Chapter 303
Chapter 303
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 304
Chapter Title: Spring's Upheaval
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After conquering the first stage, "Hide and Seek," we were walking along the path under the guidance of the black energy called "Black."
And Black had been chattering nonstop about the tower's rules for over 40 minutes.
[As I mentioned earlier, there's no such thing as freebies inside the tower. To get anything, you need the tower's currency, "crystals." But if you put in just a little effort, you'll be able to gather them easily.]
"......Sigh. Is this really the sightseeing tower? I heard other people just relaxed and had fun. Why are they making us work like this?"
Black chuckled at Shin Young-jun's grumbling.
[Isn't "tourist tower" just something humans made up?]
At a loss for words, Shin Young-jun clamped his mouth shut.
[To be honest, there's a bit of our whim mixed in. It's true that we provided comfort and enjoyment to entrants from other towers. But...]
Black's gaze turned toward me.
[You're not your average entrants, so we decided to indulge a little. Think of it as personalized customer service? Hehe.]
[It might feel bothersome, but in human terms, it's like a form of recreation. The more you toil, the greater the reward~]
"......Seonwoo. Can we trust that thing?"
As we walked while listening to Black, Yoon Hayoung whispered to me.
"We have no choice but to trust it for now. There's no other option."
"But it's suspicious somehow. And its looks are freaky too. Ugh..."
[I can hear everything! Don't judge by appearances!]
Black whipped around toward Yoon Hayoung and shouted. She froze like she'd swallowed honey, then bowed her head.
"......Uh, sorry."
At that moment, Lee Seojun, who had been walking ahead of me, spoke up.
"So these crystal shards are the tower's currency, right?"
[Yes, that's correct.]
I opened the pouch of crystals clutched in my hand.
Fifteen crystal shards received for successfully conquering the first stage.
These crystal shards serve as currency in the Tower of Four Seasons.
You can use them at shops to cover food, clothing, and shelter, or buy special items.
Most importantly, you can take purchased items back to the real world.
"We need to stock up on crystals."
"Yeah."
Gathering crystals is straightforward: succeed at stage conquests.
In other words, progressing through the Tower of Four Seasons will naturally build them up.
Just then, Black halted. We stopped along with it.
[We've arrived at the next stage!]
At the same time, space warped, generating a small portal.
We stared at the portal.
"I hope the next stage has some rest area."
"Let's head in first."
We stepped into the portal.
Woooong!
Flash!
The space flipped in an instant.
When I looked around, a pack of red-eyed wolves had us surrounded.
Every one was massive and muscled—they didn't look easy.
And there were tons of them. At least 400, maybe?
"Huh? What's this?!"
"Monsters?"
[You have entered the Tower of Four Seasons, 18th Floor, Stage 2: "Spring's Upheaval."]
[Prepare for possible combat!]
The moment the tower's will rang out, we scrambled to muster our mana.
Right then.
Thud! Thud!
Huge footsteps boomed, shaking the ground. We froze for a second and turned toward the source.
It gradually revealed itself from behind.
[You have encountered "The Beast of Endless Spring"!]
"......Crazy."
A curse slipped out on reflex.
A colossal wolf the size of a mountain was lumbering toward us.
Its mana alone made it clear this wasn't some pushover.
At least S-Rank, probably.
"No, you said to think of it as recreation?"
Lee Seojun shot Black a resentful glare, but it just bared its teeth in a grin.
[Hehehehehe...]
"Get ready for battle!"
I rallied my mana in a hurry and bellowed.
Everyone followed my lead, surging their mana.
The wolf pack sensed it and charged straight at us.
—Grrrrrooo!
"Haaah!"
Lee Seojun shot forward at blinding speed. Shin Young-jun dashed after him.
The two enhancers held the line up front against the wolves' advance, while the manifestation wizards behind them unleashed spells.
Fwoosh!
Yoo Ara's flaming orbs plummeted toward the wolf pack.
KABOOM!
A massive explosion rocked the ground, engulfing dozens of wolves.
The pack itself wasn't overwhelmingly strong, so we could handle them.
The real issue was the giant wolf.
For something mountain-sized, it moved with shocking speed and was shielded by dense mana armor—piercing its hide was no joke.
That's when the outsider perk revealed the giant wolf's weakness.
"Aim for the forehead!"
"The forehead?"
"There's a small magic stone embedded there."
At my words, everyone's eyes locked on the wolf's forehead.
"Huh? For real?"
"......But how do we hit a tiny magic stone like that?"
That's when Shin Young-jun stepped up.
"I'll give it a shot!"
Vast mana churned around Shin Young-jun's hand and spear tip, making them gleam.
He was gearing up to use one of his finishers: Spear Throw.
"Hraaaap—!"
With a fierce kiai, he whipped his arm and shoulder back and hurled the spear.
A laser-straight beam of light rocketed toward the giant wolf.
But.
—Yip!
The wolf's swift dodge sent the spear slamming into its belly instead of the forehead.
Packed with potent mana, it did breach the armor and deal damage.
