Chapter 4
After finishing my meal, I lay on my bed, thinking about the day.
I got fired from my part-time job.
I entered the Tower for the first time since awakening.
And yet, I gained nothing.
Well, there was the Growth Stone I gave to Nika and the Return Stone I still had in my hand.
The Return Stone is like a spare life. It’ll probably be useful later.
But seriously, why are the rewards so stingy? Is it because it’s a lower floor?
I dreamed of striking it rich, but there’s nothing of value.
【Delicious!】
Was the Growth Stone she ate earlier that tasty?
If so, that’s fine.
【Cooldown has refreshed.】
Oh, right. I was so busy I forgot to use the skill today.
“Random Summon.”
【Congratulations! You have obtained a giant rabbit plush.】
When I checked my inventory, there was a cute rabbit plush.
A really huge one at that.
Will my sister like it?
I took the plush and knocked on her door. When she said “Come in,” I opened the door to see her lying on her bed.
My sister looked at the plush I was holding with wide eyes.
“Wh-what is that?”
“I picked it up on the way.”
She muttered that I wasted money on something unnecessary, but I caught her whispering a soft “thank you.”
This girl—who does she take after to be so bad at being honest?
…Is it me?
After giving her the plush, I returned to my room and hugged Nika as I lay down on the bed.
【I love this!】
I’ll enter the Tower again tomorrow.
It’s scary, but with Nika, I think I can manage.
No, wait. What if something happens? I should get some gear.
But where would I get the money for that? If I had money, I’d spend it on my sister’s rehabilitation.
Money, money, money… everything needs money.
***
The Hall of Fame’s 1st-floor record was updated.
【Hall of Fame】
A system that registers awakened ones with the fastest records for each floor, displaying rankings from 1st to 3rd place.
【1st Floor Ranking 1st Place Clear Time: 59 seconds】
【1st Floor Ranking 2nd Place Clear Time: 10 minutes, 52 seconds】
【1st Floor Ranking 3rd Place Clear Time: 13 minutes, 42 seconds】
Is this even possible?
They say the 1st floor is the weakest, with Horned Rabbits appearing.
But those rabbits are nearly 2 meters tall with massive muscles.
A recently awakened person would die instantly if they entered recklessly.
Even professionally trained awakened ones must lure them out one at a time to hunt them.
But judging by these records, it seems like they were hunted in groups. How is that even possible?
Because of the Hall of Fame, every guild is desperate to find awakened ones, but the Sky Guild is especially determined.
With this level of ability, the person must be close to S-rank.
After losing the 13th S-rank awakened one to a rival guild, their position has weakened. This is their chance.
“Find them immediately. We must recruit them into our guild.”
“Understood, Guild Master.”
The secretary left the room after saying those words.
The secretary’s tracking skills are excellent, so news should come soon.
The question is, what negotiation terms will they demand? How much will they want?
No matter what they ask, it doesn’t matter—as long as it’s not an astronomical amount.
At most, they’d ask for 10 billion won.
For the average person, 10 billion is a sum they couldn’t even dream of seeing in their lifetime.
The plan is to offer a contract fee, tie them to the guild with a penalty clause, and grow them to monopolize the Gates.
It’s a perfect plan.
***
“I’m off to my part-time job.”
“Be careful, oppa.”
I feel bad for my sister, but I have to climb the Tower.
I need to get an Elixir and, in the meantime, earn money to live.
I’ll sell items on the black market.
Technically, unregistered awakened ones are illegal, but I registered three years ago.
And being D-rank, no one suspects a thing. It’s the perfect alibi.
Still, it feels a little sad.
Anyway, I’ll use this situation to save as much money as possible.
I thought about joining a guild, but I’ve put it on hold.
If I join, my identity will be exposed.
It’s too dangerous for now. I don’t fully understand the extent of Nika’s power, and if the guild discovers any weaknesses, it’ll be a disaster.
To avoid detection, I entered a private room in a manga café and locked the door.
“Enter!”
【Entering the Tower.】
I arrived at the Tower’s massive entrance. As the door opened, a message appeared.
【Do you wish to enter the 2nd floor?】
Accept / Decline
“Accept!”
