Chapter 26
One of my Mythic-grade traits, 'Seed of Transcendence'.
It had never activated until now.
Even after I climbed the Tower to Floor 30.
So I had simply thought, 'Ah, I guess it's a trait that only activates near the very end…' and left it at that…
-Ding.
[The trait 'Seed of Transcendence' activates.]
Strength and Agility points increase by 1.
[Seed of Transcendence (Mythic)]
You gain infinite possibilities.
[Ryu Hwi-min]
Level: 717 (+2)
Title: Beyond the Impossible…
"……Huh?"
Notification windows suddenly popped up one after another before my eyes.
I froze in surprise.
This was impossible.
'I'm not in the Tower, am I?'
You only level up when climbing the Tower.
Wasn't that common knowledge even a seven-year-old knew?
It was possible for your skill to improve as you gained combat experience, but your actual specs only increased when climbing the Tower.
That was absolute truth.
…But it was no longer true for me.
-Mutter.
"No way."
I muttered without realizing it.
A newly activated trait.
What kind of effect did it have?
I had a vague idea.
'Can I raise my stats outside the Tower, too?'
To sum it up in one line.
I level up alone.
Unlike everyone else, I could grow infinitely stronger even outside the Tower.
'What are the conditions?'
Of course, the trait hadn't activated during the Arirang Guild theft incident, so it didn't activate every time.
Maybe it had a chance to appear upon clearing a gate.
Or perhaps I had to solo it.
There had to be some kind of condition.
Besides, the stat increase was rather meager, so explosive growth like climbing the Tower was out of the question, but…
I wasn't disappointed in the slightest.
'The Hard Tower is looking doable too, then!?'
The Pilgrim's Tower, the Tower among Towers.
They said it grew exponentially more difficult.
Apparently, the rewards from climbing couldn't keep up with the rising difficulty.
So I should climb only as far as I could profit from, up to Floor 75 of the Normal Tower.
I could test the waters in the full-on Hard Tower, then quit if it seemed too much.
That was what I had been thinking.
But I could grind stats outside the Tower?
-Gulp.
'I can crush it completely.'
First, I climb the Tower.
Once it starts getting difficult, I grind stats outside the Tower, boost my specs through the roof, and come back.
With that strategy, reaching Floor 100 was theoretically possible.
Of course, I'd have to run gates over and over.
But grinding was my specialty, after all.
Nothing difficult about it.
'They say you can fulfill any wish once you reach the top. I don't know if that's true, but I need to find out.'
"Then… I guess I'll have to run gates from time to time."
After finishing my train of thought.
I glanced around.
The Awakeners were searching for me.
"Mr. Cheol Gangmin, are you here!?"
"We'd like to reward you…."
Dash—!!
I ran, avoiding the Awakeners.
I landed atop that mascot statue from earlier.
Looking down at the others,
I typed a post on my phone.
An onion-shaped VPN icon flashed in the status bar, so I had no worries about being traced.
[Awakener Minor Gallery]
Author: Cheol Gangmin's Awakener Analysis 2
Title: (Promotion) Contact me if you find a gate you can't handle
(Photo of a tow truck heading out)
I'll go in alone and take care of it.
When I'm stuck in the Tower like this,
I might be late checking, though. Anyway.
We can negotiate the terms later in the replies, yeah.
Please show lots of interest.
ㄴ Iron Bro, that's not it—Korea University…
ㄴㄴ Hey, apparently they just cleared it. The news just came out.
ㄴㄴ ?????? A breaking news alert saying a Break occurred just came out. What are you talking about?
ㄴㄴ Looks like Iron Bro posted this right after catching it?
ㄴㄴ Iron Bro's speed and accuracy are no joke lol
ㄴㄴ Iron Bro, guardian of KOSPI lol
ㄴ Mr. Cheol Gangmin, I'm with the American EVERWORLD Guild…
"Hmm."
Interest is pouring in already.
Even foreign guilds were commenting.
Most Korean guilds were gathered there, though, so they'd be a little slow to see it.
If I checked again tonight, my trap would be teeming with fish.
I put my phone away with a smile.
'This is what you call a win-win.'
They get to have me work for them.
I get to level up.
And I get a little modest compensation on the side.
Now, behold.
The completion of a world where everyone profits big.
'I'll have to accept payment only in physical goods to avoid being traced, but where else would I get this opportunity?'
Serin, tell me anything you want.
I'll even pluck a star from the sky for you.
The other guilds will do the hard work, so don't hold back.
'Shall we go?'
Whoosh—
My body took flight.
Boar Labyrinth, which would have caused countless casualties and perhaps grown into a Seven Great Gate-level threat if I hadn't been there.
I ran across its remains toward home.
My steps felt lighter than ever.
'Serin, your big brother is coming!!'
* * *
…But unfortunately for my little sister,
I didn't go straight to the hospital.
There were two reasons.
[Pilgrim Public Channel]
Author: Hyunseo
Title: After eating kimchi jjim with rice…
Construction Worker: I cleared the third tier.
Construction Worker: I even got an amazing item, and if you buy it, you should be able to break through Floor 40 too.
Hyunseo: Stop joking around. It's annoying…
Construction Worker: By the time you reach Floor 39, I might be able to come see you. Fast and accurate delivery.
Hyunseo: Huh? Even if you're going to lie, what kind of nonsense…
Construction Worker: You'll know whether it's true when I show you the item then.
Construction Worker: Just think about how much you'll pay for it.
'That should do for him.'
First, the third-generation chaebol heir trapped in the Pilgrim's Tower.
I had made him an offer.
