Chapter 4
—
Returning to the Ronin Guild in Wolgok-dong, the first thing Hyukmin did was sell the magical stones he had obtained from the orcs.
When he pulled one out of the Inventory to show the lobby staff, they immediately began the appraisal process.
“Where did you get this?”
“Why do you ask?”
The staff member couldn’t answer right away.
It was obvious what they were thinking as their eyes scanned him up and down.
“You don’t exactly look like someone who could take down an orc…”
“That’s not what I meant…”
“Do you need special qualifications to sell magical stones? As far as I know, there aren’t any regulations like that.”
When he brought up regulations, the staff member’s expression soured.
Waving their hands in apology, they repeatedly bowed their head and said,
“That’s not it. I was just curious. If I upset you, I’m sorry.”
“Thanks for the nostalgic experience.”
How long had it been since he last felt this way?
The Ronin Guild was a place where strength dictated everything, to the point where even staff members would look down on someone they perceived as weak.
Except for his childhood, it had been ages since Hyukmin had experienced this kind of disdain and dismissal from a staff member.
He muttered quietly, as if talking to himself.
“Are there still staff members who judge people by appearances? Should I make a scene?”
The staff member’s smug and confident expression quickly turned pale.
Of course, Hyukmin had spoken loudly enough to be heard.
Seeing the staff member’s expression change so drastically confirmed for him that he had indeed returned to the Ronin Guild.
“I-I’ll check it right away!”
The Ronin Guild was a savage world where anyone could enter but the weak were devoured.
That’s what it had always been.
“You think I came here to sell just one?”
“Excuse me…?”
“Hold out your hands.”
The staff member obediently extended their hands, their expression now submissive.
Hyukmin placed all the magical stones he had stored in the Inventory into their hands.
The staff member’s expression went blank.
Their gaze, lost in the empty air, made it clear what they were thinking.
“Don’t worry about it.”
Since he hadn’t allowed them to access his Status Window, the staff must have thought he had pulled the stones out of thin air.
Given that no one in this era understood the concept of an Inventory, it wasn’t surprising for them to react like this.
To them, it must have looked like he had used some high-level skill.
Maybe that was why.
“It’ll take… no, just five minutes! Please wait a moment!”
The staff member’s attitude had done a complete 180 from their earlier arrogance.
To them, Hyukmin was no longer some pale, scrawny shut-in who didn’t understand the world.
Now, he was a Ronin with an extraordinary skill they had never seen before.
“As they say, harsh words in, harsh words out. That aside, I wonder how much I’ll get.”
He chuckled softly.
“This might be for the best. I wasn’t sure about the current market rates, but now they can’t cheat me.”
As expected.
Perhaps to make up for their earlier behaviour, the staff member hurried back, presenting a detailed breakdown of the prices, down to the last won, and explained the total amount for the magical stones he had brought.
“Here you go!”
“Good work.”
There was no haggling.
They bought the stones at the exact price listed in the calculations, allowing Hyukmin to sell them at a high price.
= = =
As soon as he stepped out of the Ronin Guild, he checked his Status Window.
== Status Window ==
[Name]: Bang Hyukmin.
[Level]: 11
[Profession]: None.
[Stats]:
Strength – 24
Agility – 30
Intelligence – 16
Stamina – 16
Mana – 12
=======
Those orcs must have been relatively high-level monsters.
He had only killed about 30 of them, yet he had leveled up seven times.
On top of that, the “Pioneer” title, which added +10 to all stats, had played a significant role.
“Stats like this at level 11.”
Normally, he wouldn’t have these stats until he was well past level 20.
A laugh escaped his lips.
And then, a sudden wave of realization hit him.
“This is absurd.”
In his previous life, it had taken him three years to achieve these levels and stats.
Yet now, he had accomplished it in just a single day.
Though it was undoubtedly a good thing, a sense of emptiness crept over him, leaving him at a loss for words.
“Still, I didn’t slack off back then. The method was just wrong.”
Most importantly, he had been too young.
He couldn’t see the forest for the trees, focusing only on what was right in front of him.
He had been hungry and in need of a safe place to sleep.
That was all he had cared about.
“Anyway, it’s all for the better.”
There was no time to dwell on pleasant thoughts.
Even at this moment, Chung-ho and Hanbit could be up to something despicable.
He needed to act to prepare for his next move.
‘Unlike before, now I have to look at the forest, not just the trees.’
He checked the cooldown timer for Regression Mode floating in the air.
