Chapter 16
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 16
Chapter Title: Tikhe
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[ ! Inflation Occurred ! ]
[From this moment, the difficulty of all towers worldwide increases by one level.]
[ 'Easy Mode' has been permanently deleted. ]
"......What?"
My mind went blank.
Tower difficulty rising worldwide? Easy Mode deleted?
'This is insane, for real.'
A system message blinked in the corner of my vision.
[Your level has increased!]
[You have acquired 1 random skillbook as a level-up reward!]
[ 'Advanced' grade has been confirmed from the random skillbook! ]
Level-up rewards in the middle of all this? My mind was a mess, but my hands moved on instinct.
'Please, not again this time......'
A low hum rang out—!
[Nightmare Difficulty first clear reward is applied!]
[The skillbook's grade increases as a reward!]
[Ranking 1st place bonus is applied!]
[The skillbook's grade increases as a reward!]
The cover color shifted wildly—from green to blue, then deep purple.
I swallowed hard, hoping for the ??? bonus, but it didn't appear. No golden legend either.
[Passive Skill: 'Mana Shield (Hero)' has been acquired.]
Description: Incoming damage is absorbed by substituting mana for health.
"......Oh."
A gasp escaped me. As long as my mana pool was full, this was basically invincibility.
A Hero-grade survival skill. In this situation, it was worth more than any Legendary attack skill.
Right after that, my vision flashed white. A nauseating sense of floating overwhelmed me.
When I came to, cold night air pierced my lungs. I was back in reality.
The moment I got home, I booted up my computer. Didn't even change clothes.
Little One clung to my leg, whining. Its eyes sparkled expectantly.
'Aren't you gonna summon the new family member?'
"Just a sec, Little One. This is more important right now."
I was dying to summon too, but with hell gates opening worldwide, I had to check the fallout first.
Goddess or whatever, I might've become public enemy number one.
Hunter Gallery.
It was 4 a.m., but posts were regenerating like crazy. Hitting F5 brought dozens of new threads each time.
[Title: Dude, did the worldwide tower force-eject just happen for real? LOL]
Boss had 1% HP left, was about to land the killing blow when 'Inflation' popped up and kicked me out. Operators lost their minds?
Same here. Whole guild got booted together, totally confused LOL
Yo, what's Inflation anyway?
Difficulty spiked too. We're all dead now.
I could practically hear the screams piercing through my monitor.
I checked the timing. It matched exactly with when I got my 8th-floor rewards.
No doubt about it. I was the culprit.
I scrolled down. Even graver posts appeared.
[Title: (Breaking) Easy Mode selection screen deleted LOLOLOL]
[Photo.jpg]
Yo LOL the 'EASY' button is gone from the difficulty selection. Not grayed out, just blank space. Newbies forced to quit?
Insane, I'm on Easy floor 4, what now? ㅠㅠ
No worries, check the post below. Hunters' base stats all got boosted instead.
Hm? Stat adjustments?
Sure enough, it was real. Screenshots of boosted stats flooded in. Some even reported skill grade-ups.
As difficulty rose, players' power levels got forcibly scaled up too. The system dishes out the poison and the cure.
[Title: Yo, Nightmare Difficulty unlocked?]
'Nightmare' appeared in the difficulty selection. No way I'm trying it.
How good are the rewards? ㄷㄷ
US and European major guilds are already forming raid teams.
Nightmare was no longer my little secret.
And the one that shocked me most:
[Title: Convenience store clerk in front of my house awakened LOLOL]
Civilians near towers awakening en masse. Woke up to status windows popping up, chaos. My friend awakened too.
Fr real, closer to tower = higher awakening chance?
Fuck, moved last week, can't sleep from regret.
"......Insane."
Inflation's ripple effect: civilian Awakeners surging. The world's about to flip.
Ha......
My head throbbed. Felt like I'd pulled off something colossal.
Thankfully, my name wasn't out there yet, but if they pinned Inflation on me... I didn't even want to imagine.
I glanced at the bed.
Sulking because I ignored it, Little One had turned its back. Pretending to sleep, but its shoulders twitched.
"Tch, Little One. Come here."
Ignoring me, stock-still. Just fingers wiggling.
"Time to summon your friend... er, junior? Anyway, the goddess."
Twitch. Ears perked up.
Shuffling over like it couldn't help it, then using telekinesis to sweep up the living room trash. Its serious cleaning pose was hilarious.
"Alright, then......"
Wait.
"Wait!!!"
Little One tilted its head.
"Summoning her here—won't that be a disaster?"
She's a goddess. What if the studio floor caves or the ceiling punches through?
Little One shrugged. 'Not my problem?' attitude.
"Better to do it in a dungeon, right?"
Thud!
It stomped in frustration. Hurry up already.
Fair enough. Never lost by listening to Little One so far.
"Fine, I trust you."
Deep breath, focused my mana.
Contract Summon from Origin Augmentation.
