I Raided the Demon’s Treasury

Chapter 57

Crack!

The last remaining orc’s head burst apart with a sickening sound.

Surrounding Se-woon were orcs whose bodies were mangled, their bones crushed, and killed along with their helmets and armor.

Se-woon had single-handedly taken down the twenty-strong royal orc guards, the Golden Knights.

“Phew…”

Of course, Se-woon was not in a normal state either.

By pushing Dark Flare to its limits, his three mana circles were completely depleted.

His dantian was also empty, having used Nicheong constantly to evade the orcs’ attacks and drawing internal energy to enhance his strikes.

Although he had taken a potion from Mammon’s treasury and drank it, it couldn’t restore him to full condition.

– You have designated the entire ‘Golden Knights’ with the Power of Gluttony.

– The Fangs of Gluttony descend upon the royal guards!

Crunch!

– The Constellation, ‘The Hungry Prince’, cheers ecstatically, saying it’s been so long since he had such a feast.

With the castle lord in front of him, it was necessary to strengthen his powers even slightly.

Though using the Power of Gluttony didn’t recover his stamina, it significantly boosted many of his stats, making his body feel considerably lighter.

Furthermore, through Gluttony, he could even absorb mana from them, fulfilling the minimum requirement to face the castle lord.

‘The rear…’

Se-woon enhanced his senses and focused on the outer walls where the battle was in full swing.

The loud clash of weapons resounded, mixed with screams and shouts, reverberating through the air.

– The Constellation, ‘Spider Wearing a Crown,’ is greatly pleased with the Contractor’s footwork and raises its legs high.

– The Constellation, ‘Old Man Riding a Crocodile,’ gets excited and stomps the ground each time the Contractor causes an earthquake.

– The Constellation, ‘Thief with the Donkey Head,’ bursts into laughter, saying he knew this would happen while watching the Contractor roll on the floor.

Judging by the reactions of the Constellations, the flow of the battle didn’t seem too bad.

Considering the significant difference in power, he had worried they wouldn’t be able to hold out, but it seemed Se-woon had underestimated the strength of his clan.

‘Still, I need to end this as quickly as possible.’

Although the clan was holding out well, it was just that – holding out.

In terms of numbers, equipment, and physical abilities, the orcs held the advantage. If the battle dragged on, Se-woon’s clan would wear out first.

He had to defeat the castle lord of the Golden Castle before that happened, no matter what.

* * *

While Se-woon advanced toward the castle lord, his clan was engaged in a fierce battle with the Glory Orcs.

To counter the orcs’ numerical advantage, they formed a formation at the narrow castle gate to hold them back.

The golden armor was so tough that it was difficult to inflict significant damage, but they managed to create minor injuries.

Even that was enough.

– Player Lee Ha-neul uses ‘Blood-Soaked Ward’.

Under the power of Lee Ha-neul’s Constellation, Marbas, the wounds widened significantly, and green blood gushed out.

Previously, as the monsters’ level increased, the clan members couldn’t fully exert their strength. However, since Lee Ha-neul started showcasing her power, the combat effectiveness had risen remarkably.

Furthermore, there were three individuals making noticeable contributions outside the clan’s formation.

Slice-!

Yoo Seo-ah.

She flitted through the orcs like the wind, slipping her sword into the small gaps of their armor.

The twin swords handmade by Go Chang-seok specifically for Yoo Seo-ah were incredibly sharp; each movement of her blades caused green blood to spurt from between the armor plates.

Of course, this alone wasn’t enough to take down a Glory Orc. Since she aimed for the gaps in the armor, it was hard to inflict deep wounds.

However…

– Player Yoo Seo-ah uses ‘Tarantula’s Venom Fang’.

“Gurk!”

Yoo Seo-ah’s combat style had become even more potent than before.

The orcs struck by her attacks foamed at the mouth and collapsed as if poisoned.

Tarantula’s Venom Fangs.

The power received from the Constellation Baal was a perfect match for Yoo Seo-ah, whose fighting style relied more on swift attacks rather than powerful blows.

As Yoo Seo-ah swept through the orcs,

Boom!!

The bodies of two orcs behind her exploded.

Their armor remained intact, yet the bodies within burst apart.

Standing ahead with clenched fists was Kang Han-cheol.

– Player Kang Han-cheol uses ‘Advance’.

This was also a new power Kang Han-cheol acquired, or rather, newly realized.

While hunting ogres alongside Se-woon, he discovered a new attack method, ‘Commence Battle’, where he channeled the force of shock not into the ground but into the enemy’s body.

Thanks to this power, he could strike directly inside the enemy regardless of their equipment.

True to the name Advance, every step Kang Han-cheol took forward caused the orcs’ bodies to violently explode.

Although moving slowly and alone, his steps gave the impression of an entire army advancing.

Amidst this, the distressed voices of orcs came from the opposite side of Kang Han-cheol.

“Squeak! My weapon! Give it back!”

“How dare you steal the sacred emblem of the Golden Castle! Human, stop right there!”

“You slippery human! If I catch you, I’ll cut off your hands first!”

Orcs, each missing something like a weapon, emblem, or a piece of armor, were chasing after a lone human.

This human was none other than Park Jungpil, self-proclaimed Se-woon’s right-hand man.

“Catch me if you can! Oh, what’s this? Looks pretty expensive!”

“Squeak! No, you can’t have that! Anything but that!”

Park Jungpil was darting among the orcs, carrying so many items that they overflowed from his arms.

Despite being burdened with all those items, his movements didn’t slow down. In fact, he was still managing to steal new items amidst the chaos.

Dozens of orcs were chasing Park Jungpil, yet none could catch him.

– Player Park Jungpil uses ‘Sneak’.

