Slash!
Jin-hyuk lightly stroked the tip of his finger. A bead of blood formed immediately and dripped down.
If this were yesterday, it would've been nothing more than red liquid spilling out of his body.
But now—
His blood held magic, acting as a medium capable of manifesting spells and techniques.
'It's been a while since I cast a spatial distortion barrier.'
It wasn't an official barrier spell like those inside the Tower, but activating it still wasn't easy.
Jin-hyuk pressed his bloody fingertip against a sheet of Korean paper.
Shh.
Dētórquĕo.
The Latin word written in blood glowed faintly.
'Good. Done.'
Next was the eastern entrance.
Jin-hyuk repeated the process, writing out spells to erect barriers across all four entrances of the museum.
The northern entrance was the last.
Woong!
A transparent film draped over the museum like a curtain.
[The barrier 'Immature Dimensional Break' is activated!][View is being distorted.][Noise reduced by 70%.]
If he had better materials, the "immature" label could've been removed. But with items bought from a local E-mart, this was the limit.
'Still, this isn't bad.'
The distortion obscured the museum's appearance and muffled sound.
At the very least, the police wouldn't interfere.
Jin-hyuk stretched out his hands and rotated his shoulders.
'This reminds me of the old days.'
The first time he entered the museum in the game, nobody knew how to put up a barrier.Dozens of police cars had rushed in.He got a bounty on his head for three weeks.
He could never forget it—no matter how much he wanted to.
'Hopefully the others who were with me forgot that part…'
Well.
Time to check whether the barrier worked.
[You have entered the event area.]
The moment he stepped in, the thick scent of blood hit him.
'As expected…'
The world had changed—and the people in it too.
But…
The gap between expectation and reality was far larger than he thought.
A security guard lay sprawled on the floor. Blood pooled beneath him—far too late for help.
'We have guests.'
He wasn't alone.
The wounds came from three different weapons.
He knew exactly what they were after.
The relics in the Middle Age Customs Exhibit.
More precisely—
The Great Map of the East Island.A map made by Kim Jeong-ho.
Not for sightseeing.When infused with magic, the map revealed information about the Tower of Trials.
Labyrinth locations.Ruins.Monster zones.Treasure points.
Although it only covered the first ten floors, it was still a treasure among treasures.
Jin-hyuk smirked.
Right.
Everyone wanted it.
'They don't know the truly valuable relics are the ones buried in the mud.'
Puak! Puak!
Crack!
"Kuaaak!"
"You bastard!"
"Let go! It's mine!"
Screams echoed down the museum's halls as people fought like rabid animals.
Relics lay shattered across the floor.
Then—
"Stop moving. Do not move!"
A man with a side ponytail in a black suit stepped forward.
He looked early 30s.Muscular. Broad shoulders.
"Anyone who moves will die by my hands."
The usual threats.Naturally, no one cared.
"Piss off."
"Like we're scared of that."
"Move one toe, and I'll break your neck instead."
Several other people raised makeshift weapons.
They were ready to kill.
"…I am Oh Hyung-sok of the Dragon Head gang."
Gangsters had nearly vanished from modern Korea—except the Dragon Head.
But—
"Puahahaha! A gangster? Really? I'm soooo scared."
"If you're a gangster, stab me then. Come on."
Mockery filled the hall.
"Right. So words don't work."
Oh Hyung-sok clenched his fists.
And—
Bulge.
His arms swelled, skin hardening into rock.
'Petrification.'
A unique ability.
The ridicule stopped instantly.
"U-Unique ability already…?"
"T-that's dangerous…"
People stepped back.
A unique ability wasn't something just anyone could deal with.
The atmosphere tightened.
"The map belongs to me,"Oh Hyung-sok declared.
But—
"Huhu. I cannot agree with that."
An old man stepped forward from behind him.
Oh Hyung-sok scowled.
"Old man. You blind or stupid?"
"My name is Min Jung-woo. It means to live with affection and friendship."
"Who gives a shit what your name means? You're in no place to run your mouth. I can twist your neck like a chicken."
"Young people these days… such bad language. Tsk tsk."
Min Jung-woo clicked his tongue.
Then his face shifted into something far more dangerous.
"But tell me—would it be faster for you to break my neck?Or for me to burn you into charcoal?"
Wheik!
A flame blazed above Min Jung-woo's palm.
Fire magic.
"M-Magic?"
Oh Hyung-sok trembled.
Then—
Whoosh!