【Entering the 2nd floor.】
───────────────
【2nd Floor Mission: Hunt 15 Winged Rabbits!】
【Time Limit: 3 hours.】
───────────────
Winged rabbits with small wings on their backs flee by flying into the sky when they sense danger.
Additionally, starting from the 2nd floor, a time limit is imposed.
The rabbits, having noticed me, flew around in the sky. They didn’t seem intent on attacking and instead made mocking sounds as if laughing at me.
In other words, they were taunting me to try and catch them.
This enraged Nika.
【How dare you!】
“Nika, I’m counting on you.”
【Leave it to me!】
Nika transformed into her massive form and flew into the air to hunt the rabbits.
Wait a minute—she can fly!?
One by one, Nika hunted them down until, at some point, she had taken care of all 15 rabbits.
As she approached me, blood dripped from her mouth. Her menacing smile made her look truly terrifying.
───────────────
【15/15 Defeated.】
───────────────
【Mission Complete!】
Rewards will be distributed.
【New record achieved on the 2nd floor!】
You have been registered in the Hall of Fame.
【Do you wish to proceed to the next floor?】
Accept / Decline
“Decline.”
【Exiting the Tower.】
This is my rule.
Clear only one floor per day.
The Tower is a place where it wouldn’t be strange to die at any moment.
Even though Nika protects me, recklessly climbing the Tower could lead to death.
And if I die, what about my sister…?
It’s terrifying to even imagine.
I need to prepare as much as I can by gathering information about the next floor from the forums.
Currently, Korea has cleared up to the 50th floor.
The U.S. is in 2nd place at the 48th floor, while China and Japan share 3rd place at the 45th floor.
Other countries are trailing far behind and are in precarious situations.
My phone buzzed suddenly. Checking it, I saw it was Capital.
“We’ve made the deposit.”
“Alright. Next time, make it in the morning.”
On days when they make deposits, the conversations are this civil. On other days, voices are raised.
Back when the “accident” happened to my sister, I was in such a rush that I used Capital, and now the debt is no joke.
Sighing, I checked the items I received as rewards for clearing the 2nd floor: a Growth Stone and a Magic Stone.
I gifted the Growth Stone to Nika and checked the Magic Stone. It was surprisingly heavy.
This should fetch me a decent sum.
I listed it on the black market, and a buyer showed up almost instantly.
The black market ensures anonymity, but its transaction process is strict.
A black market employee visits to collect the item, delivers it to the buyer, and deposits the payment into your account.
Since the operation is global, it’s reliable and convenient, but the downside is the steep commission fees.
They take 30% of the selling price as a commission.
There was a knock at the door.
I handed over the Magic Stone to the employee, and shortly after, the payment appeared in my account.
Do they have teleportation abilities or something? That was insanely fast.
【Web Notification】
Electronic Funds Transfer
6,700,000 won
Balance: 6,900,450 won
A whopping 3.3 million won went to commission fees.
But there’s no helping it.
My safety is the most important thing.
Still, I made some decent money today. Should I buy something nice for my sister?
I stopped by to buy pork belly on the way home, and my sister greeted me when I arrived.
“You’re home early today. What’s that in your hands?”
“Pork belly.”
“R-really!?”
She looked at me with wide eyes, like someone who had been starved. Anyone watching would think I never fed her.
It’s unfair—I always made sure she ate, even if I skipped meals.
Telling her to wait a bit, I went to the kitchen. I started cooking rice and timed it to finish as I grilled the pork belly, which filled the house with a savory aroma.
The fragrant smell of grilled meat spread through the entire house.
“Time to eat!”
“It’s not ready yet!”
When I turned around, my sister was already standing there, holding chopsticks and a spoon, drooling as she stared at me.
She’s always quick at times like these.
“It’s almost ready. Just wait a little longer.”
“Okay!”
Seeing her eagerly waiting with sparkling eyes, I chuckled and took out some ssamjang, sliced green onions, and onions I bought earlier.
I served her a bowl of rice and sliced the pork belly into bite-sized pieces. The moment I placed them in front of her, chopsticks darted forward.
“Hold on! Aren’t you forgetting something?”
“Thank you for the food!”
A leaky pot leaks both inside and out.
If nothing else, I’ll make sure she learns proper manners.
—
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