by Road Warrior
“I see.”
Sungchul’s hammer rose towards the sky. It was then when the judge began to shout with a pitiful voice, “Mercy!”
“…”
Sungchul granted as much mercy as they did towards their accused. Spurts of blood spilled on his military boots, and Sungchul checked the messages that appeared before him.
[Amazing! You have taken care of the repulsive pigs while smashing the idiots’ annoying symbol of justice.]
[You have been deemed worthy of S-grade rewards.]
Basic Reward:
Magic Resistance 10
Intuition 10
Basic Flesh Ticket x1
Selective Reward:
Ticket for Heaven Service from the Peerless Beauty, Su
Ticket for Fantastic Service from Peerless Host, Pu
Coin for Crimson Dragon Gambling Den x100 Gil
“…”
The optional rewards for this quest were garbage as well. Sungchul wondered whether or not he should seek any more optional rewards. But he chose to pick one this time instead of letting it default. He picked the third reward, the coins for the gambling den; it seemed more useful than the worthless service tickets.
The Basic Flesh Ticket appeared to be redeemable certificates which allowed the residents to hide their original maggot forms behind a beautiful facade. As he wasn’t a human maggot that lived within these towers, Sungchul had no use for it.
“What’s the next quest?” Sungchul asked as he grabbed the bluish coins that had fallen to the floor.
Elijah appeared to have gotten used to the pace of things and had an answer prepared before Sungchul asked his question. He revealed a new page to Sungchul.
[Path to Euphoria #3]
Proof – Tear or burn down the collection of 20 books located on the third floor of the tower of idiots.
Reward – Intuition 10, Magic Power – 10, Ideal Citizenship (Tower of Euphoria), Additional Reward can be chosen.
Sungchul nodded his head in acknowledgement. As expected. This quest as well. It’s a struggle between factions.
If Sungchul was accurate in his guess, this blue tower would also have another High Devil at the top floor similar to the tower with the High Devil Miriadora as a fight could only happen when both parties were on equal footing. Sungchul’s group continued on to the third floor.
Like the Tower of Euphoria which was filled with different sorts of mental patients on each floor, this tower of idiots, or rather the Tower of Order, had different humanoid monsters partaking in all sorts of eccentricities. The only difference was that unlike the Tower of Euphoria where the residents sought to satisfy basic urges, the Tower of Order advocated strange beliefs like “knowledge is absolute,” or discipline.
Sungchul took a different approach and began to complete the quest in quick succession. He burned away the books with Glare as soon as he saw the library where they were kept and even killed the librarian with a single blow from Fal Garaz for the optional rewards. When he finished the sixth quest, only the final mission was left for Sungchul’s party.
[Path to Euphoria #Final]
Kill Karak Sharique, the King of Idiots.
Rewards – Strength 30, Vitality 30, Dexterity 30, Skull of Modification (Epic)
Sungchul looked at the tome that Elijah held for him with indifference.
“…”
The rewards weren’t all that enticing, especially the stat gains that were completely useless. Sungchul wasn’t sure what the Skull of Modification was, but it didn’t look like something he should care about.
“What do you plan on doing now?” Elijah carefully asked Sungchul.
Sungchul began to climb the stairs to the final floor in response. “We go to meet the owner of this tower.”
The final floor was a massive parliament. There were countless judges and executioners sitting in their designated seats, and there was a gigantic devil with the face of a fly in a similarly large seat of power in the center.
“I welcome you to this place, intruder.” The High Devil opened both his arms in greeting as he spoke. There were countless maggots squirming below his throne, and they were squirming to eat the skin flakes that fell off his body.
Sungchul took off his sunglasses, slung Fal Garaz onto his shoulder, and moved forward. Elijah felt his heart beating with excitement.
My God… so something like this could also happen. I thought we’d just die without resistance when we met the Enemy of the World… Instead, I managed to get amazing boosts to my stats and an opportunity to become a High Devil, thanks to him…
The martial prowess of the one called the Enemy of the World was absolute. His own father, Martin Breggas, could not compare. The Enemy of the World was more powerful and oppressive than the rumors suggested, and he was truly a man that couldn’t be opposed. It now made sense to Elijah why every nation feared him so, and now that very person was standing before the leader of the Tower of Order. Elijah expected for Sungchul to fight the High Devil with the legendary Fal Garaz. It wasn’t clear to him who would win, but Elijah would jump in and help Sungchul for the sake of victory.
However, Sungchul stood before the massive fly king and didn’t show any further movement; instead, he looked up and spoke to the High Devil. “Do you know who I am?”
The master of the Tower of Order, Karak Sharique, shook his head as he answered, “I do not know of you, intruder.”
Sungchul held up his hammer. But this object of fear of all demons within the Demon Realm did not seem to interest this High Devil at all. Instead, the devil clucked with laughter and simply spoke his mind. “Though if you managed to get this far in spite of being just an insignificant human, then you must be someone with skill. Are you a Warchief of a country? Or perhaps the holder of the Hero title?”
It looked as though this devil had no clue who Sungchul was. Sungchul then asked another question, “You are not very close to the other Devils, are you?”
