Chapter 9
Chapter 9
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 9
Chapter Title: First Boss Battle
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"Ahem. The award ceremony will now begin. Award recipient, please come forward."
"Chirp."
The award recipient, Ramju Thunder, stepped forward with a solemn posture.
"Er—the Mountain Squirrel has demonstrated outstanding performance in the conquest of Challenge Tower Floor 3 today, making a significant contribution to achieving the shortest clear time record. For this, we award you this certificate and trophy. Congratulations."
"Chirp, chirp chirp."
After a handshake between the presenter and recipient, an air certificate—too lazy to make a real one—and a 5,000-won bag of coffee peanuts were bestowed.
Ramju Thunder held it high with glee.
"Chirp chirp!"
It was a pose that seemed ready to produce a bam-bam! sound effect.
To think it was so thrilled over cheap coffee peanuts.
What a guy who loves whatever you give him.
Once I make a ton of money later, I gotta feed it fancy nuts like almonds, macadamias, cashews...
"Mm..."
After the little performance, I rolled my new worry in my hand while watching Thunder diligently shell and munch the coffee peanuts on the desk.
Just like the ■■■■ reward from Floor 2, this was another ■■■■ reward from Floor 3.
Two golden shards the size of 500-won coins.
What the heck were these?
I searched the Tower Climbing Gallery, but predictably got "No related searches."
"Fragment means... a piece of something broken, right?"
I rolled the two Star Fragments around, trying to match up the jagged cracks.
Fiddling with them, I found parts that fit perfectly.
"Oh, it fits? But it still looks incomplete with just these two."
The fitted piece still seemed like an unfinished puzzle.
Probably need three or four more to see the shape.
Whatever it was, collecting them to complete one should trigger something.
"But I don't even know how I got these, so how am I supposed to collect more?"
They're just items I got from aiming for shortest clear records.
■■■■ reward, but no way to know what ■■■■ means right now.
...So maybe I should focus on shortest records instead of obsessing over these for now?
The most pointless thing in the world is agonizing over unsolvable problems.
I tucked the Star Fragments into a drawer and decided to forget about them.
"Anyway, today was nice—made a bunch of magic stones for once."
Instead, I pulled out the hefty pouch of magic stones that just made me happy looking at it.
S-rank reward from Floor 3: 30 Low-Grade Magic Stones.
Value: 1.5 million won.
Back in the day, that was what I'd get spending four hours a day on Trial Tower Floor 1 for a whole month.
To get it in one day... S-ranks really are the best.
"But thinking about it, not much different from before?"
Sure, 30 stones in one day, but factoring in the time grinding Thunder's levels on Floors 1 and 2... this month's haul wasn't that different from usual.
No repeat clear rewards on 1 or 2.
Thunder's gaining XP daily, sure, but money matters a ton to me too.
Need cash for parents' capsule fees, living expenses for me and sis...
And that's not all.
Sis is in her senior year—college tuition, allowance, and since she's a girl, clothes and makeup money...
"Ah, damn. Life's really tough."
Of course, once Thunder levels up and we climb higher, it'll all sort itself out. But I can't ignore immediate cash needs.
That's why I'm still busting my ass at construction sites daily.
Level-up strength boost multiplied my work efficiency several times over—pretty satisfying.
What, no more Trial Tower grinding?
Can't you enter Trial Tower as many times as you want per day?
Sure, Challenge Tower climbs don't block Trial Tower entry.
But money's dried up.
"Chirp chirp?"
"Chirp chirp."
"No dice, huh."
Long time since I entered Trial Tower Floor 1.
The pristine white space greeted us with a Mountain Squirrel, as always.
But unlike before, I couldn't hit this one.
When I tried a light flick, a transparent barrier protected it.
Even ordering Thunder to attack just got me a shocked face like, "How could you say that?"
Result: two Mountain Squirrels chattering at my feet.
"Thunder, you know this squirrel?"
"Chirp chirp."
Oh, really?
They were chattering away, but the other squirrel felt off somehow.
Thunder felt alive and animal-like, but this one was inorganic, NPC-ish.
Thunder tried conversing eagerly, but the NPC just went "Chirp. Chirp." in a steady rhythm.
Eventually, Thunder gave up and ignored it.
Guess even squirrels can't communicate here.
"Well, no point coming back here anymore."
No magic stones means no business.
If they got along, I'd visit for playdates, but nope.
After 1,000 days commuting, you'd think I'd be attached, but the tower's stifling air was gone without a trace.
Neither Thunder nor I lingered as we left the white space.
"Yeah, better to clear straight through to Floor 5."
Next morning.
My conclusion after deliberation.
Why 5? First, repeat clears on Floor 5+ give magic stones.
Needed steady income.
Second, Challenge Tower has boss fights every 5 floors, with monster types changing every 5.
Floors 1-5: goblin varieties.
Floor 4: Warrior Goblins, Floor 5: Hob Goblins.
6-10: different monsters.
Better to push to 5 than grind ambiguously on 2-3.
Floor 5 XP richer, plus repeat stone rewards.
Assuming current Thunder's strong enough for shortest record vs. Hob Goblin.
Today, test on Floor 4.
"Enter Challenge Tower Floor 4."
Opened my eyes in a dense forest.
Floors 1-4: all otherworldly forest, goblin habitat.
Deeper in, fiercer growls.
Grrr. Grrr.
