Chapter 29
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 29
Chapter Title: Unexpected Reward
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You have renewed your #1 position in the Job Rankings!
You have a history of registering rankings.
Registering ranking automatically based on this.
Tower of Struggle 5th Floor Job Rankings - Alchemist
#1 - Trash Can No. 2: 9 minutes 23 seconds
#2 - -//-
#3 - -//-
After registering the talking goblin captain... or whatever it was as a material by turning it into a good goblin.
We didn't return to the original forest just because we'd cleared the floor. Instead, we wandered the colosseum a bit, found nothing worth picking up, and left the tower.
"The forest terrain had so much to grab, which was nice, but this one was a bit disappointing."
Exiting the tower.
We came home with a slight sense of regret at not getting to enjoy the thrill of farming.
"That place had way too much sand, so it sucked, nyang! Home is still the best, nyang!"
"Right? The air was stuffy, and it reeked of blood. Not great at all."
"Girls, shake off that sand and go wash up before bed?"
"Got it, nyang!"
"Lulu sis, did you know? This bath is suuuper big, so we can even play submarine games!"
"What, nyang?! Lead the way, Arin, nyang! Let's go swimming, nyang!!!"
"Heehee, sure! I'll show you the wave pool I made with the shark!"
As usual, the girls headed to the bathroom with its spacious bath to wash off the tower's dirt.
Meanwhile, I sat on the porch in the yard to check the rewards I hadn't looked at in the tower.
Distributing Alchemist Ranking #1 reward.
The Alchemist's main stats 'Intuition' and 'Dexterity' have increased dramatically.
The #1 ranking reward for floor 5 was main stats.
Honestly, I wanted a random skill or trait. But this wasn't bad either.
I didn't notice at first, but over time, I started to feel what high Intuition and Dexterity meant.
Especially Intuition—it grew more useful the higher it got, instinctively telling me if a decision was good or bad.
And Dexterity? When I cooked, I moved like a master chef, shocking myself every time. Better than nothing, for sure.
I especially realized this with the delicacies the Professor brought over recently—
"How about it, girls? Tasty meat, right?"
"Tasty, nyang! But Daddy-nyang's meat is even tastier than Professor-nyang's, nyang!"
"Yeah! Daddy always grills it to our favorite doneness with perfect seasoning!"
"[Job Hunt Villain's that good at cooking?]"
"Daddy-nyang's cooking is the best, nyang! His touch is different, nyang!"
"Anyone could tell once they tried Daddy's meat."
—I thought my daughters were just saying it tasted good every day to make me feel nice.
Turns out, they really meant my cooking was better. That surprised me.
"[Job Hunt Villain. Mind grilling some if it's not too much trouble?]"
"Oh, sure."
The Professor, skeptical of the girls' words since he'd been eating it himself, asked me to grill some.
Being the one who'd been eating his food, I grilled without complaint.
The Professor took a bite of my grilled meat and—
"[...This meat's grilled perfectly.]"
"[Good. I was getting tired of delivery anyway.]"
"[Job Hunt Villain. I'll buy any ingredients you want, so can you handle my meals from now on?]"
"Huh? Me?"
"[Yeah. This is seriously good. Ah, if it's a hassle, I'll pay per meal. How's that?]"
"...It's not that hard, so sure. Come by when you're hungry."
"[So you're my personal chef starting today?]"
"Professor... I'm an alchemist..."
"[Isn't it basically the same? Just a difference in ingredients.]"
"...Is it?"
—He muttered in admiration, kept eating my grilled meat.
Soon enough, he appointed me his personal chef.
"See stuff like this, and it's no wonder they give stat boosts as ranking rewards."
In that sense, getting main stats as a reward wasn't bad.
They were versatile—you could use them anywhere.
And for this floor, at least, the main course was still to come.
No need to feel shortchanged by this reward.
Distributing clear reward for Tower of Struggle 5th Floor Goblin Colosseum.
You have proven your struggle by overwhelming your enemies with sheer power!
Acquired top Goblin Colosseum reward 'Latent Ability Awakening Stone (Bound)'.
Latent Ability Awakening Stone (Bound)
A stone that awakens a latent ability of the user.
[Effect]: Break the stone to awaken one latent ability as a [Skill] or [Trait].
"Latent Ability Awakening Stone...?"
Break it, and one of my latent abilities becomes a [Skill] or [Trait].
True to its status as the colosseum's top reward, it looked insanely rare at a glance.
Item cannot be registered as material.
"Can't register it as a material, huh."
If it worked with the Emerald Cauldron, I might've made something even better. Kinda disappointing.
With the (Bound) tag, I couldn't even pass it to Lulu or Arin. Guess it's mine to use.
"What if nothing comes out?"
Honestly, did I even have any latent abilities?
But they say everyone has some talent they don't know about. Worth a shot anyway.
I gripped the stone as instructed and crushed it to powder.
Waited a moment...
Ding-!
A cheerful alert sounded.
A new [Skill] acquisition notice appeared before my eyes.
You have used the Latent Ability Awakening Stone.
Your latent ability 'Aura' has awakened!
