Chapter 4
Chapter 4
“Mm, mm, mm!”
Back home, Shati stuffed her cheeks with cocoa powder and kept cramming chewy, crispy marshmallows into her mouth.
With Realization active, she only had about five minutes left, so she was eating in a hurry.
“You did well yesterday and today. Eat as much as you want.”
“Mm!”
Shati nodded so vigorously her hair whipped around.
A girl happily stuffing her face with sweets, cheeks bulging like a hamster.
Shati was really here in front of me.
That was the power of Realization.
After reading the skill description more carefully, Realization was far more capable than I had expected.
Any monster Shati killed would still give me full rewards.
Loot items also went straight into my inventory.
Just thinking about it was enough to make my mouth water.
But.
Even though this unexpected gain put me in a good mood.
A notification appeared.
Do you want to equip the item, “Molek, the Seducer”?
This was the item I originally came for, and it was already causing trouble.
I equipped Molek, the Seducer.
“Ah! It’s hot, it’s hot, it’s hot!”
The moment I clipped the golden earring onto my ear, a burning sensation shot through my earlobe and I let out a groan without thinking.
I yanked it off and threw it to the floor.
Oh? You’re unaffected by corruption?
“You just noticed that?”
But it’s useless. You’ll only burn slower!
Looking into a hand mirror, my earlobe was already slightly blackened.
What a nasty personality.
Do cursed items usually act like this toward their owners?
I only know one cursed item, so I can’t really tell.
Shati has never done anything like this.
“Mm? Mm?”
Shati stopped chewing.
Her cheeks were puffed up like a hamster holding nuts, eyes wide open.
“You’re hurt?”
“Just a little. This Molek woman won’t listen at all.”
For a moment, Shati flinched. Her usual blank expression disappeared, replaced by a sharp glare.
“…woman?”
“Hm? Yeah. A woman. When I tried it yesterday, I heard her voice. I even saw hallucinations like when I first met you. Definitely a woman.”
“Hm… I see?”
Shati’s words suddenly became more precise and faster.
“I tried to send this thing to you so you could climb the Tower with it, but it won’t work. It’s too stubborn.”
“I’ll fix her attitude.”
Shati snatched the earring.
“Don’t wear it.”
“Imja, stay still.”
Shati calmly put Molek on.
Then, after a few seconds.
Ssshhk.
A burning smell rose from her ear.
“Take it off, Shati.”
Sssshhk.
Molek hissed like she was burning Shati alive, but Shati’s skin did not break.
Since she was a realized item, her body durability was clearly different from a human’s.
“Hey, you insolent woman.”
Shati’s eyes sharpened.
“You touched our imja… you damn bitch.”
Gasp.
I was too shocked to speak.
She was way harsher than usual.
I didn’t know she could talk like that.
Realization time remaining: 30 seconds.
“I’ll use this bitch… and break the Tower.”
Shati grabbed the last drink bottle and gulped it down.
“Imja, trust me. Please.”
Her eyes burned with intense determination.
I originally thought Molek would be too aggressive for Shati, but I changed my mind.
If she wanted it that badly, maybe it was fine for a short while.
Just 30 minutes.
The next day, I was shocked by the results.
System: Monster kill experience total…
1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 grade mana stones and 48 additional items obtained.
4th grade Tower cleared.
Total experience gained: 1253…
7th grade Tower cleared.
The Tower had been completely turned upside down.
Wednesday.
The day the Tower opens.
“Enter Tower.”
System: Awakened user Scar enters the 4th grade Tower, floor 25.
A faint light enveloped me as a new world appeared.
Behind me, crocodile-like creatures flew around while NPCs in strange clothing argued.
Shati, in Realization state, immediately ran off excitedly as if everything fascinated her.
Probably the first time in the history of items.
“Imja… give… start signal…?”
I had dressed her in functional sportswear, but I wondered if it was uncomfortable.
“Let’s go. Don’t stop. This is a test of your power. I won’t help much, so be careful not to get hurt!”
“Yes!”
The moment I finished speaking, she sprinted off like an athlete.
“Hey, aren’t you the famous Scar?”
An NPC called out, but Shati ignored him.
“Wait! We need help! Three Red Wyverns appeared outside the village—”
She ignored everything and ran.
Is she speedrunning this?
System: Quest accepted.
Clear condition: Defeat Red Wyvern (0/3)
With her absurd stats, I never imagined Shati would move like this.
Name: Manbyungjewang Shati, Realized State
Time remaining: 29:51
Grade: S-class item
Health: 280
Strength: 80
Endurance: 90
Mental: Corrupted
Agility: 450
I imagined we would slowly cover the Tower together.
That prediction was completely wrong.
All I did was follow Shati and collect loot.
450 agility was easily top ten worldwide.
“Eek!”
Goblin spearmen, archers, and miscellaneous mobs appeared.
Shati entered the farming zone 1 km from the village in 16 seconds.
“Imja… weapon!”
“Use Manbyungjewang ability.”
Shati’s hand transformed into a sharp black claw.
Like a tiger’s fang.
A claw-type weapon.
Screech.
Two seconds for mob clear.
Before they could even scream, they vanished.
“RAAAAAA!”
The Red Wyvern roared.
Five seconds for boss kill.
I could already imagine piles of loot forming.
“Next floor!”
System: Congratulations.
4th grade Tower floor 25 cleared.
Do you want to proceed to floor 26?
“I proceed.”
Entering floor 26.
“I guess I should use that now.”
I summoned Molek again.
“Shut up… you tool…”
The earring screamed inside my mind.
Whether she liked it or not, she couldn’t affect Shati while in inventory.
But when directly equipped…
“Shut up, tool!”
Of course she could hear it.
Molek screamed in rage.
Shati’s ear turned dark from the heat, but she kept moving forward.
Ssshhk.
Using Molek’s effect, mobs were shredded just by passing through.
Is this only half power?
4th grade Tower cleared.
5th grade Tower 39th floor.
6th grade Tower cleared.
Insane.
Even considering the 4th grade gap, she cleared 5th and 6th grade Towers in 15 minutes.
Inventory capacity exceeded.
Items automatically sent to storage.
Current floor: final floor of 7th grade Tower, floor 75.
“Even the seas will belong to them!”
Quest accepted.
Clear condition: Defeat monster Tiamat (0/1)
A massive 30-meter monster stepped onto land, shaking the ground.
This boss was on a completely different level.
Shati’s attacks weren’t even piercing its skin anymore.
Maybe it was time to recall her.
Only 4 minutes of Realization remained.
“Let’s go back, Shati.”
She shook her head.
“Can I help?”
“No.”
She still wanted to continue alone.
Then she grabbed a mana stone.
And bit into it.
Crunch.
“Eh?”
She was eating it.
“…Does it taste good?”
Shati nodded.
“Blueberry flavor.”
Her health increased.
Mana stones used for repairs?
She was doing it by eating?
Then she struck again with all her strength.
This time it hit.
Green blood exploded.
Tiamat screamed.
Shati continued attacking relentlessly.
System: Target Tiamat eligible for execution.
Congratulations. Awakener rank 8 achieved.
Hidden skill unlocked: Incarnation.
7th grade Tower cleared.
Time taken: 27 minutes 55 seconds.
A new world record for consecutive Tower clears from 4th to 7th grade.
Shati smiled brightly.