The next day.
As always, I woke early in the morning and boarded a bus headed for the Tower.
It felt incredibly liberating to leave home with nothing but the clothes on my back, abandoning the toolbox I'd carried to work every day, packed to the brim.
‘The inventory really is convenient.’
Everything I'd need in the Tower was already stored in my inventory anyway.
Though, to be fair, the only thing I'd prepared was a single sword.
‘This feels strange. I'm commuting to the Tower as an Awakened….’
Live long enough, and you really do see everything.
On the bus to my destination, I reviewed the plan I'd made the night before.
‘I've more or less decided what to sell and what to keep. The problem is how to sell it….’
The safest way to trade items obtained from the Tower was, naturally, to use the ‘Tower Disaster Control Headquarters-Certified Secure Exchange.’
The problem was that registering as an Awakened was mandatory to use it.
‘Hmm, I'd rather avoid registering as an Awakened if I can….’
I didn't want to advertise the fact that I had an ability that copied other people's abilities, but more than anything, what had happened when I absorbed ‘Endless Hunger’ yesterday bothered me.
‘They clearly said the Awakened are no different from ordinary people outside the Tower… but an ordinary person's shadow doesn't move around on its own like that.’
After seeing that, I was supposed to go register while declaring, ‘Ha ha, now I'm a proud Awakened too!’?
I'd end up as a test subject in some underground laboratory instead of a registered Awakened.
With the best option eliminated, the choices that remained were to pay a fee and use a private intermediary or do the legwork and trade inside the Tower.
The former charged steep fees, and the latter was the perfect way to get fleeced.
‘I have some money saved for now, so let's take my time and think about it. I have enough for three or four months of living expenses.’
I soon arrived at my destination and headed straight for the plaza near the Tower.
An enormous crowd and a wall of noise greeted me.
The plaza was quite literally hosting a festival.
“All right, all right! A 1.5-times drop rate! Stock up on plenty of potions! You'll only turn a profit if you kill as many as possible! If you don't buy now, you'll regret it for the rest of your life!”
“Come on, mister. I know there are a lot of people here, but how can you double the price? I come here every day, so I know the market rate. You can't do business like that.”
“Yesterday was yesterday, and today is today. If you're not buying, quit interfering with my business and move along.”
“Hey now, who said I wasn't buying? Come on, sir, give me a thirty-percent discount. I'll accept that much.”
A tug-of-war between a merchant trying to sell potions at the market price of the moment during the rush and a seasoned customer!
“Hey, did you hear? They say Min-hyeong got a High-Grade dagger on the seventh floor early this morning. Let's hit it big today too!”
“Recruiting party members for an eighth-floor attempt! We can leave as soon as one Healer joins us!”
There were people excited by an acquaintance's valuable find, along with Awakened aiming for higher floors so they wouldn't miss this opportunity.
“Whoa… I knew there'd be a lot of people, but this is insane.”
The plaza was packed with people seeking to make a tidy profit during the three days of the Bounty of the Swamp blessing.
There were at least three times as many as usual.
Considering that most Awakened didn't bother coming all the way here and instead used the Tower's system to travel directly to its waiting room, it was an astonishing number.
‘If it's like this here, the first-floor waiting room must be bursting at the seams.’
All sorts of strange scents mingled among those people.
‘So this is what I've been smelling since this morning.’
I hadn't been sure until moments ago, but coming here confirmed it.
I'd kept noticing strange scents since this morning. Apparently, they were caused by ‘Delicious Scent,’ the new Trait I'd gained last night.
‘First my shadow moves on its own, and now I'm smelling strange scents….’
Truthfully, with my shadow already moving however it pleased, smelling a few scents wasn't exactly surprising.
The problem was why I could do it outside the Tower.
‘Healing Touch didn't work out here, so what the hell is the standard?’
If I had to guess, perhaps it was because these were the only two Skills bearing the prefix ‘Shadow,’ just like my Unique Ability, ‘Shadow Mimic’?
‘Delicious Scent is part of the Shadow Devour Trait, after all. Wait, if that's true… then Shadow Mimic should work too, shouldn't it?’
If it did, that would be quite the discovery.
What if I met a high-ranking Awakened in the real world who normally operated on floors so far above mine that I would never encounter them, then stepped on their shadow?
‘That's worth testing.’
Why some things worked in the real world while others didn't was still full of mysteries, but at least one thing had become clear.
‘…I absolutely can't register as an Awakened.’
This wasn't merely a matter of arousing envy and jealousy with a special Skill. At this rate, someone might wonder, ‘What makes this guy so special that he can use Skills outside the Tower?’ and dissect me.
‘Well, I'll figure these things out one by one.’
I set those questions aside for now and focused on the scents brushing past my nose.
People crossed the plaza in the heart of Seoul wearing equipment one would expect to see only in a medieval fantasy film.
Looking at what they wore gave me a rough idea of what kind of Skills they possessed.
