Chapter 182: Dokkaebi Gamtu

As planned, my party successfully climbed to the 69th floor of the Tower.

Attacking five floors at once was a task that demanded immense fatigue, even if one drank potions.

Should I expect nothing less from Rankers?

Everyone’s mental strength was considerable.

They maintained a tight tension until the conquest of the 69th floor was finished.

There were suggestions to gain confidence and conquer the 70th floor as well, but I shook my head.

The 65th floor was bypassed well with a trick, but the 70th floor would be truly difficult.

Therefore, we had to stop and reorganize first.

Even if they didn’t show it, a lot of fatigue must have accumulated.

“Shall I handle the outside work as well?”

I didn’t feel much fatigue.

Unlike the Rankers who had to directly face the enemy with swords and constantly use skills to attack.

I had only been in the back, pulling the trigger of the Crossbow and throwing out a few pieces of advice and warnings.

Moreover, as my level rose, I was transcending physical fatigue.

Unless it’s an extreme situation, I’m perfectly fine even if I only sleep for an hour in bed.

Of course, the power of my SSS-Grade pajamas and SSS-Grade bed played a part in this.

“Whew.”

After a simple meal and catching my breath.

I took out the item I had been agonizing over.

[Dokkaebi King’s Soul Fragment]

The first SSS-Grade item I obtained.

I was quite worried about what to make with this.

Is it a Blacksmith’s intuition?

No matter how much I thought about it, it didn’t seem like there was a grade higher than Legendary Grade.

Even if I made an item with this, it felt like it would just end with a slightly better Legendary Grade item.

That would be too disappointing.

Thinking that, what came to mind was…

‘Myth Creation.’

My exclusive job skill.

No, Blaze’s ability.

It was Myth Creation.

EX-grade items made with Myth Creation can, from experience, create a strength that transcends grades.

Doesn’t Durandal already possess a power stronger than Legendary Grade Equipment?

So, I judged that making an EX-grade item with Myth Creation would be more beneficial than making a Legendary Grade item with this.

[Using Crafting Skill.]

And, while conquering the Tower with the Rankers, I thought about an item that would go well with the Dokkaebi King’s Soul Fragment.

Due to the nature of the Myth Creation skill, the success probability increases only if you make an item that matches the material. 

In that sense, the item I thought of was…

[Please select the form of the item to be produced.]

“Dokkaebi Gamtu.”

[Implementing ‘Dokkaebi Gamtu’.]

[Please select the material for the 

Dokkaebi Gamtu.]

It was the Dokkaebi Gamtu.

Actually, I didn’t know if this was right.

Since the Dokkaebi Gamtu was known as an object that only possessed the ability of invisibility.

However, my intuition was nodding that this was correct.

Besides, Dokkaebi itself is a Monster called the ‘Dokkaebi King’, so if I use the Soul Fragment of Dokkaebi…

[Satisfaction 95%]

[Success Probability 91%]

I thought it would surely show a high probability of success.

But, I didn’t execute it immediately.

A 9% failure chance is also dangerous.

If the item were to break with a 9% probability, it would be like blowing away the precious SSS-Grade material I first obtained.

So I used the White Feather Fan to judge the success.

[White Feather Fan]

Fortunately, the White Feather Fan showed me a positive future.

[Would you like to start Production?]

“Clang!”

I immediately swung my hammer and began item Production.

“Wow, this is no joke.”

The first time using SSS-Grade material.

As expected, the points are incredibly hard.

It was a hardness that would have made me give up and postpone it in the past but, I haven’t just been sitting still until now.

Climbing the Tower, blocking Monster waves, and making countless items, my skills as a Blacksmith have increased rapidly.

To someone like me…

“Clang!”

“Cr-crack-“

Even if it’s SSS-Grade material, it can be sufficiently processed.

As I swung the hammer with more force, the points cracked and split open.

“Cling-“

The points breaking away.

Smiling at this, I swung the hammer even more vigorously.

The pleasure of the hard points unique to SSS-Grade material breaking in my hands is transmitted through the hammer and spreads throughout my body through my fingertips.

