The Enchanter's Logic
An enchanter who can equip any item.
Park Siwoo pulled an engraved shield from his inventory and channeled mana into it. A white dragon manifested, dwelling within the pristine white surface of the shield. It was just like with Yang Mugeon; his effects were always clean yet flashy.
-10% HP
Boom! A light explosion followed. The sound was loud, but the impact was minimal.
“That was without mana flow.”
Immediately after, mana condensed once more into the white dragon emblem on the shield. I waited a moment.
-15% HP
Kaa-boom! Another explosion. It felt stronger than before. The aftermath of the blast scraped the dirt floor, sending dust rising up to knee height. The scarecrow’s health had dropped by about 5% more.
The second explosion looked more powerful, didn't it?
“That was with mana flow. You felt the second one was stronger, right?”
“Yes.”
“I injected the exact same amount of mana. The only difference is that the first time, I focused the release on a single point, while the second time, I didn't.”
“So you’re saying the second one dealt less damage to the target because the mana was flowing, and that’s why the floor got scraped up?”
At my question, Park Siwoo nodded with a satisfied expression.
“Exactly! If you’re only going to hit the boss, there’s no need to waste precious mana scraping the surroundings. It seems Awakened Yang Mugeon prefers to exclude skill usage and focus on dealing damage through engraving release.”
That was Park Siwoo’s assessment of Yang Mugeon.
“Does engraving release deal more damage than skills?”
“It depends on the person, but in Yang Mugeon’s case, that’s highly likely. Otherwise, there would be no reason to trigger a release that burns through mana like that.”
Right. He didn't seem like the type who couldn't do anything without mana like Hong Jehun, but I’d realized that the moment he started complaining about his party members running out of mana.
“Then, is he a failure as a tanker?” I asked, smacking my lips. When I saw him in person, he was an attractive tanker. It was a waste.
“No, Guild Leader. A tanker who deals good damage is the most useful type for holding aggro.”
I had steeled myself for a negative answer, but I heard the exact opposite.
“Then…”
“He needs to improve his mana proficiency. From what I saw in the video… about 90% of his mana was just evaporating into thin air. That guy? He’s definitely not someone who should be stuck on the 38th floor right now.”
In short, this was it: Yang Mugeon was an offensive tanker, which made him advantageous for pulling and holding aggro. However, his mana management was as inefficient as throwing it away into the air.
“Is there a way?”
“There is, but it will take some time. Mana management becomes exponentially more difficult as the total amount of mana increases.”
After that, I stopped by the Association’s secret room. I had some coffee with Team Leader Oh Wontaek and Yoon Jinki, and I announced the recruitment of the new tanker.
“Having a solid tanker gives you such peace of mind! That’s great news!”
Yoon Jinki clapped like a seal as if it were his own business, and Team Leader Oh Wontaek looked pleased, saying we finally looked like a complete team.
“Team Leader.”
“Yes?”
“But even though all the guild members suffered together, only my exchange rate is going up.”
Our guild members. They were contracted to me, not the Association. The main content of our contracts was the benefits I could provide them, and the benefits they could provide me. But since they were contracted to me, they weren't receiving any of the benefits the Association could provide. That bothered me.
Hong Jehun, who was close to the Association, and Park Siwoo might have been taking care of themselves just fine. But Seo Ian, who wasn't close to the Association and could even be considered anti-Association, along with Im Hyunjin and the new guy, Yang Mugeon—I wanted to take care of them as much as I could.
Of course, the credit for that would go to me, not the Association.
Anyway.
“Could I ask for one more performance? I’m currently working on a way to pay out the TF team rewards to the guild.”
“Isn't this performance enough? We were really no joke this time.”
We were insane. The title of ‘World’s First Clear’ wasn't an achievement you could just pick up anywhere.
“In our opinion, this performance is sufficient.”
“That’s right! Of course it’s enough! It’s more than enough!”
“However, there have always been people who deny it, saying, ‘That’s just luck!’ In my opinion, the most effective way to make the mainstream faction shut up is to present consecutive results right in front of their eyes.”
Consecutive results. It wasn't impossible, and this time, we even had a tanker like Yang Mugeon. Honestly, it would be more of a problem if we *couldn't* produce better results than last time with this lineup.
