Chapter 26
Chapter 26
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 26
Chapter Title: D-Rank Hunter, Conquering the 10th Floor of the Tower of Lust
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Back to the dimly lit urban district, we headed down the street where legalized prostitution was in full swing.
This was the territory of the Rank 6 Madam.
Even though it was still broad daylight, the area felt a bit darker, and the scantily clad women all glanced my way.
"Looks like you're pretty popular. Must be nice."
"Aw, come on. Staring like that just makes it awkward. Sadly, I'm a taken man, you know~."
"Don't let it get to you."
I exchanged the usual banter with Ceres.
Still, this really was the Golden Tower.
Not quite on the level of the top rankers, but the average beauty here was insane—were all the hunters who'd normally strut around somewhere else moonlighting as courtesans?
'I wonder what it'd be like to take one of these girls. Would they give decent rank EXP?'
...Hmm.
These women were colleagues in arms. They weren't doing this by choice, or so I'd heard.
'Ceres already has a bad impression of me. Hooking up here wouldn't do me any favors.'
I didn't need to go stirring up trouble like some playboy now that I had a girlfriend, so I behaved and followed quietly.
"Here we are."
"Smaller than I expected?"
"This is the Madam's residence. Her guild home spans the entire street. Best not to start any violence here."
Meaning I'd get my ass kicked.
She must have some serious influence, so I steeled myself to show proper respect and headed down the stairs at the entrance to the basement level.
The Madam was sitting at the counter near the entrance.
It didn't feel like a residence at all—more like a cheap dive bar.
"...Miss Ceres?"
She looked our way.
My first impression: [A haggard beauty in black mourning attire].
Beyond her black hat and mourning veil, her eyes were shadowed and dull. Her long, drooping black hair and lifeless dark eyes looked utterly sorrowful. She seemed so fragile that any man into that vibe would instinctively want to comfort her.
Standing up, she was a tall beauty even including the heels. Her skin was pale and smooth.
"Hello, Madam."
"Miss Ceres... and the gentleman behind you... the one from yesterday?"
"Hello, Madam."
The Madam of 【Futanescar】.
The title was a mouthful, so I just called her Madam for now.
She didn't seem to mind, nodding her head.
"Hello... Welcome to my Aralia...."
Aralia.
The shop's name, I guessed?
While I puzzled over it, she rummaged around and pulled something out, as if it were routine.
"If you've come here, it must be to prepare for climbing the tower... right?"
"Yes. Thought I'd pay my respects while I'm at it. You left so quickly yesterday to avoid complicating things, so we didn't get a chance to greet each other properly."
"You looked so flustered...."
-Well, yeah, she came at me with aura out of nowhere.
But she hadn't lost her temper and stayed composed, so the Madam relaxed a bit too.
"Looks like you've made up your mind."
I nodded.
"I didn't expect you'd decide so quickly...."
"I get pissed off easily, but I cool down just as fast. Seeing you hunched over like that killed any anger I had left."
"This is a tower where we pleasure men, only to claim the price of that joy in the end."
She shook her head.
"So many from our guild have vanished inside the tower over our circumstances... I've worried a lot, and so has Iian...."
"I know the gist of it. But this was my decision, so don't feel burdened. If I can conquer the 10th floor, I'll open it up on the way back down."
"Such confidence."
Her round eyes widened in surprise at me from beneath the veil.
"What can I say? I've got about two reliable people pushing me forward. Though I plan to kick one of them once I get back safe."
"Seong-yeon does have a hasty side...."
"Yeah. Everyone's been saying the same thing."
"Makes sense. She acts like she knows everything on her own, charging ahead based solely on her info. She's been more restrained lately, but looks like the itch has flared up again...."
"Hmm."
It didn't match the image of Seong-yeon I knew, but thinking about what she'd done this time, I got what the Madam meant.
"...We could chat more, but the tower comes first. Please stop by when you return safely. I'll give you a hero's welcome."
"Hero, huh? That's an embarrassing title."
"You are one to me. I sincerely hope you conquer the tower and unlock the next floor."
With that, what she'd pulled out was a skill card.
...A card?
Why a card here?
"Don't be startled. It's a skill card one of our guildmates received."
"What do you plan to use it for?"
"Hold onto it for a moment."
"Pardon? Uh, sure...."
I took four consent cards from her.
Even if they were crap cards, in an era where plenty of people like me had no skills, they were incredibly valuable.
"I take collateral and share a buff for a set time. Return before the buff expires and return the power I lent you, and you get your collateral back."