This ability was also granted to Park Jungpil by his Constellation, Balefor.

Though not a combat-related skill, it was supremely effective at neutralizing the orcs’ combat capabilities.

On top of that, the siege weaponry handled by the twin sisters and Baek Hyun’s skeletons were also making noticeable contributions.

The Golden Castle, the mightiest fortress in the fourth chapter of the tutorial…

Known as a place rarely conquered in the history of the tower, Se-woon’s clan was now waging an impressive battle there.

Though their stamina was rapidly depleting as the battle dragged on, they all held a firm belief.

“Hyung, please finish this quickly!”

They all believed that if they could hold out a bit longer, Se-woon would defeat the castle lord and conquer the Golden Castle.

* * *

“…So, you have come this far.”

At the center of the inner castle, climbing the stairs guarded by the Golden Knights, an orc sat upon an ostentatious throne that shone as if it were made of gold.

Even though the Golden Knights appeared formidable, this individual exuded an aura far surpassing theirs.

“Though you are my enemy, I acknowledge you as a warrior.”

The orc rose from the throne.

Unlike the armor worn by the other orcs, which shimmered with a subtle golden hue, his armor truly looked as though it was crafted from pure gold.

Just looking at the gleaming armor in the light was almost blinding.

“I am the Lord of this noble Golden Castle. The king of the valiant Glory Orcs. Gold Garden.”

“…Jung Se-woon.”

Though merely a monster of the tutorial, Se-woon introduced himself with a serious expression. There was something about Garden that set him apart from other monsters.

Clank.

Garden grasped a weapon that had been leaning against the side of his throne.

A halberd—an axe-bladed spear with a long shaft, over 2 meters long, and likely quite heavy due to the axe blade. Yet Garden lifted it effortlessly.

The golden axe blade, in harmony with his armor, radiated a dazzling light.

“It does not please me as a warrior to face an already weary opponent.”

Se-woon also drew a sword.

It was one of the castle lord’s weapons he had claimed earlier.

While he would have preferred to retrieve Durandal from Mammon, the lack of response indicated Mammon wasn’t willing to return it easily.

No matter, though. While Durandal would have made the battle easier, Se-woon was confident he could defeat Garden even without it.

“As the lord of the Golden Castle, I must defeat you.”

Boom!

Garden pushed off the ground.

There was no defense in his movements.

Only offense. His actions were solely focused on slashing, stabbing, and crushing his opponent.

‘He must be relying on that armor.’

The golden armor appeared to be at least B-rank or higher.

Coupled with the castle’s ability to reduce incoming damage, common attacks would be ineffective against him.

Whoosh!

As Se-woon ducked, the golden axe blade whizzed just above his head.

The force of the swing caused his hair to flutter.

“One who seeks the Golden Castle, prove your worth.”

Clang!

Garden’s attacks were unlike any monster Se-woon had faced before.

Perfect weapon mastery.

He didn’t just attack with the blade of the halberd. He also wielded the shaft for quick jabs and even threw in tackles.

Who would think of Garden as a mere monster upon seeing this?

Intelligence, knowledge, skill—everything about him seemed superior to most players.

Clang, clang!

Though Se-woon dodged and tried to close the distance, his attacks couldn’t land. There were no visible weaknesses in Garden’s armor.

Even when Se-woon saw what seemed like an opening and swung his sword, Garden quickly repositioned and counterattacked.

Was it because Se-woon’s condition had worsened after fighting through the outer and inner walls and facing the Golden Knights? No, that wasn’t the main reason. The fact was, Garden was just overwhelmingly strong.

– According to the mysteries of the Black Tower, the power of ‘Dark Flare’ is enhanced.

Crack!

Se-woon attempted to stop Garden by unleashing black flames, but…

“Before the golden armor, unholy flames hold no sway.”

Sizzle-

As Garden’s armor gleamed, the black flames dissipated as if they were a lie.

Originally, the flames possessed a property that made them almost impossible to extinguish by ordinary means. Indeed, there was a reason he neglected defense.

“Sorry to say, but I don’t have the luxury of wasting time.”

– Through internal energy, the third form of the Blood Wolf Swordsmanship, Blood Wolf Ambush, is enhanced.

Clang!

A red current surged from Se-woon’s body, and a wolf materialized, biting onto Garden’s halberd.

It was a strike with all of his remaining internal energy from his dantian.

Thanks to that, Garden’s halberd was forced downwards, embedding into the ground. Yet, Garden remained unfazed.

“You still lack the qualifications.”

Crunch!

Garden caught Se-woon’s approaching sword with his free hand.

Thanks to the gauntlet connected to his golden armor, it was not Garden’s palm that was injured but Se-woon’s sword.

The blade trembled under the crushing strength of his grip.

At that moment,

“Qualifications can be earned through conquest.”

Thud.

Se-woon let go of his sword. Then, he drew the Molar Dagger that was sheathed at his waist.

“Such a weapon won’t even scratch the golden armor.”

The Molar Dagger—indeed a good weapon, but that was a story from the early stages of the tutorial.

Now that most of Se-woon’s items had surpassed C-rank, the D+ rank Fang Dagger was no longer considered powerful.

Moreover, with his opponent clad in full plate armor, inflicting damage with a dagger seemed impossible.

However…

“Yes, this alone won’t be enough.”

– Opened the Treasury of Greed.

[ King’s Holy Sword, Carnwenhan ]

– A dagger known as one of the three holy relics of King Arthur, alongside Excalibur and Longgomianth, meaning “white hilt.”

Carnwenhan.

If it’s said to be the weapon that King Arthur split the witch Ordu, who lived in a cave, in half with a single blow, that changes things.