Chapter 46
Chapter 46
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 46
Chapter Title: The Duality of Climbing
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The basic outline of the plan was as follows.
Fundamentally, climb one floor per day.
However, we'd tackle each floor twice.
The first run-through was for the S++ clear rating—fast, without skinning the hides.
Razix said he could skin one or two during that time, but was it really necessary to push it?
Instead, during the second run, we would skin the hides.
We escorted Razix slowly, making sure he can work comfortably.
After exiting, we all gathered for a fun, boisterous meal together.
At the end of the day's schedule.
We proceed like this up to the 45th floor.
After that, we'd hunt there for a while.
[Entering the Korean Black Tower, Floor 42.]
The mission, again, was to defeat 15 Long-Tail Basilisks.
Since the plan was to round them up and kill them quickly, Joo-hyuk looked for a chance to join the fight.
He casually pulled out the Chilly Twilight's Golden Mace and the Warm Dawnlight's Golden Aegis, eliciting sighs from his summoned beings.
"Hmm..."
"Ahh."
"Please."
"Hueh…."
Even Razix.
Joo-hyuk understood their concern, but the alpha male of the Tower never yielded.
With a face of steel,
Swat! Swat-wat!
"Master! Please, restrain yourself!"
"Hooeng!!!"
The Long-Tail Basilisks had blades on the tips of their tails, making it tricky to approach from behind.
But Joo-hyuk's Shadow Walker skill, Shadow Step, had already reached a masterful level.
Spot! Pa-pa-pa-pa-pat!
The very sound of his movement changed.
Dozens of Joo-hyuk's shadows were left on the battlefield alone, making it impossible to tell which was the real body.
He blocked the occasional flying tail attack with his shield.
Taeng!
The shadows surrounded the Long-Tail Basilisk.
The real Joo-hyuk was already on top of its head.
Let's just go with the finishing move from the start.
It has a 10-minute cooldown, but given the atmosphere, he'd probably only get to use it on one.
'Falling Thunder Soul Chaser.'
Ssae-ae-aek!
The mace crashed down on the Basilisk's head.
Electrical damage from the skill.
Freezing damage from the weapon.
The Basilisk's head burned and froze simultaneously.
Chick! Jjaeng! Kwa-ji-jik!
Its body twitched a few times before going completely limp.
A sensation he hadn't felt in so long—the thrill of the strike.
See this!
I knew it.
It ended so quickly.
As soon as he got one, it was over.
I almost didn't get to kill a single one.
They all exited together.
After resting briefly at home,
"Alright! Let's go for the re-entry."
The second run-through was solely for skinning.
Until Razix's backpack was full.
Previously, with other materials included, he could fit 6 hides, but with only hides, it should be up to 7.
The repeated mission began. They hunted 14.
The backpack was also stuffed full of hides.
But they left one last monster alive.
"Mr. Razix, are you ready?"
"Hueheh,"
"Then… let's begin."
Gobang put the Long-Tail Basilisk's head in a headlock, restraining it so it couldn't move.
Kwa-ak!
Following that, Kosak's sword energy pierced its eyes, turning its brain to mush.
The Basilisk slumped down, limp.
"It's dead!"
[Long-Tail Basilisk slain 15/15]
[You have succeeded in the Floor 42 mission.]
[Reward: Magic Stone 4.2kg]
"Mr. Razix, quickly!"
"Hoeng!"
Gobang and Kosak swiftly cleared the area.
De-gu-reu-reu-reu.
A furry ball came rolling towards the fallen Long-Tail Basilisk's corpse.
Seo-geok, sa-gak, seu-geo-geok,
It cut the creature's body in various places with a knife,
grabbed the jaw area,
Zzaa…
Right at that moment!
[Exiting the Korean Black Tower.]
Spot!
Joo-hyuk's party returned to the officetel.
What a shame.
He failed to skin it in time.
If we had been just two seconds faster, he could have skinned it.
"Hueheheheng,"
He was crying again.
"It's practice. For a first practice run, you did well. You'll do better next time."
As Joo-hyuk offered comfort,
"Servant Razix, you were only slightly late. Do not be sad."
"Sorry. I should have moved out of the way faster."
"Worker Razix, do not cry-sumnida. Did you lose the country-sumnika? What cannot be done must be made possible-sumnida. Save giving up for when you're counting cabbages-sipsio."
"…Hooeng."
There's a reason they were practicing even though they hadn't reached the 45th floor yet.
The Floor 45 boss, the Rainbow Basilisk, only appeared after completing the first mission: killing 60 Basilisks of all types.
Defeating the boss meant completing all missions for Floor 45.
Therefore, in that brief instant between the mission success message and the exit message, the hide had to be skinned and placed into the backpack.
If they're late, they won't be able to skin it.
That's why Razix was training intensely.
The Rainbow Basilisk's hide had to be skinned.
Just looking at its sheen gave an idea of how expensive it must be.
Twice the price of a normal hide? No, maybe three times or more?
And the next day.
