episode_0055

I have tried drinking alcohol before.

I have never personally bought it with my own money, nor have I ever received it in exchange for money.

But there was a time when a bottle of soju was forcibly shoved down my throat. The memory of the glass bottle tapping against my throat, the warm liquor flowing down my esophagus.

The memories after that are blurry. It’s like the common saying that the film cuts off. I closed my eyes and when I opened them, it was the next day.

I experienced a similar phenomenon even now.

The difference is that back then, my memories before waking up were hazy and my body felt numb.

Now, the memories are vivid as if they are being shoved right in front of my nose, my body is full of vitality, and my mind is buzzing.

The feeling of someone else’s heart beating against my skin was transmitted to me.

The soft sensation that remained vividly in a corner of my memory is now felt on my face.

Feeling a contradictory state of clarity and dizziness, I tapped on Hong Yeon-hwa’s back just like I did back then.

“Hmm…?”

– Mumble

Hong Yeon-hwa, who was lying next to me, wriggled. After hesitating for a moment, she soon sat up against the wall, leaning her back against it. I, who was nestled in her arms, also sat up.

“You’re awake… How’s your body? Are you okay? Any strange places hurting?”

– Nodding

“Thank goodness…”

Hong Yeon-hwa, still groggy, breathed a sigh of relief.

I nodded my head in response, and Hong Yeon-hwa moved her hand.

“…!”

As her hand patted my back, my spine straightened. Startled by the rhythmic tapping on my back, I jerked my head from side to side.

“Why are you like that?”

Hong Yeon-hwa tilted her head in confusion.

The tapping stopped. Instead, her palm rested on my back and swept down from top to bottom. A dizzying sensation ran down my spine.

“…!!”

I jolted as if caught like a fish. Hong Yeon-hwa stopped her hand in confusion.

I quickly slipped out of the embrace and distanced myself, trying to calm my erratic breathing.

It’s a strange situation.

Yesterday’s memories were clear.

The memory of suddenly going crazy and causing trouble was so vivid. It’s strange to be so affectionate back then and act like this now.

If I were to make an excuse, I wasn’t in my right mind back then. There was a reason I went crazy.

The flames on my right arm.

‘Geophwa.’

As I pondered the thought that came to mind while catching my breath, my confusion deepened.

Yesterday’s memories were clear. I remembered the antics I had caused, and I heard the conversation between Hong Yeon-hwa and Baek Ah-rin.

I don’t know the reason. But ultimately, the flames I spewed out were geophwa. It certainly had the appropriate power.

But the question remained unanswered.

‘Why?’

Why did geophwa erupt from my arm, or more precisely, from the burn mark.

With a head already filled with no room for more thoughts, another question added to the mix. Is it now that strange events are erupting from my body?

Frowning, I opened my ears. Various sounds filled them. I mentally drew a map.

In the burrow, there were only Hong Yeon-hwa and me. The presence of the other two was felt on the ceiling.

I pointed to a small exit with my finger. Hong Yeon-hwa, who had been staring at me with curiosity, nodded and got up from her spot.

As we stepped outside, a cool breeze blew, brushing against our skin.

I pressed down on my hair fluttering in the wind and took a deep breath. The fresh air filled my body.

The suffocating feeling in my chest slightly eased, bringing a refreshing sensation.

“Are you awake?”

“Good morning, Ha-yul!”

With a firm press of my foot on the moderately grown weeds, Baek Arin and Elia approached me near the entrance, exchanging greetings.

Baek Arin and Elia were busy preparing the fruits they had gathered with their hands adorned with calluses.

I nodded in return and settled down nearby. As I surveyed the surroundings, I could sense various spells scattered in all directions.

These were the security, protection, and barrier spells that Baek Arin had hastily set up around the temporary base. The level of magic itself was remarkably high, and there were many spells that I could not interpret, only classify.

Observing each one of them, my tongue involuntarily circled my lips.

It’s not for nothing that clans recruit mages. Just having one mage like that with you would make your missions and daily life significantly more prosperous.

“On the fourth day…”

Before emerging from the burrow, I had informed Hong Yeonhwa of the situation.

After defeating the boss and the chaos that ensued, taking into account the exhaustion of my party members, we had relocated to this hastily prepared temporary base.

Spending almost a whole day recovering, it was already the fourth day.

Tomorrow, the tense schedule of the Inner Tower that I had been so anxious about would come to an end.

The sounds of nature, the rustling of fingers, and the slicing of fruits filled my ears.

It didn’t bother me. It was a sound that could be dismissed as white noise.

Absentmindedly, I reached out my hand.

The fruits that Baek Arin and Elia were preparing… Listening to their conversation, it seemed to be a fruit similar to an apple. I picked up an unprepared fruit.

The smooth and cool surface was reminiscent of an apple.

