Chapter 7
Chapter 7
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: penny
Chapter: 7
Chapter Title: Everything Got Stripped
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Day two of climbing.
After setting the gallery ablaze, I was glaring at my status window.
Outsider.
Among my [Deficiencies], this one seemed the most benign.
But as someone once said.
Reality never goes the way you think.
[Outsider] was exactly that.
'This buff is additive, right?'
Additive or multiplicative.
For a game nerd like me, this was crucial.
Skipping the long, pretentious explanation.
Simply put, it's like this.
'Getting an extra 100,000 won in salary VS a 10% raise.'
Anyone you ask picks the latter.
The back one gives 150,000 won even if your salary hits 1.5 million.
What? Picking 100,000 won is better?
Sorry, but no.
But our [Outsider]?
Fuck, it's additive.
Even if my salary hits 100 million, it's still just 100,000 won extra.
No wonder I want to kick it out of my status window.
"Still, roughly speaking, my stats went up about as much as one party member's worth."
I'll give credit where it's due.
The boost is massive.
'In salary terms, it's like an extra million won, not 100k.'
And I'm complaining about this?
It's a matter of conscience.
You can't think that way unless your salary has four zeros.
My stats are basically double the average now.
Plus, probably.
This boost will grow as I climb higher.
In other words.
'No matter what floor I'm on, this [Deficiency] doubles my stats compared to others.'
Whoa! Permanent double stat event!
Way too OP!
I couldn't think positively like that.
'If there are four party members, their combined stats are four times mine, though?'
More people means better role division.
But me?
Join a party, and even my stats turn to shit.
'Even a full four-man party would be a disaster.'
Worst case, all stats hit zero?
Now I get it.
[Weaker with more party members] is an illusion.
"In reality, it's [Make a friend, drop dead]."
Which one's the curse?
This is the curse.
No choice but to go solo.
"Please stop the loner hate..."
Unlike [Popular Post Addiction] and [Noble Body, Baseborn Role], it's not a synergistic OP combo.
Floating solo feels ambiguous.
But what can I do.
To survive, I gotta push the tower and hit the gallery.
I'm a gallery addict who dies without it.
"Mr. William. Where do you spend tower currency?"
I pulled out one coin and asked.
Separate from goblin drops.
Got it as raid compensation, like skill cards.
Popped up when I left the tower.
"Currency? Use it at the tower shop, right? Climbers can summon it, yeah?"
"Ah, one sec."
Tower shop.
Summon like status window?
Checked the shop and shook my head.
Nothing worth buying after clearing floor 1.
'Even the starter longsword costs 3 coins? Too much, tower noob.'
Like going to a department store with 500 won.
Feeling pathetic, I opened the gallery to ask.
Hmm.
Maybe later. Not urgent.
"Lately, climbers have been staring at those weird plaques. What are they?"
As I handled reports piled up as Gallery Master, a casual remark hit me.
William looked curious.
Tower Climbing Gallery reached floor 0 residents too.
Lucky.
It was made for floor 0 originally!
"It's like an info-sharing network. Residents can see it too."
"When did that even pop up?"
"...Wanna try?"
Teaching gallery to my lifesaver, old enough to be grandpa.
Not easy.
But even loners find chatting with elders comfy.
Plus, I owed him, so I showed him.
"Whoa, too tricky for me. Not my thing."
Good, William wasn't gallery-poisoned.
My curse doesn't work. Impressive.
"Got it. Here, take this coin. For the stay. Sell it to climbers for a bit."
Then it hit me.
Tower currency is transferable?
A faint idea flashed, but no time to dwell.
William's face soured.
"Nah, you use it."
"B-but I'm freeloading too much."
Loner trait.
Opponent gets serious, I clam up.
William softened and spoke.
"This land you call floor 0."
"Yes?"
"Why do you think our birthplace is this snowy hell?"
I said I didn't know.
Though I had a hunch.
'That chill from floor 10 I saw making the gallery.'
The insane cold leaking from floor 10.
Not World Tree level, but otherworldly mana.
