Chapter 305
Chapter 305
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: penny
Chapter: 306
Chapter Title: Winter's Guardian
-----------------------------------------------------------------
S-Rank items were known as incredibly rare items that couldn't even be bought with money.
Non-mainstream weapons like whips, knuckles, or sickles traded for over 7 billion won, and mainstream swords went for over 15 billion.
Of course, these were just the minimum prices, and S-Rank items were things you couldn't buy even if you had the cash.
In terms of rarity, they sat somewhere between Relics and Holy Relics.
No, some S-Rank items might even match certain Holy Relics.
SS-Rank items were on another level altogether, with only a handful existing worldwide.
"......Hmm."
I never imagined they'd be selling an S-Rank item here.
If I could buy it, I should—this kind of opportunity wouldn't come twice.
Even if it wasn't something I needed right now, I could resell it for profit.
First, I confirmed the item's effects.
［Magic Imbue Scroll: Winter's Guardian (S)］
Type: Magic Imbue
Description: Designate clothing below A-Rank to imbue it with magic.
［Continuous Effects］
►Winter's Guardian
Optimization: Transforms to fit the user's body perfectly, light enough that the clothing's weight isn't felt.
Quality Maintenance: Repairs itself if damaged.
Protection: Incoming damage reduced by 30%.
Stability: Stamina, mana, and wound recovery speeds increased by 100%. Poison resistance increased by 200%.
Amplification: Magic power increased by 20%.
"This is totally broken."
It was a magic imbue scroll for clothing.
The effects were so diverse it was hard to believe it was just an imbue scroll, as you could see.
Regular imbue scrolls usually just added minor effects to existing items, so they tended to be underwhelming.
......As expected of an S-Rank item.
I looked around wondering if there were any other S-Rank items, but this was the only one.
"Huh? There's an S-Rank? A magic imbue scroll?"
That's when Lee Seojun approached me without a sound.
"Wow, the effects are insane. But I don't have enough shards even if I wanted it. 180 is way short."
"I'm thinking of buying it."
At my words, Lee Seojun whipped his head toward me.
"......You have 180 shards?"
"Somehow ended up with 186."
Lee Seojun's mouth fell open, and he blinked.
"......One hundred eighty-six?"
"I'm the leader, so I got a bunch as bonuses."
"Fair enough. Makes sense when I think about it. Still, I didn't expect you'd have that many......"
He muttered quietly to himself before speaking up again.
"Then you should buy it, right? Chances to get S-Rank items don't come often."
True. My mind was already mostly made up.
Better to get one high-grade item than a bunch of mediocre ones.
Plus, I figured there wouldn't be much use for shards in the next floor, so I planned to spend them all here.
......And I didn't have any real defensive magic tools.
With my future self possibly dying, I needed to prepare with something like this.
"Yeah, let's buy it."
Without hesitation, I picked up the magic imbue scroll. A brilliant light flashed, and my heavy pouch of shards instantly lightened.
[You have purchased 'Magic Imbue Scroll: Winter's Guardian (S)'.]
[Thank you for using the Special Shop.]
Once I went for it, I felt refreshed. It wasn't cash, just tower-exclusive shards, so no regrets.
With a satisfied smile, I stowed the magic imbue scroll in my sub-space bag.
Rather than imbuing my current clothes, I'd buy an A-Rank protective gear as described and use it there.
That wrapped up my shopping......
"Lee Seojun."
"Yeah?"
"You haven't bought anything yet, right?"
He nodded at my words.
"Yeah, no idea what to get."
"Then I'll pick something useful for you."
"You'll pick for me?"
"Yeah."
I knew better than him what he needed and which item would be most efficient.
I said the same to the others who were still undecided.
"If you need anything, tell me. I'll pick for you."
"Huh? You'll pick?"
"Oh, Kim Sunwoo's picks are reliable."
They started gathering around me one by one.
With my help, each got an A-Rank item.
Lee Seojun got wrist guards that enhanced his swordsmanship.
Choi Seoyoon got a bracelet that boosted mana control.
Yoon Hayoung got an elixir that strengthened her ice affinity.
Yoo Ara got a necklace that increased composure.
Shin Youngjun got a spear with high destructive power.
I picked the most efficient ones for each from a sea of similar effects—no better deals out there.
[You have entered Stage 1 of the 19th Floor of the Tower of Four Seasons, 'Autumn Tree-Lined Street'!]
Shopping done, we headed to the 19th floor.
As soon as we arrived on the 19th floor, a wide path appeared before us, flanked by rows of tall trees.
Red autumn leaves drifted beautifully to the ground.
"Tree-lined street, huh."
A common sight worldwide.
Movies and dramas loved using it for cliché meet-cute scenes.
Not one to get emotional over scenery, I didn't think much of it.
But the others seemed enchanted.
"Wow, so pretty."
"Autumn vibes~"
Like before, they sparkled with awe at the view, then started taking photos of each other.
The青春 drama vibe made me feel awkwardly out of place alone.
No, with everyone model-level hot, it actually looked like a real青春 drama.
As I watched their青春 moment, Yoon Hayoung approached me.
"Sunwoo, take a pic for me?"
"......Huh? Sure. Hand it over."
She passed me her smart student notebook, then shyly posed between the trees.
Not genuinely shy, of course—just putting on the act.
I gave her a baffled look for a second, then crouched and aimed the notebook's camera in a fancy(?) angle.
Click.
As I finished, Choi Seoyoon came over.
"Sunbae, me next!"
"Huh? Then me after."
"Then me after that."
Shin Youngjun joined, followed by Lee Seojun.
