I’m the Only One With Two Towers - Chapter 74

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————

Only I Have Two Towers Episode 074

Imugi

As I entered, I examined the walls.

Walls covered with murals of unknown age.

With only bizarre characters and drawings, it was hard to tell what they meant.

“You don’t need to look closely. It’s just roughly depicting how incredibly strong and great the Imugi is.”

Jinhyeok, who had been leading, turned around.

Ellia was casually interpreting the drawings and characters.

“You can read them?”

“Of course. There’s no script in this world that I don’t know.”

“As expected from experience.”

“Don’t say experience. It makes me look old.”

Though she spoke playfully, the fact that Ellia could read those characters meant…

‘They’re connected.’

It meant the world where Ellia lived and this world weren’t completely separate.

It felt like I’d made some incredible discovery, but it didn’t quite sink in.

Rather, I felt somewhat dazed.

Of course, this alone couldn’t definitively prove the worlds had been connected since ancient times.

It could be a place that didn’t originally exist but was newly created when the Tower appeared.

‘Let’s just find the Imugi.’

Before going further, Ellia tapped Jinhyeok’s shoulder.

Knowing what it meant, Jinhyeok spoke up.

“I’ll go alone from here. Everyone, cancel manifestation!”

After confirming all his friends had canceled their manifestation, he resumed walking.

The Yodel compass no longer worked.

It felt like it had brought him this far and now told him to find the rest himself.

‘Well, there are no branching paths anyway.’

It was a long straight path, so there was no chance of getting lost.

Whoooosh.

A faint blue light seeping from the edge of his vision.

As he entered there, his dark vision became brightly illuminated.

The cold that had been wrapping around his body disappeared.

What filled its place was a tingling chill.

Just one more step, yet it felt like crossing into a completely different dimension.

“It’s huge.”

Jinhyeok looked up and exclaimed in admiration.

A high chamber where the ceiling’s end couldn’t be seen.

What filled that space was ice of immeasurable size.

He reached out toward the ice.

Tap.

The moment his hand touched it, the murky interior of the ice became clear.

“Wh… oa.”

His mouth fell open with an exclamation.

The inside of the ice wasn’t empty.

A snake coiled up.

Though he wasn’t sure if calling it a snake was correct.

Its size was so tremendously massive that Elder Centipede would look cute in comparison.

Its thickness was so enormous it was like a building pillar ready to smash things.

Ding!

[You have discovered an Imugi that has been sleeping for thousands of years!]

[This is a world first discovery! Would you like to update the Pantheon?]

‘Don’t!!’

For some reason, the system was kindly asking for his opinion.

Absolutely not.

China was already a country that paid tremendous attention to national security.

Currently, Jinhyeok hadn’t even gone through proper immigration procedures.

If it became known that an illegal resident had snatched something like this, they would desperately try to track him down.

[Checking Player’s class! Class ‘Collector’ confirmed!]

[Unique trait ‘Achievement Collecting’ has been added!]

‘Oh?’

Following cards and weapons, Achievement was now added too.

At first, I thought the class name was a bit excessive.

But as traits were added one by one, it became increasingly fitting.

‘Let’s see.’

He circled around the ice, checking the Imugi’s condition.

Since it wasn’t moving even slightly, it seemed to still be asleep.

He rubbed his chin thoughtfully.

How should he extract the heart?

As he peered around, planning to first get the Imugi out.

The cool energy surrounding his body grew stronger.

Just standing still made all the hair on his body stand on end.

He slowly turned his head toward where he felt the energy.

Something blue was gradually taking shape.

‘I want to call my friends.’

It wasn’t a dangerous situation, but it was scary.

It would feel much better if he could at least hug Kancheo tightly.

Finally, the blue thing that had taken human form moved its mouth.

It seemed to be saying something, but he couldn’t understand.

Ding!

[The Imugi is speaking to the Player! Whether to respond to the conversation is the Player’s choice!]

The nuance suggested he should be prepared if he was going to do it.

He nodded without hesitation.

If he wasn’t going to do it, he wouldn’t have come this far in the first place.

“Are you human?”

Though still a bizarre language, the meaning began to be conveyed.

“Shall I guess why you sought me out? To gain power you couldn’t normally obtain, right?”

Since immortality was also a type of power, he couldn’t deny it.

“You know well.”

“Until now, countless humans have come seeking me. What they all desired was the same.”

Indeed, it seemed there had always been people wanting immortality, both in the past and now.

“How did you end up trapped here, Imugi-nim?”

“I’m not trapped. I was simply waiting for the time to soar.”

“When that time comes, will you be able to go outside?”

“Of course.”

What immediately came to mind was transition.

A strange phenomenon that occurred at unspecified times without any warning.

Perhaps what the Imugi was waiting for was also a transition to a floor suitable for itself.

“Now, human. If you have something you desire, speak. There’s no need to hide it.”

“If I speak, can you give it to me?”

He didn’t clearly say “heart.”

If he did that, it seemed like the Imugi would immediately break out of the ice and charge at him with a body slam.

After staring at Jinhyeok for a while, the Imugi’s lips curled upward.

