11. Adaptive Gloves
"......The contents written in this report. Is this real?"
"Yes. Pure truth, without an inch of falsehood."
"Ohhh......"
The lord's office of <White Castle>.
The lord, Dukon, seemed unable to believe his adjutant's report, and checked the evidence and the map back and forth several times.
'What in the world......'
Gulp.
'is happening here?'
They were trying to stay composed, but Dukon and his adjutant were flush with excitement.
"The leaders are gone now, and Majuron, a High Ranker, has left Floor 2. This is precisely the chance to expand <White Castle> and clear out the surrounding undead!"
"Every undead leader dead and the necromancers withdrawn......"
Swish.
"So this is what happened after Master Lee Jin-hyeok went out."
<White Castle> was inevitably always in danger.
And yet it could not withdraw either.
If even <White Castle> withdrew, the players who had only just come up to Floor 2 would have no one's help at all.
But the situation was not good.
As always, hordes of undead wandered around the castle walls and invaded at the slightest provocation, grinding their bodies into it.
And now, thanks to a single player named Lee Jin-hyeok, Majuron and the necromancers were withdrawing from Floor 2.
An opportunity that would never come again.
There had already been a problem with how many players were staying here lately, and now they could expand their territory.
"I thought he would simply clean out a few villages......"
That alone would have been a great kindness, enough to let them breathe.
And instead he had driven the necromancers out entirely.
It was a tremendous thing.
"I don't know how he did it...... but this is our chance!"
"It is. A chance."
Swish.
"Add to the forces we assigned. Even if we go into debt on points, we have to expand the walls now!"
"I obey your command."
Just as the adjutant was about to leave.
Dukon closed his eyes and fell into thought.
'The sudden deaths of the leaders. The necromancers' retreat.'
Swish.
'If Master Lee Jin-hyeok truly killed the leaders......'
Even if he had not killed the three leaders, one thing was certain.
Lee Jin-hyeok was a player who was climbing while setting the greatest achievements in the Tower's history.
***
"They're busy. Aren't they?"
"......."
"......."
"Answer."
"Pardon? Yes! Of course!"
"They look busy! Hahahaha!"
"Then what should we do?"
"W, we should help, shouldn't we?"
"That's right."
A few days later.
Before Lee Jin-hyeok's eyes was <White Castle>, expanding its walls.
Beside him were Keln and the Scavengers, every one of them with bruises on his face.
'To think he hunted us down after we ran......'
'What are we, slaves? What did we do wrong!'
'We did try to kill him first.'
'Ah......'
He had used the Scavengers to travel around the ruins in <Dead Run>.
'There were unexpected gains.'
The Scavengers, and Keln in particular, knew this Floor 2 well.
Just as they had originally intended, they had been robbing out clues about Floor 2 and various Rare grade items.
And in the middle of it they had been caught by the scruff of the neck by Lee Jin-hyeok.
'There were results.'
It had become time to review once more the Tower information Lee Jin-hyeok had not known, or had known only uncertainly.
'There were clues about the Imugi's power and about Sacred Relics, too.'
As such, he also obtained information about the species that had ruled Floor 2 in ancient times, not merely the undead leaders.
The Scavenger bastards had more use than Lee Jin-hyeok had expected.
"May we go now?"
"No."
Walking into <White Castle>, Lee Jin-hyeok smiled.
"Hand over your points first. And sell the new items you got too."
"......."
"Then I'll let you live."
Keln and the Scavengers ground their teeth in secret.
'Damn it......'
'I shouldn't have provoked him.'
'At least this is the last of it......'
When they walked over toward the expanding walls, the lord Dukon came running with both arms spread.
"Master Lee Jin-hyeok!"
He was so grateful that Lee Jin-hyeok grew embarrassed just watching.
But from Dukon's position, Lee Jin-hyeok could only look lovable.
He was the hero who had brought an opportunity to a <White Castle> that had been desperate merely to survive.
"Thank you. Truly, thank you."
"I didn't do much of anything."
"Hahaha. Didn't do much? Look at this."
Dukon gestured around them.
"Thanks to you, Master Jin-hyeok, <White Castle> will be able to take another leap forward."
Guiding Lee Jin-hyeok inside himself, Dukon went on at length about how <White Castle> was developing because of what he had done.
His gratitude was so great that he spoke as though setting a benefactor up on a pedestal.
"I will announce it on every floor! Master Lee Jin-hyeok's exploits!"
'Isn't it enough that it's already gone up in the <Archive>?'
A rising reputation had its advantages and disadvantages, but the advantages were far greater.
So Lee Jin-hyeok only smiled without a word.
