Chapter 20: The End of Great Misfortune
“You… what kind of trickery are you pulling!?”
Despite its supposedly legendary status, the Sphinx wasn’t as formidable as I had anticipated. In fact, it fell short of my expectations.
The image I had of the Sphinx in my mind wasn’t that of a monster that used special combat skills. Instead, it was a creature that devoured those who failed its riddles using sheer physical strength.
But with its massive body, it couldn’t easily evade my sword, and its powerful tail couldn’t land a hit on me.
‘Or maybe, the Mugeuk Stat is just absurdly powerful.’
My opponent was a boss monster rated [F+], with stats two full levels higher than mine. Yet, judging by the current battle, our strengths were almost equal. In fact, I held a slight edge. My sword continued to cut through the Sphinx’s enormous body, leaving more wounds with each pass.
Then, as if enraged or plotting something, it roared out a question at me.
“Curse you! How dare a mere human like you humiliate a creation of the sun like me?”
“No matter how grand your titles or connections, you’re just a monster that kills people for your own amusement.”
The Sphinx lowered its head for a moment at my insult. Just as I thought it might be surrendering and was about to charge at it—
〚Unique Ability: Sun’s Question [Ancient] activated. As the question was answered, 5% of a stat is temporarily absorbed by the opponent!〛
〚Stat: Unyielding is too low to negate the status effect!〛
〚Stat: Mugeuk F-(5/100) has been absorbed!〛
The overwhelming power and vitality that had surged through my body from the Mugeuk Stat faltered momentarily, losing some of its strength.
—”Ha ha ha! You are no ordinary human, are you? A monster with the seed of myth capable of etching stars into the skies of the Abyss! What overwhelming power you possess!”
“Dammit.”
I hadn’t expected such an ability. With that single skill, the Sphinx managed to shift the balance in its favor.
Clang! Smash!
Thud!
Crack!
Swords clashed with massive limbs, fists met with powerful jaws, and the fierce battle continued.
The one getting pushed back was me. I backed off from the Sphinx for a moment to reassess the situation.
‘Seo Mina can’t hold out much longer either.’
Before the regression, Seo Mina was a prodigious all-rounder who wielded both spear and magic. But now, still in her early potential and not yet fully developed, she was in an awkward position—neither here nor there. Her power of lightning was certainly strong, but that was all.
‘Still, she’s holding her ground well.’
Her opponent was a typical assassin, making an open-field one-on-one fight unfavorable for him. Thanks to this, she was able to hold on longer. But she wouldn’t last for more than ten minutes.
“Ha ha ha! Come on, hit me some more! I don’t know why you chose to hang around with that idiot, but blame your poor judgment and die!”
I could see her lightning strikes gradually weakening. It was due to a lack of Mana Stat.
“Damn it! Nothing ever goes smoothly, does it?”
—”Ha ha! Foolish human! How unfortunate. It’s a pity I must end the seed of myth with my own hands! If my divinity hadn’t faded, I would have offered you to Him as a gift.”
“…”
Not knowing when it might use its ability again, I kept silent. The Sphinx examined me with a curious gaze.
“Indeed, even a fool won’t fall for the same trick twice! Very well. Let’s end this. I’ll use your seed to kill you!”
I gritted my teeth, raised my sword, and unleashed my final trump card: the Wings of Arrogance.
With a flourish!
As a radiant wing unfurled, light enveloped me.
〚The First Wing is now activated!〛
〚During activation, the Rare Stat: Divinity manifests!〛
〚During activation, all stats receive a temporary boost of +10!〛
〚Due to low proficiency, activation time is limited to 10 minutes!〛
〚The Mugeuk Stat has temporarily transcended its grade!〛
The power that had been stolen from me felt like a distant memory, as an overwhelming and violent force surged through my entire body.
“So this… is the power of an F-grade Mugeuk?”
I could see it. I could see how the Sphinx’s leg was going to attack me.