The fireball surged forward and swallowed him whole.
Kwakwakwang!
"Kiaaaak!"
Oh Hyung-sok screamed as flames tore through him.
His rocky arms meant nothing.His torso was still flesh.Too soft. Too weak.
"Save me! Help—!"
His cries didn't last.
Soon, only a charred husk remained, smoke rising from it.
"Oh my, fire magic really is unfair. It's good we teamed up."
The woman next to Min Jung-woo—the short-haired one—smiled.
"Miss Lee Yuri. Take it."
"Don't worry. If anyone interferes, I'll take care of everything."
Lee Yuri placed a black statue onto the ground.
Kukuku…
The statue grew, forming the shape of a jackal-headed humanoid.
The Incarnation of Anubis.
"Grrrr…"
It brandished a long spear.
"Anyone who moves will be considered an enemy. Got it? I'll have him rip your heads off."
Lee Yuri smiled sweetly.
A 2-meter-tall monster.A fire mage.A summoner.
No one dared move.
"Damn it…"
"Why did things turn into this? They're Awakened already?"
"I-I'm giving up the map. Just take it!"
Fear froze everyone.
But then—
Step.
Footsteps.
One person walked out from the crowd.
Crack.
The grass-like display flooring crunched under his shoe.
"You there. The guy with no fear. Do I look like I'm joking?"
Lee Yuri's face turned cold.
"Grrrr!"
The jackal-headed statue lunged.
The man ignored her warning.
"Oh my. You people made a mess of this place. Do people not have basic manners with ancient artifacts?"
Jin-hyuk picked up a fallen painting and dusted it off gently.
"I'm glad this one didn't break."
If relics were damaged too much, they couldn't be used.This one survived.
"If you move—didn't you hear me?! You'll die!"
Lee Yuri shouted, and—
Woong!
The Incarnation of Anubis threw its spear like a javelin.
It cut through the air with explosive force—several times faster than sound.
But before it reached him—
KWAANG!
Jin-hyuk punched the spear aside.
The javelin spun through the air and clattered to the floor.
"Insane!"
"H-he knocked it away?!"
"He didn't dodge—it hit his fist??"
"A spear of pure steel… his hand should've shattered!"
Shock spread through the hall.
'I don't know exactly how high my stats are yet, so I reacted conservatively.'
A fruit gave +3 stats.
He had +12.
The difference was astronomical.
"What now? Looks like your dog lost its only weapon,"Jin-hyuk said casually.
"Who said there's only one?"
Lee Yuri dumped four more statues from her bag.
This lunatic.
How did she steal so many?
"You'll be cursed by the Pharaoh,"Jin-hyuk muttered.
"Is this the time to joke around?!"
He wasn't joking.
Egyptian relics carried curses.
Touching them could cause immense suffering.
[Holy Relic 'Incarnation of Anubis' (replica) is manifesting!]
Kukukuku!
"Grrrr…"
"Kuaaaa!"
"Grrrng!"
"Kung! Kung!"
Four more Anubis warriors appeared—armed with sword, shield, spear, mace, and halberd.
"So? Still want to joke?"
Lee Yuri smirked.
"Impressive. Truly."
Summoning one was already difficult.Maintaining five required skill.
Combined with Min Jung-woo, the old mage, they were formidable.
"…Quite surprised?"Lee Yuri's eye twitched.
"Exactly. Somewhere between quite surprised and slightly surprised."
"Don't bluff. Anyone would run right now."
"You think so?"
For the average person—sure.
But Jin-hyuk?
Time to show his card.
He opened the painting he held.
[Magic has been infused into the sacred relic'Pine and Tiger' (replica)]
[The King of the Mountain Appears!]
[Era: Joseon][Identity: Unknown]
Only one thing was certain:
This being was feared in its age.
"Koooooooo!"
A massive tiger materialized from the painting, roaring so loudly the entire hall shook.
ROAR!
Three meters tall.Muscles rippling.Golden eyes glowing with lethal intent.
"N-No way…"
Lee Yuri's lips trembled.
Not a transformation.Not animation.
He had summoned the original essence.
Unlike summoning enchanted statues, this reproduced the actual aura of a king who once ruled the mountains.
Her skin crawled.
This wasn't a fair fight.This wasn't even a fight.
5 to 1?
'No… impossible.'
The idea of winning evaporated.
"There is no world where a desert jackal attacks a mountain lord."
Jin-hyuk stroked the giant tiger's head.