Ch.114Level 20 Skill

# 114. Level 20 Skill

The next morning. Last night, Subin said she was going to build some camaraderie with the party members, and I told her to go ahead, but somehow the atmosphere feels different now. I can’t explain it clearly, but something, anyway, something has changed.

‘If I ask about something I can’t properly express in words, she’ll probably just stare at me with that “if you asked, you should be able to explain it, idiot” look.’

So I decided not to ask. I was curious, but not extremely curious, and the atmosphere hadn’t changed drastically either. Besides, I figured there must have been a reason they met without me.

“Good morning.”

“Yaaawn, good mornin’.”

As I waited by the door, the party members started gathering one by one. It was time to go eat breakfast.

Moving together. Eating meals together without skipping. It had become an unspoken rule that somehow established itself without anyone explicitly mentioning it.

“Let’s keep breakfast simple.”

“Right. At least we don’t need to order that Darve special thing.”

Yuri looked slightly disappointed, but facing a mountain of juicy meat first thing in the morning would be too heavy, even for the heaviest eaters.

“Ah, kind and polite guests, meow! Here for breakfast, meow?”

“Yes. Do you have any tables available?”

“Of course, meow! This way, meow!”

I wasn’t sure if she ever had days off, but the energetic waitress guided us cheerfully from early morning as usual. We ordered breakfast under her guidance. By the way, breakfast cost almost half the price of last night’s dinner.

“We should split up again here.”

“You mean reorganize the teams, right?”

“Yeah. But first, let’s clarify our objectives.”

Benas isn’t a city that’s hostile to other races like Albrant, nor is it a place with persistent flirting like Ayord. It’s a neutral zone, and as long as you follow Benas’s rules, you won’t get into any ridiculous trouble.

So there was no need for us to move around in groups of four. It was inefficient anyway.

“As always: gold, equipment, and restocking consumables.”

“That’s the baseline now, not even worth mentioning. Besides that, first priority is Arang.”

“Huh?”

“Getting Arang combat-ready. If this isn’t achieved, we can’t leave Benas.”

It might put pressure on Arang, but we needed to be clear about this from the start. Considering our future progress, it would be detrimental for Arang, who wasn’t even a non-combat class, to climb the tower in an ambiguous state.

Arang nodded with a determined expression. That was a relief.

“Yes. I’ll work hard.”

“Can you tell us what level you are?”

“…7.”

Hmm. That’s quite… very low.

Even Senior Yehyun, who arrived before Arang, was level 9. I had briefly manifested the Elemental King and successfully contracted with an elemental, which raised my level by 3, and then gained additional levels while going through floors 3-2, reaching level 15….

Was it because she was a long-term patient with a lack of basic physique and strength?

It seemed like Arang would need to focus intensely on rehabilitation, skill practice, and quests.

“Seyeon and Yuri, help her a lot.”

“Yes, captain.”

“That’s my specialty. Heheh. Arang unnie, you better prepare yourself.”

“Don’t bully Arang!”

“Haha! Yehyun unnie is totally an Arang-mom!”

“W-what?”

Just as Yuri’s joke threatened to make things chaotic, our ordered food arrived with perfect timing. The kind waitress and the refreshing breakfast were enough to change the atmosphere, so I naturally mentioned the next objective while crunching on my salad.

“Level 20.”

“Oh. Oppa, you’re level 20?”

“Yeah. So our second objective is for as many people as possible to learn level 20 skills. If Arang’s combat readiness is our essential goal, this is more of a bonus objective—nice to achieve but not the end of the world if we don’t.”

Level 20.

There are countless skills in the game, and each skill has different learning conditions. But no one would deny that the skills learned every 20 levels common to all classes are important.

“Would it take too long to reach level 20 through quests alone?”

“Yeah. Even though Benas offers better rewards than Ayord, our levels are also higher than before. If we stay too long, our expenses will increase, so we need to find a good compromise.”

“So what level 20 skill are you planning to learn?”

“Normally, I’d learn Battlefield Order, but I’m a bit undecided.”

Battlefield Order.

Known simply as “Order” among gamers, it’s one of the Battle Commander’s level 20 skills, a hybrid skill with both passive and active components that embodies one of the Battle Commander’s core purposes.

The passive effect increases movement speed and casting speed for party members.

The active effect deactivates the passive for about twice the active duration, but in exchange, it doubles the passive effect. As your level increases, it also adds attack power, making it a must-have skill. I chose this on my main character too.

