Chapter 106
Chapter 106
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 106
Chapter Title: The Pile of Treasure
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Razix, who had recently been subtly teased by Kosak for his lack of presence, was the one in question.
But he dispelled all worries and suspicions in one go, just as if to show them up.
"Hwooong!"
With a snort of hot air from his nostrils, his short arms rested on his hips.
See? I'm this kind of beastman!
His shoulders were practically touching the sky.
Well, of course it was fine. He was the ultimate worker Razix, after all.
"Ah, our top worker, you're amazing. This Kosak believed in you."
"Hwoong."
"Hehehe, your shoulders are so high they're about to launch. If you keep this up, you might really fly off into space."
"Hwooek?"
In a tone that made Kosak's fuss seem ridiculous, Gyeon Dal-rae spoke.
"Sir Kosak, you are truly a master of expediency."
"...What's that mean?"
"You belittled our top worker so much for disappearing, and now you're blowing sweet kisses of flattery?"
"No, when did I ever say he disappeared?"
"You did."
"I don't know. I don't remember."
"Oh my, look at that! How shameless!"
In a way, Gyeon Dal-rae and Kosak seemed to be the closest.
Anyway, let's finish sorting through the items Razix brought back.
There were the most Superior Magic Stones. By weight, it was in the tons.
Next were metal ingots. They'd be used as materials, so we'd keep them.
There were also gems. Did Earth even have gems like these? Some were cold, some were warm.
Tower-Exclusive Focus Akaran Gem
📍 Effect: When carried in a pocket, the effect of mental focus manifests. Can also be processed and used as an accessory.
⛔ Limitation: No effect if placed inside an inventory.
'Nice.'
A kind of talisman.
And then various equipment items, potions, elixirs, and other consumables.
I checked the info by touching each one individually.
But it was taking way too long. When would I ever finish checking all this?
Then,
"Hwoo-eh."
"You'll help?"
"Hwoo-eh, yes."
"Aigo, our worker is the best as always."
The sorting criteria were items with the "Tower-Exclusive" modifier and items without it.
Most were Tower-Exclusive. Almost 95%.
The remaining 5% or so had no modifier.
I put those separately into my own inventory.
The Tower-Exclusive items went back into Razix's backpack.
Tower-Exclusive items were precious supplies to help players climb the Tower, but what about items without the Tower-Exclusive modifier?
'I shouldn't release them carelessly.'
Especially now that Liberation Rune Necklaces were coming out as rewards.
What if a liberated player wielded a weapon in reality that had its effects applied?
The world would become dangerous.
'Instead, I'll hand over the Tower-Exclusive items that don't exhibit their effect in reality to the Management Bureau.'
He planned to consign them for sale at the Player Shop.
'I should tell them not to sell them too expensively.'
So players could willingly open their wallets.
If Korean players' level rose through items, the world would become safer.
Before he put the items in his inventory he addressed his summons,
"If any of you like any of the items here, feel free to take them."
The Summoned Beings were just blankly watching.
Guess not.
Tsk! So picky. These were items any players would go crazy for.
Then a thought suddenly occurred to him.
What about repeatable quests?
Could he go in again and loot the treasure vault?
Actually, he was more curious about something else.
The identity of the 71st and 72nd-floor quests.
The first curiosity was the quest targets: Vice-Captain James, Captain Pommeldo, Necromancer Kate, and her teacher Noma.
If the Tower's laws hadn't changed, they would exist on the 71st and 72nd floors of every Tower in the world—Korean, Japanese, American, everywhere.
So, in Korea's Black Tower, were they the originals? Or copies?
Considering the case of Cabalan.
And the second curiosity.
The 71st and 72nd floors were Gobang's world.
Why did it turn out like this?
Coincidence? Or inevitability?
What if the subsequent floors were also worlds connected to other Summoned Beings?
If so, would the Tower Conquest quests from now on be about resolving the Summoned Beings' lingering attachments and traumas?
Let's take an example.
Kosak died challenging a Swordmaster while he was an assassin.
If a quest related to Kosak appeared later, we might have to face that Swordmaster.
Gyeon Dal-rae: the Heavenly Empire's Imperial Palace. Razix: the underground labyrinth's Apophis. Bardin: a world where the gods disappeared. Veronica: the northern front where demons appear.
But if this hypothesis was correct, one problem arose.
Thinking about it sends shivers down my spine.
Namely, Gwang-ma.
How did he die?
In a battle that lasted seven days and nights, he fought the Martial Alliance Leader, the Four Emperors' Holy Lord, and the Demonic Cult Leader, and ultimately lost his life.
If that was Gwang-ma's lingering attachment and trauma...
'Surely the quest targets wouldn't be the Martial Alliance Leader, the Four Emperors' Holy Lord, or the Demonic Cult Leader, right?'
Just imagining it is terrifying.
That's unconquerable.
Even with Gwang-ma present, it wouldn't work.
The tower Conquest would stop there.
Of course, he didn't know if that would be the main quest or a side quest, but...
'Having an LSSR Summoned Being isn't all good.'
How massive would their lingering attachments be?
Could we even handle it?
Nothing has been clarified yet.