An item made of SSS-Grade material.

What kind of amazing item will be made?

Before making the item, I was worried about what to do if a Gamtu with only the ability of invisibility was made but now I could know for sure.

The item I’m making now is definitely not such a simple item.

“Clang!”

With that, the last point broke away.

[Dokkaebi Gamtu]

Form: Mask, Hat

Grade: EX

Restrictions: Level 340 or higher, one recognized by Vulcanus

Description: A Dokkaebi Gamtu imbued with the power of Dueoksini, the Dokkaebi King.

Abilities: 

1. Attraction – Use attraction to reach the enemy quickly, significantly increasing the attack power of the next attack.

2. Repulsion – Use repulsion to quickly move away from the enemy and enter an invisible state.

3. Dokkaebi Phantom – Create a phantom to reproduce the wearer’s attacks and movements. It reproduces everything, including the wearer’s attack power and item abilities.

4. Dokkaebi Illusion – Enter the ‘Illusion’ state to evade all enemy attacks.

5. Dokkaebification – As the battle lengthens, the Dokkaebi mask becomes angry, and as the anger rises, Dokkaebification occurs to gain stronger spiritual power.

“Yeah, this is it.”

I was able to create equipment using SSS-Grade material.

As expected, the produced Dokkaebi Gamtu was not just a Dokkaebi’s toy with transparency abilities.

The Dokkaebi Gamtu of the Dokkaebi King.

It can approach or move away from enemies using the power of attraction and repulsion that Dueoksini used, and can make additional attacks with phantoms or avoid all attacks with illusions.

Above all, the Gamtu is connected to a mask and has the effect of being strengthened by Dokkaebification according to the appearance of the mask, so it seemed perfect for the Shadow King, who possesses the ability called ‘Dark Persona’.

“She’ll use it well, right?”

I couldn’t even rest, and it’s already time for the next Tower climbing appointment.

Imagining putting the Dokkaebi Gamtu on the Shadow King and climbing the Tower, I lay down on the bed thinking I should lie down for just an hour.

Whether it was a blessing or a curse, thanks to the Dokkaebi that appeared in my dream, I woke up early and was able to enter the Tower without being late.

***

“Wow, Master! Hurray!”

“You mean it’s an EX-grade item?”

“An item made from the material obtained by defeating that Dokkaebi…”

“A-hem. We are…”

“As I said, we’re short on materials and time right now. I’ll make sure to make them for you once we’re ready.”

“Thank you!” 

The Shadow King, An So-hee, received the Dokkaebi Gamtu as soon as they entered the Tower.

She immediately tried exchanging her Equipment.

The mask and hat she was currently wearing were also made by Vulcanus, but they couldn’t be compared to an EX-grade item.

“Dokkaebi mask! Very satisfied!”

I don’t know exactly what the Dark Persona ability is, but she really liked the Dokkaebi mask attached to the Dokkaebi Gamtu.

Even though she couldn’t replace her entire body armor with Legendary Grade like the Sword Saint, the EX-grade item had value beyond that.

No matter what anyone said, this Dokkaebi Gamtu was what was made with the Soul Fragment of Dokkaebi, the world’s first SSS-Grade material obtained.

“If everyone is ready, we will start the Trial immediately.”

“Yes!”

[Starting the Trial of the 70th floor.]

[70th Floor: Lord of Death]

A Trial that looks particularly wide compared to other trials.

After the Tower appeared in reality and the difficulty increased, it was the first ‘Boss Monster-level Trial’ they encountered.

The Trial of the 70th floor began.

Before even worrying about what the Lord of Death meant while reading the trial name.

The voice of the ‘Lord of Death’ echoed throughout the 70th floor.

“Pitiful mortals have come all the way here, defying the death they deserve.”

A human figure floating in the sky.

An Undead… wrapping its body in a black cloak and holding high a Staff with a black skull.

The black magical power emanating from that body looked exactly like death energy, which could be called the aura of death itself.

And, the Rankers who reached this place could immediately recognize the identity of that existence.

“Arch Lich.”

A mage who transcended death, a Lich.

