Chapter 23: The Saint of Amsterdam

Chapter 23: The Saint of Amsterdam

The voice belonged to a saintess clad in white armor - Teresa. From her panting, it seemed she had dealt with the Dullahan in the front and had come to assist at the back. Jinhyuk looked slightly surprised as he observed Teresa.

"Guild members are usually busy saving their own skins..." he mused internally. It was unexpected. Teresa didn't seem to have earned her title as a saintess for nothing.

"May I have a word with you for a moment?" Teresa asked Kim Somi, who was staring at her with wide eyes.

"Yes? Yes, of course!" Kim Somi eagerly nodded, quickly standing up and scurrying behind a rock, leaving them alone.

Teresa then addressed Jinhyuk, "Did you... take care of all those Dullahans?"

Her tone was wary, which was understandable. A porter participating in a raid typically ranged from E to F rank, unlikely to engage in combat. But here was Jinhyuk, who had single-handedly defeated Dullahans, a feat difficult even for B-ranked combatants. The incident was too improbable to be brushed off as a mere coincidence.

"I did handle the Dullahans," Jinhyuk confirmed.

"Were you hiding your identity? Why?"

"Everyone has their personal reasons. I have mine, and..."

Jinhyuk shrugged, finishing his sentence, "You have yours."

Teresa's eyes flickered momentarily, a tremor too subtle for the average person to notice.

"Right, an average person wouldn't," Jinhyuk thought, smiling slightly.

"I didn't understand at first why a ranker of your stature would give up a boss raid to come here. It was beyond my comprehension."

The ample rewards and prestige of upper Tower raids were at stake, yet Teresa had chosen this ruin. The reason was obvious - the reward here must be greater than what she could obtain from defeating the third-floor boss. And Jinhyuk knew exactly what that was.

"Are you here for a job quest?" Jinhyuk ventured.

Teresa's expression briefly faltered, her face clouding over in surprise.

"Most people don't know that this ruin is the site for the Paladin job quest," she thought. Normally, the Paladin job quest took place on the sixth floor. But eager to get ahead, Teresa had bought information from the 'black market', accessible only to those who had ascended beyond the tenth floor of the Tower.

Teresa narrowed her eyes. "Is he... a member of the black market?"

She needed to know if Jinhyuk was merely bluffing or truly informed.

"Yes, I came here for a job quest," Teresa began, "I haven't revealed it because I haven't yet located exactly where Saint John's Covenant is..."

Jinhyuk's face displayed a different status message.

['The Eye of Truth' activates.]

[Teresa's statement is 'false'.]

Jinhyuk chuckled internally. "She's testing me."

"Surely, it's Saint Peter's Covenant, not John's. And of course, you know exactly where it is."

Teresa, taken aback, finally admitted, "You really do know everything."

"Indeed. I also have business where the covenant is. Not the covenant itself but something else."

"Are you proposing we go together?"

"It's more like I'm offering to accompany you. I know the location of the traps and how to overcome them. You can proceed with your original plan with the Zion players, but most likely, everyone but you will perish."

Teresa considered his words.

"I'll think about it."

"Take your time. The conclusion will inevitably be the same."

Jinhyuk planned to secure the 'Frozen Tears' and 'Soul-Calming Pill' - two items more appealing than holy relics.

"Before you decide, may I ask one thing? Were you the one who killed the guards and awakened the guardian?"

Jinhyuk didn't deny or confirm. Instead, he chose a direct approach.

"I understand your suspicion, but I am not the culprit."

"And I should believe you just because?"

"Yes. Especially since you have the best evidence before you."

"What evidence?"

"If I were the culprit, I wouldn't be having this tedious conversation. I would have killed you."

***

Teresa's decision to act alone, as expected, met with fierce opposition, mainly from the raid leader, Song Cheonhwa, who was alarmed by the idea. "Absolutely not! We need to regroup and move forward, not break into solo actions!" Though anyone else might have been okay, Teresa, a key member of the raid, was non-negotiable. But Teresa was not one to back down easily. "We have a map up to the 20km point of the ruins, and everyone is familiar with the strategy. My absence won't make a significant difference." Ever since the Tower of Trials transformed from a game into reality, players had made countless attempts and eventually created a map of the ruins, at least up to the 20km point from the entrance, ensuring relatively safe progression.

"Besides, wasn't our contract about maintaining equal authority among the guild leaders of the raid until the boss battle?" Song Cheonhwa stammered when faced with Teresa's reasoned argument, unable to find fault in it. Finally, after a long sigh, Song Cheonhwa granted Teresa permission for her solo venture. "Alright, but you must return before you reach the end of the mapped area." "Yes, I'll rejoin before then," Teresa nodded in agreement.