When I remained silent for a moment, perhaps thinking it was a silent refusal, Team Leader Oh Wontaek brought up the compensation he had likely already been considering.
“Since you are the Guild Leader, Kim Uju, we will treat you as an exception, and we will comprehensively apply the tick conversion rate to the rest of the guild members. On top of that, I intend to do everything I can to support them individually as much as possible.”
“That’s right! Pushing it through right now might be slow due to the opposition from the mainstream faction, but if we have consecutive results, it will be hard for them to easily cast a dissenting vote while worrying about public opinion!”
“Besides, that’s how other new guilds will be motivated to work harder.”
It seemed they had been planning this all along. Who said the Association couldn't get things done? They were already preparing quite concretely without me even having to say anything!
We were on the same page. It was comfortable not having to say much.
But.
“New guilds?”
“They will appear soon. Starting with Outlaw.”
Team Leader Oh Wontaek said with a tone of conviction.
“If the compensation for the entire guild is officially confirmed, latecomers will start popping up like mushrooms.”
Yoon Jinki seemed to think the same.
“So both of you had dreams for a guild?”
Right. They were the ones who talked about the TF team at first. But when Seo Ian suddenly blurted out ‘Guild Leader’ instead of ‘Team Leader,’ for some reason, both of them welcomed it with open arms. And starting from that point, I shifted my direction toward a guild as well. I didn't see any reason not to build one.
The increased conversion rate was a bigger honey pot than I thought. Plus, the special floor was a land of milk and honey that you had to enter once a month anyway. Furthermore, if you just keep the special floor settled in the rankings, a reward increase or beneficial effect is applied to the top of Korea for a month. In other words, there was no need to recruit new team members every time we did the TF team.
Then, just recruit them into a ‘guild.’ This was the secret story behind the birth of Outlaw.
“Dreams for a guild?”
At my words, Yoon Jinki tilted his head. Team Leader Oh Wontaek, whose face was still intimidating even after seeing him often, smiled for a moment and continued.
“I think I mentioned this before, but we want Awakened to be able to work together on equal footing with the Association, without having to worry about what the Association thinks.”
“I think I heard something similar last time.”
They said they pursued ‘coexistence.’ I think they added that that was the only way to go far together.
“Not a contract with an individual Awakened, but a contract with a group, a guild. It’s good for the Awakened to be protected within the framework of a guild, and it makes it a bit uncomfortable for the Association to swing the Awakened around as they please.”
“From our perspective, it’s actually a huge welcome! The Association’s mainstream faction seems like they’re about to have their heads explode because they can’t manipulate the Awakened as they please!”
Had they been through a lot? The two of them looked at each other and laughed.
Then.
“By the way, do you happen to know when the Rabbit will be able to enter overseas towers?”
The Team Leader asked cautiously.
“Oh… are they rushing you? Asking when the Rabbit will appear in their countries?”
“Well, since we even held a press conference.”
“Probably next month.”
I had things to take care of for the time being. I even had to refine our tanker’s mana control before entering the special floor.
“Then I will announce it for two months from now.”
“No, I said next month.”
“Aigoo, brother! You’re supposed to call these things more generously! If you say it quickly and it’s late, you get cursed at, but if you say it late and it happens quickly, you get praised!”
That’s true too.
“Alright. But Team Leader, is there any country you want the Rabbit to be sent to?”
It was just simple curiosity. I was going to enter wherever I wanted, but if it was the same floor, I wanted to show my face in a place that was a bit more friendly to us.
“Actually, there are a few countries we’d prefer you didn't send it to. At the press conference, we already made up an excuse that the limit was just ‘recommending’ the Rabbit to appear in certain countries, just as you said, Uju, so even if you deliberately avoid them, well…”
I had asked Team Leader Oh Wontaek to announce at the press conference that it was possible to ‘recommend’ the Rabbit to visit the towers of certain countries. If I had said I could do it at my own will, it could have caused problems due to international interests. Who would pick a fight when I said that ‘recommending’ was the best I could do for a wandering merchant who traveled wherever he pleased?
“Make a separate list for me later.”
I downed the rest of my coffee. I was going to leave coolly, but.
“Oh, right, Kim Uju!”
The Team Leader called me back.
“Do you happen to know ‘Rian Carter’?”
