Chapter 17
Chapter 17
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 17
Chapter Title: Hello, Bluebird?
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Two gates appeared at the tower entrance!
At that suspicious sight, I groaned.
Did the door suddenly double overnight?
Or...
'Did I just miss it somehow?'
It was possible.
After clearing, I'd always moved straight to the next floor.
Or returned right from there.
I didn't think I'd ever come back to the entrance.
If it appeared after yesterday, it made sense that I hadn't seen it.
'Screenshot first, anyway.'
I narrowed my eyes and stared intently.
For a potential popular post later.
As I did, I noticed something.
"The blue door's the usual entrance gate, right?"
"Yeah."
Then what's the red one?
I placed my hand on the gate of light.
The light it emitted grew brighter.
Aha.
As expected.
"The red door leads to the High End floors."
Then the blue one?
Obviously the normal floor gate.
'If you want to give up the High End clear and go to the normal floor, take that door, huh?'
Midway surrender option, too?
What's up with this tower?
I happily touched the blue door as well.
"?"
What the hell.
6th floor?
'6th floor?'
I cleared up to 7 yesterday.
Why is the normal floor, which I already cleared, opening again?
'And it's the normal floor, not even High End.'
Something's off.
And in towers, off usually means fucked.
I shuddered with a bad premonition.
"Ah, damn it. I think I know what this is. No way?"
"Isn't this 'Check out the normal floors too~'?"
Aaagh!
Hey! Why say that out loud!
I smacked my clone and stomped my feet.
Because of the hard-to-deny hunch.
"Worried we'll miss out if we only do High End, so let's play the normal floors too?"
It's not telling us to quit if High End's too hard.
It's saying try normal difficulty if you're curious.
I glared at the blue door and declared.
"Nah, not going. Why should I?"
Park on the same floor six times?
What do I even get out of it?
Do they give extra rewards for clearing normal floors too?
"......Huh?"
"Eh."
"Hm."
Wait a sec.
Let me check.
'......There is something to gain.'
I pondered briefly, then stepped forward.
Placing my hand on the normal 6th floor door.
It was a gamble.
There was a chance I couldn't return to the high-reward High End floors.
But I had to test it at least once.
On a low floor with minimal loss.
Plus.
'This shitty tower won't easily lower the climbing difficulty once raised.'
It gets jealous if climbers suck up the honey too easily.
This door definitely means something else.
Not a High End quit ticket,
but rewards that keep you on High End.
The normal 6th floor for the first time.
Monsters: three orcs.
Armed with just one spear each.
"[Swift Arrow]."
"Kkuiiiik?!"
Easy clear solo.
I bid farewell to their necks with my [Swift Arrow]-enhanced blade.
Then it happened.
My jaw dropped at the popup message.
The real reward of High End floors.
Having tasted that high risk, high return.
"......They're giving clear rewards for this too?"
Getting both normal and High End rewards!
That was the true prize.
The reward for High End climbers.
'Insane.'
I cautiously checked my status window.
Then let out a hollow laugh.
'Means level ups double every time.'
My status up to yesterday: level 12.
Now it read 13.
Level 13.
Approaching the average for the next major section.
And a newbie who just cleared 7 yesterday at that!
'Not just that.'
I turned to the climbing gate.
Sure enough, blue and red doors there too.
"Entering there lets us push normal 7th too, right?"
"Seems likely."
Seal just 7th floor? Level 14.
Double levels.
"......Fake Jeong-uks. Get ready."
Canceling no normal floors.
Got shit to do.
I drew my sword while addressing the clones.
"Before High End parking, run normal floors three laps."
Today's climb's gonna drag on.
Normal 6~7th floor clears were not for minors.
Semi-nude thug show.
"Kkuiiiiiik!"
"Stay still! Just cutting your neck!"
"This spear from your corpse earlier! This too from your corpse earlier!"
"Kkuiiaaaaaaaaak?!"
Free tower currency x10 too sweet.
"6th floor strategy done."
As orc blood faded from my blade.
I caught my breath, eyes gleaming.
Normal and High End.
Cleared both faces of the tower.
Next?
"Get ready. 7th floor, three laps front and back."
