Market Run and Tower Bound

Market Entry [⚔️Why's the streamer at the market?] [⚔️Chicken chicken chicken]

"Just picking up some stuff. Thought I'd browse the stalls."

"Miss, why don't you take a look at the vegetables while you're here?"

As I wandered through the market, vendors waved from every direction.

"Hello, shopkeeper."

"Oh my, our little miss is here! The tomatoes are especially fresh today."

"Mind if I try one?"

"Of course, go ahead."

The shopkeeper picked out a plump tomato and handed it over. Crunch. The sweet, tangy flavor burst across my tongue the moment I bit in. I tore off a small piece and offered it to Baek Seol, who accepted it with her tiny mouth.

"Delicious!"

"Really? Shopkeeper, I'll take some tomatoes."

"How many would you like?"

"All of them."

"Pardon? We sell them by the box..."

"Neng, give me everything."

The flustered vegetable seller hurried to the back and returned with a box overflowing with tomatoes. These days, sweeping everything into my inventory before leaving had become second nature.

"Shopkeeper, you do deliveries, right?"

"Of course."

"Then I'll take a box each of lettuce, radish, cabbage, bell peppers, napa cabbage, chives, green onions, and regular onions."

"Goodness, are you throwing a feast?"

"Neng."

Some items were in stock, others weren't, but shopping like this was oddly fun.

"Shopkeeper, do you have gochugaru and sesame oil?"

"The mill across the way handles those best. I do have a bit of sesame oil set aside—would you like that instead?"

"Hmm, no thanks. I'll head over myself."

The shopkeeper smiled and went back to sweating over the vegetables. Markets like this often moved surplus stock from friendly suppliers onto the front displays.

Ring ring—Click.

"Hello?"

— Hello, this is the PD from last time.

"Hello, PD-nim. How have you been?"

— Thanks to you. I called because the outline for the broadcast we discussed is finally coming together.

"Oh? Already? I'm all for it."

The PD who had been filming lobster tail butter-grill segments with the spring breeze had apparently scrapped his old show and was already deep into prepping a new one.

— Haha, hearing that puts me at ease. I was worried you might turn it down.

"Sounds fun. Sorry, but I'm a bit busy right now—would it be okay if I sent my manager friend instead?"

— Of course. I'll text you the time and date.

"Thank you."

Click. The moment I hung up, the viewers flooded the chat with questions.

"Hold on. Let me make one more call and I'll ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠explain. Mute for a sec."

Ring ring—Click.

The other side picked up instantly.

"Man-wook."

— Yes, noona.

"I'm about to send you a message. Can you send over one of your sharp guys?"

— Leave it to me.

"Thanks. How's the body holding up?"

— After that drink you gave me, I feel like I'm flying. Punched a sandbag and it exploded right in front of my eyes.

"Good. And that upper organization or whatever—I'm cleaning it up soon, so get ready. You'll take over their businesses."

— Yes, noona. Thank you.

"Eungnya."

Click. When I checked the phone, the viewers were giggling among themselves.

"Looks like I'm going to be on a show."

"Not sure yet. You guys remember PD Kang Man-seung from last time, right?"

"He asked me to appear on his new show."

While chatting with the viewers, I realized we'd already reached the meeting spot.

"Greetings, noona."

One of Man-wook's subordinates bowed politely.

"We've prepared the items."

"Looks brand new. I asked for used ones."

"Big bro Man-wook threw such a fit that we got you the newest model."

"Yeah. It's mine now."

"We made sure there won't be any trouble—scrapped everything clean."

The subordinate had neatly parked a 1.5-ton truck and a bike in a deserted alley. I'd asked for any old used vehicle since I planned to drive it hard, yet they'd gone and bought brand new.

"Don't say it like it's drugs."

"Haha."

Everything in sight went straight into my inventory. Now all that remained was heading to the tower.

