Chapter 33: 5th Floor. Forest of Monsters (1)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 33: 5th Floor. Forest of Monsters (1)
[Title: 5th Floor Quest Cleared.]
[That was a grind... So many bugs...]
[Maruima Atsuya (14th Floor): Good work.]
[Pham Minh Duc (23rd Floor): Good work. Ah, I have one question. That weird thing on the outskirts of the forest—did you happen to activate it?]
[Kim Jun (5th Floor): No. I found it, but there was no reaction. What is it? A system window appeared, but I couldn't understand a word it said.]
[Pham Minh Duc (23rd Floor): No one knows. Plenty of people have found it, but everyone says it doesn't react. It felt incredibly ominous.]
[Olivia Turner (33rd Floor): ...You mean that thing. Just looking at it made my stomach churn.]
* * *
"Are you alright?"
The secretary asked with a worried expression as Baekdusan returned.
"You've looked troubled ever since you got back. Was there a problem?"
"...No. It’s nothing."
Baekdusan sat at the table, chin resting on his hand, and shook his head.
"There’s no problem. No problem at all."
It was just that his pride had been ground into dust. Even if the man was a Perfect Player, Baekdusan never imagined he would be toyed with like that, unable to lift a finger in resistance.
If he had been suppressed simply by a gap in stats or skills, he could have made an excuse, but that wasn't it. There was an overwhelming, fundamental difference in pure skill and understanding of the system.
On top of that, his Gold had been completely drained. Staring at his empty balance left a hollow ache in his chest.
Still, he had gained much. He was finally starting to get a feel for what this 'Tower' really was.
And above all else...
Baekdusan’s eyes darkened.
— You are obsessed with power.
Those words Kang Jun-hyeok had thrown at him.
They had become a dagger that pierced his heart. Baekdusan let out a low groan.
'...Obsessed, am I?'
He needed to let go. Baekdusan let out a long sigh. His secretary watched him, her eyes filled with confusion.
"What are you staring at?"
"Nothing. You're just fidgeting like a dog that needs to piss. I was wondering if you got your ass kicked or something."
"You want me to kick yours?"
"No, thank you."
After their usual banter, Baekdusan looked at his secretary. One of Kang Jun-hyeok's remarks flashed through his mind.
— If you truly care for your secretary, you should have her start climbing the Tower now.
"...Hey."
"Yes?"
"You. Start climbing the Tower."
"Excuse me?" The secretary frowned. "Weren't you the one who told me not to climb it, Guild Leader? Besides, if I start climbing, who's going to manage the guild?"
"You can quit managing the guild."
"...What?"
"Just prepare the gems to give to Kang Jun-hyeok. Spend the rest of your time preparing to climb. I'll give you my full support. I'll even train you myself."
Baekdusan looked incredibly serious. Seeing an expression she had never seen before, the secretary's own face shifted. She nodded solemnly.
"...Understood."
* * *
At that same time.
Kang Jun-hyeok opened the Shop. Pixie, the shopkeeper fairy with a cigar clamped between her teeth, appeared.
[...You're back.]
Pixie muttered the moment she saw him. Her expression was peculiar; she looked as if she were dying to ask him something.
Kang Jun-hyeok gave a quiet chuckle. "Curious?"
[...No. Not particularly... I don't care... I've given up on everything...]
"You seem pretty interested for someone who doesn't care."
[Shut up...]
Pixie grumbled, biting down on her cigar. She exhaled a cloud of smoke as if trying to hide her emotions before speaking.
[So, what did you call me for this time? Is it an Active Skill...?]
"That's right. An Active Skill," Kang Jun-hyeok replied. "I want to purchase a Mid-Rank Active Skill."
[...]
Thud.
The cigar fell from Pixie's mouth. She blinked, processing his words.
[...Mid-Rank?]
"Yeah. The price is 15,000 Gold, right? I have the money."
[Y-you do?]
Pixie hurriedly stood up, her small wings fluttering.
[You definitely spent all your Gold before entering the 4th Floor. So how... wait.]
Pixie paused, her eyes widening like a startled rabbit's.
[Did you kill the Queen Ant?]
The 4th Floor Quest was the Planet of Ants. The goal was to kill as many of Brutalkain's ants as possible. The reward for that was Gold. Pixie knew this. If he had achieved a Perfect Clear, it wouldn't be strange for him to have 15,000 Gold.
But the method was the problem.
[You found the Queen Ant in Brutalkain? And in just two weeks? No. No way. How...]
Pixie stared at Kang Jun-hyeok in dazed shock. He spoke calmly.
"Whatever the case, I cleared it."
The important thing was that Kang Jun-hyeok had over 15,000 Gold. If so, a shopkeeper had to respond to a customer's request. Pixie finally snapped out of it.
[U-uh... fine... You said a Mid-Rank Active Skill...? There are requirements...]
The requirements to purchase a Mid-Rank Active Skill were simple: Clear the 40th Floor or higher, possess a stat over 55, or possess more than 20 Passive Skills.
And...
"A Feat stat of 20 or higher."
[...Right. The conditions are met. The price is 15,000 Gold. Are you buying it...?]
"Of course."
[...Here.]
[You have obtained a Mid-Rank Active Skill Box.]
A box fell from the sky and landed in front of Kang Jun-hyeok.
'To think I'd get this already.'
The requirements for purchasing a Mid-Rank Active Skill were incredibly strict. The easiest approach was clearing the 40th Floor, but currently, the top players were only in the mid-30s.
