Sssssk!

A path opened in a straight line.

The ground where the snow had evaporated glowed red with heat.

Having reached Lv7, Daylight had its activation time drastically reduced, leaving Mihael with no choice but to take two full-blown hits from the skill.

Ive taken him down no, wait, thats not right. Ive fulfilled all the conditions for duplication.

Jinhyuk clicked his tongue briefly.

He had been so preoccupied with flagging events that the habit had stuck.

This is why habits can be so dangerous.

But then, at that very moment.

Whoosh!

A black talon shot out from the steam.

Ill kill you!

Mihael was livid, his fury reaching its peak.

Slightly scorched, yet he was otherwise unharmed.

What is this, its not like hes got an invincible skill equipped. How can he take a hit like that and still be fine?

But now wasnt the time to be amazed by his incredible defensive power.

A talon was already flying towards him, aiming to rip his head right off.

[Lv10 Glacial Sculpture activates!]

Boom, boom, boom!

An icy wall that had materialized in front of Jinhyuk blocked the talon.

But it was only for a brief moment.

The ice shattered instantly.

Even though more ice walls appeared in succession, restraining the attack was far from easy.

Pieces of ice crumbled like glass.

Dont think something like this can stop me!

Mihael closed in faster, spreading an aura of red fury.

So, then.

Fwoosh!

Patsats

Over Jinhyuks shoulder, five orbs of fire and twelve ice arrows materialized.

He could afford to use multiple spells simultaneously without much stress as the essences effects were still in play.

However.

The fire orbs and ice that struck Mihael did not seem to inflict any damage at all upon him.

It was like trying to crack a rock with an egg, only to end up smearing fried egg on it.

Damn it. Is he a monster?

I knew he was strong in offense, but his magic resistance is outrageous.

Unlike the stone giant from the 10th floor, a sneak attack using Stars Blessing would not work against this guy.

Jinhyuk infused his grinding teeth with mana.

A faint glow began to emit from his longbow.

Then, Crimson Bullet was rapidly fired.

Pfft! Pfft, pfft, pfft!

Red flashes intermittently struck Mihaels body.

[Mana is at 0.6]

[Energy is at 0.5]

[Mana]

[Energy]

This wont be enough to deal a critical blow to him.

No one knew that better than Jinhyuk himself.

Even though he was gradually absorbing mana and energy through Soul Drain, at this rate, it would take a millennium to deplete his foes mana.

Therefore, while firing continuously, he steadily shifted his center of gravity towards where the fangs lay.

Just one more step.

A single step forward would bring him into reach of the fangs.

Jinhyuk lightly twisted the bowstring.

The mana-infused string rotated in a counter-clockwise direction.

An attack added with the maximum rotational force.

It was an adaptation of the skewering technique Elise had just demonstrated.

Whooooosh!

A Crimson Bullet that left the bowstring flew low, almost touching the ground.

Just as the shot veered towards Mihaels leg.

It abruptly changed direction in a way that was borderline impossible, catching Mihael off guard.

Kaboom!

Argh!

Mihaels head snapped to the side.

A trickle of blood ran down his otherwise resilient skin.

Now!

Jinhyuk launched himself forward and grabbed the fang.

How dare you, to scar my face.

Dont make a fuss over a little scratch. More importantly, what do you have to eat to get as tough as you? Ogre milk wouldnt even be a guess. Should I go begging for milk from a dragon?

He wasnt even joking.

If it were possible to possess such durability, it might be worth visiting the dragon lair again.

Yes, that level of risk was entirely manageable.

After all.

Its like sleeping through the Thousand Calamity Sword attack, isnt it?

Imagining the stern, robot-like Sword Saints face rotting away, he already felt a perverse pleasure.

Of course, there were also various scenarios that could turn the tide and fluster the opponent.

While Jinhyuk grinned at the air, Mihaels eyes filled with intense killing intent.

Do you find this situation amusing?

Uh?

Its clear how this fight will end. I just need to land one attack, while you cant afford a single mistake.

Well, seems like it. So?

Then for gods sake, show some damn tension! Please!

Kaboom!

A colossal black flame erupted from Mihaels hand.

[Lv?? Infernal Hellfire manifests!]

A skill equivalent to the dragons Hell Fire was unleashed.

Mihael was not an Ancient-grade dragon, so its power must be inferior.

But even so, a player under level 100 wouldnt stand a chance.

Even a mere graze by it would leave nothing behind, not even bones.

Boom, boom, boom, boom, boom!

The black flames swelled with increasing size.

It was now almost 2 meters in diameter.

Lets see if you can still laugh when youre hit with this.

Mihaels muscles swelled grotesquely.

And at the peak of that expansion.

Boom, boom, boom, boom, boom!

Finally, Mihaels most potent skill was cast.

As expected, he took the bait after provocation.

Enticing someone into a trap shouldnt be this hard.

But it wont be long now.

Just a little more until that situation unfolds.

