Chapter 17
The third tier of the Wimp's Tower.
It was a tier where things were starting to get difficult.
Of course, it was still the Wimp's Tower, so other people were always saying, 'You call that a Tower?' Anyway.
That was why Yuna had summoned me to a café.
-Slurp.
"First of all, Floor 21 is a hurdle, you know? It's designed to be difficult to break through head-on with our abilities, so you'll need a spirit…."
Yuna explained the third tier to me while occasionally sipping her coffee.
It definitely wasn't some special service she was providing because she knew I was Cheol Gangmin.
It was closer to consideration for a newbie who hadn't even climbed the Wimp's Tower.
I was moved by that warm kindness…
…….
'This isn't helping at all.'
As if I could be moved.
Unlike the second tier, there was no factor like Luka, so there wasn't much point in hearing a strategy.
Of course, she did know the details.
She wasn't a member of Cheonghwa Guild for nothing; she knew far more than people who read strange strategy posts.
But did I really need to hear this information?
Especially while she was buying me coffee that cost 7,000 won a cup.
'What a waste of money.'
"Ahaha…."
That was why I laughed awkwardly.
I appreciated her making time to help a newbie despite being busy, but honestly, it was useless.
And Yuna, who had been staring at me like that,
let out a small laugh and set down her coffee.
"Mr. Hwi-min, your expression is giving you away. Are you bored because I'm only telling you obvious things?"
A smile.
Her eyes gleamed with amusement as she looked at me.
"Shall I guess what you're thinking? 'Ah, I want to get to the third tier already, so why are you holding me up?' Right?"
"…Ahem, I'm sorry. I got carried away."
"That's men for you."
Then Yuna's hand moved toward her bag,
"Here, take this."
Swish.
She took something out and set it on the table.
When I looked, I saw a pair of gloves and a belt.
-Ding.
[The trait 'Dragon Eyes'….]
[Ranger's Gloves (Common)]
Good-quality gloves.
Slightly increases the chance of discovering something while searching.
[Adventurer's Belt (Rare)]
A belt woven from tough vines.
Can be unraveled and used as a rope.
When thrown, it clumsily binds an enemy's feet. (Humanoids only)
-Slurp.
"Hmm, ahem."
Then she pointed at them with the coffee cup held to her lips…
Hmm, what are these junk items?
Was she asking me to throw them away for her?
"What are these?"
I asked without much thought.
Yuna's eyes immediately curved like crescent moons.
-Sip.
"Heh-heh~ You don't know what they are, do you?"
"Uh, um… yes."
"Right~ Without an information-type trait, you can't identify what they are just by looking. But I'm different, of course!"
She shrugged as she said that.
A smile spread across her lips.
She looked as though she were showing off.
No, she was definitely showing off.
Information-type traits were fairly rare.
Being able to appraise items was an impressive feat, after all.
The problem was that her opponent was me.
'Still, this is part of socializing, I guess. Let's humor her.'
"Come to think of it, you're an information-type Awakener, right? As expected of Cheonghwa Guild! Amazing!!"
I hid my true thoughts and made a fuss.
There was no way Yuna could see through the flattery I'd honed on construction sites to deal with laborers.
Her shoulders rose a little higher.
"Heh, h-heh… Right? Pretty amazing, huh?"
"Amazing! Incredible!"
"Heh-heh-heh~ Of course. I'm amazing. But at the guild, they always tell me…."
Then Yuna launched into a litany of complaints.
She was officially a scout, but they kept assigning her website-monitoring work.
Even though she possessed such an amazing trait.
They didn't treat her as an Awakener just because she had chosen the wrong Tower.
"I thought it wouldn't matter since I wasn't going to work as a hunter in the field and would only recruit new Awakeners…."
"That must have been difficult."
I nodded in sympathy too.
Of course, I was thinking something a little different inside.
'Why the sudden sob story? She knew all this before choosing, didn't she?'
It was a decent choice if you only looked at the trait.
I had planned to climb the Wimp's Tower without fail before I awakened, so I wasn't exactly in a position to criticize her.
But what career had Yuna chosen?
A scout, or rather, a headhunter.
Her job was dealing with Awakeners.
If she went out making sales calls,
the Awakener on the other end would think this:
Ah, Cheonghwa sent over a useless Awakener.
I guess they don't need me at the guild anymore.
'So it wasn't just Arirang.'
I'd had a similar experience myself, after all.
It was only natural that she had been shunted to a dead-end position.
Even Cheonghwa looked down on climbers from the Wimp's Tower.
It was a fact she knew better than anyone.
"Even with a Unique trait, I thought I'd prove myself quickly and rise through the ranks… I never imagined they wouldn't even give me a chance."
"That's too harsh."
The more I listened, the more pitiful she seemed.
A Unique trait was genuinely impressive, after all.
If there were around ten thousand Awakeners in Korea, perhaps a hundred of them had Unique traits.
And she was stuck at home staring at a monitor?
There was hardly a greater waste of talent.
It was sad in many ways.
"Wouldn't it be better to work as a hunter in the field? You could make much more just analyzing boss weaknesses."
I offered that advice in earnest, but
"Oh, I like office work."
"But the money…."
