The First Transaction
The next day.
I overslept.
I woke up around noon with the sun high in the sky, and as soon as I opened my eyes, I washed up and headed for the Association.
“You cannot enter without an Awakened card.”
As I was loitering in the lobby, someone from the front desk came out to inform me.
“I’m here to register as an Awakened.”
Anyone can purchase common recovery potions used for medical purposes at the general Association shop. However, purchasing other items—and furthermore, converting Ticks into cash—is only possible after registering as an Awakened. That was why I had come here to take care of that first.
“Please head down to the basement floor.”
The test was simple. I just had to stand in front of a machine that looked like an X-ray, put an item from my inventory inside, and take it back out. They said the machine detects the movement of the Tower’s energy or something. Regardless, I obtained my Awakened registration card and was finally able to step properly inside the Association.
The place I headed to was, naturally, the Association shop. For reference, the Association shop operates like a collection of private stores. It’s divided into zones from A to Z, with twenty-six enchanters each in charge of one zone. They do refer customers to each other if they don’t have the item, but some enchanters who don’t get along won’t do that, so meeting the right person is a matter of luck.
Anyway, I ended up entering the V shop.
“Hello.”
I walked in to find a customer already there. A rugged build. Beautifully glistening bronze skin. Long hair cascading past his shoulders. He was a combat-type Awakened by anyone’s standards. I had come to look at weapons, but I ended up making eye contact with a man who looked like he knew how to use one.
“Oh? I don’t think we’ve met before. Are you a newcomer?”
The man, who was clearly a combat-type Awakened, spoke to me politely.
“Yes. I’m looking to meet the enchanter; do you know where they might be?”
I asked, glancing around.
“I am the enchanter,” he said, raising his hand to point at himself politely.
“Yes? But I thought people from the Association wore suits?”
The Association staff I’d seen in newspapers and on the news were all dressed like that, so it felt unfamiliar. I figured this combat-type Awakened was just teasing a newbie like me.
“Haha. That’s only when it’s cold out. This is a government office, so we can’t lower the temperature below 28 degrees in the summer. That’s why short sleeves are only allowed during the summer!”
They looked more like tank tops than short sleeves, but if he said they were short sleeves, I’d count them as such. Anyway, that sounded plausible enough.
“Oh…”
As I stood there, unable to continue the conversation while feeling skeptical, he steered the topic back to the main point.
“So, what do you need that brought you all the way here, Awakened?”
“A weapon.”
“May I ask what your Trait is?”
“In…”
I clamped my mouth shut for a split second. The Trait Intrusion, which I was the only person in the entire world to possess. If I spoke about it carelessly and word got out, my act as an NPC might become impossible. Furthermore, my identity as a ‘hidden party member’ might be exposed, making it impossible to leech off contribution points. Absolutely not. I had just tasted the sweet nectar of Intrusion on the 40th floor at Seo Ian’s place yesterday. Absolutely not! That must never happen!
“In?”
He urged me to finish my sentence. I felt like I was reminded of someone I’d seen yesterday.
“Do I really have to say?”
“I need to know so I can show you the right items. Well, if you don’t want to say, you don’t have to. There are actually quite a lot of people who are reluctant to talk about their Traits.”
He said with a bright smile. Perhaps because his eyes were long and horizontally slanted, they truly curved until his pupils disappeared—no exaggeration. He felt like a high-level, hidden-power villain character with slit eyes.
“Do you have any versatile weapons that apply to both Strength and Intelligence? I haven’t been Awakened for long. I’m looking for something a beginner can easily use.”
“What have you put your stats into so far?”
“Ag…”
‘I put everything into Agility?’
‘Oh my! Then you must have a Lightness skill?’
‘Of course!’
‘Hahaha! How truly pathetic!’
The look of pity added to that laughter. That imagination flashed through my head like lightning.
“Ag?”
“I’ve leveled them all up equally.”
Tower Merchants don’t lie, but Wandering Merchants do. The biggest factor was that I didn’t have the courage to admit I’d dumped everything into Agility.
“Traits that allow for balanced stat growth are rare… Well, I understand! Do you have a preferred weapon type? For example, a sword, a bow, or a spear.”
He had his hand on his chin as if lost in thought, but he soon smiled brightly and asked the question.
“I just hope it doesn’t look like a pickaxe.”
