Chapter 209: Fifty-Fifth Floor, The Seized Fortress (3)

[Assist the employer in reclaiming the fortress. Time remaining: 47 hours 16 minutes.]

“By the way, did I ever explain the details of the request properly?”

“

Huh?

”

What kind of nonsense is he suddenly spouting?

I frowned and turned to Kyuntriachae.

“The details of the request. Not just reclaiming the fortress, but anything more specific?”

“Uh, well, you mentioned that the servants you sent ahead went missing.”

“

Ah!

That’s right. I did mention that. My apologies. I’ve been forgetting things quite often these days.” Kyuntriachae laughed awkwardly.

I studied his eyes closely for a moment, not noticing anything off, no indication he had lied.

Did he truly forget?

Well, he did say that he was three hundred eighty-two years old. Given his age, it wasn’t exactly shocking. He had also mentioned that he was approaching the age where dementia could set in.

“We just found the remains of your maid, Lynn, moments ago.”

“Oh?

Aah!

That’s right.”

Kyuntriachae turned back toward the skeletal remains, tears welling up in his eyes again. “I’m sorry. It’s because of me that this happened.”

While he knelt before the decayed skeleton, lost in his emotions, I quickly worked through my thoughts.

If Kyuntriachae truly was a senile old man, it appeared even more likely that he was the original owner of this fortress. That would explain why he acted and spoke as if nothing seemed out of place.

I worried that he could unintentionally become my enemy if oddities like this kept occurring. He could mistake me for an intruder and attack once we were inside.

However, there was still something that didn’t add up.

The floor’s description is clear. I have to reclaim the fortress for an employer, which implies someone has occupied it.

If Kyuntriachae was the rightful owner, then the description of the trial didn’t quite align.

Is he going to accuse me of being the occupier later on? Will I have to leave the fortress to clear the challenge?

I had no way of knowing.

Perhaps there really was a separate occupier, and Kyuntriachae was just an aging employer with memory loss. Regardless, I would have to reach the heart of this fortress to find out.

Just then, Kyuntriachae tucked the maid’s pendant into his robes and rose to his feet. I pulled myself from my thoughts.

The boyish-looking elder clenched his teeth, glaring up at the fortress. “I will avenge you.”

After a moment of brooding, he met my gaze and nodded, ready to continue.

“Then let’s proceed.”

However, as I turned toward the castle, I hesitated.

Where exactly are we supposed to go?

The inner courtyard had multiple paths and numerous doors. Some were large, others small.

“So, which way should we take?”

Kyuntriachae pointed to the grandest door, which was at the farthest end of the courtyard. “

Hmm

, that way.”

He wanted to enter what appeared to be the main entrance. His straightforward approach wasn’t a bad choice.

I nodded.

Even though the gatekeeper had died, the courtyard’s eerie atmosphere remained unchanged. The overcast sky obscured the moonlight, and a misty haze dulled my vision, casting a dim, foreboding ambiance.

I surveyed the surroundings carefully as I approached the main doors, cautiously pushing them open once I got closer. The aged wooden doors groaned as they swung inward.

A pitch-black hall greeted me. With the sky clouded over, the weak moonlight couldn’t penetrate the darkness. I could sense my surroundings due to Awareness, but for Doppy’s sake, having some light would probably be better.

Before I could take out a light source, Kyuntriachae began chanting a spell.

“―――――.”

A crimson sphere of fire materialized above us, illuminating the grand hall. Decayed and shattered furniture lay scattered across the floor.

However, the firelight didn’t completely eliminate the darkness, and the dim glow at the border of the light only heightened the eerie tension.

Perhaps sensing this, Kyuntriachae cast another spell.

“―――.”

Several embers drifted from the fireball and glided through the air before settling on the candles affixed to the walls.

That finally did the trick, and the hall came fully into view.

“Thank you.”

Kyuntriachae waved a hand dismissively. “Don’t mention it. This is nothing.”

I pointed toward the grand staircase in the center of the hall. “Should we head straight upstairs?”

“No, that leads to the sleeping quarters. If we want to reach the uppermost part of the castle, we need to head left.”

“Gotcha, makes sense. Hold on a moment.” I tapped my mimic and retrieved the Core of Decay.

Kyuntriachae raised a questioning brow. “You’re planning to leave it here?”

