Ch. 29 Retribution (2)
by AfuhfuihgsChapter 29 – Retribution (2)
As you go higher, the difficulty and scale of the dungeons increases, but the dungeon on the 35th floor is still at a cute level.
If you’re at least decent, you can clear it in a day. For those who have memorized the paths and mechanics, it’s even possible to run it two or three times a day.
For most challengers, repeating this to collect rewards is their primary means of livelihood.
When I was climbing the Tower, I also used to visit what are commonly called “honey dungeons” and repeatedly cleared them to earn money.
“I expected this, but to think we’d break through the dungeon in one go like this…”
Shadis’s party, which I joined, reached the boss room in less than an hour after entering the dungeon.
The orc warrior, Groll, muttered with an expression of disbelief as he looked at this.
Although I was with them, the reason I came to this dungeon wasn’t to train them.
So, without holding back, I took the lead and broke through.
Thanks to that, Shadis’s party, which had essentially cleared the dungeon without expending any effort, was left in a daze.
“You’re truly amazing. This is the first time I’ve seen such a level with my own eyes, something I’ve only heard about.”
“I’m in a hurry, so I did this, but as you can see, you shouldn’t rely on luck like this.”
I chuckled at the mage Wayne’s words and warned them just in case.
They shouldn’t take it for granted that clearing the dungeon would be this easy just because they met me.
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[The problem is those who ride the bus from start to finish to climb the Tower. Tsk tsk.]
ㄴ“Did you solo from the beginning?”
ㄴ“These types only know one thing and nothing else. Lol.”
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One of the common topics in the gallery is the criticism of “bus” challengers and the backlash from those who call them out for being too harsh.
It’s a useless argument, but I don’t think it’s entirely wrong.
Climbing the Tower by thinking independently and planning is different from relying solely on the support of a companion who leads you from start to finish.
“Once you pass the 100th floor, most dungeons require cooperation with guild members or party members. There are many dungeons that require a raid team of over 100 people to cooperate with other factions. But don’t aim to become just a soldier.”
I also initially tried to follow Jung Chan-soo’s path, which I had seen in advance, but I never wanted to be reduced to just one of his tools.
The choice I made back then was for survival and pride, but looking back now, it was the right choice.
If I hadn’t made that choice, the current me wouldn’t exist.
I hoped they would understand what I had learned through experience. After all, it’s up to them to internalize it.
“…Shadis was right. You’re so different from the rumors.”
“What exactly are the rumors about my image?”
I clicked my tongue as I looked at Groll, whose eyes were shining as if he was impressed.
I hadn’t paid attention to it until now, but maybe I should manage my image separately.
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「Ability, Deep Breath (C), has been deleted and replaced with Enhanced Instinct (D).」
「Enhanced Instinct (D) resonates with Echo Instinct (D).」
「Enhanced Instinct (D), Echo Instinct (D), Instantaneous Vision (A), and Afterimage (B) resonate.」
「Ability, Heteromorphic Shift (A), acquired.」
The boss battle wasn’t particularly difficult.
I ended the fight by slicing the enemy in half with a single strike and collected the rewards.
Just as I had seen in the gallery guide, multiple abilities that synergized with each other resonated and formed a new ability.
It’s a short-range teleportation dash that allows me to instantly change positions.
‘If I keep taking steps like this, I’ll reach it someday.’
Even this Heteromorphic Shift, created by combining various materials, is just another material.
The level I need to reach is far and high. But I had enough confidence. I had the precise guides created by the collective intelligence of the gallery users.
“Did you get what you wanted?”
“Of course. By the way, it ended earlier than I thought. It’s not even lunchtime yet.”
I smiled at Shadis’s words.
We met early in the morning and entered the dungeon, but it was over before lunch.
However, going straight to the second dungeon seemed unreasonable. Even if I was fine, the others weren’t.
The second dungeon required splitting into two routes to conquer. Even if their stamina was fine now, they wouldn’t be able to handle emergencies if they weren’t in perfect condition.
“The most regrettable accidents I’ve seen all happened because people got careless and pushed themselves too hard. Let’s just stick to the plan and go tomorrow. Go rest and come back in top condition.”
“We’ll definitely do that.”
I instructed Shadis and her comrades to rest well and come back tomorrow for the next dungeon.
This naturally left me with some free time.
‘Should I do some gallery stuff?’
I couldn’t afford to train or practice and drain my stamina when there were unknown threats lurking.
Instead, spending the day lying in my hotel room doing gallery stuff didn’t seem like a bad idea.
The Constellations there might laugh at users like me, calling us “lurkers”, but I was genuinely getting useful information from there.
