Chapter 5
Chapter 5
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 5
Chapter Title: I'll Use It Well
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0th Floor.
William's cabin.
"There we go. Finally feels like living."
I gazed at the lively Tower Gallery with satisfaction.
This advance post injecting tension into the lax strategies.
Maybe I was another Nikola Tesla sent by the Tower for the climbers.
But amid the ambitions swelling in my chest...
I was secretly fretting over an unexpected issue.
I had no choice but to be.
"Why didn't my masterpiece god-game GIF make it to the popular posts...?"
Was it lacking agro?
The residents' mental fragility and aversion to gallery antics.
Plus other worries preventing me from going full throttle.
My own misstep.
Still, wasn't this popular post material?
It was perfect for thumbs-up spam, like WWE.
"Agh, shoulda posted that Ppunyappu or whatever."
I have no idea what Ppunyappu is.
Didn't link it to Queen Harpy?
Not like I'm some idiot who clicks links without reading the post.
Oh, right.
Less important, but another spec glitch too.
'Why'd the Tower Gallery signal punch through to the 79th floor in one go?'
And it didn't feel like maintenance failure.
Unexpected massive server expansion success.
Still, probably not a big deal.
I could guess why.
'World Tree.'
Skimming the Tower Gallery, a few keywords popped out.
Proper nouns I didn't know, with no way to.
Or stories about people.
The standout was definitely the World Tree.
"Yup, name checks out as World Tree. Great minds think alike."
The roots I used as servers.
Looks like they really were the World Tree.
The Tower Gallery's a channel powered by mana, not electricity.
Middle school dropout who doesn't know F from programming.
In other words, a magic server I whipped up with pure [Deficiency] talent buff.
Naturally synergized with the World Tree roots.
Lan cables, wiring, server scalability.
Et cetera.
All solved at once.
'That's why the channel pierced straight to the World Tree's top. Using those roots as the line.'
Posts confirmed up to the 78th floor.
Or...
The raid teams scouted that far, but it extends higher.
That's what I roughly grasped.
'The rest I'll pick up lurking the gallery over time.'
You know if you've galleried before?
Unfamiliar terms? Skim or search, answers appear.
Worst case, just ask the gallery.
'Just browsing the gallery feeds me info nuggets.'
Gallerys really enrich life.
What if I hadn't made the Tower Gallery?
So I was newly convinced.
Problems don't solve sitting idle.
[Popular Post Addiction] too.
"Why doesn't the timer stop after a popular post?"
I pondered it.
This timer doesn't reset just from popular posts.
Pro or con depending on perspective.
'Optimistically, once you're on popular, the remaining time's free use.'
Pessimistically?
If you don't hit quota by deadline, sudden death.
Especially if popular gets nuked midway.
'But I'm Gallery Master, right? Won't get nuked.'
Jealous? Make your own gallery.
If you can.
Of course, pondered power abuse too.
Clone Art for multi-thumbs-up.
Or lower popular thresholds.
Then I'd be the only one left in the gallery.
Just self-thumbs 15 times.
Ugly?
Lit's life-or-death. Ugly's fine.
Tried it, then realized.
'Ah, faking it turns me into a bird.'
Bend your finger, you know.
The point where it snaps harder.
[Popular Post Addiction]'s my [Deficiency].
Danger line felt instinctively.
That's why.
I grabbed the broken straight sword and stood.
Some things you learn by trying.
[Deficiencies] won't vanish unfilled.
'Let's go, Tower Miller.'
Time to climb the Tower.
Floor 1 was a space enclosed by gray walls.
Huh.
No effort on the environment from Floor 1?
'Resource allocation matters. Like in games.'
I already sensed from this setup.
The Tower wasn't self-generated.
'Someone handcrafted it.'
Time and effort to build the Tower.
Valued by some intelligent being.
"Kekek!"
A monster spawned less than 10 meters away.
Mismatched gray-green freak.
Goblin.
"Look at the mob placement. Really half-assed."
Higher floors probably orcs, kobolds, that crap?
Predictable.
No one to laugh at my quip.
Not cuz I'm humorless loner.
Just no allies here.
Party members?
None.
I was solo challenging Tower Floor 1.
Not cuz I'm some macho man.
Had to test something, like it or not.
--
See it?
This [Deficiency] that seems to murder its owner...
Weaker with more party members.
Easy explanation.
Meaning the real effect's opposite.
'[Stronger the fewer party members.]'
I need to know.
The scale of this [Deficiency]'s buffs/debuffs.
Safest on Floor 1, so solo for courage...
"Too reckless?"
"Keaak-!"
"Kek!"
Bit many.
Placement rich too. Archers two, three. Three total.
One per group.
"No wonder no Red Tower攻略ers!"
Floor 1 this chaotic, what now?
