Chapter 23
Chapter 23
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 023
Chapter Title: Equipment Transcendence
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Too bad,
the Orc Warrior's gauntlets didn't get any extra options.
'Sorry!! Orc Warrior!!'
Maybe my skills are still lacking.
Or perhaps it's because I don't have specialized materials.
Still, I got results.
Once I figured out the direction and put in the effort, the skills popped up quick.
Hehe.
Went a bit too deep into the shadows.
At least there's some good news.
The equipment's origins didn't raise any suspicions.
"This rare gear from some external dimension too?"
"Could've been forged in a first-layer smithy."
It's the Warrior's gauntlets.
Not the Orc Warrior's gauntlets.
Guess no one suspected it dropped from the 8th floor's Orc Warrior.
'Saved by the bland name.'
Even if they did, I'd have commissioned the enhancement anyway.
Who's gonna come at me with a sword over some real-world Koroshi?
As long as they don't find out I'm Gallery Master.
'Not like I'm skipping enhancements forever.'
There seemed to be other reasons too.
"A recovery team brought in some 15th-floor rare drop for repairs just the other day, right?"
"Did they?"
"You must've had the day off. They're probably past the 10th floor by now. Should be coming to pick it up soon."
'Don't know what a recovery team is, but at least rare gear doesn't stand out that much.'
Nice.
Thanks to that, I get to enjoy luxuries like this.
[Strength +20% (10% + 10%).]
Even just +1 doubles the option.
Now that's rare gear.
Wonder if SR gear would enhance skills too.
I left the smithy in high spirits.
Whoooosh-!
A cold wind greeted me right away.
What's with this Christmas vibe.
Even new gear can't stop my waist from freezing.
'Man, it really got cold.'
They said the blizzard was picking up.
Now even street sleeping in town could kill you.
But thanks to the gauntlets, my hands are toasty, right?
Suddenly grinning at my gloves like an idiot.
The crowd—mostly climbers—parted around me like I was diseased.
"Jeong-uk. What are you doing here?"
"Oh, Wi... William!"
That's why.
My eavesdropping mentor William spotted me too.
Evening's coming, so it's no surprise, but still coincidental.
Master-disciple bond?
"Just coming back from climbing. What about you, William...? Wait, what's that blood smell? You hurt?"
"You've got a nose like a bloodhound. It's not mine."
Ah, prey blood?
'No game on him, though.'
Hmm.
He's the master, so there's deep meaning to it all.
I nodded and changed the subject.
"William, do you know what a recovery team is?"
Couldn't ask at the smithy.
Not because I'm a loner.
Worried it'd raise suspicions.
"Recovery team? You mean the ones going up and down the tower."
Up and down the tower?
That brutal place?
Why?
"What do they recover?"
"Currency or drop items. Even if efficiency drops, they snag at least one tower coin."
Aha. Farming team.
Making money, huh?
My mentor saw right through my curiosity.
Told me without asking.
"They send the collected currency to each assault line to covertly support tower climbers."
"I see."
Checks out.
You don't have to be on the front lines.
Humans live leaning on each other.
"Good people doing good work."
"Entrusting your assets and future to someone reliable. Isn't that what parents and children, masters and disciples do?"
Probably thinking of his son.
How profound, steeped in years of wisdom.
A bolt of inspiration struck me.
"I get it...! Thanks for the lesson. Got a clue on a new technique!"
"?"
What now? I heard a mutter, but probably nothing.
I organized this precious revelation first.
He'll tell me if it's important.
'All I got this time is refining tech.'
Like a restaurant where I can whip up killer stew but no meat menu.
Multiple enhancements still tough.
Unless I buy runes every time.
So, solution?
'If I can't enhance, ask someone else.'
Already thought of that.
But it's tricky.
Reliable people are rare.
Truth shines bright, though!
What?
Hard to trust people?
'Then don't use people.'
New system.
Combine finished [Inventory].
And today's [Talisman Engraving].
Like this, I can make it.
