Chapter 14
[Impossible achievement!!! Every being inside the Tower is astonished by your feat!!!]
[Rewards are being recalculated according to achievement difficulty….]
-Ding.
[Calculation complete.]
[Achievement difficulty: EX+++ (Impossible)]
[Achievement Rewards]
- Title: 'One Who Transcended the Impossible'
- Your next clear reward will be multiplied by 5
(If the floor has already been cleared, you will reacquire it at four times the amount.)
- Artifact Summon Ticket x1
- Legendary Armor Summon Ticket x1
"…Wow, that's insane."
My mouth fell open.
My eyes widened.
The notifications that came flooding in were just as shocking.
'Clear rewards multiplied by five?'
The clear reward for the Pilgrim's Tower boss floor.
Twenty stat points and eleven Lowest-grade Recovery Potions.
I could get five times all of that?
'The stats are insane, but…."
Getting 100 stat points was already amazing.
Even compared to someone from the Pilgrim's Tower, I was now four floors ahead.
Even compared to Hwang Hee-chan, who had cleared up to Floor 30, I was only six floors behind.
But what was even better than that?
'The potions can be duplicated!!!'
Fifty-five Lowest-grade Recovery Potions.
If I applied the enhanced Golden Rule trait and synthesized everything I'd collected up to Floor 19 into Low-grade Potions…
'Couldn't I make seven of them?'
I already had two.
Only one or two more remained before I could make a Mid-grade Potion.
Once I had that, I could cure my little sister.
"Serin…."
"Whine?"
"Dohwa, I can finally see a way to cure Serin!!!"
"Kyaaang!!!?"
I swept Dohwa into my arms.
I jumped up and down while holding Dohwa.
Dopamine whirled through my head.
"On top of that, a Legendary-grade piece of armor worth tens of billions of won, plus an artifact!!!"
"Kyaaang!!"
"Thanks, Thumbs-up Luka!!!"
It wasn't what I'd hoped for, but still.
Who would complain about being showered with rewards like this?
I was more than satisfied already, but then…
-Ding.
[The Tower resonates with the trait 'Dominator.']
You have acquired 'Enhanced Orc Lord Lavish' as a summon.
"…Huh?"
Just as I was celebrating wildly,
a notification window appeared before my eyes.
The Dominator trait let me use bosses as summons.
Apparently, the enhanced version of the boss had been registered.
I wondered what it was, so I checked—and its level was 350.
'I wouldn't use that pig even if it were given to me, but….'
"…What if I use it for enhancement?"
Thud.
I set Dohwa down on the floor.
Dohwa, who had been whining in my arms until just now, looked up at me as if asking what was wrong.
"Whine…?"
"Dohwa, don't you want to become stronger?"
"Kang!!"
"Okay, switch trait enhancement! Fusion!"
I immediately stretched out my hand.
Ding.
As a clear sound rang out, a brown Status Window appeared before my eyes.
[Fusion+ (Mythic)]
(New!) Increases quality when synthesizing.
[Dohwa]
Level: 45
(Can evolve through the trait 'Fusion')
(Required: Summon x1)
[Would you like to consume 'Enhanced Orc Lord Lavish' to evolve 'Dohwa'?]
"Dohwa, are you ready!!"
"Kang!!!"
"Let's go!!!!!"
The summon I'd obtained on the first tier—honestly, useless except for being cute.
I pressed the button to enhance Dohwa.
Click.
A cheerful sound rang out,
and blue energy burst from my hand.
"Ooh…!?"
"Kyaaang!!!"
I was flustered.
Dohwa, on the other hand, leaped into the air, wagging their tail.
The blue energy immediately wrapped around Dohwa's body.
A mysterious light burst forth.
The result was astonishing.
-Ding.
[Evolution complete.]
[Through the effect of the trait 'Fusion,' you have acquired 1 trait.]
[Dohwa]
Level: 355 (+310)
Trait: Lightning Flash (Rare)
"Kyaaang!!!"
By the time Dohwa landed on the floor,
their appearance had changed quite a bit.
Their fur gleamed.
Their eyes sparkled with intelligence.
And most importantly,
they now had two tails.
"…Dohwa, Lightning Flash!!!"
"Kang!!!"
Just in case, I ordered Dohwa to activate the trait.
Dohwa gave a bark as if they understood.
Then they scampered away.
Their speed gradually accelerated until…
-Swoooosh!!!
"Ooh!!"
They were three times faster than that orc from earlier, weren't they?
