Chapter 58
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 58
Chapter Title: Why Are You Coming Out From There?
-----------------------------------------------------------------
They say you get your foot chopped by the axe you trust.
After learning that Lavris, whom I'd thought was a man, was actually a woman, I explained the situation to the doctor and Karin, then sent her off to the women's bath.
"Why, Master! I don't mind bathing together!"
"I do. I'm a man, and you're a woman."
"I'm an orc—what does it matter? Who lusts after orcs anyway?!"
At that point, Lavris threw a bit of a tantrum, not understanding why she had to go to the women's bath.
I resolved it using one of my [Memories That Shouldn't Exist].
"Lavris. You know my job is alchemist, right?"
"Of course! You're the supreme alchemist who can make anything, Master!"
"Not anything, but... anyway, there's something I learned despite not wanting to during my alchemy work. You shouldn't underestimate human potential."
"Human potential? What does that have to...?"
"Shortstack Goblin (Female) Homunculus Recipe."
"...?"
"Vacuum Suction Slime (Female) Homunculus Recipe."
"...!"
"Knot Hole Dryad (Female) Homunculus Recipe."
"M-Master! Stop... please stop...!"
"Already? I still have a ton more to list."
"I'm sorry. Please don't dirty my mind any further... "
"We haven't even gotten to the good stuff yet... Ah, fine, one last one then."
"...?"
"Rabbit Beastkin Hybrid Orc (Male & Female) Homunculus Recipe."
"......Male & female...?"
"It has all the features of both men and women."
………?
………!!!
"Got it, Lavris? Humanity's endless potential. Right now, you're nothing but appetizing prey."
"...Master. I don't think I can look at humans the same way anymore..."
"You've seen the light. Off to the women's bath with you."
"...Understood."
Startled by humanity's boundless potential, Lavris fled in panic to the women's bath.
Left alone, I sealed away the [Memories That Shouldn't Exist], washed my body, and sank into the hot spring where steam rose faintly.
"Phew... First time in a hot spring... This is nice..."
Honestly, I'd thought a hot spring was just a hot spring—how great could it be?
But the moment I immersed myself, warm water enveloped my skin, loosening my muscles. Soon, a pleasant languor spread through my entire body as all tension melted away.
"Maybe bring the kids every weekend..."
I'd love to come every evening, but that would burden Karin too much. Weekends seemed like a good compromise.
Anyway.
I lounged in the warm waters for a while, munching on the snacks I'd prepared earlier (eggs, sweet rice punch, rice milk powder drinks, sausages, and more) while enjoying the soak.
[There are unconfirmed alerts.]
[There are unclaimed rewards.]
Suddenly, an unread notification window I'd shoved to the corner of my vision caught my eye.
"...Come to think of it, I still haven't checked this...?"
Right after exiting the tower, I'd been busy cooking.
Then I'd gotten chewed out by the furious doctor over tower-related issues and completely forgotten about it until now.
"Bored anyway—might as well check it out..."
Perfectly alone and bored, plus curious about the rewards, I decided to leisurely review the notifications while soaking.
[Since the difficulty was set to 'Hero's Task,' superior rewards will be granted.]
[Your current jobs are 'Alchemist' and 'Warrior.']
[Rewards are determined based on the job with higher aptitude.]
"Oh, so with two jobs, rewards get calculated like this?"
I'd secretly hoped for double rewards.
But since they measure records per job per tower, it made sense.
Anyway, accepting that, I moved to the next notification.
[Distributing Rank 1 reward for ｢Alchemist｣.]
[｢Alchemist｣ main stats 'Intuition' and 'Dexterity' greatly increase.]
[｢Alchemist｣ exclusive stat 'Luck' increases.]
[Acquired exclusive ｢Random Skill Draw Card｣ for Alchemist.]
"...Huh? This is the reward?"
It said superior rewards due to higher difficulty.
But seeing the usual side dishes (stats) and meat I'd eaten plenty of times (random skill draw card) greet me left me baffled.
"...Why?"
Maybe because I took Kun Talos's body separately?
Or because I wiped out the 15th floor and they skimped out of spite... something like that?
