Rewards will be recalculated according to causality.>
WHIRRR—!
110 F-Rank Magic Stones, 4 Essences of Earth, 1 Time Delay Ticket, 11-slot Inventory Expansion Ticket, 2 Skill Selection Ticket Fragments, 1 Maple Syrup.>
After clearing Rocky Mountains Tower and emerging outside, Chae Seon-hwa looked startled.
Before us spread the vivid blue waters of Peyto Lake.
Beyond the glacial lake, a snow-covered mountain range could be seen.
[It really brought us right here?]
[Yes. Hunters usually travel overseas like this. Once you clear a Tower, it is registered in the System.]
[Wow! This is really nice!]
Previously, since I had left directly through the Status Window, both entering and exiting had been done by freight truck, but today, we had found the hidden entrance and emerged outside.
This was all thanks to Ms. Su-a’s information-gathering ability.
<The information says that if you pass through Rocky Mountains Tower’s hidden entrance, you will always emerge at Peyto Lake. I have also completed a reservation for lodging near the exit!>
At the same time as my question, she quickly resolved everything from lodging to transportation from Canada to the United States, and even the method of crossing the border.
As expected of the ruler of the network, she possessed formidable information-gathering power and execution.
[It is truly beautiful!]
Chae Seon-hwa could not take her eyes off Peyto Lake.
As expected of a famous tourist site, there were many tourists around us as well.
“Huh? Did you hear?”
“Hear what?”
“They say our Tower got another buff.”
“Eh? Surely Jack Rich?”
“He must really like Canada!”
“Could it be... the secret of his birth was true? That Jack Rich is mixed-race?”
Because they were speaking English at a rapid pace, I only caught it in fragments, but I understood this much clearly.
The secret of his birth.
“......”
It seemed better to rest quietly at the lodging today without going anywhere.
After spending a quiet day at the lodging near the lake like that, we crossed the American border first thing in the morning.
“Status Window.”
<Nation has changed.>
<Automatically acquiring player location.>
<Location tracking complete.>
1. Hwanseon Cave Tower (40th Floor, 88 days 13:13:18)
2. Gwanaksan Tower (36th Floor, 78 days 22:58:42)
3. Seopjikoji Tower (26th Floor, 140 days 02:47:23)
4. Washington Monument Tower (50th Floor, 58 days 01:28:01): Location Reflected
5. Times Square Tower (37th Floor, 157 days 03:11:00): Location Reflected
6. Field Tower (42nd Floor, 88 days 17:25:42): Location Reflected
7. Space Center Tower (40th Floor, 75 days 22:53:27): Location Reflected>
“Washington Monument Tower.”
<Player Jack Rich_07 will enter Washington Monument Tower’s 1st floor.>
FLASH—!
<The Washington Monument Tower elevator has arrived. Please board the elevator.>
[Wow! Let us ride it! Ride it!]
“What elevator?”
“There is an observation deck up there. Was it 153 meters up?”
<Player Jack Rich_07 confirmed boarding the ground-bound elevator.>
However, the destination was not the observation deck.
Rather, it seemed to be the opposite.
<A player who extended Washington Monument Tower’s time using Time Delay Tickets has entered. Moving to a special temporary stage.>
“Huh?”
“Why?”
[What?]
<Temporary Stage: Survive.>
<Remaining Time 00:03:00>
“...What?”
<Ground-bound elevator departing.>
There was no time to wonder.
As if the brakes had failed, the elevator suddenly began to fall.
It moved at a terrifying speed that neither humans nor ghosts could adapt to.
[Kyaaaaaaaak—!]
“Wh-why is this thing doing this?”
“My body keeps floating!!”
We were now experiencing the zero-gravity state of space inside an elevator on Earth.
And then.
[Th-the ceiling is coming down!]
The ceiling descended vigorously, as if trying to fix us, who were floating around, in one place.
Cha Jun-hyeok lifted both arms high and shouted.
“Leave it to me! Hup!”
He desperately moved to the center of the elevator and straightened his body between the ceiling and the floor like a pillar.
Then, when he supported the ceiling with his arms,
THUD!
CREEEEAK!
[The ceiling stopped!]
“Cha Jun-hyeok!”
<Remaining Time 00:01:57>
[Just a little more!]
We sincerely cheered Cha Jun-hyeok on.
