Chapter 033
[Chapter 033]
< Did I Just Get Pushed Back by a Crop? >
I connected the [Watch of Earth's Tears] I received from Yu Seo-jin to a sturdy leather strap and wore it on my wrist.
Due to its heavy size, it emitted a presence different from ordinary watches.
“Hmm.”
The sensation of heavy pure silver.
Despite being metal, a faint warmth was felt as if it were alive.
But, the watch was unresponsive.
The hour and minute hands were stationary as if in hibernation, and only the small jewel in the center of the watch face vibrated faintly at intervals.
‘As expected, is mana lacking.’
All artifacts in the world are made to use mana as a power source.
There is no object made assuming a mysterious energy called Internal Energy (Naegong).
And my mana core is E-Rank.
It was a power source far from sufficient to drive an A-Rank artifact.
Of course, not every artifact is like this.
C-Rank or lower functional artifacts are not greatly affected by the user's rank.
But as the rank rises, especially high-level artifacts above A-Rank, there are cases where the performance is determined by directly resonating with the user's mana.
Whoosh-
Closing my eyes, I pulled up the Internal Energy (Naegong) from the dantian.
And then I carefully flowed that energy into the watch's complex mana circuit.
Tick.
A moment later, a clear sound came from the watch that had been stopped.
The blue mana rune characters engraved on the watch surface vanished, and in their place, a faint golden energy resonating with my Internal Energy (Naegong) rose.
The sense of foreignness vanished and it wrapped around my wrist as if it were part of my body from the start.
“Done.”
With a satisfied smile, I immediately entered the Tower.
[Entering the 21st Floor, ‘Silent Library’.]
According to Bureau data, it is one of the most tricky floors.
A place where tens of thousands of magic books come alive and attack the intruder, and where one can only clear by finding the unique original forbidden book within.
There was even an instant death mechanic where all the books would attack simultaneously the moment a sound was made.
Swoosh!
Hundreds of books that sensed my appearance all opened their pages and shot toward me simultaneously.
But I didn't panic.
I lightly pressed the crown of the pocket watch.
Click.
In that instant, the earth's energy dwelling in the watch and the Internal Energy (Naegong) inside me resonated and shook the laws of this space.
Wha-a-a-a-a-!
A soundless roar.
Everything in the world except me began to distort "ji-ji-jik" as if it were an old black-and-white film.
The hundreds of books flying toward me.
Flutter-flutter-
They were being erased from this time-space as each page became light powder, as if their existence itself was being deleted.
A power like authority that made things as if they never existed.
‘I see it.’
The sense amplified within the instant stop created by the artifact woke up.
The giant mana flow forming this space and the unique source where all those flows started were visible.
That old leather book covered in dust, stuck at the top of the highest shelf over there.
I didn't reach out.
I just thought that I wanted that.
Whish-
Space itself was folded and entwined like paper, and the old book that was far away was pulled before me.
The distance of dozens of meters that existed between me and the book instantly converged to zero.
Thud.
A cold leather touch was felt in my hand.
And the moment I grasped the book, the distorted time-space returned to normal.
In the surroundings, only quiet silence and light particles slowly scattering remained.
[Raid goal ‘Secure the original ancient forbidden book’ completed...]
Even before the system message fully popped up, the powder turned to dust and poured onto the floor.
[...Cleared 21st Floor!]
[Clear Time: 3 seconds]
[Raid Grade: EX]
[Earned Gold: 300 G]
“Heh.”
The destructive power to blow away tens of thousands of books at once and the precision control ability to accurately take only a single target from within.
“It's a complete cheat, this.”
Leaving the Tower behind after the raid was finished.
Creak-
I entered the 21st Floor Dimensional Shop.
I momentarily paused my steps.
Because the shopkeeper standing behind the counter was that penguin I saw on the 20th floor.
‘Was the shopkeeper not different for each floor?’
As soon as the penguin saw me, its body flinched "heum-chit" with a face pale with fright.
“Hello.”
“A-ah, hello.”
After greeting, I looked through the shelves.
As expected, there were no items particularly worth buying.
In the moment I turned my body to leave.
“Excuse me....”
The penguin called me in a voice as if squeezing out courage.
“?”
It was a mysterious thing.
A shopkeeper had never first talked to a customer even once.
“Yes?”
“That, the Rabbit Doll-nim you bought the other day... is he doing well?”
Rabbit Doll-nim?
Furthermore, what on earth is that extreme honorific?
“Ah, you mean Bunny (To-sun-i). Of course. It's doing well. It's quietly next to my sister.”
The moment it heard my reply, the penguin's eyes turned pale blue with horror.
“...Pardon? That, that one is, quietly··· staying?”