It might just be a coincidence that the early 70s floors were Gobang's world.
Anyway, let's call Gwang-ma.
Could he answer my questions?
"Summoner."
"Welcome."
Even though I'd been diligently giving five-star reviews, Gwang-ma's summoning time hadn't increased much at all.
Still 3 hours.
Almost all the other Summoned Beings were up to 8 hours.
Did being stingy with stars early on have an effect?
While the other Summoned Beings prepared for the party, Joo-hyuk and Gwang-ma sat on chairs and talked.
First question.
Was Necromancer Noma an original? Or a copy?
Was he even a real human?
"I can answer that much."
Gwang-ma slowly opened his mouth.
"Of course he was human. In the past."
The meaning of "in the past" was...
"You mean he's actually dead?"
"That's right. Noma is also just a soul collected by the Tower, a ghost from a past timeline that has already passed. The body was provided by the Tower."
"Ah!"
"They're merely content materials for the Tower. The backgrounds inside the Tower, the monsters, the humans... they're all just fabricated worlds."
They weren't alive.
The bodies were provided.
The 71st and 72nd floors were also worlds fabricated by the Tower, not real worlds.
Then what about Cabalan?
Why did that demon have a designated original and copy?
"Because the original was needed to resolve the curse quest. Think of it as a game like 'find the original among the copies,' it'll be easier."
Cabalan's curse.
In a way, this was also a quest given by the Tower.
"The Tower has some shame too. How could it give an unconquerable quest? The original Cabalan was merely the key for players to complete the quest."
"On the other hand, the quest related to Necromancer Noma isn't a 'find the original' game. Would there be a need to distinguish between original and copy?"
Right. He didn't cast a curse either.
"Most of the intelligent beings that will appear in the Black Tower from now on will likely be copies. Think about it. To place the same beings in all 145 Towers, copying is the only way."
If I entered the 72nd floor again now...
"The Necromancer would be alive and well. Perfectly reset."
"The treasure vault too?"
"...Treasure vault?"
Joo-hyuk told Gwang-ma about Razix.
"Hohoho, how admirable. Truly, the term 'top worker' is accurate. But I expect the treasure vault won't appear again. Do you think the Tower is that easy? Once is the end. Though it might be different in other countries' Towers."
Oh!
He's saying we might be able to find the treasure vault again on the 72nd floor of another country's Tower.
That's something, at least.
Now for the second question.
Were the floors we'd climb from now on all worlds connected to the Summoned Beings?
"Unfortunately, I don't know either. Even if I did, I couldn't tell you."
A restriction seemed to be in place.
Well, information about the floors was restricted from the start anyway.
We'd only know by climbing.
My curiosity was mostly satisfied.
Now, let's focus on healing to the best of our ability.
Starting with the badge awarding ceremony.
He took this chance to give one to each.
Except Razix. The ultimate worker got two.
We partied all night and should head home after seeing the sunrise.
Timing the sunrise to watch it with the Summoned Beings too.
Tomorrow, he also needed to stop by the Management Bureau.
Because Razix caused a big incident.
Even his subspace backpack was full to the brim.
He needed to empty it once.
So he could fill it up again.
After returning home, Joo-hyuk turned on his smartphone and sent a message to Deputy Director Jeon Gwang-il.
Saying he had business at the Management Bureau.
A reply came immediately.
- I'll come right away.
After a quick wash and getting ready to go out, he went down to the underground parking lot and got into the car Jeon Gwang-il had brought.
"Player Bong."
"Have you been well?"
"Yes, thanks to you. Thanks to you, Korea has become safer."
"It's nothing. It's what I should do."
After the customary greetings, they set off for the Management Bureau by car.
On the way, Jeon Gwang-il broached a topic with Joo-hyuk.
"We received an information request from the US side yesterday."
An information request?
"They plan to conquer the 70th floor tomorrow and enter the 71st the day after. They said they'll try to conquer it if possible, not just enter... They asked what the 71st-floor quest is, whether the Holy Sword is needed..."
The US must be trying to climb too.
Well, from the 71st floor, the conquest time limit overlaps.
Well, he could tell them that much.
Though he didn't know if the quest would be exactly the same.
"First, the conquest target is... a person. You have to kill a human."
"..."
Silence flowed inside the car.
Then Jeon Gwang-il spoke in a trembling voice.
"A, a human? You mean the conquest target is a human?"
"Yes. The quest is also subdivided. If you just complete the main quest, it's easy, but there's also a side quest..."
Joo-hyuk explained the conquest details of the 71st and 72nd floors in detail.
"...Uh, I understand. I'll convey that to the US side as is."
What about Player Gerald?
He'd receive the quest to deal with the Pommel Mercenary Corps members alone...
If he conquered the 70th floor, he shouldn't have any major aftereffects.
Cabalan was also essentially human, no different from an intelligent being.
Or maybe not.
There might be players who get more excited about killing humans.
Anyway, even the high-difficulty quest should be possible.
What about the super high-difficulty quest?
'Well...'
He could probably fight the 5th-Circle Necromancer Kate too, but her modus operandi was to run away.
Could he catch her if she flew away quickly?