“Uaaaaa!”
“Heal!”
Every time Cha Jun-hyeok’s strength drained away, Lee Se-a’s support fire followed.
An anxious time passed.
“Why is three minutes so long!!!”
“No, seriously!”
[Please hold on just a little longer!]
As everyone spent a three-minute span that felt like ten years,
<Remaining Time 00:00:05>
[Five seconds! Four seconds! Three seconds! Two seconds! One second! At last!]
“It is done!”
Creeeeak—
The ceiling returned to its original position.
“You worked hard.”
[You did well!]
“Good work!”
At the same time, the elevator stopped.
<Your level has increased.>
<Washington Monument Tower’s 1st floor has been cleared.>
<First passage of the special temporary stage. Rank will be raised.>
<You have succeeded in the first SS-Rank clear of Washington Monument Tower.>
Basic Rewards: 100 F-Rank Magic Stones, Inventory Expansion Ticket (10 slots), 2 Essences of Wind.
First SS-Rank Clear Rewards: 20 Time Delay Tickets, 20-slot Inventory Expansion Ticket, 1 Skill Selection Ticket Fragment>
Attack Power +10%, Defense +10%>
<Would you like to exit Washington Monument Tower’s 1st floor?>
“Cancel.”
<Exit standby time is 6 minutes.>
There was a reason I canceled immediately.
It was because the elevator showed the floor number 1.
Ding-dong!
<The elevator has arrived at ground level.>
The elevator doors opened with a smooth sliding sound.
At last, we were freed from zero gravity.
[Huh? But I do not think this is the exit.]
“You are right. Homeowner, did a Status Window alert appear?”
“Not yet.”
The place we came out into was the same place where we had first boarded the elevator.
There was a statue of George Washington, and...
<Ah...>
[What? What did you say?]
I had not said anything.
However, my eyes, with 8 Concentration, caught the statue of George Washington making a minute movement.
The statue’s mouth had definitely moved just now.
<Ame...>
The statue’s mouth moved again, and the voice became clearer.
Lee Se-a clapped her hands together as if she understood.
“Ah! America!”
As if answering, George Washington struck the ground with the cane he was holding.
Then the elevator doors opened at the same time.
However, what was visible this time was not the inside of the elevator.
It was the long stretch of the Reflecting Pool.
Beyond the pond where light poured down, the Lincoln Memorial could be seen.
[It is outside!]
<An unscheduled event has occurred.>
<At the Administrator’s request, a special hidden entrance to Washington Monument Tower’s 1st floor has been newly opened.>
<Rewards will be recalculated according to causality.>
WHIRRR—!
Basic Rewards: 110 A-Rank Magic Stones, Inventory Expansion Ticket (55 slots), 10 Essences of Wind.
First SS-Rank Rewards: 1 Time Delay Ticket, 10 Skill Selection Ticket Fragments, George Washington Mask, Arizona Vessel of Souls>
A Status Window appeared as soon as I passed through the elevator.
But the items I had received just moments earlier had already been upgraded several stages.
In particular, the SS-Rank rewards had changed into entirely different items from before.
“George Washington Mask? Vessel of Souls?”
<A quest related to the U.S. military has been generated. Would you like to check it?>
“Check.”
<Checking the player’s current location and affiliation.>
<Jack Rich_07’s current location is the United States.>
<Jack Rich_07’s affiliation is Korea.>
<Linked Quest: Guide the souls of fallen U.S. soldiers home.>
1. Collect the souls of 300 or more U.S. soldiers in the Vessel of Souls.
2. Collect the souls of 1,000 or more U.S. soldiers in the Vessel of Souls.
3. Collect the souls of 3,000 or more U.S. soldiers in the Vessel of Souls.
4. Clear George Washington Tower’s 50th floor.
Rewards will be issued upon completing each stage.
Only spirits that have been killed, suppressed, or bound can be collected.
By paying a certain price, the reward stage can be raised.
―Collection Sites
United States: Pearl Harbor Dungeon, Lexington Dungeon, Yorktown Dungeon.
Korea: Gaemi Pass Dungeon, White Horse Hill Dungeon, Yanggu Dungeon.
―Requirements
Player Level 20 or higher.
Clear the 10th floor of the Tower or higher.
At that moment, someone’s voice came from behind me.
