Escaping the Tower at Hell Difficulty - Chapter 67

WeTried Translations

Translator/Editor: Mordor

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◈ Escaping the Tower at Hell Difficulty ◈

Chapter 67: Episode 67

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After getting plenty of rest at Orca's cabin, we decided to have one more meal before leaving.

Now was the perfect time to go.

"The Great Temple's lit up."

Sunlight shone brightly enough to be seen from far away.

All the mid-bosses in the Sub-Temples had been defeated, and the Great Temple had finally opened.

Since the mid-bosses appeared at random, it was a rare event.

The rewards would be enormous, but there would be plenty of competition too.

"Honestly, it's tempting..."

"We don't have room to carry anything else anyway."

The provisional winner had already been decided, so we chose not to get greedy.

Count Kwatum's team had come down from the fourteenth floor.

Those bastards would probably take it all.

While the hunters gathered at the Great Temple, we decided to make our escape.

"Where was the nearest exit from here again...?"

"There's one above ground and another in the Underground Labyrinth."

For once, we had options.

After some consideration, we chose the Underground Labyrinth.

"Heading above ground in our current situation would make us stand out."

Besides, Orca had told us about a secret location near the Underground Labyrinth's exit.

It wouldn't hurt to stop by.

While we discussed it, Yuki happily circled around me.

Holding hands with the clones, she spun around as if playing a circle game.

Orca finally couldn't take it anymore and asked, "What is that?"

"...It's probably a ritual to pray for a safe escape."

"It works better when we do this."

I'd gone out of my way to make an excuse for her, and this was what she said.

Before leaving the cabin, I asked Orca, "Are you going to keep staying here?"

"Yeah. Now that I know about Soul Erosion, I won't fall for it twice. It'd be ridiculous to go back now."

"You could go somewhere else entirely."

I didn't say it outright, but I meant Earth.

Still, if she could've been persuaded that easily, she wouldn't have stayed here in the first place.

"No. This forest is my home. If you survive, we'll meet again someday."

"I'll come visit if I survive."

We parted ways with her and returned to the Underground Labyrinth.

We'd been lucky not to encounter any monsters last time...

We probably wouldn't be so lucky again.

Still, everyone had rested and regrouped. We were full of energy.

"Whew, I already feel like my energy's being drained."

"Once we escape, I'm going to drink my fill."

Understandably, Soul Erosion left us so unsettled that we wanted to lean on alcohol.

We advanced carefully and spotted a ghost monster.

Pfft, pfft!

We dealt with it easily using pistols and continued forward.

By the eleventh floor, physical resistance seemed to be a basic trait.

It practically forced us to use artifact-grade weapons.

Fortunately, we had applied Enchantments to nearly all our firearms and ammunition.

We had plenty of Soul Crystals left over yesterday, so we'd done some work.

Coating bullet tips with powder was nothing.

"But this can't be good for the barrels' lifespan..."

"Can't be helped. We'll replace them after we get out."

[Night Vision skill level has increased to 5.]

It had been a while since that had gone up too.

As we moved forward cautiously, we heard fighting in the distance.

Boom!

Was someone fighting?

I thought all the hunters had gathered at the central temple.

It seemed another team was trying to take advantage of an empty house like us.

Kim Yuna asked with a few quick tactical hand signals.

'What do we do? Go around?'

'That'll take us too far from the exit. Let's get closer.'

The Underground Labyrinth had plenty of side passages, but they twisted around pointlessly, making detours impractical.

We closed the distance, prepared to ambush them if necessary...

These bastards felt oddly familiar.

'What? Why are they here?'

It was Count Kwatum's team of Lizardmen.

Had they stayed here instead of going to the Great Temple?

Since they'd been active in the Underground Labyrinth, they might not have known the Great Temple had opened.

The Lizardmen were looting the Grand Burial Chamber, a popular spot in the Underground Labyrinth.

It was a place where equipment, materials, and consumables dropped often.

Their expiration dates had probably passed, though.

"Hiss? There are rats nearby!"

Before long, the Lizardmen detected us and began making a fuss.

"You dare show your faces again without fear!"

I made the first move before a fight could break out.

"Do you know the Great Temple opened?"

"What? What kind of obvious trick is that..."

"I don't know. Since the Great Temple really opened, those bastards may have felt safe wandering around here."

Count Kwatum, whose scales were white, spoke.

They had decent judgment for a team leader.

I wanted them to leave for the Great Temple...

Unfortunately, they didn't seem interested.