[1 hour 32 minutes]
“One hour should be enough.”
Following the plan he had laid out before leaving home,
he hopped into a taxi with his newly stuffed wallet.
= = =
The giant tower in Jamsil, said to have inspired the design of Dotta Tower by a famous conglomerate, pierced the clouds so high that its peak was invisible.
“It’s the same as in the future.”
Even after traveling this road for over 40 years, the streets, bustling with countless people, still made him shake his head.
He arrived at the tower’s entrance.
Even though this area was restricted to those entering the tower, a significant number of people stood gathered on either side.
“Here! Clearing from the 50th floor! Anyone available, come join us!”
“Level grinding on the 40th floor! Only those willing to stay up all night, join us!”
“Looking for help on the 45th floor for 400! Price negotiable!”
In the distance, someone raising their hand could be seen recruiting party members to clear the tower.
If someone was recruiting a party, they were most likely a Ronin without a guild.
No, most of the people standing here were likely Ronin.
Guild employees didn’t need to form parties in this way because their teams were already made up of guild members.
“Excuse me! Which floor are you heading to?”
Thinking they might be calling out to him, Hyukmin glanced to his side.
But the Ronin who had called out was speaking to someone walking just past Hyukmin.
As he walked a little further, more people near him were approached, like fish caught on a hook, disappearing with those who had recruited them.
Most of the people here were quickly contacted and taken away to join parties—except for Hyukmin.
‘If I were them, I wouldn’t party with someone like me either.’
Just look at him.
Though his stats had increased, giving him more muscle and making him appear somewhat human, he still looked far too scrawny and young to be considered a proper Ronin.
No one aiming to clear the tower would take on someone who looked like they needed help themselves.
Even Hyukmin in his previous life would have avoided someone like this at all costs.
“Honestly, it’s better this way.”
Looking like this worked to his advantage.
The tower was about to become the highlight of his day, as significant as the dimensional bag he had already obtained.
And the place he was headed was somewhere that could only be entered alone.
“Not far now.”
With that, he arrived at the dark entrance of the tower.
Ignoring the snickering sounds coming from behind, he stretched lightly before stepping into the dungeon.
= = =
[You have entered the tower.]
[The only accessible floor is ‘Floor 1.’]
Whoosh.
Dozens of torches flared to life, illuminating the once-dark interior.
“So, only one floor is available to me right now.”
Normally, upon passing the tower’s entrance, one would see a system message prompting them to choose a floor using their Status Window.
Then, they would select a floor from 1 up to the highest level they had previously reached.
But for Hyukmin, who had never climbed the tower before, there were no available floors.
This meant he had to start directly from the first floor without any choice.
“Alright, let’s get started.”
The first five floors were practically tutorials.
No monsters appeared, and the floors could only be cleared by solving simple puzzles.
As long as one didn’t trigger traps, there was no danger in these floors.
However, Hyukmin cleared the first floor in less than five minutes, thanks to his exceptional memory.
Ding.
[You have cleared Floor 1.]
[Would you like to challenge Floor 2?]
[Yes / No]
“Yes.”
The floor beneath him gave way, plunging him into a dark, murky void.
As torches lit up again, the scenery changed to a cave-like environment, different from the first floor.
“System, proceed to the next floors without asking until Floor 6.”
[1 hour 2 minutes remaining.]
“I want to reach it within 1 hour and 2 minutes.”
The time he had mentioned earlier referred to how long it would take to reach Floor 6.
Specifically, it was the time needed to obtain something as important as the dimensional bag—possibly even more important—a hidden piece.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
Using his improved stats and sharp mind, Hyukmin flawlessly solved the tower’s puzzles and continued his ascent.
= = =
[You have cleared Floor 5.]
[Proceeding to Floor 6.]
“Hoo…”
The sixth transition began.
Hyukmin had cleared all the floors from 1 to 5 solo without taking a single break.
He had completed the tutorial in under an hour.
Had it not been for his past life’s memories and his exceptional recall, this would have been impossible.
Though satisfied with the result, his smile quickly faded.
Whoosh.
The torches lit up.
“This is definitely different.”
From the start, an entirely different atmosphere brushed coldly against his skin—something he hadn’t felt during the tutorial.
The sharp smell of sweat and the metallic tang of blood pricked at his nose.
“Goblins, wasn’t it?”
Hyukmin let out a soft chuckle at the familiar scent of the tower.
That’s right. A proper tower should smell like this.