Among them, the true mage of death who reached beyond transcended death, the Arch Lich.

Fitting for that name, ten Liches floated up below the Arch Lich and mimicked the Arch Lich’s movements.

One Arch Lich and ten Liches.

As the eleven mages of death simultaneously chanted death spells.

“Guaaaaaa-.”

The entire Trial on the 70th floor began to teem with Undead Monsters.

The number of Undead was so great that it created the illusion that the entire 70th floor was wriggling and surging like a wave.

In that cruel wave of death.

“Commence battle!”

Vulcanus’s party clashed with the Undead.

In fact, dealing with the Undead itself was not that difficult.

Even the strongest individual among the Undead was at a level where it was hard to face Vulcanus’s soldiers one-on-one.

The problem was.

“These things, they keep coming back to life!”

“Damn it, my arrows aren’t working.”

“Guaaaaaa!”

The point was that these Undead simply ‘did not die’.

An Undead that approached while waving its arms as if it didn’t care even though its head was blown off by Cheon Seung-heon’s arrow.

An Undead that approached by wriggling its severed limbs like a caterpillar.

Even as time passed, the debris on the floor joined together and the Undead’s body was even regenerated.

This was ‘Death’.

Death could no longer be killed or defeated.

The Vulcanus party had to face death until they collapsed from exhaustion in front of that persistent death.

However, all the Vulcanus party members were just calmly dealing with the Undead.

Even if the Undead rose again and their bodies joined together, they didn’t care and calmly blocked the attacks.

Occasionally checking the Undead floating in the sky and raising the other Undead.

Why was that?

In front of an army of death that could never be defeated, how could they be so calm?

The Arch Lich, who was looking down at the mortals from the air, could not know the reason.

Meanwhile.

“Thwack.”

“Ack!”

Suddenly, one of the Liches in the air screamed and fell down.

From the falling Lich’s bosom, the Life Vessel, which could be called the Lich’s heart, was spewing out accumulated magical power.

“Who…!”

But, it’s strange.

No matter how much it turned its head, the one who defeated the Lich was not seen.

It was the same even when it operated its magical power.

In the meantime. snother Lich lost its Life Vessel and fell to the ground.

“Ugh!”

It’s bizarre.

It was clearly looking for the culprit, but it couldn’t find the culprit among them.

Then, for a very brief moment.

In a moment that wasn’t even a second, when everyone’s gaze dropped.

“Thwack!”

“Aaaagh!”

Another Lich falls to the ground.

Already three Liches have fallen.

Then, the death magic circle maintained by the eleven Liches broke, and the battlefield below became precarious.

The fallen Zombie did not rise again, and the Ghoul with severed limbs could no longer move its body whose death energy was cut off.

The Undead’s bodies did not regenerate even after time passed another Lich falls.

“What mortal dares to resist immortality!”

The Arch Lich grew angry and spewed out death energy.

There is no space to avoid.

An explosion of death energy where no blind spot exists.

It’s an attack that consumes a massive amount of death energy, but it should be able to identify the enemy’s identity with this.

No, rather than just identifying the identity, it should be able to erode the hidden enemy with death energy.

At that time an illusion of something was seen scattering.

The moment the Arch Lich’s gaze moved toward that illusion.

“Hello?”

“Stab!”

“Ugh!”

A mortal who appeared suddenly.

The Shadow King, An So-hee, drove a dagger into the Arch Lich’s heart.

However, the Arch Lich is an existence that has even overcome the limitation of the ‘Life Vessel’.

It has no weaknesses.

“You mortal…!”

How she avoided the death energy explosion.

And how she approached is unknown, but the Arch Lich calmly created hundreds of bone spears and fired them at the Shadow King.

However the Shadow King’s body rapidly moved away and her figure disappeared once again.

“Swish.”

Thinking it wouldn’t be caught twice, the Arch Lich looked around with black spheres created by concentrating death energy.

“Slash-“

The black wall was split so easily.

“You shouldn’t hide.”

The Shadow King’s Dokkaebi mask, distorted like a malevolent deity, popped out.