Neighbor

My belongings are almost nothing.

A bed. A few sets of all-season clothes. And a high-performance computer.

Ah, there was also a flowerpot.

The flowerpot that served as Unit-01's bed.

Finally, there was one very long and very large box containing my staff.

In fact, it was luggage I could have moved by myself without even calling a moving company.

But it would have stood out too much, so I gave up on that.

Once I called a small moving truck, all my belongings fit with room to spare.

When I arrived at my new house, I was greeted by the broker.

The broker was holding a set of toilet paper rolls.

"Is that by any chance a housewarming gift?"

"…"

I stared at him with a dumbfounded look.

The broker coughed awkwardly and averted his gaze.

The house was a one-story detached home about a ten-minute walk from the Tower.

A high wall surrounded the property, making it impossible to look inside from outside.

I especially liked that.

It even had a small, cozy yard.

Above all, the most important thing was the basement.

"He said it was about the same as most guild training facilities."

"Then it's worth the price."

According to the broker, the basement was fully equipped with soundproofing and dustproofing.

I intended to use the basement as a training room.

From now on, whenever I learned a new spell, I no longer had to go to an elementary school playground or a park.

I nodded in satisfaction.

Setting up the furniture was over in an instant.

I simply didn't have much luggage.

Once I finished, there was far too little furniture for such a large house.

The empty living room held nothing but a computer desk, a chair, and a bed in the corner.

It looked less like a house and more like a storage room.

"How is anyone supposed to live alone in such a barren house?"

The broker clicked his tongue as he looked around the empty house.

I could hear concern in his voice.

He started lecturing me to at least get a sofa and a table.

But I didn't really care.

All I needed was one computer and one bed.

Any other furniture would just be a nuisance taking up space.

Even if I had a bookshelf or a wardrobe, I wouldn't have anything to put in them.

And I'd never have guests, so there was no need for a sofa or table in the living room.

"It does look a bit empty... Still, I suppose I'll get used to it."

"Well, of course. It's because this is your first time living in a place like this."

At my casual reply, the broker let out a deep sigh.

He seemed to realize there was no point in saying anything else to me.

"If you ever need anything, call me anytime. I'll look into it for you."

After saying that, the broker went back to his office.

I stood in the empty living room, blankly watching him leave.

Once the door closed, perfect silence remained inside the house.

Suddenly, I remembered the manager role Beetle had mentioned a few days ago.

If I ended up working under an official A-rank Hunter title later on, there would surely be many things that would be hard to handle.

When that time came, I would need someone's help.

If I were going to assign a manager, wouldn't that old man be the most trustworthy person?

The fact that he was an illegal broker did bother me.

But the way he had acted toward me so far seemed like more than just a business partner.

"Well, that's still a long way off..."

I shook my head and brushed away the stray thoughts.

Relationships with other people are just a headache.

I can think about it later. Much later.

I went down to the basement.

When the heavy soundproof door opened, a neat training room spread out before me.

The walls were finished with a special material excellent at absorbing impact.

Weapons and training dummies were neatly arranged on one side.

I nodded in satisfaction.

There was just one thing I found disappointing.

The training room floor wasn't sand.

A space without sand was meaningless to me.

"Should I just go out to the playground for a bit and scoop some up..."

But I quickly shook my head.

I wasn't short on money anymore, so there was no need to have a thief's mentality.

I should buy it and use it now. Very high-quality sand, too.

I immediately took out my phone and ordered a large amount of premium fine sand.

Thanks to the hunter rocket-delivery service, several huge sacks of sand were delivered to my front door before evening.

I moved enough sand to fill the basement floor.

The training room was instantly transformed into a cozy sandy beach.

With a little water, it would feel like I was at the beach.

When I walked barefoot on it, pleasantly soft sand slipped up between my toes.

I took Unit-01, wriggling around in the flowerpot, and set it down on the sand.

"From now on, this is your room."

At my words, Unit-01 looked around in confusion for a moment.

Before long, once it felt the soft sensation under its feet, the little guy started bouncing in place happily.

That made me smile too.

Since it had come to this, I might as well set up the basement as Unit-01's dedicated space.

I drove my staff deep into the middle of the training room.

A faint magical power spread from the tip of the staff and seeped into the sand filling the basement.

I could feel that Unit-01 liked it even more.

It circled the staff over and over, unable to contain its joy.

"Hey, don't you dare pull that out and swing it around."

I gave Unit-01 a stern warning.

Once I planted the staff there, I could feel the mana circulation throughout the entire basement change.

It was like turning on an air purifier in a stuffy room.

Anyway, the basement was now a room for Unit-01 to train in.

After all, I didn't need to train.

Would a lion even train...?

Training is a despicable thing for the strong.

I looked over the training equipment around me.

Wooden dummies and sandbags. Dumbbells of various weights, and all kinds of weapons.