“Of course, I couldn’t get close. I might have become a High Devil, but I was formerly a human. Devils are quite the bigoted race despite their appearance.”
“I see.”
This explained why this High Devil did not fear Sungchul. The Devil Worshippers that lived beyond the Fog Sea had formed their own area, secluded from the rest of the world.
Why are they talking so much? Can’t he just kill him already? As Sungchul and the High Devil’s conversation prattled on, Elijah began to feel restless. He wanted Sungchul to immediately exterminate the High Devil and complete the mission, but not everything always went as planned. Sungchul put the hammer into his Soul Storage. It meant that he had no intention to fight.
A shallow sigh leaked out from Elijah’s lips. Sophia simply continued to protect this restless boy’s rear.
“Do you perhaps know why I’ve come here?” Sungchul asked the High Devil.
Karak haughtily nodded his head. “Were you sent by the owner of that animal pen? It appears that the book held by that human behind you is his.”
Sungchul’s eyes lit up as he asked, “Then do you have a book as well?”
“A book?”
“That’s right. I’m asking if there is a Tome of High Devils that you’ve created.”
The tome held by Elijah had the designation of being the seventh volume. Sungchul hadn’t been able to figure out what that meant when he first noticed it, but he pieced together the obvious conclusion about the significance of this number as he continued the petty quests and met the people working for the High Devils. He speculated that it meant that there were several volumes of the Tome of High Devils, with each written by the High Devils that lived at the top of the eight towers.
The devil with a fly’s head began to cluck with laughter and pointed his razor-sharp fingernail towards Sungchul. A magic formation formed at the tip of this fingernail which caused a book wrapped with blue leather to appear. It then floated towards Sungchul and landed in his hands. Sungchul stared piercingly at this new boo
k.
[Tome of the High Devils: Volume 3]
Grade: Epic
Type: Equipment – Book
Effect: Dexterity 20, Intuition 20 upon equip
Note: Those who wish to obtain the power of the High Devil must open the tome before The Altar of Ten Thousand Demons.
Restriction: Mage Related Class
His suspicions were confirmed. The stats raised were different, but the capabilities matched with the red book held by Elijah Breggas.
“What an unpredictable one. To offer to complete my quests while in the midst of performing the quests of another High Devil.”
It wasn’t clear what was so funny, but the High Devil could not stop laughing. As he laughed, the countless executioners and judges mechanically laughed along. The chilling sounds of their laughter swept through the entire room.
Elijah felt extreme fear seeping in his mind. The realization that the goal he desired had been lost had left him in a desperate state already, but this unnerving laughter had driven him past his limits. He was now on the floor clutching the sides of his head. Sophia whose will was comparatively intact approached Elijah with concern on her face. “Brother.”
It was then that a blue book flew towards her. Sungchul had thrown it at her. She managed to catch the book out of reflex and then glared at Sungchul with a hint of resentment.
Sungchul simply looked at her with his usual disinterest and commanded her with a single sentence. “Open the book.”
“…”
It didn’t sit well with her, but she couldn’t refuse him. She let out a sigh before opening the book in front of the Altar of Ten Thousand Demons. A faint smile rose on Sungchul’s face as another quest message appeared before his eyes. This coven of devil worshippers might be another gold mine like the Summoning Palace.
Sungchul had come to this place with low expectations. But despite the slim chance for gains, the result was better than he could have ever imagined. The key to rapid growth that he had been searching for was hidden here all along.
I’m not sure how many High Devils reside in this region, but I hope that all of them hate each other. Sungchul smiled to himself as the group descended the stairs of the blue tower. He decided to drain this place of every opportunity before leaving.
An emboldened Sungchul acted without restraint. He performed each quest Sophia revealed to him faithfully as he entered the Tower of Euphoria once again. He killed the pimp of the first floor, massacred the chefs of the second floor, and smashed every bed on the third floor. Similar scenes of destruction unfolded on every other floor, and Sungchul’s party collected as many stats as the Tome of the High Devils gave. Sungchul finally checked his stats as he approached the final set of stairs for the top floor of the Tower of Euphoria.
[Stats]
Strength 999+ Dexterity 853
Vitality 801 Magic Power 388
Intuition 375 Magic Resist 622
His eyes lit up. Looks like I managed to raise Magic Power by a bit more than 30 here.
However, Sungchul was still very thirsty for more.
Chapter 13 – The Abandoned
The eight towers within the land of the devil worshippers.
At the top of each tower, a human that had managed to evolve into a High Devil reigned. Every tower contained a small world in itself with different colors and personalities decided by the characteristics of the High Devil that ruled over the tower.
Decadence, order, vanity, flamboyance, etc. Their personalities and their conduct were vastly different, and it was difficult to place them into a single category. Each High Devil had its own nemesis, and they had created the Tomes of the High Devils in order to inconvenience their enemies or eliminate them outright (although the chances of the latter were quite slim).
Sungchul planned to get his hands on all eight volumes of the Tome of the High Devils. He had managed to get his hands on four of them in a single day, and he cleared all of the quests except the final mission at the end. Ordinary people easily lost track of time in the Demon Realm where the sun couldn’t be seen, but Sungchul had an incredibly meticulous alarm: his stomach.