But the size gap meant no real impact.
Like jabbing a pencil tip into a grown man's forearm.
The wolf kept bounding around nimbly, leaving Shin Young-jun dumbfounded.
"......It didn't even budge?"
"Out of the way. I'll take care of it."
As everyone floundered, I finished forming a mana orb laced with faint golden light. Shin Young-jun gawked at it.
"......Golden mana?"
I activated Deadeye.
[Using effect "Deadeye."]
[For 5 seconds, the probability of predicting a living target's movements skyrockets, and accuracy surges as well.]
I thrust out my hand, zeroing in on the wolf's forehead.
Deadeye instantly crunched its movements.
'Now!'
PAAANG—
The magic orb blasted into the empty air like an explosion.
My body jolted back hard, and the surrounding wolf pack got caught in the mana whirlwind.
But the orb streaked off into completely empty sky, nowhere near the wolf.
"Seonwoo, where the heck did you—"
That's when the battle-focused wolf subconsciously picked up on my mana and bolted sideways.
Without realizing it, it charged headlong toward the golden mana.
And then.
KABOOM—
The magic orb nailed the magic stone dead-on.
It had walked right into my prediction shot.
—Groooaaargh!
The giant wolf's head snapped back violently.
Soon after, with a massive THUD, it crashed to the ground.
[Achievement: "Divine Prediction Shot" unlocked.]
[Reward: 3,000 points acquired.]
["Precise Marksmanship" achievement unlocked.]
[Reward: 2,000 points acquired.]
And.
"......Huh? Huhh? What the—?! Insane!"
Everyone's jaws dropped.
[Tower of Four Seasons, 18th Floor, Stage 2: "Spring's Upheaval" conquered!]
[Reward: 20 crystal shards granted!]
[Stage MVP: Kim Seonwoo, who finished off "The Beast of Endless Spring"!]
[10 extra crystal shards to Kim Seonwoo!]
The grueling wolf pack fight finally wrapped up, and we sprawled on the ground to catch our breath.
"Whew! Good work, everyone."
"You too, seniors."
As we traded nods, Lee Seojun turned my way.
"But Seonwoo, that pinpoint spell on the wolf's forehead earlier—was that on purpose?"
"Yeah, prediction shot."
"Whoa...... Even calling it a prediction, how'd you nail something that small?"
Truth be told, even I was impressed.
A prediction shot isn't just crunching movements, positions, and spell velocity.
Reading the opponent's mind is crucial.
Which means Deadeye factored in its psychology too.
Though against a smart, high-caliber wizard, it'd probably flop.
"Ugh. Vacation my ass—what a workout..."
Shin Young-jun grumbled.
"Yeah. Exhausted—can't even move..."
That's when it hit.
Grrooowl.
A stomach growled loud and clear from somewhere. It was so vivid I couldn't help but chuckle.
I turned to look, and Choi Seoyoon's ears were beet red.
I gave a small smile and asked.
"Hungry?"
"......Yeah, kinda?"
Now that I thought about it, we hadn't eaten a thing since entering the tower.
I was starting to feel it too.
"Hey, Black. When do we eat?"
[Right now!]
"Huh?"
In that instant, a circular magic circle bloomed beneath us on the ground.
Light poured from it, wrapping around our bodies.
Flash!
The space shifted once more.
A dusky night with the sun setting.
Swoooosh!
Crashing waves filled the air. The ground underfoot was blanketed in sand.
We got up one by one and scanned our surroundings.
"...The beach?"
It was a coastline. The darkening sky reflected the evening glow, painting a stunning vista.
[Tower of Four Seasons, 18th Floor, Stage 3: "Summer's Night" entered.]
[This stage is a rest area! Relax easy!]
"Wow, the scenery is gorgeous."
"There's a village over there?"
"Huh? No kidding?"
A string of small buildings stretched along behind the shore.
Straight out of a fantasy flick.
"Let's check it out!"
Yoon Hayoung bounded ahead, buzzing with excitement.
We filed into the village.
The entrance bore a sign: [Goblin Village].
"......Goblin Village?"
"Kinda iffy vibe? Aren't goblins monsters? Hey! Black!"
No answer even to Shin Young-jun's shout.
We glanced around—no sign of Black.
It'd been tagging along right up till now.
"......Where'd it go?"
"Beats me? Bathroom break?"
"Black doesn't hit the bathroom."
Yoo Ara shot Shin Young-jun a narrowed glare.
"Sigh, just kidding. Tsk tsk. Whatever—let's hunt for food."
We ditched the search for Black and ventured into the village.
Goblins hustled about their business.
Monster or not, they didn't act hostile when they spotted us.
If anything, they seemed thrilled to have guests.
Cheerful music drifted from somewhere, giving off total resort vibes.
"No wonder they call it a tourist tower."
"Lodging over there too. We can crash later."
We pointed out sights as we went, then a mouthwatering aroma wafted over.
"......Huh? Smell of meat?"
We followed our noses to a spot labeled [Goblin Eatery].
