Demon King
Chapter 33: Tower of Jinma (1)

Tower of Jinma (1)

In 2F, the passages were broader and taller than in 1F, but here, everything was also wider and larger, not just the passages.

There must be a considerable distance between the Werewolf and Battle Spider domains and those of the higher species.

The mass appearance battle I was in was making a tremendous noise, yet none of the higher species have made an appearance.

As a matter of fact, I always had to leave more than half of my mana available, just in case I encounter a superior specie.

But what I felt now was excitement.

When I met Goblin Fighters while I was a Goblin, when I met Goblin Warriors while I was a fighter, I was afraid.

It’s different now.

A Battle Spider hurriedly crawled on the ceiling, getting away from me.

[Lower Level Detection has become Lv 10 and evolved to Intermediate Detection Lv. 1]

[The range and precision increase. It becomes possible to recognize the signs of an enemy’s attack.]

Good timing. Detection has grown to Intermediate Level.

It was telling me that the only survivors within a 50-m radius were three battle spiders.

Once they are done, the mass appearance is finished.

I built a strong will as if a hot iron core was inserted into my spirit and energized me.

By repeated predation while in battle, I had full mana, and I simultaneously used Leap and Beast Charge.

At the same time, I raised Blood Shadow as I jumped high.

With one swing, the head of the spider was chopped off without difficulty, while a black thunderbolt emanating from my sword’s trajectory flew towards the other two.

“Cut!”

“Kyiiig!”

One of the spiders was electrocuted and fell to the ground, shaking helplessly. However, the other was lucky enough not to suffer an electric shock or curse.

Seeing his colleague, he tried to run as quickly as he can to another aisle.

It was pathetic.

I threw Blood Shadow down at the spider on the ground, piercing through its back.

Then, landing lightly, I threw a steel sword from the inventory to the one trying to escape.

“Key! Kiyak!”

The steel sword was significantly weaker than Blood Shadow, but it contained enough strength to kill a vulnerable spider.

[You gained 3,400 experience.]

[You acquired 2 silver 20 bronze.]

[Level up!]

[You reached the minimum qualification to enter the Jinma Tower. If you are prepared to suffer more than death where death is not allowed, summon the tower door.]

A pleasant notification popped up.

When I asked Rain about Jinma Tower, he told me it was a safe training ground.

I knew it was a special place, like a private shop, away from the Black Palace.

A door that can be called up just by thinking about it, like a dedicated store.

Unlike the store, it seemed not to charge any admission fees.

It was certain. In Jinma Tower, someone who was like Rain must be waiting for me.

Why not?

I have the confidence that one day, I will get the truth with my own power.

On my own.

I’ll get stronger and stronger until I become strong enough not to be scared in front of anything.

And the means to get me stronger is to keep going through this passage and beyond.

The dungeon was calm and tranquil. Hundreds of Werewolves and Battle Spiders lie dead. There were corpses, torn limbs and heads all around.

I used Flame Magic.

I was not worried that higher species would smell it and attack me.

Grilling these meats won’t make any difference.

I roasted the closest spider carcass, controlling the flame from my hand. It smelled delicious. To be precise, it smelled just like fried shrimp.

I couldn’t stand it anymore because of the delicious smell and ate it right away.

Wow.

It tasted the same as it smelled. Even without the power of Predation, the spider’s texture felt like fried and crispy shrimp.

What kind of taste does the higher-level Battle Spider Assassin or Giant Spider have? Maybe they taste like crab or lobster.

It was the first time that I was curious about the taste of another monster over its power or skill.

It was so delicious. I devoured the spiders with a huge appetite.

Whether it was because my Predation has reached Lv. 3 or because I have evolved into a larger Hob Goblin Assaulter, my stomach’s capacity has increased considerably.

I ate the spiders and turned all the recovered mana into flames. It was an enjoyable cycle – roasting, eating, roasting.

Then, I turned to the wolves.

I felt like a human gifted with unlimited beef.

No more restraint. I baked everything around and ate them, turning my Detection at a minimal level.

[Beginner Flame Magic becomes Lv. 10 and evolves into Lower Flame Magic. The number of fireballs that can be handled increases, and fine-grained control becomes possible.]

[Predation after hunting Werewolf 1,358/2,000]

[Predation after hunting Battle Spiders 1,582/2,000]

By the time I realized it, I couldn’t find any more spiders or wolves around me. More than 1,000 bodies scattered across three or four aisles are now in my stomach.

After figuring out that there was nothing more to eat, I immediately stood up.

I could feel the difference in power inside my body.

Perhaps it was because I am now at Level 50, but it was also true that I had eaten a large number of monsters.

[Kang Si-ha (Fate)]

[Hob Goblin Assault Lv 50]

[Strength – 291 Stamina – 264 Magic – 125 Luck – ???]

[Skill-Ebon Heart, Predation Lv3, Lower Martial Arts Lv5, Lower Armor Defense Lv2, Lower Regeneration Lv8, Lower Flame Magic Lv1, Lower Trap Generation Lv. 4, Lower Black Lightning Lv2, Lower Power Attack Lv7, Lower Leap Lv9, Intermediate Surprise Lv3, Beginner Fairy Tale Lv8, Beginner Beast Charge Lv8…]

I knew it.

Strength and stamina were increased by more than 10%. War Wolf and Battle Spider had less mana, so predating them didn’t increase my mana at all, but raising a few tens of units of strength and stamina in one sitting was not easy.

