Chapter 17: Above the Running Hunter is the Flying Saintess.
by fnovelpia
It seems like the old man has some complaints about the guild too.
He started talking to me about various things.
“Well, it’s true that those hunter punks make their own rules as they please. I’ve heard that in a place where strength is everything, even some criminals are mixed in.”
“That’s why it’s such a mess, isn’t it? Anyway.”
Before I knew it, we had reached the very end of the 3rd floor.
There was nothing left, as I had destroyed everything.
As expected, there was a keyhole at the door at the end of the 3rd floor.
When I held up the Key of Bulaka, it fit perfectly.
“Hey, do the boss monsters here, like that golden wraith, respawn?”
If this key shows up multiple times, that could be a problem.
“No, I don’t think so. I haven’t seen any elite monsters respawn so far. The golden wraith that dropped the key is probably the last one.”
“Hm, well, that’s a relief.”
Good thing I got here first.
If the hunter punks had gotten it, their arrogance would’ve been unbearable.
I can already imagine them fighting over this key.
Sure, they’d probably open the door while pretending to cooperate as a ‘union.’
But now the key is mine.
“I’ve gathered all the cloth pieces.”
“Good job. Now let’s head out.”
Let’s stop here for today.
No need to be greedy, especially since I don’t even know how many floors are left.
“Just like that?”
“Yes, I’m not planning to climb all the way up today.”
I could do it alone, but it would take too long, and that would be annoying.
It’s not a bad idea to push through quickly, though. Maybe I should bring along that elf guy who was corrupted, then regained his memories and was filled with self-loathing.
Returnees like him would know the ways of the other world, so they could help with relics.
“Well, I guess you must be tired. I’m not planning to use all this stuff right now either.”
“You don’t have an inventory box?”
“Huh? What’s that?”
Seriously, he doesn’t even know that?
“Ah, come on. This is like when a dad gets dragged along for his daughter’s shopping trip.”
I stashed everything neatly in my inventory.
There’s a lot of cloth, but somehow it all fit.
This inventory box is bigger than I thought.
“Can’t we just use a portal stone? Do we really need to carry all this? Though I admit, that would be more convenient.”
“We’ll use the portal, but let’s mess with them a bit first.”
It seems like I’ve cleaned out all the wraiths.
“How?”
“Watch closely.”
We descended from the 3rd floor to the 2nd floor, leaving the cleared area behind.
Sure enough, those punks with bad attitudes were waiting, ready to mock me.
Yoo Ji-ho or whoever wasn’t there, but it looked like the other hunters were hoping for a good laugh at my expense.
“Oh, so you’re still alive?”
“And looking pretty fine, too.”
“Looks like you didn’t get anything and just wandered around up there.”
“Well, that makes sense. No matter how strong you are, you can’t do it all by yourself.”
“Honestly, weren’t you just waiting for us to come back?”
Oh, so that’s what it was.
They expected me to climb ahead and then regret it, coming back down to ask for help.
They wanted to see me grovel.
They have no idea what’s coming.
I walked past them casually.
Those jerks were laughing at me, but I just left them with a meaningful smile.
Typical hunters—what awful personalities.
“Hey, aren’t you bothered by them mocking you like that? Shouldn’t you do something?”
This old man still doesn’t get it.
“Sir, those fools will head up to the 3rd floor and… there’ll be nothing but destruction. What do you think will happen?”
They’re all laughing at me now, but once they reach the 3rd floor and see it completely empty, they’ll be crushed.
And they’ll feel ashamed for mocking me without even knowing their place.
Some might even come after me, trying to claim the relic.
“Ah…”
“That’s how it works. A professional acts like a professional. A saintess behaves like a saintess.”
I grinned widely.
How benevolent my smile must be!
Yet the old man was looking uneasy.
Oh, come on! Really?
“I don’t know about you being a saintess, but okay, I get it.”
“Let’s sell all the cloth. Did you grab the elixir?”
“I have a portal stone, so I can carry everything out.”
That’s not enough.
“Alright. Let’s sell the cloth then.”
“Is there a reason to sell it immediately?”
“Didn’t you say the cloth is expensive? Even with the portal stone, can you carry all that?”
Probably not.
“You’re not planning to give it all to me, are you?”
“Well, I did set some aside just in case, but I’m not in a rush for money. Sell everything for cash and put it in your account. That way, if any of those hunters try to extort you later, they won’t know.”
Seeing how those hunters are, they’ll definitely come back and try to threaten him.
I can’t let that happen.
Definitely not.
“Ah, got it.”
“Let me take a quick picture as proof.”
I had to post about clearing the 3rd floor of the Tower of Destruction.
“Shall we sell the items in Seoul, then?”
“Oh, do you live in Seoul?”
“Yeah, I live near the Management Bureau.”
“Sounds good.”
I took the old man with me and we headed to Seoul.
The Management Bureau buys items, but they usually pay the standard price.
At least this way, the old man wouldn’t be hassled by other hunters.
*
Tower of Destruction, 3rd Floor.
As Karina left the tower, the hunters climbed to the 3rd floor, mocking the saintess.