"......Summon, Goddess Tikhe......!!"
A low hum—!
Space warped.
The whole studio shook like an earthquake. Lights flickered, desk items rattled.
A blue magic circle bloomed from the floor. Ancient script I'd never seen. Sacred yet eerie.
A gale whipped up, curtains flapping wildly.
Flash!
A blinding pillar of light shot up. Couldn't open my eyes.
A human silhouette gradually emerged from the glow.
The light faded.
In the cramped living room stood an otherworldly being.
"......"
My breath caught.
Dazzling golden blonde hair cascaded to her waist.
A translucent white dress straight out of Greek myth. Barely covering her chest, the precarious fabric revealed voluptuous curves brazenly.
With each graceful step, golden jewelry on wrists and ankles chimed melodiously.
She slowly raised her head. Golden eyes pierced me.
"You're the child who called me?"
A soft, velvety voice with an odd distance.
She smiled elegantly, kneeling on one knee and bowing her head. An archaic, goddess-like greeting.
The problem came next.
"......!"
As she bowed, the dress slipped, defying gravity.
Deep cleavage and pale skin poured into view.
My body might be a girl's now, but inside, I'm a vigorous 20s guy.
I whipped my head away and stumbled back. Face burning like a furnace.
"U-um! Your clothes, your clothes......!"
Tikhe lifted her head at my reaction.
Far from embarrassed or covering up, she feigned surprise, then smirked, narrowing her eyes.
"Oh my."
She covered her mouth and chuckled lowly.
The holy goddess vanished; only a mischievous big sis remained.
Leaning in curiously, her face inches from mine. Floral fragrance wafted over.
"Feeling shy? My master is cuter than expected."
Her gaze clung stickily. Was it doting on a kid or teasing a man? Hard to tell.
"N-no...... Um, back off a bit......"
Words tangled. Face about to explode.
No one stays sane against this destructive beauty pressing in.
Tikhe sat right beside me, savoring my fluster.
Slender fingers poked my cheek, tucked stray hair behind my ear.
"Such soft skin. Nice hair too. But needs some care."
Her touch sparked like electricity.
Tap, tap.
Then—
Something yanked roughly at my pant leg.
Little One.
Glared at Tikhe with furrowed brow. 'My master's, back off.' fierce eyes.
"Oh my."
Tikhe turned.
I braced for a deathmatch vibe. But her eyes turned to hearts instantly.
"Goodness, how is it this doll-like!"
Tikhe scooped Little One up without hesitation.
Little One flailed, but no use. Tikhe crushed it to her ample bosom, rubbing cheeks furiously.
"So cute, so pretty! How is it this squishy? Huh? Look at those cheeks!"
Little One resisted at first, swatting hands.
Desperately pushing away.
But Tikhe's expert scratches under the chin and behind ears melted it down.
"......"
Moments later, a limp purr leaked from Little One.
Grrr......
Hard to believe it was the same glaring beast.
Clearly loving Tikhe's embrace, it buried its face, trembling happily.
Utterly absurd.
I could only laugh helplessly at the sight.
"Hehe, settled down now?"
Tikhe set Little One down satisfied, then faced me, adjusting her posture.
Playful eyes intact, but her voice carried subtle weight.
"Now, Master. Formal greetings. My name is Tikhe. As it implies, I'm the goddess governing fortune and luck."
"......Goddess of Luck?"
"Yes. My authority twists all probabilities in my favor. Like hitting the jackpot, you could say."
I stared blankly.
Goddess of Luck. Sounds nice, but useful in combat right away?
Reading my skepticism, Tikhe grinned.
"Don't believe me? Let me show you. Master, want anything right now?"
"Want something? Not really......"
Come to think, I was starving. Tower crawling since dawn, barely ate.
Fridge empty too.
"......Oh yeah, I'm hungry. Food?"
"Food? Perfect. Shall I lay out a feast? Roll a die then."
"W-wait, dice? Rolling dice gets food?"
"Why not?"
Tikhe pulled a bright red die from thin air.
Transparent ruby-red, brimming with power.
"One condition. Any number except 6...... and Master eats nothing but water for three days. Deal?"
"Hold on! Risk too high? 5/6 chance of bust? Odds 1/6?"
No time to stop her.
Tikhe winked playfully and tossed the die before I answered.
Roll—.
It spun over the worn linoleum: 3, 1, 5, then stopped.
Incredibly, the red die stood with '6' on top.
Flash!
Blinding gold light swallowed the tiny studio.
Where it faded, a luxurious wooden table and chairs appeared—totally out of place.
Silver candelabra lit the center, table groaning under food.
Steak, lobster, pasta, top-shelf champagne.
Hotel buffet transplanted. Savory scents assaulted.
The cramped room filled; table pushed right up to the bed, no room to step.
Little One's eyes bulged, swallowing hard.
Tikhe hugged my shoulders, whispering in my ear.
"See? Luck's always on my side. Eat up before it cools, Master."