Chapter 137: Thirty-Seventh Floor, Time to Act

Who is that?

To be honest, the voice scared me, and my senses were screaming that something was wrong. I had been cautiously scanning my surroundings with Awareness but had somehow still failed to detect the owner of the voice’s presence.

No, wait. I can sense them now.

I swiftly calmed the surge of alarm that had threatened to overcome me.

My opponent had been perfectly motionless at the end of the hallway, silently lurking in wait like a veteran sentry.

Still, that didn’t mean they weren’t formidable. Despite the distance, they had detected me. I felt confident that this was one of the masters Ha Hee-Jeong had mentioned.

This place is important, I guess. Perhaps the king or a member of the royal family lives here.

Interrupting my speculation, a middle-aged man stepped out from the end of the corridor. The prominent scar across his face left a lasting impression.

Fortunately, his gaze wasn’t locked directly on me. Though he had sensed my presence, it seemed he hadn’t seen through Shadow Veil.

The master suddenly unsheathed his sword and pointed its tip down the corridor. “I don’t know what trick you’re using, but staying silent won’t change anything. Show yourself while I’m still asking nicely."

The atmosphere grew tense, and my mind raced to formulate a plan.

Although the master’s aura was intimidating, I didn’t think I would lose in close combat.

Still, I should probably retreat. I doubt I can take him down quickly enough.

Since a master had been dedicated to guarding this area, that likely meant others would arrive if a fight broke out. Even if another didn’t, armed soldiers would undoubtedly flood the scene.

Retreat it is.

I hadn’t located the conference room yet, but escaping took priority. Besides, this much reconnaissance was sufficient for now. After all, there would be more opportunities once I captured the leader of the elven council.

The master’s presence grew sharper as I stayed silent. I couldn’t afford to delay any longer. Spinning around, I launched myself down the corridor.

“Stop right there!" the master bellowed, his tone harsh and commanding.

Like that’s going to happen.

Focused on escaping, I suppressed a derisive chuckle as I propelled myself forward without bothering to look at the master.

That was when a chill ran down the back of my neck. The unmistakable signal of danger—a sensation I hadn’t felt in some time.

Bang!

I dove forward into a roll just as a gunshot rang out, the sound blending almost simultaneously with my use of Flash Strike.

Whizz!

The bullet tore through the air above me, its trajectory eerily precise.

What the fuck? He is holding a sword, so why are bullets flying at me?

A glance over my shoulder revealed the master pointing his sword—as if it were a firearm—down the corridor.

His blade can shoot bullets?!

That seemed to be the case. Shockingly, a delayed

boom

erupted from the bullet’s point of impact. It appeared to be an explosive round.

This was absurd.

Is he even allowed to destroy this place that much?

The tip of the master’s sword swiveled toward me again, and just as suspected, another shot erupted from it. I darted backward barely in time, a minor blast erupting from the spot I had been moments before.

Shit. So much for a quiet escape...

It was far too late for that now. Every soldier in the castle was undoubtedly converging on this location already.

I resumed my flight, turning sharply to enter an intersecting corridor. In an effort to conserve my remaining mana, I deactivated Flash Strike—which consumed a significant amount—once I rounded the bend. Every drop would be essential for what lay ahead.

While I could acquire more with the Mana-Accumulating Gauntlet of the Underworld, I wasn’t about to indiscriminately kill people who were simply doing their jobs. Considering I still had to escape the city, rationing my power was crucial.

What do I do now?

Reaching another intersection, I veered right.

The master’s heavy footfalls echoed behind me, relentlessly closing the gap. Expanding my senses further, I detected countless soldiers sprinting on the levels above and below.

There is no way I am getting out through the main entrance.

The enemy likely wasn’t foolish and would surely block every obvious exit, not to mention other masters could be stationed near those points.

Racing down a straight corridor, I climbed the nearest staircase without hesitation. The soldiers descending the stairs failed to notice me, unlike the master hot on my heels.

“You idiots! He’s above us! Move aside!"

The master shoved soldiers out of his way, intent on capturing me.

After ascending another flight of stairs, the ominous chill prickled the back of my neck again. Instead of a bullet, however, a fiery slash was fired from the master’s sword.

Damn it.

Using Flash Strike, I avoided the blazing arc and sprinted down another corridor.

I need a plan.

Constantly altering my path, I dashed through the castle. Suddenly, I sensed another presence rapidly approaching me from ahead.

Dodging to the side proved futile as the new pursuer moved with unwavering precision, following my every move.

Another master. This is bad.

The net around me was tightening.

As desperation threatened to creep in, I recalled passing rooms with windows earlier. Bursting into the nearest room, a set of pristine glass windows greeted me.

Perfect!

Luck was on my side. The sky awaited. Unhesitatingly, I launched myself toward one of the windows, channeling lightning to shatter the glass.

Crash!

Glass shards scattered as I leaped into the open air.

Weightlessness enveloped me, and I admired the sprawling cityscape of Delrayle stretching out below. A brief moment later, my momentum ran out, and gravity pulled me downward.

How high up am I?

From the looks of it, the ground was over a hundred meters away.

The wind whipped at my face as I plummeted, but having jumped from airships before, I wasn’t afraid. Kicking off the air just before landing, I softened my descent and touched down safely.

Looking back up, I spotted the master glaring down from the shattered window.

Whew. That was close.

Even a master wouldn’t be able to sense me from that height. Now, returning to the airship would be my priority.

Ding, ding!

The keep’s alarm bells began to ring, echoing across the city. Soldiers who had been patrolling the streets immediately turned back toward the keep and sprinted in its direction.

As I blended into the crowd, the signal device tucked into my belt clicked softly. It was Ha Hee-Jeong.

Seems like everything has been going well for her.