“Huh? Are there other skills worth learning for a Commander? I thought everything besides Order was pretty mediocre.”

“Strictly speaking, Order was exceptionally good, not that the others were trash-tier.”

“Really? But isn’t Order still the best?”

Even now, looking purely at skill value, Order was the best. But there was an element that became painfully apparent while actually climbing the tower.

Communication.

In the game, you could assess situations in real time and give immediate orders regardless of distance, thanks to the internet, voice chat programs, and headsets.

But here, unless party members were nearby, they could only move based on plans I had set in advance.

“Wait. What are you considering instead? Wait, wait, wait. Don’t tell me you’re actually considering Command Enhancement?”

“That’s exactly it.”

Subin rarely opened her mouth wide, but now she did with a dumbfounded expression.

“Seriously? I think I understand your reasoning, but that’s too much of a gamble. Your skill isn’t just for yourself.”

“Subin. Is Command Enhancement really such a garbage skill?”

“Senior Yehyun. Not just you, but everyone must have encountered the ‘ComEn’ meme.”

ComEn.

Not the “Supreme Commander,” but just “Command Enhancement.”

It was obviously a meme used for mockery.

“Ah. So ‘ComEn’ was short for Command Enhancement? I’ve heard of it, but I don’t really know about these things…”

But I definitely hadn’t lost my mind. Of course, I don’t deny that it’s a gamble.

“Everyone calm down and hear me out? This game has flavor text everywhere. Titles, achievements, skills, equipment, quest items, and even junk items and gold—everything.”

I shared what I felt about “communication.” My plate was already empty. Ah, I didn’t eat much.

“And the flavor text for Command Enhancement, if I remember correctly, goes something like this:”

“Command is often mistaken as one-way, when it is in fact one of the most prominent examples of two-way communication. – Lord Nien”

“If I learn this, I’m hoping it might allow me to give orders from a greater distance, or extend the range of my buffs somehow.”

“I’m not sure what’s more impressive—that you remember that much, or that you can see new possibilities from that one line of text.”

“Maybe he’s just a weirdo?”

By now, Seyeon automatically poked Yuri in the side without needing to be told. While Yuri was exaggerating her pain and clutching her side, the discussion about my level 20 skill was coming to an end.

“I think we should go with what Sunghyun wants. After all, he hasn’t interfered with our skill choices either. The only exception was when he suggested forced contract to Senior Yehyun, but that was a truly special situation. And she would have had to make a contract anyway, so it’s different.”

“That’s right! I think it’s a good attempt. It’s not like we’re lacking firepower or anything, and honestly, is there any party in this tower as good as ours? So try, try!”

“Level 20 skills are important, but choosing one wrong skill won’t completely ruin everything. Actually, I appreciate that the captain is taking on the pioneer role for us.”

All the party members supported my idea. Even Subin, who had argued for making the “proven choice,” sighed and surrendered.

“Fine. I guess we need at least one test subject.”

“Test subject? That’s harsh.”

“Hope you fail spectacularly.”

“Thanks for the blessing.”

I was glad the party members sympathized with my thinking, but I didn’t resent Subin at all.

In fact, I thought every party needed someone like her. I winked at her with gratitude and apology, and she responded with an expressionless fake gag.

Eun Subin, this cold woman!

**

“What do you mean by—”

“Don’t think I didn’t notice your body flinching with each characteristic I mentioned. That’s clearly the reaction of someone who knows. Speak.”

He figured out my thoughts from my trembling body?

The opponent is clearly a high-level NPC. Physical methods are impossible.

The Golden Wings party leader inwardly clicked his tongue and decided to play it safe.

“…If I tell you, what happens to us?”

“Why? Do you think I would indiscriminately kill you like those vicious humans worse than the corrupted elemental? Rest assured. Separate from my dislike of humans, I am an Alb who knows proper principles.”

Speak.

The Golden Wings party leader’s mind raced.

‘Damn it. According to the scenario, they were supposed to take a long time to regroup due to severe damage.’

Even now, though his words sound harsh, he might actually know nothing. He might just want information about his enemy out of spite.

But most importantly, the floors are separated anyway.

It feels a bit like betrayal, but our lives come first.

‘Holy Busty Lady, I’m sorry about this. You should have been more careful.’

“We’re not close acquaintances, more like business associates…”