Chapter 14
Chapter 14
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 14
Chapter Title: Who Sent You?
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[You have climbed to the top of the 9th floor of the tower.]
[You have gained 5 unallocated stat points.]
[You have cleared the Tower of Penance!]
[Clear Time: 42 hours, 33 minutes, 40 seconds.]
[Calculating ranking.]
[...]
[...]
[Rank: 177.]
[You have acquired the title, <Climber of the Tower of Penance>!]
Climber of the Tower of Penance
• All Stats +30
Messages streamed before his eyes.
Lee Shin closed the notifications and let out a sigh filled with mixed emotions.
"...Haa."
42 hours, 33 minutes, and 40 seconds.
That was how long it took Lee Shin to climb the tower.
'This was harder than the college entrance exams.'
Lee Shin muttered, shuddering.
It was no exaggeration.
Lee Shin despised meaningless, repetitive tasks.
Climbing stairs, over and over... grasping ropes, again and again.
That alone was frustrating, but making a single mistake meant starting over from the very beginning.
It was a task that demanded extreme concentration.
Thanks to that, he felt like he had endured a year's worth of college exam stress in just a few days.
Still, from a practical standpoint, it wasn't a loss.
In just about three days, he had gained 45 unallocated stat points and a +30 to all stats.
If anything, it was an incredibly profitable venture.
On top of that.
[You can improve your ranking to change the title.]
[The stats applied will differ depending on the title.]
[Would you like to try again?]
It was one of the few titles that could be upgraded.
On his very first try, Lee Shin had surpassed numerous veterans to land within the top 200.
A few more attempts, and he could easily aim for the top ranks.
However.
"Not a chance."
Lee Shin left the tower without a second glance.
There were plenty of other ways to develop his character.
He had no desire to level up by stressing himself out like this.
'There he is.'
Outside the tower, Kilgeo was waiting for him.
Not near the entrance teeming with players, but in a quiet corner.
Lee Shin approached Kilgeo and completed the quest.
[Quest Complete.]
[You have gained experience.]
[Level Up!]
[You have gained an additional 10 unallocated stat points.]
"The most important qualities for an assassin are perseverance and tenacity. It seems you already possess both."
[You have earned Kilgeo's acknowledgment!]
[You may now proceed to the next trial.]
The final stage!
Lee Shin clenched his fists.
'Finally...!'
At first, he had thought the quest was progressing quite easily for a unique-grade class.
But over the past three days, that notion had been completely shattered.
The Tower of Penance had been as grueling as its name suggested.
For Lee Shin, who played games primarily for enjoyment, it was the worst kind of quest.
But since it was a class advancement quest, he couldn't just quit and had to force himself through it.
Still, that was all in the past now.
Lee Shin said to Kilgeo.
"I wish to take the final trial now."
"Very well."
[Kilgeo proposes a trial!]
Kilgeo's Trial (7/7)
The final trial.
Kilgeo wants you to prove you have what it takes to become a great assassin.
A great assassin must, at times, be capable of infinite cruelty!
Accumulate a sufficient level of evil deeds to earn his acknowledgment.
'Evil deeds?'
Evil deeds.
The condition didn't immediately click.
As Lee Shin narrowed his eyes, Kilgeo continued speaking.
"This trial won't be difficult. You've already shown me more than enough."
"Pardon?"
[You have exceeded the requirements for many quests.]
[You possess related titles.]
[Your affinity with Kilgeo is extremely high.]
[...]
[The trial's difficulty will be lowered!]
Proof of Evil Deeds
• Infamy required for proof: 18,700/20,000
• Completing this quest will advance your class.
"...!"
The final quest took into account all the times Lee Shin had exceeded the requirements of his previous quests.
As a result, the difficulty had been lowered to the point where it was easier than a walk in the park.
It felt more like a procedural quest, as his class advancement was practically guaranteed.
'This much is...'
Lee Shin nodded, his expression softening.
Gaining 1,300 infamy was something he could do in no time.
He just had to find some nearby thieves and take them down.
The problem was that Dudreum was a city with rather good security.
If he was caught doing anything to raise his infamy here, the soldiers would surely be dispatched immediately.
And if he were captured by the soldiers, he would be thrown in jail.
To get out, he'd either have to pay gold or wait helplessly for several days.
During that time, the clock wouldn't run even if he logged out.
He would have to serve his time in jail while logged in!
It was the type of penalty Lee Shin hated most.
But Lee Shin kept it simple.
'I just won't get caught.'
He wasn't the type to overthink things, and besides, the suffering of the past three days had been immense.
His mind and body were in a weakened state!
Right now, all he wanted was to finish this class advancement quest as quickly as possible.
"I'll be back shortly."
"Huhu. Don't worry if you get caught once or twice. I'll find a way to get you out."
"...I won't get caught."
* * *
After leaving Kilgeo, Lee Shin wandered around the city.
He needed to hunt thieves to raise his infamy.
However, likely due to the city's good security, finding them was harder than he expected.
There had been so many in the starting town, but now there wasn't a single thief in sight.
And even if he did manage to find one, there was another problem.
The soldiers stationed throughout the city.
Looking around, Lee Shin muttered to himself.
'...There are quite a few of them.'
Soldiers were posted at intervals in the commercial district.