“Yes. It's a doll, so of course it's quiet.”
“A, ahahaha... R, right··· Haha!”
The penguin was repeatedly wiping sweat before me to the point I wondered why it was sweating so much.
* * *
[Successfully cleared 44th Floor, ‘Flame Lizard's Nest’!]
“Whew... as expected, this much is light.”
Kim Tae-seong showed a satisfied smile as he exited the cave full of intense heat.
One month since transferring to the Bureau.
He climbed the Tower without hesitation while receiving exceptional support that was unbelievable for an A-Rank.
And finally today, he succeeded in raiding the 44th floor, succeeding in raiding two floors within 2 weeks.
“When I go home, it’ll be in an uproar.”
He returned to the lodging in a high-end residence in Gangnam.
A luxurious living room where the Seoul night view unfolded beyond the floor-to-ceiling glass window, a bathroom finished with Italian marble.
Everything provided by the Bureau was top-class.
Taking a shower with hot water, he enjoyed today's victory.
‘Can I also be called a patriot at this level?’
Didn't he himself restore the falling honor of the Bureau?
Naturally, the world should be paying attention to his active role.
“Heh.”
With a proud heart, he put on a gown and turned on the giant wall-mounted TV in the living room.
It was a hunter specialized channel.
Surely my name will be plastered everywhere?
-Yes, exactly! Hunter Muryong has achieved an unbelievable record once more!
“...What?”
But what filled the TV screen.
Was not the expected face of Kim Tae-seong himself, but that 지긋지긋한 (dreadful) name, Muryong.
-News that the 21st Floor Silent Library was cleared in only 3 seconds! Is this a record that can be replaced?
-It's impossible. I assert, it's impossible. The 21st Floor is a floor boasting an extreme level of difficulty where even A-Rank rankers take an average of over 5 hours. But 3 seconds?
Apparently, Muryong had done it again.
Of all times, at this timing!
“What on earth happened?”
Kim Tae-seong immediately accessed Hun-Tube (Hunter-Net) with his terminal.
The community was literally a Muryong festival.
[Breaking News] Muryong, 21st Floor 3-second cut! God or bug?
[Analysis] How was the silence mechanic broken? Teleport? Spatial distortion?
[Fan Club] Let's call our Muryong-nim Muryong-God from now on! (1,879,234 / 2,000,000)
Tens of thousands of comments were pouring in in real-time.
The content was surprise, praise, and worship close to madness.
- Crazy. 3 seconds. 3 seconds. That's faster than the time it takes for me to start showering and get shampoo on my head.
ㄴ Hahaha. The analogy is perfect
ㄴ Fact) 3 seconds isn't even enough time to pour water in cup noodles and close the lid
ㄴ Throw away all analogies, the raid grade is EX. E.X. It's just a different game
[Info] 21st Floor Silent Library mechanics summary
1. Instant death if sound is made. 2. Must find the real original from tens of thousands of books. 3. Fake books self-destruct or fire curse magic -> This means they did all this in 3 seconds.
In other words, it means they perceived the original's location as soon as they entered and picked only the original "kok" without sound while ignoring tens of thousands of books. Is this a human?
ㄴ Analysis추 (Analysis upvote). Conclusion: Not human.
ㄴ It's a Gorani.
ㄴ Now we must call it God-rani.
Even in overseas hunter communities, analysis posts on Muryongi's identity were pouring out, and even articles saying South Korea's status was rising along with it were visible.
[Overseas Reaction] Not another S-Rank, but a mythic existence was born in Korea!
- “Is the technique Muryongi uses a type of dimensional magic?”
- “A 12-second Gorani and a 3-second mage. Just how many faces does Muryong have?”
Every issue, every glory is being focused on just the three letters, Muryong.
As if the center of the world is turning based on Muryong...!
“Isn't this crazy?”
Kim Tae-seong screamed inadvertently in his excitement.
Trying hard to calm his mind, he headed toward the refrigerator.
There was the treasure Kim Tae-seong cherished most lately.
‘Right, let's calm down by eating this.’
He tried to pick up one enticing crop kept preciously in the basket.
But.
“...It’s gone?”
The basket was empty.
Exactly the crop he barely bought from Gorani Man 12 two weeks ago after blood-splattering competition.
“What, you mean it's already all eaten? A-A-A-A-ARGH!”
Kim Tae-seong slumped on the floor and wailed.
Gorani Man 12's crops. The hottest item on Dang-geun-tap (Tower Market).
At first, he approached purely out of curiosity.
Because he was a personality that had to try everything others did to be satisfied.
The bluff of [World's Most Delicious Tomato] was also insignificant, but he planned to buy it first and leave a bad review if it wasn't delicious.
