Chapter 21
Chapter 21
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 21
Chapter Title: Sealed Thunder Jade
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Just in case anyone forgot, allow me to introduce our team's equipment specialist and once-in-a-millennium genius inventor, Teacher Frankenstein.
Frankenstein—Frank for short—his primary advantage is hands down that body of his, tougher than any organic creature could dream of.
Coming from stone golem stock, Frank's entire form is made of weapon-grade alloys, yet he's a miraculous lifeform with a soul.
He doesn't get sick, isn't affected by his condition, has no stamina limits, and can always maintain consistent strength and speed. It's a ridiculously overpowered physique.
This was a huge boon for our team, climbing the tower every day.
Especially compared to Thunder, who occasionally overeats and gets a tummy ache.
Eh? If he's got such cheat-level power, what about the law of energy conservation?
Ah, of course Frank needs 'fuel' too.
Whenever Frank clutches his belly and this message pops up, I hand him a low-grade magic stone.
He absorbs it into his body, drawing energy from the stone.
At first, I had no clue what his power source was, so I tried feeding him oil or electricity... turns out it was magic stones.
Frank needs the energy equivalent of one low-grade magic stone per day to keep moving.
For a golem of his performance, that's pretty good fuel efficiency, right?
Since we're the ones controlling the magic stone exchange rate anyway, having a use for our surplus stones wasn't a bad thing.
I wonder if he'll need more stones as he evolves.
Anyway, those physical advantages are cheat-like, but Frank's true calling card is his special ability: 'Inventor'.
He crafts my alloy club or Thunder's flying squirrel suit from golem scraps, even mods his own body to evolve himself.
It's an incredible talent that lives up to his A-rank potential rating.
But here's the awkward part after all that hype... the ability to make tower-exclusive gear isn't unique to Frank.
Every hunter, including me, can do it.
Just use one of the system's functions: 'Synthesis'.
Synthesis lets you gather material items and combine them into new items.
You get 'recipes' that tower monsters occasionally drop as loot,
collect the material items listed in the recipe from various parts of the tower,
pour in the required magic stones for energy, and boom—synthesis complete.
One brand-new synthesized item in hand.
Eh? So isn't the inventor trait basically the same as synthesis?
No... they're different. Frank can only make gear items—he can't do consumables like potions.
You might call inventor a downgraded synthesis, but if that were true, Thunder and I wouldn't be massaging a rock every day going, "Aigoo, Dr. Frankenstein, is your shoulder stiff~?"
The inventor's best feature is that every creation is Frank's original work.
No need for the tower's cookie-cutter recipes.
There isn't a recipe in the world for making an alloy club from golem scraps.
Lower-floor golem debris is usually trash loot that gets tossed.
But Frank turns that junk into powerhouse weapons like the alloy club.
And synthesis is a huge hassle with massive costs to begin with.
Those damn recipes have abysmal drop rates, making them a pain to acquire. Without one, even if you have the mats, synthesis won't activate.
Good gear needs rare mats, tons of magic stones for the process,
and gathering everything takes months of tower runs—not to mention the insane cash burn.
That's why completed synth items fetch ridiculous auction prices.
Frank, on the other hand? Feed him materials nonstop, no recipe needed—he'll improvise originals without guzzling magic stones.
Just one low-grade stone a day for fuel.
And his originals pack one tier higher punch.
We could park in the golem floors, mass-produce alloy bats, sell 'em, and swim in cash, y'know?
Of course, with us balancing the exchange rate right now, no selling items... but later, mass-producing top-tier weapons should be feasible.
That's why Frank's invention skills are a game-changer now and even more promising long-term.
Oh, and this is trivia, but I learned I had a misconception about the name 'Frankenstein' I gave him.
Came up chatting with my little sis.
"...Huh? Isn't Frankenstein the monster's name?"
"Eww, human, read a book. Frankenstein's the doctor who made the monster. They didn't even name the monster properly."
"Sigh... Got it. Yeah... a middle-school dropout like me wouldn't know that common knowledge. Ignorance is a sin..."
"Ah, no... I didn't mean... Argh, why'd you switch to UFC! Don't embarrass me!"
Something like that.
Apparently, the monster's just called 'creature' or 'monster' in the book.
But come on, the title's Frankenstein, and it's mostly about the monster—who wouldn't mix 'em up like I did?
