Chapter 8
Chapter 8
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: penny
Chapter: 8
Chapter Title: We Might Be Stronger Than We Thought?
-----------------------------------------------------------------
If you're gonna park and repeat clears, why not do it on floor 5 where you at least get magic stones? Why floor 1...?
Several weeks had passed since the antics of the persistent poster's simp villain became the hot topic in the Tower Climbing Gallery.
The simp nickname 'Squirrel Enthusiast' kept posting climb proofs, and the comments remained predictably ignored.
Normally, if the poster stayed that unresponsive, the bait would die out... but this was the Tower Climbing Gallery, a place so boring it clung to anything.
Only real Hunters could post here, so there wasn't much exciting content.
With the tower allowing just one entry per day, who would waste time inside on something so pointless?
So when a genuine lunatic finally appeared, they milked the bait like it was bone broth stock.
And the Gallery's superstar 'Squirrel Enthusiast' posted another climb proof today.
But the content was... well, not just a little surprising. It was downright shocking.
What? Why floor 2?
Fake edit?
Contrary to expectations that Squirrel Enthusiast would keep repeating floor 1 of the Challenge Tower, they posted a floor 2 climb proof.
And not just any climb—an S-rank.
But the real shocker was the tiny detail next to the rank info.
What the hell is "new record!" next to the rank? What does that mean...?
I'm not asking what it means;; Why does this guy have it on their record???
Is this legit??
An S-rank on Challenge Tower floor 2 wasn't that shocking in today's world. Top rankers snag those low-floor S-ranks all the time.
But a shortest-time record? That's different.
Han Su-ho's Challenge Tower world records had stood unbroken for three years.
New Hunters worldwide studied every detail, ran simulations endlessly, entered the tower... and failed to break even one floor.
Before Han Su-ho, records got shattered yearly. His were legendary.
And one just got broken.
By this mysterious persistent poster's simp.
The big news spread instantly to general communities.
Probably fake anyway. Han Su-ho's all-clear shortest-time records on Challenge Tower haven't been broken by anyone in 3 years.
General communities were skeptical.
How many fishing posts like this had popped up over the past three years?
Then a verified Hunter account posted.
Guild Master, what's this guy's deal?
With a pro Hunter verifying it as real, the news gained massive credibility and spread across communities, blowing up.
Reactions were mostly shock, joy, and curiosity.
Another top-tier Hunter from our country? Great news.
Top Hunters' emergence ties directly to national interests and security—and having the shortest-time holder from Korea? Pure national pride fuel.
『Supernova Emerges! The New Possibility in the Hunter World?』
『Who Is 'Squirrel Enthusiast,' Who Broke Han Su-ho's Shortest-Time Record?』
Once bait rolls in communities, cheap internet articles pop up without checking facts.
Broadcast news and politics hadn't bitten yet.
It was just a floor 2 record, unverified, and 'Squirrel Enthusiast' was a total ghost—no info beyond daily proofs.
As 'Squirrel Enthusiast'—Kim Ji-woo—gained fame and curiosity, he had no time for it. Bigger issues loomed.
"Ramju Thunder, dismiss summon."
"Chik!"
Thunder vanished smoothly before my eyes.
"Ramju Thunder, summon."
"Chik!"
Thunder appeared smoothly before my eyes.
"Ooh, then Ramju Thunder, summon agai—"
"Chikchik!"
Thunder bristled right in front of me.
"Hmm, anyway, this is wild."
Summon and dismiss.
New skills since the capsule visit.
System said it unlocked from higher intimacy with Ramju Thunder.
No more stuffing Thunder in my bag.
Exactly what I needed. Grateful.
Still simple description.
What's this sub-space lounge?
Thunder just chiks, no system translation.
Comes back grumpy, then bounces like freed on summon... probably cramped.
I'll only store when traveling outside.
Helpful system tip.
Huh, intimacy raises skill level...
The more I look... is this system alive?
Always pops messages when I'm curious or need it.
Since switching to Trainer class, it feels different.
Used to be stiff car GPS.
Now it's like ChatGPT with personality.
"But whatever... not bad."
Shook my head after pondering.
Sure, annoying sometimes, but drops useful info like this.
Upgrade it is. Status window 2.0. Big win?
"Anyway, need to raise intimacy... Hey Thunder, wanna bathe together today?"
"Chik? Chikchik."
...Yeah, no way I'm bathing with you.
You're filthy.
When did this rat last wash?
More like squirrel laundry than bath.
"Chik!?"
"Home...?"
Another intriguing system message.
Home? Thunder has one?
Wasn't Trial Tower floor 1 home?
Thunder stared up with sparkling eyes.
"Chik! Chikchik!"
Chikking away, but no translation.
System translates on its whim.
Context says it wants to go home.
That day, I struggled with Thunder clinging to raise intimacy.
"Chikchik!"
Fun floor 2 climb time again.
A week into repeating floor 2, clear time barely improved from day 1.
No surprise.
Thunder only leveled once in a week.
Current: Mountain Squirrel Lv9.
Floor 2 gives 3x floor 1 EXP, but still not enough for Lv9 Thunder.
We overdid floor 1 repeats.
"Tch. Underestimated this EXP scaling."
When will we hit 10 like this?
I've parked 1000 days in Trial Tower, so grinding's familiar...
"But that was no choice, literally nothing else."
Now's different.
Not stuck on floor 3.
Though aiming for records...
If we could smash floor 3 record now, isn't this inefficient?
Thunder yawned lazily after wiping goblins.
"Chiiik—"
"Hmm... Should scout floor 3 at least?"
Back home, researched floor 3.
Monsters: Ranger Goblins. Shoot small arrows from range.
In a forest with two; kill just one to clear.
Sounds easy, but average clear time was long.
Ranger Goblins weak, arrows weak, but hard to spot.
Forest matches their color; tiny goblins sniping while fleeing.
Tough without sharp senses.
"Chik!"
"...Even well-hidden, it sniffs 'em out."
Thunder nabbed my hidden coffee peanut pack again.
Nose finds food anywhere, dodges my grabs easy.
So that means...?
"Chikchik-!"
"Kerruk!"
We can handle Ranger Goblins easy.
Should've climbed sooner.
Took Thunder just under a minute for both.
Rushed arrow source, bit one; sniffed and chased the fleeing one.
Hard for humans, but easier than floor 2 for squirrel Thunder.
"S-rank limit here is 5 minutes?"
Han Su-ho's record was 3 minutes, so we beat the shortest-time handily.
Familiar flashy system message popped.
And some garbled message tagged along.
And the familiar reward dropped into my hand.