If there's a culprit, that's it.
"In the past, we shunned outsider climbers. The cold blanketing the world was from neglecting the tower—a disaster."
Not quite the answer I expected.
"Folks worldwide rallied to conquer the tower, only to die screaming. My son was there too."
"My condolences."
Elders spilling death tales is awkward.
Young loners got nothing to say.
"Just me and my daughter-in-law scraped by, then climbers returning from above shifted the mood."
"Treating climbers better?"
"Yeah. So don't mind. It's our survival way, our karma."
Can't argue that.
Changing the vibe, I asked.
"Daughter-in-law at work? I can get separate lodging if I'm in the way."
"Nah, she got mauled by wild beasts too."
William shrugged.
"Found you coming back from graves."
Tough world to live in.
For dragged-in me, and born-here folks alike.
Nothing beats a gift for a mood boost.
No one to give to?
Why not. I got myself.
Just reward myself.
Oppa bought this as a gift?
'Bronze? What the hell is bronze.'
I mercilessly dissed myself.
Talent means shit.
Luck's trash too.
'Back's brown too.'
Disappointed, I ate backlog meals first.
Of course, MZ-style: gallery while eating.
Used fluid nick this time.
Boy Joy as famous as Gallery Master now.
Tower's only unapproved drug.
Only you soothe my soul...
No-comment link scary.
Braced for doom, but legit tower攻略 info.
Pretty solid too.
'Pin it to notice later with Gallery Master account.'
Prepped floors under 10 while eating.
Post-dishes, fresh start.
Serious face, faced skill card.
Shrrrrk-!
Used item, cards fanned out.
Tarot reading?
"Not cards, a card pack."
Gacha pull?
Snorted at my imagination.
"Haha! No way."
Not some game.
Tower maker that evil?
Then shadow skill users couldn't even use gacha trash, sealed.
I hate you guys. Rude.
'Tch. No point agonizing.'
Browsed cards, grabbed one casually.
No ritual bullshit.
Gacha secret: empty mind, entrust fate in no-self state.
Do that, behold!
Victory goddess smiles at me!
Yeeted the card.
Skill flowed from shattered card or not,
Patience gone, I lightning-switched accounts.
Gramps, gather up.
Newbie procession arrives.
Alright.
Show me what you got.
Red Tower heroes' skills.
"Gotcha!! Boy Joy, you're mine!!"
Floor 6.
Bizarru, refreshing for hours, sniped Jeong-uk's post and lined up.
Result?
Honestly.
Thrilling-er than beating floor 60 boss.
"Heh heh heh."
Not weird for Bizarru.
Raid teams hunger for newbies most.
Find raw talent, polish it!
Mandatory task.
For all raiders, floor irrelevant.
'Tower攻略 stagnated too long.'
Tower hard enough,
External drags too.
'Talent's precious in this mess.'
Just one thing!
Attitude to push攻略.
That alone earns love.
Cherish newbies.
Consensus among climbers.
'Shun newbies, never escape tower.'
But heavens above.
This newbie's a talented physical DPS?
'Wanna dump everything on him.'
Even Brush Flower lurks sometimes.
Tower heroes starve for newbies.
But cheering was hard till gallery.
That's why.
Bizarru grinned evilly.
"Boy Joy, you're dead. I'll teach you from secret arts to signature moves."
Why's passing ultimate 'dead'?
Simple.
Won't end overnight.
'Basics take a year? Nah, genius, half that halved.'
3-4 months max.
Pessimistic estimate.
Plenty for that.
To win Boy Joy over.
'Months together, can't sway a floor 2 newbie?!'
Passing ultimate.
Big resolve for Bizarru.
Many eye Boy Joy, but none pass ultimates.
Leak?
Ask Gallery Master for secret post. Duh.
'Wizard Gallery Master won't steal anyway.'
Nice guy.
Easy request, he'll do it.
And he did.
Quiet but reasonable. Complied similarly quick.
Bizarru got all her ultimates stripped in two days.
It was summer.