Chapter 475: An Unwanted Encounter
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 475: An Unwanted Encounter
There are many kinds of floor tests.
There are survival missions where you cooperate or compete with others, escape missions, or simple hunting missions where you just have to kill monsters.
The lower floors are dominated by simple missions, but from the middle floors onward, there are many bizarre and extraordinary ones.
However, asking which test is easier is a meaningless question. No matter the test, there’s no such thing as an easy mission for a player.
Just as viewers don’t want to see a streamer breeze through a game, the Constellations are the same.
This was especially true for our party.
My very presence acted as a penalty on top of the existing difficulty, raising the challenge even higher.
At first, I tried to use my knowledge to clear the tests more easily, but that wasn't simple either.
Even excluding the floor tests, there were millions of other trials in the Tower, and it was impossible for even Lucifer to know everything about all of them.
Information was especially scarce for the lower floors, which high-ranking Constellations rarely paid attention to.
That was a bit disappointing, but it didn't really matter.
Our party wasn't so weak that we needed to use tricks to pass the lower floors, let alone the middle ones.
“Lucy! Ah-rin!”
Ting—
「Yoo Ah-rin uses ‘Echo of Confusion (D)’.」
The moment Lee Serin’s voice echoed through the forest, a black aura shot out from her staff toward a giant gorilla.
“Kraaaaaah!!!”
The monster clutched its head and writhed in agony from the cacophony assaulting its ears.
Our party’s vanguard didn’t miss the opening.
Thwip—!!
Kicking off the ground at high speed, Yoo Ah-rin leaped and swung her sword at the monster.
Thirteen Swords of the Blue Dragon—Cloud-Shattering Dragon Shadow.
Shhhk!
Blue Sword Qi whipped around fiercely.
Yoo Ah-rin’s strike sliced through the gorilla’s thick hide in a single blow. Enraged, the beast swung its fist at her.
Suspended in mid-air, she was completely exposed to the attack.
But no one was worried about Yoo Ah-rin.
Our party had another supporter besides Lee Serin.
Whoosh-!
At that moment, a small piece of paper flew toward Yoo Ah-rin.
It was a Protective Talisman thrown by Wi Ryeong-ah.
BOOM!!!
An opaque barrier materialized between Yoo Ah-rin and the gorilla’s fist, blocking the attack for all to see.
“Krak?!”
Knocked back by the recoil, the creature’s face was a mask of bewilderment.
That was its fatal mistake.
Under the clear sky, purple hair fluttered in the wind.
Lucifer stared at the gorilla with coldly sharpened eyes and swung her sword, which was coated in violet Sword Qi.
Slice—
In a flash, the gorilla’s thick neck was sliced through as smoothly as soft tofu.
It was a perfect strike, one you could rate 11 out of 10.
THUD—!!
The gorilla’s massive body collapsed limply to the ground.
That beast was the boss of the 6th-floor test.
Even though the difficulty had been raised because of me, the battle was over in a surprisingly short amount of time.
While each member’s individual skill was outstanding, the biggest factor was that everyone’s combat sense was so exceptional that their teamwork was flawless.
At this rate, I won’t even have a chance to step in until we reach the middle floors.
As I approached the group with a satisfied smile, I saw Yoo Ah-rin giving Lucifer a strange look.
It wasn't some kind of discord between party members.
If I had to label it, it was a competitive spirit.
Well... I guess it’s only natural.
It wasn't strange at all.
From Yoo Ah-rin’s perspective, I was an insurmountable wall, but Lucifer was different.
Lucifer’s apparent level was that of a mid-tier Aura Expert, which in martial artist terms would be a seasoned master at the peak.
For Yoo Ah-rin, who had just entered the initial stages of the peak, Lucifer was the most suitable target to aim for.
Besides, the two of them often sparred. It was only natural that she would be conscious of her.
But there was one thing Yoo Ah-rin didn't know.
Lucifer only sparred with her to practice controlling her power.
Ting—
「Activating ‘Incomplete Moon’s Eye’.」
「Name: Lucy
Age: 21
Contracted Constellation: -
Affiliation: -
Authority: -
Exclusive Traits: Ghost Swordsman (C)
Exclusive Skills: Swordsmanship (C), Close Quarters Combat (D+)
Traits: -
Skills: -」
This was Lucifer’s status window, altered by the effect of the SS-rank item, ‘Mask of Illusion’.