"And Cheonghwa's base salary is 30 million won a month, you know. It's low for someone with a Unique trait, of course, but do I really need to go into the field at such risk?"
…….
Advice withdrawn.
Browse forums at work and make 30 million won a month?
Even if they told me to be a board moderator, I'd do it.
Of course, I'd occasionally have to deal with jokers like me, but still.
"You're surprisingly impressive. Aren't you the best success story from our Tower?"
I decided to praise her honestly.
Perhaps she saw my expression.
Yuna waved her hands in surprise.
"Oh, now that I think about it, I shouldn't have said that in front of you, Mr. Hwi-min! I'm sorry!"
"It's fine. By the way, what are these?"
"Right! Th-these are…."
Then she began chattering away.
She explained the belt and gloves from earlier.
The conclusion was rather surprising.
"I'll lend them to you. For free, until you clear Floor 5."
"……?"
Rare-grade equipment sold for hundreds of millions of won, didn't it?
And she was just going to lend them to me?
To me, who wasn't even a recruitment target and barely knew her?
…Why?
"You want something from me, don't you?"
I immediately straightened my posture.
She might have been kind, but there was no way this was free.
And that was exactly how it turned out.
"Just looking at the fact that you obtained an artifact, Mr. Hwi-min, you're lucky, aren't you? Although you weren't blessed with much luck when it comes to traits."
"Please skip the forced compliments and just tell me what you want."
"If you happen to learn anything about Cheol Gangmin, please tell me."
The man everyone wanted: Cheol Gangmin.
If I met him, I was supposed to tell her.
"Someone like you is more likely to meet him, I think. Cheol Gangmin."
"Why do you think that?"
"Not only did he clear the Seven Gates just like that, he also helped the Arirang Guild, didn't he? He must be a very kind person, right? The kind who helps Awakeners like us, too."
"Hmm…."
This was embarrassing.
It wasn't like I did it because I was kind.
I had just clicked a trait and given a little help, as long as it didn't cost me anything.
I awkwardly took a sip of my coffee.
It was the cheapest Americano.
-Slurp.
"That might be true. If I were him, I'd find an Awakener like you more comfortable than Hwang Hee-chan, Senior Yuna."
"Right? So think of it as an investment in advance. You're lucky, Mr. Hwi-min, so you'll definitely meet him."
Yuna, meanwhile, was beaming.
She slid the gear toward me.
That pricked my conscience a little.
'But I'm Cheol Gangmin.'
I do meet him whenever I look in the mirror.
But I had absolutely no intention of telling her that.
The Management Bureau must be searching for me with their eyes blazing.
-Slide.
"In that case, I'll gratefully borrow them."
Of course, I didn't refuse.
To be honest, I didn't need them.
Refusing would make me look suspicious instead.
I'd accept them for now and return them in pristine condition later.
"Even a small clue could earn you a huge reward, so please tell me, okay?"
"Y-yes."
Scrape—
I picked up the belt and gloves and stood.
Yuna, who had just finished her coffee, sprang to her feet as well.
Then we stepped outside the café.
The sunlight was warm and peaceful.
"Good luck clearing the third tier, junior."
"Thank you. I heard Cheonghwa is going to handle a Gate this time, too. I hope the raid goes smoothly!"
"Hehe, I'll pass that along."
Cheonghwa Guild was busy with some super-large Gate raid or another, but it would probably be fine.
It was Cheonghwa, after all.
Surely nothing would happen.
* * *
After parting with Yuna,
I went straight to the Tower.
Flash—!!
The Wimp's Tower's characteristic white light enveloped me,
-Ding.
[You have entered Floor 21 of the Beginner's Tower.]
You open your eyes in a snowy field.
A temple can be seen before you.
You instinctively sense that some divine being inside the temple
is calling you.
[Objective]
Reach the next portal
[Reward]
- Stat Points +3
"Arrived."
I'm finally resuming my climb after a month.
You've waited long enough, Serin.
Big brother will hurry and bring you medicine.
"Switch trait enhancement, Inventory."
Shing—
After taking out my sword first,
I swapped my equipment around.
"Dohwa, come out."
"Kang!!!"
I finished by summoning the pink ball of fur.
Then I immediately set off.
Creak.
The sound of a door opening.
At the same time, warm air greeted me.
It was the warmth emanating from the lizard in front of me.
"Oh-ho, a new initiate."
"Nice to meet you, Lord Salamander."
The fire spirit, Salamander.
The GM-like being of the third tier, known as the 'Temple Floor.'
-Glance.
'Hmm, Dohwa should be able to handle this.'
My eyes instinctively went to the top of Salamander's head.
Dragon Eyes showed his level as a mere 200.
I could already smell a free clear.
-Tremble.
"…Y-your eyes are a little frightening, my friend."
Salamander was even frightened of me.
It seemed to be because of the difference in our levels.
"Don't worry. I'm only…."
not planning to eat you.
I tried to reassure him that way, but…
-Ding.
[The trait 'Dragon Knight' activates!]
[Dragon Knight (Mythic)]
The dragon's love dwells within you.
You can summon and ride a dragon.
(Requires reaching Floor 50 or higher)
"……Huh?"
Just as I was about to speak.
Another trait activated.
At a completely unexpected moment, no less.
'I'm only on Floor 21?'