"Main body's got no conscience?"
"Quitting clones."
30 goblin archers?
Reflected arrows, annihilated.
"Hehe~ One more time~."
Mana low, so clones as shields this time.
Pull one to guard body, redeploy clones.
Three vs. thirty.
"Lap three done. Whew, drained."
"No. 2! No. 2 died!"
"Group fights tough from now on."
Tired, so short break.
Light lunch from packed food, then back up.
"Let's go, pack mules! Normal 7th calls us!"
"Not even hiking at this pace."
"Reason main body's a loner, finally revealed......!"
Those spear-chucking bastards from behind talk a lot.
Normal 7th: 10 goblins.
Much closer range.
'Easier than 6th like this.'
Up close, they can't do shit.
Obsessed with bows even in combat?
Foolish.
William ssi's teachings directly violated, rage boiled.
Just as fury rose.
Kind master's face floated before me.
- Disciple. Where are you wandering?
- Ssi!
Right, composure.
Don't forget calm.
I smiled with perfect clarity.
"William-style archery, [Swift Arrow]."
"Kek?"
Slash-!
Swept my sword, defeated all ten.
You're disqualified as 'archers'.
Thus.
Three full laps front and back on 6~7th.
We swam happily in a sea of tower currency.
"Farming done! Level 14 achieved!"
"Dopamine overload."
Still, adrenaline fades and it's tough.
That's why it's Red Tower~ Red Tower~.
Tower climbing's sneakily hard, for real.
"Today's reward~ Skill Enhancement Rune~."
Bought the rune from the tower shop.
Rolled it on my palm, pondering.
'Two runes needed for clone art +2.'
Three for +3.
Four for +4.
Damn expensive.
Lucky no failure risk.
Buy ahead and lose it?
Depends on how you see it.
What if you suddenly need enhancement mid-clear?
Prepare for the unprepared.
'Sold all drops, nail 8th tomorrow and clone art hits +2.'
Busy Gallery Master got no time to ponder.
Returned, switched accounts right away.
Time to work as Gallery Master.
"Clone. You post proof to popular for me."
"True anonymous clone art......!"
Red door blue door proof's gotta post.
Free popular post? Hold back?
"Ah, confirm with me before posting."
Why bother clone?
Obvious.
'Need overlap time for Boy Joy and Gallery Master activity.'
Avoid sub-account suspicion.
That's the way.
On Earth, ran phone and PC together.
Chat-GPT tweaked speech to differ.
Basic implante to dodge ghostwriting.
Clones useful after all.
'But need a padak soon.'
Gallery Master busy job.
Job?
Yeah, job.
Anyway.
Tower climbs, training, sub-account popular posts.
Etc.
Lots hard to multitask solo.
Gallery with hundreds to thousands active.
Managing alone's reckless.
'Split into per-section galleries if users grow?'
1st Section Gal, 2nd Section Gal.
Something like that.
Anyway, even blank paper's better with hands.
Need assistant no... padak.
'Hope there's a diligent human.'
Truth? Any slob works.
I'm Tower Gal king.
Invincible lifetime Gallery Master.
But No. 1 slave needs care.
First shown to tower residents, pure as internet.
Padak concept progenitor and model.
Of course, I know.
'Reliable' never fits before 'padak'.
Trained Gallery Master trusts no one.
But 'diligent padak'? Surprisingly many.
Whatever motive.
'Plenty seemed willing. What to do.'
Ding-.
Comment alert while pondering.
I paused thoughts, checked.
Queen Harpy.
Real name Idmari, I think.
Main victim of my trolling, so inner closeness already Tower Gal top friend.
I smirked, replied.
That was the mistake.
"Gah!!"
No!!
Forgot to switch accounts!!
Safety accidents hit when routine.
Multi-accounting, of all times.
I sweated more than climbing.
'I-it's fine. Just a question mark.'
Gallery Master concept: polite admin.
Replied, so answer.
Sensitive questions? Decline.
Was bracing for loner call tension.
Idmari replied.
Tilted head,
savored the replies awhile.
Then stroked my chin.
"......Hoo."
Walking into the pot on her own.
Well-trained bluebird.