[I told you... to go to the Tower?]
[Yes! That voice!]
Cha Jun-hyeok snapped his fingers.
[Me? I did?]
But Chae Seon-hwa, who had no idea what he meant, merely opened her eyes wide.
Had Cha Jun-hyeok not said from the beginning that this was his first time seeing her?
[Why would I?]
[I do not know either!]
“......”
Was this what people called saying something one could not take responsibility for?
It seemed best to simply ignore it altogether.
More importantly, there was something I wanted to ask.
“Do you remember your name?”
[Right. Do you remember your name?]
[Yes! I have a name!]
“What is it?”
[Chae Seon-hwa. Seon-hwa is my name.]
[It sounds kind of old-fashioned, does it not?]
But it suited her.
Chae Seon-hwa gave off an overall impression of delicate lines and airy grace.
And to me, it was not such an unfamiliar name either.
It was a name that made me think of someone nostalgic, someone whose memory filled me with warmth.
After driving for an hour from the airport and arriving at the lodging, a completely different world from before unfolded before me.
Exotic trees, the sky beginning to glow with sunset, the blue, transparent sea rolling in, and black basalt stone walls lining the road.
[Jeju-do is truly wonderful!]
Chae Seon-hwa spun in graceful, fluttering circles as she lightly walked along the stone wall road of Jeju-do.
However, she was dressed in white mourning clothes.
[Homeowner, when are we going to the Tower?]
“Tomorrow.”
[Why?!!]
Why, indeed.
Today’s work hours were already over.
Before entering Jeju-do Tower, I decided to check my current status first.
“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)>
<Rank Information: View Details>
S-Rank Seal.
Information will be collected after defeating the boss on the 40th floor of the Tower.
Privileges after unsealing:
You will have priority in all judgments related to spirits.>
It was the same as at first.
Ah, come to think of it.
“Cha Jun-hyeok.”
[What is it, homeowner?]
“What is a sealed title?”
But when Cha Jun-hyeok heard my question, he looked somewhat dazed.
[......What?]
“A sealed title. In what kind of case does this happen?”
As though moving from a cold bath to a hot bath, Cha Jun-hyeok suddenly began to grow excited.
[Are you serious? Homeowner! Are you seriously asking?!]
“It says it is an S-Rank Seal, and that information will be collected after defeating the boss on the 40th floor of the Tower.”
[Information will be collected after defeating the boss?! Then it really is true! What else?! Is there anything else?!]
“It says there is a privilege after unsealing.”
[What kind?]
“You will have priority in all judgments related to spirits.”
[Insane!!!!!!!!!!!]
Then Cha Jun-hyeok began tearing at his own hair.
[You are going to go bald.]
Chae Seon-hwa showed sincere concern for Cha Jun-hyeok’s hair.
But could ghosts even go bald?
[Homeowner! You truly are!! State power!!!]
This time, Cha Jun-hyeok swept madly around the ceiling of the room.
He laughed like a mad scientist.
Then, all of a sudden, he stopped every movement.
[Homeowner, what did you used to do?]
He should have known that already.
“I was a civil servant.”
[Anything else? Is there nothing else? Did you do something for a long time, or did some genius talent explode? You know, something from childhood?]
A talent explosion?
I was extremely ordinary, close to colorless and odorless.
But when I heard the words “from childhood,” a memory suddenly came to mind.
Was it when I was seven?
It had been a summer day with a pleasant breeze.
I remembered eating watermelon and lying down with my head on my maternal grandmother’s lap.
Then I briefly closed my eyes...
‘You are a child loved by the gods.’
I had heard those words pass through my half-asleep mind.
“I did see ghosts until I was seven.”
Although after I moved out with my mother, nothing like that had ever happened again.
[Really? Does something like that apply?]
Cha Jun-hyeok groaned again and clutched his head.
[In any case, homeowner, listen carefully! That is a seed!]
“A seed?”