These were perfect conditions for Unit-01 to practice spear techniques or close-quarters combat.

I was a little worried that its growth had stalled because I hadn't been able to take it to the Tower lately, but my grand dream of clearing the Tower with an endless sand army was still far from over.

And leading that dream would be this guy, Unit-01.

"I bought you something expensive, so you need to work hard, okay?"

The moment Unit-01 heard me, its expression turned cold in an instant, but once I said I'd add an extra hour of phone time, it obediently picked up the training spear.

Carrot and stick really are the best.

I left the basement to Unit-01 and went upstairs.

"Phew. So that's the move, huh..."

As I stretched, my stiff back crackled.

I stood in the middle of the empty living room.

"Yeah, the house does look a little empty."

There was nothing on the walls, and the only furniture was the computer desk and the bed.

My footsteps echoed through the empty space.

"Did I choose a house that's too big for one person?"

A subtle feeling I'd never experienced in my life welled up in a corner of my chest. Loneliness, and a strange sense of emptiness.

I quickly emptied my mind.

If I needed to, I could just bring the staff from the basement and make marble furniture.

A sofa, a table, a display cabinet.

If I put my mind to it, I could probably decorate this house like a palace.

And more than anything, I had the internet.

As long as I had that, an empty house like this was no problem at all.

"Forget it, I should just go into the Tower. I feel like I'm really going to level up this time."

I shook my head.

Such sentimental thoughts don't suit me.

I was about due for a level up anyway, so this was no time to waste on useless thoughts.

Just then.

Ding-dong-.

The doorbell broke the silence.

Frowning, I checked the intercom screen.

On the screen stood a large man wearing a suit that didn't suit him at all.

Not wanting to let a stranger into the yard, I went straight out to the gate myself.

When I opened the door, a gleaming luxury black sedan came into view behind the man.

That face looked tired yet rough, like a gangster's.

'I feel like I've seen him somewhere before.'

Just as I was rummaging through my memory,

the man looked me up and down and asked in a sharp voice,

"Where are your parents?"

Damn it. How long am I supposed to keep living like this, being looked down on?

This damn, tiresome routine never ended.

I almost answered, "They're not here?" but held back.

"They're on a trip."

"A trip? On moving day?"

The man twitched his brows suspiciously.

He pressed in relentlessly.

"When are they coming back? I need to meet the two of them."

"Who are you to ask that, sir?"

"Ha, you don't know who I am? Well, I guess a kid might not..."

At my question, a faint wrinkle formed between the man's brows.

Apparently annoyed that I didn't know him, the man cleared his throat once and introduced himself.

"I am Jung Manho, guild master of Ironblood and the ruler of Daejeon."

Jung Manho spoke as if he were a king.

The fact that he had called himself the ruler of Daejeon out loud. Wasn't he ashamed?

I muttered inwardly.

"I'm the one in charge of this area. If a new hunter has moved in, I need to know. By any chance, what rank are your parents?"

Jung Manho.

The moment I heard that name, the blurred fragments of memory clicked into place.

The man who had faced off against Jung Taeyeon at the Unique Axe auction.

And the ruler of Daejeon that Kim Suho had told me about.

He'd definitely said he was parked on the 27th floor, right?

I decided to bluff my way through and end this annoying situation.

"Uh... I'm not really sure about that. In any case, you must have a hard time."

"That's right, you know a thing or two. Holding down this post isn't easy."

"Ah, um, yes."

At my answer, Jung Manho wore a satisfied expression.

It seemed he thought I had acknowledged his authority.

"Anyway, this is a house I used as a vacation home.... Tell your parents I was shocked when someone suddenly moved in."

"Ah, so you were the previous owner?"

"No, the owner was someone else. But since it was vacant, I used it."

"Huh? What do you mean..."

For a moment, I doubted my own ears.

So he was saying he had simply used a house with an actual owner as he pleased just because it was vacant?

"Nothing in Daejeon happens without my permission. What's the big deal about using one empty house?"

Seeing my expression, Jung Manho said it as if he were teaching me the way of the world.

"Everything in Daejeon is practically mine. Keep that in mind."

I clicked my tongue inwardly.

He was nothing more than a neighborhood gang boss.

Jung Manho turned away and got into the sedan as if he had no further business here.

"How can you go around confidently saying things like you're the ruler of Daejeon..."

If he'd called himself the ruler of Incheon, at least it might have sounded cool.

The ruler of Daejeon had absolutely no style.

"What? It's the house right next door. Why did he come here in a car?"

I muttered as I watched the sedan stop not long after.

He was a ridiculous man in every respect.

***

The moment the door closed, it completely shut out the noise outside.

Inside the car, Jung Manho loosened his stiff shoulders.

'Could the person who moved in really not be A-rank? I don't think there was anyone with a kid that young...'

But he couldn't be certain.

If that were true, things would get really troublesome.

Jung Manho knew himself well.

