The Awakened Community.
Over the past few days, the daily rankings had always been filled with posts about the same topic.
Claims that the newly emerging prodigy was nothing but a flash in the pan.
People said he would stumble before climbing many floors.
They insisted that only the lower floors had been special cases.
A great many people genuinely expected that to happen.
Even though no one truly died inside the Trial Tower, its trials were merciless.
The difficulty practically doubled with every floor climbed.
Even when governments and Guilds personally intervened, most still failed to break into the top one hundred rankings.
People had assumed that clearing one floor per day would only be possible up to the 3rd Floor.
And yet—
[Trial Tower 4th Floor World Ranking: Rank 1 Achieved!]
[Rank 1: 12 seconds]
[Trial Tower 5th Floor World Ranking: Rank 1 Achieved!]
[Rank 1: 11 seconds]
[Trial Tower 6th Floor World Ranking: Rank 1 Achieved!]
[Rank 1: 5 minutes 12 seconds]
He claimed first place in the world rankings every single day without fail.
The accusations that his records were nothing but inflated low-floor achievements vanished completely from every ranking post.
All that remained were expressions of amazement and endless questions asking who he was.
Even countries that had remained quiet until now began paying attention one after another.
The entire world quietly began to move.
"This is it."
Seonggil's Snack Bar.
According to the Hunter app, an F-Rank Gate was located here.
As if confirming that the information was correct, Association employees were already present.
There were Hunters as well.
Today, my objective was the material called Strong Stone, so I did not care that other Hunters were around.
Of course, it would have been better if I could obtain Mana Stones and monster byproducts too.
'But there have to be some Gates left for me to enter.'
After visiting several F-Rank Gates, there were barely any remaining in the area.
I had only managed to find this one through sheer luck.
Gates had the best acquisition rates, yet there were hardly any Gates left to farm.
I needed to qualify for E-Rank Gates as soon as possible.
"First, I'll need to check your Awakened ID and Gate Access Pass."
"Here."
"You're alone. Will you be all right?"
"Of course. As you can see, I have plenty of clearing experience."
"Ah, I wasn't completely sure, but you're that Hunter. Understood. I wish you good fortune."
"You know me?"
"How could I not? You cleared dozens of F-Rank Gates in only a few hours. You're already famous among Association employees."
I had expected word to spread eventually.
'Already? Rumors travel ridiculously fast.'
Then again, it would have been stranger if they did not know.
Association employees were stationed at every Gate.
Rumors would spread quickly even if only one person talked about me.
With several of them doing it, this was inevitable.
"Thanks to you, our workload has gone down considerably lately. You're practically a benefactor to us Association employees."
"Haha, not at all. Have a good day."
The Hunters, however, reacted in the exact opposite way.
"What kind of lunatic is sweeping up every F-Rank Gate?"
"Climbing the Trial Tower was already hard enough, and that bastard is making it even worse."
"I only work as a Hunter, and because of that guy, I can't make any money."
F-Rank Gates were a godsend to beginners and people with low-ranked Traits.
Their difficulty was manageable, while they provided a steady supply of Mana Stones and monster byproducts.
They allowed people to make money while also improving their abilities.
And now the number of F-Rank Gates was decreasing.
Of course they were angry.
Fortunately, it seemed the Hunters had not yet heard that I was the one responsible.
I lowered my head deeply so they could not see my face.
"Ahem. Excuse me."
"Make some room. Someone's trying to get through. Sorry about that. We were just getting ready."
"It's fine. Good luck."
Before they could say anything more, I quickly slipped into the Gate.
It looked exactly like the first Gate I had entered.
A forest filled with lush vegetation.
The moment I entered, the pleasant scent of grass filled my nose.
The metallic smell of blood and the rancid stench that followed were exceptions.
-Waaah!
[Fire(EX) says someone is here!]
Goblin corpses were scattered everywhere.
Some had been cut apart.
Others had been crushed or pierced by arrows.
They had died in all kinds of ways.
Naturally—
[Defeat 1,000 Goblins.]
[Goblin: 542/1,000]
"We aren't the only ones here. Of course someone else has been fighting them."
-Waaah? Waaah!
