Chapter 4

Translator: True Detective

Chapter 4. Entering the Tower

—Clang!—Clang!—Clang!—#@$&%

A clear, pure, and beautiful sound echoed through the workshop.

You think you hear a strange sound too?

That means your ears are weird.

Anyway, my words are correct.

If you refute, I’m right.

The swords I've made so far, a total of 4, are all Normal grade.

As the endorphins and dopamine that burst when I first made one gradually disappeared,

My body, which had been moving like a battery that never tires,

Started to creak like a broken machine.

Yes, my current physical state is as if I went to do loading and unloading work,

But the part assigned to me was seafood.

It's the state of returning home after working for 12 hours accompanied by the fishy smell.

Waist, knees, and ankles throbbing were basic.

My legs and hands trembled violently.

'Hey, didn't you awaken?''Are stats just for show?'

I'm saying this just in case there are people who say that.

My stats are at 1, which is the level of an ordinary person.

The additional stats gained while working definitely helped.

In other words, without them, I wouldn't have been able to make even four and would have been lying down dreaming long ago.

Now it's the final stage of the 5th sword.

The situation where I just need to attach the handle.

I gathered my hands, closed my eyes, and prayed reverently.

Ah, for reference, I'm an atheist.

"Phew... Please!!!"

I combined the blade and the handle.

—Ding~!

Based on the big data so far, when I made a Normal grade,

The notification sound didn't ring.

What does that mean?

"Did I get it?!"

"Ah..."

When expectations are high, disappointment is also bound to be great.

I didn't want more or less, just an Epic grade.

Was that too greedy?

Actually, making a Rare at Level 1 was also nonsense.

For our 'clickers', Normal is fixed in the beginning.

They have to either get carried up the Tower or somehow raise their skill level to even have a chance at getting a Rare grade.

If the clickers saw this situation from the side,

They would have slapped my cheek and told me to do the deceptive bragging in moderation.

"But... I'm a different breed from you guys..."

Let's not say mean things like that.

First, let's look at the weapon I made.

"Crazy... It's Level 1 equipment, but why is the attack power like that?"

For reference, a Normal grade Level 1 sword usually has around 10~15.

Naturally, my eyes went to the Keenness special option.

A special option I was seeing for the first time.

Even searching on the gallery, nothing came up.

"Hmm... Circumstantially, can I view it as a high-tier version of Sharpness...?"

Still, the options were better than I thought.

I thought about wrapping up around here and resting.

But I was still hungry.

"One more try?"

Really, let's just close my eyes tight and do it one more time.

Before making it, I fell into thought for a moment.

What is the difference between Normal and Rare?

Is it just probability?

Probably not.

Just looking at the item descriptions for Normal and Rare grades, they mention the Maker's 'skill'.

At times like this, I have to go back to the basics.

'Do you even have basics?'

If you ask that, I'd answer that you are quite sharp.

I started making the Pale Moon Stone, the material for the sword, again from scratch.

The Guide's instructions began.

But.

Due to the accumulation of countless failures and experiences, hesitation disappeared from my actions.

My actions, which used to be a beat late because I was following the Guide's instructions.

Before it could even speak, I was already taking action, and before I knew it, I was hammering the created Pale Moon Stone.

From some point, I couldn't hear the Guide's words.

I couldn't even see the notification windows that popped up incessantly.

...

Just swimming alone in a silent world.

My body, my hands were moving first.

—Clang!—Clang!—Clang!—Clang!

When the clear resonance filling the workshop ceased.

My vision, which had seen nothing but the sword and hammer, began to widen gradually.

Forgetting even to breathe, I exhaled deeply.

"...Phew."

Wiping the flowing sweat, I checked what I couldn't see during the work.

—Ding~!

"Oh...! Did an Epic really drop?!!"

Countless rewards stimulated the neurons in my brain.

—Zap!

Along with the sound, my body trembled, and an unbearable amount of dopamine burst ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠out from inside me.

"Ah... No way... My head feels weiiiird..."

Because of the overflowing dopamine, my heartbeat rang in my head.

Even though I hadn't even seen the sword yet.