Unlike the tutorial, from Floor 6 onward, monsters spawned automatically.
Ting! Ting-ting!
“Already starting, huh?”
The sounds of battle echoed through the cave walls, coming from somewhere nearby.
“Not bad.”
In fact, hearing these sounds first was normal when entering the tower.
But having cleared the quiet tutorial floors, the noise felt oddly comforting.
Using the sounds as his companion, Hyukmin walked leisurely down the paths where others were already rushing ahead.
Meanwhile, he recalled the details of an interview with the original owner of the hidden piece.
-I found the hidden room on Floor 6, which everyone else just passed by. I was lucky. My inquisitive nature led me to touch every wall, and that’s how I discovered it.
Running his hand along the wall, he continued forward.
-It’s already over, so I’ll ask: where exactly was the hidden room?
-It’s simple. As anyone who has attempted Floor 6 knows, there are three branching paths. I always chose the left path.
Reaching the first fork in the path, he saw the monsters that earlier Ronin had killed respawning in a bright light.
Hyukmin never expected to rely on the efforts of those ahead of him anyway.
Picking up a small rock from the ground, he stared at the fully respawned monster.
‘A goblin.’
A green-skinned, bipedal monster.
Though their intelligence was extremely low, they were still capable of using tools.
The fortunate part was that they weren’t large or strong monsters like orcs or ogres.
Shwip!
Hyukmin locked eyes with three goblins that had just respawned.
They looked ready to pounce at any moment, preparing themselves for an attack. Hyukmin, too, began preparing himself.
Despite his increased stats, he judged that facing three goblins without a weapon was too risky.
“Let’s do this the safe way.”
Scanning his surroundings, he picked up a rock about the size of both his hands clasped together.
He struck the rock against a rounded boulder, splitting it in half with a loud crack.
Crack!
The impact cleaved the rock in two, revealing a surface as shiny and sharp as a black gemstone.
As expected, it was obsidian.
Unlike the obsidian found outside, the obsidian inside dungeons was significantly harder.
Properly shaped, its sharpness was enough to cut through flesh without being noticed.
Crack!
Hyukmin struck the obsidian against the boulder again.
Carefully chipping and breaking it further, he sharpened the obsidian into a blade.
“Not bad.”
Though he wanted to refine it further, he had no time.
The three goblins, growing impatient, started charging toward him.
[5 minutes]
The timer for Regression Mode showed that it was almost ready to use again.
Hyukmin adjusted his grip on the obsidian blade.
“I didn’t sync the cooldown timer just to deal with you lot.”
Unfortunately for the goblins, this wasn’t the place where he intended to use Regression Mode.
Shwip!
Watching the goblins rush toward him, Hyukmin muttered,
“Five minutes is enough. Wait for me, hidden piece.”
He sprinted toward the goblins.
The difference in stats was clear.
With three goblins present, they had the upper hand in numbers.
Yet, the confidence in Hyukmin’s stride, the way he launched off the ground, showed that he had no intention of losing.
Leaping high into the air, Hyukmin’s right foot came crashing down on the head of the leading goblin.
Thud!
The goblin let out a strangled cry as it slid back, writhing in pain.
Not stopping there, Hyukmin kicked off the ground again.
Before the remaining goblins could swing their wooden clubs, he had already launched himself toward the goblin writhing on the ground.
Though this body was far weaker than what he had in his previous life, he had already adapted to it.
The result was a seamless chain of kicks and pursuits.
Shwip!
The panicked goblins tried to change direction to follow him, but they were already too late.
Thwack!
Hyukmin’s obsidian blade sank into the neck of the fallen goblin.
Slice!
With a forceful push, the blade cut through more than half of the goblin’s neck.
Gurgle.
The goblin clutching its face gurgled blue blood as it let out its last breath.
Shhk.
Hyukmin rose slowly, blue blood dripping from the obsidian blade in his hand.
The remaining goblins froze mid-charge, stopping in their tracks as they faced the overwhelming presence of Hyukmin.
“You should be grateful. This isn’t the place where I plan to grind for experience.”
Wiping the blue blood from his body, Hyukmin hurled the obsidian blade at one of the remaining goblins.
Whish! Thud!
The blade pierced the goblin’s forehead, and it collapsed backward like a rotten tree.
The situation was over.
[1 minute]
Leaving one goblin alive, Hyukmin dashed toward the second fork in the path, where the hidden room was supposed to be.
[30 seconds]
—
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