Acquired skill 'Aura (B+)'.
"...Huh?"
This was my latent ability...?
Aura? What's that...?
And right then.
"[Job Hunt Villain, you're here? The gallery's blowing up over you renewing the rankings this floor too.]"
"Ah, Professor! Perfect timing!"
"[?]"
The Professor, who'd gone home to research some magic, returned.
I asked him what aura was.
"Do you know what aura is by any chance?"
"[Aura? That's like the aura the orc race uses. Why?]"
Aura-like thing orcs use?
Don't tell me...
"Professor. Do Orc Great Warriors use aura too?"
"[Obviously? According to papers I've seen, orcs can't use mana but are born handling aura.]"
"[At Great Warrior rank, they're probably masters who wield it perfectly.]"
"Uh... Can humans wield aura?"
"[What nonsense is that? But seriously... unless you're a human-orc half-breed, probably not.]"
Impossible unless human-orc hybrid...?
Meaning...
I'd eaten an elixir made from orc materials in a human body, turning me into a pseudo half-orc.
The stone awakened the orc-exclusive 'aura' dormant inside me... something like that?
And then.
"[Even if you could use it, a human body couldn't withstand that violent aura in the first place... Hold on.]"
"[Job Hunt Villain? Why are you asking about this?]"
Our sharp Professor sensed something off and started grilling me.
I didn't want him knowing I'd made and eaten an elixir from orc materials to boost my manly pride.
I averted my eyes like a guilty pup and played dumb.
"...It's nothing."
"[Is it? Then let's check your status window, Job Hunt Villain.]"
"...Professor. I think even if we're close, we need to respect personal privacy..."
"[Quiet! Open the status window now!]"
"[What the hell did you do to ask about orc-exclusive aura?!]"
"No! Don't! Stop!"
"Gasp, nyang?! Arin-nyang! Professor-nyang's grabbing Daddy's clothes, nyang!?"
"He's finally showing his true colors, Cheater Professor...! We have to protect Daddy, Lulu sis!"
"Professor-nyang! Take Lulu's tail sting, nyang!"
"Go on! Bite him!"
[Shaa!]
After a bit of noisy chaos.
I ended up confessing everything to the Professor.
"[So... you cleared the hidden floor on 5 and got a stone that awakens latent abilities?]"
"Yep."
"[Used it and got the orc-only Aura (B+) as a skill?]"
"Yep."
"[And that's because the elixir you made for Marrow Cleansing (S) used orc materials?]"
"...Yep."
"[No problem then. Why hide it from me?]"
"W-Well... I thought you'd misunderstand if I said I made something from orc materials and ate it..."
"[Misunderstand? What mi— Ah.]"
*Glance.*
"[Ahem... No wonder your body's so toned... Makes sense now.]"
"......"
As expected of the quick-witted Professor—he instantly got why I'd desperately hidden it.
And what intent I'd had in stewing up an orc.
"[Well... you're a guy too, Job Hunt Villain?]"
"[Not weird for a male to have those urges.]"
"[Proof you're healthy, even.]"
"Stop. Please... don't say another word..."
In the end, I got branded a crazy stud who'd stewed an orc to boost his manly pride.
Marriage prospects? Done for.
"That's too much, Professor... Did digging into it really make you feel better...?"
"[You looked like a guilty dog, so I thought you'd gone full menhera and done something dumb again...]"
"What do you even think of me...?!"
"[Uh...? Well, the type who does dumb stuff first and thinks later... Uh. Never mind.]"
"[Say more and you'll hurt Job Hunt Villain's feelings.]"
"...Too late. So get delivery for dinner tonight."
"[Ah.]"
Too late, Professor.
I added this to my mental revenge notebook. Look forward to payback day.
My sulk over the deep emotional wound didn't last long.
The Professor soon brought up a topic I'd find interesting to change the subject.
"[Anyway, Job Hunt Villain. Remember that favor I asked before?]"
"...What favor?"
"[Y'know, the injured acquaintance.]"
"That... Of course I remember."
How could I forget the guy with PTSD so bad he couldn't get it up?
Probably scarred for life. Why bring it up now?
I listened closely, wondering.
"[Truth is, that couple's coming over tonight.]"
"[If you're okay with it, wanna meet them?]"
The protagonists of that flaccid story were coming here?
Well...
"...Sure, I'll meet them."
Lying if I said it didn't sound fun.
"[Great. We'll talk rewards over dinner... You'll cook, right...?]"
"...Just this once. Any requests?"
"[Hm~ Since it's a couple, steak and pasta? I'll handle the wine.]"
"Got it, I'll prep on time. Ah, no booze for me—make it cola."
"[Job Hunt Villain. 'Can't drink booze 'cause it's bitter'? What kinda talk is that...?]"
"Huh? But booze is just bitter with no real alcohol taste. Weird stuff."
"[...That's 'cause you've never had good stuff.]"
"Booze is booze, what's there to...?"
"[Just you wait. I'll show you what real booze is tonight.]"
The Professor's such a fussbudget.
What's so great about something as harmful as booze?