But if I, as the player contracted to her, were to peek at her real status window…
Ting—
「Name: Lucifer
Age: ???
Contracted Constellation: -
Affiliation: -
Authority: Black Flame (C)
Exclusive Traits: Fallen Angel (S), Master of the Black Flame (A-)
Exclusive Skills: Heavenly Sword (A), Black Wings (B+), Flower of the Battlefield (B+), Observer’s Eye (B), Unity of Offense and Defense (C)…
Traits: -
Skills: Sixth Sense (B), Lie Detection (B), Targeting (C+), Mental Barrier (E)…」
This was Lucifer’s current power level, straddling the line between a Constellation and a player.
Of course, compared to her prime, this was less than the dirt under her fingernails, but she was still stronger than most players on the middle floors.
That was why Lucifer was currently learning to control her power to appear as an ordinary lower-floor player.
In a way, it might seem like she was deceiving Yoo Ah-rin, but this was actually beneficial for her too.
The reason Lucifer agrees to Yoo Ah-rin’s sparring requests every time is to practice controlling her power.
If not for that, given Lucifer’s personality, I doubt the two would ever have sparred at all.
Besides, it was much better for Yoo Ah-rin to have a goal right in front of her.
Ting—
「You have defeated the Iron Kong.」
「You have passed the 6th-floor test.」
「You have acquired permission to enter the 7th floor.」
「Rewards will be distributed according to contribution.」
「Contribution Ranking」
「1. Lucy」
「2. Yoo Ah-rin」
「3. Lee Serin」
「4. Wi Ryeong-ah」
「5. Kang Hyun-woo」
˙
˙
˙
I swiped the screen that appeared before me away.
I had done nothing but watch since the test began. Naturally, there was no reward for me.
“Let’s rest on the 7th floor today and challenge the next test tomorrow.”
We still had a week until the dungeon raid anyway. There was no reason to push ourselves through a forced march.
What’s that? Taking on tests two days in a row isn’t a forced march?
Everything in the world is relative.
Besides, for our clan, which aimed to be a small, elite force, common sense was unnecessary.
“I found a great restaurant. Should we all go for dinner?”
“A restaurant?”
“Yeah.”
Beaming with excitement, Lee Serin held out her phone.
It was a special terminal that could be used inside the Tower.
For reference, it was a luxury item that couldn't be bought with Luaro, only with WP.
Because of this, a culture had formed among players where one’s class was determined by whether or not they owned a phone.
The moment I saw the screen Lee Serin showed me, I was at a loss for words.
“...Monkey barbecue? You like this kind of stuff?”
“Huh? N-No!!”
Flustered, Lee Serin quickly swiped the screen to the side.
The next SNS post showed a picture of a restaurant with a rather nice atmosphere.
“Phew, for a second there I almost misunderstood your tastes. But I’m always on your side, so if you ever get curious, just let me know. I’ll eat it with you.”
“That’s never going to happen...!!”
“I’m just kidding.”
I patted the head of a blushing Lee Serin and headed toward the portal.
Ting—
「The Constellation, ‘Dweller of the Swamp,’ licks its lips in disappointment.」
“...You like that sort of thing?”
「The Constellation, ‘Dweller of the Swamp,’ says that monkey marrow is a delicacy.」
「“Heh heh heh, those things had a nice, hard crunch to them.”」
“?”
After a moment of confusion at Fenrir’s muttering, I stepped through the portal.
A familiar sense of floating washed over me, and the scenery of a beautiful city unfolded before my eyes.
Ting—
「Welcome to Karbaldi, the City of Fire and Metal.」
*
Magic tools, artifacts, holy relics, magic treasures, and so on.
Though the names differ from world to world, in the Tower, they are all classified as items.
Good items are treasures coveted by residents and players alike, and those who craft them are scattered throughout the Tower.
In fact, even the industrial district of Arcana was capable of consistently producing items of decent quality.
But masters exist in every field, and Karbaldi was the only city on the lower floors where dwarves lived together.
“So coool...”
Flop—
As soon as she arrived at the hotel, Lee Serin collapsed onto the bed, basking in the air conditioning.