“So, she went up alone so confidently, and that’s all she could manage?”
“Look at that old guy next to her. Trusting some girl like that, how pathetic.”
She beat up those hunters with confidence, but now look at her—too funny, right?
“Come on, stop. She wasn’t just any ordinary fighter.”
“True, she was skilled. If she’s a returnee, she’d be a great addition to any guild.”
Yoo Ji-ho had never seen a woman with that level of power before.
Especially when she took down Choi Ji-ae, known as ‘Lightspeed,’ barehanded.
That wasn’t just ordinary strength.
Her personality was a bit off, and she didn’t seem familiar with the scene here, but with the right training, she’d be a valuable asset to a guild.
“Why’s everyone just standing there?”
The hunters who went up ahead were just standing, doing nothing.
Curious, Ji-ho pushed past them and looked ahead, only to see the 3rd floor completely destroyed, like a battlefield.
“This is insane.”
In this tower, monsters usually respawn after some time.
The fact that nothing was left meant that the saintess had wiped out all the monsters on that floor.
And judging by the traces, they were all wraiths.
She defeated them all.
“She really was an extraordinary saintess.”
“Why are you all just standing there? Even if she cleared the 3rd floor, she didn’t reach the 4th. Let’s be the ones to clear it!”
One of the hunters shouted in hope, but Yoo Ji-ho had a different thought.
Did the saintess really just leave?
He felt an uneasy sense of foreboding.
He went to the far end of the 3rd floor and saw a massive door with a keyhole.
“So, this was it.”
The saintess had the key.
Perhaps now there was an additional reason to approach her.
But Yoo Ji-ho wasn’t the only one staring at the remnants of the 3rd floor.
Park Yu-jeong of the White Guild, who arrived late, saw the scene left behind by her long-lost sister.
“Oppa.”
She wondered when they’d finally be able to meet and talk.
She could look for her, but it seemed better to wait for a chance encounter.
For now, she decided to wait for the next opportunity.
*
After parting ways with the old man, I went home and immediately posted the picture and text online.
—
[Author: HeadSmasherSaint]
[Title: Cleared the 3rd Floor of Destruction Tower ᄉ]
[Image: A pile of wraith cloth fragments]
[Comments]
100-Year-Old Succubus: What? Did you really clear an entire floor by yourself?
└ HeadSmasherSaint: I was a bit bored.
100-Year-Aged Succubus: Can I get a bit of that cloth? There’s not much on the market. I want to make some underwear.
└ HeadSmasherSaint: Leave your address in the guestbook, and I’ll send some.
Siren’s Baby: I’ll leave mine too.
└ HeadSmasherSaint: Okay. Mermaid Princess: I’ll leave mine as well.
└ HeadSmasherSaint: Sure.
Revolutionary Leader: Did you also defeat the Golden Wraith? Alone? Wow, that’s impressive. What did you get?
└ HeadSmasherSaint: It’s nothing much, just an elixir.
Revolutionary Leader: Wow, that’s rare. There’s none on the market.
└ HeadSmasherSaint: I didn’t need it, so I gave it to a random old guy with a daughter fighting cancer.
└ 100-Year Crafting: So, the 3rd floor was a wraith room, huh…
Revolutionary Leader: Wait, that could be a lie, you know…
—
Trolling the forum is always fun.
From the reactions, it seems clearing a floor of the tower is pretty tough for these people.
“Wow, they’re reacting well.”
-Don’t you think this might become a big deal?
“Why? No one’s saying anything particularly bad.”
-That’s because you’re only on the Returnee forum.
“Is that so?”
-Let’s check out the other forums while we’re at it.
“Sure.”
Now I was curious.
I entered the Hunter forum and clicked on one of the popular posts.
—
[Author: ᄋᄋ(1xx.2xx)]
[Title: You Bastards!]
You pathetic king wannabes and so-called heroes!
Why’d you stop me?
I wanted to follow that crazy nun and grab some items, but you stopped me!
You crazy bastards!
What?
You said she couldn’t have cleared the 3rd floor?
“Look at that old guy next to her. Trusting some girl like that, how pathetic.”
Is that what you said?
Idiots!
So, what was on the 3rd floor?
Haha, you guys are such idiots.
You laughed at her, but did you also cause trouble for other guilds?
Just go off yourselves.
Oh, wait.
One of you already did, didn’t you?
One guy lost his arm, and the other, his leg?
Serves you right!
[Comments] oo(1xx.1xx): Haha, they were always such show-offs. Now they’re causing trouble.
oo(5xx.1xx): Looks like the old guy picked up some sweet loot just by following that saintess.
King’s Fan Club: We were trying to help. It was one mistake. Did anyone expect her to clear the 3rd floor solo?
Loo(1xx.2xx): Sure, sure. Then why didn’t you go with her? You just wanted to see her fail and mess up.
King’s Fan Club: Where do you live?
Loo(1xx.2xx): With your mom, you idiot. (spit)
—
“Oh, the Hunter forum is even funnier.”
Man, this is pure entertainment.
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