Setting Up Camp
A new skill is available for selection.
The prompt popped up the second I cleared the 5th floor of the Tower of Transcendence.
I had definitely heard about this before. Awakeners were supposed to unlock new skills depending on how many floors of the Tower of Despair they conquered. I'd always wondered why nothing ever unlocked for me, but—
"So it wasn't based on the Tower of Despair at all. It was tied to the Tower of Transcendence."
Well, fair enough. I did have two towers to climb, after all. Besides, did it really matter which tower triggered it? The important thing was that I got to learn a brand-new skill. Though, of course, what kind of skill it was mattered just as much.
Normally, what kind of skills unlocked? Mostly class-related ones. An electromancer would unlock lightning magic, for instance. So what about a Climber?
"Let's take a little peek, shall we?"
1. Base Camp
2. Register Sherpa
3. Pioneer Spirit
4. Climber's Notebook, Next Chapter (Locked)
Four skills appeared on the list. I couldn't really tell what they did just by looking at the titles. Who came up with these names anyway? They should have taken a page out of Energy Bolt's book. Just look at that—simple, direct, and completely intuitive. Still, one thing was undeniable.
"As expected of the Climber class. Every single one of them screams mountaineering."
Base Camp, Register Sherpa, Pioneer Spirit... and wait, Climber's Notebook? I recognized that one. At any rate, all of them reeked of the Climber profession. So these were my class skills.
"Hmm... people always say you need to choose your skills as carefully as possible."
Well, it probably wouldn't be the last time I got to choose. From what I'd heard, new options opened up every few floors. Still, the skill pool was said to be random, which meant whatever showed up this time might never appear again. In that case, I needed to read through each one carefully and think it through.
A notebook left behind for future generations by a climber whose name was erased in the long passage of time.
First up was the fourth option. I already knew what the Climber's Notebook was—it was sitting right there in my current skill list, and the description was identical word for word. But Next Chapter? That had to mean something had changed.
"Tsk. Of all things, this one had to be locked."
What a shame. I was curious, but what could I do when it was locked tight? There would probably be another chance later.
"Rejected."
Next was the first option: Base Camp.
— Every great climb begins from a secure base.
※ Installs 'Base Camp', a secure subspace completely shielded from the outside world, at a location of your choice.
※ The efficiency of rest and recovery is drastically increased inside the Base Camp.
※ The installed Base Camp can be registered as a recall point, allowing immediate return anytime, anywhere. (Cooldown applies)
"Oh..."
Just at a glance, this looked incredible. A private space completely protected from the outside world? Having something like that would be a godsend, especially when I had toxic stalkers hunting for me right now.
"Well... not that those Chinese bastards could ever track me down anyway."
Still, you never knew. Base Camp seemed pretty darn good. And on top of that, it even came with an instant recall function? That meant if things ever went south inside a dungeon, I could just bail whenever I wanted.
"Whoa, talk about an absolute jackpot."
Should I just pick it right now? No, wait. I should check the others first. They might not show up again down the road.
— A great climb is not meant to be undertaken alone. To scale treacherous peaks, one requires companions to guide the path and shoulder the burdens.
※ With the target's consent, register them as a 'Sherpa' through a special contract.
※ Remotely access the registered Sherpa's inventory.
※ Sherpas receive the Climber's Blessing, increasing their stats.
Okay, no need to even think about this one.
"Companions? What companions?"
I wasn't looking to raise an entourage. Someone once said life was a solo journey anyway. Besides, I could handle everything just fine on my own. Coolly rejected.
— A climber's greatness lies not merely in the act of ascending, but in the fact that they walked a path no one else had tread.
※ Whenever you achieve a world-first record or unprecedented feat, rewards for all your accomplishments permanently increase by a small margin. (Effects stack)
※ Extraordinary luck may follow when discovering something no one else has ever found.
※ You may compile the records of your pioneered paths into a 'Guidebook Record' to pass down to others.
Now this one was actually kind of tempting. Pioneer Spirit. The name alone sounded impressive. But reading the fine print, it felt a little ambiguous.
"A world-first record, huh..."
Could I even pull that off? Sure, I could manage EX-rank clears, but that didn't necessarily pop up with some flashy 'first ever' achievement. That was true for both the Tower of Despair and the Tower of Transcendence.
"Hmm... this seems pretty tough."
Needless to say, the Tower of Transcendence was climbed by godlike Transcendents from across the universe. And as for the Tower of Despair, that guy Luo Qin had already cleared all the way up to the 66th floor. Maybe far down the line when I climbed past the known floors, but right now? Was there any reason to bother?
In that case—
※ You may install Base Camp at a location of your choice.
※ Installation at your own residence is strongly recommended.
Okay, so it was basically telling me to set it up at my place, right? It was a rented one-room studio, but a home was still a home. I'd install it the moment I got back. Ah, though before that, I had to report back to Senior Merlin.
