133 – The Kingdom Where the Sun Does Not Rise – 3

—I-I can’t keep my balance!

—How could such a disaster set foot in Wallachia—argh!

If it had been merely at the level of setting their bodies on fire, the high-ranking vampires would not have fallen so unsightly.

However, Tilla’s authority was one that manifested by consuming the mana of the target set on fire, specialized in stopping the enemy’s movements.

Gi-jun, seeing through what authority Tilla had used in an instant, could not help but be bewildered.

‘Was Flame Eyes something that Flame Humans naturally handled too?!’

Of course, it was an authority so great that it felt embarrassing to compare it to the Flame Eyes Gi-jun could use—the Fierce Flame Eyes—but the essence was the same.

At this point, it meant that the spirit boy had known about Flame Humans from the moment he first made this mask.

‘By any chance, do you know anything about Flame Humans, Ur?’

—Keehee?

‘Right, right. You might not know.’

Gi-jun had asked Ur just in case, but on second thought, since Ur was said to have been asleep for a long time after being deeply wounded, it was not strange that the ghosts he created had a better grasp of the continent.

—Kyaaaaak!

—F-Fire! That cursed thing resembling the sun!

Tilla’s Divine Flame Eyes did not just burn the target’s mana, but also included the ability to pressure the target with a high-grade power unique to her.

As it was an amazing authority, the mana she consumed was not insignificant, but since some low-grade vampires and a significant number of ghouls were turned directly into ashes, she had gained an overwhelming advantage.

“Now! Go inside!”

Admiring the spectacle Tilla had created was only brief; the assault team did not miss the opening she made and charged toward the castle.

The commotion caused by the vampires whose wings were burning falling to the ground unable to control their bodies was extremely short, but it was also a sufficiently long time for superhumans.

—B-Block them! It is an order directly handed down by the Lord of Thorns! If we fail to carry it out, he will not forgive us!

—We cannot let such filthy things into the Tower of Eternal Night…!

—Lord of Thorns!

“There is no eternal night anywhere on the continent—. Morning will come!”

—Boom! Charging more bravely than anyone, Fatum finally smashed the castle gate with his aura-clad greatsword.

Although the castle gate, which was layered with dozens of protective magic circles, was not something that could be split with a single blow no matter how strong Fatum was, the situation was different now that Kudlak’s Unique Territory could not exert its power.

The sight of the dark hall was clearly exposed through the space where the greatsword had smashed through.

The moment after the party boldly threw themselves inside, the castle gate and the part of the wall that Fatum had split apart were restored as if time were rewinding, trapping them inside the castle.

—You have entered the [Castle of the Lord of Thorns]. No one can leave this place without the permission of the castle’s master.

—This is a highly dangerous area. The castle where legends breathe will deny all the common sense you know and plunge you into confusion and fear.

—[Unfailing Body Clock (L)] strongly resists physical and mental interference.

—You have successfully resisted all curses and debuffs inflicted by the Castle of the Lord of Thorns. A highly positive modifier is applied to the [The Last Hero (L)] and [Vampire Hunter (R)] titles, as well as the [Adamant (L)], [Salutaris (L)], and [Unfailing Body Clock (L)] skills!

—You have entered the [Castle of the Lord of Thorns]. No one can leave this place without the permission of the castle’s master.

—This is a highly dangerous area. The castle where legends breathe will deny all the common sense you know and plunge you into confusion and fear.

—[Unfailing Body Clock (L)] strongly resists physical and mental interference.

—You have successfully resisted all curses and debuffs inflicted by the Castle of the Lord of Thorns. A highly positive modifier is applied to the [The Last Hero (L)] and [Vampire Hunter (R)] titles, as well as the [Adamant (L)], [Salutaris (L)], and [Unfailing Body Clock (L)] skills!

As soon as he entered the castle, a decent regional buff came along with the messages filling his vision.

Most of the abilities Gi-jun needed to deal with vampires had received modifiers.

‘I can only estimate roughly… but is it at least 20% or more?’

Starting from the tutorial, his unique skill truly gave him immense help.

However, unlike Gi-jun, who was smiling, the other assault team members were suffering.

“Geuk— Della? No, Della is already dead… Illusion! I must have fallen into an illusion. But Della!”