If he missed Kate, the 72nd-floor quest would change too.
She might join up with her teacher.
That's what linked quests were like.
Before they knew it, the car arrived at the Management Bureau's materials warehouse.
Joo-hyuk told Jeon Gwang-il his reason for coming here.
"I want to sell a few items."
"Ah! Is that so?"
Jeon Gwang-il was full of anticipation. Player Bong was selling items. They wouldn't be ordinary things.
"I'll show you."
Joo-hyuk performed a Designated Summon for Razix. Spot!
"Hwooong!"
"...Huh?"
Wasn't it Sir Razix...
He didn't know why Player Bong summoned this creature, but...
"Welcome, Sir Razix."
"Hwoo-eh."
Raising a short hand to show his pleasure to Jeon Gwang-il, Razix then took off his backpack and turned it upside down.
"Deputy Director, step back. You might get buried."
...Buried?
What did that mean?
In an instant!
Whoosh! Thud! Whoosh-thud-thud-thud!
A cascade of items poured out.
"Huuuuk!"
Jeon Gwang-il hurriedly stepped back.
Good heavens!
'What are all these?'
They rolled out endlessly.
Superior Magic Stones, metal ingots, various potions, gems, weapon and armor items.
He was speechless, utterly dumbfounded.
"Please sell these at the Player Shop."
"...All of them?"
"Yes."
"Th, the price, how..."
"Please appraise them yourself. And be sure to take the consignment sales commission too."
Joo-hyuk trusted Jeon Gwang-il. He would sell them at a reasonable price. Maybe even for more.
"Please sell them as cheaply as possible. And besides these, there's more..."
More?
"I excluded weapons and armor without the Tower-Exclusive modifier. I didn't think it would be good if they got released outside, so I'm keeping them in my inventory."
Staring blankly at the mountain of piled-up items, Jeon Gwang-il suddenly snapped to his senses.
"Y, you did well. Items without the Tower-Exclusive modifier must never leak outside."
Especially now that Liberation Rune Necklaces were being released.
"Oh! Take this too."
Joo-hyuk handed a necklace and holy water to Jeon Gwang-il.
"...Th, this necklace is?"
"A Liberation Rune Necklace. I have two, I got one more."
"Huk!"
"Please have the state keep one."
"Uh, uh, yes yes."
The relentless onslaught of attacks—wait, this was an attack too. A mental attack.
Thanks to it, his mind had gone completely blank.
"Please test the holy water and check its item effects."
"Holy water?"
"They said it manifests the power of radiance."
"..."
"If my prediction is correct, the holy sword rental business won't go well, but well, we can just sell items instead."
He couldn't find a reply.
The things he'd brought so far... Holy swords, leather, ore...
He thought there was nothing left to be surprised about, but now he was trying to knock people out with sheer quantity.
Joo-hyuk spoke to Razix, who had finished his task.
"I'll release the summon. See you at home."
"Hwooong!"
Spot! Razix disappeared.
"I should go home too... I plan to conquer the 73rd floor in a few days. Is that okay?"
"O, Of course. Absolutely. Please do. I'll escort you home."
73rd-floor conquest.
He needed to check.
Was the conquest target really the fake hero, the King of Norton Kingdom?
Could Gobang get his revenge?
After dropping Joo-hyuk off at home, Jeon Gwang-il returned to the Management Bureau's materials warehouse.
The mountain of treasure was still piled up.
How could he sort this alone?
He took out his smartphone.
"Team Leader Lee Min-ah. Come to the materials warehouse right now. You're with Player Nam Ga-eun? Good. Both of you come together."
A short while later,
Lee Min-ah and Nam Ga-eun arrived at the materials warehouse.
The moment they entered,
"...Huh? Wha, what are all these?"
"Oh my god!"
The two women were utterly shocked.
"Let's sort them by type and do the information confirmation work. Player Nam Ga-eun, please help too. We'll sell them at the Player Shop."
"...Th, this much?"
"In return, pick a weapon or piece of equipment you like, one each. I'll buy it with the bureau's budget."
Before his words even finished, Lee Min-ah and Nam Ga-eun dashed toward the mountain of items to check their info.
Exclamations burst out.
Light attribute, dark attribute, fire attribute, ice attribute... the types were diverse.
And that wasn't all. What about the potions?
Surprisingly, the healing potions were the smallest in quantity.
Most were elixirs for strengthening strength, speed, magic power, etc.
"How could... th, these items exist."
"It's unbelievable. Are they all conquest reward items?"
"Who could have gotten all this..."
"Player Bong?"
"Who else could it be? Right?"
Jeon Gwang-il didn't bother denying it. Who else could pull off something like this if not him?
Even while talking, the two were engrossed in checking information.
They were players too. How could they not feel desire?
"I, I'll take this helmet... No, the shoes are better? Should I take these?"
"...Can't I buy two? I'll pay for one myself."
"I'll buy three. I'll transfer the money immediately."
"I'm going to get a whole new set from head to toe."
Nam Ga-eun's eyes sparkled. Lee Min-ah was the same.
What player could resist?
The moment they were put up in the Player Shop, they'd sell out in an instant.
No matter the price.