Jinhyuks eyes narrowed.

No chance to dodge, huh.

This skill wasnt just a simple toss; it could freely change directions, following its target to the ends of hell until it hit.

Therefore

Jinhyuk retrieved the second divine relic from his subspace inventory.

Armor he had gained from the Samurai Guild in the Grey Temple.

It was Perseuss Shield.

Wooooong!

As Jinhyuk concentrated mana into the shield, an indescribable light flickered from it.

[The divine relic Perseuss Shield responds to its masters call!]

[Physical defense and magical defense increase by 300%!]

[Special ability Athenas Blessing activates!]

[Athenas Blessing]

Effect: For one use only, you can reduce the opponents offensive power by 50%, and temporarily increase the wielders own divine attribute stats by +100.

If the black flame is the ultimate spear, then a divine relic imbued with Athenas Blessing is the ultimate shield.

Jinhyuk completely wrapped himself with the round shield.

Kaboooom!

It was then that the ground shook with a massive impact.

Jinhyuk clenched his jaws tightly.

The sheer intensity of the heat almost made him lose consciousness, but he managed to hang onto his awareness by a thread.

[Lv5 True Clarity Flowering Knights Mind Method supports the flow of your mana.]

[Lv4 Mental Barrier alleviates the users pain.]

[Unique ability Stars Blessing protects the players body.]

All the unique abilities and skills he had saved up activated at once.

A kaleidoscope of lights overlapped.

Almost there

Jinhyuks eyes gleamed amidst the flames of hell.

The unbearable heat that initially felt like it would fry every nerve in his body was subsiding bit by bit.

Whether it was becoming familiar or the power was waning, he was unsure.

But one thing was certain: his opponents time was almost up.

And in that moment.

The black flames slowly died down.

As the smoky haze cleared, Mihaels face loomed into view, utterly perplexed.

How, how is this possible! Even among the Upper Floors predators, those who cant survive this how could a mere human endure it?

His most powerful skill had failed.

It wasnt due to carelessness.

Nor had he conserved any power.

It was an all-out attack.

And yet, it didnt take down that detestable human.

Hesthat strong?

Elise, who had witnessed the entire fight, opened her mouth wide in shock.

She had no other choice.

A single human, not falling behind in a battle with the lords personal guards.

Even though Elise had been with Jinhyuk all this time, she hadnt realized his true capability up to this level.

Only one explanation made sense.

He just hasnt shown his full strength until now.

That must be the truth.

As he ascended the tower, faced countless named monsters, rankers from major guilds, and boss monsters, he had never once given his all.

That was the reality.

Then, at that moment.

Mihaels hand erupted in the considerably wicked black flames.

Elise knew those flames well.

Infernal Hellfire.

Among the blood clans, its one of the most powerful pyrokinetic abilities known.

It cant be stopped. Nor can it be evaded.

Dangerous

She felt the urge to warn him.

To run away.

Or perhaps take the flames herself instead.

Elise struggled to her feet, her body wobbling with exhausted mana.

However.

The moment the black flames engulfed Jinhyuk.

Suddenly, something changed.

Wooooong!

With a brilliant radiance, Jinhyuk began to activate his defense mechanism against the black flames.

It was hard to believe, yet it was true.

Jinhyuk was withstanding Mihaels full-force attack head on.

Thump! Thump! Thump!

As her heart pounded rapidly, Elises whole body shivered with anticipation and excitement.

Maybe

Just maybe it was possible.

A player, a frail being seen as little more than prey, could surpass the towers laws and rules.

To ascend to the top of the food chain.

Then, when the hellfire had diminished, that moment came.

Now!

Elise yelled, almost without realizing it.

Now its my turn.

Tossing aside his shield, Jinhyuk gathered cryogenic mana.

The recent attack had dealt significant damage, but the same was true for his opponent.

Neither had much mana left.

And when conditions are dire for both sides

The one who scrambles up with tenacity is always the last one standing.

[Glacial Sculpture Sword of Heaven activates!]

Ice shoots descended from the heavens.

[Glacial Sculpture Sword of Earth activates!]

Ice shoots erupted from the ground, meeting to become one.

Patsatsatsatsat!

Aaaaagh!

Mihael, encapsulated within the pillar of ice, screamed.

It was like a silent cry of despair.

But this wouldnt hold Mihael for long.

At most, a few dozen seconds.

After that, this monster would start rampaging again.

I cant just leave it at that.

Its not a 50/50 chance. Its vital to secure a complete victory now.

Crunch.

Jinhyuk stepped right up to the pillar of ice.

Close enough to strike, within each others lethal reach.

A dangerously unguarded stance.

Therefore, Mihael had no choice but to seize the opportunity.

Youre an idiot! To walk straight into my range!

With melting ice cascading around him,

Mihaels voice resonated mightily.

Your mistake of stepping into my range will be the reason you die today!

An enormous explosion centered on Mihael erupted.