[Yes, the seed of a Legendary-Grade Title! That is why it is an S-Rank Seal!]
Cha Jun-hyeok’s expression could not have been more serious.
[Once you unseal that, your hardships are over and happiness begins! It is the Lotto. The Lotto! The current first, second, and third in the world all have legendary titles, you know?!]
[Really? Then our homeowner too...!]
The two ghosts’ eyes began sparkling.
[Let us stay together for life, homeowner!]
[Homeowner!!! Me too!]
“......”
[Ah, but homeowner.]
“What?”
[Is there any other information? Something like seed fertilizer information?]
“The explanation ends there.”
[Really? Then will this work? This is my first time seeing a legendary-grade one, so I am not sure.]
[What do you mean?]
[Among my titles, I have Strongest in Korea, right? That one is Unique-Grade.]
[And?]
[I grew it from the seed stage through three stages. I received rewards three times too, and they were quite nice.]
“How?”
[First was... right! Homeowner, do you have any essences?]
“I have Essences of Earth. Eight of them.”
[That will do! Put them into the Sealed Title Information on your Status Window!]
S-Rank Seal.
Information will be collected after defeating the boss on the 40th floor of the Tower.>
I took an Essence of Earth out of my Inventory and brought it close to the Status Window.
POP!
Then the essence was sucked into the Status Window in an instant.
[Oh, it works! It disappeared!]
[How fascinating!]
And at the same time, a new Status Window appeared.
<Generating Seed Quest.>
<The title owner’s class has been confirmed.>
“A Seed Quest?”
[A quest?? Legendary-grade titles even give quests? What is it? What kind?]
“It says to follow the guide and find traces of collapsed Towers.”
The related contents continued.
<Necromancer is a class that uses Mana and Spiritual Power by connecting them. Therefore, you must practice viewing the world from a perspective different from that of ordinary Awakened people.>
<Stage 1 Title Seed Quest generated.>
<Since the current title owner’s level is 10 or lower, the guide will be presented in two parts.>
<Guide 1. Find traces of collapsed Towers.>
-Distribution Areas
Europe: San Marino.
United States: Grand Canyon.
Korea: Uninhabited Island, Ganghwa-do, West Coast.
-Reward upon completing Guide 1: Death’s Oath. Blocks one attack that would lead to death, and the seed stage decreases by one level.
-Hint: Use Eye of Truth.
The information had changed as well.
S-Rank Seal.
Information will be collected after defeating the boss on the 40th floor of the Tower.
Stage 1 Seed Generation in Progress: 10%
Stage 1 Quest in Progress: Guide 1>
When I put in all the essences I had, the percentage rose to 80%.
[The reward!]
“Death’s Oath. It blocks one attack that would lead to death in the Tower, and...”
Cha Jun-hyeok’s eyes widened in an instant.
He looked as though he had seen a ghost while walking down the road.
[Is this not outright preferential treatment?! I can feel the System’s will to save the owner of a Legendary-Grade Title somehow, even at a low level. Is this right?!]
Leaving Cha Jun-hyeok beside me shouting that the rich were innocent and the poor were guilty, Chae Seon-hwa flew over and asked,
[Homeowner, what about your skills? Are they very different from ours?]
“Summon Spirit, Exorcism, Materialization, and Eye of Truth.”
[What? Materialization?!]
Cha Jun-hyeok’s face turned blue.
[What? What is Materialization?]
At Chae Seon-hwa’s question, I read the skill description exactly as it appeared.
“It decomposes suppressed or bound spirits into various materials, including all kinds of items and fragments. Rewards increase depending on the spirit’s level. Can be used once a month.”
Seeing this made it clear.
Materialization was a skill like equipment dismantling.
Judging by the explanation alone, it was also the perfect skill to use as a threat when spirits did not listen.
[That... what? It decomposes a bound spirit... so it turns me into items...?]