I could feel it. As its leg came inches away from my head, I instinctively twisted my body to the side, narrowly avoiding its attack. It was the ultimate evasion, executed with perfect precision.
My body’s control soared to an extreme level, guiding me towards optimal movements. Despite never having formal training in swordsmanship, my blade naturally aimed for the opponent’s weak points.
—”Argh! How! How can you possess so much overwhelming power, you wretched human!?”
Even as it screamed in desperation, my sword never faltered. To preserve this sensation, this clarity, I continued to attack the Sphinx, losing myself in the rhythm of the battle.
Slash… Thud!
Finally, when the enormous Sphinx fell to the ground, only three minutes remained for me.
—”This… cannot… be… I… am… a creation… of the sun… How… could the sun… lose its light…?”
Bleeding golden blood from its entire body, the Sphinx, who had awoken from an age-old seal only a few hours ago, had not foreseen its end. It died while praying to the sky, unable to comprehend its fate.
“Spit! Damn bastard.”
Leaving it behind, I kicked Kang Cheol-woo, who was choking Seo Mina, sending him flying.
“I’m so sick of you people.”
“Ugh! You, you damn bastard! How dare someone like you attack me!”
Thud!
“Yeah, I did. What are you gonna do about it, you piece of trash?”
“Sphinx! What are you doing, hurry and…?”
Kang Cheol-woo, who had been screaming in anger at the Sphinx, froze in place.
“How… how could this be? This, this shouldn’t be happening. I… I sacrificed a Unique-grade item for this! You, you weren’t supposed to be like this! I even helped you regain the authority of the sun that you cherished so much! You said that once you recovered some divinity, you’d be invincible!”
Desperation and disbelief filled his voice as he turned to face me, trembling, and stepped back in terror.
“It seems my ties with you and the company refuse to be severed. I would have come for you eventually, but you just had to bring yourself to me, didn’t you?”
“W-wait! Please, spare me!”
“I’m not killing you just yet. Let’s start with some payback.”
With two minutes left, I spent one of them thoroughly breaking every bone in Kang Cheol-woo’s body. I snapped his arms, twisted his legs, broke his fingers, and pulled out all his teeth.
Some might consider it cruel, but compared to what I suffered before regression… this was nothing but a drop in the ocean.
Looking back, the fact that I survived back then was simply incredible.
“Ugh… ah…!”
Leaving the whimpering Kang Cheol-woo, whose jaw was too broken to speak, I walked toward the fallen Sphinx.
—Cough! “Ha ha… Have you come to finish me off? Go ahead, take my life and claim the black sun. Yes… now I remember. Why I was sealed here… why that damned god Atum gave me his power.”
Seeing the Sphinx, whose will to live had utterly faded in such a short time, I made an offer.
“I’ll spare you.”
—”…What foolishness is this?”
“Transfer the black sun’s curse to that bastard instead.”
—”…Ha ha ha. Humans truly are amusing creatures. But I refuse. I have no desire to keep on living.”
So it’s not possible. I looked up at the black sun, which seemed to call out that time was up, and nodded.
“That’s unfortunate. Then I’ll kill you and move on to the next floor. I’ll conquer this hidden stage.”
As I was about to thrust my sword into its neck, the Sphinx suddenly spoke.
—”Wait! W-wait a moment. You… can you swear to me?”
“Swear to what?”
—”Can you swear that you will fully conquer this pyramid? Swear it in the name of the sun!”
“Of course. I will definitely conquer this pyramid. That’s why I keep moving forward, even after all this backstabbing nonsense.”
—”… Very well. I accept your proposal.”
The Sphinx’s golden eyes turned pitch black for a moment, and the black sun that had been hovering over me disappeared instantly, reappearing above the fallen and twitching Kang Cheol-woo.
“Good choice.”
I took out the best potion from my inventory and poured it into the Sphinx’s mouth.
Shiiiing!
The wounds began to heal gradually, but not enough for it to move yet.