“Yes. The stench in here is unbearable. From what I saw earlier, the essence’s purification range is quite wide. Placing it near the center seems like the best option.”

Just like the previous time, it took a little time for the sphere to activate. After about ten seconds, the essence began to glow faintly.

I studied it briefly.

Should I really just leave it here? What if someone takes it?

The Tower of Ordeal wasn’t a game. Leaving an object behind wouldn’t mean it would remain undisturbed. The necromancer who supposedly lived here could return and take it.

After a moment of deliberation, I cast Shadow Veil over the essence.

If the veil is dispelled, I will know immediately.

I couldn’t mask the Core of Decay’s effect, but if anyone wanted to take what was inside, they would have to disrupt the veil first. That would alert me instantly, allowing me to return via Two-Way Portal.

“Oh, making it invisible? Quite the trick you have up your sleeve.”

“

Haha

, well, I wouldn’t be a top-tier mercenary otherwise. Shall we go?”

“You’re really leaving it here?”

“Yes, of course.”

“That artifact is incredibly valuable. Even if I can’t see it, I can still sense it. What if the dark mage takes it?”

Kyuntriachae’s concerns paralleled my own.

I shook my head. “I have my own precautions in place.”

“

Hmm

. Okay, then. But if someone steals it, I absolve myself of responsibility.”

I simply nodded.

We proceeded down the left corridor. A row of rusted suits of armor lined the passageway—twenty in total, perhaps.

An uneasy feeling crept over me.

Living armor.

Seo Ho-Su had shared countless fantasy stories with us back at the sanctuary. On top of that, this was a cursed fortress, supposedly occupied by a dark mage or necromancer.

Despite the shattered furniture strewn all over the floor, the suits of armor stood in pristine formation. Twenty sets of armor silently clutched weapons, as if waiting for the perfect moment to strike.

If I had to estimate the odds that they would come to life...

Ninety-nine percent.

I wasn’t about to stand around and find out.

Unlike Kyuntriachae, these things weren’t alive.

Even though I had resolved to limit myself during fights, I doubted living armor would be anywhere near as formidable as the gatekeeper from earlier.

Moreover, if there was one thing I despised, it was unnecessary hassle.

I walked down the corridor, swinging my axe.

Clang! Crack!

Each of the rusted sets of armor crumbled with a single strike. They didn’t react.

What? Are they really just for decoration?

Kyuntriachae, however, looked horrified. “What in the world do you think you’re doing?!”

“

Huh?

Don’t they seem suspicious? They could be living armor.”

“They’re my property!”

Uh oh.

Now that he mentioned it, he had a point.

“Still... we’d have to destroy them eventually if they turned against us.”

“Can’t you at least wait until they actually attack?!”

“Come on, you’re three hundred eighty-two years old, and you can’t see the obvious? They’re clearly living armor.”

Regardless of what he said, I had no intention of leaving them intact. Even if they were just inanimate suits of armor now, they could easily become our enemies once the dark mage returned.

“Besides, they’re all rusted beyond repair. It’d be better to just buy new ones. If it bothers you that much, feel free to deduct the cost from my payment.”

Not that it mattered. Once the trial ended, I would be sent back to the waiting room, making it impossible to receive any compensation. I could make as many empty promises as I pleased.

Kyuntriachae narrowed his eyes at me, sending me a clear warning. “I’ll remember this and make sure to charge you later.”

“Sure.” I brushed off his words and swung my axe once more.

With each strike, metal crumpled and crumbled. I kept up my pace, hacking away at the suits of armor as I moved forward.

By the time I had reduced about ten to scrap, an abrupt surge of magical energy rippled through the corridor. The sharp clatter of shifting metal echoed ominously as the remaining suits of armor stirred to life.

As expected.

They had been set to activate only after we reached the center of the hallway—clearly a trap meant to flank us from both sides.

“See? What did I tell you?”

Kyuntriachae feigned ignorance. “

Ahem!

”

I cast a glance behind me. Luckily, the armor I had already destroyed remained motionless. That meant we only had to deal with the ten in front.

The rhythmic clanking of heavy armor reverberated down the corridor as they advanced.

Without hesitation, I charged forward.

Unlike most creatures, the living armors didn’t waste time with roars or battle cries. They just swung weapons the moment they got close enough—no unnecessary theatrics.

Is it because they are not alive?

Their movements were stiff, albeit sharp and precise.