[Fire(EX) asks whether that means he won't get any Mana Stones today.]
[Fire(EX) scolds you, saying all the Mana Stones you've obtained will be gone by tomorrow because he'll eat them all!]
"It's not that bad. We got plenty yesterday too. There's enough to reach Level 10."
I stopped Fire as he tried to unleash Hellfire.
I had no idea how many Hunters were inside.
There was no way I could use a large-scale attack here.
Did I want to end up on the news as some deranged mass-murdering Hunter?
'I really need to find myself a sponsor or something.'
I could think about that later.
For now, Fire looked liable to start killing monsters on his own if I did not calm him down.
So I tossed him another A-Rank Mana Stone.
"I'm not going to let you starve, so just follow me quietly. Otherwise, you won't even get F-Rank Mana Stones. Got it?"
-Waaah!
[Fire(EX) praises you, saying the Contractor really is the best!]
We headed deeper into the forest.
Strong Stones were not scattered randomly throughout F-Rank Gates.
They appeared near rivers.
More specifically, near places where the water was fairly deep.
Finding a sufficiently deep river was easy.
Using Spirit Eyes, I quickly located a suitable one nearby.
There were no people around either.
Perfect.
After confirming there were no Goblins nearby, I surveyed the area.
According to what I had read, there was no need to enter the river.
Strong Stones could be found nearby.
They looked like ordinary stones, but they were large and extremely sturdy, so supposedly you could recognize one immediately.
"Found one."
Now I understood why people said you could recognize them at a glance.
It was not merely large.
Its toughness was obvious even from its appearance.
More importantly—
[Strong Stone]
The System was literally telling me what it was.
I immediately pulled out the Pickaxe of Efficiency and Luck.
It was a material that ordinary tools could not harvest easily.
But—
BANG!
That meant nothing before an S+ Item.
With a single strike, two Strong Stones popped out and went straight into my Inventory.
[Pickaxe of Efficiency and Luck's Efficiency activates!]
[Pickaxe of Efficiency and Luck's Luck activates at 2×!]
[Strong Stone × 2 acquired!]
I repeated the process whenever I found one.
There were considerably more than I had expected.
If the Gates I planned to visit today contained similar amounts, I would have plenty left even after crafting the Circulating Air Purifier.
'Clearing a Gate isn't the end of it. From now on, I should strip every Gate of its materials too.'
While I diligently mined, Fire sat on top of my head.
-Waaah! Waaah!
[Fire(EX) enthusiastically cheers for the Contractor while holding two Lowest-Rank Mana Stones(F)!]
He did more than just cheer.
He also served perfectly well as my guard.
If a Goblin appeared and interrupted my gathering?
WHOOSH!
THUD!
A small Hellfire reduced it to ashes in an instant.
Whenever we encountered people, however, I made sure I appeared to be alone.
"Are you mining Strong Stones?"
"Ah, yes. Is there a problem?"
"No, nothing like that. It's just my first time seeing someone mine Strong Stones personally. Even though they're materials from F-Rank Gates, they're so difficult to harvest that most people simply buy them."
"It's because of money. Haha."
The moment I mentioned money, the man immediately looked as though he understood.
Strong Stones were relatively cheap compared to other materials.
I had enough money to simply buy them.
But—
'I have one pig to feed, so I don't have a choice.'
If I could gather something myself, then I should.
Every bit of money saved mattered.
After mining diligently for about an hour—
Strong Stone ×51
"Done."
I had successfully reached my target.
I put the pickaxe away for the moment and immediately began crafting.
I poured in the Strong Stones along with all the other required materials.
Watching the materials I had worked so hard to obtain disappear made my heart ache.
Perhaps because the furniture's grade was higher, it required an enormous amount.
Still, all it took was one command.
[Burning Stonewood: (100/100)]
[Strong Stone: (50/50)]
[Purification Stone: (200/200)]
[You have successfully fulfilled the condition!]
[Circulating Air Purifier(D-) has been successfully crafted!]
A sturdy, round, gray Circulating Air Purifier appeared.
I installed it across from the bed.
Its exact placement did not really matter.
The Spirit Shelter was an enclosed space, so it would circulate the entire area's air regardless.