I could see everything because of Dragon Eyes, of course.
But it would be difficult for others to react to them.
-Taat.
"Kang!!"
"Good, good!"
At this level, they'd definitely be useful.
Their speed was enough to overwhelm even me.
If they used it to draw the enemy's attention, combat would become much easier.
No, what was I saying? Easier?
Dohwa alone could clear the Wimp's Tower now.
I could leave them on auto and let them climb all the way to Floor 50.
"Bringing you home from the first tier really was the right choice!!"
"Kyaaang~."
I laid Dohwa down and vigorously scratched their belly.
At that moment, I gained an insanely overpowered summon that was small and cute, yet strong, too.
* * *
After enjoying a dopamine party with fur flying everywhere,
I began sorting through the remaining notification windows.
More precisely, I sorted through the notifications that had appeared while I was rolling around with Dohwa.
-Ding.
[The liberation of the laborer 'Luka' has been confirmed.]
[As a reward for the beginner's achievement, the soul of 'Luka' will be liberated.]
[The difficulty of Floors 11–20 in the Beginner's Tower will be recalibrated.]
[Adjustment results]
- Sacrificial NPCs will no longer appear
- The prison on Floor 11 will now be open from the beginning
- The orc jailers' agility, strength, and perception have been slightly reduced
- An unenhanced Orc Lord will appear on the boss floor
"Hmm…."
I had no idea what a laborer was, but anyway.
It was a good thing that Luka had been freed.
And it was great that forced NPC sacrifices were no longer necessary.
The problem was that the strategy had changed along with it.
With the reliable bait gone, Awakeners would have to make an even more 'difficult choice.'
Any Awakeners who didn't know that would be thrown into a panic.
'It's still the Wimp's Tower, so the difficulty won't change much… but just in case.'
It couldn't be helped.
'Shall I give them a little Cheol Gangmin?'
[Beginner's Public Channel #KR]
Author: I'm a Baby Awakener
Title: (Must Read!!!) Second-Tier Patch Notes
I just entered Floor 11 and got this notification…
'This should be enough.'
I posted something on the Tower's internal community.
I wrote down every change I'd witnessed without missing a single word.
The comment section caught fire in no time.
[Comments]
??? What are you talking about?
Troll post?
ㄴ It's not a troll post.
ㄴ I was carrying some newbies when Luka suddenly disappeared, so I was wondering what was going on.
ㄴ ??? But how did this person see it?
ㄴ Does it only appear when you first enter Floor 11?
"Wow, those news hounds are fast."
Those must have been the Awakeners stationed inside the Tower.
They'd been waiting for someone to post a request for help to newbies, so my hot-off-the-presses news must have flipped them upside down.
'Yeah, go spread it far and wide in my place.'
Honestly, the easiest and most reliable way would have been to post from the Cheol Gangmin account in the gallery, but…
What if I did that?
They'd find out I came from the Wimp's Tower.
I didn't exactly like that idea.
I gave you the information, so handle the rest yourselves.
"Kyaaang…?"
"It's nothing. Come on, Dohwa! Let's go home, too!!"
"Kang!!!"
After closing the blazing comment section,
I set off with Dohwa.
Whoosh—!!
The portal's clear light enveloped us,
-Ding.
[You have been moved to the 'Pilgrim's Tower.']
[Boss Floor Completion Rewards]
- Stat Points +100
- Lowest-grade Recovery Potion x55
- Common-grade Armor Selection Ticket x5
(Currently multiplied by 5 as an achievement bonus)
[The trait 'Golden Rule+' activates.]
You acquire the following additional rewards.
- Stat Points +9
- Lowest-grade Recovery Potion x3
[Ryu Hwi-min]
Level: 500 (+109)
Title: One Who Transcended the Impossible (All stats +50)
Strength: 150+50 (+35)
Agility: 160+50 (+30)
Vitality: 130+50 (+25)
Mana: 81+50 (+10)
Luck: 38+50 (+9)
"Sweet, so sweet~."
This is what fivefold rewards taste like.
And on top of that, I got a perfect upgrade over my previous title, one that increased every stat by 50.
Even just looking at this made me feel full, but
-Ding.
[Using the trait 'Fusion+'….]
[Crafting complete.]
[Low-grade Healing Potion x6]
(The trait 'Fusion' can be used to craft a 'Mid-grade Healing Potion')
(Required: Low-grade Healing Potion x10)
"…That makes eight."
