The Return of the Iron-blood Sword Hound

Chapter 350: The Key (3)

– [Return Scroll] / Scroll / Grade: ?

A scroll that allows one to return to the tutorial zone once, providing an answer to the question ‘Where do you want to go, my lord?’

*Warning: Using this item will reset your level.*

A one-time item received when leaving the tutorial zone at the very beginning of the tower.

The vast majority of challengers climbing the tower use this scroll early on.

It’s a very useful item when faced with life-threatening crises or missions that seem impossible to clear.

In a way, it’s like the last line of defense that can save your life once.

Tudor, Sancho, Figgy, and Bianca all had surprised expressions.

“Y-You haven’t used this scroll until now?”

“Impressive. I-I used it on the third floor.”

“I used it on the first floor…”

“Ugh! I used it just before dying on the third floor, and I was so frustrated because all the levels I had worked hard to raise were reset!”

Furthermore, the warriors of Ballak also said they had used this scroll before reaching the top-tier strongholds.

Vikir also thought it was time to use this scroll.

“….”

Before tearing the scroll, Vikir noticed the text at the bottom of the item description.

A debuff that resets the level to 1 upon use.

In a situation where life is hanging by a thread, you can’t really complain about such things, but it’s still quite a painful loss.

‘I knew this would happen, so I haven’t raised my level at all and saved up golden candies.’

Vikir picked up the scroll.

Suddenly, he recalled the conversation between Amdusias and Pope before entering the tower.

“You will eventually experience the same ordeal as me. You will deny God, humanity, and yourself three times.”

“Ho ho ho. Yes, you talkative one. It’s true that our Quovadis is the descendants of those who ‘denied God three times’… but there’s more to the story.”

The first disciple who denied Prophet Rune three times before the rooster crowed.

He received the call of the resurrected Rune one day.

After answering three questions, he finally received forgiveness.

And as he turned to leave, he shouted to the departing prophet.

“Quo Vadis, Domine?”

To which the prophet replied.

“…I return to be persecuted once again.”

Vikir reflected on the words written on the scroll.

To return to the beginning once again.

Without hesitation,

Amid the worried gazes of Tudor, Sancho, Figgy, Bianca, and Ahul, among others, Vikir tore the scroll.

Tear—

As the sturdy parchment ripped into two pieces, a brilliant light enveloped Vikir’s entire body.

At that moment.

“Vikir!”

Figgy shouted.

“W-We’ll see you again, right?”

At that moment, Tudor, Sancho, and Bianca, who were beside them, turned their heads as if to say, ‘What nonsense.’

“Of course we will!”

“Vikir never fails.”

“With him, we’ll definitely clear the tower!”

But despite this, Figgy still seemed uneasy.

In Figgy’s trembling pupils, something different was reflected compared to the pupils of the other friends.

And towards such Figgy.

“…Wait and see.”

Vikir left just a short remark with a dry smile.

* * *

Key-ing—

A piercing pain like needles stabbing the eardrums penetrated Vikir’s mind.

With a nauseating vibration, Vikir opened his eyes.

[Underground 1st floor. Tutorial Zone]

Dirty bats were flying around, and the ceiling was slowly descending.

Except for the fact that rats had turned into bats, the scenery was the same as when he first entered the tower.

At that moment.

[Hello?]

Distorted facial features, flesh and organs dripping down, grotesquely dried wings flapping.

[I am the ‘guide’ of the tower.]

The fairy appeared, just like when Vikir first entered the tower.

He mechanically uttered his formal greeting, his lips cracking.

[…Until the bottom floor, a fair game… Huh?]

However, the fairy couldn’t finish his scripted lines.

…Grasp! Bang!

In an instant, Vikir, who had closed the distance, grabbed the fairy with a powerful grip and slammed it to the ground.

The strength bursting out from a power stat of 798 was beyond what even the fairy could ignore.

Moreover.

Splurt!

Vikir deeply thrust the dagger of Baalzepub, stained with Figgy’s blood, into the fairy’s abdomen.

[Uh…uh…uh…?]

The fairy struggled a few times before dying.

With an expression that seemed to disbelieve the situation.

“How does it feel to experience death yourself? Is it enlightening?”

Although the already dead fairy couldn’t respond, Vikir still asked.

Because the faces of the students who unjustly died in the tower, and the faces of the fairies who watched with amusement while chuckling, came to mind.

Eventually, Vikir tossed the fairy’s body aside like trash.

Then he pulled out the pouch that was attached to his waist.

Rustle—

Inside the pouch were golden candies, brimming with sweetness. Vikir swiftly popped them all into his mouth, chewing and swallowing them.

Crunch—Crunch—Crackle!

The hard candy pieces melted in his mouth in an instant.

At the same time, loud notification sounds rang in his ears.

“Warrior Vikir at Level 1 has leveled up!”

“Warrior Vikir at Level 2 has leveled up…”

“Warrior Vikir at Level 3…”

“Warrior Vikir at Level 4…”

Levels skyrocketing at an incredible speed.