Thicker, lower growls than before.
Visible Warrior Goblin slightly smaller than me, clad in leather armor, armed with thick wooden club.
Past goblins: adult man could 1v1 easy. These felt monstrous.
Hard to imagine tiny shoulder squirrel beating them.
"Grr?"
"Gr rr...!"
But I strolled right up calmly.
Monster Guidebook explained:
Seem strong, but potential F+.
Same as Grunt Goblins.
Even at Level 9 vs. their 10, potential gap proven on prior floors.
"Chirp chirp!"
Thunder locked eyes and bolted.
Crash crash—bushes shook, then leap right to their faces.
Steel tail smashed one's face.
-Thwack!
"Graaak!"
It clutched its face screaming, collapsing.
Thunder didn't miss, pummeling with tiny fists.
One gone in seconds.
"Grr!?"
Allies shocked a palm-sized squirrel took one down.
They huddled defensively, realizing they were prey—but futile.
Whoosh—
-Pow! Crack!
"Gruk...!"
"Grooo!"
Knee-high grass in dense forest.
They couldn't track tiny speedy Thunder—hunted one by one.
Faces like nightmare fuel.
"Hey, you're over here."
"Grrk!"
I wasn't idle either.
Grabbed a fleeing one's back, snatched its club, bashed mercilessly.
Thud! Thud!
"Grk! Grrk...!"
With level-ups from 2-3 shortest rewards, 1v1 this pest? Easy.
Few hits, poof—gone.
System popped familiar window.
Pocketed another Star Fragment, shouldered Thunder, nodded.
"Mm, yeah—this means we can hit Floor 5 tomorrow easy."
"Chirp chirp!"
Felt like the system message tone was more solemn than usual.
Inside tower, opened eyes to iron bars and vast arena beyond.
Center: massive one waiting.
"...Grr."
Way bigger than me, wrestler-build bulk.
Unlike weaklings, muscled green upper body bare—no armor needed—thin cloth below.
Huge club in hand, jagged fangs protruding under manic eyes.
More orc or troll than goblin.
"Level 20...!"
Double Warrior Goblins from prior floor.
Over double me and Thunder at near-10.
But no fear.
Potential mere E.
Attack patterns studied from videos.
"Thunder, plan as rehearsed."
"Chirp!"
"Groooaaarrr!!"
Passed bars, advanced—Hob Goblin roared, charged, swung club.
Boom—!
"Grrk!?"
"Ngh... packs a punch?"
Its massive club met my small one.
Warrior Goblin club from Floor 4 clear.
Pride scratched, it hammered relentlessly.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
"Useless, punk."
Kwaang—!
"Gruk...!"
Blocked all, then I swung.
Two clubs clashed with thunderous boom.
Hob Goblin trembled, barely blocking my strike.
Outpowered completely.
Three straight S-rank/shortest XP stacks.
Stalemate? I'd win.
But not 1v1.
"Chiiik—!"
Whoosh—Thud!
"Grr rumble!"
While tied to me, Thunder pummeled mercilessly.
It flailed to catch Thunder—impossible.
Just took pummeling from gaps.
"Eyes here, punk!"
Smack!
"Chirp chirp!"
Thud! Pow!
"Gr, grruk...!"
Finally, pitiful Hob Goblin collapsed sobbing.
Head down, hands shielding nape.
Kinda sad... but monster.
No mercy regardless—double-team beatdown like whack-a-mole, poofed holographically.
First boss fight ended anticlimactically easy.
Pam-pa-ba-bam—! Grand fanfare, system messages flooded.
"Ooh...!"
Tons of messages.
Standout: Hob Goblin drop, Savage Club.
1% chance—hit right away.
Solid weapon acquired.
Familiar now.
Fourth Star Fragment in hand.
"... ? Why's this showing now?"
Item description suddenly visible—previously blank.
Glanced at messages—
"This why...?"
Monster Guidebook level-up revealed hidden info?
Thought it just showed monster data—cool feature.
"Five, huh. Tch... too bad about Floor 1."
Read description, clicked tongue, shook head.
Floor 6 gives one, totals 5—but missing Floor 1 forever sucks.
Tower floors multiples of 10—no completing set painfully obvious.
Once-missed rewards gone eternal—that's the tower.
...Or so I thought.
System suddenly:
[Do you wish to challenge the Secret Floor?]
"...What?"
Suddenly?
Secret Floor?
What's that?
Staring suspiciously, another message:
[Clear the Secret Floor to acquire a Star Fragment.]
"...What are you?"
System occasionally answered doubts or gave useful info.
But outright suggesting something? Never.
Especially unheard-of "Secret Floor challenge"... mega suspicious.
Regardless, countdown started.
"...Fine, I'll do it."
Suspicious or not, no option to refuse.
Ready for anything to climb all towers.
...Worst case, forfeit mission? Probably?
System window felt smirking somehow.
Rumble rumble—
"Ugh, what...?"
"Chirp?"
Vision shook.
Thunder before me, coliseum, whole space quaking.
This the transfer?
"Thunder, get over here...... Huh?"
"Chirp? Chirp chirp!"
No.
Not space shaking.
My body changing.
Hands overlapping: two, three, four.
"Wha, t, is, th......"
Flash!
"Chirp!? Chirp! Chirp chirp!! Chiiik!!"
Left Thunder behind, I vanished alone.