A day had passed since Kim Chil-gap's visit, and the degreasing of the basilisk hides was finally complete.
In other words, all the tanning required to prepare the ritual offerings was finished.
I spread out one of the basilisk hides to inspect it.
"Oh."
The beautifully tanned hide looked so immaculate that I could hardly believe I'd worked on it myself.
─ You worked on it?
"Ahem. I helped."
I admit it.
Kim Chil-gap had done more than eighty percent of the work.
If I'd done everything myself, there was no way the quality would have been this good.
There was a reason professionals existed, after all.
At any rate, now that all the ritual offerings were prepared, it was time to present them to my Ancestral God.
I headed toward the altar in the shrine's courtyard.
"Urgh!"
Carrying all seven enormous basilisk hides while grunting and groaning was nothing short of backbreaking labor.
─ It would have been much easier if you had transported them using your inventory.
Basilisk hides could be stored in the Subspace Inventory.
Even after being processed, they still originated from the Tower.
"……Ah."
You could have told me that earlier.
"Shall I make the offering?"
─ Yes.
"The hides?"
─ Offer something else first.
"Yes, sir."
Something else.
He was referring to the 88 Cursed Crystals I'd obtained after completing the second-floor mission.
Clatter.
I neatly stacked the 88 reddish crystals on the altar.
Then I pressed my palms together.
"I am grateful for the grace of my Ancestral God."
I spoke those words with genuine sincerity.
Shhhh.
The Cursed Crystals placed on the altar disappeared.
[88 Cursed Crystals offered to the Ancestral God's altar.]
[Divinity accumulates at the altar.]
[The Ancestral God's authority is partially strengthened.]
The System informed me that the offering had been successful.
From what I'd learned through the community, this was another unusual occurrence.
Apparently, most Awakened never heard System notifications in the real world, apart from general announcements.
In other words, making offerings to my Ancestral God was also an activity connected to the Labyrinth Tower.
A question suddenly occurred to me.
"Ancestor."
─ What is it?
"What happens when your authority becomes stronger?"
What kinds of miracles would my Ancestral God be able to perform once his authority increased?
That was what I'd meant by the question, but my Ancestral God gave me a rather chilling answer.
─ My descendant's chances of surviving inside the Tower will increase.
"……Ah, I see."
I decided I should make offerings as diligently as possible.
Just because the first and second floors hadn't been particularly difficult didn't guarantee that the rest would be equally easy.
For one thing, the fifth floor of the Labyrinth Tower was known as the Wailing Wall.
Apparently, the distinction between an ordinary Awakened and a Tower Climber was based on whether they had managed to overcome the fifth floor.
That alone was enough to demonstrate how difficult it was.
I'd have to prepare diligently.
After all, I intended to walk the path of a Tower Climber.
─ Do not think that only my authority is growing stronger. The system of Awakened skills is not so simple. You will gain something as well.
"Yes, sir."
That was how Divine Shamans spoke.
Sometimes, they didn't explain everything clearly.
But this explanation had been sufficiently kind that I could make an educated guess about what I might gain.
[Trait Skills: Lending / Spirit Communion (Inactive) / Divine Descent (Inactive)]
At present, I possessed only one usable Trait Skill.
The other two were inactive.
If enough Divinity accumulated at the altar and my Ancestral God's authority grew sufficiently strong, perhaps the remaining skills would finally have a chance to activate.
"I'll offer these as well!"
─ Thank you.
Feeling even more motivated, I carefully stacked the tanned basilisk hides on the altar.
Although the hides had been completely processed, their surfaces were still covered in irregular patches of discoloration, perhaps because they'd originally belonged to 'Corrupted' Basilisks.
Even after passing through the hands of an expert like Kim Chil-gap, they could hardly be considered top-quality leather.
I pressed my palms together.
"I am grateful for the grace of my Ancestral God."
I'd been sincere before, but this time my gratitude was even deeper.
My Ancestral God needed to grow stronger if I wanted to survive.
[7 Corrupted Basilisk Hides offered to the Ancestral God's altar.]
[Divinity accumulates at the altar.]
[The Ancestral God's authority is partially strengthened.]
The System announced that the offering had been successful.
Up to this point, everything was the same as usual.
"Hm?"
But something was different this time.