'Equipment enhancement and refining at once—the Tower Climbing Gallery's new update!'
Excited, I hurried back to the shack.
"Main body's here!"
Kicked the clones aside and sat.
Grabbed tools and asked.
"No drama on the Gallery? Gonna practice a bit!"
"There was."
"Cool, let's do this. Call me for meals... Huh?"
There was?
"Check this."
The clones shoved the Gallery screen at me.
Sticky #2.
Stone walls I knew well.
Post with 0th-layer tower background.
"......What the hell is all this."
My own words, but a dumb question.
This is a last will.
Just dressed up as a report.
10th-layer boss room.
The pinnacle of 0th-layer climbing.
Where layer prisoners are trapped. Their final testament.
I know that mage well.
Ends with an apology to Rumi.
Last, one attached photo.
Knight in ice armor.
Slicing the author's comrade.
'......This guy.'
No proof.
But I sensed it.
'The massive mana I felt in the tower.'
When making the Gallery.
My detection caught the chill from tower layer 10.
0th layer.
No—an ice age over one dimension.
This ice knight is that mana's master.
"No need for you guys to leave wills?"
20 minutes after posting on Tower Climbing Gallery.
Layer 10.
Currency Recovery Team leader said casually.
"How about posting something on the Gallery? Like me."
"Nah. Left my will on layer 3."
"Thorough."
"Didn't think I'd die on 10, though."
Team laughed at the jokes.
Makes sense.
-Boom! Boom! Boom!
Barrier shaking even now.
Ice knight swinging greatsword beyond.
To forget A-rank irregular monster terror, chit-chat's all that's left.
'A-rank irregular.'
Mutates the layer.
Higher difficulty than before.
Solution unknown.
Extremely high mortality.
Meets all criteria: an incident.
Ice knight was textbook.
One team member boasted.
"Ah, at original level, one-shot that punk."
"Why do levels drop descending the tower?"
"Why? Otherwise, 60-layer crushers would raid low floors."
Their reach: layer 41.
Third-line assault caliber.
But quit climbing.
Disasters lurk above.
Layer 5 disaster.
Layer 4 nightmare.
That's why they exist.
The recovery team.
Layers 39 to 1.
Up and down, collecting currency.
But.
Descending tower floors.
Climber levels adjust to the layer.
Tower's desire.
Not one-sided weakling wins.
True strength earned by lowering self.
Power to beat equal or superior foes.
Red Tower: trial ground for that.
So Team C's level now: mere 10.
Couldn't beat that ice knight.
'If only we brought the rare weapon from 15.'
Recovery teams snag rares sometimes.
Under 1% chance.
Flame spear through that slim odds.
With it, maybe different story.
'At least could've escaped.'
Why not bring it?
Got careless.
Layer 10's nothing.
Cleared it dozens of times.
Irregular on low layer?
This death?
'Damn it.'
Dead teammate probably blamed leader dying.
Leader self-recriminating then.
"......Huh?"
Gallery lit up unprompted.
In front of team.
"G-Gallery auto-activated!"
"Broke our mana resistance...?"
Gallery shows illusions.
Cleverly adjusts, gets consent each time.
That is.
Forced display without consent possible.
If caster's power dwarfs recovery team!
'Well... our reach is just 41.'
As expected of Gallery Master.
Great Sorcerer Master.
Or dragon lord suspect. Reasons exist.
Why contact from such Gallery Master?
Some survival method?
Leader tried not to hope.
Typed frantically anyway.
"......Hours?"
Hours?
Despair and misplaced rage rising.
Leader gritted teeth, typed.
Barrier hold hours?
If weak boss, they'd fight.
20 minutes optimistic.
Leader caught his despair.
Laughed.
'Why disappointed? Knew it.'
Even dragon lord no answer.
Might as well send last supper.
Leader missed hometown food.
That's why.
"?"
That time's enough.
Declaration made him doubt eyes.
Speechless recovery team's eyes.
Gallery's [External Link] auto-opened.
Then it showed.
The means to escape this hopeless situation.