<May God bless you.>
A clear and firm voice.
<Thank you for protecting America.>
FLASH—!
<Exiting Washington Monument Tower’s 1st floor.>
At that moment, all civil servants of the Hunter Management Agency had gathered in the lobby of the agency building.
It was because the predicted time for clearing the highest floor of Gwanaksan Tower, calculated by Ms. Su-a, was approaching.
A tense moment.
The clock in the agency lobby moved toward the scheduled time without stopping.
Tick.
Tick.
While the Commissioner and all the employees cheered for the clear team, the second hand of the clock was just about to pass the scheduled time.
<Gwanaksan Tower’s highest floor has been cleared. The next challenge floor is the 37th floor.>
<Remaining Time 180 days 00:00:00>
<For one week, the item drop rate will increase by 10% when clearing Gwanaksan Tower.>
At the same time, cheers erupted.
“Wow!!!”
“It worked!”
“Amazing!”
“They did it!”
Relief came with bright smiles.
Gwanaksan Tower was now safe for half a year.
The Commissioner patted my shoulder with a bright face.
“You worked hard, Section Officer Lee.”
“Not at all.”
“What do you mean? It is all thanks to you.”
“It is because the clear team members were excellent.”
“Goodness. This is why I trust you.”
The Commissioner looked thoroughly pleased.
“I look forward to working with you in the future as well.”
“I also look forward to working with you.”
After the festive morning passed, in the afternoon, every civil servant in the agency building received a special half-day leave.
Today, there was something I had to do before entering the Tower.
While I had been too busy to pay attention, quite a few Essences had accumulated.
Before resuming negotiations with America, I had cleared Hwanseon Cave Tower and Seopjikoji Tower one more time each, so the total number of Essences I had collected so far was thirty-three.
“Status Window.”
Class: Necromancer
Rank: Not Yet Measured
Nation: Korea
Title: Sealed
Stats: View Details
Skills: Summon Spirit 1(S), Exorcism 1(A), Materialization 1(A), Eye of Truth 1(A), Suppression 1(B), Absorption 1(B)
Skill Selection Ticket Fragments: 24>
<Rank Information: View Details>
S-Rank Sealed.
Collect information after killing the Tower’s 40th floor boss.
Death’s Oath applied.
Stage 1 - Seed of Growth
Effect: The owner’s Growth Rate increases by 100%.>
<Stage 2 Seed being generated. 65%>
I inserted 7 more Essences into the Status Window.
70%
‧
‧
‧
95%
100%
FLASH!
[Ah! Homeowner!]
[That is completely dazzling. I have never seen anything like this.]
[Finally, Stage 2 Seed! What! What came out?]
“Stage 2 Growth Booster.”
[...Growth Booster? Surely not?]
<Checking the Title owner’s level.>
<Level is below Level 20.>
<Level boosting will be performed before applying the effect.>
<Temporary effect application complete.>
<Upon reaching Level 20, it will switch to the original effect.>
Effect: The owner’s Growth Rate increases by 300%.>
“Growth Rate increases by 300%.”
[???]
[!!!]
[?!]
For a moment, I thought time had stopped.
That was because all the spirits had frozen in place.
I could understand Cha Jun-hyeok and Lee Se-a reacting like that since they had originally been Hunters, but why Chae Seon-hwa?
Had she become assimilated because we were always together?
[...This is good, right?]
[You are asking if it is good? Unless the System has gone mad?!]
[This is practically reverse discrimination...]
The two former Hunters looked as though they had lost a country.
But Chae Seon-hwa clapped her hands.
[As expected of our homeowner!]
“It says it is a temporary effect until Level 20.”
[A temporary effect? What is that?]
[You mean it is not the original effect?]
“It says that once I reach Level 20, it will switch to the original effect.”
[That is good, right?]
Probably?
Honestly, even while inserting the Essences earlier, it had felt a little regrettable.
Since obtaining the Stage 1 effect, my level had risen every time I entered the Tower.
[Is this what heavenly luck means...!]
[His vessel is simply different!]
Lee Se-a smiled with a bitter expression.
[So this is what relative deprivation means.]
[Homeowner! Then what about the quest?]
As it happened, an alert like this had appeared together at the end.
<The Stage 2 Quest will proceed after switching to the original effect.>
“It seems I need to reach Level 20 first.”