Tomatoes were always out of stock, so at first he bought [Cucumber of the Glacier] and [Paprika of the Sun] half-doubtingly.
‘That was... a drug.’
The moment he took a bite, the shock of taste striking the mouth.
Saying it's delicious is not enough.
A truly amazing taste, as if all the gustatory pleasures existing in the world were gathered.
[Item: Paprika of the Sun]
[Description: Holds the energy of the sun. Upon consumption, it makes the metabolism active to maintain the best condition.]
The effect was very outstanding.
On days he ate [Paprika of the Sun] and entered the Tower, he could raid the Tower very refreshingly while maintaining a good state.
But after that, he hadn't succeeded in purchasing even once.
In the moment Gorani Man 12 posted an item, "trade complete" popped up in 0.1 seconds.
Literally a battlefield was unfolding to the point of crop ticketing and open runs.
After experiencing that taste and efficacy once, he could no longer be satisfied with his old body.
He ate only a tiny bit every day by tearing it off with his fingernail while saving it, but to think it was all gone already.
“This can't be!”
The spotlight stolen by Muryong.
And the helplessness of not being able to get Gorani Man 12's crops.
The night of A-Rank Hunter Kim Tae-seong was being filled with anger, futility, and frustration.
“When can I get it again, please... Gorani Man-nim!”
In that way, without him even knowing, he was becoming a fervent worshipper of Gorani Man 12.
* * *
The next day, Hunter Management Bureau.
Park Jin-soo headed toward where Kim Tae-seong was while humming and holding a bottle of high-end champagne.
‘As expected, my eye wasn't wrong.’
At the news that Kim Tae-seong broke through the 44th floor, Park Jin-soo’s mood felt like it would fly into the sky.
It was a feat proving that his selection and focus strategy was right.
Now if he breaks through to the 50th floor with this momentum, his position as well as the Bureau's status would become solid.
“Hunter Kim Tae-seong! I came to congratulate you!”
As he triumphantly tried to enter where Kim Tae-seong was.
Two hulks standing before the door, Kim Tae-seong's personal guards, blocked the way.
‘These things again....’
One might wonder why an A-Rank Hunter like Kim Tae-seong needs guards, but they were troubleshooters handling Kim Tae-seong's minor problems.
Their skill wasn't low either, at the top-tier level among retired current C-Ranks.
“No one can be allowed in right now.”
“Pardon? No... who else but me would enter?”
“Hunter Kim Tae-seong is currently doing a very important job, so he said not to let anyone in absolutely.”
“What? Important job?”
From Park Jin-soo’s perspective, it was an incomprehensible thing.
Was there a job more important than celebrating the Tower climb.
“I also must know, so please tell me right now. I won't move even a step from here until then!”
As Park Jin-soo persisted, the guards spoke with a sign of annoyance.
“Right now, Hunter Kim Tae-seong is in the middle of a sacred conversation.”
“Wait, what does that mean? Sacred conversation?”
It was a word completely impossible to understand.
Sacred conversation?
Could a conversation be sacred?
It's not like he was on a direct call with the Pope in the Vatican, a conversation cannot be sacred.
“Just, who on earth is it? You should tell me something so I can go back or whatever.”
“...Hunter Kim Tae-seong has finally connected to a chat with Gorani Man 12-nim.”
The guard bit his lip tightly as if he were moved.
Park Jin-soo closed his mouth with a stupid expression at the appearance of the guard, whose frame was as big as a mountain, being moved.
‘Gorani Man 12?’
He had heard of it.
Rumors that there's a suspicious merchant selling suspicious crops on Dang-geun-tap (Tower Market).
He didn't think much of it.
Even if cucumbers and carrots were great, weren't they just vegetables?
But.
“Anyway, it's not possible right now, because Kim Tae-seong-nim is busy offering morning greetings to that person.”
The guards blocked Park Jin-soo with cold gazes.
Park Jin-soo faltered back with a face pale with disgust.
‘Fuck. Just how is this situation turning?’
He was dumbfounded.
What? Morning greetings? That Kim Tae-seong?
It was a word that didn't suit that arrogant guy who wouldn't first greet even the Bureau Division Chief while keeping his head stiff.
But such a guy offers morning greetings to a mere Gorani Man whose identity is not even known?
“Ha.”
A hollow laugh burst out because it was so absurd.
But the tightly closed door never opened.
Park Jin-soo could only stand blankly before the door while holding the champagne bottle.
“So right now. I, I got pushed back by a Gorani? Hmm?”
Park Jin-soo bit his lip tightly.
He could bet there hadn't been a more humiliating moment than now for several years.
< Did I Just Get Pushed Back by a Crop? > END