"Even we would be heavily targeted if we went to the Great Temple. Why would we go?"

"You think too sensibly for a hunter. Try aiming for something bigger."

If that was how they thought, they shouldn't have entered the Tower risking their lives.

Count Kwatum snickered at my words.

"You're amusing. I'd like to fall for that, but... you lot killed Lizardmen, didn't you?"

Even as we spoke calmly, murderous intent emanating from Count Kwatum, no less potent than an undead's, pricked at my skin.

This was someone who had killed others as casually as eating.

"...They ignored our warning and approached first."

"We warned you too. No matter what happened, you were not to harm Lizardmen. If we let new races like yours kill Lizardmen, the entire race will look weak."

They clearly weren't going to let us go.

Even so, I answered, "It doesn't matter. We'll wipe all of you out soon anyway."

"Pfft. Right. A rookie should have that much spirit."

Count Kwatum drew a deeply curved sword and a shield.

"Then let's see whether it's bluff or not!"

[Smoke Screen skill transcended, Sea of Clouds skill activated]

Whooosh!

I dropped Sea of Clouds right into the middle of the enemy formation.

It blocked their vision and confused their senses.

The sharper the opponent, the better it worked.

"Open fire at will!"

Thunk, boom!

Han Juwon's grenade exploded inside the smoke.

Still, they wouldn't go down that easily.

I quickly pulled a potion bottle from my Subspace Pouch.

It was an Enhancement Potion I'd found in the Tower long ago.

I'd analyzed and improved it, then brewed it myself.

It increased physical toughness and Strength.

Gulp!

Right after that, a Lizardman warrior burst out of the smoke and charged me.

Bang!

Yuki fired her shotgun, but the Lizardman endured it with armor and sheer toughness as it pressed forward.

The impact made it stagger slightly...

I drilled it with precise fire.

Rat-a-tat-tat!

Covered in bullets, the Lizardman closed in and swung a massive halberd.

It was impressive that it could use such a long weapon in the Underground Labyrinth.

I wanted to retreat, but the obstacles made it impossible.

I reflexively raised my rifle to block, but the rifle split apart.

Even Ultra-Alloy couldn't do much against that.

Slash!

"Tsk..."

A melee fighter enduring ranged attacks, closing the distance, and cutting down the enemy was a pretty satisfying sight...

It wasn't satisfying when I was the one about to be cut down.

Whoosh!

I threw a middle kick immediately, but the Lizardman warrior barely endured it and caught my leg.

It definitely had a basic skill related to durability.

Yuki and the others were tied up fighting other Lizardmen.

"T-Team leader!"

"Don't worry about me!"

The halberd dropped above my head like a guillotine.

I activated a skill I'd been saving.

It was a waste to use it here, but I had no choice.

[Reconstruction skill transcended, Reversion skill activated.]

For a brief moment, I considered repairing the rifle with Reconstruction.

I wasn't skilled enough to do that yet.

So instead, I transcended Reconstruction.

Fwoosh!

The broken rifle turned into light and entered my body.

The Transcendence skill, Reversion.

It permanently consumed the item in question to grant a temporary enhancement.

It was an awkward skill that consumed loot, the very goal of conquering the Tower...

But its effects were just as powerful.

Strength overflowed through me thanks to Reversion.

I brought both hands together toward the descending blade.

Clang!

With a deafening metallic crash, the halberd stopped completely.

Shock crossed the Lizardman warrior's face.

The Monster’s Gauntlet I wore was a sixteenth-floor-grade artifact.

Its durability was beyond reason.

It would've been dangerous if the attack had hit my body, but I survived because I blocked it with the gauntlet.

"Guh..."

My bones seemed to be broken, so I immediately recovered with Undying Blood.

At the same time, I used Reversion on the Lizardman warrior's halberd.

Fwoosh!

"Gah! That bastard's taking my weapon..."

The Lizardman resisted, so it wasn't fully consumed, but I managed to knock the halberd aside.

In the end, it let go of the weapon and tried to fight with its fists.

Instead of drawing a secondary weapon, it chose to throw punches. A tough bastard.

Whoosh!

Its fist grazed my face and tore a long gash across my cheek.

If I'd reacted even a little later, my head would've exploded.

I barely blocked with one arm, then drew a dagger and drove it into the Lizardman.

At this distance, a blade was faster than a pistol.

Besides, its durability was no joke. Pistol rounds wouldn't be enough.

"Aaargh!"

The Lizardman collapsed the moment the dagger pierced it and died.

Only then did the Lizardmen who had escaped the smoke notice my dagger.