The Mid-grade Potion needed to cure my little sister.
I was happiest of all that I was only a few steps away from synthesizing it.
The quality enhancement hadn't triggered, but…
Well, it didn't matter.
I could definitely make one after clearing the third tier.
'I'm not planning to go right away, but I should at least get prepared.'
"Switch trait enhancement, Inventory."
Shhk—
When I stretched out my hand, a pile of papers appeared above my palm.
They were the armor summon and selection tickets I'd collected while clearing the second tier.
I tore them up without hesitation,
-Ding.
[Would you like to consume 'Traveler's Shoes (Common)' and 9 pieces of equipment using 'Fusion+' to craft Rare equipment?]
[Crafting complete.]
[Hermes Shoes (Rare)]
Shoes of exceptionally high quality.
They make the wearer's body feel lighter,
allowing them to move at high speed.
Additionally, the wearer will not sink into water or mud.
(The trait 'Fusion' can be used to craft Unique equipment)
(Required: Hermes Shoes and 9 Rare pieces of equipment)
"Okay."
I obtained a pair of Rare-grade shoes.
Thanks to Dragon Armor, most armor was rather inefficient for me, to be honest.
Movement abilities were an exception, though.
They even looked pretty stylish, so I could wear them outside, too.
'This alone is a huge haul, but….'
"This isn't the end!"
There was one more thing.
I summoned something from my Inventory and grabbed it in my hand.
The Artifact Summon Ticket I'd received as an achievement reward.
And the Legendary Armor Summon Ticket.
-Gulp.
'Even Hwang Hee-chan wears a Unique item….'
That meant I was the first person in Korea to obtain a Legendary-grade piece of equipment.
No, there were probably only a handful in the entire world.
Wasn't there only one in Japan, as far as East Asia was concerned?
Such a precious item
had fallen right into my lap.
-Riiip.
[The trait 'Dragon Eyes' activates.]
[Tarnkafe (Legendary)]
A hat once worn by the legendary dragon slayer.
When worn, it allows the wearer to conceal their appearance.
"……."
But, well.
I ended up with something like an invisibility hat.
'What am I supposed to use this for…? No, there are plenty of uses for it, but.'
Why, though?
I didn't particularly like it.
It inexplicably irritated me, and I wanted to shove it into a corner of my Inventory.
That didn't mean I planned to throw it away, though.
'I'm sure it'll come in handy someday if I leave it alone… or I could sell it.'
Whoosh—
I tossed the hat into my Inventory.
While I was at it, I opened the Artifact Summon Ticket, too.
-Ding.
[Necklace of Seclusion (Artifact)]
A necklace belonging to a criminal who spent his entire life in hiding.
When infused with mana, it erases the wearer's presence and weakens their sense of existence.
(The degree of weakening can be adjusted with the amount of mana.)
"Oh-ho."
This one was pretty useful.
It would be useful for ambushes, and it would also come in handy for avoiding the Administration Bureau's employees.
All right, I'll use you.
-Clink.
'As for its effect….''
After that, I tested its performance on Dohwa.
When I infused it with mana at full power, they couldn't easily find where I was after closing and opening their eyes.
Even when I petted them, their reaction was duller than usual.
"If I wear it with the invisibility hat, I could get away with anything without being caught! I could even walk into the women's bathhouse."
Thanks to that, some wicked thoughts almost raised their heads for a moment, but
"Whine?"
"Just kidding. That's illegal."
I, Ryu Hwi-min,
am a man who wants to be someone my little sister can look up to.
I had not the slightest intention of doing anything strange.
I shook my head vigorously to chase the demons from my thoughts.
"Anyway! Switch trait enhancement, Golden Rule!"
Then, whoosh—!
I stretched out my hand again.
My palm faced an unfamiliar object.
-Hummmm….
'Yes, you've waited long enough, haven't you, Stigma?'
Stigma.
It was the symbol of a world-class Awakener, granted to those who cleared the second tier of the Pilgrim's Tower.
The cross containing it emitted a clear light.
It looked as though it were urging me to accept it quickly.
'There's only one, so I guess it doesn't get multiplied by five, but….''
"This is still something."
I was a top-class Awakener now, too.
Muttering that, I grasped the cross.
Immediately, it melted away in a stream.
Only the energy within it flowed along my forearm.
…And now it was shining brilliantly—far more brilliantly.
-Ding.
[The trait 'Golden Rule+' activates!]
[As an EX+++ achievement reward, the fivefold increase has been applied!]