“Ah-rin, aren’t you hot?”
“I’m fine.”
“Hwaaah...”
Lee Serin was aghast at the sight of Yoo Ah-rin, who hadn't broken a single drop of sweat.
Karbaldi, the City of Fire and Metal.
True to its name, the first thing that greeted Kang Hyun-woo’s party upon arrival was an immense wave of heat.
Hundreds of blacksmith forges spewed heat from all corners of the city, and a giant furnace roared in the city center.
That was how dedicated Karbaldi was to item crafting.
Thanks to this, every player looking for items on the lower floors visited Karbaldi.
Of course, other cities had blacksmiths, but their quality couldn't even begin to compare.
To Yoo Ah-rin, who had never played a game in her life, let alone read many webtoons or novels, the scenery of Karbaldi was like a whole new world.
It felt like she was traveling abroad, so it wasn't bad at first.
But the heat, comparable to the peak of a Korean summer, was simply unbearable.
What woman in the world would want to be dripping with sweat like she was in a sauna, especially with the man she likes right next to her?
Lucy didn’t break a sweat either, as if it was nothing...
Lee Serin felt a little discouraged.
She had never been outshone by anyone in terms of looks, but all the women around Kang Hyun-woo were incredibly beautiful.
Wi Ryeong-ah, who had just joined them, was a top-priority person of interest for her.
Lee Serin knew better than anyone that the way Wi Ryeong-ah looked at Kang Hyun-woo was anything but ordinary.
Besides, isn't there a saying that the most attractive woman to a man is a new woman?
Of course, that didn't mean she thought she was losing.
...Hyun-woo was so good. It felt amazing...
Lee Serin’s face flushed.
After her first experience during her magic lesson with Kang Hyun-woo, Lee Serin had often had private time with him.
The frequency was by no means low, so it was safe to say she had firmly placed her name on the list of candidates for the main wife.
“Serin.”
“Hm?”
As Lee Serin was lost in her thoughts, Wi Ryeong-ah approached her.
She offered a talisman with a kind smile.
“It’s an Ice Spirit Talisman. If you stick it on your back, you’ll feel much cooler.”
“...”
Taking the talisman, Lee Serin stood up, looking touched.
Hug!
“Eek?!”
“Ryeong-ah, you’re so sweet! I love you!”
Tackled by Lee Serin, Wi Ryeong-ah fell back onto the bed.
Yoo Ah-rin watched the scene for a moment before turning away and heading into the bathroom.
About two hours later, Kang Hyun-woo’s party gathered in the hotel lobby and made their way to the restaurant they had reserved.
Even though the sun had set, the city’s furnaces had not been extinguished, and the sweltering heat still baked the streets.
But thanks to the Ice Spirit Talisman from Wi Ryeong-ah, Lee Serin was able to cling to Kang Hyun-woo’s arm with a bright smile.
Lucifer frowned in displeasure at the sight, while Wi Ryeong-ah watched the two with a hint of envy.
Yoo Ah-rin, on the other hand, was staring blankly at the swords displayed in the street-side blacksmith shops, thinking about her financial situation.
Before long, the party arrived at the restaurant and was guided to their seats by a staff member.
Soon, the dishes they ordered were brought to the table one by one.
It was a high-end course meal that would have cost thousands of dollars per person in Korea, meaning they had effectively spent tens of thousands on a single dinner.
This could be called a mistake on Lee Serin’s part, as she wasn't familiar with the Tower’s currency and its value, but Kang Hyun-woo himself didn't seem to mind as he enjoyed the meal.
And why would he?
You could count on one hand the number of players on the lower floors who could beat Kang Hyun-woo when it came to wealth.
Afterward, dessert was served, concluding a rather satisfying dinner.
The group exchanged their thoughts on the food and continued their lighthearted chat, and the smile on Lee Serin’s face showed no signs of wilting.
If you only looked at the scene up to this point, that is.
“Well, well, look who it is!”
A man’s voice echoed throughout the restaurant. Lee Serin’s head turned as slowly as an unlubricated gear.
An indescribable sense of dread washed over her.
As she feared.
The worst-case scenario she had imagined unfolded before her eyes.
The moment she recognized the man’s face, all the color drained from Lee Serin’s.
“...Manager Choi?”