“Of course. I think I saw him on the… cultural news a few days ago?”
With my selective genius memory, I remembered that the contract I signed with the Team Leader stated that I would not contact foreign associations or Awakened. I was a bit resentful since he had come to find me unilaterally, but anyway.
“But why Rian Carter all of a sudden?”
“It’s nothing else, but there was an unofficial request. He said he wanted to meet and talk with you alone.”
That handsome crazy bastard. After being turned away at my door, he had finally gone as far as chasing down Team Leader Oh Wontaek. My shock at his persistence, which was tougher than tire rubber, lasted only a moment.
“Didn't you tell me not to contact Awakened from other countries, Team Leader? It should have been written in the contract?”
Is this a trap?
I tilted my head slightly and looked at the Team Leader.
“It’s fine if you meet through us. It means he’s a verified person.”
“Verified…”
I chewed on the word ‘verified’ once more.
“That verification, do you happen to have a standard for it?”
I could have bet Rackcho’s whiskers that there was ‘no standard.’ The only standard Rian Carter would pass would be his appearance.
“There is exactly one…”
“Appearance?”
“Pfft.”
The two of them burst into laughter, seemingly thinking the same thing, before returning to a serious expression.
“No. It’s ‘truthfulness.’”
“How do you know that?”
“The Litmus of Truth.”
What was that now?
“It’s one of the rare items that can be used in reality, just like a recovery potion! It’s like an easy-to-use lie detector!”
Yoon Jinki added the explanation immediately.
My eyebrows settled back into place comfortably.
“So. Team Leader, do you want me to meet Rian Carter?”
“Isn't this the time when the highest floor in Korea is about to pass the 50th floor? He said he would share information about the 50th floor and above, so he wants you to strongly ‘recommend’ the Rabbit to appear in the US, even if just a little.”
Seeing as he was relaying this to me now, I confirmed that the US was not included in the countries he hoped I wouldn't send the Rabbit to.
“…I’ll discuss it with my guild members and let you know. Anyway, Seo Ian and Hong Jehun will be the main pillars for clearing the 50th floor in Korea.”
“That’s what happened.”
The next afternoon, at the Outlaw guild office. I asked Seo Ian, who had arrived first, for her opinion on whether I needed to meet Rian Carter to get information on the 50th floor.
“I heard that from the 50th floor onwards, the background is the same regardless of the country of entry or the Awakened.”
Seo Ian crossed her arms and continued.
“But he asked to meet alone?”
“Is meeting alone a bit much?”
I shrugged. It wasn't intentional, but Seo Ian’s expression reacted before my answer.
“It is a bit much, right?”
She curled the end of her sentence upward clearly.
“In my opinion, he says it’s for information or cooperation, but his real purpose is to approach you, Benefactor. That guy even chased you to your house before.”
“Then it’s better not to meet him?”
“No, meet him.”
“Huh?”
I thought she would nod in agreement, but the exact opposite answer came out.
“But don't go alone.”
There was a strange emphasis at the end of her sentence.
“First, get the Litmus of Truth from Park Siwoo, and then go with me or Park Siwoo.”
“Can’t I go with Im Hyunjin or Hong Jehun?”
“Hyunjin is too kind-hearted and the type to easily get caught up by vipers like that, and Hong Jehun ‘originally’ can’t do anything.”
Yes. I asked just in case, but as expected, I heard her baseless insults well.
“But it seemed like Rian Carter wanted to meet alone?”
“Then refuse. You don't have to accept everything he wants. And.”
Seo Ian tapped the table lightly with her hand. It must have been to get my attention.
“And we’re a guild, right? Make an excuse that Outlaw’s safety protocol requires a minimum of two people per team. And change the venue to an official one.”
“Ian.”
“Yeah?”
“Sometimes you’re brilliant.”
I was clearly smiling when I said it, but a vein popped out on Seo Ian’s forehead.
“What?! You think I’m weird?!”
“No, brilliant. Exceptionally smart.”
“…You only realized that now?”
She smoothed out her expression in an instant and puffed out her chest proudly. And that night, I was able to realize once again that Seo Ian’s schemes weren't just one step ahead, but several steps ahead.
“Oh?”
“…Yeah, it is.”
Seo Ian. In the end, she was just saying she wanted to go with me…!