[Is that so? Then let us go to the Tower! The Tower!]
[Good!]
[That is right! We have to reach the 100th floor!]
“Yes. Let us go.”
It was about time to start increasing the pace.
I also had to reach the 10th floor and undergo rank measurement.
<Player Jack Rich_07 will enter Gwanaksan Tower’s 2nd floor.>
Today, Nabi was with us as well.
“Meow!”
As soon as we entered, Nabi leapt into Lee Se-a’s arms.
Holding the cat skillfully, Lee Se-a smiled brightly as she turned the goblins into ash.
[Sphere of Spiritual Energy!]
Chae Seon-hwa also launched a Sphere of Spiritual Energy with practiced ease and caught a goblin.
But Cha Jun-hyeok stood in one place and merely smiled.
[Are only the two of us catching them today?]
“Cha Jun-hyeok, what are you doing?”
However, Cha Jun-hyeok merely stood alone and aloof as he faced the wind.
Then, at last, when the goblins had been reduced from seven to two,
“Finally, it is my turn.”
A streak of chilling light passed through his eyes.
“Sword Demon.”
At those words, as if it had been waiting, Cha Jun-hyeok’s shadow rose from the ground.
[Wow!]
“Whoa, what is that?”
Cha Jun-hyeok and shadow Cha Jun-hyeok.
The swords they thrust out at the same time.
A brilliant light dwelled briefly in the blades.
SLASH—!
The goblins’ heads flew through the blue sky at the same time.
<Your level has increased.>
<Your level has increased.>
<Your level has increased.>
<Gwanaksan Tower’s 2nd floor has been cleared.>
<Shortest time updated. Rank will be raised.>
<You have succeeded in the first S-Rank clear of Gwanaksan Tower.>
<Gwanaksan Tower’s highest-floor clear privilege period is active. Item drop rate increases by 10%.>
Basic Rewards: 110 F-Rank Magic Stones, 4 Essences of Sky.
First S-Rank Clear Rewards: 1 Time Delay Ticket, 11-slot Inventory Expansion Ticket, 2 Skill Selection Ticket Fragments>
Attack Power +5%, Defense +5%>
<Would you like to exit Gwanaksan Tower’s 2nd floor?>
“Cancel.”
<Exit standby time is 6 minutes.>
For Absorption, I chose Goblin Number 3.
<7 Agility has been absorbed.>
And next.
“Soul Collection.”
The moment I took out the box, the spirits darted far away.
[Homeowner! Call us when it is over!]
Three ghosts and one cat huddled together under a tree and waited for my next words.
“Select, 6 Goblins.”
<6 Goblin souls have been collected. 16/100>
Click!
Only after the box closed did the spirits approach.
“I cannot get used to it no matter how many times I see it.”
“It feels as though something is bewitching me. Seon-hwa, is it the same for you?”
[Yes, it feels as if I will become happy if I go inside...!]
As she said that, Chae Seon-hwa’s eyes filled with tears.
“Steel yourself. We have to come back to life.”
[Yes! I can do it!]
After encouraging one another, the spirits’ eyes each burned with determination.
Just before Chae Seon-hwa’s eyes burned away, Cha Jun-hyeok shouted.
“Homeowner! Here it is!”
As soon as we passed through the exit, the Status Window alert sounded again.
Rewards will be recalculated according to causality.>
Basic Rewards: 120 F-Rank Magic Stones, 5 Essences of Sky, 1 Time Delay Ticket, 12-slot Inventory Expansion Ticket, 4 Skill Selection Ticket Fragments>
<Exiting Gwanaksan Tower’s 2nd floor.>
My level had risen by a full three stages in a single clear.
And the next day.
<Your level has increased.>
<Your level has increased.>
<Your level has increased.>
<Gwanaksan Tower’s 3rd floor has been cleared.>
[Wow, homeowner. This speed truly makes no sense.]
[Is this right?]
[Of course it is right, because it is our homeowner!]
And then the day after that, on the third day at last.
<Your level has increased.>
<Your level has increased.>
<Your level has increased.>
<Gwanaksan Tower’s 4th floor has been cleared.>
Finally, my level had surpassed 20.
“Status Window.”
<Level 22 achieved.>
<The Title’s temporary effect will switch to the original effect.>