Shop (1)
It was an entirely reasonable and natural suspicion.
It was close to the truth. After all, Kang Junhyeok had returned to the past. This was not his first time in the Tower.
But Myriad Arsenal failed to reach that conclusion.
[Anyone can obtain basic information about the Tower rather than its strategies, so I know you could have learned all this if you searched desperately for information...... But you look far too familiar with it.]
Myriad Arsenal asked suspiciously.
[You bastard. Have you perhaps visited the Fake Tower?]
“You mean the place the Losers supposedly created?”
A copy of the Tower modeled after the original by the Losers of the Great War. People called it the Fake Tower. At Kang Junhyeok’s answer, Myriad Arsenal muttered as though he understood.
[So you know of it. Did you test the Tower’s structure there in advance? That would explain it. Even so, you do seem excessively familiar with everything.]
Myriad Arsenal appeared convinced. Kang Junhyeok’s gaze sank at that reaction.
Myriad Arsenal had failed to guess that he had returned to the past.
Judging by the way Myriad Arsenal spoke and behaved, he probably knew a great deal. He seemed to know what lay at the end of the Tower and even what manner of being its master was.
There was nothing particularly strange about that. Unique items were special in the truest sense of the word. They could not be called mere items from the Tower.
But not even Myriad Arsenal had considered the possibility that time had been turned back.
Considering that the Jewel of Reversal was ultimately a reward from the Tower, that was strange.
‘......No.’
Perhaps.
Had it been designed so no one could arrive at that thought?
‘What did you obtain, Venerable Milarepa?’
Kang Junhyeok wondered to himself.
At any rate, Myriad Arsenal had reached his own conclusion. It was not a bad thing, since Kang Junhyeok would not have to explain it to him.
Then it was time to handle what came next.
He had finished checking his rewards, so now it was time to use them.
The Shop.
***
The Tower’s basic reward was Gold. It was close to a currency accepted across the universe.
Then how was that Gold used?
There were several methods, but the most common was the Shop.
Equipment, skills, and even the unlocking of countless other abilities and conditions could be purchased from the Shop with Gold. It was an essential function for climbing the Tower.
Kang Junhyeok had originally intended to use it immediately after clearing the 0th Floor, but a restriction required him to clear the 1st Floor first. Now, he had done so. Kang Junhyeok spoke.
“Open Shop.”
[The Shop is opening.]
Space burst open before Kang Junhyeok. Beyond the rift lay an endless expanse that resembled outer space.
A silhouette emerged from within it.
[......Hello.]
It was a tiny humanoid figure with a small fairy’s wings.
A Fairy. It was a fantastical, storybook being, but the Fairy who had appeared before him was more than enough to shatter a child’s innocence.
Dark circles hung beneath the Fairy’s eyes, and the figure looked half-dead. A cigar rested in one hand. It looked little better than a complete wreck.
[First time meeting you...... Nice to meet you. I’m Pixie...... the Shopkeeper.]
“I look forward to working with you, Pixie.”
Kang Junhyeok spoke calmly. Pixie gave him a strange look at his attitude.
[You’re calmer than I expected...... Every bastard who has seen me so far has been startled out of his wits.......]
He had seen that face constantly in his previous life, so there was nothing to be surprised about. But he could not say that, so Kang Junhyeok raised his hand.
“I already have a similar bastard.”
An ash-gray glove covered that hand.
After looking at the glove for a moment, Pixie’s eyes widened.
[Huh? ......Is that you?]
[It has been a long time, little Fairy.]
Myriad Arsenal replied quietly. Pixie muttered in bewilderment.
[Why are you here......?]
“You know each other?”
[We met a few times long ago...... You left after bragging to your heart’s content, so why have you suddenly come back......?]
Myriad Arsenal could not answer. Understanding dawned on Pixie’s face.
[......Ah. This wasn’t your choice......?]
With that, Pixie turned to look at Kang Junhyeok.
[So you became that bastard’s master. How did you obtain him? He must have imposed some extraordinarily demanding condition.......]
[Silence, Fairy.]
Myriad Arsenal spoke curtly.
[Fulfill the role entrusted to you.]
[Well...... yes. Right now, I’m Pixie, the Shopkeeper charged with guiding the Tower’s players. I should do my job.......]
Speaking in a resigned tone as though giving up, Pixie put the cigar between its lips.
[Player who has cleared the 1st Floor. Your name is......?]
“Kang Junhyeok.”
[Kang Junhyeok. You can now use the Shop. Everything you want is here.]
As if to prove those words, the endless, outer-space-like expanse widened. It was clearly a space that approached infinity. Uncountable supplies were piled within it.
[Equipment, skills, consumables, and even things that cannot be named. Quite literally, everything. There is only one way to obtain them.]
“Gold, I assume.”
[Correct. I doubt I need to say anything more.]
Pixie spoke while puffing incessantly on the cigar.
[The reason someone who only just entered the Tower summoned the Shop must be equipment......?]
“Right.”
Kang Junhyeok nodded.
The most essential element for climbing the Tower. Equipment.
It could be purchased from the Shop.
Equipment could also be obtained while climbing the Tower, but that was impossible in the early stages. All basic equipment had to be purchased from the Shop.
“The equipment types are a helmet, top, wristguard, bottoms, shoes, necklace, two ring slots, and then a weapon and shield. Ten slots in total, correct?”