My breakthrough of the 32nd floor of the tower. A new record, easily broken.
“Rackcho!”
“It’s Uju!”
Rackcho, wearing the cat collar I gave him a few days ago, came running toward me with a sway. I quickly fed him some churros first.
“This, do you happen to like it?”
Following Hong Jehun’s advice, I pulled an ‘empty delivery box’ out of my inventory.
“Meow… what is that! It smells good! I have an urge to jump right in!”
Actually, there was no need to hear the answer. As soon as I pulled the empty box out of my inventory, Rackcho’s eyes sparkled cuter than ever before.
“A gift.”
“This Rackcho! From now on, I will devote myself even more to Uju!”
The blue cat eyes filled with resolve turned toward me. I didn't feel bad.
“But Rackcho.”
“Meow?”
“Is it possible to use skills outside the tower?”
“You’re talking about Hawk’s Eye, right? Uju can do it because of a system error. Currently, Uju is the only one who can.”
One thing confirmed.
“But they probably aren't fixing the error on purpose!”
“Why?”
I felt a bit uneasy. They weren't fixing the error on purpose and were leaving it as is. What that meant was that if the system wanted to, it could allow people to use skills in reality. It might be a groundless fear, but didn't it mean that human weapons of war could appear in the world at any moment?
“Because the system wants the tower to be cleared without exploding.”
“Hm?”
“So it means it wants Uju to be as safe as possible. Rackcho doesn't know the details, though!”
Rackcho said that and turned his head, subtly avoiding my gaze.
“Is anything beyond this a system restriction?”
“That’s right!”
He met my eyes again. It felt like he would accept questions other than sensitive ones.
“Then I’ll move on to the next question. Why can’t I buy skills?”
In the early days of awakening, I thought the message ‘You cannot purchase skills because certain requirements are not met’ was because my level or stats were lacking. There were a few cases like that in the community as well. But my level now? It’s 88. My level and stats were, if anything, higher than others, so I couldn't say they were lacking.
“Give that up. It’s because Uju’s trait allows you to obtain and use such a variety of skills.”
“What does that have to do with it?”
“You need a level equal to the number of skills you can view. From what Rackcho can see, Uju needs at least level 1,000 or higher~.”
It was a disappointing result.
“I’ve always been saving ticks to buy skills.”
“Don't buy skills, strengthen your gloves. Your glove skills can be strengthened.”
“I couldn't use them because it was hard to time the reflection.”
“If you use that well, it becomes a counter. It’s an ultimate skill that can flip a losing game. It’s something others can’t attach even if they want to, but Uju pulled it off purely by luck.”
Is it because of the ‘Intrusion’ trait? Somehow, it felt like I was only pulling skills that were like ‘white elephants’—efficient only if you used them ‘well.’ They were the kind that were ambiguously good if you had them, and ambiguously disappointing if you didn't.
“Anyway, rewards.”
Maybe because of the 100% contribution and the short time, I got 7,000 ticks. The loot box was a 2x tick reward voucher. A profit of 14,000 ticks.
“Anything to buy?”
“None today. They aren't really necessary, so they’ll just take up inventory space~.”
So that was that. I busied myself organizing my inventory.
“But Rackcho, it seems like gloves can only be strengthened with special strengthening stones?”
“High-grade, top-grade, and legendary-grade are all 10-star items. It’s natural that they consume special strengthening stones.”
Rackcho’s time to appeal his own competence followed.
“Is there a map where fragments drop well?”
“They drop better from the 50th floor and above. Or hidden dungeons. Surprisingly, they don't appear on special floors, so keep that in mind~.”
Special floors? They don't appear. Hidden dungeons? I’m not going in. I still have vivid memories of almost being unable to return home because I was trapped with Seo Ian.
It seemed I only had the 50th floor and above as an option.
“Alright. Still, thanks for letting me know. Thanks to you, I saved myself some wasted effort.”
“If Uju is happy, Rackcho is happy too~.”
A swaying tail. It seemed I couldn't stop giving Rackcho even the smallest praise for this reason. I pulled up the intrusion window to intrude into another tower. Just then, my phone rang. The sender was Seo Ian.
“Oh. Look at that timing. But why a text instead of a call?”
I looked at my phone in detail, feeling puzzled.
?!