Eventually, Vikir’s status window began to change with significant vibrations.

[Vikir]

-LV: 100 (%)

– Titles: ‘Rat Hunter’, ‘Hell’s Dogmaster’, ‘Bloodsoaked Jade flower’s Lumberjack’, ‘Majin Killer’, ‘Executioner of the Shadowless king of the Black Sea’, ‘Demonic Dragon’s Escapee’, ‘Boatman of the River of time’

– Stats

↳ Strength: 1,000 (+98,941) = 99,941

↳ Agility: 1,000 (+98,941) = 99,941

↳ Stamina: 1,000 (+98,941) = 99,941

↳ Physical Resistance: 1,000 (+98,941) = 99,941

↳ Magical Resistance: 1,000 (+98,941) = 99,941

↳ Reflexes: 1,000 (+98,941) = 99,941

Now, there was no need to hold back on levels.

Vikir instantly maxed out his level and returned to the state he was in before entering the tower.

Moreover, the basic stats he had accumulated at Level 1 had skyrocketed along with the level increase, and the same was true for the values of the three special stats that he was not originally born with.

“….!”

Strength. Agility. Stamina. The basic three stats felt much stronger than before entering the tower.

However, compared to the newly developed talents, it was nothing but a side benefit.

Reflexes. Physical resistance. Magical resistance. These three talents were innate abilities that only those favored by gods and the world could possess.

Vikir succeeded in developing them and pushed them to their limits.

What was invisible became visible, and what was inaudible became audible.

This tremendous sensation was something he hadn’t felt even when he first used the eighth style.

‘Now, perhaps…’

Vikir drew his sword.

Swish!

A crimson aura flowed through the blade of Beelzebub.

Eventually, after steadying his breath, Vikir unleashed the ultimate swordsmanship he had honed over the years in the dangerous waters.

Baskerville’s Eighth Style.

Since obtaining the first clue about this swordsmanship, he had made little progress until receiving the blessing of Saint Dolores, after which he was finally able to master it.

Strictly speaking, Vikir’s swordsmanship, which was only at 7.5 styles, finally shone.

…Flash!

Turning Heaven.

Seven giant fangs, and the eighth fang, almost the same size as the others, fiercely tore through the air.

Swish-swish-swish-swish-swish-swish-Boom!

The onslaught swung in eight directions, tearing apart the slowly descending ceiling.

…Thunk!

The ceiling, descending, paused slightly.

Although its movement slowed, it was still descending.

“It’s about as powerful as the Dragon Dragon’s fist I encountered before.”

Vikir quietly watched the tutorial ceiling descending.

Eventually, Figgy’s blood coated the blade of Beelzebub from the leather pouch at his waist.

Swirl!

The newly ignited aura prepared once again to reveal the eight fangs.

A hunting dog. The hunting dog of the Iron Blooded Swordsmen Clan Baskerville. With his fur bristling sharply and a fierce glare his its eyes, he leaped.

Swish-swish-swish-swish-swish-swish-Boom!

The eight sword strikes once again hit the ceiling.

But this time, it was different.

“….!”

Vikir felt an unfamiliar sensation at his fingertips.

It was a sensation of hyper-awareness that he would never have felt if it weren’t for his almost 100,000 Reflexes stat.

It was beyond the ceiling.

Something sinister and ominous lurked above the Underground 1st floor.

“Logically, to clear the tower, one must go further down from the Underground 1st floor.”

Vikir infused even more power into BeeLzebub.

Eventually, the reaction began.

Thunk-thud-thud-thud-thud-thud!

The ceiling, seemingly stopping its descent, soon began to shake violently.

…Crackle-crackle-crackle-crackle-crackle!

And soon, it began to split with tremendous force.

At the same time, a tremendous mana storm began to rage.

A strange heat surged, not only crushing his body with powerful pressure but also boiling the mana within the body, amidst the powerful gusts.

However, Vikir stood firm in that spot, enduring the mana storm.

Neither the pressure to fling his body nor the magical waves that crippled the mana within his body could affect Vikir.

It was because Vikir’s Physical Resistance stat and Magical Resistance stat were unbelievably high.

And Vikir sharply observed through the fierce mana storm pouring through the cracked ceiling gap.

“…The answer is clear.”

The high Reflexes stat allowed him to clearly see beyond the fluctuating winds in real-time.

[‘The Fifth Corpse’ Amdusias]

Threat Level: S+

Size: ?

Location: Depths of the Gate of Doom, ‘Tounge of the Serpent’

– Also known as the ‘Fifth Corpse’.

One of the ten calamities that harvest the lives of those born in that year, not the holy and sacred energy mentioned in myths, but a giant unicorn solely made up of malice and evil.

[“How did a mere human reach this place!”]

The fifth demon who corrupted Winston, the headmaster of the Colosseo Academy, was hiding there.