Chapter 7

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Translator: MadScientist

Chapter: 7

Chapter Title: Tower of Struggle

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Right after entering the tower, I looked around my surroundings.

"...Amazing."

It had only been the blink of an eye.

But when I came to, I was standing in the middle of a forest thick with trees and weeds.

If not for the blue notification window flickering in the corner of my vision,

it would have felt so utterly devoid of sensation that I might have thought I'd been transported to another world instead of entering the tower.

"Tower of Struggle... It's the theme where a single powerful monster appears, right?"

They said you learn which tower you're assigned to upon entering.

Does it notify you of the floor's goal and appearance time like this?

"...Too friendly, huh?"

For a tower out to kill climbers, this was surprisingly considerate.

Of course, it was less about genuine kindness to climbers and more—

—I wonder if you can clear it even knowing this?

—something closer to malicious mockery.

Since themes start from Floor 2, the current me had no reason to freak out.

"Hm... 3 minutes left."

Though it gave 5 minutes prep time,

since I'd prepared thoroughly outside already, there wasn't much more to do.

But standing around awkwardly like this felt lame,

so since I'd be fighting soon anyway, I decided to scout the terrain for any advantages.

"Next time, I should set up traps in advance."

Well, not sure how effective traps made in 5 minutes would be,

but better than nothing, right?

I was lost in such thoughts while surveying the area when—

"Huh? That?"

For a split second, in the distant bushes,

I spotted some grass that felt oddly familiar and yanked it up.

"It's really a Recovery Herb?"

The Recovery Herbs I'd bought for 1,000 won each before entering the tower

were growing wild here like weeds.

So that's where the ingredients come from—harvesting them directly?

"Whoa, this is a total goldmine!"

Is this what it feels like to find stacks of 1,000-won bills on the ground?

Excited at the discovery, I checked the surrounding grass for anything else,

but only the Recovery Herbs pinged as items.

A bit disappointing, but oh well.

"I'll get you later."

Putting off harvesting the Recovery Herbs until after clearing the tower,

I focused on the goblin about to appear.

"Phew..."

This was more nerve-wracking than expected.

I figured it'd be no big deal,

but now that it was happening, wild thoughts of everything going south crept in inevitably.

"Hup... Hoo..."

With every second ticking down, my breathing quickened,

my body tensed with excessive force.

My heart pounded, blood racing through my veins,

clammy sweat beaded on my palms gripping the spear shaft,

but I had no time to care.

"......"

At the 2-second mark,

I instinctively held my breath

and focused every nerve on taking down the goblin about to appear.

"Gorukta-! Goraruk-!"

The goblin from who-knows-where

let out a bizarre war cry from the bushes toward me the moment—

Squiiiish-!

For some inexplicable reason,

I instinctively hurled the spear in my hand at full force toward the goblin,

Spluuurt-!

"Go... rukta...?"

and the goblin's body exploded in a third, meeting instant death.

"...Huh?"

What the hell did I just do?

That action bypassed my brain entirely.

It was raw movement driven solely by instinct.

What I'm trying to say is—

"How did I even...?"

Even I was shocked by my own doing.

It was an utterly illogical move.

How to put it—a sequence of actions etched into my very body sprang out like a spinal reflex.

"...Gotta be the Marrow Cleansing effect, right?"

Since I'd never done anything athletic beyond breathing my whole life, it sure wasn't me.

By process of elimination, only Marrow Cleansing remained.

'Marrow Cleansing... actions imprinted in the body itself... Perfect Body Potion...'

...Ah, no way...?

The Orc Great Warrior materials used in the potion—

did they influence my body?

The thought that [Synthesis (EX)] might be even more insane than I realized lingered briefly.

But an unexpected notification appeared before my reverie,

so I focused on the current situation first.

"Job ranking?"

Come to think of it... there was a clear time notice earlier too, right?

I wondered why that popped up out of nowhere, but they've even added competitive elements?

The more I learn about this damn tower, the more it feels like a game.

Hmm... anyway,

"I'm #1, huh...?"

Well, in a way, it was obvious.

I spotted the goblin and turned it into a donut with a spear toss instantly—nothing faster than that.

Especially for an alchemist treated as trash tier.

"So, what name to use?"

If this were a game, I'd slap 'Benefactor' right in and brag via server-wide announcement.

Unfortunately, this is reality.

Pulling that stunt would turn me into a collared slave, so better not.

"Hm... I'm being surprisingly rational right now."

For some reason, after slaying that goblin, my head felt incredibly clear.

Is this the stress-relief high people get from sports?

From now on, whenever I'm on the verge of a meltdown, hitting the tower should keep me in check.

So, in that spirit—

"Gotta register the ranking name like this."

To commemorate finding my new emotional trash can,

after registering the name,

a new notification appeared before my eyes.

"Oh? #1 reward?"

As expected of #1—perks like this too?

Just learned: alchemist main stats are Intuition and Dexterity, apparently.

"Both seem crucial for an alchemist."

Dexterity's handy for handling various materials in manual work,

and Intuition helps when mixing mg-level stuff for new recipes.

Though with my high-rank skills, they seemed kinda meh,

but better than nothing—I'll take 'em gratefully.

So... major stuff done now?

The tower gave the vibe you could leave anytime post-clear notice,

but seemed I could stick around another 50 minutes if I wanted.

No dangers left, no need to bail early.

Time to grab those Recovery Herbs I spotted,

scout more, grab anything worthwhile, then head out.

"Oh, grab the goblin too?"

Not sure if the third-blown-off corpse has material value,

but to test that Emerald Cauldron skill idea from before,

I'll snag it—bound to be useful somehow.

Heading to the goblin corpse, I picked up my thrown spear,

"[Emerald Cauldron]"

Thud-!

"Ugh... touching this barehanded is..."

Goblin guts spilled from the spear hole.

Nearly hurled up my lunchbox, but desperately held it in,

upended ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠the summoned Emerald Cauldron over the corpse.

Squish-!

"Phew, finally can breathe."

With the goblin secured,

I went to the Recovery Herb patch and grabbed every one in sight.

"114,000 won earned. Sweet."

While harvesting, I figured out Emerald Cauldron registration:

If I strongly think 'I want this as material!', it registers regardless of size or amount.

"Dirt or water probably don't react since I expect them to."

After that, I roamed the forest for more loot,

but nothing noteworthy, so I grabbed some soil and rocks before exiting.

Back at my studio, I showered first.

Too focused on farming materials—dirt crumbled off with every move.

"Phew... refreshing."

After a quick rinse,

basking in long-lost refreshment and accomplishment,

I splurged on chicken delivery as a treat—two whole birds, no less.

"This is flexing."

While waiting, shall I check the gallery?

Killing time,

I popped in thoughtlessly, and the gallery was—

"What the...?"

The gallery was exploding, fueled by mysterious alchemist hype.

But looking closer...

"This... is about me...?"

0 minutes 3 seconds? That's my record, isn't it?