Strangely, those details also connected to the scents coming from each person.
‘For example….’
A Warrior had just passed directly in front of me.
Before I could smell these scents, the massive shield strapped to his back and the thick plate armor covering his entire body would've made me vaguely assume, ‘He must be a Tank focused on defensive Skills.’
But he reeked of blood.
‘He's definitely not a Tank. He's closer to a Knight or a Warrior. Did he put his weapon in his inventory because it was dangerous, or leave it somewhere for repairs?’
The woman walking in step beside him wore a comical pointed hat and a brown robe, making it obvious at a glance that she was a mage.
Before, that would've been all I could tell.
‘She's a fire-magic Awakened.’
Now, though, I felt as if I could even tell what kind of magic she used.
The smell of something scorched brushing the tip of my nose was the evidence.
It wasn't unpleasant. It was more like the scent of well-seasoned firewood burning. I didn't know whether I'd call it delicious, but it wasn't a stench.
‘For a Skill called Delicious Scent, there haven't been many scents that are actually delicious.’
Just as I had that thought, a sweet fragrance came from somewhere.
It was similar to a fruity aroma, but unlike anything I'd ever smelled.
“…Hmm?”
A faint, different odor lurked beneath the rich, enticing sweetness.
It was cool and fishy, the sort of scent one might expect from a reptile.
I'd never encountered anything like it, and my curiosity naturally drew my steps after the scent. At its end, I found a man immaculately dressed in a black suit.
‘He's going to climb the Tower dressed like that?’
This was a place where a man in a suit looked stranger than someone in plate armor.
His air and demeanor made it easy enough to guess.
He practically had ‘I'm an agent from the Tower Disaster Control Headquarters’ written across him.
Only a single day had passed.
I hadn't imagined the people from the Tower Disaster Control Headquarters would descend upon this place so soon.
‘This seems to be turning into a bigger deal than I expected….’
I subtly looked around and saw more than one or two people dressed similarly.
There were four or five within my field of vision alone.
They roamed across the plaza, approaching everyone, merchants and Awakened alike.
The topic of their conversations was obvious.
They were probably asking about the person behind the EX Rank.
‘It's obvious they'll come talk to me soon if I stay here.’
I was about to slip away when someone called out to stop me.
“Oh! There he is, right on time! Si-hyeon!”
Mr. Jeong, the general-store owner, waved at me with a bright smile.
The agent had already seen me too.
It was too late to avoid him.
‘Leaving now would only look more suspicious. I'll face him head-on.’
There was nothing to fear.
‘They say dozens of swamp dungeons opened yesterday. How could they possibly find me?’
From what I'd learned, yesterday's kidnapping event had abducted random people, divided them into groups of four or five, and imprisoned each group in a different room.
The objective in every room was the same: defeat the ‘Ruler of the Swamp.’
We had simply been thrown into one of those countless rooms.
Unless I raised my hand and went around shouting, ‘Ah, everyone, it was me! I'm the Lord Bounty!’ there was no way I'd be caught.
I kept my wits about me, approached them, and greeted Director Jeong first.
“Hello, Mr Jeong!”
“Oh, Si-hyeon! You didn't come out for so long after being dragged into that Tower yesterday, so I was worried. Seeing you back in one piece is such a relief. You didn't get hurt anywhere, did you?”
Since he was a shopkeeper I regularly exchanged greetings with, I could tell his concern and care were sincere.
“No. One of my regular Awakened customers was dragged in with me, so thanks to him, I made it back in one piece.”
“What a relief. Truly.”
At that moment, the black-suited man beside us cleared his throat with an ‘AHEM.’
“Oh! Where is my head? Si-hyeon, this is….”
“That's all right, sir. I'll introduce myself.”
His voice was firm and clear.
The man in the suit took an official identification card from inside his jacket and introduced himself.
“I'm Lee Do-hyeon, leader of Field Team 2 at the Tower Disaster Control Headquarters. I heard you survived the Tower's forced-summoning incident yesterday. If it's not too much trouble, may I ask you a few questions?”
“Yes, of course. Please feel free.”
“I'd like to ask what happened inside. What was it like?”
“Ah, I truly thought I was going to die. Fortunately, the Awakened hyung who got dragged in with me was a seasoned veteran, so I barely survived thanks to him. Ugh, theGoblins were bad enough, but the boss was really…!”
It was a fairly quick-witted answer, if I said so myself.
As an added touch, I shuddered as though I didn't even want to think about it again.
“I see. You truly went through a great ordeal. I have one more question. Did you perhaps Awaken after entering the Tower?”
There was a reason the kidnapping event was also called the Newcomer Intake Event.
“It wasn't easy for a Non-Awakened person to survive being kidnapped, but of those who did make it out alive, eighty percent Awakened.”
I had too.
“Ah, I Awakened as a Healer after entering. I was lucky.”
“Ah, you Awakened as a rare Healer. My sincere congratulations.”
