169
Thwack—!
Hanbit moved around to the rear of the fortress and hooked a ring into a gap in the wall, quietly climbing up to the higher floors.
Among the monsters inside, the most oblivious were the hulking ones on Floor 5.
That was where he needed to start with the bombs.
Slide—
Reaching Floor 5, Hanbit slipped through the gap between the outer wall’s columns.
Boom—! Boom—!
Heavy vibrations echoed from the corridor beyond the empty room.
The sounds of large monsters lumbering about.
Slide—
Hanbit lowered his stance and approached the door, checking the situation outside.
Grrrk—
Jester-like creatures built like muscle-bound pigs, exhaling hot breaths as they moved.
The long corridor, with no visible end, was covered in an unsettling swarm of similar creatures.
Boom—!
The waddling jesters were dull-sensed.
They were incapable of detecting enemies by sound or presence alone.
What height they moved at, at what distance, and along what paths — their habits were already mapped in his head.
‘Good thing I came prepared.’
He had attached small pieces of paper to the surface of each cube bomb.
A unique item called Twin Flame Paper — burn one, and all the rest ignite simultaneously.
Set off one bomb and light its paper, and every bomb on every floor would explode at the same time.
Slide—
Slipping through the blind spots, Hanbit moved silently along the wall and attached a cube-shaped bomb to it.
The plan was to install six per floor at even intervals.
Noeul and Haneul were surely following the routes he had given them.
‘Done here.’
With all Floor 5 bombs placed, Hanbit descended via the staircase.
Drip—
Floor 4 was occupied by card-shaped soldiers clad in shields, lying dormant.
Their trait: detecting enemies through vibrations in the floor.
If they woke, it would be the start of a war.
Whoosh—
Without a word, Sylph’s wind brushed softly around him.
Slide—
The wind gathering beneath him gently lifted his body.
Moving through the floor immediately, Hanbit placed the same six bombs.
「Floor 2 is all done!」
「Black Dragon, Floor 1 is finished.」
As he landed on the staircase leading to Floor 3, messages arrived from the twins.
They had managed without incident.
He wanted to tell them to get outside, but unfortunately, once inside there was no way to escape.
「Both of you gather at the staircase above Floor 2.」
After sending the reply, Hanbit held a cube bomb in each hand.
Half of Floor 3’s monsters were quick-reacting, fast-moving dwarf jesters.
No amount of cleverness would work here.
Whoosh—!
The wind gathered in his legs began to surge, as though ready to burst out at any moment.
Hanbit glanced briefly down at Floor 3 and confirmed the route.
The first destination was the nearest wall.
Fwish—!
Hanbit launched off with Wind Leap and landed lightly on the vertical surface of the wall.
Crunch—
Screech—!
At the same time, hundreds of monsters turned their gaze toward him at once.
He planted the bomb and immediately kicked off toward the next wall, far across the floor.
Fwish—!
Hanbit’s body soaring through the air was almost impossible for the monsters to track with their eyes.
Clang—!
Boom—!
They could only spin their heads around, unable to react properly.
All they did was swing their weapons at the lingering afterimage of wind.
‘Done.’
Vaulting between walls, Hanbit finished placing the remaining five bombs in no time.
Tat—!
He kicked off again and returned to the center of the corridor.
Kyaaak—!
Screech—!
The dwarf jesters, now fully aware of him, came surging forward in a flood.
Hanbit landed on the ground and hurled the last bomb into their midst.
Then he extended his hand and spoke the incantation.
“Fire Lance.”
Crackle—!
The fire lance shot out and engulfed the cube spinning through the air.
In that instant, an enormous blaze of light erupted into an explosion.
Ka-boom—!
Hanbit threw himself onto the staircase and spotted the twins standing midway up.
“Huh?”
“Black Dragon!”
The siblings’ eyes went wide as he came flying in out of nowhere.
Hanbit drew a blue bracelet from his inventory, wrapped both arms around them, and crouched low.
Kiiiing—!
A hexahedral blue barrier materialized around them, holding firm.
At the same instant, a chain of massive explosions erupted from both below and above.
All the paper attached to the bombs had ignited simultaneously, triggering the detonations one after another.
Ka-boom—!
