Tower Clear
Tower Clear
"An Elixir of Fire Resistance?"
When Doyoon mentioned the Elixir of Fire Resistance, Seah tilted her head.
It was understandable.
Although people had heard stories about elixirs, few knew specifically what kind of elixirs existed.
Since alchemists didn't bother making elixirs that people couldn't even drink anyway, there were practically no elixirs released on the market.
"This elixir has the effect of significantly boosting the user's fire-attribute resistance."
"Ah, if so..."
Seah clapped her hands with a bright expression.
However, Lee Sol chimed in out of nowhere.
"I know your potions are amazing. You're probably thinking we can withstand the Phoenix's fire breath with that elixir, right?"
"Yes. Wouldn't it be able to reduce the damage considerably, if not completely?"
"Even if that's true, there's still a problem."
Lee Sol crossed her arms.
"The Phoenix is such a quick beast that it's tough for just the two of us to land hits on it. As for the 58th floor, we cleared it by attempting it over a long period to figure out the ball's movement pattern, but the Phoenix is ultimately a living creature, so it's hard to read its patterns."
Lee Sol poked her own chest with her index finger again.
"On top of that, its core is tiny compared to its body size, making it even harder to hit. It might not be impossible, but by the time we figure out how to clear it, other rankers will probably have made it up to the 59th floor too. If they team up for a raid, there's a high chance we'll lose the first-clear reward."
Doyoon scratched his head.
"Mmm. Then what should we do? Will we ultimately have no choice but to quietly wait until other rankers join us?"
Lee Sol sighed.
"Pretty much. If only we had at least a trustworthy melee awakened person."
"A melee awakened person? Can we clear the 59th floor with just that?"
"Because basic raid tactics usually involve a melee awakened person standing in front to lure the enemy while long-range awakened people pour on the attacks. If a melee awakened person lures the Phoenix while eonni and I rain attacks on it, we'll be able to win."
"However, the problem is that the conditions are strict."
Seah opened her mouth to speak.
"First, they have to be a top-tier ranker capable of currently tackling the 58th floor. That way, they can join us quickly on the 59th floor. Second, they have to be someone trustworthy enough to stay with us for a long time in the future.."
"I understand the first reason, but why the second?"
"Because from that ranker's perspective, holding us back until other rankers arrive would be more profitable than helping us clear the 59th floor. They would keep us in check to prevent us from monopolizing the first-clear rewards for the 60th floor and above using your elixirs, Doyoon-ssi."
At those words, Doyoon let out an 'Ah'.
From the perspective of the ranker helping Doyoon's party, even if they were needed to clear the 59th floor, there was no telling if they would still be needed on the floors above it.
Rather than letting themselves be cast aside while Doyoon's party monopolized the first-clear rewards of the upper floors, they might think it better to stall until other rankers arrived.
"That's why a long-term contract with you is necessary to gain their trust, Doyoon-ssi. Only that can make the ranker believe they won't be discarded even beyond the 59th floor."
Seah furrowed her eyebrows.
"However, I can't really think of a top-tier ranker trustworthy enough to sign a long-term contract with you, Doyoon-ssi. Rankers rarely interact with each other, so we don't know much about one another. Everyone might smile on the outside, but they could have ulterior motives on the inside."
Like plotting to kidnap you, for instance, Seah added.
As for Doyoon, being kidnapped and turned into a living potion factory was something he politely declined.
"That's why it's hard to clear the 59th floor. It's tough to clear it on our own, and there are no trustworthy rankers around."
Lee Sol said.
Doyoon lowered his head and thought for a moment.
A top-tier ranker who was a melee awakened person and trustworthy enough to sign a long-term contract with Doyoon.
Someone suddenly came to mind.
Doyoon raised his head and looked back and forth between Lee Sol and Seah.
"Um, I actually just thought of someone."
A week later.
Seah and Doyoon gathered at Lee Sol's house again.
Lee Sol was sitting in front of the table with her legs stretched out, yawning.
Seeing her unladylike behavior despite having a guest over, Seah thought she should scold her later.
Doyoon was tapping away on his smartphone.
"So? Who on earth is it?"
Lee Sol suddenly asked.
"You said you'd tell us when today came, so why haven't you told us yet?"
"I told you."
Doyoon said without taking his eyes off his smartphone.
"She'll be here soon, so just wait a little bit."
"What do you mean she'll be here soon, when is she coming—"
Just as Lee Sol was grumbling.
"She's here."
Doyoon, who was operating his smartphone, muttered.
Just then, the doorbell rang.
It seemed the ranker Doyoon mentioned had arrived.
"I'll go get it."
Seah rose from her seat and hurried toward the front entrance.
When she opened the door, an unexpected person appeared.
"Oh my. Hello there?"
Jia greeted her with a smile in front of the door.
"Uh, Baek Jia-ssi?"
Seah's mouth fell open.
To think that the ranker Doyoon invited was Jia.
"Jia-ssi. It's been a while."