[Where would you find a spirit as capable as me?]
Sensing danger, Cha Jun-hyeok began promoting himself.
[I can make the homeowner’s dreams come true!]
Chae Seon-hwa also began appealing her abilities.
“I have no intention of doing that right now.”
Not yet, that was.
[Whew.]
[What a relief.]
The ghosts sighed in relief with comfortable expressions.
I checked the other skills as well.
Summon Spirit and Exorcism were exactly what their names suggested, and Eye of Truth, which had appeared as a hint, was...
Pierces through the true form of a person or spirit. Each time the skill level rises...>
I was still reading the rest of the explanation when Cha Jun-hyeok spoke to me with a serious expression.
[But homeowner.]
“What is it?”
[You said you were a Necromancer, right?]
“That is right.”
[That is unusual.]
“In what way?”
[Usually, the class related to the dead is the standard Necromancer.]
“Standard Necromancer?”
[Yes. It is a class that raises the corpses or souls of dead monsters to fight... and that is not common either. It is an elite class. An elite class.]
“Monster corpses...”
[And as far as I know, there should be a level restriction too.]
“What kind of level restriction?”
[Until level 10, three monsters. Until level 20, five monsters. Something like that. The monster ranks are also fixed.]
[Monster ranks?]
[Yes. At low levels, the grade you can raise probably starts from F-Rank, right?]
[Are you saying our homeowner is low-level right now?!]
At Chae Seon-hwa’s words, Cha Jun-hyeok casually wiped his nose.
[No, I am saying he is amazing.]
[In what way?]
At that, Cha Jun-hyeok’s expression became proud.
He straightened his shoulders and back, then smiled with deep satisfaction.
[Me. Look at me, homeowner.]
“Why?”
[Who am I?]
“......”
What answer did he expect from me?
[Cha Jun-hyeok?]
[Yes. It is me. Cha Jun-hyeok.]
[So what?]
Chae Seon-hwa stared at Cha Jun-hyeok with a face that truly seemed not to understand.
I was the same.
But Cha Jun-hyeok’s momentum did not break.
[I am Korea’s number one ranked Hunter! Not only Korea’s, but the hope of the next-generation Hunter world. One of only ten Special S-Rank Hunters in the entire world. That name is me! Cha Jun-hyeok! Homeowner, you are truly an amazing person! To think you bound someone like me!!]
In the end, the conversation concluded as self-praise.
At this point, it was practically narcissism.
Surely... not all high-ranking Hunters were like this, were they?
[Yes, yes. I see.]
[What is with that reaction?!]
Leaving Cha Jun-hyeok to leap about in indignation, next came the check of Chae Seon-hwa’s abilities.
“Spirit List.”
Bound To: Lee Ji-hu
Class: Bright Path
Rank: S-Rank
Stats: Vitality [12,050] Mana [300] Mental Fortitude [300] Divine Power [600] Attack Power [3,555] Defense [550] Strength [300] Agility [50] Intelligence [210] Evasion [50]
Skills: Sphere of Spiritual Energy 5 (S), Possession 4 (A), Foresight 1 (F), No Blossom Lasts Ten Days 6 (A), Thunderstorm 3 (B)>
“Level 60?”
[What?!]
[Wow!]
Cha Jun-hyeok and Chae Seon-hwa were surprised at the same time.
[Why are you surprised too?]
[Because it is my first time seeing it.]
[What? You do not have a Status Window?]
[No, nothing appears.]
[She is unusual too.]
Seeing the abilities of the two of them, I did not think I had to worry about climbing the Tower for the time being.
“Get in the car.”
I started the rental car.
Now it was time to depart for Seopjikoji.
[That is Seongsan Ilchulbong!]
The area around Seopjikoji Tower was still open as a tourist site.
However, there was not a single person in sight.
Perhaps because of that, nature stretched endlessly all around us.
The surroundings were a peaceful landscape where grassland, walking paths, and the sea blended together.