Floor 43, Ironjaw Basilisk.
The same process.
And the day after that.
Floor 44, Spiny Scale Basilisk.
The hide had spines growing on it, making it difficult to skin and process.
They only did the initial S++ clear and skipped it.
Now, the long-awaited 45th floor, they'd arrived.
They had to achieve two things simultaneously.
The special reward and the Rainbow Basilisk boss's hide.
Getting the Platinum Badge wasn't a problem.
They just had to do what they always did.
But obtaining the Rainbow Basilisk boss's hide depended on Razix.
They'd attempt it on both the first and the second run-through.
If successful, they'd get two hides today.
Razix had practiced a lot; he'd do well.
Floor 45 Mission
📍 Objective: Slay 60 Basilisks of any type and 1 Rainbow Basilisk.
⏰ Time Limit: Within 13 hours.
🎁 Condition: All types of Basilisks 0/60, Rainbow Basilisk 0/1
"Let's go!"
The run began.
First, the 60 Basilisks.
Gobang's aggro, Kosak's DPS, Gyeon-dal-rae's buffs.
Joo-hyuk didn't participate in the fight; he stayed right next to Razix.
Focus, hyper-focus.
The kill count rose rapidly.
They had to save time for the boss, so they dealt with the trash mobs as fast as possible.
Razix was staring at the battlefield with a fierce gaze.
He seemed thoroughly determined.
His backpack currently had space reserved for the boss's full hide.
"Hoeng!"
He must skin it within the time limit.
Skin it cleanly and put it in the backpack.
"Hueheng!"
Suddenly!
In the distance, a multicolored Rainbow Basilisk approached, walking on four legs, its tongue flicking.
Pa-reu-reu-reu,
Razix's round body trembled slightly.
And then he slowly began rolling forward to approach.
De-gul, de-gul, de-gul.
He paused briefly to gauge the distance,
Gobang and Kosak were also struggling hard.
Killing the boss wasn't the hard part; they were straining to avoid damaging its hide.
"Grab it! Ah, damn, you missed."
"The hide is too slippery. It's slipping away."
"Then grab its jaw! The lower and upper jaw! Pry it open, stab its throat."
"Got it."
Amidst this, Razix continued rolling slowly towards the battlefield,
De-gul, de-gul.
Joo-hyuk followed behind as if providing an escort.
Getting too close would interfere with the hunt.
He maintained a distance from which he could dash out immediately if needed.
Finally, the Rainbow Basilisk's two jaws were seized in Gobang's hands.
Gobang's forearms and biceps swelled massively.
"Ggeu-eung!"
Jjeo-eo-eok!
The creature's mouth was forced wide open.
Razix's movements also began to speed up.
Building momentum while approaching is much faster than starting from a standstill.
Kosak charged into the mouth of the Rainbow Basilisk that Gobang had pried open.
He shoved half his upper body inside.
"Die!"
Tsu-pit!
Puk!
A dagger loaded with sword energy pierced through the roof of its mouth and penetrated its brain.
"Killed-sumnida!!!"
[You have succeeded in the Floor 45 mission.]
That was the moment.
Razix accelerated fiercely.
He shot out like a bullet.
"Huehehehehek!!!"
Ssae-ae-ak!
Like a certain blue hedgehog character from games and animation.
Ta-ak!
In an instant, he arrived on top of the Rainbow Basilisk corpse,
Sa-gak, seo-geok, seo-geo-geo-geok!
He cut the body in various places, shoved his hand into the gap between the severed skin and hide,
"Ek!"
and with dazzling speed, rolled and pulled.
Zza-aa-aak!
A complete separation of the inner skin and outer hide.
Peol-leok!
The Rainbow Basilisk's hide fluttered like a flag.
Simultaneously,
Seu-reu-reuk.
The full hide was sucked into the backpack.
It was a success.
Razix placed both hands on his hips and struck a proud pose.
"Huek!"
Razix, that pose was insane.
Joo-hyuk also threw an uppercut into the air and cheered.
"Razix is the best! You did great!"
De-gu-reu-reu-reu,
Razix came rolling over and hopped into Joo-hyuk's embrace.
"Hueheheng!"
The other summoned beings also came running over, cheering.
"Well done."
"Cool-sumnida! Fantastic-sumnida."
"You did so well. The servant among servants."
It was a huge success.
They skinned the Rainbow Basilisk on the very first run.
All thanks to Razix.
"Ah, you're so cute it's killing me. Let's suffer just one more time, Mr. Razix."
"Hueheh…."
They began the second run.
The second one was easy.
No, from now on, they'd all be easy.
Because they're repeat runs.
Because they're not pressed for time.
They finished the repeat run too, and skinned another Rainbow hide.
What was next?
Now it was time to check the special reward.
The moment he confirms the 45 Platinum Badges in his inventory, the special reward message will appear.
"...Should we do it tomorrow?"
"That would be acceptable."
"Isn't tomorrow too late? It's probably better to check right away."
"That would be acceptable."