“Reina, if it’s okay with you, can I spend the day with you?”
But then, Shadis awkwardly smiled and spoke up first.
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[Lol, Shadis’s intentions are showing.]
ㄴ“But it’s still cute.”
ㄴ“From her position, it’s only natural to try to get something more out of it. For real.”
ㄴ“If you don’t use a top-ranked ranker as a connection, you’re a fool.”
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The gallery users, knowing why Shadis approached Reina, chuckled as they watched the scene.
Still, no one in the fan gallery viewed Shadis’s attempts to win Reina’s favor negatively.
It’s only natural for the weak to struggle for survival, and above all, Shadis was “too” weak compared to Reina, making all her actions seem endearing.
‘Everyone’s comfortable with it.’
However, the administrator Serpina, who was watching this, just stared at the screen with a stiff expression.
There was one big problem bothering her nerves right now.
“I checked, and it seems the Assassination Gallery has started their work. But even if we find out who the hitmen they’ve recruited are, can we relay that to Reina? The sanctuary’s cooldown…”
“We’ll have to try somehow.”
Serpina bit her lip at Perbas’ words.
On the screen, Reina was enjoying a rare trip, sightseeing around the 35th-floor city with Shadis.
Unable to tell if Reina had truly understood her earlier warning, Serpina felt uneasy as she watched Reina smiling on the screen.
「Recording in progress」
Of course, contrary to her feelings, her fingers moved instinctively.
‘By the way, why did Shadis take Reina there? Reina has no interest in that kind of thing.’
Finally, Serpina also let out a chuckle.
The place Shadis had taken Reina to was a large department store in the middle of the bustling city.
“Isn’t Earth’s civilization amazing? I only heard about it, but when I first came to the 30th floor and saw the scenery for myself, I was shocked. With a civilization like this, it’s clear that even without magic, there wouldn’t be any inconvenience in living.”
“…Is that so?”
Although her inner self was more familiar with modern Earth’s civilization than anyone else, Reina was officially from another world called Floria.
So, she had to play along with Shadis’s excited remarks as they walked through the dazzling interior of the department store.
In fact, Reina was also famous for being a fanatic of Earth’s civilization. Most people thought it was due to the influence of Kim Ji-eun, who was always by her side.
‘Ugh… I’m not into this kind of place at all…’
Moreover, the secret wasn’t just that she was from Earth.
Unlike the lively Shadis, Reina, who was once an ordinary man, found the VIP section on the top floor of the department store suffocating.
Of course, the employees here wouldn’t dare ignore or look down on Reina, even if she was dressed in shabby, baggy sportswear.
In fact, they were desperately trying to gauge her mood, afraid she might approach them first.
“I actually knew you didn’t like places like this.”
“Then why did you bring me here?”
“Well, I’ve been researching what kind of life you’ve lived whenever I had time.”
Shadis smiled bitterly at Reina’s pale reaction, as if she was feeling sick.
Reina Frontier. It wasn’t hard to learn about her, as she had been famous since the moment Shadis entered the Tower.
From the moment she first made her mark, she had lived solely to climb the Tower without a moment’s rest—a true warrior.
‘When I first learned about it, I wondered how a person could live like that.’
The more she learned about Reina’s life, the more shocking it became.
No one knew that all of it was a trace of her trying to catch up to the regressor Jung Chan-soo, but Shadis realized after meeting her that Reina wasn’t born with such tendencies.
Reina had simply endured without even realizing it.
All of it, until she reached the level she aimed for.
“Sometimes, it’s necessary to let go or vent what you’ve been suppressing.”
“Was it that obvious…?”
Instead of refuting Shadis’s words, Reina smiled bitterly.
It wasn’t entirely accurate, but it wasn’t wrong either.
Whether in the past or now, Reina had always run forward without rest.
“But that doesn’t mean I have a hobby of buying clothes. I’m not suppressing it. I just prefer comfortable clothes.”
“But it’s a waste to cover such a perfect body with tacky sportswear.”
Shadis pointed at Reina’s body with a regretful expression.
If you ignored the name “Reina”, her outfit was something you’d believe belonged to a lazy shut-in.
In fact, part of the reason Shadis had brought her here was her own desire to change Reina’s usual attire.
“But still, to some extent…”
However, Shadis’s persuasion didn’t continue.
A commotion clearly reached their ears from afar.
It was the sound of someone causing a disturbance, yelling and making a scene.
Author Note
A/N (Author’s note):
Thank you for reading.(I plan to apply for PLUS during next week.)
Translator Note
T/N (Translator’s note):
From experience, baggy clothes aren’t very comfortable.It has to be dolphin shorts and a slightly oversized T-shirt after all.
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