I had bought one because Rackcho strongly recommended it, but even Rackcho said a pickaxe was for gathering, not for combat.
“Haha, a Tower Pickaxe? I doubt any enchanter here sells that pickaxe.”
He spoke as if he knew about the pickaxe. Wait, I’m the one who has it, and even I didn’t know? And more than that, he called it a ‘Tower Pickaxe,’ not just a pickaxe?
I continued with my questions.
“Is it a good item?”
“It’s unnecessary for general Awakened. But for an enchanter, it’s an essential item. It drastically reduces the time spent gathering material items.”
As expected, listening to Rackcho was the right choice.
“It’s sold by Tower Merchants at a very cheap price of 10,000 Ticks with an extremely low probability, so if you ever see one, please buy it and sell it to me!”
He asked with a smile, as if it were truly necessary for enchanters.
“Sure.”
But I’ll try using it myself first. I became curious about just how good it was for him to emphasize it like that. And if it’s not that great, I’ll sell it. Yes, a guaranteed buyer! Score!
But he had just said, ‘a cheap price of 10,000 Ticks.’ It was surprising that it was considered cheap, but what was even more surprising was…
‘Rackcho sold it to me for 5,000 Ticks, didn’t he?’
I’ll have to ask him later if I run into him while intruding on a Tower.
“By the way, may I ask when you were Awakened?”
“Yesterday.”
I didn’t see any reason to hide that, so I told the truth.
Then.
“In that case, have you entered the 1st floor yet?”
I could immediately grasp the intent behind that question. An Awakened only obtains the skills they can use when they enter the Tower for the first time after Awakening. Checking those skills to decide on a main weapon is one method. But.
“No.”
Gathering and Synthesis. They weren’t combat skills, and I had no idea whether I should invest in Strength or Intelligence to make them efficient. ‘Skills are generated according to Traits.’ It’s a fact I’ve heard until my ears rusted, a fact I know, you know, and now everyone knows. Now, let’s think for a moment. If I told this enchanter about the skills I have, could he give me the perfect weapon? I didn’t think so. The Trait Intrusion itself is something only I possess in the entire world, and Gathering and Synthesis are skills derived from it.
“But you said earlier that you leveled your stats equally…”
“Ah, I bought some Ticks and leveled them up in advance. I was scared.”
He tilted his head. Of course, it was a lie. Where would I get the money for that? I need to buy a weapon, a weapon!
He had a look that said, ‘Is the 1st floor that scary?’ but what did I care?
“…In that case, I think it would be better for me to recommend a weapon after you’ve entered the Tower once and found out what your skills are.”
Just as I expected, he brought up the existence of skills. By the way, this guy. He’s smiling nicely while trying to coldly kick me out. But I had no intention of going back empty-handed today. I was trying to get a weapon before entering because, as I had expected, I didn’t have any combat skills attached to me. I wanted to create a safety net. Safety is always the priority. I might be able to endure the 1st-floor tutorial, but from the 2nd floor on, I could actually die if I made a mistake.
“I’m a bit of a coward.”
“Awakened, are you aware that the Association shop only accepts payments in Ticks?”
He was asking if I had enough ability to pay, given that I hadn’t even entered the 1st floor yet.
“I came knowing that. That’s why I bought some.”
“…Are you looking for a high-end weapon? Or a 1-star grade?”
For reference, the end-class weapons in South Korea are 4-star. That’s because the highest floor in the country is the 41st.
“1-star grade.”
“If you want a weapon that can be used easily regardless of your Trait or stats, then ranged weapons like guns or crossbows would be the way to go. Shall I show you?”
“Yes.”
The lowest price started at 30,000 Ticks. I wondered if I could just buy a real-world weapon cheaply and go in, but then I remembered that the stats of real-world weapons are fixed at 1 inside the Tower. In that case, I had no choice. I had to buy a ‘MADE IN Association’ weapon, no matter how expensive it was. But that didn’t necessarily have to be right now.
“Oh. Let’s do this another time.”
I said, shaking my head. I think the problem was me, coming for a happy shopping spree with only 5,000 Ticks.
“If purchasing is difficult, there is also a ‘rental’ method.”
“Rental?”
“Yes. You set a period and rent it. Most people end up buying them, but those who aren’t in a position to do so immediately often use the rental format.”
My ears perked up.
“How much is the rental?”
“Which item are you referring to?”