"This is a small token of my regard."
[Player <Dukon> pays 50,000 points.]
"This is......"
"Hahaha. It may be nothing much, but I wanted to show at least this token of regard."
50,000 points was a considerable number of points.
"I'm not sure I should accept this much."
"Fifty thousand points is certainly a lot. But it isn't wasted on you, Master Jin-hyeok."
Dukon smiled.
"I have hired Rankers for the same number of points before, and every one of them killed a few undead at a leisurely pace and left."
In other words, Lee Jin-hyeok's work had stood out far more than the Rankers'.
So Dukon could hand over the points he had saved with a very glad heart.
"Then I will accept it gratefully."
Knowing the man's sincerity, Lee Jin-hyeok accepted the points gladly as well.
"By the way, the ones beside you are......?"
"Newbies who were wandering around without knowing better."
"Ah......! That reminds me, they say the item you were waiting for is finished."
"Is that so?"
"Yes. I will guide you there at once."
"That's all right. I can go on my own."
Lee Jin-hyeok clapped Keln on the back and shoved him forward.
"I would be grateful if you would guide these people to my room."
"Yes. I will have my adjutant do it."
"Yes. Thank you. Then."
After shaking hands with Dukon and depositing the Scavengers in the room.
He arrived at the forge directly.
CLANG! CLANG!
Blacksmiths making items infused with Divine Power.
"That's Lee Jin-hyeok."
"Lee Jin-hyeok? The one who killed Odusasa?"
"They say he set an all-time record in the trial too."
The blacksmiths at work saw Lee Jin-hyeok and immediately began murmuring.
"......."
Having been first-ranked since before the regression, he was very used to attention and murmuring like this.
So without minding other people's eyes, he walked straight over to where Eike was.
"Ah. Master Jin-hyeok!"
CLANG!
The instant he saw Lee Jin-hyeok, Eike stopped hammering and came running.
A gentle face, on a muscular, sweat-drenched body that was anything but.
'Blacksmiths really do have high Strength and Vitality stats, and high fire resistance.'
Seeing him, Lee Jin-hyeok snorted with laughter.
"It's been a while."
"I heard the stories!"
After Dukon, Eike too began reciting Lee Jin-hyeok's exploits.
'Oh no......'
Wearing an awkward smile, Lee Jin-hyeok could only wave it off.
"I am not that great a man."
"Hahaha. If you are not great, Master Jin-hyeok, then who is!"
Eike laughed.
"Other players think only of climbing the Tower and getting strong themselves."
'That's me, though.'
"But you are different, Master Jin-hyeok! Saving players with no connection to you at all, and even risking danger to deliver Floor 2."
"......."
"Truly, truly, I admire you."
Smiling, Eike brought out the item he had made.
"We artisans of <Gigantic Punk> feel tremendous fulfillment and honor when an item we made is used by 'one worthy of respect.'"
What Eike brought out was a pair of faintly black gloves.
"Please accept them."
[You have acquired the item <Adaptive Gloves>.]
<Adaptive Gloves>
Grade: Epic
Category: Gloves
[Physical Resistance: 50] [Magic Resistance: 50]
[Strength +3] [Vitality +3] [Agility +4]
[Fire Attribute: 20] [Water Attribute: 20]
▶You may choose one of fire or water to apply and merge with them.
'<Adaptive Gloves>, is it.'
For an Epic grade item, it had quite good effects.
SHRRRRRK—!
When he brought his hands close, the gloves clung on like a second skin.
They were plainly made of leather.
But they did not burn, they were hard as steel, and they had elasticity like rubber.
"Something seems to have changed a little."
"Yes. Originally I was supposed to make the <Aspiring Hero's Armor>. But you already have good armor, Master Jin-hyeok."
Swish.
"So I tried changing it into gloves."
Using a sword left plenty of opportunities to injure one's hands anyway, and he seemed to have attended carefully to that point.
'I like these.'
The item normally made by combining the hunter's and adept's sets was Epic grade armor.
Epic grade it may have been, but it had effects slightly inferior to <Eternal Frost>.
So he had meant to make it and sell it, or alternate between the two.
Being given gloves he could use right away like this was even better.
"Pour in mana and they will come off and go on by themselves."
CRACKLE.
When he poured in mana, the gloves began to seep into his skin.
They looked as though they had become scales, as if they were his own skin all along.
"Choose one of the two attributes."
"Understood."
Lee Jin-hyeok's choice was already settled.
[Activating the effect of the item <Adaptive Gloves>.]
[The fire attribute is selected.]