"Th-that dagger... My god, it's a Death Priest!"

"Tsk, I knew he was no ordinary bastard..."

Count Kwatum suddenly looked much less eager.

With a Death Priest here, this was no longer a one-sided hunt but a battle.

That blade could easily threaten Count Kwatum's life.

Then the Lizardman lieutenant, who had stayed quiet until now, suddenly began to rage.

"W-we have to kill him! A Death Priest is the sworn enemy of our lord, Reallos!"

What kind of name was that?

I didn't even have the energy to object.

My body felt heavy after using Transcendence skills one after another.

The potion's effect remained, so I tried to hold on a little longer.

Count Kwatum openly showed their displeasure.

"One of us is already dead. Death Priests are dangerous."

"We have to break that blade before it reaches our lord Reallos!"

The lieutenant shouted as if about to devour Count Kwatum.

"Not fighting here is treason! Aren't you afraid of Reallos's wrath?"

"..."

Count Kwatum's white tail twitched.

Then they spoke in a heavily restrained voice.

"...Fine. I'll kill them. Lead the way."

"Everyone, attack! Watch out for the Death Priest... Guhk!"

A blade burst through the head of the lieutenant who had been making a scene alone.

Count Kwatum, standing behind the lieutenant, had driven a sword through the lieutenant's head.

Monstrous strength that easily pierced the lieutenant's hard skull.

We had no choice but to be stunned by the sudden team kill.

The lieutenant couldn't even collapse with the blade through their head.

Count Kwatum leaned close to the lieutenant's ear.

"Insolent bastard. Do you think you're my lord?"

"Y-you insane traitor..."

"Go on ahead. Before long, I'll send that Reallos you love so much there too."

Crunch!

Using only the strength in their arm, Count Kwatum pulled the blade upward and shattered the lieutenant's head.

Complete Senses caught the intense ambition radiating from Count Kwatum.

The lieutenant had chosen the wrong words.

That bastard was never going to be satisfied with being a mere count.

"W-what are you doing?!"

Crunch!

Another Lizardman team member who protested lost their head in an instant.

There was a massive gap in ability between Count Kwatum and the ordinary team members.

I'd barely beaten one of them...

I didn't know whether I could stand against Count Kwatum.

The two survivors understood the situation quickly enough.

To avoid being killed and silenced, they desperately cried out.

"Y-you did well! That bastard always pissed me off, talking like they were something special."

"You know I'm loyal to Your Excellency, right...?"

But Count Kwatum moved without hesitation.

"I'm sorry. You did nothing wrong, but I have no choice if I want to live."

"N-no... Aaargh!"

"You'll be remembered as heroes who died fighting a powerful Death Priest."

Count Kwatum eliminated every witness within thirty seconds of making up their mind.

We froze completely at the sight.

No matter how selfish someone was.

No matter how quickly they calculated...

Did people normally go that far?

Count Kwatum saw my stiff expression and smirked.

"Why are you so surprised? You're awfully shy for a Death Priest. Don't tell me you're a virgin?"

"Hey, that's sexual harassment. Don't you know this is an age of equality?"

I spouted nonsense as I barely got my thoughts moving again, then asked, "What are you thinking?"

"I don't intend to become enemies with a Death Priest yet. You're a new race, so you're a rookie Death Priest too, aren't you? The First Priest must still be close by."

"..."

Death Priests were usually appointed by the First Priest, Gillius.

Assuming Gillius was nearby was a perfectly natural conclusion.

Count Kwatum sheathed their sword and bragged, "If I kill you, the other Death Priests will hate me. After everything I did to rise to the rank of count... I refuse to become Reallos's cannon fodder in a place like this."

"You killed your team members over something so minor?"

"Hmph. These bastards are practically spies planted by the emperor. I could kill vermin like them dozens more times!"

Count Kwatum roughly collected a few items of loot from the team members' corpses and prepared to leave.

"Don't do anything foolish. Go back now. You don't need to thank me. Just kill nobles above my rank and Reallos later."

Thank him?

This bastard really did whatever they wanted.

"...What if we tell people about what happened today?"

"Who would believe you? It would be nothing more than another false rumor meant to slander me, the promising count of the Lizardman Empire."

The ambition I sensed from Count Kwatum already seemed ready to swallow their entire body.

If it meant climbing even a little higher, they were the type who would willingly leap onto a burning ladder.

"Farewell, Death Priest. If you survive, we'll meet again."

Count Kwatum playfully tilted their head, then disappeared toward the exit.