Ding-dong!
"Senior, I have returned!"
One thing I'd learned from dealing with Senior Merlin was that this ancient Transcendent loved spirited juniors. Greeting him like this would—
"Oho, you're back!"
—instantly get him to reply with even greater enthusiasm.
"I have been waiting for ten whole hours just for you!"
Wait. Did this really have anything to do with liking spirited rookies? Senior Merlin's eyes were practically sparkling. I recognized that look all too well.
"Well? Speak, quickly! How was the fifth floor? There was no resistance, just as I predicted, correct? Any anomalies? Tell me everything you felt!"
Right. That exact look. The man was completely obsessed.
Ten hours... admittedly, it was a long time to keep someone waiting. But now I felt kind of bad.
"Uh... well, Senior. About that..."
How was I supposed to describe it?
"It was just... warm and cozy? It felt like soaking lazily in a hot bath."
"Hm? Nothing else out of the ordinary? No sensation of your mana circuits expanding, for instance?!"
Should I tell a white lie? Nah. Senior Merlin was a Transcendent. If I tried to bullshit him, he'd probably catch on immediately. So—
"Honestly, I didn't feel anything special besides that...! But my stats definitely went up. Thank you so much!"
"Haaah..."
Oof. What a deep sigh.
Well, fair enough. He'd been bursting with anticipation before I went up, so opening the box only to find a dud must have stung. But what could I do? I genuinely hadn't felt anything.
"Haha..." Merlin laughed hollowly.
This was bad. At this rate, he might ask for the advance payment back. I had to do something. I needed to show him results. It wasn't like I'd come back empty-handed. Of course, Base Camp was going to be set up at my house, so I couldn't show him that. But I still had this.
"Instead, Senior, I managed to obtain another new Authority this time."
Spring of Mana
The Authority recorded in the Climber's Notebook from the 5th floor: the Spring of Mana.
When I activated it—
Flash!
Light burst forth, and then—
Babble, trickle...
Oh... so that was how it worked. It wasn't a full-fledged pool like the one on the 5th floor of the Tower of Transcendence, but more like a small, bubbling spring.
"Oho-! This is...?! No, this isn't an imitation—it's genuine Origin Mana!"
Curiously enough, when Senior Merlin reached out his hand—
Whoosh.
His hand passed straight through it like a mirage. Yet when I touched it?
Splish, splash.
"Fascinating... Deep Sea Pressure from the fourth floor was remarkable enough, but this is extraordinary as well."
"Right?!"
"When you used the fourth floor's Authority, I assumed you merely mimicked the Tower's laws... but to summon true Origin Mana itself...?"
Well? Did this satisfy him?
"Furthermore, no other entity can touch it—only the caster himself. Just what kind of underlying structure is this?"
Okay, his motivation was fully recharged.
"The Climber's Notebook... the Climber's Notebook. Does it not simply record, but replicate Authorities? Or perhaps usurp them? As I thought... you truly are a subject worthy of extensive research!"
"Senior?"
Uh, hold on. I think he got a little too recharged. Senior, research is great and all, but let's not turn me into a laboratory test subject, please.
"For today, you may head back. I, too, shall return and dig through more archives."
Swish—
"Huh? He's gone."
What in the world? As expected of a Transcendent. He had been standing right in front of me a split second ago, and vanished into thin air. Wait a minute. That meant...
Right. Cassius, the manager of the Arcana Market. He was finally within striking distance of clocking out. How many days had Senior Merlin kept him trapped here?
"Uh... could I just buy one skill—"
"Never mind."
I'd been thinking about using my leftover mana stone scraps to pick up a skill, but... oh well. I should let the poor guy clock out. The golem had been suffering for days. Besides, I had things to do back home anyway.
"I'll be taking off then. See you next time."
Flash!
Back home after ten hours. And now that I was back? Time to test out my new skill.
Tring!
Base Camp can be installed at your current location.
You may relocate it later by paying a fee.
Would you like to install it?
Of course. Naturally! They always said if you hoarded things, they just went to waste. I'd worry about the future when the future came.
I boldly pressed [Confirm].
Flash!
"Huh?"
What was this? Light flared, but... nothing seemed to have changed much. Wait, no.
"Is that... a fireplace on the wall...?"
A fireplace in a rented one-room studio? What kind of absurd combination was this...? But then again, on second thought, it kind of made sense. A mountaineer's base camp definitely needed a fireplace. Not that I'd ever actually been to one, but still.
"Now that's what I call ambiance and romance."
Alright. Time to check it out. What kind of functions did this Base Camp have?
Tring!
Skill: 'Rift Opening' detected.
A new function of Base Camp has unlocked:
[Hub System]
Tethers the Hub System to a specific nation, allowing 'Rift Opening' to be cast toward that country.
Oh...
Other countries?
Now we're talking.