I panicked, tried widening distance.
Or meant to.
But snapped back, changed mind.
'No cover. Fleeing's rat in a trap.'
Widen gap, arrows hit.
Dodge arrows, surrounded, done.
So...
'Strike first from my side.'
Crazy, but no alternatives.
I charged per instinct.
'One first.'
Dashed at left-hand axe goblin.
Right-foot low kick.
Kick vs armed foe? Mad?
No.
My instinct said.
'Twice my height with axe can't block inner kick well.'
Axe unfit for outward swings.
Inner downward chop weapon.
Needs shoulder pull for power.
Otherwise futile flailing like swatting flies.
That level? My kick faster, stronger.
Longer reach too.
Splat-!
Weight-class low kick direct to head.
Eerily tactile toe. Critical.
Retract foot, skull senior's sword downward.
'Next goblin'll axe my foot.'
As expected.
Aiming goblin sucked onto my blade.
Reverse grip pierces face.
Instant death again. Number two.
No time to celebrate.
Reach favors others more.
"Keke!"
Archer ignoring ally deaths, nocking at 2 meters.
I snatched dead goblin.
-Thwack!
Corpse guards arrow.
Counter-slashed before thought.
Dispatched archer quick, shocked myself.
"Block arrow with goblin corpse? Insane?"
Not admiring 'insane?'
'You real psycho?' meaning.
No chit-chat needed.
What if corpse heavier than thought?
Mused, then enlightened.
Kick recoil wasn't that light.
'...Did I gauge mob weight with kick?'
Explains kick craving en route.
And not just that.
Already felled Cave Bear coming here.
Strength stat up, [Outsider] buff too.
Way different from days ago me.
Stamina, power output.
So first measure needed.
My stats' kinetic energy.
Kick was the test.
Then instinct kicked in.
Could rip off goblin head, wield it.
'What action hero are you?'
Tongue out at exploding talent.
Spotted another fact.
"Take back earlier. Mob placement solid."
Nine-ish goblins in three prongs.
Floor 1 presses 180 degrees frontal.
Step back, wall blocks, encircled.
Thought half-assed newbie solo killer.
But wait.
This considerate for newbies actually.
"Solo? Just chew from outside."
Right?
I crouched dash again.
Three groups perfect.
Clear one, two left.
Seven remain, not seven threats.
'Not a team.'
My eyes saw them split 3s and 4s already.
Tower's intent.
No, creator's.
Familiar idiom flashed.
Rabble army.
Made for times like this.
Archers still threats though-
"Hup!"
Easy, I use ranged too.
Thrown crude goblin axe.
Archer busy aiming became mohawk macho.
Axe hair instead. Goblin culture?
"Left throw, why so accurate?"
"Kekkeak!"
Enraged goblin thrusts weapon.
Spear now? Thanks.
"I'll use it well."
-Crunch!
Snagged spear base, grabbed, kick.
Spear sweep area.
"Used it well."
Long reach weapons OP.
Sword Fairy, job change to Spear Fairy.
Nah, Gun Fairy stronger maybe.
"Keeeh!"
Mid distraction, swift arrow at my brow.
Last archer surviving my strike.
Real goblin? Aim spot-on.
'But dodged like this.'
Arrow grazed ear slow.
Not miss.
Reminded, Lu Bu reborn goblin. Aim true.
I dodged.
Head tilt aside.
"...Kue?"
"Shoulda aimed chest."
No chit-chat. Solar plexus.
'Head target? Head tilt dodges.'
Why boxers guard body?
Didn't know myself.
Now I do.
Head small, sturdy.
Neck joint flexible.
Easy dodge straight attacks.
"Next life shooting arrows? Aim body."
Head weaves quick, body doesn't.
Your mohawk buddy taught me.
'Body aim, I'd grab it.'
Confident, so daydreamed.
Arrow speed seen twice.
Crude, not fast.
-Stab!
Fresh heart snatch from stunned goblin.
Archer didn't see spear-pierced heart.
Dying eyes on me.
"Kee..."
Not rage.
Envy in eyes.
Focused on vanishing spear with corpse over congrats.
Aw, more useful than skull senior's blade.
'Clear finishes, monster gear/bodies vanish?'
Didn't know.
Or vaguely heard in Korea?
Tower tossed skill card leftover.
But one exception.
Non-vanished weapon.
I eyed lower.
Last holdout goblin archer's bow.
Hmm.
Drop item?
"I'll use it well."
Picked recalling envious gaze.
Bow.
Not main weapon, but decent.
'Arrows sucked, bow fine.'
Now eyed messages.
Hate it, but gotta.
"Now, look here. Kimchi~."
Click-!
Uwuu... Tower Noob scared of goblins so much...
So 2-min clear lol
Ah.
Can't resist popular angle.