Chapter 62
Chapter 62
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 62
Chapter Title: Upper Council #2
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Everyone in the gallery had no idea.
That the ultimate dopamine party was about to kick off for them.
It all started with someone's post.
📰 Breaking News Lately, the upper echelon brats are acting weird - The armband crew seems too busy with other crap, so posting here lol As other upper-floor bosses know, the top ranks have fixed raid cycles But lately, those cycles are getting sparser Doesn't this reek of something shady from here on out? Guys obsessed with tower raids who even sell out their own teammates... and they're not raiding? Impossible unless they're all scheming something together Lower-floor bosses, counter this 💬 Comments — Anonymous Fr, it's been dead quiet lately? — OP Fr, something's not right; — Anonymous Where's your tower at? — OP Wine Lord's tower — Anonymous That place busy? Isn't it just deserted? — Anonymous Haha, like there'd be any hardworking hunters in some rural backwater lmao — OP Fuck The Tower of the Forgotten Banquet was the least popular tower among them all.
This wasn't just true on Earth—it was the same across all worlds.
Tougher difficulty compared to other towers, harder-to-get rewards, and theme stages with even steeper challenges.
In conclusion...
📰 Breaking News Unless the Tower Lord changes, it'll stay the same - TBH, the theme stage difficulty under Wine Lord's involvement is kinda sus Even if this newbie cleared floor 5 in some weird way Theme stages aren't just there Floors 5, 15, 25. Every 10 floors from now on Can they really hold out? 💬 Comments — Anonymous Wine Lord's stages are notoriously hard — Anonymous That's why a lot switch affiliations lol — OP Yeah, it happens a lot;; ⭐ Top Comment — Aged Wine is... Hoe~! Those naughty hunters abandoned me...! They're the weak ones...! — OP But let's be real, the difficulty is insane — Anonymous Fr, the newbie's the weird one 📰 Breaking News The newbie made the first move!! - Who asked you to show off? Who said to graduate lower-floor bosses on easy mode? You gave us hope first!!! Teasing us like that and ghosting? Ain't that a crime? 💬 Comments — Anonymous Exactly my thoughts.. — Anonymous Look at the Wine Lord tower bosses crying lol — Anonymous Yeah~ You guys suck off newbies forever~ We're raiding fine already~ — Anonymous And you're still hanging in boss gallery? Can't graduate? — Anonymous Fact) Newbie has potential to graduate boss mobs It was all the newbie's fault.
He hadn't actually done anything wrong, but the gallery decided to think that way.
📰 Breaking News So what if they really are up to something, wtf? - Only event right now is the newbie showing up What if they're really trying to sabotage him? Isn't our newbie in danger? Hold up I'm actually shaking rn 💬 Comments — Anonymous Gasp ⭐ Top Comment — Paper Enthusiast Didn't think much of it, but now I'm suddenly anxious;; — Anonymous Is it that dangerous rn? — Anonymous Penalties mean they can't go full murder, but yeah some risk ⭐ Top Comment — Aged Wine is... Hoe, hoeeng...! — Anonymous Wtf tower lord you're his affiliate do something — Anonymous All you do is crazy concepts lol what can you even do lmao "...These idiots."
The Wine Lord was the kind of tower lord who got things done when she wanted to.
Especially if it involved the subject of her recent greatest interest.
She was ready to back him up with her own secret exploits, just like how she'd indirectly helped him in the theme stage.
"Penalty."
Muttering that, the Wine Lord glared up at the absolute being floating disgustingly in the sky.
"As an excuse to rein in those trying to use him, that should be plenty."
And the Wine Lord—true to her name, Jinjo—knew exactly what the absolute being feared.
She gladly decided to seize this opportunity.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ -Shwoosh!
After the sensation of his mind being sucked somewhere,
The familiar scenery he'd seen first greeted him.
Floor 8 zone.
According to the being presumed to be the Wine Lord, penalized hunters lurked here.
'Talk to them first.'
"..."
It wasn't a bad idea. Blindly fighting hunters whose info he didn't know carried big risks.
Even with his strengthened resonance with Aira and boosted stats.
'What to do.'
The unease element?
What those who'd come to meet him were really thinking.
"I'll punish them for you!"
"Thanks."
Responding to Aira, who inspired solid confidence with her words alone, Do-yoon decided to wait in the non-combat zone until their group showed.
If the tower's penalty was straining their minds, they wouldn't last long here either.
Unless they were perverts who enjoyed mana interfering with their psyche...
After waiting about an hour in front of the combat zone,
-Rustle.
"...!"
Do-yoon's tense gaze snapped toward the sound.
"Hi~"
A woman was there.
Clothing that felt familiar, like he'd seen it somewhere.
Her straightforward look paired with well-defined lean muscles caught the eye.
"I heard all about you from our little maknae~"
"...Maknae?"
"Oh. You haven't heard about me yet? How hurtful~ I adore our little maknae so much..."