“Where is this place? Until just a moment ago, I was fighting those vampires…”

“Everyone, pull yourselves together! If you lose your minds to this level of illusion, how can we execute the Lord of Thorns!”

“His Highness the Crown Prince is in danger! Ch-Charge! Charge, I said!”

This was a total mess.

It was a situation where Gi-jun could not afford to feel relieved just because he alone was safe.

Lucy, who was specialized in removing such status ailments, was currently with Ye-min, so he could not borrow her power.

As he checked his party members in distress, surprisingly, they were all safe.

“Is everyone okay?”

“Yes, it doesn’t seem to affect me.”

“Me too… Perhaps the power of silver is purifying it.”

“It is a poisonous and thick darkness. If I hadn’t crossed the wall yet, it might have been dangerous.”

Come to think of it, the party members Gi-jun had assembled were all specialists in dealing with vampires.

But it was a bit strange that even Ji-hye, who was excluded from that category, had her eyes wide open.

“Ji-hye, are you really okay too?”

“No need to beat around the bush, Oppa. I can tell you are asking ‘Why is she okay?’ with your eyes right now.”

“Hey, watch your phrasing.”

“But seriously, why? It just suddenly popped up that I succeeded in resisting.”

Ji-hye, who had also swept through the entire second round of the tutorial with Ye-min and gathered all the necessary skills, possessed a skill to resist status ailments.

The problem was that it was only a Rare-grade skill, so her resistance was likely inferior, not superior, compared to the other assault team members gathered here…

“Jun, what is that shining in your chest?”

“My chest?”

Gi-jun, checking his chest, soon realized what was inside.

It was the holy relic—no, the Fragment of Unique Territory.

When he had previously acquired it, Glittertoss had told him that he would need to carry it close to his body to charge it with mana, a sort of taming process, before he could use it. Therefore, he had kept it in his chest rather than in his inventory.

‘Did this activate just now?’

In the past, he had not even dared to handle this.

Then, as they went through Tilla’s trial together, he had learned some of the tricks to protect himself in others, or in any giant situational changes or flows—and through that, he felt he could manage the Fragment of Unique Territory just a little.

But it had suddenly activated, and it probably protected Ji-hye.

‘The power I have that can protect Ji-hye.’

Needless to say.

Unfailing Body Clock.

This unique skill had expanded its target through the Fragment of Unique Territory he possessed and protected Ji-hye!

“You are wearing a very good smile, Jun. Did you gain some realization?”

“Probably. I think I have figured out how to handle the most powerful shield I have.”

Right, there was no need to think of the term ‘Unique Territory’ too difficultly.

Extending an ability that was originally limited only to oneself to affect others—that was the true identity of a Unique Territory.

‘Too bad, Unlimited Blade Works is impossible.’

Gi-jun cast away the scene he had secretly dreamed of since the moment he obtained the Fragment of Unique Territory without any regrets.

Instead, he had become able to do something far more amazing than that, so there was nothing to regret.

‘Then, starting immediately with the other assault team members.’

Gi-jun was about to test his realization, but he was not the only owner of a holy relic.

Fatum, who had already raised his greatsword, shouted in a brave voice.

“There is no need to listen to the voices of others I know! All who follow my command, shake off the delusion!”

As a brilliant light erupted from the greatsword, the movements of everyone enveloped by it stopped as if a pause button had been pressed, and they soon collapsed weakly on the spot.

Because the debuff dominating the castle was too strong, even if they shook it off with Fatum’s power, they could not recover the energy already consumed.

“To think we are in this state just by entering the castle… I don’t even want to imagine what it would have been like if the Unique Territory were intact.”

“Damn it, cowardly and filthy vampire bastards…!”

“Conversely, that is why this is the optimal time to bring down Kudlak.”

Shouting cheerfully as if to boost the courage of the discouraged assault team members, Fatum looked at them one by one. Although he was quite surprised to see the Lumen party completely fine without a single person affected, he raised his greatsword, pointed it forward, and shouted.

“From now on, all of us will only think about taking the head of this castle’s master! We will break the deadlock that has lasted for decades, and the Light Faction will finally take a great step forward!”

“Uwoooooo!”

The people shouted energetically in agreement with Fatum’s words to drive away the fear lingering in their hearts.

As the assault team, having finally gained the courage to move forward again, formed a formation and advanced through the hall, Gi-jun suddenly felt concerned about the situation outside the castle.