In other words, no one on Earth possessed a Mid-Rank Active Skill yet. It wasn't an exaggeration to say he was the first.
Kang Jun-hyeok checked the skill with a pleased expression.
[You have obtained the Active Skill: Instant Acceleration.]
[Active Skill: Instant Acceleration]
• Rank: Mid-Rank
• Proficiency: F
• Cooldown: 60 minutes
• Effect: Increases all speed by 1.5x for 5 seconds.
"Ooh."
Kang Jun-hyeok let out an exclamation of admiration. A 50% increase in all speed for 5 seconds—it was a powerful effect that was as intuitive as it was potent.
'As expected.'
Lowest-Grade Active Skills were often duds with low versatility, like Wall Climbing or Observation. Low-Rank skills were more versatile, like Slash and Thrust, but since they were close to basic movements, it was hard to gauge their effectiveness at a glance. One had to perfectly understand the characteristics and concepts of Active Skills to use them effectively.
But from Mid-Rank onwards, things were different. The skills became incredibly powerful, and their effects were immediately apparent.
The presence or absence of just one or two Mid-Rank Active Skills could be the difference between life and death. For an average player, obtaining a Mid-Rank skill was a major wall they might never overcome until the Tower closed.
And he had obtained one after clearing only the 4th Floor. He couldn't help but smile as he continued using the shop.
"I'll use the remaining 1,100 Gold to buy 11 spears."
[...Understood.]
He purchased the spears and tucked them all into his Inventory. Since he had obtained the Infinite Inventory on the 0th Floor, storage wasn't an issue.
"This should be enough."
[...]
Pixie stared blankly at Kang Jun-hyeok.
This guy... just what was he?
She knew he was special from the moment they first met. After all, the fact that he had forcibly obtained that difficult Master of All Weapons was proof enough. But he was becoming more absurd by the moment.
A Perfect Clear from the 1st Floor to the 4th? How was that even possible? As a part of the Tower herself, Pixie had access to general information, which made it even harder for her to comprehend.
Pixie was a fairy. And a special one at that—one of the oldest beings in the universe, present since the birth of her race. Even someone like her had never seen or heard of a being like Kang Jun-hyeok.
She was curious. Did he find the Queen by luck? No, it wouldn't have been designed that way. Then did he track her? But how? Based on the knowledge Pixie possessed, it should have been impossible.
Her fairy curiosity swelled like a balloon. It was becoming hard to suppress. Seeing her expression, Kang Jun-hyeok grinned.
"If you're curious, I can tell you."
Pixie almost reflexively asked him to. But she forced herself to hold back. What was the point of being curious? Everything was already over.
[...No. No. It's fine. If you're done, I'm leaving...]
Pixie vanished in a hurry. Watching her go, Kang Jun-hyeok muttered to himself.
"With a reaction like that, she won't be able to hold back next time."
It was quite amusing. Kang Jun-hyeok stretched and spoke aloud.
"So, I'd like to ask you something now."
The Master of All Weapons, which had been quiet, replied.
[Ask what.]
"You know what I'm talking about." Kang Jun-hyeok smirked. "Do you still think I can't change anything?"
[...]
The Master of All Weapons had given up on everything. It had judged that Kang Jun-hyeok could change nothing. That was why it wasn't fulfilling its role.
"But I've already shattered your judgment twice. Isn't it about time you acknowledged me?"
[I acknowledge it. My judgment of you was wrong. You are certainly special. You possess sufficient value.]
"Then—"
Kang Jun-hyeok's eyes sparkled. But the Master of All Weapons spoke listlessly.
[Even so, I have no intention of doing anything now. You are certainly someone who has exceeded my predictions, but I still do not believe anything will change.]
"Man, you're a real piece of work."
Kang Jun-hyeok clicked his tongue. The Master of All Weapons was completely broken. Its attitude suggested it was afraid of even attempting to move with a will of its own again.
But he had expected this. If it were that easy to change, it wouldn't have ended up in this state in the first place.
'I guess I need a stronger catalyst.'
He needed something that would spark the Master of All Weapons' will.
Time passed, and the day came when entry into the Tower was permitted again. Kang Jun-hyeok immediately entered the 5th Floor.
[5th Floor Quest: Conquer the Forest.]
The 5th Floor Quest was simple: he just had to defeat all the beasts residing in the forest.
Naturally, it wasn't an ordinary forest. It was a place inhabited by monsters under the name of beasts. The wolves were twice the normal size, and massive bears roamed the shadows. With various poisonous insects present, it was a floor where one had to feel the threat to their life at all times.
Of course, none of that applied to Kang Jun-hyeok. He roamed the forest, striking down every beast that blocked his path. He tanked the attacks of poisonous insects with his bare body as he burned down their nests.
[You have obtained the Passive Skill: Poison Resistance.]
In the process, he even acquired a new Passive Skill. It didn't even take two days to conquer the forest.
"Now then."
This was where the real work began. Kang Jun-hyeok moved his feet, heading toward the outskirts of the forest—a place he had intentionally avoided until now.
"There it is."
There, in a small clearing on the outskirts, stood something bizarre. It looked like vines, but it was absolutely not vegetation. It was a bizarre altar that writhed, something that couldn't be described in mortal terms.
The sound of the Master of All Weapons catching its breath echoed in his mind.
[You have discovered the Altar of Hunger Growing in the Rift, a Victor of the Great War.]