"Come on, just take them yourselves—why me?"
Lee Seojun smirked.
"Because you're the best photographer here."
"......What?"
"But Sunwoo does take good pics."
Yoon Hayoung, now right in front of me, chimed in. She took back the notebook and checked the photo.
"See? Told you—super good. Proportions are perfect."
['Photo Shuttle' achievement unlocked.]
[Reward: 3,000 points acquired.]
'Shuttle' rubbed me wrong, but points were points—whatever.
[Alright, everyone. Playtime's over—time to move?]
That's when Black, who'd been quietly watching, spoke up. Yoon Hayoung asked,
"Is there a test here too?"
[Nope~ Autumn stage is just the lead-up to the main event, 'Winter,' so it'll pass quick! Plus, as admin, I skipped the minor stages! Figured they wouldn't mean much to you all.]
"Huh? You can do that?"
Shin Youngjun asked, surprised.
[Of course. This is the Tower, after all.]
Unlike dungeons or ruins, the Tower was like a sentient being, free to meddle with stages as it pleased.
An advantage of the Tower, but sometimes a huge drawback.
We followed Black's guidance down the tree-lined street.
After about 20 minutes, we spotted a small door floating at the end.
［Here we are~ Pass through this door to enter 'Winter'!］
"......Autumn really had nothing, huh."
Black's eyes narrowed at Shin Youngjun's words.
［Told you~ Autumn's just the path to Winter. But from here on, stay sharp. The Tower's winter is harsher than the human world's.］
[You have entered Stage 2 of the 19th Floor of the Tower of Four Seasons, 'Mystery Snowfield'.]
[Watch out for hypothermia and disappearances!]
Whiiir!
The moment we passed through the door, a blizzard hit so fierce we couldn't see ahead. Extreme cold hit at the same time.
"Ugh...... what the hell?!"
Everyone huddled against the sudden chill.
Even after countless extreme environment trainings at school, this cold was brutal.
Even I, with cold resistance, got goosebumps.
We pulled thick clothes from our bags and bundled up.
I threw on padding with top-tier insulation magic.
"......Ugh, still freezing even bundled."
"......Now I get why school drilled us on extreme survival training."
"Totally. But which way?"
Lee Seojun scanned around for our guide, Black.
"Black, where to now...... Black?"
Black, who'd been right beside us, was gone.
"What? Where'd it go this time?"
Whiiir!
Another fierce gust blew.
A razor wind that could slice frozen cheeks.
I turned to Yoo Ara.
"Try some fire magic."
"Okay."
She gathered her mana.
Fwoosh!
A massive flame erupted in midair, bringing a bit of warmth.
We huddled close around Yoo Ara's fire.
"Phew. Livable now. How long can you keep this up?"
"About 9 hours at this size?"
"9 hours? Insane. You a monster?"
Shin Youngjun stuck out his tongue. Yoo Ara muttered softly,
"......What? Normally it's only 7 hours."
"What're you talking about?"
"Meaning 2 of those 9 aren't pure skill."
"Then what?"
At Shin Youngjun's innocent question, Yoo Ara looked flustered, like she'd slipped up.
"......It's."
She trailed off, glancing at me.
I felt puzzled.
Why check me?
Her next move clued me in.
She tapped the lapis lazuli hairpin in her hair—the one I'd gifted her.
"This."
"A hairpin? It's a magic tool?"
"Yeah."
At "magic tool," everyone but Lee Seojun lit up.
No, even he looked intrigued.
Then Yoon Hayoung asked,
"Wow, suits you so well I thought it was just a regular hairpin."
Yoo Ara nodded without a word.
"But that effect's gotta be over 100 million, right? Did you buy it yourself?"
"Uh, well......"
She hesitated, then spoke.
"Got it as a gift."
"Gift? Oh~ from unnie?"
Yoo Ara shook her head. Choi Seoyoon's eyes sparkled.
"Ah! Got it! A guy! Right?"
At that, Yoon Hayoung and Shin Youngjun's eyes curved slyly.
"What? For real a guy?"
"Ooh~ Yoo Ara, a gift from a boy?"
"Wow! What kinda guy gifts something worth 100 mil? Must really like you."
Choi Seoyoon sidled up and poked my arm excitedly.
......Why's she so hyped?
"So who? That's true love territory."
"School guy? What year?"
"Nah, not like that. Stop."
Yoo Ara scowled seriously.
"Aw~ who is it? Someone we know?"
"Seriously, drop it."
Shin Youngjun spotted quietly amused Lee Seojun.
"But why you just laughing?"
"Hm?"
"......You know, right? Wait, Special Task Force guy?"
Everyone jolted in shock.
"Ah, if Special Task Force, 100 mil gift's no biggie. So who?"
"Sigh......"
I'd been watching and let out a deep sigh.
"Cut it out. That was me."
All eyes turned to me instantly. Shock and awkwardness in their gazes.
Even Choi Seoyoon stopped poking my arm, stepping back with a stiff face.
"......Sunbae?"
"Whoa, Kim Sunwoo, what? You like Yoo Ara?"
Things were getting annoying.
"Don't jump to conclusions. Listen up. So......"
That's when it happened. Whiiing!
A fierce wind roared, and blinding blizzard swallowed everything.
Vision went black; nothing visible.
About a minute passed like that.
The blizzard calmed.
"What kinda blizzard......"
I shook my head and looked around.
"......What? Where is everyone?"
No one in sight.
The entry message echoed in my mind.
［Watch out for hypothermia and disappearances!］
"......Come on, at least let me explain first."