I intercepted a halberd with my axe, then used the recoil from the impact to redirect my weapon into a counterattack.

Clang—! Crack.

My axe embedded itself in the living armor’s chest. Strangely, it felt different from when I had shattered the dormant suits earlier.

Have they become more durable?

Well, it didn’t make much difference. The living armor, whose chest had been crushed, did not rise again.

I pushed forward.

Maces, axes, swords—each suit wielded a different weapon, though it hardly mattered because most of them fell in a single strike.

Only five remained.

Kyuntriachae muttered a new incantation.

“――――.”

A dark orb shot toward one of the living armors. The spell struck, causing the target to momentarily falter.

Then, just as quickly, it resumed its advance.

What the fuck?

It didn’t seem to have done anything at all.

This is the same demon who had claimed they are a formidable fighter?

I couldn’t make sense of Kyuntriache’s true identity. At this point, he was neither a hidden mastermind nor an impressive combatant.

Is he really just an old man suffering from memory loss?

Suppressing a sigh, I dispatched the remaining suits of armor.

The last one was different. Unlike the others, its longsword remained untarnished, the blade gleaming with a sinister sharpness.

Kyuntriachae let out a choked cry. “Rozen!”

I see...

Judging by the situation, this remnant had been his first-rank knight—the one he had mentioned earlier.

Perhaps that explained why it was in an entirely different league from the others.

As its blade thrust toward me, I instinctively stepped to evade. Dodging the strike, I retaliated with a swift diagonal cleave.

The knight twisted to the right in a single, fluid motion, narrowly avoiding my blow. It then immediately counterattacked, its sword closing in on me. I had invested too much force into my previous strike to block it.

Instead, I leaned into my swing even more. Allowing the force of my strike to carry me forward, I pivoted mid-spin and reached for my dagger. Seamlessly, I drew the dagger and thrust it in one swift strike.

The knight’s sword grazed my left shoulder, but my dagger sank deep into its throat.

It froze briefly, and I didn’t waste the opening.

Pulling sharply, I withdrew the dagger. At the same time, I spun in a full circle, swinging my axe in a clean, decisive arc.

Clang!

The shattered helmet flew through the air.

***

[Assist the employer in reclaiming the fortress. Time remaining: 46 hours 13 minutes.]

Though Kyuntriachae shed tears over his fallen knight, we pressed on.

Living armor and grotesque beasts continued appearing at regular intervals, almost as if we were progressing through a staged battle sequence. Nevertheless, we advanced through the fourth floor without much difficulty.

Ahead lay the staircase to the fifth. There would be another two floors after that. I wasn’t sure what awaited us at the top, but so far, the trial seemed far easier than expected.

The moment I stepped onto the fifth floor, a chill crawled up my spine.

A fraction of a second later, a violent surge of dark mana erupted. I immediately activated Flash Strike while grabbing Doppy’s arm.

“Magic—!”

Kyuntriachae’s urgent cry faded as my vision twisted.

Darkness enveloped my vision.

Right after, I found myself in an unfamiliar chamber. Judging by the shattered furniture, I was still inside the fortress.

“Su-Yeok! What just happened?!”

“Looks like we were caught in a spatial displacement spell.”

“That scared me!”

I glanced out a nearby window. Considering the view, we had been transported to somewhere on the third floor.

Is this some kind of security measure? Like a

spell designed to scatter intruders, buying time for the dark mage’s return?

Either way, it didn’t change the fact that we would have to face them eventually.

Where is Kyuntriachae, though?

Looking around, I realized we had been separated. Grabbing Doppy’s arm in time had been the right move.

His sudden disappearance gnawed at me—it struck me as suspicious.

Is he going to suddenly reappear as the final boss?

I didn't want to jump to conclusions, but everything was unfolding in a way that felt far too predictable.

Judging by how powerful the spells he used earlier were, that doesn't seem likely... but still.

Suddenly, I felt the Shadow Veil dissipate. Without hesitation, I activated Flash Strike and opened a portal leading to the first-floor hall. Even before the portal fully materialized, I shoved myself into the gap. Doppy could follow on his own.

Kyuntriachae stood suspiciously before the Core of Decay.

“What do you think you are doing there?"

***

「Invisible message: The Core of Decay has begun absorbing the Curse of Fixed Regression afflicting the demon Kyuntriachae’s mind.」