It was his principle to eat at every appetite. Sungchul who considered everyday diligence to be the highest of virtues, placed importance on rest as highly as progress. He set up camp on top of the hill overlooking the eight towers once he had completed his rounds of the four towers. Of course, the Breggas siblings acted along with him.
CRACKLE CRACKLE.
The campfire set up by Sungchul spit red ashes as it burned while the siblings sat in silence. Sungchul had disappeared off to somewhere and was yet to return. Sophia was the first to speak in this heavy silence.
“Brother. Are you ok?”
Her eyes were filled with deep concern. They were able to obtain an unbelievable amount of status points while traveling with the being called the Enemy of the World, but it was no different from being with a beast; no one could predict when the beast might suddenly get loose. He could suddenly feel dissatisfied and harm them, or demand something horrible of them. And, above all else, wasn’t Sungchul a healthy male?
It must have been a while since that man interacted with a female.
She didn’t want to imagine it, but fear was growing in her mind like a poisonous mushroom.
What if that man demands my body… what do I do then? In front of my brother… If I were to suffer such actions… I couldn’t bear to live with such a body!
The mind is prone to distractions when the body is relaxed.
“It’s ok, Sophia.”
On the other hand, Elijah was struggling with a different issue.
The Enemy of the World… what is he thinking? Why is he forfeiting the opportunity to become a High Devil right at the cusp and only doing these lowly quests?
The increase in stats was worth celebrating. Elijah was often told that he was a late bloomer among the youth, but in a single day he achieved a great deal of progress. However, he had his sights on a much higher goal.
High Devil.
Elijah idolized the strength of Devils that transcended humans, but Sungchul didn’t seem to have any intentions of joining him. He would have to see how things progressed for a bit longer, but it seemed like the man was more interested in the tomes than the High Devils.
CRACKLE CRACKLE.
The withered firewood gradually burned through and settled at the bottom. Elijah grabbed a dry branch from the pile beside him and used it to stir the stack of firewood before unintentionally swallowing loudly.
If that man doesn’t take care of the High Devils, what should I do then? Do I have to face the High Devils on my own?
However, he didn’t have the confidence to do so. The High Devils that he had seen personally were overwhelmingly oppressive, and he saw no path to victory. His struggle grew deeper within the silence. Soon, footsteps could be heard from nearby.
CRUNCH
The sound of military boots that was now so familiar. Sungchul was approaching. He was carrying something large on his back.
THUD.
He placed the object on the ground. It was some form of cow with long fur. The creature looked young, but its size was quite impressive. Sungchul pulled out a blade and began to butcher the cow without a word.
“Excuse me, but... are you preparing to cook?” Sophia carefully asked a question.
“…”
Sungchul looked back at her with sharp eyes as he nodded.
“If it’s food, how about we consider eating over at the Tower of Euphoria? I have a meal ticket from a quest,” said Sophia as she held out the meal ticket to Chef Minamoto’s that she had received as an additional reward.
“Do you see a farm anywhere?” asked Sungchul.
This simple question caused Sophia to look around her surroundings carefully. Forget a farm, she couldn’t see any sign of a single field anywhere. She shook her head.
“Where do you think the ingredients to feed that huge number of people comes from?
If you still want to eat over there despite this knowledge, I won’t stop you,” said Sungchul and continued to prepare the meal.
The Breggas siblings looked over at Sungchul with complicated emotions. Sophia’s eyes were filled with admiration.
Even his swordsmanship isn’t average.
She practiced both sword and magic, but as her knowledge of the sword was greater than her actual skill, she could clearly see how proficient Sungchul was with his blade. There were no excess movements in his handling of the blade. A significant portion of the cow’s carcass was removed with each movement of his sword, and it was disassembled in an instant and prepared.
Sungchul grabbed a portion of the cut meat as the blood dripped off and began to sniff it. “Mmm… the meat isn’t very good.”
It was quite savory, but there was a slight smell and was also a bit tough to chew. Sungchul grabbed a flat rock from his surroundings and started to mince the meat on top of it with a knife. As he began to chop at a rapid pace, Bertelgia, who was inside his pocket, became a hindrance to his movement.
“Come out,” said Sungchul and pulled her out.
“No! I hate being seen by some strange kids!” Bertelgia struggled to stay in his pocket, but she couldn’t overcome Sungchul’s strength. She was eventually pulled out, and she began to flap herself into the air. Elijah and Sophia looked towards Bertelgia with surprise.
“A living book?” Sophia asked as she watched with curiosity.
“Is this your first time seeing a living book?” Bertelgia, whose mood was soured, shot back sharply.
On the other hand, Sungchul pulled out a secret ingredient from his Soul Storage. The cooking container with dried mushrooms, vegetables, pepper, and various herbs appeared before him. Sungchul mixed the ingredients from the container with the minced meat and continued chopping with his knife.
Elijah turned his gaze towards Sungchul’s direction. Elijah, who had been sighing relentlessly, grew visibly brighter as he noticed Sungchul cooking. He hadn’t had a proper meal in a while and recalled his previous experience with Sungchul’s food; involuntarily, he began to look forward to the result.