“Of course. I am a being who has lived for thousands of years. What would be a miracle to you is merely a small amusement to me. I shall give it to you if you wish.”

“Thank you.”

“However, I cannot give it for free. More precisely, I cannot give it to just anyone. I have clear standards, you see.”

As the figure lightly waved its hand, a massive scale appeared between the Imugi and Jinhyeok.

“This is a scale that can measure you. It will judge whether you are qualified to receive my power. What do you say? Will you accept?”

Perhaps because he seemed to be hesitating.

The Imugi let out a laugh.

“There’s no need to be afraid. You have nothing to lose. Let me show you a demonstration first.”

Energy flowing from the Imugi’s figure was placed on one side of the scale.

The scale tilted instantly.

“Behold. Nothing happens at all.”

“Indeed.”

“I ask you once more. Will you accept?”

Though it asked calmly, the Imugi’s mouth was burning with thirst.

How long had it been since it met a human?

And one with quite powerful energy at that.

This would be able to satisfy some of its maddening hunger.

The Scale of Predation.

A power granted only to Imugi who have lived for over a thousand years.

It was a power that suited the Imugi perfectly, having grown stronger by deceiving opponents with its serpent’s tongue.

‘Say you accept. Say it. Hurry.’

Perhaps sensing the Imugi’s impatient heart.

Jinhyeok, who had been looking at the scale, opened his mouth.

“I accept.”

As soon as he answered, blue energy surged from Jinhyeok’s body.

“Kihaaaak!!!”

The Imugi’s mouth opened wide as the energy slowly transferred to the scale.

A strange exclamation burst forth, naturally.

“Then and now, what a truly foolish race! Human filled with greed without knowing your place! I shall devour your soul well!”

There was no longer any need to hide.

Once the scale began operating, it would never stop until one side was devoured.

Jinhyeok, who had been quietly watching the Imugi, opened his mouth.

“Honestly, I had doubts at first. Whether it was right to kill a being that had lived for thousands of years just because I needed something. Isn’t that too villainous?”

“Who’s killing whom? How ridiculous.”

“But a friend who lived for a very long time told me something.”

He continued speaking calmly, recalling last night’s memory.

“Imugi deceive people with their cunning serpent’s tongue. They’ve devoured thousands, tens of thousands that way. Since they’ve grown their size using that as nourishment, there’s no need to feel guilty.”

“Even after hearing such words, you fell for my deception! Foolish creature!”

Ignoring this, he continued reciting what Ellia had told him.

“Since Imugi have overwhelming mass, physical combat might drag on quite long. Depending on the terrain, there’s also a possibility of escape. But there’s no need to worry. I know an easy way to catch an Imugi.”

Jinhyeok’s lips curled upward.

“Imugi are arrogant but cowardly. They won’t bring out the scale until they’re certain they can win. So just as the Imugi has deceived people with its serpent’s tongue, you deceive the serpent’s eyes with the abilities you possess.”

“What nonsense are you trying to…?”

The Imugi, who was about to shout, stopped speaking.

Various figures appearing behind Jinhyeok’s back.

After a moment, they took on clear forms and lined up behind their master.

“Foolish! The energy that can be placed on this scale belongs only to two beings! Having more numbers won’t change the result!”

How many seconds had passed since it spoke so confidently?

The Imugi’s eyes widened.

Why was this happening?

Jinhyeok’s energy approaching the scale began mixing with mysterious colors.

It wasn’t that someone else’s energy was being added.

The energy simply took on various colors as if it had always been that way, growing impossibly large.

Before being heroes, these were cards collected by their Collector master.

Their power could never be evaluated separately.

“Actually, I’m quite cowardly too. So I asked my friend one last question. No matter what, it’s an Imugi that’s lived for thousands of years – isn’t it too dangerous?”

As Jinhyeok said this, Ellia, who had been behind him, stepped forward.

Then she recited the exact answer she had given Jinhyeok to that question.

“There’s no need to worry. A mere snake whelp.”

A cruel smile formed on her lips.

“Could never surpass us.”

As her voice scattered into the air.

Jinhyeok’s energy was placed on the scale.

Kuuuuuuung!!!

There was no need to measure whose energy was stronger.

The Imugi’s scale, unable to withstand the weight applied to one side, simply vanished.

“Ah…”

However, what had been promised by the power hadn’t disappeared entirely.

The power that had dwelt within the Imugi in the ice began being absorbed into Jinhyeok.

“This cannot be…”

It wanted to shout that this couldn’t be happening, but no such leisure was given.

The Imugi’s figure scattered just like that.

Kwagagagagagak!!

Cracks appeared in the ice that had imprisoned the Imugi.

The ice began crumbling down in pieces.

For a long time, the Imugi must have believed without doubt.

That on the day this ice crumbled, it would surely soar into the sky.

But what awaited the Imugi freed from the ice wasn’t flight.

What was waiting for the Imugi was.

Kuuuuuung!!

A fall into death from which it could never rise again.

Ice fragments scattered in all directions and the chill that had enveloped his body disappeared.

“Haa.”

He exhaled the breath he had been holding.

Pure white breath dispersing into the air.

Ttiring!

A message appeared through it.

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————