<Adaptive Gloves (Fire)>
Grade: Epic
Category: Gloves
[Physical Resistance: 75] [Magic Resistance: 75]
[Strength +3] [Vitality +3] [Agility +4]
[Fire Attribute: 40]
Choosing the attribute made the scales cling a little more closely.
His physical and magic resistance even rose on top of that.
'Status window.'
{Status Window}
Name: Lee Jin-hyeok
Race: Human, Imugi
Level: 26
[Strength: 75] [Vitality: 71] [Agility: 78]
[Mana: 63] [Divine Power: 0]
Lee Jin-hyeok smiled with satisfaction.
"These are excellent items. Thank you very much."
And all of it free, at that.
For Lee Jin-hyeok, whose points were already tight, it was a very fortunate thing.
"I have one favor to ask."
At Eike's words Lee Jin-hyeok nodded.
Give and take.
It was only natural.
'Anything but asking for points, I can grant.'
Having braced himself somewhat, Lee Jin-hyeok looked at the man.
"May I call you Boss?"
Seeing him ask with some nervousness, laughter came out on its own.
'Boss, is it.'
To the artisans of <Gigantic Punk>, the word 'Boss' meant something out of the ordinary.
A term of address attached only to one they truly found worthy of respect, one they wanted to make items for.
It carried a far heavier meaning than the way humans call anyone 'boss' or 'sis' at the drop of a hat.
'He really does believe I'm a hero.'
Lee Jin-hyeok thought of himself only as the one stopping a Constellation's revenge, but that was apparently not how he appeared in Eike's eyes now.
'Well, deepening my relationship with <Gigantic Punk>'s imperial family is good for me too.'
From Lee Jin-hyeok's position there was no reason at all to refuse.
"Of course."
"Hahahahaha! Understood. Thank you. This Eike will make you a great many items, Boss."
"I'd better earn plenty of points, then."
"Hahaha."
Lee Jin-hyeok and Eike laughed together.
The real gain he got from Floor 2 was not merely a few items or skills.
His connection with Eike.
He had gained a dependable ally who would do blacksmith work for him from here on.
***
{Skills Currently Held}
<Indomitable Star> (Mythic)
<Stellar Archive> (Rare)
<Mad Blood Rampage> (Unique)
<Goblin Chieftain> (Heroic)
<Enchant: Flame> (Rare)
<Imugi's Blood> (Legendary)
{Items Currently Held}
<Eternal Frost> (Epic)
<Token of the Machine> (???)
<Scale Breaker> (Heroic)
<Sylph's Leather Boots> (Epic)
<Elite Kobold Greatsword> (Rare)
<Adaptive Gloves (Fire)> (Epic)
'Good. At this level the preparation is perfect.'
The tutorial, Floor 1, Floor 2.
Every reward that could be obtained on the low floors, and every hidden piece, he had taken.
No, he had taken far more than he had expected.
▶Points currently held: 416,882
Thanks(?) to the items Keln and the Scavenger bastards had dug up, he had obtained additional points as well.
Now, once he obtained a new Sacred Relic, he could immediately spend 400,000 points and obtain two skills, no less.
And Constellation skills at that.
'Which means I'll have to be careful.'
Lee Jin-hyeok looked down at his skin.
Scales rose and vanished again and again whenever he wanted them to.
'A human body wouldn't have withstood it.'
Before the regression there had been a fair number of humans who attempted this sort of thing.
Forcibly, at the hands of black mages like Majuron, or willingly, to obtain greater power.
At the mild end, transplanting troll skin or cells to gain regeneration.
At the extreme end, wanting powerful strength, everything from ogres to drakes, said to be the remnants of the dragon race.
There had been many attempts to obtain a monster's power.
But not one player had ever succeeded.
'A living creature cannot be fused with another living creature. That chimeras are possible only with undead is by now common knowledge on the level of a law.'
Swish.
'I'm probably the only one who can handle an Imugi's power in a human body.'
In truth, calling it human was questionable too.
This body was not something Lee Jin-hyeok had received genetically from parents whose names he never knew. It was a Constellation's.
"Now."
Swish.
"shall we go?"
The Scavengers ended up staying here to work for <White Castle>.
Eike said he had things to finish, so he could not go up with him.
'We said our farewells in advance.'
After finishing all his preparations, Lee Jin-hyeok rose from the bed and muttered.
"I'm challenging the Floor 3 trial."
[Would you like to challenge the Floor 3 trial?]
[If you wish to challenge it, you will be moved to the trial waiting room immediately.]
When he indicated his consent, a pillar of light wrapped around him as always.
[Moving to the Floor 3 trial waiting room.]