[......You know a remarkable amount. Correct. By default, you can equip items in a total of ten slots.]
Pixie continued lazily.
[Each slot offers slightly different options...... Choosing equipment to match the options you need will be one part of your strategy.......]
Pixie spoke, tapping the ash from the cigar.
[Lowest-grade equipment costs 100 Gold per item. Clearing the 1st Floor should let you buy about one...... Of the ten equipment slots, which will you purchase......?]
This was the first major fork in a player’s choices.
A player who had only just cleared the 1st Floor, knew nothing, and possessed a mere handful of Gold had to make a difficult choice.
But that did not apply to Kang Junhyeok. He answered lightly.
“Nine slots.”
[......Hmm?]
“All nine slots except the shield. I’ll buy equipment for every one of them.”
Kang Junhyeok spoke calmly.
[......Hmm?]
Pixie tilted her head.
[Did I explain it poorly? Lowest-grade equipment costs 100 Gold. I mean for one item, not a set.]
“You explained it correctly. Nine slots. I said I’m buying all of them.”
[.......]
Pixie’s face crumpled. There had been countless players who spouted nonsense because they had failed to understand properly. Believing Kang Junhyeok was another such case, Pixie spoke with a sigh.
[I’m sick to death of this...... Are you saying you have 900 Gold right now? Stop talking nonsense.......]
“That’s right.”
Kang Junhyeok confirmed it.
“I have 900 Gold, so hand over the equipment.”
***
Pixie wore a bizarre expression.
Pixie could not tell whether Kang Junhyeok had lost his mind or was serious.
Therefore, she used her authority as Shopkeeper to check Kang Junhyeok’s Gold.
[Current Gold: 2,533.]
[......Huh?]
Pixie’s jaw dropped when she saw the Gold.
[2, 2,500 Gold? What is this? Didn’t you just clear the 1st Floor?]
Life suddenly returned to her half-dead face. Kang Junhyeok let out a disbelieving laugh. Even in his previous life, Pixie had displayed such strong emotion only a handful of times.
“Then there’s no problem, right?”
[Y-Yeah. There’s no problem, but.......]
After remaining flustered for some time, Pixie finally regained her composure.
[......Fine. If you obtained that bastard, I suppose that means you’re special. But how can 2,500 Gold possibly make sense?]
Pixie was dumbfounded. It had already been ten years since she became a Shopkeeper and began dealing with beings throughout the universe. In all that time, she had never seen a player who had cleared the 1st Floor possess more than 2,000 Gold.
The previous record had been 700 Gold. Even that had left her unable to contain her admiration, but Kang Junhyeok’s amount was on an entirely different level.
‘Where did a bastard like this suddenly come from?’
Pixie stared blankly at Kang Junhyeok, then hurriedly came to her senses.
[......Fine, for now. I’ve confirmed the Gold, so there’s no problem. Here.]
Pixie lightly snapped her fingers.
[Choose the equipment you want.......]
With those words, hundreds of Equipment Windows appeared before Kang Junhyeok. They displayed every item he could currently purchase.
[Leather Armor on the Verge of Rotting]
[Slot: Top]
[Grade : Lowest]
[Strength + 1]
[Defense + 1]
‘As expected.’
Kang Junhyeok looked satisfied as he examined the equipment.
Stats were the very reason he had gone out of his way to equip basic items in every slot.
Every piece of equipment available from the Shop, excluding weapons and shields, carried a basic stat for its respective slot.
Equipping items in all eight slots would grant him eight additional stat points. In the early stages, it was difficult to find a greater increase than that.
Kang Junhyeok began purchasing precisely the equipment he needed. Pixie gave him an odd look as she watched.
[......You’re composed.]
Ordinarily, someone with that much Gold would grow excited by the displayed equipment and overspend, but Kang Junhyeok showed no such reaction. Like a machine, he selected only the most efficient options.
His actions looked as practiced as if he had repeated them countless times. Even Pixie, a Shopkeeper who had seen innumerable players, had never encountered anything like it.
Once Kang Junhyeok had equipped everything, his Strength and Speed both exceeded 20.
“Nice.”
Pleased by the power he felt in his body, Kang Junhyeok muttered to himself and selected a weapon last.
[Sharpened Spear]
[Slot: Weapon]
[Grade : Lowest]
[Attack + 12]
A spear was more versatile than a sword. It would be a great help on the floors ahead. Kang Junhyeok also purchased a bow and arrows.
‘They’re all lowest-grade, but still.’
It did not matter, since he only needed to assemble a basic set. This was more than satisfactory.
[A bastard who just cleared the 1st Floor is wearing a full set of equipment. Does this make any sense......?]
Pixie muttered uneasily. Kang Junhyeok’s equipment was now better than that of most players on the 5th Floor. Even she, despite having given up on everything, could not help marveling.
[You should be satisfied with this much, right? I’ll be going, then.......]
Pixie thought Kang Junhyeok would stop there. Naturally. The equipment he now wore would allow him to clear floors without difficulty for quite some time. Saving his Gold instead of spending more was the rational choice.
“No.”
But Kang Junhyeok shook his head.
“It’s still not enough.”
[......Not enough?]
Generally speaking, he would have no trouble climbing the Tower. In his current state, he could probably stroll all the way to the 10th Floor.
But his goal was a Perfect Clear.
By that standard, it was still not enough.
Therefore, Kang Junhyeok told Pixie.
“I want to purchase an Active Skill.”