The effect appeared immediately.
[Circulating Air Purifier(D-) perfectly purifies the Spirit Shelter!]
[Hunger depletion becomes 2 times slower.]
[The effect is continuously maintained while Circulating Air Purifier(D-) is operating!]
"Oh, twice as slow?"
-Waaah! Waaah!
[Fire(EX) happily says the Spirit Shelter has become incredibly comfortable!]
[Fire(EX) gives you a thumbs-up and says this one is pretty good!]
The moment I entered and took a breath, I understood why he liked it so much.
The quality of the air itself had changed.
It almost felt as though I had gained an extra pair of lungs.
Using so many materials had been worth it.
That settled it.
'I'm definitely sleeping in the Spirit Shelter from now on!'
Of course, Fire probably would not simply let me sleep there whenever I wanted.
He was far too demanding for that.
Which meant I needed to obtain plenty of high-ranked Mana Stones to negotiate with him.
"Can't some high-ranked Mana Stones just fall into my lap somewhere?"
Why did everything require Mana Stones?
I was only one level away from Level 10 now, and even that worried me.
What if the next skill required something other than Lowest-Rank Fire Spirit Stones?
If the required Spirit Stone went up by even one rank, the price could jump into the tens of millions.
Maybe even hundreds of millions.
At this rate, I really was going to go broke raising him.
For now, I simply mined the remaining Strong Stones.
All I could do was keep working hard.
And while I was at it, I dealt with the remaining Goblins too.
By the time neither monsters nor Strong Stones remained in sight—
"Time to move to the next Gate..."
[Someone uses a C-Rank Gate Enhancement Stone on the Gate!]
[The F-Rank Gate becomes a C-Rank Gate!]
[All monsters respawn!]
[Defeated monster counts have been reset!]
[Someone's possessed skill, 'Designation(C),' activates.]
[Everyone except one designated individual will be forcibly expelled!]
[Designated Individual: Lee Chanyoung]
[Annihilate 5 Orc Rider Villages.]
[Orc Village: 0/5]
"Hm? What? An Enhancement Stone?"
-It is a special Item capable of enhancing a Gate. Someone has used one on this F-Rank Gate.
"Ah, right. I've heard of those. Aren't they extremely difficult to obtain?"
And thanks to someone's skill, I was the only person left inside.
I had no idea who had done it, but—
"Are they a nice person? I was running low on Mana Stones, and they even kindly kicked all the other Hunters out for me."
-Waaah! Waaah!
[Fire(EX) asks whether he can wipe everything out!]
[Fire(EX) cheers, calling it a Mana Stone party!]
There was no need to even look at these so-called Orc Riders.
One attack would be enough.
"Let's go, Fire!"
-Waaah!
[Fire(EX) stretches out his hand dramatically!]
[Fire(EX)'s possessed skill, 'Meteor(EX),' activates.]
The Gate darkened.
Then an enormous meteor came crashing down.
KABOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!!
[You have annihilated 5 Orc Rider Villages.]
[Orc Village: 5/5]
[Ugly Orc Mask × 343 has been awarded!]
[Orc Sturdy Tendon × 555 has been awarded!]
[Orc Tough Hide × 138 has been awarded!]
[Giant Wolf Fang × 321 has been awarded!]
[Giant Wolf Claw × 221 has been awarded!]
[Giant Wolf Skull × 137 has been awarded!]
[Lowest-Rank Mana Stone(F) × 636 acquired!]
[Low-Rank Mana Stone(E) × 411 acquired!]
[Lower-Intermediate-Rank Mana Stone(D) × 213 acquired!]
[Intermediate-Rank Mana Stone(C) × 112 acquired!]
[Upper-Intermediate-Rank Mana Stone(B) × 50 acquired!]
[High-Rank Mana Stone(A) × 3 acquired!]
[The Gate will disappear in 12 hours!]
[If you do not leave before it disappears, you will disappear along with it!]
The rewards were so sweet I was practically going to get diabetes.
At least I would not have to worry about Mana Stones until Level 11.
Coming here to gather the materials myself really had been the right choice.
I even got lucky enough for something like this to happen!
My luck was seriously good today.