“Thank you. But what brings government officials all the way out here? Are you perhaps looking for that… person they call the Lord Bounty?”
“Yes, precisely as you surmised. The authorities have made that individual's protection and management their highest priority. Did you happen to see anyone perform exceptionally well inside, or can you think of anyone it might have been?”
“Unfortunately not. I had more than enough trouble of my own.”
After that, we exchanged a number of trivial questions and answers. The other man evidently decided the conversation wasn't producing anything useful, and I could see that he wanted to end it quickly.
Of course, that suited me just fine.
“Very well. Thank you for your valuable time. I wish you a safe climb.”
He bowed and moved to leave.
Or rather, he tried to, but I stopped him.
“Ah, excuse me! Just a moment!”
“Yes? Is there something else you'd like to say?”
I stepped forward and planted my foot firmly on his shadow.
A message window instantly appeared before my eyes.
[New Shadow Contact detected.]
[Target: Awakened ‘Lee Do-hyeon’]
[Unique Ability ‘Shadow Mimic’ activated.]
Just as I'd suspected.
‘Oh, it works.’
Even in the real world, the Skill activated when I consciously stepped on someone's shadow.
“Could you leave me your business card or contact information?”
“Yes… that isn't difficult, but did something perhaps come to mind?”
“Oh, no. It's just so I can contact you if I happen to learn anything. In a way, that person and I are fellow newcomers, aren't we? You never know. Our paths might cross somehow.”
Only then did the other man smile and hand me his business card.
“Thank you for your cooperation.”
I accepted the card with a matching smile.
“Don't mention it.”
Thanking me for my cooperation?
Those were my words exactly.
‘Thank you for your cooperation, Mr. Lee Do-hyeon.’
I'll make excellent use of your Skill.
***
After shaking off the agent from the Tower Disaster Control Headquarters, I briefly met Kim hyung nearby.
There was something I'd asked him for in advance.
“Hey there, Awakened Kim Si-hyeon. Here you go. What you asked for.”
Kim hyung took a dagger from inside his clothes and handed it to me.
It was the very same one I'd used to cut my arm in the swamp yesterday.
“Thank you. I'll use it carefully and return it.”
“Forget it. That thing isn't worth much, so keep it. Consider it a gift to celebrate your Awakening.”
“Oh, no. I couldn't do that.”
It had a crude appearance and no special effects, but its edge was keen.
Even something like this had to be worth several hundred thousand won. I couldn't simply accept it.
“Quit arguing and take it.”
“It's too expensive for a gift. I'll use it and return….”
“Ah, I don't care! Anyway, I gave it to you. Use it, sell it, or sell it and buy something else. Do whatever you want. I'm leaving!”
“Hyung!”
Kim hyung hurried off as though fleeing.
An incredulous chuckle escaped me as I watched his retreating back.
“…I don't think I'll be able to return it now.”
In any case, my preparations were complete.
I could summon a portal and travel directly to the Tower, but I'd accomplished the reason I'd come all the way here, so I headed for it at once.
“Whoa… There are even more people here.”
As expected, the first-floor waiting room was packed.
At a glance, there were easily more people than had gathered in the plaza.
Yet the space was so vast that it didn't feel particularly crowded.
‘In a pinch, I could set up house here. Though I don't know whether the Tower would allow that.’
I put the absurd thought aside, wove through the crowd, and arrived before the portal leading to the first-floor field.
‘First, I'll take out my weapon….’
The only piece of equipment among yesterday's rewards was the Old, Corroded Longsword.
I intended to try using it.
‘I only got one piece of equipment from an EX-Grade reward… and it's old and corroded. There must be something to it.’
More than anything, its appearance was unusual.
It was a single-edged, curved sword with a dull, ink-black blade made from some unknown material.
The system had casually classified it as a ‘longsword’ and left it at that, but the first thing I'd thought of upon seeing it was a Japanese katana.
Yet on closer inspection, it was subtly different.
‘It looks more like something I've often seen in historical dramas. Was it called a traditional Korean saber?’
There was no way something like this was merely an ‘Old, Corroded Longsword.’
So, doing what I knew best, I'd repaired the sword in my own way last night.
I wrapped a new leather cord around its grip to replace the tattered one, removed the rust, and sharpened the blade again.
In the process, my suspicions had become certainty.
‘The balance of this sword is truly incredible.’
I knew only so much about smithing, but as someone who had at least picked up a little about working iron by watching over others' shoulders, I decided to bet on this sword possessing some kind of hidden potential.
‘And if things go wrong, I have the dagger Kim hyung gave me.’
The dagger I'd originally meant to borrow… was my insurance.
I would know for certain how good the sword was once I tested it in actual combat.
With that, I took a long step forward.
[Leaving the waiting room and entering the first-floor mission area.]
[Warning: All actions within the Tower may result in fatal consequences. The Awakened accepts full responsibility. Do you still wish to proceed?]
Ah, of course.
“I accept the challenge.”