Hidden Class, For the Sake of Delicious Eats
The next day, upon re-entering the Tower, Ha-yeon discovered a friend request from Ji-hye.
Holy Knight (Kim Ji-hye) has sent you a friend request.
Accept? Y/N
"Yes."
Ha-yeon nodded, accepting it, and a series of small alert windows popped up before her eyes in quick succession.
A message has arrived.
A message has arrived.
"Huh?"
Ha-yeon's eyes widened into circles.
"What's this?"
It was the first time she'd seen this feature since entering the Tower. A small window opened before her eyes, words appearing within it.
Ji-hye, who was already inside the Tower, had sent the message the instant the friend request was accepted.
"Whoa…."
Ha-yeon poked at the empty air with a look of wonder.
"Is this like texting?"
"Wow…."
It looked just like a real-world messenger app. The only difference was that instead of typing on a phone, she used the system window floating in front of her.
Ha-yeon stared at the window in awe for a good while.
"This is so cool…."
That was when it happened. While fiddling with the window, Ha-yeon suddenly remembered something and sent a message.
"…."
Ji-hye's fingers froze as she read the message.
Wait. What did she just say?
She read it again.
Hidden class quest.
"……."
Ji-hye's expression slowly hardened.
Ji-hye was at a loss for words for a long moment. The sword in her hand clattered to the ground.
"No way."
This was... off. No, way off.
A hidden class wasn't just some good job. It was a special class. Gaining one changed your life forever—and that wasn't hyperbole.
Ji-hye herself was one of the few who had obtained it: Holy Knight.
She remembered the moment she'd first gotten it. The celebrations were brief. After that, she'd faced constant scrutiny and envy from other guilds. The gazes of fellow climbers had shifted entirely. Some tried to befriend her, others probed for info, and some outright sabotaged her.
Special classes were that valuable.
Thank goodness her stream was off. If it had been on? This conversation would already be worldwide news.
A newbie. A newbie who'd been climbing for just days. Had gotten a hidden class quest?
From that moment, Ha-yeon's peaceful ascent would end. She'd face the same cutthroat climb Ji-hye had. No guild affiliation, and on such a low floor—it'd invite relentless harassment.
Cold sweat trickled down Ji-hye's back.
"Why bring up something this huge now... ah."
Then it hit her. This timing. After the stream ended. A moment when only the two of them could talk.
Ha-yeon had chosen now to bring it up carefully?
Ji-hye's eyes widened slightly.
No way.
She sent a message.
A brief silence.
Then the reply came.
"…."
...She really had no idea.
Ji-hye was speechless for a while. She took a deep breath, then typed.
Ji-hye added firmly.
Ji-hye hesitated a moment before replying.
Ha-yeon pondered the message briefly, then nodded.
"Aha."
A short exclamation. But not one of full understanding of what Ji-hye meant.
On the other side of the messenger window, Ji-hye paused.
"Hmm."
Should she explain more? As she debated, Ha-yeon spoke first.
Ji-hye was momentarily stunned.
"…."
Is it good? How many people in the world would even need to ask?
Swallowing a sigh, she typed.
A moment later, the reply.
That reaction again. Ji-hye narrowed her eyes.
Something was... off about her responses. Normally, people would be excited, asking for details, or at least surprised by now. But this was so nonchalant. Too nonchalant. Like she was hearing about someone else's business.
A hidden class was basically hitting the jackpot—halfway to winning the lottery. Meet the conditions, and you could switch to something extraordinary. Top guilds would court you, and you'd pull ahead of everyone—a smooth road to the top.
Ji-hye asked cautiously.
Ji-hye's eyes widened a bit.
Not sure?
Another message followed.
"Ha."
A dry laugh escaped Ji-hye's lips.
The Tower was a place where countless climbers risked their lives to ascend. For honor. For money. For power. People climbed for all sorts of reasons.
But just for—
"Delicious food…."
Ji-hye muttered.
"To eat...?"
She thought for a moment, then changed tack. Talking strength or rarity wouldn't land with this girl. So she tried a different angle.
A reply pinged back soon after.
Ha-yeon's eyes sparkled a little.
"Hmm…."
Monsters.
Monsters meant cooking ingredients. Even the red-tailed boars had been tasty. And the Tower had far stronger monsters than that.
Rarer ingredients. Tastier dishes.
Ji-hye continued.
In that instant, images flooded Ha-yeon's mind. Rare Tower ingredients she'd dug up on community forums recently.
Phoenix eggs. Ice crystal tears. Millennium snow ginseng.
Cooking with those?
"…."
She pictured it for a second.
Phoenix egg fried rice. Ice crystal tear cold noodles. Millennium snow ginseng samgyetang.
"Slurp…."
Her mouth watered involuntarily.
Ha-yeon typed slowly.
Ji-hye replied immediately.
Ha-yeon nodded. Now it clicked.
Strength. Rarity. Those didn't matter in themselves.
But if it let her hunt stronger monsters? Get better ingredients? Eat tastier food? Climb the Tower more easily? Recover faster?
The conclusion was simple.
A hidden class was the perfect tool for her gastronomic journey.
Ha-yeon nodded firmly and said,
"Guess I have to do it then."
A message appeared in the window.
"…."
Ji-hye was speechless again. Then, after a beat, she chuckled softly.
Truly. The most unique reason in the world.
Something people risked their lives for—a hidden class.
And she wanted it just to eat more?
But oddly, Ji-hye felt certain. Someday, this girl might reach the Tower's summit before anyone else.
For a reason utterly, delightfully different from the rest.