Chapter 13 - Chapter 13

Chapter 13

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Translated by Jinmu

Read more at hivetoons.org

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The next afternoon.

Joo-hyuk visited the Awakening Management Agency's player shop again.

He agonized over it all night.

Should he give it a proper try or not?

Since he had already jumped in, it might be good to at least confirm the extent of his talent.

Actually, he seemed to know the reason why he could be like this.

Monsters are terrifying.

Not only their appearances, but he could easily lose his life if he wasn't careful.

However, his fear had subsided significantly as he continuously encountered them.

Moreover, his combat abilities increased every time his level went up, along with privilege rewards and dependable comrades.

Joo-hyuk's timidness stemmed from difficulties in interpersonal relationships.

The fear instilled by people and the fear instilled by monsters were completely different in nature.

There was no need to fathom a monster's feelings.

What was the point in knowing what a monster thought of him?

He didn't need to act while walking on eggshells around monsters.

Was he going to form a friendship with a monster?

It wasn't like he had to agonize over what they liked or disliked because he wanted to get closer to them.

It wasn't a relationship where he had to ponder what the other person would think if he wrote a message a certain way, typing and deleting it repeatedly, or considering special characters and emoticons.

Nor did he have to wonder why the '1' signifying unread wouldn't disappear, or why they left him on read after the '1' vanished.

Monsters were simple and clear-cut.

Although they were scary, they were merely entities whose skulls he had to crush upon meeting.

Was tower climbing a social life?

No, it wasn't!

For that reason, he could entirely shake off his timidness at least inside the tower.

He could do it.

The macho man of the Black Tower.

To do it properly, the Energy Shield alone wasn't enough.

As the number of floors climbed higher, the monsters' attack power would ascend another level, and if he acted recklessly placing his faith solely in the shield, he might pay a heavy price.

'Where was the place selling shields... Ah! It's over there.'

It was perfect if used together with the Energy Shield, and he would also receive a synergy effect.

'By the way, there's a lot of people today?'

There hadn't been a single customer when he first came.

Players were shopping for items here and there.

'Let's buy it quickly and go home.'

On his way to the armor shop.

Joo-hyuk recalled Cossack's advice from yesterday.

- You will increasingly find enjoyment in combat.

- You will gain confidence as well.

- Consequently, the danger level will also increase proportionally.

Every single word was right.

But it was a true contradiction.

He was afraid, yet he wanted to try fighting again.

You never knew the world.

Who would have known he would change like this?

His father would be astonished, and his younger brother would drop his jaw in shock.

'I've really grown up a lot too.'

That timid, cowardly man.

When his value in life had been to live a quiet and long life.

It was too late to turn back.

Currently, Joo-hyuk's mind was completely filled with the short battle against the Goblin Assassins.

'I want to try doing it once more.'

He understood Cossack's concerned feelings.

He mentioned he had a previous summoner.

However, he ended up dying.

Cossack must have witnessed the summoner's death with his own eyes.

The guilt of failing to protect his previous summoner.

The firm resolve to absolutely protect this current summoner.

So it might be that he was overreacting whenever he felt an action was dangerous.

'I'd like to go along with it if possible, but.......'

He was sick and tired of living timidly.

An opportunity to seek a change.

'Why shouldn't I be allowed to have confidence?'

He was going to be different from now on.

Spreading his wings wide, from a cowardly man to a macho man.

Yes!

The Joo-hyuk of yesterday was gone.

Only the Joo-hyuk of today existed.

Joo-hyuk stood energetically in front of the armor shop with confident steps.

"Welcome, Player. Please tell me what you are looking for."

"...Yes?"

The shop's sales employee.

It just had to be a female employee.

"Umm, e-excuse me, w-well, that is."

"Hohoho, if you do not know the equipment's name, you may simply point at it."

"A sh-shield......."

"Oh my? You are looking for a shield. Shall I pick one out for you?"

"...Yes, please."

Ugh, he couldn't meet her eyes.