“I’ve spared your life. The rest is up to you to heal.”
— “You damn human… Fine. Once you ‘fully’ conquer the seventh floor, my status and strength will be restored anyway. Keep your oath. Damn human, you must conquer it completely!”
“I get it, I get it. Just sit tight and stay out of my way; I’ve got work to do.”
Leaving the Sphinx behind, I took out another potion from my inventory and poured it over the collapsed Kang Cheol-woo.
As the potion hit him, his wounds healed rapidly—but not completely. It was as if his bones only partially mended, his teeth grew back halfway, and his fingers only partially recovered, leaving him in an even more grotesque state.
“You… son of a b—”
“You still have the energy to curse? I guess I can keep beating you.”
The reason I poured the potion on him was simple. While I couldn’t return all the misfortune, pain, and despair he inflicted on me before regression, I wanted him to feel at least a portion of it as he faced his inevitable death slowly.
I told Seo Mina to rest while I beat, stabbed, and shattered Kang Cheol-woo’s body for quite a while.
“Agh… Ack…!”
After ten minutes, with a brief, pained gasp, he took his final breath. It was the moment I severed one of the most persistent bad ties.
〚The Curse of Misfortune rages, furious at its failure despite using tremendous power.〛
〚But having exhausted all its strength, it cannot exert any further influence!〛
With Kang Cheol-woo’s death, a message filled with the fury of Misfortune appeared, as if declaring the end of everything.
“So then…?!”
〚Stat: Perseverance commends you for overcoming immense misfortune!〛
〚Stat Perseverance has increased by 15!〛
〚You have earned 15 bonus points!〛
As expected, Perseverance rewarded me with a smile so wide it felt like my face might split.
“All points to increase Mugeuk stat!”
Whirrr!
With the Mugeuk stat rising by a full 15 points, the lingering sense of loss from using Equivalent Exchange faded slightly, and a satisfying strength filled my body.
— “Hurry up and conquer this pyramid! Are you planning to break your promise?!”
“What are you on about? You didn’t keep your promise to Kang Cheol-woo either, so who are you to preach?”
— “Grrr! Are you really planning to break it?!”
“I’ll rest before I continue, so don’t waste your energy. You’ll die if you keep this up.”
— “…Fair enough. If it’s you, you might be able to clear the upper floors. But don’t get cocky. The one above is far more radiant and formidable than I ever was. If the skills you’ve shown are all you’ve got… you’ll die on the seventh floor.”
The Sphinx’s ominous warning sent a chill through me, and I quickly sank into deep thought.
‘Judging by the feel of things, this pyramid ends at the seventh floor.’
Which means, the true master of this pyramid must be on the seventh floor.
And if a being once of Legendary rank like the Sphinx shows such reverence, practically worshipping them…
‘The Sun.’
That being it spoke of constantly. But I don’t feel fear. The me now is very different from the me a moment ago.
Suppressing my pounding heart, I hurriedly checked my inventory. With a full 10 points added to the Mugeuk stat, I couldn’t help but anticipate the rewards.
〚Congratulations! You have achieved 10% ownership of the Golden Tower!〛
〚From now on, you can withdraw Purple Coins, [Common F-~High F+] Magic Stones, Pure Gold Ingots, and all Common-rank items without limit!〛
〚Some high-grade items have been unlocked! You may withdraw up to 5.〛
So far, this was as expected—a reward too perfect to be true.
But the next message left me stunned.
〚With 10% ownership of the Golden Tower, your Authority level has increased to 2!〛
〚Meeting the conditions, the second floor: Armory of Relics has been unlocked!〛
〚You have acquired the Authority item: Manbyun!〛
As a small bracelet fastened itself to my wrist.
〚You can project any Common-rank relics present on the second floor into Manbyun for use!〛
〚You can project up to five high-grade or lower relics into Manbyun for use.〛
〚As a special perk, you may project any one item without restrictions for 10 minutes.〛
Another treasure trove had just revealed itself to me.
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