Ka-ka-boom—!
The impact was intense enough to shake the entire fortress.
The supporting columns and floor structures began to collapse in moments.
Kwa-kwa-kwa-kwa—!
Debris came pouring down and hammered the blue barrier relentlessly.
Even a Rank 6 barrier item cracked under the force.
[Experience points increased by 56,000.]
[Experience points increased by 58,000.]
[Experience points increased by 65,000.]
[Experience points increased by 71,000.]
…
As the world shook, experience messages continued without pause.
In that brief span, ten levels rose.
Krrr—
The impacts continued for roughly five minutes.
The fully collapsed rubble settled in a spread across the floor below.
And then—
Boom—!
A massive pierrot crashed down into the center of the piled debris.
[Boss: Madness Pierrot Ringmaster (Lv.210)]
The commander of the legion, revealed as the fortress crumbled around it.
It was also proof that every monster on every floor had been killed.
Normally, one would have to enter through Floor 6 — but the freedom to choose the battlefield was given to players as well.
Slide—
Hanbit dismissed the barrier and slowly rose to his feet, advancing.
The two twins who had been within his arms also drew their weapons and followed.
“Is that the boss? It’s genuinely ugly.”
“Are those… fingernails? For weapons?”
The siblings focused on the pierrot’s appearance.
Lips stretched so taut they looked ready to split, and tear-streak markings drawn around blazing red eyes.
Its abnormally elongated arms and legs were deeply unsettling.
Especially the long nails jutting from each finger, stained a dark crimson.
“Noeul, just use Flash of Light to disrupt its vision. Haneul, aim for the ankles when there’s an opening — but the moment a heat shimmer appears in the pierrot’s eyes, pull back immediately. No hesitation.”
“Understood.”
“Heat shimmer in the eyes — I’ll keep it in mind!”
The twins braced themselves with spirited answers.
Sllling—
Gale and flame began surging along the pale blue sword Hanbit drew.
One enemy remaining.
A considerably powerful opponent — but Hanbit, as he stood now, was also strong.
He was currently clad in the Life Force buff.
Accounting for his weapon and title, his Strength and Agility had cleared three hundred.
Tat—!
Hanbit immediately kicked off and closed the distance in an instant using Wind Leap.
Screech-screech—!
The pierrot’s lips split wider in a grin, eyeing the intruder.
The contrast with the tear streaks around its eyes was grotesque.
Fwish—!
It swung its nails at a speed that didn’t suit its massive body.
Fwish—!
The charge scattering dark crimson energy quickly blocked out the view.
In that instant, Hanbit planted his left foot and shot sideways.
Kwa-kwa-kwa—!
Five fingers came crashing down, missed their mark, and deeply gouged the ground.
A direct hit would mean instant death without exception.
Flash—!
Just then, a ball of light sailed overhead and surged directly toward the pierrot’s face.
Bang—!
A blast of radiance filled the air at the sound of the explosion.
Kyaaak—!
Hit by the sudden burst of light, the pierrot roared with fury and flailed its arms.
It couldn’t deal damage, but disrupting its vision was more than enough.
Tat-tat—!
Haneul came in behind, wrapped in wind, watching the flow of battle.
Confirming the opening, Hanbit launched Wind Leap toward the rampaging pierrot’s wrist.
Fwish—!
Slash—!
His blade burst forward with a wind shockwave and instantly cut deep into the enemy’s skin.
Crackle—!
Screech—!
The pierrot screamed as Salliste’s flames ate into the wound.
Tat—!
Hanbit kicked off again and charged at the wrist on the other side.
This time it tried to raise its nails and react immediately — but matching that speed was an impossibility.
Slash—!
Crackle—!
The severed wrist was seared by flames before the blood could even scatter.
At the same time, an attack came in from below.
Tat-tat—!
Haneul swept in a wide arc and swung her sword at the pierrot’s ankle.
Bare skin exposed between the clown shoes and the frilly trouser cuffs.
She had the ability to strike that exact spot precisely.
Slash—!
The swift stroke left a shallow cut.
Clearly weaker than Hanbit — but the story would change if those cuts accumulated without limit.
Whoosh—! Whoorl—!
The pierrot’s nails, swinging to deal with its attackers, sliced nothing but empty air.