"No. Actually, maybe perform a 'good luck' ritual first..."
"That would be acceptable."
Zzirit!
Joo-hyuk shot Kosak a sharp glare.
Kosak flinched and averted his gaze.
It's not like he doesn't understand the nervousness, but...
His reactions are a complete mess.
"Young master Bong, even if what you desire does not appear, what of it? On the contrary, that may become a blessing, allowing you to achieve great fortune with the Floor 50 special reward."
As expected of Gyeon-dal-rae.
She shows the textbook reaction.
If something good came out, of course it was good. If something bad came out, you could look forward to the next one, so that was also good.
"Summoner, I don't care about anything."
"Hueheng!"
Let's check now.
Joo-hyuk opened his inventory.
The dazzling light of the 45 Platinum Badges that met his eyes,
[Special reward granted for accumulating 45 Platinum Badges.]
What was it?
It wasn't another random box or roulette wheel, was it?
Just give it to me directly.
Don't tease people,
[Special Reward: One Multi-National Tower Access Ticket (Single Use) has been deposited into your inventory.]
...Uh.
"Hmm? Did something good come out? Could it be a trait enhancement?"
What the hell is this!
"Ah, shit…"
[The Multi-National Tower Access Ticket allows entry to any Tower regardless of nationality. However, entry to floors exceeding your own level is not possible.]
I get this useless ticket?
I'd rather have gotten Magic Stones.
I wasn't even hoping for trait enhancement.
If only a Summoned Being Grade-Up Rune had come out, that would've been so good.
"Aish!"
Sigh, I wanted to see an SR Razix.
I should have set up a good luck ritual before starting.
"For the next Floor 50 special reward, we must set up a good luck ritual."
"Ah, understood."
"Since we got bad luck this time, next time must be good, right?"
"I believe it will happen as you wish, Master. I will prepare with all my might."
Let's not be disappointed.
A crappy car leaves, a Mercedes arrives.
Opportunities are endless.
No need to be disappointed.
"Let's have a feast! A feast!"
"Shall we go outside?"
"No. Delivery. And get the beer from the fridge too."
Kosak scratched his head,
"Drinking on duty is..."
"Absolute Obedience?"
"I can only do as I am commanded."
"Let's have about two cans."
"Yes!"
They ordered chicken, pizza, hot dogs, tteokbokki, hot dogs, jokbal.... organic carrots and bell peppers,
They had a fun time.
Although they couldn't laugh out loud 'hahoho' due to noise complaints between floors,
And the next day.
Joo-hyuk waited alone in the officetel for someone.
Currently, his inventory was filled to the limit with Basilisk hides.
A total of 30 hides.
28 normal Basilisk hides, and 2 Rainbow Basilisk hides.
Ding-dong!
The doorbell rang.
Joo-hyuk opened the door,
"Player Bong. Congratulations on the S++ clear of Floor 45."
"Welcome. Deputy Director Jeon Gwang-il, you always start with congratulations."
"Hahaha, of course I have to say that first."
Also, one person who came with Jeon Gwang-il.
"Long time no see. Player Bong Joo-hyuk. Congratulations from me too."
"...Ah, yes, welcome. Um, Section Chief Lee Min-ah."
Lee Min-ah, a Bureau employee and a Player.
He called them to hand over the stockpile of hides he had accumulated.
Joo-hyuk began taking out the full hides one by one from his inventory.
Giant full hides emerging from thin air,
"…Wow! There's Long-Tail, and this is an Ironjaw."
"Yes."
As Joo-hyuk took them out, Lee Min-ah put them into her own inventory.
Section Chief Lee Min-ah was a talented Player who worked at the Bureau while climbing, having cleared Floor 59 and was currently challenging Floor 60.
When she first met Joo-hyuk, she was only on Floor 55, but she had climbed four more floors since then.
For that reason, her inventory space was larger than Joo-hyuk's.
"28, right? That's a huge amount. How did you get all these...."
"No. There are 2 more."
Finally, a hide emerged from the inventory.
"Ah!"
"Oh, my... goodness!"
Gasps erupted.
A dazzling rainbow of seven colors spilled out as the hide unfurled from its crumpled state.
Section Chief Lee Min-ah was speechless.
Jeon Gwang-il was the same.
Are we really seeing this with our own eyes?
"…Ra, Rainbow Basilisk?"
"Yes. Please sell this one too."
Frankly, it was unbelievable.
Who would have thought they'd see the full hide of the Floor 45 boss, the Rainbow Basilisk, in reality?
Well, by that logic, normal Basilisk full hides aren't that different either, but
Section Chief Lee Min-ah gazed at the Rainbow hide with a mesmerized look.
It was so beautiful.
Alligator leather was like trash in comparison.
'If I could just take a small piece to make a wallet, it would be so nice.'
What if this was released on the civilian market?
For example, making and selling a leather coat?
It would be beautiful, but more importantly, functional.
It would be a bulletproof vest in itself.
She couldn't even begin to guess what the selling price would be.
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