“Setting aside the ghouls, shouldn’t those vampires who rushed out of the castle earlier come back in to block us?”

“Perhaps they are unable to enter again? Since they fell so pathetically as soon as they rushed out of the castle to catch us, if I were the Lord of Thorns, I would never forgive them.”

Gi-jun nodded, naturally convinced by Tilla’s words.

Indeed, it was exactly the kind of thought and behavior that vain vampires would exhibit.

But since Tilla, the very person who had set the vampires on fire and caused them to fall, was saying this, he felt a bit strange.

“Lora, what about Carmilla?”

“She is quite high up. Guessing from her location… there is no point in searching this wide hallway.”

Lora’s gaze was fixed on the ceiling the entire time.

As if the person existing beyond it was continuously calling out to her.

Hearing that, Fatum nodded and cheerfully raised his greatsword again.

“We did not come to explore the castle. Priest, show me the direction we need to go, and I will carve a path there.”

Kwang!

As soon as the words left his mouth, Fatum swung his greatsword, bringing down the ceiling.

Disregarding the darkness extending beyond it, Fatum swung his greatsword again to fire aura, attempting to smash the ceiling of the next floor as well—but at that moment, a dark red energy gathered on the ceiling, forming a grid-like net barrier that blocked the aura.

“A barrier. As expected, going up is the correct answer.”

“No, Fatum—you lose your head when dealing with the Dark Faction!”

Mumbling indifferently, Fatum leaped up to the floor above.

As Lectus followed him in surprise, the remaining assault team members and the Lumen party also leaped in turn to the floor he was on…

“Oppa, take me with you! It is a waste to use mana on something like this!”

“Ji-hye, your Strength is Uncommon now, and you can’t even do a single jump?”

“I never practiced high jumping! Are you really going to say something so hurtful to a clumsy person?”

Carrying Ji-hye like a piece of luggage, Gi-jun was the last to leap beyond the collapsed ceiling.

The moment he landed, the collapsed ceiling—no, the hallway that was now the floor—was cleanly closed off.

It was a rather effective psychological attack.

“Ha, trying to play with us?”

“Stimulating a person’s negative emotions and manipulating them as they wish—that is the essence of a vampire. Do not pay it any mind.”

And the fact that they pulled such a trick meant—as expected.

“There is no reason to treat those who fail to show manners as guests. I shall naturally return to you exactly what you have brought!”

Despite the Hero of Light and a Legendary-grade Flame Human being present, the voice was incredibly leisurely, proving the opponent’s high status.

Along with a bloody mist spreading thickly in all directions, a powerful rotting smell that made their minds reel wafted out.

The group took up combat stances all at once upon seeing the vampire dressed in a frock coat that had appeared before their eyes—but.

—[Unfailing Body Clock (L)] strongly resists physical and mental interference.

—Resistance successful!

—[Unfailing Body Clock (L)] strongly resists physical and mental interference.

—Resistance successful!

After a powerful mana seemed to swirl around the area, the only ones remaining in the room in the next instant were the Lumen party and Fatum.

Although the group was dumbfounded by the sudden change, the vampire actually showed a more surprised look than them.

“What? Resisted his authority? How!”

“They seem to be aiming to divide and conquer.”

A trap had been activated.

The trigger was probably Fatum breaking the ceiling.

There were quite a few traps based on the concept of retribution, which screwed over the target in exchange for their actions; since conditions existed, their effects when triggered were extraordinary.

The vampire probably wanted to leave only Fatum here, but Gi-jun had already bounced back the debuff earlier.

The Lumen party must have remained due to his presence.

Quickly grasping the situation, Fatum drew his greatsword.

“I do not like fighting together—but since we need to save the others, we must hurry. Will you lend me your strength?”

“Of course.”

“Ha, you really are troublesome. Do not think that just because your numbers have slightly increased, you can easily overcome an elite of the Dragon Knights—a legend!”

A bloody mist spread thickly in all directions.

Ghouls rose one by one from the blood-soaked floor.

Although a wave of nausea rose at the sight of them approaching while making bizarre noises—with stakes driven into various parts of their bodies, making them look repulsive even if they just stood still.

“Let’s hurry.”

“Yes.”

Fatum swung his greatsword, and Tilla sparked flames.

Gi-jun stepped forward between them, quietly raising his shield.

And his body flashed intensely.