Chapter 153: Masquerade Ball (3)

Chapter 153: Masquerade Ball (3)

"I am not a colleague or subordinate of Rick."

The words came out dry.

"Instead, he works for me."

The goblin uttered an absurd truth.

Could it be...

Was he suggesting that he ranked above Rick, who was a middle manager?

Thump! Thump! Thump!

My heart was pounding rapidly.

Goosebumps spread all over my body.

'Looks like a big fish has shown up.'

That meant this goblin was one of the seven 'Senior Managers' of the Tower of Ordeals.

The beings even the Gods of the Tower couldn't afford to trifle with.

Even Jinhyuk hadn't met all seven Senior Managers before reaching the top of the Tower.

They were so shrouded in mystery that this meeting held a special significance.

[Lv8 'Eyes of Gluttony' has activated!]

[The level difference with the target is extreme.]

[The 'Luck' stat and 'Adaptive' attributes trigger additionally!]

['Eyes of Gluttony' has failed to penetrate the target's status window.]

I used it just in case, but only a red status window indicating failure returned.

Even using 'Luck' and 'Adaptive', I couldn't overreach.

As expected, the level of a Senior Manager would have to be compared to the Gods, if not higher.

Yet still.

'Not bad.'

Ordinary rankers would have struggled just to stand in the presence of a Senior Manager.

The magical energy he unconsciously emanated was enough to nearly set the inside of the store on fire.

If it were before, I might have fainted or collapsed under the pressure.

But now, it was different.

I could feel that the gap wasn't so great that it was completely beyond hope.

'Not far off.'

Yes, not far off at all.

I could catch up much faster than before.

Maybe, I might even surpass it.

In the not-too-distant future.

With that thought, my mind found calmness as if ice water had been poured over my head.

"Hmm. You don't seem too surprised. And even in the face of this energy, you're standing firm. To be honest, I'm a bit taken aback."

"I didn't expect to meet a Senior Manager here, so it was surprising," I admit with a mischievous smile. "But I've been through more outrageous things. Thanks to that, I've become someone who takes it in stride."

"Oh? You know about us then?" he inquired.

"I've heard rumors of the seven 'Uncrowned Kings.'"

At Jinhyuk's words,

"......!"

The goblin's expression changed drastically, readable in his face.

"So this is where the expression 'surprise after surprise' is used, haha. Indeed....... I'm very curious to know how you came across that information......."

"But that would violate the rules of the Tower."

"The rules of the Tower, too... Haha! Right, you are. That's a realm I must not overstep. Anyway, this is interesting. It seems the reports Rick heard about player Kang Jinhyuk were not exaggerations but understatements."

"You may have many questions about me," Jinhyuk continued, "but isn't the important thing that I've located one of the administrators hiding in the city?"

Jinhyuk's smirk carried a hint of an Easter egg.

In this masquerade ball, there were a few hidden quests.

Such as detecting middle managers disguised as monsters scattered around the city.

And substantial rewards awaited players who discovered them.

Knowing this, the goblin didn't pry further into the background of the information.

"Allow me to formally introduce myself. My name is Hasting. I am the manager in charge of the Tower's first floor. I usually run a store here and make decisions about trivial matters."

'Trivial matters'...

It was curious to think of what kind of dire events might occur if such a senior manager who oversaw the Tower's significant affairs spoke of something as important.

"Kang Jinhyuk."

Jinhyuk too introduced himself briefly.

"As player Kang Jinhyuk has discovered one of the administrators, it only makes sense to reward you accordingly. So, what would you like? If you wish, I can also tailor a high-quality suit for you, free of charge."

A joke, surely?

I haven't come all this way just to receive a mere suit.

"A craftsman's clothes would be nice, but let's pass this time. Instead, I would like another invitation."

"If the invitation is for..."

"Not everyone can be left behind while someone else goes to the party, right?"

"This is quite a demanding request."

"I've accomplished something demanding, so I'm requesting something demanding in return. I doubt there's anyone else who has found an administrator like I have, right?"

Unyielding, yet Hasting seemed to take pleasure in such bold audacity.

"Puhaha! Indeed, you're right. Demanding a fair exchange is your natural right."

He laughed heartily.

"Ah! And the clothing for both of you doesn't need to be measured. I already know the sizes. As a personal service, I'll prepare something fitting for you."

"Thank you."

"It's clear you're a remarkable person, but be careful," Hasting warned with a playful tone.

"Among the players coming to the masquerade, a few are quite interesting. Individuals who feel like they're of the same kind as you, player Kang Jinhyuk."

***

After parting with Hasting, Jinhyuk spent his time in an empty lot on the city's outskirts.

With about 2 hours left until midnight.

There was just enough time to relax a bit.

"Here you go! Good job. Next, over here."

Jinhyuk tossed a mana stone to Goguma one by one.

"Moki!"

Goguma jumped around joyfully, munching on the mana stones Jinhyuk threw.

Crunch. Crunch!

Just like a puppy chewing on a bone.