Macho man, my foot.

"How about this one? It's a large rectangular shield made of an alloy of Orichalcum and Sectonium. It's quite large, isn't it? It possesses a self-repair function, so there's no need to repair it either."

"...Th-The price is?"

"Just 100 million won, please. As you know, we only charge for the material costs."

"Umm, i-it's too heavy for me... and e-expensive, if that's the only one you have, I guess I have no choice, but."

This was driving him crazy.

Why wouldn't the words come out properly?

"Aha! This would be perfect then. This is a round hand shield crafted from an alloy of Adamant and Sectonium. It's small, thus lightweight, and similarly possesses a self-repair function."

Oh!

It's just right.

Circular in shape, a size slightly exceeding 30cm in diameter.

A small hand shield specifically used by slipping one arm through the handle.

He really liked it.

It matched his mace so well they could be called a set.

"...The price is?"

"It is 40 million won."

"I-Installments......."

"It is possible. You may also have it deducted from your Mana Stone sales revenue."

"...I'll buy it."

"Yes!"

Installment payments were processed via the palm recognition device.

Beep-beep!

He finally bought it.

The combination was finally complete.

A mace in his right hand.

A hand shield on his left arm.

'It'll take some time to pay off the installments, but.......'

Well, he'd pay it off soon enough.

In any case, talking to the employee was far more difficult than dealing with goblins.

He quickly moved his steps towards the entrance.

He had to go home.

Going home was taking a rest.

But at that moment!

"Hello."

A man initiating a conversation with Joo-hyuk.

Who is he?

"You're a player, right? Haha, I'm a player too."

He probably was.

Since anyone capable of coming here would either be a player or a Management Agency employee.

"Nice to meet you. I'm Choi Ho-seok."

The man suddenly asked for a handshake.

Since rejecting it would be impolite, Joo-hyuk grasped his hand as well.

"...I'm Bong Joo-hyuk."

"Hahaha, so you're Mr. Joo-hyuk. I come to the shop every day, but I'm just trying to familiarize myself with the faces since you're someone I'm seeing for the first time today."

"Ah, yes, this is my second time here."

"I see. If it isn't too rude, what floor are you on? I am currently climbing the 30th floors."

He was a high-level player.

"...Umm, I'm in the 10th floors."

"Aha, it seems it hasn't been long since you became a player. Please feel free to ask if you have any difficulties while clearing. I'll answer anything for you."

A rather friendly attitude.

With an affable impression, he looked like a kind person.

It seemed his innate nature was an 'E'.

That's why he was so sociable even to someone he was meeting for the first time.

"Ah, I don't have any yet."

"Is that so? Then please ask anytime. I come here frequently, after all. Hahaha."

"Yes, yes."

"Well then, see you next time!"

Choi Ho-seok, disappearing while waving his hand.

An extrovert's bold interpersonal infiltration ability.

It was purely astonishing experiencing it directly firsthand.

'With that level of skill, he probably has a girlfriend too, right?'

He was envious.

* * *

Since he was already out of the house, he decided to take care of dinner before heading back.

Since he planned to take a break from clearing today.

The places he usually went to eat alone were fixed.

Fast food joints or gukbap (soup with rice) restaurants.

He stopped by a gukbap restaurant near his house.

He robustly emptied a bowl of piping hot pork gukbap after generously adding chives, salted shrimp, spicy seasoning paste, and perilla seed powder.

Joo-hyuk arrived home just as it was getting dark.

After washing up simply.

"Status Window."

[Name] : Bong Joo-hyuk

[Affiliation] : Black Tower (South Korea)

[Level] : 19LV

[Traits] : Summoning (Simultaneous Summoning : 2)

[Catalog] : John Cossack / Barbarian Meat Shield

[Trait Skills] : Designated Summoning / Random Summoning / Return Summoning

[Universal Skills] : Enter Tower (Once a day) / Tower-Exclusive Inventory

[Combat Skills] : Shadow Step

He felt contented.