From behind, Doyoon's voice could be heard calling out to Jia.
It was at that moment.
"Doyoon-ssi!"
Suddenly, Jia brushed past Seah and leaped into Doyoon's arms.
"Ji-Jia-ssi."
"How have you been? I missed you."
Jia said as she hugged Doyoon tightly.
"Doyoon-ssi. What on earth is this?"
At Seah's question, Doyoon scratched his head and said.
"Jia-ssi is the ranker I called."
"Jia-ssi?"
"She's a melee awakened person and a top-tier ranker no less than Lee Sol-ssi. Above all, she already knows my identity, and she even offered to repay me not long ago. That's why I thought she was the most suitable."
"What about the 58th floor? As far as I know, Baek Jia-ssi hasn't cleared the 58th floor yet."
"It turns out Jia-ssi had also been trying hard to tackle the 58th floor just like you, Seah-ssi. So when I provided her with the Elixir of Agility, she cleared it in no time."
Seah pondered for a moment.
Certainly, in terms of ability, there was nothing left to be desired.
Even Seah had heard that Jia's evasion skills as a thief-class were outstanding.
She would easily dodge the Phoenix's attacks while luring it to the spot Lee Sol and Seah desired.
Furthermore, since she owed a debt of gratitude to Doyoon, she wouldn't harbor thoughts of harming him under normal circumstances.
However, if there was one worry...
Seah looked behind Doyoon.
Before anyone realized it, Lee Sol had approached and was staring at Doyoon and Jia.
An annoyed expression, just like the one seen before, was plastered across her face.
Once this 59th floor raid was over, Jia would form a long-term contract with Doyoon.
That meant Doyoon and Jia would become much closer than they were now.
But could her highly possessive younger sister just quietly stand by and watch that happen?
Seah lost her confidence.
The broadcasting studio was in the middle of preparing for the live stream.
The day had finally come for a new floor of the tower to reveal itself.
The caster carefully read the materials placed before him.
It was the information about the 59th floor provided by Seah on Lee Sol's behalf.
This mission was a raid.
A mission where multiple people hunt a giant magic beast together.
However, the information Seah handed over was extremely brief, so it didn't mention what magic beast they were hunting or who would be doing the hunting.
"Are you worried?"
"Ah, Commissioner-nim."
The expert commentator spoke to him.
"I really don't know. Doing a raid with only two people... No matter how much they're aiming for the first-clear reward, it's far too reckless."
Currently, two rankers are known to have cleared the 58th floor.
Lee Seah, who achieved the first clear, and Lee Sol, who reportedly cleared it recently after drinking an elixir.
"Certainly, there is that aspect."
The commentator nodded.
"However, I would like to believe it's three people, not two."
"...Are you referring to the Zero-Calorie Alchemist?"
A rookie awakened person who appeared like a comet.
Now there was no one in South Korea—no, in the world—who didn't know about him.
However, the caster was still skeptical.
"I'm still not so sure. Of course, I acknowledge that his potions and elixirs are amazing. But still, isn't it true he isn't a combat-type awakened person? Can someone who ultimately can't face the magic beast directly really play an active role in this raid as well?"
No matter how many potions one drinks, ultimately only stamina and mana are recovered.
Although more diverse things can be done with elixirs, it is still the combat-type awakened people who attack the magic beast in the end.
There were limits for a non-combat-type awakened person.
The commentator laughed, "Heh heh."
"There is logic in that thought. After all, I thought the same way at first."
"Then...?"
"However, my mind changed after seeing the 58th floor cleared with the Elixir of Agility. Caster Park, listen closely. Potions have limited uses, but elixirs are different."
The commentator paused briefly before continuing.
"Even among the recipes obtained just by raising proficiency, there are countless elixirs that can deal with situations awakened people have struggled with until now. They simply couldn't use them because they consumed too much Capacity. But what about recipes obtained through methods other than raising proficiency?"
The caster let out an 'Ah'.
Seeing that, the commentator smiled.
"I feel infinite possibilities in the Zero-Calorie Alchemist's abilities. To the extent that I think he might actually clear the tower."
The caster flinched with a shudder.
Clearing the tower.
A goal that all awakened people aimed for, yet so lofty that they barely dared to speak it out loud.
The commentator was saying that the Zero-Calorie Alchemist might actually achieve such a goal.
"Just how..."
Just as the caster was about to ask further.
"Broadcast starting soon!"
A staff member's voice signaling the start of the broadcast could be heard.
The caster reflexively straightened his posture.
Now was the time to focus on the commentary.
The broadcast began, and the video feed went live.
On the screen, Lee Sol and Seah were walking.
No, it wasn't just the two of them.
One woman was walking along with them.
"Is that Ranker Baek Jia...?"
The caster's mouth fell open.
Tackling the 59th floor wasn't just Lee Sol and Seah.
Baek Jia.
Baek Jia, a ranker who had awakened an S-rank thief-class, joined the raid.