[The 'Black Hound' reveals its presence.]
[On behalf of Egyptian mythology, a suggestion will be made.]
The Black Hound was merely a title.
It was Anubis.
After his humiliation on the underground level of the 1st floor, he had remained silent. For him to appear now…
'Interesting.'
Jin-hyuk looked up at the sky while holding the flag with one hand. They must have been watching him from the moment he entered the colony.
No—perhaps from the moment he stepped onto the 4th floor itself.
"Tell me if you're listening."
[The Black Hound roars loudly.]
Anubis made no effort to hide his displeasure as he asserted his presence and released divine energy.
Kukuku!
The air trembled as unstable magic surged outward.
Of course, it was nothing more than a threat.
This wasn't a floor under divine control.
So what could they do besides snarl and curse?
"Huh? Angry? Should I just pull this out? Do you still care?"
Jin-hyuk tightened his grip on the flag.
The flag lifted slightly.
At once, the divine pressure vanished.
[The Black Hound is incredibly flustered.]
[He asks you to calm down.]
[They say they still want to see a proper end to the fight.]
"I know. That's why you intervened."
For beings that dominated the upper floors of the Tower, it was unacceptable that the 4th floor could be cleared without a proper boss battle.
The outcome was obvious—they didn't want to see a human walk away victorious so easily.
But that was their problem.
"Why should I accept your suggestion?"
Jin-hyuk snorted.
There was no reason to fight when the result was already decided.
[The Black Hound is…]
"Ah, don't bother making cheap threats. Honestly, even if a god at your level barked for a hundred days, I wouldn't care."
If anything, he'd rather have Anubis come down and speak face-to-face.
"If you want to negotiate, offer something. Something that might make me change my mind about fighting the queen."
The terms were clear.
The status window froze.
Ten seconds passed.
[The Black Hound says that if you agree to the fight, he will present you with the 'Jackal's Tooth'.]
Jin-hyuk's eyes narrowed.
He had expected this.
The Jackal's Tooth increased attack speed by 10%.
Despite upgrade restrictions, it had an A-rank effect—practically S-rank in real combat.
Enough to be tempting.
But—
"I'm greedy."
Jin-hyuk smiled.
"Give me all the teeth. And add something else. Then I'll think about it."
[The Black Hound is incredibly shocked.]
[He asks how you know about the teeth.]
The most valuable were the molars.
Unlike the others, they boosted attack speed by 20%, with a rare molar reaching 30%.
They were among Anubis' greatest treasures.
"You don't need to know how I know. Will you accept the condition or not?"
[The Black Hound asks what the second condition is.]
"There's a B-rank item called White Twig. I want it. And everything must be paid in advance."
White Twigs were mainly medicinal and unobtainable on the 4th floor.
To Anubis, they were nothing more than trash.
[The Black Hound accepts your offer.]
[The contract has been established.]
[The Black Hound will provide the promised items immediately. Player Kang Jin-hyuk will not draw the flag until the fight with the queen is complete.]
Wooong!
Sharp molars and pale white twigs materialized before him.
…Got him.
Jin-hyuk bit his lip.
This arrogant god truly believed everyone else was beneath him.
Soon, he would regret it.
Kwang!
The ground cracked as black smoke surged through the colony.
"No way… did you kill the guardian too?"
Pendariel stared at the ashes of the Butcher.
It had expected Jin-hyuk to arrive.
But not like this.
At this point, Pendariel acknowledged the truth.
This wasn't a worm to crush.
This was an enemy worth facing seriously.
Step.
Pendariel rushed toward the chamber.
The flag remained untouched.
"You didn't pull it. Pull it. Victory is yours."
"I will. But it was boring."
Jin-hyuk shrugged.
"B-boring? With me standing here?"
Cold fury rippled outward.
Jin-hyuk's skin prickled.
Boss-class magic was terrifying.
'Fighting her at this level… thrilling.'
No player could defeat the queen in a fair duel.
Normally, a one-on-one fight was impossible.
But—
Thanks to the contract—
A player capable of killing the Mother of the Dead was about to be born.
Kak!
Jin-hyuk cut the Butcher's scissors in half.
Only the right blade remained—now resembling a sickle.
"And now…"
He took a step forward.
"Fuse Jackal's Tooth with Scissors Infused with Spirit."
Fusion.
His unique ability.
The power he believed was the ultimate tool for climbing the Tower.
[Fusion Successful!]
[Scythe That Cuts Cause and Effect has been completed!]
[Scythe That Cuts Cause and Effect
Acquisition Difficulty: Unknown
Description: A relic born from divine judgment.
You can kill that which cannot die and cut that which cannot be cut.]
[System warning: An inappropriate relic has appeared on the 4th floor.]
[This item may be used only once.]
Kukuku!
A bizarre light wrapped around the scythe.
'Only once…'
Jin-hyuk clicked his tongue.
He had expected at least two or three uses.
Reality was harsher than the game.
Still—
'One is enough.'
One fatal strike.
That was all he needed.
[The Black Hound is watching!]
[The Gods of Egypt cannot easily accept this situation!]
Status windows flooded in, betraying their panic.
"That weapon… how?"
Even Pendariel recoiled.
None of the individual items could harm her.
But fused—
Everything changed.
"This… cannot be."
"You bastard. Who are you?"
Pendariel roared.
Psssss!
Dark energy expanded outward.
A defensive response.
"At least I know you're scared."
"What?!"
"You're like a hedgehog lashing out because it's afraid."
"Ahhh! You damned human!"
Kwakwakwang!
Corrosive energy devoured air and land alike.
Jin-hyuk moved calmly.
[Unique ability 'Mandala' activated.]
A golden film enveloped him.
Darkness met gold—
Smoke rose.
"My power… isn't working?"
"There's no such thing as invincible power."
Realizing her mistake, Pendariel condensed the energy.
It formed a two-meter-long blade.
Kwakwag!
The ground split apart.
"If it doesn't hit, it's meaningless."
Jin-hyuk predicted every swing.
Sword Grave.
Blessing of the Stars.
To create a single opening—
He had to drain her strength.
Kwang!
Kakakang!
Sparks flew as he pressed forward relentlessly.
Slowly—
Pendariel was cornered.
[Pendariel Lv?? 'Mourning for the Dead' activated!]
Kiiiik!
A wailing scream tore through the air.
"Already the end? I was just getting excited."
"Let's see if you're still smiling."
[First Form]
To send off the dead.
A sword to destroy the dead.
[Eternal Annihilation]
The blade vanished.
Form.
Presence.
Existence.
Everything—
Turned to nothing.
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