Hearing Do-yoon's confusion, the woman stroked her cheek like she was disappointed.
'Don't freak out.'
Her overly relaxed attitude felt off, but Do-yoon thought fast.
This was the non-combat zone, as the being had said.
No hunter could defy that and use physical force.
So—
"What's the purpose of coming here?"
"Hmm... Straight to the point? I like that straightforward talk~"
Do-yoon scanned their forces at the same time.
Five hunters around the woman.
Numerically, he was heavily outmatched.
Noticing his gaze, she smiled brightly.
"Ahh... No need to worry. These guys are just tagging along because of the 'rules'."
"Rules?"
"You know how annoying it is for upper-floor hunters to come down? Considering the restrictions for one trip..."
In short, some unknown restriction forced her to party with other hunters.
"I wanted to come alone, but everyone around nagged me so much."
"..."
"Alright! Straight to business, like I said?"
Clapping her hands with a smack!, the woman began her introduction.
"Name's Rakiya Serbel. Mid-to-upper floor hunter, here on council business to check you out."
A very familiar name.
'Rakiya Bells.'
Her constant "maknae" talk skyrocketed the odds she was family.
"Check me out?"
"Yup~ The council, including me, is super interested in you~"
Do-yoon asked what puzzled him most.
"I just reached floor 8. Why check now?"
"Because... we see potential in you."
The council: a gathering of hunters from other worlds.
All members were top powerhouses from their realms.
Likewise, the hunters Do-yoon met in the theme stage admired and followed such elites.
"You think we'd ignore that performance in the theme stage?"
Handling objects.
Its meaning, danger, potential.
They, with the most tower experience, couldn't miss it.
"A strong Earth hunter after so long—gotta see your face~"
"Just my face?"
"Huh? Wanna do something else? Council didn't give specifics~ Just check if you're normal or not."
"If normal..."
"We've talked fine so far, right? Done~ Or... wanna talk with our bodies?"
"..."
At the sudden flirt, Do-yoon looked at Rakiya Serbel with flustered surprise.
"Noooope~"
Rakiya giggled to herself, lightening the mood.
Her accompanying hunters stood silently, as if used to her antics.
"Hey. Random question. How are you so calm seeing us?"
"Should I panic?"
Do-yoon played it cool, but he'd already heard info from "someone".
"Ahaha! I see~"
She laughed heartily at his brazen response.
'What is this.'
Not here to threaten or harm, then?
Multiple upper-floor hunters—way ahead in levels—came to see him.
Even under penalty, the pressure was natural.
"No need to stress~ We're not here to mess you up."
"Coming down in a group like this?"
"Rules. Penalized ones must party up, only leader acts. I'm the leader. Rest are like surveillance cams. Right, guys?"
"..."
No reply.
But that was the answer.
"Anyway! Seems we're done. Gotta head back before it's risky."
Rakiya continued, hiding her trembling hands.
"But one thing: the upper council has high hopes for you. Wants to see more great performances ahead. And."
-Whoosh!
Suddenly close, she leaned in till their breaths mingled.
Uncomfortably intimate.
Staring into his eyes, Rakiya licked her lips like a predator.
"Personally, you're intriguing. Like... a gut feeling?"
"..."
"That's it! See ya later!"
With that, Rakiya Serbel backed off obediently.
As if seeing his face was her top priority from the start.
For mid-upper floor hunters descending, it was anticlimactically deflating.
'Not complaining.'
He'd trained for worst-case, but sometimes no need to go all-out was best.
Gazing at the spot where the hunters vanished,
Do-yoon muttered.
"Time to raid anyway."
Back to farming levels and rewards as usual, he began conquering floor 8.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ "You okay?"
"Huh? With what?"
At the gate to the next floor.
One party member asked Rakiya Serbel.
"Great Warrior. Shouldn't we verify if the rumors and intel are true..."
"Think I couldn't catch a single mana trace at that range? And."
Rakiya turned.
Her eyes met the still-silent party hunters guarding their spots.
"We confirmed he's normal with our own eyes. Mission ends here, right? Or should we threaten him to be careful? Huh?"
-Grrrrr!!
Displeasure turned to mana pressure crushing them.
"...Great Warrior."
"Think we're hot shit? We're just hunters grinding the tower too. What makes us qualified to bully a newbie climbing floors?"
It grated on her.
The hunter who'd once prioritized strength above all now saw other sides of tower life.
"Let's call it here and go."
"...Understood."
Realizing it was the final warning, the members followed silently without a word.
'Do-yoon, was it.'
Departing, Rakiya recalled the rookie hunter's face.
Handsome, with odd mana.
Meager achievements now, but he'd reach her soon enough.
That premonition hit strong.
'When that happens, it'll be fun. Or even sooner...'
And so.
Rakiya Serbel's group, sent by the council to check the hunter who'd caught their eye, vanished from the floors entirely.