So... as long as I stuck to the timer and returned it, I'd get my collateral items back too?
"That's an absurd skill. The terms are way too favorable for me."
"The collateral's hefty. Fail to return before it ends, and the collateral vanishes permanently."
Wait... so the reason she gave me skill cards was...
"Whoa!"
The Madam's hand flashed briefly, and the crap cards she'd handed me dissolved into four wisps.
Suddenly, power surged through my body.
Aura, vitality—even my mind sharpened.
"Whoaaaaa... what the hell is this...!?"
"Collateral cost: four consent cards. Duration: four days. The trade-off is weak buffs since the collateral isn't great."
"...This is weak?"
"For the floors currently open, it'll more than suffice. Please return it when you're done."
I struggled to force the overflowing aura back under my skin.
Felt like I'd turned into a Super Saiyan for a second?
Maybe I could even fly?
'This is a top ranker's skill... OP as hell, but if I die, I can't return the buff.'
I looked at her again.
Now I understood why she wore mourning clothes like everyday attire.
She'd know faster than anyone if someone whose collateral she held died in the tower.
'She's got even heavier karma than I do.'
That explained why Bridget noona had suggested I cheer her up, noting how down she always seemed.
'Gotta make damn sure I don't die.'
Another woman I'd grown fond of.
*
"Oh, if it isn't our cutie pie."
"Your nicknames keep changing."
"Started with 'young man,' but that felt off... 'junior' didn't fit either... cutie pie? Nah, doesn't roll right. Figured I'd try a few more till one sticks~."
"Noona, seriously. Why fuss so much over a nickname?"
After the buff, we stopped by the Mechanic Guild home for new gear.
With Ceres leading, we got VIP treatment straight to the guild master.
She pulled out a sleek long jacket coat like she'd been waiting for me.
"This is it. Knew you'd show, so your auntie pulled an all-nighter prepping it~!"
"Looks pricey. You sure it's okay?"
"Conquer the 10th floor and it's yours. Rental till then."
"What if I die?"
"Cross that bridge when we get there. Hunters don't plan for death upfront, right? We charge in first~!"
"...Fair enough."
I slipped on the coat.
It fit perfectly and felt sturdy. The long cut gave plenty of coverage—even a back attack wouldn't hit much besides my head.
"Awesome, right? Ripped it off a mob from the Silver Tower's 90s floors. Waterproof, too—mid-tier blades can't cut it. Arrows and fire? Forget about it. Oh, materials courtesy of Iian! Crafted by your auntie!"
"I'm not footing the bill for this?"
"We wear better stuff, so no worries. It's just tough cloth—no enchantments anyway."
At this point, who needs enchantments?
Ditching my old gear for this coat on top and pants below felt lighter and tougher.
"Ditching the old one?"
"This is lighter."
I stripped off the leather armor and swapped in the coat.
Way lighter.
"Damn, what is this? Total junk. Even coming from the Brass Tower, you gotta wear decent gear."
"The difficulty here's fine even with stuff like this."
"Nah, your skills make this level of gear fine."
"Aw, stop hyping me up. Makes it awkward for a guy about to climb the tower."
As I stretched in the new coat, noona and Ceres gawked at the discarded armor like it was some relic.
It'd seen me through years in the tower, so yeah, it was outdated.
But was it that surprising?
"No, seriously, what? It's so heavy... what'd they stuff inside?"
"Basically makeshift weights at this point."
"Hey, junior. Be straight with me. You climbed the tower in this? You're messing with auntie, right?"
"For real."
"Like I thought yesterday, you're a total madman."
Beats me what she meant. My gear performed better than it looked.
It'd saved my skin plenty, so I was attached to it.
"Hey, butler. How's our junior stack up?"
"Quite well."
"Good enough to impress you?"
"Putting personality and walls aside, we sparred normally."
"Skills?"
"No, nothing serious. Just an aura clash."
"Insane. Where'd Seong-yeon dig up a gem like this...."
Lots of praise today.
Did they want me in the tower that bad? Almost felt genuine.
Calm down.
Feels good when they stroke your ego, but humility's the key to longevity with towers.
"What about weapons? Auntie'll loan you whatever—name it."
"Bare hands."
"...Bare hands? Why?"
"No weapon costs, and aura kills simpler."
"Holy shit, this guy's the real deal."
I didn't get what noona was on about.
I just marveled at the new gear's lightness, said I was heading up right away, and left for the plaza with the coat.