When did he climb this high?

Level 19, he could challenge the 19th floor.

Now, shall he proceed with the persuasion process?

Joo-hyuk took out the mace and the round hand shield from his tower-exclusive inventory and held them in each hand respectively.

He also bestowed a 5-star rating to John Cossack and Gobang respectively in the catalog list.

"Designated Summoning, John Cossack."

[John Cossack has been designated summoned.]

"Loyalty! Thank you for the stars... Uh-uh-uh."

Joo-hyuk's dignified appearance holding a mace and a shield.

His eyes, filled with resolve, gleamed brightly.

John Cossack realized it before Joo-hyuk even spoke.

Slumping down onto the floor.

"Hhhhuuuhuk, eventually......."

Summoner Bong's appearance was an expression of conviction.

Showing his determination to properly tackle the tower.

"M-Must you really do this, sir?"

"I'll do it while preserving my body as much as possible."

"The previous summoner said the same thing, sir."

"Don't worry. Since I'm a cowardly man, I will immediately give up if it gets too hard while climbing."

Cossack wiped his flowing tears with the back of his hand.

"Please promise me, sir. No charging out front."

Truly sorrowful, how sorrowful.

Joo-hyuk put the mace and shield inside his inventory and tightly grasped Cossack's hands with both of his.

"...I promise."

"If it gets difficult, sacrifice me and Gobang in your stead to escape, sir."

"Umm, alright."

"It would be better to sacrifice that Gobang bastard over me if possible, sir."

That would depend on the situation.

"Are we doing it right now, sir?"

"No, let's do it starting tomorrow."

"Then I shall watch TV or... Huh?"

At that moment!

John Cossack suddenly tilting his head.

Presently, with a frigid expression.

"Summoner Bong, sir."

"Yes?"

"Do you perhaps have anyone who holds a grudge against you, sir?"

"A grudge? Of course not. I've never done anything to incur anyone's grudge."

"Someone is outside, sir. They are overflowing with murderous intent, sir."

Murderous intent, he says.

Who?

In that instant!

Rattle, rattle.

The sound of the front door's doorknob turning.

It seemed they were forcing it open.

"...Hide for now."

"Yes, sir!"

Sssrk.

Cossack disappearing.

And.

Ziiing!

The transparent Energy Shield covering Joo-hyuk's body.

Finally.

Clack!

The door opened.

"Hello? Hehehehe."

"...Who are you? Why are you here, no, how did you even know my house."

"I went through a bit of trouble tailing you."

Joo-hyuk clenched his fists tightly.

* * *

Level 33 Player Choi Ho-seok was more interested in something else rather than tower climbing.

His other profession was a self-proclaimed Item Broker.

The job of acquiring useful items and selling them to buyers.

How did he acquire the items?

By clearing the tower?

Not a chance.

He'd just steal them from the bastards who had them.

First, he would scout for prey at the player shop.

He didn't just pick anyone.

Bastards who looked easy at a glance.

Losers who looked like they would have run errands for bullies back in their school days.

As luck would have it, he discovered a suitable one today.

A guy who would freak out just by having a knife pointed at him.

It was even a massive jackpot.

The bracelet fastened around the bastard's wrist.

That was an item.

It looked extraordinary even at a glance.

He purposely approached him friendlily and even shook his hand.

Carefully observing the wrist while shaking hands, it was indeed an item, exactly as he expected.

What if this bracelet lacked the 'Tower-Exclusive' modifier?

He could name his price.

And it didn't matter if it was attached.

The bastard said from his own mouth he was clearing the 10th floors, so he was level 10 at best.

Honestly, so what if he was level 50 or 60?

Outside, they were just ordinary people.

So the moment Bong Joo-hyuk went outside, he covertly tailed him riding a motorcycle.

He followed the taxi the bastard took, continuously watched him even as he ate at the restaurant, and ultimately found out the house he lived in.

As long as he wasn't part of the Elite Team, it was fine.