<Player Jack Rich_07 will enter the 1st floor of Seopjikoji Tower.>
FLASH!
The inside of the Tower was not very different from the outside.
We had been transferred near a cliff, and from directly below us came a clamorous sound.
“SKREEE!”
“KRAAK!”
Mermaids leapt out of the sea and climbed up the cliff.
However, they did not look like the mermaids people commonly imagined.
What appeared before us were mermaids with fish heads, human arms and legs, and hair...
“What are those? Mermaids or fishmen?!”
[Kyah... how grotesque!]
As they approached, the smell of the sea became overwhelming.
In other words, the stench of fish filled the air in every direction.
“...Show no mercy. Kill them.”
“Leave it to me!”
[I can never forgive those who ruin the beauty of nature!]
A sharp sword filleted the mermaids, and spheres of spiritual energy blew away their gills.
The environmental cleanup was completed in an instant.
[Whew, the world is peaceful again!]
<Your level has increased.>
<Seopjikoji Tower’s 1st floor has been cleared.>
<Shortest time updated. Rank will be raised.>
<You have succeeded in the first S-Rank clear of Seopjikoji Tower.>
Basic Rewards: 100 F-Rank Magic Stones, 3 Essences of Sea.
First S-Rank Clear Rewards: 1 Time Delay Ticket, 10-slot Inventory Expansion Ticket, 2 Random Box Fragments, 1 Skill Selection Ticket Fragment>
Attack Power +5%, Defense +5%>
<Would you like to exit Seopjikoji Tower’s 1st floor?>
“Cancel.”
<Exit standby time is 5 minutes.>
“Where is the exit?”
But this time, Cha Jun-hyeok’s reaction was different.
Cha Jun-hyeok stood still, gazing deeply at the sea without moving.
[...Surely not. Is it over there?]
The female ghost looked down at the sea with a frightened expression.
Cha Jun-hyeok spoke to us with a calm face.
“It is exactly what you think.”
[From this high up?]
“What else can we do? We will not die.”
That is what I am saying. You are already dead.
[Seopjikoji’s hidden entrance is...]
“You just jump from here. Easy, right?”
Cha Jun-hyeok spoke as though trying to soothe the tearful Chae Seon-hwa.
“It is much better than outside, where the coastline is far from the cliff. Here, at least the sea is directly beneath the cliff.”
It was not comforting at all.
In any case, we had to leave this place.
The longer we delayed, the more unsettled my heart would become.
“I will go first.”
I did not look down the cliff. I simply looked forward and jumped.
[Homeowner!]
“As expected!”
SPLASH—!
I felt as though I had fallen into water, but I did not actually get wet.
At the same time, Status Window alerts rang out.
Rewards will be recalculated according to causality.>
WHIRRR—!
110 F-Rank Magic Stones, 4 Essences of Sea, 1 Time Delay Ticket, 11-slot Inventory Expansion Ticket, 3 Random Box Fragments, 2 Skill Selection Ticket Fragments>
At the same time, the spirits appeared as well.
[Huh?!]
[We came out right away?]
“You two did not jump from the cliff yet, did you?”
[No!!!]
[Ah, is that how it works?]
It was just as I had guessed.
This was what binding meant.
[Homeowner! Thank you!]
The female ghost smiled brightly, her eyes brimming with tears.
“Then now...”
Since I had received essence rewards as well, there was something I had to check first.
[Hurry! The title!]
Beside me, Cha Jun-hyeok was making more of a fuss than I was.
S-Rank Seal.
Information will be collected after defeating the boss on the 40th floor of the Tower.
Stage 1 Seed Generation in Progress: 80%>
When I inserted the Essences of Sea one by one, the percentage began to rise.
80%
90%
And when it reached 100%...
FLASH!
[Ohhh!]
[Homeowner! There is a halo around you!]
The Status Window shone, and the Sealed Title Information changed.