Unlike the Dead One's Resentment and the Cursed Crystals, which had vanished the moment they were offered, the basilisk hides remained on the altar even after the offering was complete.
No, that wasn't quite right.
Something had changed.
The irregular stains and patches I'd assumed were signs of corruption had completely disappeared.
The hides were now much cleaner, and their surfaces gleamed with a beautiful luster.
They almost looked sacred.
─ Those are Purified Basilisk Hides.
"Pardon?"
─ Unlike the corrupted hides, which were practically useless, these should prove quite valuable.
"Uh……?"
I couldn't follow what my Ancestral God was saying.
Apparently finding my confusion frustrating, he explained more directly.
─ I mean you can sell them for money. They should fetch a considerable price, so use the proceeds to help repay your debts.
"……!"
─ Hmph. Did you think I made my descendant go through all that trouble merely for my own benefit?
I'd learned something new about my Ancestral God's personality.
He seemed to have a bit of a tsundere streak.
And I'd also realized that he cared about me even more than I'd thought.
"Th…… Thank you."
My throat tightened unexpectedly, causing me to stumble over my words.
─ Hmph. If you understand, then treat me well, you brat.
My Ancestral God kindly pretended not to notice my embarrassing display of emotion.
"Yes, sir."
I really needed to treat my Ancestral God better.
As expected, my Ancestral God was the best.
***
[Tower Entry Ticket (4:37)]
At first, I'd thought the seventy-two-hour cooldown between Tower entries was excessively long.
But apparently, that wasn't necessarily the case.
By the time I'd finished dealing with all the tasks that had piled up, the Tower Entry Ticket's cooldown was almost over.
However, there was still something I needed to do before entering the Tower again.
─ You summoned someone?
"Yes, someone from the Awakened Management Agency."
Awakened were important personnel and valuable assets to their respective countries.
It was only natural that they received favorable treatment.
Sixty percent of Awakened couldn't even clear the first floor of the Labyrinth Tower, making them little different from ordinary people.
However, anyone capable of clearing even the first floor could contribute to their country's capabilities.
Even if they abandoned the upper floors and repeatedly cleared only the first floor, they still became valuable human resources capable of supplying Magic Crystals consistently.
I'd heard that Awakened who managed to pass the fifth floor, known as the dreaded barrier, were recognized as national assets and placed under special management.
One of the conveniences provided to such Awakened was the 'Mobile Awakened Registration System.'
Instead of requiring newly Awakened individuals to travel all the way to the Awakened Management Agency in Seoul to register personally, the agency dispatched its employees to their locations to handle registration.
─ Hmm……
"W-What is it?"
─ Nothing.
My Ancestral God's reaction made me uneasy.
"Is there a problem?"
─ Well, never mind. This is also a process you must go through.
"Ancestor? What does that mean?"
─ It is nothing that would benefit you to know.
"……Can't you tell me?"
─ No. "……"
Seeing him keep everything to himself while refusing to explain made my earlier determination to treat my Ancestral God better weaken somewhat.
***
"Fuck. Even ignorant bumpkins in these backwater villages are Awakening without any trouble."
Jo Yeong-cheol was a low-ranking employee of the Awakened Management Agency.
He belonged to the agency's Gangwon Province branch office, where his primary responsibility was conducting on-site registrations for newly Awakened individuals.
He had once worked at the agency's headquarters, so his current position was effectively a demotion.
The reason was his poor work attitude.
After being transferred to the branch office, his duties had become similar to those of a Grade 9 local government civil servant.
Naturally, his treatment and salary were also comparable to those of a Grade 9 civil servant.
Jo Yeong-cheol was extremely dissatisfied with that.
"Tsk. What a filthy world."
Although he worked for the Awakened Management Agency, Jo Yeong-cheol didn't particularly like Awakened.
He had to work himself to the bone for an entire month just to take home around 2.5 million won.
Meanwhile, those bastards who had Awakened could earn close to ten million won a month simply by repeatedly clearing the first floor.
They worked only one day out of every three and pocketed ten million won.
All because they'd happened to Awaken.
Were the Awakened risking their lives to fight for humanity?
What nonsense.
Only a tiny minority of Awakened climbed the upper floors for their country, their nation, or humanity.
And most of those people had Awakened during the early days of the Great Cataclysm.
Among the second generation who had Awakened afterward, hardly any bothered climbing the Tower seriously.