"Oh! And... can I take just one porter with me to assist?" "That's fine, do as you please," Song Cheonhwa said, waving his hand carelessly, his face showing his drained energy. The porters shivered under Teresa's gaze. Accompanying a ranker wasn't luck or a fortunate opportunity - it was more like a first-class ticket to hell. -They're probably taking us to some incredibly dangerous place. Damn it, people like us will never make it back. -Please, not me. -Avoid eye contact. If you lock eyes, you're done for. -I have a family to feed at home.

Everyone prayed desperately in their hearts, hoping not to be the one chosen. At that moment, Teresa pointed her finger among the porters. *** Jinhyuk was the one chosen. And naturally, he agreed to go. "I don't know what you're thinking... but as someone who's lived nearly fifty years, let me tell you, love is fine. But it's not more important than life." "Listen to what Mr. Kim is saying." "No matter how pretty the saint is, youth is the problem. It makes you lose your mind."

The porters tried to dissuade Jinhyuk, seemingly under some serious misconceptions. Why think about romance when you could climb another level of the tower? I can't understand what they're thinking. "It's not like that..." Jinhyuk began to object but trailed off mid-sentence. Wait a minute. Half-hearted excuses won't work in this atmosphere, where they're determined to prevent him from going. If it's come to this, then... "Actually, Teresa and I have known each other since we were children," he decided on a genre. Let's see, mix a bit of melodrama with nostalgic childhood memories. "There's an item in the ruins that can heal Teresa's family in Europe. Initially, she intended to go alone, but I just couldn't let her go by herself." He added the final touch - tears. But unfortunately, not a single tear came out, no matter how hard he pinched his thigh. Damn, have my emotions dried up that much? "Even if my skills are lacking, and it costs me my life... I will protect her to the end." A combination of love, tragedy, and heroism. With this, the trinity of box office codes, proven over centuries like 'Romeo and Juliet' and 'Wuthering Heights', was complete.

The porters stared blankly at Jinhyuk, as if realizing something they had long forgotten. "Jinhyuk... You're a real man. Damn, a true man of the Goguryeo era." "Go on. You can't call yourself a man if you can't protect your childhood friend." "Youth is wonderful. Embrace it." They all patted Jinhyuk's back one by one.

***

Jinhyuk was the one who was chosen. And naturally, he said he would go together. "I don't know what you're thinking, but... as someone who has lived almost 50 years, let me tell you, love is fine. But it's not more important than life." "That's right. Listen to Captain Kim." "No matter how pretty a saint is, that's how it is. Phew. Youth is the problem. It makes people lose their minds." The porters tried to dissuade Jinhyuk. They seemed to be completely misunderstanding the situation. Instead of being in a relationship, it's better to climb another floor of the tower. I really don't know what they are thinking. "That's not it......" Jinhyuk began to counter, but then trailed off. Wait a minute, just a minute. If I beat around the bush, it won't be convincing. There's an atmosphere that won't let me go no matter what. So, I might as well... "Actually, Miss Teresa and I have known each other since we were young." Setting the genre. Let's see. Mix in some youthful nostalgia with romance. "There's an item in the ruins that can heal Teresa's family in Europe. At first, she wanted to go alone, but I couldn't let her go by herself." Lastly, add some tears. I pinched my thigh, but unfortunately, not a single tear came out. Damn, am I too emotionally dry? "Even if my skills are lacking and it costs me my life... I will protect her to the end." Love, tragedy, heroism. With this, the trinity of blockbuster codes, recognized over the centuries like 'Romeo and Juliet', 'Wuthering Heights', was complete. The porters stared at Jinhyuk blankly, as if realizing something they had long forgotten. "You are Jinhyuk..." "A real man, damn. A total Goguryeo-era man." "That's right. Go. A man should protect his childhood friend." "Youth is good. Youth." They all patted Jinhyuk's back one by one.

***

After quickly gathering their belongings, Jinhyuk and Teresa entered the intricate paths leading deep into the ruins. About five hours must have passed since they separated from the raid group, and finally, the two reached their destination. "As expected, the defenses are well-prepared," Jinhyuk thought as he carefully observed the formation of monsters. Most were ghouls and skeletons in the pit, but there were also high-level undead scattered around, including Dullahan and even magic-wielding Liches. Judging by the weak aura of magic, their circles wouldn't be high, but Liches are not to be underestimated. Especially if hit by their debuffs or curses, even the most skilled players could suffer fatal injuries. Teresa poked Jinhyuk's side with her finger. "There! The covenant is right in the center." "I've noticed it too," Jinhyuk replied. At the center of the circle, there should be 'Peter's Covenant,' along with 'Frozen Tears' and 'Aetherial Inventory Blueprint'. Killing these monsters would lead to leveling up... That task should be left to Teresa. "Get ready," Jinhyuk said as he prepared to move. The dagger he had kept tucked away began to emit a crimson light. "Understood," Teresa responded, lifting her sword and shield, gathering her magic. But just then... Ding! Suddenly, a red status window appeared in front of them.