If so, the tower's management must be incredibly petty and cheap. Scrolling down quickly with that thought...
[Random Skill Draw Card (Alchemist)]
A card that grants a random skill related to the Alchemist job.
[Effect]: Grants a random skill upon opening.
[Additional Effect]: S-rank skill guaranteed.
"...What?"
...Guaranteed S-rank skill draw ticket?
"Holy shit."
I try not to swear for the kids' sake.
But this was unavoidable.
A guaranteed S-rank skill related to alchemy—how could anyone hold back?
"Drawing it now."
Focusing on my alchemist intuition, I strongly felt I didn't need to drag it out—just rip it open. Without hesitation, I opened the silver card.
Recombination (S)
"Recombination?"
Remixing completed things... something like that?
"Eh... I'll figure out the details when I use it."
Better to test once than overthink a hundred times. I willed the skill to activate strongly in my mind.
Suddenly, an unexpected notification appeared before me.
[Please select skills and traits to recombine.]
〖 〗 〖 〗 〖 〗
"Recombine skills and traits...?"
….
…!!!
"Holy shit."
No way.
The skill version of the synthesis card from last time's rank 1 reward?
Joy like a kid at getting an insanely good skill was short-lived.
My hands itched to recombine anything right away.
But I held back for now.
"Phew... Can't rush and take a loss."
From experience, giving in to curiosity and blindly combining would surely produce something bizarre.
Better to discuss thoroughly with Lavris and Tabula first.
So, I'd check the new skill later.
For now, the remaining notifications.
[Distributing clear reward for Tower of Struggle Floor 15 ｢Where the Giant Stone Sleeps｣.]
[Since the difficulty was set to 'Hero's Task,' superior rewards will be granted.]
[You have proven your struggle through endless malice!]
[Acquired hidden reward 'Jjangdol' from ｢Where the Giant Stone Sleeps｣.]
[Jjangdol] [F]
It's a jjangdol.
"?"
...What? Are my eyes broken?
Thinking it was a hallucination, I rubbed them and looked again...
[Jjangdol] [F]
It's a jjangdol.
...Still a jjangdol in front of me.
And somehow, a completely ordinary-looking rock was now in my hand.
"No way—this is really it?"
Unable to believe it, I inspected it thoroughly, wondering if it hid something.
Nothing.
In the end, this plain jjangdol was the entirety of the 15th floor reward.
"...Goddamn."
Isn't this too much?
All I did was blow up the 15th floor a bit and snag some hidden floor materials.
Acting this stingy—what's a good climber like me supposed to live on?
"Ugh, total bust."
I'd finished all notifications, but only got minor minerals.
For skipping five floors, this climb was a complete loss.
The moment I flung the ugly jjangdol into the middle of the hot spring in disgust...
Crack-!
"Ow-!"
The jjangdol cracked in half mid-air after hitting something.
A new notification appeared before me.
-Ding!
Mortal Who Robbed the Transcendent
In floors intervened by a transcendent, you can receive superior rewards.
"Achievement...? What's this now?"
More importantly...
Didn't I just hear a voice?
While checking the achievement, sensing something off, I reached toward where I'd thrown the jjangdol.
Squelch-!
"Hyah... H-Hubby... not here...♡"
"...?"
Something soft yet springy touched my palm.
A familiar woman's voice rang out.
"...No way, Rachel?"
"Yes♡ Hubby♡"
"Why... are you in the men's bath...?"
"Huh? W-Well, because you and I are husband and wife... mixed bathing is natural, right...?"
"Then why couldn't I see you...?"
"I-I thought you'd be embarrassed if you knew I was here... so I hid my appearance and presence with a spell...!"
...So, to sum up what Rachel was saying...
"You came to peep... something like that?"
"H-Hubby...! I wasn't peeping...! We're a proper married couple who already have two daughters and one mechanical daughter...! Don't say such crude things...!!!"
"No, this is insane. So who the hell is your husband?!"
And what was with deliberately saying "gave birth to" even knowing Tabula's mechanical?
How deep did those [Non-Existent Memories] burrow?!