They were all worthless bastards who did nothing but farm Magic Crystals for money.
And for the sake of those bastards, he had to travel all the way to some remote mountain village in Gangwon Province.
That was what infuriated him.
"Fucking hell."
Jo Yeong-cheol continued muttering curses as he drove along the winding mountain road.
Things would have been different if he'd Awakened.
He wouldn't have settled for repeatedly clearing the first floor and contenting himself with a modest existence.
He would have proudly climbed the upper floors and become one of the nation's most valuable assets.
He would have enjoyed wealth, fame, and prestige, living the high life.
That was what he would have done.
After driving for quite some time……
"Is this the place? What a fucking backwater."
He finally reached his destination.
He gathered the Awakening measurement device and registration contract before getting out of his car.
Jo Yeong-cheol's gaze fell on the contract.
A faint smile appeared on his lips, which had been constantly spewing curses until now.
He remembered the little trick he'd incorporated into the contract.
After all, the person he was visiting was just another money-farming parasite who sucked benefits from the government.
He felt absolutely no guilt about inserting a little straw of his own into that parasite's earnings.
He reached the entrance.
"A shaman's house?"
Only then did he realize what kind of place he'd come to.
"Hmph."
Jo Yeong-cheol snorted.
This was an era in which the miracles of the Great Cataclysm had become reality.
He knew that the supposed divine powers of shamans were nothing but fraud.
***
"I'm Jo Yeong-cheol from the Awakened Management Agency."
Jo Yeong-cheol handed over his business card with practiced ease.
"Welcome. You must have had a difficult journey getting here."
A young man greeted him.
He was just a kid.
When he'd contacted the agency to request Awakening registration, he'd mentioned that he'd cleared the first floor.
That meant this brat was now capable of earning an annual income of over a hundred million won.
Provided he entered the Tower diligently, of course.
The smile Jo Yeong-cheol had been forcing onto his face gradually stiffened without him realizing it.
"Please, follow me this way."
The young man led him inside.
"Yes."
He was guided into a building that appeared to be a shrine.
"I'll conduct the Awakening verification now."
"All right."
Jo Yeong-cheol took out the Awakening measurement device.
He didn't know exactly how it worked.
Apparently, it measured the unique wavelengths emitted by Awakened individuals, which resonated with the Labyrinth Tower.
Just in case, he'd tested himself with the device several times.
But the instrument had never reacted.
BEEP.
When he brought the device close to the young man, it emitted a sound, and the indicator on its display began moving wildly.
"Your Awakening has been confirmed."
His voice came out more sullenly than he'd intended.
"Thank you."
Apparently unaware of his displeasure, the young man thanked him with a bright smile.
It made Jo Yeong-cheol's stomach twist with resentment.
"This is the Awakened registration contract. Please review it and sign."
"All right."
The young man began examining the contract carefully.
That alone put him above average.
After all, about half of newly Awakened individuals signed the contract without even bothering to read it.
"Once you've signed, enter my name in the exclusive agent section."
Jo Yeong-cheol needed his name entered as the exclusive agent for the registration to count toward his performance record.
"……A twenty-percent commission?"
After studying the contract for quite some time, the young man muttered in confusion.
"The commission for newly registered Awakened is twenty percent. Once you clear the fifth floor, it drops to ten percent. And if you join a team attempting to clear a new floor, it goes down to five percent."
The explanation Jo Yeong-cheol had prepared in advance, just in case, flowed smoothly from his mouth.
It was a lie.
In reality, the commission for newly registered Awakened was five percent.
After clearing the fifth floor, it dropped to two percent.
And those who joined teams attempting to clear new floors were exempt from the commission entirely.
That was the little trick Jo Yeong-cheol had incorporated into the contract.
'Hmph. Fleecing naive Awakened is child's play.'
There wouldn't be any problems.
Whether or not the young man was naive didn't really matter.
The contract terms for Awakened were classified as national secrets, so disclosing them to outsiders was prohibited.
It wasn't impossible to uncover the actual terms if someone really tried.
But there was no way a young man from a remote village like this could have the necessary connections.
Even after Jo Yeong-cheol took twenty percent, the lucky bastard who had Awakened would still earn plenty of money.
There was absolutely no reason to feel guilty.
But then……
'……Huh?'