He was on the weaker side among A-rank hunters.

By some stroke of luck, he had managed to climb to the 27th floor. He had barely scraped by and only just attained A-rank.

But he had neither the ability nor the will to go any higher.

What if another A-rank came to cause trouble in his territory?

There'd be no way to stop them. Just thinking about it made him dizzy.

'No. I can't let that happen.'

Jung Manho pulled out his phone.

He entered the group chat made up only of A-rank hunters.

He checked the chat he had sent before stopping by next door.

[Does anyone happen to have moved to Daejeon recently?]

The numbers beside the message were all gone, but the chat room was still quiet.

A perfect case of being left on read.

But Jung Manho actually felt relieved.

'Then it doesn't seem like there's really anyone here to come after me.'

Just then.

A notification sounded.

Only one person, Jung Taeyeon, replied.

[Jung Taeyeon: There are still 20 days left on the Daejeon Tower collapse countdown, right? When are you going to climb?]

"No, seriously, what the hell-"

Jung Manho almost blurted out a curse without realizing it.

'Does that woman really have a grudge against the Tower or something?'

He had no idea why she kept saying things like that every time she breathed.

Tower collapse countdown.

If a Tower didn't set a new highest floor within a certain period, it collapsed.

Just hearing that term made Jung Manho feel sick.

Common sense says it's safest to keep climbing steadily right up to the last day, doesn't it?

Why even ask something so obvious?

Of course, if you wanted to level up and get stronger, climbing quickly was the right move, but Jung Manho had no such ambition.

This spot suited him perfectly.

'Ah, I don't want to go into the Tower. I really don't.'

He wanted to stay parked on the 27th floor for life and live it up as Daejeon's king.

That damn countdown.

Jung Manho sighed inwardly.

***

As soon as the next day came, I headed to the 22nd floor.

My first Tower visit after moving.

Since the Tower and my house were now only five minutes apart, there was definitely less risk of people noticing me.

Though if the Tower collapsed, my house would be the first thing to get smashed.

Because I'm here, there's no way this Tower will collapse now.

When I reached the 22nd floor, the familiar scenery of the abandoned mine greeted me. And familiar enemies, too.

Whiiiiing!

From beyond the abandoned mine, the huge drill I'd met on the 21st floor appeared with a deafening roar.

This time there wasn't just one.

Two drills appeared from both sides as if they were pincering me.

Meanwhile, kobolds I hadn't seen last time were swarming between them.

I decided to deal with them the same way as before.

First, the annoying trash mobs.

I lightly drove my staff into the ground with a thud.

At my will, the ground trembled slightly.

Massive boulders poured down from the ceiling directly above the kobolds.

"Kieeeek!"

The kobolds were flattened in an instant.

All that remained were the machines.

I poured power into my staff again.

At my will, the cave walls moved as if they were alive.

The cave walls, writhing like the insides of a living creature, firmly seized the two drills.

Now it was time for the real thing.

I walked up to the drill spinning in place.

I brought my finger to its tip.

Weathering.

If I turned these guys entirely into sand, I wouldn't be able to get the core.

I had to precisely shave off only the outer armor.

I focused my mind.

It was like using an excavator's rough arm to shut off a faucet.

Chwararararak-.

But I succeeded.

Starting from where my fingertip touched, the hard armor peeled away like a shell and scattered as fine sand.

At last, the complex machinery and engine beneath were revealed.

And at the center, a core pulsing with red light.

"Looks similar."

This core definitely looked a lot like the Heart of the Mountain.

Without hesitation, I reached out and detached the core.

I did the same to the other drill.

In total, two machine cores ended up in my hands.

I took the Heart of the Mountain out of my coat and held it above them.

The cores melted like liquid, flowing as if they were being sucked into the item's cracks.

Each time it absorbed a core, the red light leaking from the Heart's cracks grew even clearer and more intense.

It definitely felt like the enhancement had succeeded.

I smiled in satisfaction.

[Congratulations on clearing Tower 22nd Floor (EXTREME).]

At last, the clear message I'd been waiting for appeared.

And the next moment, three skill books appeared before my eyes.

All three were a faint silver.

Soon, one of them began to change.

[First-clear bonus applied!]

[Rank 1 bonus applied!]

The silver light instantly transformed into brilliant golden light.

The golden light then evolved one step further into platinum.

A platinum-grade skill book.

"This time it has to be an attack skill, right?"

I held a faint expectation.

Now I can use rock, too.

Then maybe a rock-related skill could come out, right?

Like a meteor, or an earthquake.

With excited anticipation, I reached toward the platinum skill book.

But contrary to my expectations, it wasn't an attack skill. It was a passive.

[Passive Skill: Mineral Devourer]

[Your digestive system and teeth become stronger.]

[By consuming minerals, you can strengthen the power dwelling within your body.]

[You can imbue magic with the unique properties of minerals.]

"What is this?"