Chapter 11
Chapter 11
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 11
Chapter Title: Baek Yun-ha
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The transformed 10th-floor field resembled the vibrant, beautiful garden of some grand palace.
The circular room was bisected by a straight path running through its center, with brightly colored flowers blooming vibrantly on either side of the walkway.
And at each end of the straight path stood a single door.
'Something about this place feels...'
I had the sense that this new version of the 10th floor wasn't some sudden alteration from its original form or a teleport to somewhere else. No, this felt like the true 10th floor.
Just a hunch, though...
Looking up, the ceiling was a glass pane letting in full sunlight.
That explained the sudden brightness and cheer.
It had been solid stone just moments ago... Was this for the garden flowers?
It felt like one of the tower's spaces that had been crafted with extra care.
Step.
"...!"
Step, step.
The masked woman began to move.
I raised my club warily, but she passed by without so much as glancing my way.
She stopped gracefully in front of the door at one end of the path.
Standing guard before the door, the masked woman stared silently in my direction.
"The door... I get it now."
[Mission complete if you exit alive.]
That's what the system had said.
So she was the gatekeeper.
Breaking past her and opening that door was the secret floor's objective.
"..."
"...She's not attacking?"
The masked woman simply stared at me from in front of the door, making no move to approach.
I observed her calmly.
The mask covered her face up to just above the nose, revealing a slender jawline and porcelain-white skin below.
She wore a white undergarment resembling hanbok.
The sleeves looked wide, but the curves at her chest and hips were pronounced, drawing the eye despite myself.
...Yeah, might distract me in a fight. Gotta stay focused.
The black sword in her hand was honed to a razor edge—impossibly sharp for something that fit inside that narrow wooden doll.
Her frame was slight, but the pressure radiating from her stance, sword poised downward, was overwhelming.
"But is she really a... monster?"
"..."
The woman in the white undergarment, eerie mask, and sword looked utterly unreal... mystical, even.
I'd heard the tower had humanoid monsters, but never one that looked fully human.
I pulled up the Monster Guidebook to check her info.
"What the hell..."
Apart from the name Baek Yun-ha, there was nothing else—no species, no details.
First time I'd seen an enemy listed by name instead of monster type.
Guess that meant she was something special.
Honestly, fighting a humanoid like that felt awkward...
"Anyway, it said clear if I just get out of here. Doesn't have to be that door, right?"
I headed for the opposite door, the one not guarded by Baek Yun-ha.
A thick door adorned with ornate Eastern-style gold fittings.
It had a keyhole lock on the handle. Without hesitation, I swung my club.
Bang!
Bang bang!
Bang bang bang bang bang bang bang!!
"Hah... hah... Damn it, not even a dent."
No matter how hard I smashed, the lock wouldn't break—not even scratched.
Magic seal or something?
Seemed like it needed a key.
Which meant...
"The only way out is through her door after all..."
Getting closer, the door Baek Yun-ha guarded looked identical to the other but lacked the lock.
Probably just turn the handle and it'd open.
...If I could reach it.
"..."
As I moved, she simply shifted her gaze to keep staring at me.
No charge, but clearly blocking my path, fully aware of me.
Just in case, I tried talking to her.
"Mind stepping aside?"
"..."
No response. No head shake, no raised sword, no gesture at all.
Looked human, but still just a tower monster, huh?
I approached the door slowly, deliberately dragging my feet to avoid provoking her.
Even creeping up carefully, she didn't budge.
Right up to the door, she just stared.
Without breaking eye contact, I reached for the handle—
Shing—
"Guh!?"
Suddenly, a bluish blade filled my vision.
I leaped back, but blood trickled from a shallow cut on my nose bridge.
Ahead, the blade was deeply embedded in the wall.
I'd been watching her the whole time... but the sword had swung at invisible speed.
Golden eyes gleamed from the mask's eyeholes, glaring this way.
Or... not glaring?
Just those emotionless eyes filling me with dread.
"...Let's do this, then."
"..."
Humanoid or not, she was a monster out for my life.
Had to fight.
To survive, no mercy—I had to attack without holding back.
I gripped my club with both hands and raised it.
In response, Baek Yun-ha drew her sword from the wall.
As the deeply embedded blade pulled free, it traced an arc—shing—slicing the stone wall like tofu.
I charged, swinging my club.
Bang!
"Wha—hey...!?"
"..."
My full-force two-handed swing was effortlessly blocked by her one-handed sword.
Screech. Screech screech.
Metal clashed in a test of strength.
But only my club and arms trembled.
Even pushing with everything I had, she didn't budge an inch.
"Haaah!"
Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!
I swung relentlessly, no breath, full power.
Head. Left. Right. Legs.
Next attack instantly after block. Attack.
Fast and hard as I could—but she parried everything.
With minimal motion.
Effortlessly.
She dodged the final blow instead of blocking.
Then swung her sword lightly.
Slash—
Thud!
"Gah, ack...!"
Sliced left arm, kicked—my body flew back.
That slight frame, casual front kick... sent me tumbling far.
Good news: the cut was shallow.
I scrambled up, raising my club again, but when I looked, Baek Yun-ha hadn't pursued.
Wait... she hadn't moved a single step from her spot by the door since the start.
I'd swung with all my might, yet couldn't make her budge a foot.
Cold sweat beaded on my forehead in that hopeless moment.
'No match for her...'
Strength, speed, skill... nothing I had could beat Baek Yun-ha.