That's on the author, not my ignorance.
...Probably.
'But if I named him after the doctor, does that mean Frank became an inventor because of it?'
A golem named after the mad scientist who birthed a monster...
Will Frank end up creating lifeforms someday too?
Hmm, honestly doesn't suit him.
To me, Frank's more like a curious, innocent young golem than some crazy scientist.
"...Hey, oppa."
"Yeah?"
As I was lost in my delusions, my sister called me with a serious look.
"Th-that... Um... N-no, never mind. Nothing."
"Huh?"
But then she clams up after calling me, lips twitching.
Looks like it's a super awkward topic. Maybe...
"Kim Ji-yeon, you got a boyfriend?"
"Wh-what?! Are you insane!?"
"No need to lose it. It's just a boyfriend."
"Absolutely not!"
Phew, guess not.
I played it cool, but I was kinda nervous.
Seeing the little sister you raised have her first romance ain't easy.
"'Are you insane'... like I'd date during the most crucial senior year."
"Some seniors do it anyway..."
"Not me!"
"Got it, got it."
She sighed, then added with a resolute face.
"I won't date in senior year, or even in college. Not... until you do first, oppa."
"......"
I was speechless.
Not because of some sister complex revelation.
She's probably just minding me.
Can't go dating while her brother's slaving away earning money—some pointless consideration.
'But love doesn't come on command.'
She says that, but life throws uncontrollable passion your way anytime.
When it happens, I'll just cheer her on purely.
Right?
Yeah, that tracks too.
"But... if not a boyfriend, what were you gonna say?"
"Nothing. Forget it."
"There is something. Ways to piss people off: one is starting a sentence and stopping..."
"Sorry! Anyway, later... when it's, y'know, certain, I'll tell you."
She brushed it off, glancing at Thunder oddly.
What the heck?
"Thunder, did you do something to Kim Ji-yeon?"
"Chit? Chit chit...?"
Yeah, that's definitely wrong, but obviously not why she'd act like that.
I nagged my sister, but Thunder got chewed out over something unrelated.
"Kuaaaaaah—!!"
A massive tree with a face lets out a monstrous roar.
As mentioned, floors 11 through 15 are the plant monster zone.
The field is fixed as a forest, and drops are fruits, herbs, etc.
Synthesize those for low-grade potions.
Low-grade or not, potions are super useful.
Pour on wounds or injuries to heal them; drink when fatigued for instant recovery.
Most hunters make a bunch here before pushing higher.
Among synth items, it's one of the easier ones that shines in combat.
Of course, our team has zero need for them.
Today was no different.
"Kuaaaak!!"
Challenge Tower floor 15. Boss of the plant zone: 'Mutant Baobab Tree'.
True to its name, it's a disgustingly huge tree with a long hooked nose, mouth full of sharp teeth, and creepy green eyes on its face.
That freakish mug even has spindly wooden arms, hurling apple-like fruits that make zero sense on a baobab.
The fruits are rock-hard—direct hits snap bones—and they spew corrosive acid on impact.
Meanwhile, the main body whips tentacle branches if you get close, so you dodge and land hits.
Overall, speed is key here.
If golem floors test attack power, plants test reflexes.
But that's for humans.
In front of our Frank, it's a whole different story.
Thud. Thud.
"Kuwaaaak!!"
Frank just strolls forward casually.
The baobab hurls acid fruits and tentacle branches like mad to keep him away, but alloy golem's busted defense shrugs it all off.
Slow on his feet maybe, but the enemy can't flee—it's rooted.
A leisurely swing of ice arm and alloy arm, and it's smashed to bits.
"Whoa. Dr. Frankenstein indeed. The ultimate killing machine of this era."
"Chit chit."
Clunk clunk.
And reward time begins.
The system popped up a message window brighter than usual.
Business as usual... but today was special.
I assembled the star fragment that just dropped into my hand with the four others from home, completing the star piece.
The finished star glowed, and the system brought up a message.
I pulled another completed star piece from my pocket.
"I've got one more star piece here. Combine it to claim the remaining two wishes."
Two brilliant lights burst forth instantly. One bathed my body, sinking in like some kind of energy.
The other light materialized into an object, dropping into my hand.
It was... a transparent stone with lightning sealed inside.
"Chit?"
Thunder's eyes sparkled.