We beelined inside on instinct.
"Kerk, greetings! Goblin Eatery here. Kerk! You the reservation party?"
"Reservation? Nah?"
Choi Seoyoon piped up.
"Black mentioned a human group incoming, kerk!"
"......If Black booked it, sounds like us?"
"Yeah, must be."
The goblin bobbed its head at Yoon Hayoung's words.
"Kerk, kerk—right this way."
We trailed it to the eatery's back patio.
A barbecue spread and feast awaited, framed by a gorgeous sunset over the sea.
Our eyes bugged out in unison.
"Whoa—what's all this! Looks amazing!"
As we all lunged for the BBQ, the goblin darted in to block us.
"Pay upfront. Three crystal shards each. Kerk."
Dumbfounded stares all around.
"Thought Black comped it."
We fished shards from our pouches.
The hearty meal left us ready for some real downtime at last.
We snagged rooms, then split into pairs to poke around Goblin Village.
Me, Choi Seoyoon, and Lee Seojun in one group; the rest in the other.
As we wandered and browsed, we ducked into [Goblin Artisan Sundries].
Tools galore lined the shelves. I grabbed two that caught my eye.
[Goblin Special Compressed Camouflage Tent (C)]
Description: A compressed tent crafted by a goblin artisan. Morphs to match surrounding colors for camouflage.
[Use Effect]
►Compress, Release
Infuse mana to shrink the tent to coin size.
Infuse mana to expand the compressed tent back to full size.
[Goblin Lamp (B)]
Description: Draws in ambient natural mana to brightly light up the area.
[Passive Effect]
►Artisan's Craft
Igniting the lamp triggers these effects:
Repels monsters C-Rank and below.
Mana recovery speed +30%.
Goblin tent and lamp.
Seemed handy enough to snag.
Total hit: 10 crystal shards. With 32 left, no big splurge.
"What'd you get?"
Lee Seojun asked, hands stuffed with his haul.
"Tent and lamp. You?"
"Oil. Huge jug for cheap."
Oil meant goblin oil, no doubt.
Coats weapons to boost blade sharpness briefly.
"Nice score. Cost?"
"Five shards."
"Ooh, bargain?"
We bragged about our loot as we exited the shop.
I gazed up at the darkening sky and said.
"Getting wiped—head back to the inn?"
"Senior, check that out."
Choi Seoyoon tugged my arm and pointed somewhere.
I followed her finger.
[Goblin Fortune-Telling]
"Pfft, fortune-telling? Pass."
"Come on, let's do it. Vacation means stuff like this."
"......Don't buy into that crap."
Skeptic by nature since kid—no truck with superstition.
I carve my own path.
Prophecy mystic arts, maybe another story.
"Aw, it's just for kicks. Pretty please? Pretty please?"
Her puppy eyes wore me down.
"......Hmph. If it asks for more than three shards, we bail?"
"Hehe. Deal!"
Lee Seojun eyed us and cracked a wry smile.
"Fine, let's go. Been curious myself."
Ding.
Pushing through the door revealed a dim room, a goblin in a hat seated at a table—face half-hidden by a black cloth over its eyes.
"Welcome."
Its speech came crisp and precise. An eerie vibe settled in.
Uncanny, like mystic energy? Or just my imagination.
Before Choi Seoyoon could sit, I jumped in.
"How much?"
"......Two shards oughta do."
......Huh. Planned to bolt at three, and it quotes exactly two.
Lucky guess?
No helping it—I sat and slid over the shards.
The goblin pocketed them, drew a deck of cards, and shuffled.
"Don't take my readings as gospel—just a reference. It's not pinpoint like prophecy mystics."
"Like I said, all in good fun."
It paused the shuffle at Lee Seojun's reply and spoke up.
"You claim that, but these cards carry weight. Unlike prophecy mystics, they read the flow of causality."
I blinked in surprise.
Read causality flow?
"......What's causality?"
Choi Seoyoon and Lee Seojun murmured beside me.
"Put simply: prophecy mystics reveal the actual future, while these show high-probability ones. No chains from worldly laws."
Then the goblin's head tilted faintly my way.
"Which might make these more useful to you than prophecy mystics, in a manner of speaking."
That line hit different—this wasn't your run-of-the-mill fortune gig.
The goblin grasped world laws.
"What do you mean by that?"
Choi Seoyoon asked. The goblin shook its head.
"No need to overthink it. Key point: these cards spotlight one strong possibility."
It resumed shuffling.
"So, who wants to go first?"
"Hmm, senior—you up?"
Choi Seoyoon glanced at me.
I nodded.
"I'll start."
The goblin fanned the cards wide and addressed me.
"What timeframe future intrigues you?"
"Five or six months ahead."
My magic academy graduation.
Made most sense for future plans—most curious point.
"Draw one."
I plucked a card gingerly.
"Flip it to show me once drawn."
I nodded and turned it over carefully.
"......Huh?"
Choi Seoyoon's face twisted in confusion as she checked the card.
It depicted a skull.
And beneath: [Death].