Chapter 41: The Cost of Victory

"You damn mongrels!"

I flung my safeguard at the troll moving up.

A feeble shout came from close to me.

"Kiyaa!"

[Jenna () is dying. Endurance diminishes at ordinary intervals.]

"You're still alive?!"

"I'm alright, I can hang on."

A knife was stopped in Jenna's side.

Her dress was stained red.

Aaron gave indications of shock. His body was shaking, and blood irregularly sprayed from his cut-off leg.

"It wouldn't be amazing if he didn't make it."

"Don't kick the bucket! Simply hang on until it's finished! Then we can return."

"But, I think this is the extent to which I can go."

"Quiet down! We won't lose!"

I couldn't hold them off anymore.

Many trolls amassed onto the rooftop.

"Retreat! Inside the rooftop, head inside!"

"But there's no space inside!"

"Just go!"

Sensation faded from my right arm.

I felt woozy, the world swirling around me.

"Ker, kerlarlak!"

"Would you like to kill me? Come on, come in, every one of you, you rats!"

No sword, no safeguard.

I couldn't even tell how long we're left.

I couldn't spare a thought for Jenna's circumstance.

"Kyaaah!"

Many trolls charged at me all the while.

Their blood-doused blades aimed to destroy me.

And then

\[00:00\]

As if time had frozen, the trolls' movement broke as well as their blades pointed at me.

\[Stage Clear!\]\[Han (), Jenna (), Aaron () level up!\]\[Reward 30,000G, Iron Mineral (B) x3, Cowhide (B) x2, Cardboard (B) x2\]\[MVP Han ()\]

The devastated cityscape, the crowd of trolls, and the dormant bodies of Zeeth and Hanson all disappeared in a brilliant beam of light.

A soft white light wrapped my entire body, healing my injuries. Sensation returned to my arm, my lungs regained their rhythm, and torn muscles repaired themselves.

The blade embedded in Jenna's side fell to the ground, and new tissue grew from Aaron's severed leg.

"Oh, ahahahat."

Jenna let out an empty giggle, sinking to the ground.

"Could you at any point hold my hand? My legs won't support me."

I silently extended my hand.

Jenna grasped it, wobbling a few times before managing to rise.

"Did we make it?"

"Yes."

It was a familiar room.

\[Climb the Pinnacle, Save the World!\]

\[Principal Prison: Current Floor 5\]

The message on the left mirror signaled our clearance of the floor.

The familiar hum swirled into the atmosphere as the sitting area rose.

Aaron was still laying on the floor.

Though unconscious, his breathing remained steady.

He had survived.

"Is it like this from the fifth floor forward? Provided that this is so, this is—"

This time was different.

I pondered the battle.

Three divided entries. Amassing trolls.

It was a structure where the failure of even one person would lead to total destruction. If only we had trained Zeeth and Hanson a little more, we wouldn't have had to fight so desperately.

Getting through the mission wasn't too difficult once a good party was formed. It was just unfortunate that we got caught in such a vulnerable moment.

I picked up the iron sword and shield lying on the floor.

"Indeed, even the blood-soaked equipment had been wonderfully restored."

"This is just too much! Assuming that I had known it would be this way, I would have trained harder!"

Jenna murmured, hanging her bow and quiver on her back.

Her voice sounded happy, but her face told a different story.

She got wounded and nearly died.

Zeeth and Hanson had died.

And I ended up cutting Aaron's leg.

As we emerged into the square, Deca rushed over as if he had been waiting.

"Hyung-nim, good job!"

Silently, I made my way to the housing.

"Are Zeeth and Hanson inside? Chloe said she had prepared something tasty."

"They're dead."

"What?"

"They're gone."

Deca stood frozen.

Ignoring him, I entered the housing.

A few people in the hall glanced at me. I gently laid Aaron on the couch and put the lance beside him. His wounds had healed, but he didn't regain consciousness immediately.

\[The Expert is calling. The anointed one will come forth!\]

Iselle's voice echoed through the square.

It seemed Anytng was trying to form a sub-party for the lower floors.

My head is pounding.

I had zero desire to dwell on the loss of someone in the sitting area.

In a place like this, especially for someone like me at the front of the Pinnacle, death was a daily occurrence. However, the pounding in my head couldn't be ignored.

I opened the door at the end of the hallway and stepped inside. It was my assigned room in the housing. I had grown accustomed to this place, even though it was far from a modern home.

I fell onto the bed.

\[Congratulations, Expert! You have successfully cleared the fifth floor. The Weekly Prison is now open. Gather various materials to strengthen the lounge and heroes.\]

A message appeared, announcing the opening of the Weekly Prison after clearing the fifth floor.

On second thought, I gained the Anger ability.

Self-control and Anger couldn't exist together.

It was a clear bug.

Self-control kept me levelheaded in any situation, while Wrath sacrificed objectivity for heightened combat ability.

It must be linked to my unique nature as an Expert and a Legend.

I still didn't have all the answers. For now, I didn't need to dwell on it.

From tomorrow, things would get busy again.

I had reached level 10, the threshold for a 1-star rating, and the Weekly Prison, where I could obtain valuable materials, had opened. It was time to aim for the gold star promotion.

So, let's take today off.

I closed my eyes.

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