Even with Thunder, it'd change nothing.
She probably wasn't even using her full power.
That overwhelming gap.
But...
"So what."
Stronger or not, didn't matter.
My injuries? Minor slice, throbbing abdomen from the kick.
No reason to quit.
Who said I had to beat her?
Mission was just open the door and exit alive.
By any means.
I scooped dirt from the flowerbed and hurled it at Baek Yun-ha.
Whoosh whoosh whoosh.
She casually spun her sword like a windmill, flicking it away.
I'd expected that.
I'd already dashed the opposite way, swinging my club—but her sword intercepted as if foreseen.
'Now!'
I dropped the club, lunging for the door.
But the moment I grabbed the handle, a flying kick sent me sprawling.
"Urk..."
"..."
Golden eyes in the mask gleamed calmly.
Like she'd predicted every move.
Whoosh—my dropped club flew back to me.
Take it and try again.
She wasn't even regarding me as an opponent.
'...Good, actually.'
If she's underestimating a scrub like me, that means openings.
Constant chances.
I kept charging.
Thud.
Slash.
Crack!
"Gaaah!"
How many tries?
Sliced, kicked. Beaten, down.
Left eye swollen shut, body covered in shallow cuts.
Lucky part: always dodged lethals somehow—still moved fine.
'Wait... did I dodge?'
Baek Yun-ha's patterns: just two or three simple ones.
Invisible speed, but after a few, eyes and body adapted.
A master repeating basics.
Even in our first clash, when I couldn't read her sword, the wound was shallow.
'What does that mean...'
Not just going easy.
Deliberately adjusting attacks to avoid killing me.
'If that's right... then maybe...'
Wrong guess? Death.
Fail or she doesn't play along, fatal wound.
But it'd work.
...Probably.
'No other options anyway. Just do it.'
Using the club as a cane, I staggered to my feet.
"...?"
For the first time, a flicker in Baek Yun-ha's golden eyes.
Sensing something different?
But she couldn't imagine what came next.
I lunged forward with my last strength.
"Haaah!"
Bang!
Blocked, as expected.
Baek Yun-ha swung her sword in response.
Light, gentle—enough not to maim.
'Now!'
I threw myself onto her blade.
"Uh...!?"
First time—a startled grunt from Baek Yun-ha.
As predicted, she yanked the sword back to spare me lethal injury.
Her stance crumbled from the feint.
I didn't miss the gap.
"Raaah!!"
Kaboom!
Full power, body-flinging club to her face.
Impact...!
Hit clean.
First time landing on her.
—Or so I thought...
"...Unbelievable."
Incredibly, even collapsing, she arched back, dodging the direct hit.
My club merely grazed her mask.
Exhausted, I crumpled.
That instant—
Crack.
Craaack.
Thud.
"...!"
Baek Yun-ha's mask split in half and fell.
Finally, her bare face.
Flawless jade skin with beautifully drawn features, like painted art.
Her gentle face, wide-eyed in surprise, stared at me...
Then curved into a faint smile.
"...Impressive."
"Wha...?"
What did that mean?
I couldn't ask.
Thud.
She set down her sword; her form faded, vanishing like a mirage.
Left behind: only her sword.
Which crumbled to sand.
I could only watch blankly.
Click.
Stumbling wearily to the door, I turned the handle—it opened smoothly, revealing the tower street outside.
Stepping out would teleport me back, probably.
But... somehow, I couldn't leave easily.
"..."
Looking back, the beautiful garden lay peaceful, as if nothing happened.
Who was Baek Yun-ha?
Why here? Why spare me so much?
And why... that tired, sad smile at the end?
Feeling her brief encounter weigh heavy on my heart, I barely stepped out.
The day I'd meet her again.
The day I'd return here.
Was closer than I thought.
Completely drained, I got home and checked the mirror—my appearance was a disaster.
Cuts and gashes everywhere.
Face and body swollen from blows and kicks.
Emergency treatment first.
Sis would freak if she saw.
"Summon Ramju Thunder."
"Chit!? Chit chit! Chit chit, chit chit chit chit!!"
"Whoa, easy easy. Ears ringing. Rolled too much today, head hurts."
Thunder, summoned, scurried over my body in alarm, inspecting wounds.
Hey, you were worried about me.
"Chit, chit chit."
"...This little rat?"
That short chatter held all that meaning? Impressive.
Whatever, what was I expecting from this guy?
"Anyway. Bandage my back—can't reach. Treat all wounds, then you get coffee peanuts."
"Chit chit."
"Ow...! Hey, not there. Lower..."
The mission complete message popped up suddenly.
Pain and exhaustion made me forget.
I grumbled at the damn system.
"Just give me the reward."
"...This thing's so by-the-book. After all that, could've thrown in a bonus."
"Really?"
Unexpected good news—I bolted upright.
"...What's that?"
Built up expectations for nothing.
Another cryptic reward, as usual.
Looked like part of a key's teeth.
Hm, familiar situation.
Another item with no clue how to gather or what it does.
Stop overthinking useless stuff.
Instead, time for the most important thing now.
"This here, like this... done!"
Assembling all five Star Fragments.
They fit perfectly, merging into a complete star shape.
The finished star glowed; the system displayed a message.
"Ooh...!"
So that's what it was for.
Skill level up, random skill... and S-grade item.
All tempting choices.
But...
"Obviously this one right now."
Without hesitation, I made my choice.