Professor Hwang opened the door and stepped inside. The professors seated around the long table turned their gazes toward her. Even at her age, she was still considered the youngest member during faculty meetings. She accepted their stares calmly and took her seat, spreading out the end-of-month meeting documents. A single note slipped out from between the thick pages.

Creak. The scattered gazes snapped back to Professor Hwang at the sound of grinding teeth.

"Huuuuh..."

No matter how she looked at it, the handwriting ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠itself radiated an eerie, noble aura that made her skin crawl. She couldn't understand how anyone could produce such writing with a few careless strokes. What she understood even less was the casual attitude of treating the tower like a neighborhood stroll.

The tower was a hellish place where even if ten people entered, only one returning alive was considered normal.

"Hoho, Professor Hwang, your J-class students must be quite something."

A white-haired professor across the table spoke while glancing at the note.

"What do you mean...?"

"What was it called again? The credit loan team? They have one of those, don't they?"

"Ah..."

Han Ga-eul again. The problem child of J-class.

"Haha, it's the team that Ga-eul created."

Another professor seated beside the white-haired one chimed in.

'Ga-eul? When did they get so close?'

"Do you know the student Han Ga-eul?"

"I ran into her the other day. She greeted me so politely and respectfully, hoho."

"I tried the beef and mustard-green soup she cooked. It was so delicious I dreamed about it."

'Why are these stubborn old folks all acting like this? And what's with the beef and mustard-green soup?'

Professor Hwang had to forcibly close her jaw, which kept threatening to drop open.

"Are you talking about the same Ga-eul, the troublemaker of our class? The one who smashed the face of Hwang Hyun from the Heavenly Invincible Guild?"

"Hoho, the student is so adorable that he probably just played along with her antics."

Hwang Hyun of the Heavenly Invincible Guild had been so severely injured that surviving at all was considered miraculous. After Han Ga-eul's flying kick crushed his face, they'd poured hundreds of millions worth of potions into him. When he later stormed toward the academy in a rage, they'd barely managed to stop him by invoking Wisdom Academy's authority. And now they called it "playing along"? These notoriously stubborn professors of Wisdom must have lost their minds.

Professor Hwang, still reeling, recalled a recent message from an enchanter she knew well.

'A Wisdom student supposedly stacked five additional weight-increase enchantments on a 100-kilogram strength-training axe that already had one...'

There was only one Wisdom Academy student who casually carried around a strength-training axe. As the thought continued, Professor Hwang couldn't help but flinch.

A 50-kilogram training axe with six stacked weight-doubling enchantments meant a final weight multiplied by 64.

'Wait, 3,200 kilograms? Just how strong is she...'

Simply lifting something heavy and swinging it were two entirely different matters. Even among ordinary people who hadn't awakened—those called strongmen—there were world records of lifting over 500 kilograms. Yet the average weight of a swung weapon was around 1.5 kilograms. Even a heavy bastard sword weighed less than 2 kilograms at 1.8. Swinging meant the center of gravity had to be perfectly controlled by wrist strength alone.

'...No way. She's a supporter...'

Reading the note Han Ga-eul had left once more, a sigh escaped Professor Hwang's lips.

「I'll try not to cause trouble, so don't worry!」

"This part is the hardest to believe."

"Han Ga-eul, this is the entrance to the tower."

"Thanks. I'll be back soon."

"Take care."

Yoo Bit-na waved her hand gently as she saw me off. The gate that supposedly led into the tower shimmered brilliantly ahead. Once I stepped through, it would probably unfold into another world, just like a dungeon. I'd heard plenty from Yoo Bit-na, but not a single word about the tutorial that awaited first-time entrants. Apparently the tower's oath prevented anyone from speaking about the trials. Seeing how Yoo Bit-na suffered the moment she tried to open her mouth, I had no choice but to believe it.

I waved back at her and stepped forward. In an instant, the world flipped.

"Hey, you chicken-brained bastard. You wanna die?"

Crunch!

"Krrgh!!"

"Side dishes for my babies♡"