A sudden chill ran down Jo Yeong-cheol's spine, accompanied by an overwhelming sense that something was wrong.
The innocent young man's gaze had changed.
His eyes had taken on a faint reddish glow, almost as though someone had applied a computer-generated effect to them.
"You wretch!"
An unexpected thunderous rebuke struck him.
WHOOOOOSH!
RATTLE—RATTLE!
A powerful gust of wind suddenly swept through the room, causing the doors to rattle violently.
It was as though a ghost had begun wreaking havoc.
"Eeeek!"
Faced with such a bizarre situation, Jo Yeong-cheol couldn't help losing his mind with terror.
***
'Twenty percent is a bigger commission than I expected.'
I'd been surprised by the unexpectedly large fee.
That was when it happened.
─ So he was an insolent bastard after all.
Anger appeared on my Ancestral God's face.
[The Ancestral God activates his authority.]
[Through the authority of First Spirit - Ancestral God, Trait Skill: Spirit Communion (Inactive) temporarily changes to Spirit Communion (Active).]
[Spirit Communion established. Abilities restricted due to the Awakened's low standing.]
For a brief moment, I was even more startled by the sudden succession of System notifications.
Then……
"You wretch!"
A thunderous rebuke erupted from my mouth.
It wasn't my voice.
It was my Ancestral God, who had entered my body through Spirit Communion, delivering the furious reprimand.
'So this is Spirit Communion.'
An indescribable sense of exhilaration and omnipotence overwhelmed my consciousness.
A fragment of what my Ancestral God could perceive had reached me as well.
'……That man harbors malice toward me. He was trying to swindle me.'
Thanks to that, I could easily understand the reason for my Ancestral God's fury.
The employee from the Awakened Management Agency was harboring an incomprehensible amount of malice toward me.
WHOOOOOSH!
RATTLE—RATTLE!
An eerie wind swept through the shrine, even though the building was completely enclosed.
My Ancestral God's authority had manifested Spell Power in the real world.
"Eeeek!"
The agency employee was utterly terrified.
"To think that a bastard who lives on the nation's payroll would dare engage in such wicked conduct."
My voice, or rather, my Ancestral God's voice, sounded ominous, like that of a powerful fortune-teller pronouncing judgment.
My eyes, now filled with my Ancestral God's fierce gaze, turned toward the man.
"Get out of here this instant!"
"Y-Yes! Y-Yes, sir!"
The employee from the Awakened Management Agency fled as fast as his legs could carry him.
[Spirit Communion has been deactivated.]
Only then did control over my body return to me.
"Ughhh……"
An overwhelming sense of exhaustion swept through my entire body.
***
"Will this be all right?"
Even if he'd tried to swindle me, the man really was an employee of the Awakened Management Agency.
I couldn't help feeling uneasy about having threatened him and chased him away.
─ Do not worry, descendant. Now that we have driven away an evil spirit, a Benefactor will come.
"That's a relief."
After experiencing Spirit Communion, I understood something more clearly than ever.
If my Ancestral God said something would happen, then it would happen.
"I suppose I'll have to clean all this up myself?"
The wind my Ancestral God had summoned had left the shrine's interior in complete disarray.
─ Ahem.
My Ancestral God merely cleared his throat.
"……"
It would have been even better if he'd chased the man away a little more quietly.
***
"Huff…… Huff……"
After fleeing in absolute terror, Jo Yeong-cheol finally managed to regain his composure only after driving a considerable distance away.
"Was that an Awakened ability?"
The thought naturally occurred to him.
No. Even if it hadn't been an Awakened ability, the bastard must have used some kind of trick.
"That fucking bastard……"
Remembering the disgraceful sight of himself fleeing in a panic made his anger surge.
Jo Yeong-cheol roughly pulled out his fieldwork report.
[Confirmed: Not an Awakened.]
That was what he wrote in the report.
Normally, when he visited people who claimed to have Awakened, about half of them turned out to be mistaken or lying.
There shouldn't be any problems.
"Hmph. Let's see how he likes a little hardship."
Without registering as an Awakened, the young man would inevitably be excluded from the conveniences and benefits provided by the government.
It was a petty act of revenge that Jo Yeong-cheol had the power to carry out.
What Jo Yeong-cheol didn't know was the consequences that this petty revenge would bring upon himself.