In addition, Beast Charge, which I used a lot during the battle, grew from eating hundreds of Werewolves and reached Beginner Lv.8.

In addition, the beast rush, which was used a lot during the battle, grew to the level of eating more than hundreds of war wolves and became a beginner level 8.

I took out my pocket watch and checked the time. It has been about 11 hours since the first mass appearance.

I don’t know how many hours it took to predate, but I know that for the next few hours, the Werewolves and Battle Spiders won’t respawn yet.

Of course, I can move on to the upper-level territory, but I decided to take that risk once I’ve completed the 2,000 requirements for Werewolves and Battle Spiders.

I had nothing else to do.

I checked the condition of my equipment and weapons, as well as the money I earned during the mass appearance.

28 gold 20 silver.

I wondered if this was enough to purchase an armor synthesis scroll. It should be cheaper than a weapon scroll, but I recalled Rain’s smirking face.

Twenty-four hours haven’t passed yet, so I wouldn’t get another Today’s Luck.

If I can’t afford an armor scroll, I would be throwing 10 silver-worth of admission fee away.

Moreover, I don’t have enough materials.

I had more than 10 carapace and manes, but the scroll can take up to three materials.

Going back to the first floor to catch goblins for more materials didn’t sound wise.

In any case, there was nothing else to do.

It’s time to go in.

Jinma Tower is a safe place. It is a training center.

I have decided.

I called out the door leading to the tower. A door appeared in front of me, and I calmly turned the handle and stepped in.

It was dark.

Dungeons are dark places. From the time I was a goblin, I had adapted to the darkness, to the point where I could clearly distinguish everything.

However, this passageway was darker than I’ve ever experienced.

A space with nothing, nothing but me.

However, even though my eyes are covered by darkness, I could feel countless beings alive and breathing.

Although I couldn’t see them, they were definitely here.

And some of the presence I felt were the most difficult to recognize.

Infinitely huge, but infinitely transparent.

Infinitely strong, but at the same time infinitely fleeting.

Suddenly, without notice, I heard a sharp and heavy voice of a middle-aged man.

“You passed.”

Even though the voice seemed to be coming from right in front of my nose, it was difficult for me to identify his position.

I immediately realized. It was evident that he had a surprise or a skill equivalent to, or even beyond. It’s not even comparable to me.

I was just desperate to know where he is.

“I am the manager of the Jinma Tower, A.”

“I…”

“You are Fate. You climbed the tower.”

The next moment, as quickly as he approached me, he suddenly disappeared.

I felt alone again in the dark.

“The Tower of Jinma is on the border between the current and spiritual world. The traces left in the trajectory of life coexist in one place. This place was created for Fate, Top Challenger, and Climber.”

Well.

I don’t understand the other things he said.

But I understood one thing. That the Jinma Tower was a place for me, like a dedicated store.

I focused my mind as much as possible to find out where he identified himself as A.

His presence, his spirit, the sound he makes. I tried to detect all of them clearly and put all my senses.

And it worked out. I still couldn’t pinpoint his exact location, but now I had a vague sense of where he was.

[Intermediate Detection has become Lv2.]

That was enough. At least, I didn’t want to produce the unpleasantness of looking at and talking to the empty air.

“… The trajectory of existence doesn’t lie.”

I ignored his bullshit and opened my mouth.

“Rain told me that this is a safe training center.”

“Rain? … … Alas.”

He paused for a moment and soon affirmed me.

Well, I knew from the beginning that Rain was using a pseudonym. And now, in response to A’s reaction, it seems that A has an idea of the person I’m talking about, and hopefully, they know each other.

“It is not wrong. This place is full of the power of Jinma. Fate’s soul and body, who have lost their boundaries and become one, are immortal in this place.”

It seemed to me that I would never die here. I could not interpret anything else.

“What is Jinma?”

“No answer.”

I couldn’t stand it and asked about Jinma, but he cut my question.

I grinded my teeth and asked him something else.

“What is this place for?”

“Training and testing. Unity.”

“What can I do here?”

“Prove yourself.”

“What can I get?”

“Qualification.”

If I had the power, I would have kicked his shin. I couldn’t do that.

But when I was going to go for it, A added.

“And don’t disrespect me.”

Soon after, something happened between him and me.

Between him and me? No.

Front, back, left, right.

There was a huge invisible wall that kept me locked in a limited space.

It was in the dark, where even the field of view was not secured, but the senses I polished and polished gave me a rough grasp of the height of the wall rising from all sides and its intensity.

And the moment I figured out the identity of the wall, A’s voice came out again.

“The first floor of Jinma Tower. The first adversary is the troll.”

His voice could be anywhere from a long distance or whispering in my ear.

“Conquest takes place when all the trajectories of existence are brought together.”

“I don’t understand…”

At the end of his speech, I heard a harsh breath.

I knew it wasn’t A’s.

Didn’t he just tell you?

The adversary is a troll. An intermediate-level troll.

It was too much. I would not have been here, knowing that there would be an intermediate-level enemy!

“Wow, wow, wow, wow!”

The troll screamed and rushed to me. Without any doubt, he was moving only to kill me.

Towering stone walls enclosed us.

A limited space where only me and the troll exist.

This is not a tower.

Arena.

That was the true identity of Jinma Tower!