“A gun or a crossbow.”
Excluding swords or gauntlets, which require close combat even without skills. Excluding staves or wands, since I didn’t have a single magic skill. What about whips or slingshots that require a lot of skill? I’ve never been good with my hands since I was young. And I excluded bows, which fundamentally require Strength stats. That left only guns and crossbows.
“Is your Trait of the ‘Fire’ or ‘Lightning’ type?”
“No.”
“Then do you have any skills related to magic guns or magic bullets?”
“No?”
He made a strange expression at my response.
“…Then you have to use a crossbow. If you don’t meet those requirements, you won’t even be able to pull the trigger on firearms inside the Tower.”
“Oh, is that so! Then I’ll go with a crossbow.”
“A 1-star crossbow rental is 1,000 Ticks per week.”
1,000 Ticks a week. Since I could make 10,000 Ticks a day, it didn’t seem like a big problem. Instead, I’d have to grind hard starting today. Both my Tower and others’ Towers.
“Would you like to try it out at the testing range first? It’s better to check if it fits your hands before you go.”
I had no reason to refuse, so I naturally accepted. And not long after, I ended up praising my past self for making that choice.
“Enchanter! It won’t pull back!”
I snapped around to ask him. Is there something wrong with this item?! At this rate, wouldn’t it be more efficient to use it as a club than to shoot it?
“…Crossbows are weapons that require a certain amount of physical strength. Or would you like to try this instead?”
He handed me a different weapon, looking as if he’d expected that. It looked similar to a crossbow but was much smaller.
“What is this?”
“It’s called a Light Bowgun.”
“A Light Bowgun?”
“It has lower base attack power than a crossbow, but it’s faster and a good weapon for beginners to use.”
I took the item and aimed at the scarecrow in the corner of the testing range. I pulled the string.
‘Oh! It pulls!’
Thwack!
A clean hit. This was usable. I liked the fact that I wouldn’t have to swing a Light Bowgun to beat up monsters.
“I’ll take this.”
“That one is 2,000 Ticks per week.”
“…I’ll still rent this one.”
I decided to trust my future self. Actually, not my future self, but my ‘Trait.’ Intrusion is clearly a growth-specialized Trait. I’ll take it and run!
“Thank you, Awakened Kim Uju! Oh! For reference, taking out weapons from your inventory outside the Awakened Association is illegal, so please! Be careful!”
He emphasized. It was a fact established by law because there had been an accident once before.
“Yes!”
“Then please come visit again! I’m Park Siwoo!”
He smiled.
Having signed the rental contract, I walked out of the shop with a souvenir called a ‘Bronze Hammer’ in my hand to commemorate my first transaction. Wow, this place is good at business. I should try this when I do the Wandering Merchant gig later.
Walking through the Association hallway, I took out the Bronze Hammer and held it in my hand again. It was the perfect size to fit in one hand. No matter how I looked at it, it didn’t seem like it could be used as a weapon. I took a quick look at the detailed description.
[You can repair the durability of an item!]
It seemed this was what people called a ‘hammer.’ Sometimes, posts appear on the Awakened community complaining, ‘Ah, I was right before clearing it, but I had to come out because I didn’t have a hammer.’ If the durability of a weapon or equipment drops below 10%, its stats are halved. If it drops to zero, it is unequipped and goes into the inventory. The item in the inventory then turns gray, and you have to use a hammer to restore its durability before it can be worn again. They say the reason people are bad at managing durability and hammers is that ‘the speed at which durability drops varies wildly depending on the skills and the condition the user handles it with.’ The source, of course, is the Awakened community.
“Still, he gave me something essential for a beginner. Probably because it’s hard to manage weapon condition early on.”
I was a bit touched by his thoughtfulness. If I climb above the 10th floor next time, I’ll definitely go visit him again. Anyway, I had one last place to stop before heading home. The Association exchange. It’s a place where you can exchange Ticks for cash. I thought it wouldn’t be bad to keep them as Ticks, but…
‘There’s no limit to the number of Tower Intrusions anyway.’
I decided to be bold. I couldn’t buy skills or weapons with the Ticks I had right now anyway.
* * *
Meanwhile. At the time Uju was heading to the Association exchange.
“Hey! Park Siwoo! Why did it take so long?”
Seo Ian, who had visited the Association shop, was furious.
“A new Awakened came by for the first time in a while.”
