Free Web NovelChapter 16: The Tower of the Infamous [2]
The group advanced with extreme caution under the oppressive canopy of the dense forest that covered the entire fifth floor... The immense trees rose toward an invisible sky, their intertwined branches blocking almost all natural light. The darkness was pierced only by a few pale rays that died on the ground. Hojin walked at the front, right behind Gerhman’s slender silhouette, whose posture remained insultingly straight despite the obstacles.
Suddenly, a hoarse howl tore through the silence of the forest... Less than ten meters to their right flank, two giant wolves burst out of the bushes with speed. Their retracted lips let a fetid saliva drip onto the ground, exposing fangs the size of daggers. The first wolf leaped, aiming directly at Gerhman’s throat. The latter did not even slow his pace. With a movement, he thrust his right fist forward. The impact was sharp and brutal... The giant wolf’s skull literally exploded under the power of the blow. Bone fragments flew in all directions.
The second wolf, seeing its companion collapse pathetically, tried to bite the human’s leg in a final surge of savagery... Gerhman shifted a step, letting the beast’s jaw snap into the void. Before the predator could recover, Gerhman firmly seized it by the throat. A sinister cracking sound was heard when Gerhman broke the animal’s neck with a sharp and casual gesture. The two corpses now lay on the ground, their black blood quickly soaking the moss.
[Ding]
[You have defeated a giant wolf]
[You have gained 1 experience point]
[You have gained a statistic point]
[Ding]
[You have defeated a giant wolf]
[You have gained 1 experience point]
[You have gained a statistic point]
Hojin stopped dead, short of breath, slowly sheathing his sword which he had not even had time to fully draw. He observed the mutilated remains of the creatures with growing incredulity.
"Impressive..." he murmured while wiping a drop of sweat that ran down his forehead. "You didn’t even use a skill... A simple punch was enough to break the skull of a rank D giant wolf."
"Let’s continue," he replied simply in a monotone voice.
They resumed their progression through the giant ferns... Further on, the path narrowed between two rocky walls covered with lichens. It was there that a pack of about ten goblins, armed with rudimentary spears and shields made of rotten wood, blocked their way. The small greenish-skinned creatures yelped insults in their guttural language, but Gerhman did not give them time to organize.
The fight was brief. Gerhman moved with precision, dodging the spear tips with fluid rotations of his torso. With each pass, he struck. One goblin had its ribcage caved in, another saw its neck twist at an impossible angle. Behind him, Hojin’s group endeavored to provide support by attacking the flanks of the few monsters that tried to escape. Nayun fired an arrow that lodged in the shoulder of a fugitive, while Jinsoo finished off the wounded.
[Ding]
[You have defeated a goblin]
[You have gained 1 experience point]
[You have gained a statistic point]
[Ding] frёewebnoѵel.ƈo๓
[You have defeated a goblin]
[You have gained 1 experience point]
[You have gained a statistic point]
[Ding]
[Your level has just increased]
Nayun leaned against a tree trunk, breathing noisily after the effort. Her eyes could not detach from this man.
"You are really different from the other Awakened we meet here..." she finally said, her voice still a little trembling. "Most people of your level form much larger teams to clear this sector."
Gerhman stopped for a moment, turning his head slightly to look at her over his shoulder.
"Hunting is much simpler when you don’t burden yourself with useless people," Gerhman replied in a monotone voice.
Hojin nodded, his face serious. "In that case, we will be careful not to hinder you... We will stay back so as not to break your rhythm."
Gerhman simply shrugged, a glimmer of arrogance shining in his gray eyes.
"Do what you want," he replied coldly. "As long as you don’t put a stick in my wheels... If you become a burden, I will not hesitate to leave you behind."
They walked for another hour, delving deeper into the hostile territory of the tower. Gerhman massacred several other isolated creatures, kobolds and giant spiders that dared to approach too closely. With each victory, the bluish system messages appeared before his eyes, stacking the notifications of statistic gains. Hojin’s group, seeing Gerhman dominate the area effortlessly, began to gain confidence. Jinsoo and Baek Jeong even exchanged a few jokes in low voices to relax the atmosphere, although Gerhman’s distant and icy aura was enough to calm them as soon as he turned around.
Suddenly, the forest opened onto a much wider clearing, where the mana seemed denser. In the center of this devastated space, where the grass had been burned, stood another group. There were about ten individuals dressed in long dark robes marked with complex geometric patterns and golden borders... They seemed surprised to see ordinary Awakened emerge like this. Their gazes were of absolute coldness, almost devoid of any humanity, shining with a malevolent turquoise glow.
The members of the robed group exchanged quick glances, communicating without a word. One of them, a man with long hair and a pale face, stepped forward. He wore a long golden necklace with a large cross that hung heavily on his chest.
"You..." cried Baek Jeong as he immediately went on guard, his sword trembling slightly between his hands.
"Who are these guys?" Gerhman asked while observing the suddenly tense expression of Hojin’s group. He perceived a different energy signature, something corrupted that only came from the usual monsters of the tower.
"They are members of the Cult of the Void," Hojin replied in a low voice, without taking his eyes off the strangers, his hand clenched on the hilt of his weapon. "They are infamous beings devoid of all humanity... They commit all kinds of crimes in the name of their dark masters. It is said that they infiltrate guilds to sow chaos from within."
Gerhman slowly turned his head toward the members of the Cult of the Void. Analyzing their posture and their mana pressure. After a few seconds, he concluded that these guys were not powerful enough to defeat him immediately, despite their sinister aura... However, something intrigued him. If these individuals were as dangerous and evil as Hojin claimed, their presence in this place was certainly not the result of chance. "They are looking for something..." he thought.
Having reached this conclusion, Gerhman advanced alone toward the center of the clearing, his boots crushing the burnt grass. He stopped a few meters from the pale man with the golden necklace.
"What could members of the Cult of the Void be doing in this place?" Gerhman asked, displaying a smile that was not quite one. "This tower does not seem to be the kind of place where one comes to pray with complete impunity."