Thinking my heart might actually explode, I clutched my chest, took a deep breath, and looked at the crafted Pale Moon Sword.

"Hoeeeeeng, my head is turning strange..."

I got hit by the Unique 'Ddu-dda' Beam and couldn't come ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠to my senses.

Regression to infancy and becoming stupid were standard.

I gave up on thinking.

"Hehehe... Sleep... Tired..."

As soon as I came out of the workshop, I dived straight onto the bed.

Ha... I'm sweaty so I should wash...Dirty...Ah, it's bright...Huh? Why is it morning...?I definitely entered the workshop in the morning, didn't I...?I felt like I was in the workshop for half a day...?Ah... I don't know, think after waking up...

At this time, for the first time in my life, I was passed out for 3 days.

When I opened my eyes, a refreshing morning greeted me.

"Ah, refreshing~"

Rubbing my eyes and looking around, the space was quite different from what I knew.

First, my fluffy bedding, which had been washed less than 7 days ago, was stained with black iron filings.

And the musty smell of sweat slowly rising up.

I blocked my nose and shouted.

"Ack! Whose smell is this, sh*t!!!"

Who else would it be, it's me.

Embarrassed, I scratched my head once and washed up first.

Shaking off my hair, I checked my inventory.

"Phew... I thought it was a dream, but fortunately, it's there safely."

I took the Unique Pale Moon Sword out of the inventory.

"Wow, look at this... Look at that sheen..."

Talking about attack power and options just made my mouth hurt.

The 'Low-Grade Swordsmanship' embedded in the sword didn't activate just by holding the sword.

'Moonlight Slash' was the same; it seemed I could only check it after entering the Tower.

"If items like this come out, I can do it a million times!!"

Ack!Ptooey ptooey ptooey!!!

Thinking that words could become seeds (jinx myself), I spat just in case.

I definitely spat...?

You have to row when the water comes in.

My condition was top-notch too, so I went straight into armor crafting.

...

Handling leather was another difficulty.

There were many parts so it was hard to make.

And above all, Goblin smell is sh*tty.

Really, without lying, my head was hurting because of the stench.

First, I decided to sell all the remaining swords and armor on the Exchange.

What is the most important thing when selling?

Of course, it's the price.

I am a newbie who awakened after 10 years.

Even if high-level players say it's erotic and lick me, it's legal.

The fatal mistake of such newbies is getting ripped off because they don't know the market price.

But there's no way I, with roughly 20 years of gaming experience, would fall for that.

First, my strategy is price gouging (marking up).

First, find similar items on the Exchange.

Multiply the transaction price of similar items by 5 and list it.

If it doesn't sell, I can lower the price later.

The problem was the Rare Pale Moon Sword, which had no comparison.

"Hmm... Should I just markup by ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠10 times and lower it slowly while watching the reaction?"

Being too lazy to think deeply, I moved according to the stream of consciousness.

I listed the rest of the armor on the Exchange and looked at the status window.

It was too over-spec to climb the 1st floor of the Tower, but.

It's a place where lives come and go in an instant.

I'd rather be over-prepared than under-prepared.

Now the problem is how to enter the Tower.

The Tower was managed by the Association.

It's a system where you have to show your Hunter Card to enter.

Hmm... What do I do?

At times like this, what?

[Tower Gallery]

I went straight into the gallery.

When blocked by something, looking at the gallery usually gave the answer.

So that's how it is?

Reception complete.

A late night where the moon settled coldly.

I was quietly passing in front of the Tower.

"He's really sleeping...?"

He was in such a deep sleep that he was even snoring properly.

Leaving the Association people behind, I looked at the massive black Tower in front of my eyes.

It was my first time seeing it this close.

"I can't see the end?"

As I carefully placed my hand on the Tower, my consciousness flowed into the Tower.

So it appears like this?

Brother TowerGPTA said to select Normal difficulty if possible.

Who am I?

Lower-class petty citizen Kim Si-woo!

I listen well, you know, hehe...

Just when I was about to select the [Normal] grade.

The difficulty window disappeared from my eyes, and a strange text popped up.

...Wha?