If something went wrong with them, they would be tracked down by the nation.

Then he'd be fucked.

But he wasn't.

Because there was no way someone from the Elite Team would live in such a shabby place.

Taking advantage of the time when no one was around.

Click-clack, after picking the lock with a master key.

He entered inside holding a handgun he took out from his coat.

In times like these, obtaining a gun wasn't even very difficult.

Because it had a silencer attached to it, nobody would know even if it was fired.

"Hehehehe."

Laughter flowed out naturally.

The bastard was still wearing the bracelet.

He must have also placed equipment in his inventory too.

First, make him spit it out through torture and threats.

Killing him comes after that.

He just needed to dump the corpse inside the tower and that would be the end.

Amusingly, player corpses went into the tower-exclusive inventory.

Because players were affiliated with the tower.

"Don't make a sound! If you utter even a squeak, a bullet goes into your head."

Joo-hyuk's eyes widened at Choi Ho-seok's threat.

"Take off the bracelet and empty your inventory. You see this gun? It won't make a loud noise because it has a silencer. If you don't like guns, I have a knife too. I'll slice you up like sashimi."

No!

Why did he have to say something like that.......

That was virtually the same as suicide.

"Decide. Will you try enduring the torture? Or just hand over the items and live?"

Please!

Joo-hyuk's hands and feet trembled uncontrollably.

His heart palpitated rapidly.

An extremely dangerous situation.

For him?

As if!

In a situation where he had the Energy Shield.

The one in danger was that man named Choi Ho-seok.

Therefore.

"Mr. Ho-seok."

"Shush! I told you to empty your inventory instead of sprouting useless nonsense! And take off that bracelet too."

"...It isn't too late even now. If you put away your handgun and go back, you won't die. I promise you."

"What kind of bullshit is that? Do you really want me to plant a bullet in your knee?"

Ahhh!

It was practically over.

Choi Ho-seok was already dead.

His head would be cut off and tied with a butterfly knot ribbon.

By the way, what should he do with the corpse?

And what excuse should he give to the police?

It was then.

Sssrk.

Something whitish obscured his vision.

'...Huh?'

The handgun suddenly disappeared from Choi Ho-seok's hand.

"Wh-What?"

Choi Ho-seok was bewildered.

Where did the gun go?

He was holding it in his hand.

In that instant!

Smack!

A sharp pain felt from the back of his head.

"Keck!"

What is this?

'...F-Fuck, there was another guy?'

He was absolutely certain that bastard was alone in the room.

His consciousness blurred.

Choi Ho-seok pitched forward exactly as he was.

Thud!

Joo-hyuk with surprised eyes.

What kind of plot twist was this?

'He didn't kill him?'

Sssrk, Cossack appeared.

Ahhh!

What a dependable assassin was he?

He fulfilled his request not to kill humans this reliably.

"You did incredibly well! You're amazing. Mr. Cossack, to think you subdued him without killing him!"

"...Yes, sir?"

"Hahaha! Knocking him out, you are truly commendable. A 5-star rating is far too stingy a score. I want to give you 50, no, 500 stars."

"Hehehe, i-is that so, sir?"

Cossack surreptitiously slipped the neck-cutting dagger and the ribbon for the butterfly knot back into his coat without Joo-hyuk noticing.

He was originally planning to knock him out so blood wouldn't splatter in Summoner Bong's room, then lay down some plastic or newspapers on the floor and perform his work, but.

"I, I will dispose of this bastard outsi......."

"Just leave him. We just need to report him to the police."

"Th-There is no need for that, sir. If I carry him and leave him far away outside......."

"It's fine. Reporting him is the most convenient."

Cossack shot a fleeting glance at the collapsed Choi Ho-seok with eyes full of regret.

A bastard who dared attempt to assassinate Summoner Bong, sir.

He needed to kill that.

He had to cut off his head and decorate it beautifully with a ribbon.

What a waste.

So what if a little blood splattered?

He should have just cut it instead of knocking him out.