After hesitating for a moment, I wrapped my index finger around the handle.

It wasn’t just a rough form; it was sharp enough to slice through the fruit peel.

Square by square, the peel fell to the ground.

“Oh, you’re really good at peeling.”

Baek Arin, who was diligently peeling off the peel on the opposite side, exclaimed in admiration. It seemed quite neatly cut at a glance.

The party continued to peel the fruit peels they had gathered. With everyone being Transcendents, this amount would be enough for a meal.

As I idly played with my hand, I organized my thoughts.

Entering the Tower, I had three main goals in mind.

The first was natural growth.

Enhancing overall abilities such as physical strength, mana, proficiency in unique abilities, and skills through the amplified growth blessing.

This part had exceeded my expectations. The initial plan of escape was shattered along with spatial perception, and the chaos of being chased by beginners on the first and second days.

It was a lot of trouble, but looking at the changes and results I was experiencing now, it was sweet.

The second was collecting appropriate materials.

Compared to the outside world, due to the mana density inside the Tower without a separate name, various materials could be obtained here.

Even a fruit bitten into right now contained quite a bit of mana.

Of course, it couldn’t be compared to potions. Still, it could have a positive impact.

The plan was to collect these materials through spatial perception, but it ended in chaos along with spatial perception.

I thought about collecting them now, but there were limitations in finding them through senses of touch, hearing, and mana detection, so I gave up.

Also, although my physical condition was not at its worst right now, it was still not in perfect condition. Just quietly training alone would be more helpful for growth.

And thirdly, obtaining the Hidden Piece.

This part… was truly regrettable.

If it hadn’t been for Elia’s help on the second day, I would have been eliminated. Thinking about it, it was just a tantrum of greed, but I couldn’t help but feel lingering regret.

The trials conducted in the Inner Tower change every time.

This trial is commonly conducted on the first floor, and the Hidden Piece I wanted to obtain could only be acquired on the first floor.

‘The Origin Egg.’

After learning this information, it became essential to obtain the Hidden Piece in any round.

Finding it was simple.

You just had to find a structure located somewhere on the first floor. With a given time of a few days, as long as you didn’t get eliminated in the early stages, you could easily obtain it.

The way to obtain it was also simple.

The access condition for the Hidden Piece itself was the title of ‘Special Admissions Student.’

Unlike other Hidden Pieces that were randomly obtained from NPCs, this one was exclusive to players.

Just approaching the altar would cause it to open easily.

It was easy to access and had the lowest difficulty in actual acquisition among the Hidden Pieces. On top of that, its effect was tremendous.

The ‘Diamond Warrior’ build, which drastically raised the character’s stats in previous rounds.

It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that the beginning of the Diamond Warrior’s full-fledged snowball was the Origin Egg.

With its level of effectiveness, I really wanted to obtain it… but this is the situation.

“Sigh.”

Although filled with regret, there was nothing I could do if spatial perception was in this state.

I remember re-entering the first floor around the end of the first year or the beginning of the second year.

Now, I had no choice but to aim for that time.

“…Where was that location?”

I exhaled deeply, finishing peeling the fruit.

I cut a few into appropriate sizes, chewing on them while recalling the original knowledge.

The first floor was a space metaphorically likened to the lush forests of the dinosaur era, but you could confirm the presence of unfamiliar architectural structures throughout.

The Origin Egg was dormant in one of those structures.

I remembered that structure being quite unique.

‘An old stone altar surrounded by eight pillars.’

Among them, three sturdy…

“-The pillars forming a triangle around the altar were white ones forming a pentagon.”

“Huh?”

My mouth, which had been muttering, stopped abruptly.

“That’s unusual. I also found a few strange things on my way here, but they were all crumbling stone structures. I didn’t find anything special.”

“Yes, I also looked around to see if there was anything, but they just seemed like decorations.”

I tilted my head at the sudden sound. It felt like thunder was roaring in my head.

The processing of information was momentarily delayed. Did I just speak out loud? It’s impossible because of the curse.

After organizing my thoughts for a moment, I turned my head.

In that direction, Elia was there, talking about seeing something unusual.

I turned my head again.

The altar in the center. The eight pillars surrounding it.

Three black pillars arranged in a triangle.

Five white pillars arranged in a pentagon.

The judgment was made. I stood up from my spot and walked briskly.

“…So, that’s why… huh? Hayul?”

Approaching Elia, I grabbed her hand suddenly. Elia, who was caught off guard by the sudden hand-holding, gave me a puzzled look.

“Hayul?”

“Hey, Hayul?”

I could feel the gazes of Baek Arin and Hong Yeonhwa from the side. I paid them no mind.

“…!”

Suppressing my excitement as much as possible, I shook her arm vigorously.

After a moment, I was subdued by being forcibly petted.