Free Web NovelChapter 15: The Tower of the Infamous
The next day, Hae-neul opened her eyes with difficulty. A dim light filtered through the bedroom curtains. Her head was pounding as if a jackhammer was hammering against her skull. She groaned, bringing a hand to her forehead, and tried to sit up. The soft sheets slid over her skin. She looked down: she was still wearing her oversized gray sweatshirt and shorts, but she was definitely in a bed.
"... Huh?"
She looked around, confused. This was not her room. The memories of the previous day were blurry. She remembered buying several bottles, settling into the living room while waiting for Electhra’s return... and then Gerhman had arrived.
Hae-neul sat up slowly on the edge of the bed, her legs heavy. Why was she here? She didn’t remember coming to lie down. A flash suddenly came back to her: her yelling at Gerhman, calling him arrogant. Her face tensed. She had stood up, staggered toward him... and sat on his lap.
"No... no, no, no..."
Hae-neul froze, her eyes wide. The memory of her lips against his, the warmth of his body, his subtle scent mixed with the smell of leather and metal was terrifyingly clear.
"I... kissed that guy?!"
A high-pitched scream, half embarrassed and half horrified, burst from her throat. She immediately clapped both hands over her face and fell back onto the mattress. Her cheeks burned, turning from pink to tomato red in seconds. She rolled onto her side, burying her head in the pillow as if to disappear.
"What an idiot! What an idiot!" she murmured, her voice muffled by the fabric.
Her heart was pounding wildly. How was she going to face him now? Hae-neul stayed like that for several minutes, curled up, trying to calm her breathing and the storm in her chest. The redness wouldn’t leave her face. She wished the ground would open beneath her and swallow her up. Yet, deep within that burning shame, a treacherous little voice whispered that she hadn’t hated that kiss.
---
Tower of the Infamous, 5th Floor
The air on the fifth floor was saturated with the humidity typical of dense forest areas in the tower. On a vast expanse of prairie bordered by an immense forest with trees of considerable height, Gerhman stood. His body was covered in blood from head to toe, coming from the creatures he had just slaughtered. Standing, he looked out over the prairie while wiping the blood from his face with a nonchalant gesture of his hand.
"Well... let’s get moving," murmured Gerhman as he began walking toward the forest.
It had now been several hours since he had entered the Tower of the Infamous. Not belonging to any major guild, he had gone to Electhra who had agreed to give him access to this tower under her jurisdiction, which had brought him up to this floor to gain levels. freёweɓnovel.com
As he plunged under the massive canopy of the forest, the darkness grew heavier. Suddenly, a guttural growl tore through the ambient silence, a deep vibration that betrayed the presence of an orc. Gerhman did not slow down. He then heard the sound of hurried footsteps and muffled cries. A group of Awakened burst out from behind a thicket, running for their lives. Gerhman’s face remained impassive as he simply shifted to the left to let them pass, showing no interest in their panic.
Then a massive orc emerged from the vegetation, a heavy club in hand. Acting like the monster it was, the creature ignored the fugitives and threw itself at the closest target. The orc brought down its weapon with brutal force, but Gerhman dodged the impact by jumping into the air and performing a backflip. As soon as his feet touched the ground, he launched himself at the orc again.
The monster swung its club in a downward arc to the right. Gerhman simply shifted to the left, letting the weapon hit the ground with a dull crash, before slipping under the orc’s arm. With an upward palm strike, he hit the elbow joint. The crack was sharp and resounding. The orc’s arm deformed horribly under the impact, the broken bone brutally piercing the skin in a spray of blood. The creature let out a roar of agonizing pain.
Seizing the opportunity, he firmly grabbed the mutilated arm. With a violent tug, he tore it completely from the orc’s torso. The tendons snapped and the severed arteries sprayed jets of burning blood onto his face. Without giving it time to react, Gerhman spun fully on himself and used the torn arm as an improvised mace. The blow struck the orc on the temple, sending it flying before it violently hit a tree trunk.
The orc, whose side was now nothing but a gaping wound pouring blood in streams, tried to get up. However, before it could straighten up completely, Gerhman was already on it. He seized the club abandoned by the monster and, with a downward motion, smashed its head. The skull shattered, spraying brain matter and bone fragments all over the forest floor.
Ding...
[You have defeated an orc]
[You have gained a stat point]
[Your level has just increased]
The system messages kept appearing before his eyes in translucent windows. Gerhman looked at the lifeless body of the orc with contempt, then slowly turned toward the group of Awakened who had hidden nearby, watching the scene with a mix of terror and admiration.
"You are really strong," said a young girl as she cautiously came out of her hiding place. She seemed petrified by the brutality she had just witnessed. "Ah... by the way, thank you," she added awkwardly, remembering her manners.
Gerhman ignored the thanks and watched the rest of the group come out one after another.
"What happened?" he asked coldly.
"We don’t know much," replied a man in his thirties, who seemed the most experienced of the bunch. "At first, everything was normal, we were following our exploration routine. But suddenly, the monsters went crazy." freewёbn૦νeɭ.com
"I see," replied Gerhman, frowning.
"I am the leader of the group, Hojin," the man introduced himself with a hint of hesitation in front of the overwhelming aura Gerhman gave off despite his young age. "And they are Nayun, Jinsoo and Baek Jeong."
"I am Gerhman," he replied simply. He added nothing else, turning his back on the group to continue on his way. His natural arrogance and the distrust born from past betrayal prevented him from wanting to linger with strangers.
"Ah, so it’s you!" Nayun suddenly exclaimed, her eyes widening in surprise.
"What do you mean by that?" asked Gerhman, stopping short, looking skeptical.
"Everyone is talking about it in the guild," said Nayun, referring to the Aegis Prime guild. "There isn’t a single person who doesn’t know Gerhman, the little protégé of the guild mistress."
Upon hearing this story, Gerhman’s face twisted, not liking this little protégé story, but he could do nothing about it. Not wanting to stay a second longer listening to their nonsense, he turned around to leave.
"Can we accompany you?" asked Hojin in a pressing voice. "The forest has become too dangerous for a group of our level if the monsters continue to act like this."
"Do as you wish," he replied dryly. "But don’t get in my way. If you slow me down or become an obstacle, I will leave you to die without a backward glance."
Then he resumed his walk with a step toward the depths of the forest. Hojin’s group exchanged nervous glances, then they followed him.