“A new Awakened? It’s obvious they’ll get stuck without even climbing a few floors, so why waste so much time?”
In truth, Seo Ian wanted more than anyone for Awakened to grow and support each other. But the culture of complacency was rampant in society. Most Awakened climb the Tower passionately at first, but as soon as they meet a trial, they switch their route to repeatedly clearing the lower floors. Safely, for as much profit as possible. She didn’t like that trend.
“Who knows? Maybe they’ll climb up fast and threaten your and Hong Jehun’s positions?”
“Huh, as if?”
She sneered.
“Hey, what’s his name?”
“It was Kim Uju.”
“Hey, if Kim Uju even passes the 25th floor, I’ll bet my hand on it.”
The 25th floor. It’s called the devil’s section. Not only in Korea but also abroad, the majority of Awakened stop their climb at the 25th floor.
“The guy who uses dual swords is really making a fuss.”
“None of your business.”
“It’s not none of my business; I’m worried because it’s your job.”
“…Anyway, just take out all the Golden Hammers you have.”
Thud!
As she mentioned the reason she had visited today, she took the Ticks out of her inventory and placed them on the table.
Clatter, thud. Clink.
A portion of the mountain of Ticks spilled over and fell to the floor.
“You’ve already used up all the Golden Hammers?”
Park Siwoo asked with a look of disbelief.
“No. I have some left, but I have to challenge the 41st floor now. I don’t know how the weapon condition will go, so I feel at ease having a lot.”
She laughed, lifting her chin arrogantly. Seeing her true self, he felt relieved and took out all the Golden Hammers he had made and placed them on the table.
* * *
Because I was a newbie who hadn’t been Awakened for long, the Association offered a 1:7,000 ratio. I didn’t have the right to refuse, so I accepted. 21 million won was placed in my hands in an instant. ‘…Wow, I made a huge amount yesterday, didn’t I?’ My money had literally multiplied in a single day! In truth, today was very grueling. I had walked around too much in the middle of a midsummer day. My body was heating up, I was sticky from the humidity, and I was dizzy. Even the Association building was 28 degrees, so it was no comfort at all. Because of that, I had briefly debated, ‘It’s a waste, but should I rest today and go back in tomorrow?’ but that thought evaporated without a trace.
‘Fighting fire with fire is the way to go!’
Returning home, I first turned the air conditioner on full blast. If I made over 10 million won a day, couldn’t I keep the air conditioner on all day? It was actually one of the items on my bucket list. ‘Keep the air conditioner on all day in midsummer and cover myself with a blanket.’ Of course, I’d do the blanket part in the evening! Anyway, after that, I washed my sweat-drenched body and changed into comfortable short sleeves and shorts.
“Alright, time to go back to work!”
Of course, that meant going to ‘intrude’ on the Tower. Not ‘entering’ the Tower. The 1st floor is the tutorial floor anyway. Confidence that I couldn’t clear it? None. Even the weapon? I had rented one, so I had it now. That meant I had leeway. And public goods are always better when taken first. Just like it’s better to eat the fries first and eat my share of the burger later, or eat the sweet and sour pork first and eat my share of the jajangmyeon later. For me, ‘intruding’ on the Tower was the public good, and ‘entering’ was my share. Therefore, I had to ‘intrude’ first and ‘enter’ later.
I solidified my resolve.
“Tower Intrusion.”
As I shouted the skill, a list of floors available for intrusion appeared.
[18th Floor] Hwang Gyubeom
……
The 18th floor appeared at the very top. It seemed the rankers were taking a break. It was only the 18th floor, but it didn’t matter. Because I wasn’t the one ‘personally’ doing the climbing.
“Hwang Gyubeom. Should I try searching him?”
The affection of a Korean! If they said they didn’t need anything, I couldn’t help it, but if they did, couldn’t I buy it for them on the way? I picked up my phone again with the Tower Intrusion window still open. Who knows? Maybe he wrote down something he needed, like Seo Ian did?
Search author. Hwang Gyubeom. There was a post he had uploaded just 30 minutes ago.
‘No, why did this person write such a pitiful post…’
I guess I’ll have to buy him something to eat on my way in. The condition for increasing contribution points is helping the owner of the Tower anyway. Then, suddenly! I realized one terrifying fact.
‘Ah. Do I have to go outside again? I just washed up?’