The hidden piece, 'Baekrihyang's Soul,' that I had obtained by putting the vengeful spirit to rest.
It was to sell that.
'And more importantly, I need to go there.'
"Return!!"
Even after leaving the Tower, I still had somewhere to go.
Somewhere I had to stop by before the hospital.
It was…
the bathhouse.
-Scrub scrub.
'Time for a thorough wash!!'
…She'd be seeing me for the first time in years.
I didn't want to greet her with a grimy body after spending a week in the Tower.
If she said, 'You smell like big brother~' or 'You're so ugleee~,' I was confident I could shed round, rice-cake-like tears.
'Should I dress up a little, too?'
As fear suddenly washed over me,
even after leaving the bathhouse, my feet simply wouldn't carry me toward the hospital.
"Excuse me, could you recommend some men's clothes? Something a woman would fall for."
"Oh my~ A date?"
"No, I'm going to see my little sister."
"……?"
I bought and changed into new clothes at an expensive clothing store.
For some reason, the employee's gaze was strange, but apart from that, their eye for clothes was perfect.
Even I had to admit they suited me pretty well.
'I should buy some flowers, too.'
"Excuse me, I came to buy a bouquet. Please give me the most expensive one here."
I even bought a bouquet to celebrate her complete recovery.
Spending money on something like this felt wasteful, but today was worth celebrating in grand style.
"A proposal? Or a confession?"
"No, it's for my little sister."
"……?"
The employee looked at me strangely again, but
"My sister has been hospitalized for a long time, and we're expecting some very good news today."
"Ah, ah! Congratulations!!"
"…Phew."
I don't know why everyone kept misunderstanding.
Was this really so unusual?
'Can't be helped. People don't know what Serin means to me.'
My little sister is my parents' biological daughter.
Since I owe my parents a tremendous debt of gratitude, I have a duty to make my little sister happy.
Besides, she always looked up to me.
How could I not cherish her?
'Though things will be different now.'
Of course, she fell ill before hitting puberty and had remained in a vegetative state ever since.
Even if she woke up, she wouldn't follow me the way she used to.
For a while, it would feel awkward, as if she were wondering whether I really was her big brother.
'Dohwa, if things start getting awkward, you'll have to work your magic.'
If all else failed, I could borrow Dohwa's hand too.
Thinking that made me feel a little better.
'All right, let's really go.'
I lingered outside the hospital for a while.
At last, I stepped inside.
The rustling of the bouquet's plastic wrapping.
The murmurs of patients wondering what it was.
All of it was drowned out by the pounding of my heart.
'Sorry, Serin. You waited a long time, didn't you?'
It took me a long time to get here.
The day you closed your eyes, I vowed to wake you up somehow, as quickly as possible.
I don't even know how many years have passed.
If I hadn't awakened, it might have taken much longer to wake you—or I might never have been able to. Anyway.
'I think I wasted about a week even after awakening, but forgive me for that much.'
"I'll wake you up now."
Creak—
The sound of the hospital room door opening.
I stepped inside carefully.
My sister lying in bed came into view.
I silently looked down at her and immediately began preparing.
"…Trait Enhancement Swap, Inventory."
After setting down the bouquet,
I first took out the potion bottle.
An Intermediate Healing Potion made by combining no fewer than 100 Lowest-grade Potions.
Considering each one cost at least 100 million won, and even that was now a seller's market because there was no stock, it was worth at least 10 billion won.
I didn't hesitate to open it.
-Pop.
'Even if it were 1 trillion won, I wouldn't regret it.'
When I opened the potion bottle, an indescribably rich fragrance spread through the room.
Then, drop by drop.
The contents moistened Serin's parched lips and flowed inside.
Then it seeped in, radiating a green light.
It felt less like it was going down her throat and more like being absorbed through her tongue.
'Please wake up without anything going wrong…!'
Watching this, I prayed inwardly to every god I could think of that nothing would happen…
Ding.
At the same time, a clear chime rang out,
the potion bottle became empty.
[The trait 'Dragon Eyes' activates.]
[Ryu Serin]
Level: 0
Status: Mana Overload (deactivated)
"……Serin?"
I whispered softly.
Though I'd called her name thousands of times over the past few years and never received an answer.
This time was different.
"Mmm…?"
My little sister's eyelashes fluttered.
Her eyelids slowly lifted.
Blue eyes turned toward me.
"Big brother?"
"Ah, you recognize me? Do you remember your big brother?"
"Yeah. But, muscles…."
After that, she looked me over from my feet upward.
Rare-grade shoes.
The new clothes I'd just bought on the employee's recommendation.
Muscles honed through manual labor.
Finally, my face.
"Big brother? Are you crying…?"
"……."
My vision blurred.
Something hot ran down my cheek.
"Sniff, honestly…."
Maybe she found my crying funny.
Serin slowly sat up.
Her clothes became disheveled from the movement, but neither of us paid any attention to that.
"No crying, that's a no-no. You always used to say that, Big Brother."
"Yeah… I did, didn't I? Yeah."
"Then stop those tears, okay? Come here~."
Then she stretched her arms toward me.
Back then, whenever I cried after being scolded by our parents,
she seemed intent on giving me back the very thing I'd often done for her: telling her to stop crying.
Because I missed that so much,
I approached her carefully.
I hugged her very gently, as though she might break.
The warmth of family enveloped me.
-Squeeze.
"There, there~ My good big brother~."
"Yeah…."
It would be fine if time stopped like this.
I truly thought so.
-Ding.
[The trait 'Dragon Eyes'….]
"……Ah."
A certain notification appeared before my eyes.
Until my tears vanished in an instant,
that's what I had thought.