Goguma kept munching happily.

"That's right. Eat up. You're our cutie."

Jinhyuk nodded with a motherly smile.

Truly, nothing felt more rewarding than seeing your pet grow.

Even all the mana stones from Karakal would've been worth it.

Oh!

That reminds me...

Lost in the act of feeding, Jinhyuk stood up, remembering something.

The unique ability he copied during the drinking session with Karakal on the seventh floor.

Now was the time to test it.

'The vast and deserted field provides the perfect condition.'

I couldn't recklessly use my skills with someone watching, but with no one around, I could practice to my heart's content.

[The unique ability 'White Tiger' activates.]

[For 5 minutes, attack power and attack speed are increased by 15%.]

[A 'Invisibility' effect is given to the held weapon.]

[The degree of invisibility depends on the proficiency of the stats.]

Golden parchment unfurled, and the unique ability held by Karakal activated.

White Tiger.

An ability that maximized attack power while also hiding the weapon's trail.

Jinhyuk glanced at the fang held in his hand.

'The skill level is still low, so full concealment is impossible.'

Semi-transparency was more accurate,

creating enough confusion in vision, but just that much.

To those somewhat experienced in combat, this level would hardly be a threat.

'But if I keep raising the skill level, it'll become quite useful eventually.'

Being semi-transparent and fully invisible were entirely different stories.

To be able to perfectly hide the weapon's trail would be exceedingly frustrating for the opponent,

especially in a life-or-death fight against an unknown adversary.

Good.

Now next...

[Lv10 'Glacial Sculpting' activates.]

White snowflakes swirled, making the blade even more indistinct.

Adding 'Fire Element' further disrupted the view.

Whoosh!

Late evening, with the sun set.

In the vast empty lot, where snowflakes and flames coincided.

"Huuh..."

Jinhyuk steadied his breath and invoked his unique abilities and skills in succession.

His hand grasping the sword reached forward.

The balance smoothly shifted.

Thus.

The talent seeping through the Sword Grave,

and the rudiments of the Spiritless Sword,

began to be reenacted through the sharp dagger.

***

How much time had passed?

Jinhyuk, who had been tirelessly wielding the dagger, finally ceased his movements.

"Huff...huff...huff..."

My parched lungs begged for oxygen.

Every cell in my body seemed to scream.

An hour of relentless motion left me completely drained.

But rather than feeling exhausted...

My lips curled into an excited smile.

Perhaps it was because it had been so long, but practicing the sequences between new skills was insanely fun.

Even the sweat soaking my body felt gratifying.

'It's because of this thrill that I can't give up training.'

As Jinhyuk was regulating his breath, it happened.

"Can I ask you one thing?" questioned Elise from where she sat.

The persistent blank expression made me think she'd run out of energy, but that wasn't the case.

"Ask anything."

"I've only encountered one Senior Manager myself. That too, only on the 40th floor of the Tower. A chance meeting was all it was."

"Senior Managers aren't exactly easily met."

"What kind of reaction is that! We're talking about Senior Managers! Given your encounters with Egyptian deities, I suppose it's no surprise to you, but those beings create the rules of this Tower!"

Elise raised her voice, her frustration and astonishment making her eyelids flutter.

However.

"I know."

"What?"

"I'm aware of how dangerous they are, and what fate could befall anyone who underestimates them. I know it all."

Jinhyuk's voice held the tone of a dry reply.

But it was not taken lightly.

Almost like a monologue of a seasoned returner who had seen and worn everything down.

His words carried the weight of something profound.

"How do you know so much? You even knew they're called the 'Uncrowned Kings.' Even among the clan leaders, only I and that damned Excensian knew about the existence of the crowns..."

Crowns were a hidden piece of the Tower, a top-tier relic symbolizing power.

And it was the very thing every faction sought, frenziedly expanding their territories — all to secure the crowns and ascend to the throne.

But Elise didn't know.

That there already was a player who had gathered all the crowns of the absolutists in the Tower.

Who surpassed the 50th floor.

And conquered the last challenge on that level.

"I am who I am."

That was enough.

No further explanation was needed.

Jinhyuk took out another large mana stone and handed it to Goguma.

Chomp chomp!

"Moki!"

Goguma devoured the mana stone in no time, wagging its tail contentedly.

Her pink tongue tenderly licked Jinhyuk's palm.

"...Ha, I suppose asking for answers is futile. Fine. You're my contractor, and we're together right now, that's all that matters."

Elise sighed in resignation, her questions unanswerable, but Jinhyuk's overwhelming strength and unfathomable knowledge remained reassuring facts.

As long as they were allies, there was no need for a stronger contractor.

Just then, status windows appeared in front of Jinhyuk and Elise.

[Hasting has delivered the 'order-completed suits' to you.]

It was a notice that the clothes had arrived.

"It's about time to go, isn't it?"

The long-awaited masquerade is upon us.

Wondering who else might have arrived.

And how much fortune I could extract from within.

I was already filled with anticipation.