Given her response right as the alarms went off, she had likely reached Delrayle as well. She was probably checking to see if the commotion involved me.

There wasn’t much point in meeting her now. She had her goals, and I couldn’t linger in the city.

Sending back a quick confirmation signal, I hurried on my way.

***

Before I could even board the airship, a crowd of climbers surged forward to greet me.

“Su-Hyeok! You’re back! Did it go well?"

“Well... it’s complicated.”

“

Huh?

Was there a problem...?"

“I got inside the keep, but they noticed me."

I kept my response straightforward, and their eyes widened in shock.

“But didn’t you use Shadow Veil? Isn’t it supposed to make you invisible?"

“I did, but it’s not foolproof. Against someone truly skilled, even if they can’t see you, they can sense your presence."

“Ah..."

“I nearly got surrounded, but I managed to escape."

“If we’d gone with you, it would’ve been disastrous,” Cecilia remarked, her voice tinged with relief.

The rest of the group exchanged uneasy glances.

She was right. If they had accompanied me, most of them would have been captured. That outcome would have been far from pleasant.

“As expected of Su-Hyeok! To anticipate such a scenario in advance, you’re truly remarkable!"

“

Haha

, you’re too kind,” I replied, though the over-the-top flattery, as always, made me uncomfortable.

This same climber had been excessively fawning over me earlier. No amount of praise would earn him extra favors from me, but it seemed he hadn’t realized that yet.

To deflect their attention, I changed the subject.

“Regardless, the infiltration was mostly successful. We can deal with the rest later. Unless the lords decide to hold their meetings elsewhere, we’re still on track. For now, we need to focus on capturing the elven council leader."

“Where do you think the elves are gathering? We need directions.”

“Oh, I know the location. It’s the Loren Plains."

Cecilia’s eyes widened in surprise. “Sorry?"

Of course, I had learned this from Ha Hee-Jeong, but I didn’t have to reveal that. Having anticipated questions, I had prepared an excuse in advance.

“I overheard it while inside the castle. The elves are assembling on the Loren Plains, to the west of the continent."

“Ah, I see. That’s a relief."

“Wow! You even found out where the elves are! No wonder you’re the top ranker!"

It was the same climber again, his obsequious tone somehow even more grating this time. It was starting to feel less like flattery and more like mockery. I made a mental note to address his behavior later.

“It’s nothing special. I planned to locate their position from the start.”

𝑓𝘳𝘦𝑒𝑤𝑒𝘣𝘯ℴ𝘷𝘦𝓁.𝑐𝑜𝑚

“

Oooh

, incredible!"

Sensing another wave of excessive praise, I quickly cut him off.

“Anyway, it’s time to move. Even with this information, the elves could relocate at any moment. Let’s board the airship and get going."

Gesturing toward the airship, I watched as the climbers nodded and began boarding. Finally, it was time to target the elves.

***

The Loren Plains lay to the west of human territories, an area ravaged by concentrated elven terrorist attacks.

Fortunately, Ha Hee-Jeong and I had been summoned to the south, so we had avoided the worst of it. Sadly, the west was likely in ruins.

The pilot estimated that the journey to the Loren Plains would take four days. Though that would eat into our allotted time, we still had some leeway. The elves orchestrating attacks across the continent were still gathering, which bought us time.

As the airship soared through the sky, my thoughts lingered on the elves.

The leader of the elven council isn’t much of a concern.

According to Ha Hee-Jeong, they weren’t particularly powerful. They were unable to summon a Spirit King, and their power was more symbolic than physical.

The leader’s importance stemmed from their lineage, as they were a descendant of ancient elves who were tied to the gods. Their divine bloodline gave them legitimacy in the eyes of devout elves, who followed their every word. Capturing the leader would suffice; the others didn’t matter.

The real problem was the Spirit Kings.

Thankfully, I didn’t have to worry about the Wind Spirit King. The training session had proved—thanks to the Ring of the Dawn Breeze—that they wouldn’t harm me. However, I couldn’t be sure the other Spirit Kings would act the same way.

There were four formidable obstacles standing between me and the council leader. A direct confrontation was out of the question since I had barely managed to handle the Wind Spirit King.

Of course, I had a strategy in mind.

The Orb of the Sky Whale.

The orb allowed me to control sky whales for twenty-four hours. The elves revered them and wouldn’t dare harm them.

My initial plan had been to approach on a sky whale, leveraging its life to force the elves into compliance. As the moment of truth drew nearer, however, the plan felt increasingly fragile.

Do they really value the life of a sky whale over that of their leader?

They could instead demand the sky whale’s death as a necessary sacrifice for the greater good. The more I considered it, the more doubtful I became.

This won’t work.

I needed a better plan. If it went disastrously, my overarching plan would fall apart completely.

Come on, think. There has to be a better way.

No matter how hard I tried, inspiration eluded me.

Do I have to just go in guns blazing?

Frustrated, I tilted my head back to gaze at the sky. At that moment, Doppy approached while carrying a small bundle of fruit.

“Su-Yeok! Try this. It’s delicious!"

“

Huh?

Oh, thanks."

The fruit resembled grapes, but its deep-red color set it apart. Feeling stuck, I welcomed the distraction; perhaps a bit of sugar would jump-start my brain.

As Doppy handed me the fruit, he popped one into his mouth and chewed contentedly.

Watching him, an idea hit me like a lightning bolt. It was so brilliant, so absurdly simple, that it nearly knocked me off balance.

This plan... would guarantee success.

“Doppy!"

“What’s wrong?"

“You’re amazing! Truly my good luck charm!"

“Su-Yeok! You’ve gone crazy, haven’t you?" Doppy retreated with a bewildered expression, but I stepped forward and ruffled his hair, grinning from ear to ear.