower floors of the Battle Tower.
At this speed, there was even a possibility that he would break through to the 100th floor within a month.
He was someone who would surface very soon.
‘Then it is only a matter of time before foreign countries learn about this. We have to move first.’
Lee Jeongyul’s goal had not changed.
To tie this unidentified adventurer to the government’s side.
No matter how much capital it took, they had to secure him.
“Taegyun. I will submit the report immediately.”
“Ah! Yes! Understood.”
Now she could be certain of one thing.
The unidentified adventurer right now had ‘his own strategy’.
It was not simply because he had good summons or good luck.
This was a record that could not be explained unless he knew the 15th floor’s gimmick and an unknown clearing method.
‘It is certain. This adventurer is a Legend Seven player. And a ranker, at that.’
If so, they absolutely had to hold on to him.
Even if they had to invest every resource available.