He could also occasionally see knights hurrying through the streets.
Their levels were far beyond what Lee Shin could handle.
Cities like this were often frequented by high-level players, so the NPCs were scaled accordingly.
At a minimum, they were level 100, and the knights could even be approaching 200.
For Lee Shin, who was barely approaching level 50, they were opponents he could never hope to defeat.
Even with his superior physical abilities, it wouldn't matter. With a gap that large, a single skill would wipe him out.
'I can't do it here.'
Lee Shin shook his head.
The moment I get caught, it's over.
So if he was going to do this, he had to be as safe as possible.
'I'll have to go deeper in.'
The deeper he went into the alleys, the higher the proportion of elite thieves, but the security was also laxer.
At his current level, he could handle elite mobs, so heading deeper was the better option.
Having made his decision, Lee Shin slipped into an alley off the main street.
He then moved deeper, avoiding the soldiers' patrols.
*Clatter, clatter!*
"...!"
Along the way, he spotted a group of knights moving together.
'Damn it. I need to find them quickly.'
'Where the hell are they...?'
Listening to their conversation, it seemed they were searching for a wanted criminal.
Lee Shin hid around a corner to avoid them.
'...Wait, why did I hide?'
He didn't really need to.
But something about it felt familiar from his past, and he hid out of reflex.
Back in Avala 1, he would either run or fight whenever he saw a knight.
'Those were the days.'
Recalling those brutal memories, Lee Shin continued deeper into the alleys.
When he reached a point where ordinary players and NPCs no longer ventured, the knights also disappeared from sight.
'Good.'
Lee Shin surveyed his surroundings and nodded.
He judged it to be safe now.
Only then did Lee Shin begin his search for the thieves.
And before long, he found a group of them.
[You have discovered a group of elite thieves.]
[Be careful.]
Twelve of them. It was a decent number.
And they were labeled as elite.
He might have been worried as a low-level player, but now, he could face them without any tension.
His stats had increased far more than their numbers had, and he had skills now.
Now, no matter how many there were, they were no match for him.
'I should end this quickly.'
Lee Shin drew his sword and activated Stealth.
His mana drained as his form blurred.
And then...
*Stab!*
Lee Shin struck immediately!
His opponent couldn't react.
[A powerful critical hit has landed.]
[The target has died instantly!]
'...!'
Lee Shin's hand flinched.
The power was enough to startle even him, the one who attacked!
'It died from that?'
With his monstrously increased attack power, the opponent had died in a single blow.
His increased stats were a factor, but the biggest reason was his new weapon.
Its attack power was several times higher, causing his damage to skyrocket.
Furthermore, it was incredibly light, allowing for swift movements, which gave him a great advantage against small, fast humanoid mobs.
Lee Shin continued his assault.
His opponents couldn't withstand his fierce attack and fell one by one.
"Gahhh!"
"R-Run away...!"
Eventually, a few of them, terrified, began to flee.
Seeing this, Lee Shin was confident it would be over soon.
But contrary to his expectations, not all of them were frightened.
*Clang!*
"!"
His attack was perfectly blocked.
Caught off guard, Lee Shin instinctively created distance.
'It was blocked?'
Feeling the tingling sensation travel up his arm, Lee Shin narrowed his eyes.
It meant their stats were similar, or perhaps his were even lower.
Lee Shin looked up.
Before him, a thief with a very distinctive appearance was glaring at him.
'...Hmm?'
Red hair, and eyes that shone brightly.
Even the design of his mask was different from the others.
At this, Lee Shin hesitated and stopped his attack.
Something felt off.
No matter how elite a thief was, a mob was still a mob.
Just a generic model.
But for one to have such an elaborate design was strange.
Just as he suspected, a message appeared before his eyes a moment later.
[You have encountered the leader of the thieves in the back alleys of Dudreum.]
[Be careful!]
The moment Lee Shin saw it, he understood.
He'd thought something was strange.
'So this guy is the boss here.'
From being the only one to block his attack to having an unnecessarily cool design for a mere thief.
But if he was the boss of an area, it all made sense.
Such entities were usually designed differently for the convenience of the players.
Lee Shin readjusted his grip on his sword.
'Perfect.'
It was unexpected, but Lee Shin decided to look on the bright side.
Even if it was a boss, its stats were well within a range he could handle.
Plus, if he defeated it, the rewards would be better than killing an elite mob.
'The rest have all fled.'
Surveying the now-empty surroundings, Lee Shin cautiously took a step forward.
He planned to close the distance in one go once he was close enough to use a charge skill.
His opponent, however, simply stared at him without reacting.
"...."
"...?"
'What is he doing?'
He seemed lost in thought.
Or perhaps he was preparing a counter skill.
It wouldn't be strange for a boss mob like this to have such a skill.
But Lee Shin didn't stop moving.
His current health wasn't low enough to be one-shotted anyway...
'I just have to not get hit.'
He was confident.
*Step.*
The distance between them was closing.
Lee Shin brought his sword hand behind his back.
He put strength into the balls of his feet.
'Char—'
The moment he was about to use the skill.
"You."
The leader, who had been standing there with a serious expression, finally spoke.
And what he said was something Lee Shin had not expected at all.
"Who sent you?"