Slash—!
Shhk—!
In between, the two players’ attacks continued, drawing lines dozens of times over.
So fast it was difficult to distinguish them individually.
Boom—!
The accumulated damage brought the pierrot down to one knee.
Krrrgh—!
The relentless barrage of frenzied attacks drove the pierrot’s rage to a peak.
The constant flash of light assaulting its vision was also more than it could endure.
Slide—
Then — a dark crimson shimmer rose in the pierrot’s eyes.
The harbinger of a madness rampage.
Whoooosh—!
Energy from the surroundings began gathering and flowing into the pierrot’s body.
Screech—!
Its lips curled upward as the power filled it.
The wounds had healed — and its body and nails had already shifted in form.
Fwish—!
The pierrot stepped back a single pace and swung both arms toward the front.
Following that trajectory, ten dark crimson lines came flying forward.
Kwa-kwa-kwa-kwa—!
The attack stretched long and vertical, carving deep into the ground below as it charged.
Whorl—!
Hanbit twisted his body lightly and barely slipped through the gap between the lines.
Haneul, having retreated at his signal, maintained a safe distance.
Tat-tat—!
Hanbit kicked off again and resumed his attack.
The pierrot was faster and stronger now — but there was still room to breathe.
Whorl—!
He continued relentlessly targeting its wrists.
Thunk—!
The pierrot snapped its body and swept its left-hand nails with swift precision.
Hanbit watched the trajectory to the very end and spun his body in midair.
He used the rotation to drive a heavy downward strike.
Clang—!
A strike that connected precisely at the nail’s weak point.
Crrk—
The impact produced a long vertical crack down the nail.
Tat—!
Hanbit landed on the finger and swung his sword at the wrist directly above.
Shhk—!
Crackle—!
The attack delivered at close range sliced deep into the wrist’s skin and burned it.
Kyaaak—!
A strike that drove halfway to the bone.
Damage severe enough to render the left hand’s attack function useless.
Kwa-kwa-kwa-kwa—!
The pierrot fired dark crimson lines in every direction at random, turning the surroundings into chaos.
Attacks driven by raw emotion were transparent from beginning to end.
Whorl—!
Hanbit flowed in with fluid, almost sword-dance-like grace and swung at the torso.
Slash—!
Crackle—!
Attacks pressing on and on, faster than the enemy’s eyes could follow.
Targeting weak points on each section of the body brought results swiftly.
Boom—!
Just then, sensing its life in danger, the pierrot stepped back.
Screeeech—!
It stretched an arm downward and let out a bizarre cry.
Whooom—!
Red energy erupted from its entire body.
A technique to summon demonic minions.
That display was proof it had been cornered for the last time.
Thud—
From the ground where the madness energy had scattered, winged black creatures began to poke their heads out.
Tat-tat—!
In that moment, Hanbit kicked off and cold infused his blade.
And just as the pierrot’s demonic minions were about to emerge from the ground—
Fwish—!
The pale blue sword swept wide.
Kra-kra-krrr—!
An enormous burst of cold launched along the arc of the strike.
It froze the ground where the minions were emerging — and the pierrot’s body along with it — in one sweep.
Screeeech—!
The pierrot twisted its neck in resistance and moved its arm to try to break the ice.
By then, Hanbit was already at the pierrot’s throat.
Crackle—!
The pale blue sword blazing once again, element changed.
Using the active effect of Elemental Awakening consecutively would leave his health and mana at a precarious level.
But there was no problem whatsoever when it came to killing the enemy.
Tat—!
Hanbit gripped the sword in both hands and lightly leapt upward.
Then, driving full force downward, he activated Storm Barrage.
Fwish—!
Shhk—!
The flame-laced blade wrapped in a gust carved through the pierrot’s thick nape at tremendous speed.
Kyeeeek—!
It screamed and began a last-ditch resistance with everything it had.
But with every passing second, that struggle lost more and more of its strength.
Slash—!
When he drew the blade once more through the deep wound already carved, the last remaining skin at the nape finally gave way.
Boom—!
The massive pierrot’s head dropped to the ground.
A message appeared immediately after.
Ding—
[Tower of Vortex — Underground cleared.]
