Chapter 100
Chapter 100
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: uly
Chapter: 100
Chapter Title: Became the Gallery's Only Reptile
-----------------------------------------------------------------
"Now you must take the test of the 0th floor. Moooo."
"I've been waiting."
At Umo's words, Yi So-ha smiled brightly and pulled out the white cane she had tucked into the inner pocket of her school uniform.
"But I brought my own weapon separately. I guess I don't need this one, right?"
"Moooo? To prepare like this in advance... Your preparedness is truly admirable, but unfortunately, it doesn't seem like it will be of much help in the tower."
It looked like a mage's staff, but it had no special effects, and it didn't seem durable enough to use as a blunt weapon.
Probably high chance it'll break mid-fight against the 1st-floor monsters.
"Then, could you give me a slightly better weapon instead? Unlike others, I'm dead serious about climbing the tower—I even prepared my own weapon."
"Moooooo."
But Yi So-ha already knew that much.
The reason she brought this cane was to assist her actions until she could use magic power.
'Now that I can use Magic Power Detection, I don't need this anymore.'
So, this was her chance to dispose of it and upgrade the quality of the weapon she'd receive.
Of course, the odds were low, but if that failed, she could just gain something else another way.
"I acknowledge your preparedness, but upgrading the weapon grade with this seems difficult. Moooo."
"How about increasing the number of weapons I get instead?"
"The number of weapons?"
As expected, that was a tough ask.
But she smoothly transitioned to the next proposal, as if she'd anticipated it.
Toning down the request just a bit from before to ease his burden and lower his guard.
"My hunch is that I can only choose one weapon, right?"
"Correct."
"Then give me one more. Since it's a 0th-floor weapon, I'll replace it soon enough once I climb higher. Considering the tower's overall balance, it shouldn't be a problem."
"Mooo? You seem to know quite a bit about the tower."
Oh no, was she coming off as too knowledgeable?
But Yi So-ha didn't falter at his words.
She had the most reliable backer of all!
"The Constellation told me."
He'd given her a precious elixir from the start and passed along info through Umo—insanely powerful yet asked for nothing in return. A total pushover... no, an incredibly kind Constellation. He wouldn't get mad over her name-dropping, right?
"I-is that so. I didn't suspect a thing. Moooo!!"
Chalak.
"Then, since you've learned about the tower from the Constellation, let's move right on!"
Umo summoned the neatly arranged weapons by his side.
Sword. Shield. Spear. Bow. Staff. Dagger. Mace. Chain, and so on.
Not legendary blades, just plain ones—flawless for beginners.
"Then, Climber Yi So-ha? As you requested, we'll replace your current weapon and grant you two basic weapon choices."
Jackpot.
At Umo's words, Yi So-ha clenched her fist inwardly and strode toward the weapons without hesitation.
"For a climber who's never fought before, I recommend the safe one-handed sword and shield set. Or a spear. Moooo."
It matched what her classmate had said before transferring to the tower.
Sure, those two were the best picks for newbies.
'But they don't suit me.'
However, neither fit Yi So-ha well.
"Mooo?"
Yi So-ha passed the weapons Umo mentioned and picked up the wooden staff nearby.
"Indeed, thanks to the elixir, you can wield magic power now. Not a bad choice."
A staff was useless without magic power, but invaluable with it.
Especially this beginner wooden staff—it assisted magic power and even recovered some of what was used. Perfect for Yi So-ha, who needed to run Magic Power Detection constantly.
"Moooo! I'm curious too, Constellation!"
"Moooooo..."
Thanks to the guide's privileges, Umo could see the Constellations' messages to climbers too. He spoke up on Yi So-ha's behalf, only to get a cold glare and reply.
"Yeah. This'll be my last one."
"Y-you're really going with that? Moooo?"
And the final weapon she picked after the staff.
Both the Constellation and Umo tilted their heads at Yi So-ha's second weapon.
Chalalak.
With the clinking of the small connected metal rings, Yi So-ha wrapped the second weapon around the staff as if it were second nature.
Why pick that when she could have two weapons?
Not a useful combat weapon like a sword or spear. Not even a dagger for close-range to cover a mage's weakness.
Chalalak.
She chose the chain.
"What an unusual combo. Moooo."
It had a small spike at the end, but way too tricky for actual use.
Clearly not beginner-friendly, yet she'd picked it.
And Yi So-ha handled the chain with eerie skill.
'Perfect. This satisfies the conditions.'
With this weapon, she could acquire the key ability to reach the 9th floor.
'If I get it right on the 1st floor, I can grow stronger than in my previous regression.'
The power she was aiming for strengthened every floor climbed after acquisition.
In her past life, she'd gotten it after clearing the 5th—only four upgrades on floors 6 through 9.
'How I regretted realizing that.'
But now was different.
The dream she'd only fantasized about was becoming reality.
"Then, with your weapons chosen, we'll start the 0th-floor test: monster extermination for tower adaptation. Moooo!"
Fwaaah.
At Umo's shout, a small light gathered before Yi So-ha.
The 0th-floor test: Kill at least one monster created by the guide.
Usually, it spawned weak foes like unarmed elderly goblins or toothless baby kobolds.
And the one summoned before Yi So-ha now was...
Pfwoong.
"Mooo! The monster for the climber is a feeble slime!"
Unlike normal slimes, its body sagged limply without any bounce.
Too weak to even move, just trembling in place—that was Yi So-ha's opponent.
"Definitely easy difficulty for the 0th floor."
But Yi So-ha planned over a hundred fights even at this low difficulty.
Nowhere safer than the 0th floor to hone precise, sharp movements.
Plus, to catch the 2nd floor's interest, she needed to rack up kills here for karma.
'Alright, start the count!'
Thwack.
[Impressive proficiency.]
I watched Yi So-ha's fights in genuine admiration.
Regressor quality, as expected.
I'd worried a bit at first over her odd weapon combo, but seeing her now, it was needless concern.
'Right. You don't worry about regressors.'
Thwack.
"Next!"
"Mooo. How long are you going to keep this up?"
This time, a goblin's head exploded, ending the fight in an instant.
The chain wrapped in magic power wasn't light enough for 0th-floor weaklings to survive.
Explosive destructive power—any hit part burst on impact.
Having dispatched 50 in a flash, Yi So-ha shook the blood off her chain and eyed Umo expectantly for the next spawn.
"H-how about heading to the 1st floor now?"
"I've only got 50 so far. Next one, quick!"
"M-mooo...!"
Seeing Yi So-ha stubbornly stay on the 0th floor massacring spawns when she could advance, I considered switching channels but shook my head.
No way— what if something happened to our regressor in that brief moment?
Low odds, sure, but not zero.
Especially since Yi So-ha was an anomaly to kill on sight in the tower. I couldn't look away.
Only once her safety was assured could I relax.
"Next!"
"Mooo!"
Thud. Thwack.
[That's right. Good job, good job.]
Only after slaughtering 150 did Yi So-ha finally leave the 0th floor for the 1st.
The Constellations' real interventions began.