Episode 126
The day after the banquet.
Even though it was a weekend when most students were off, the place Shin Yoo-seong arrived was an unexpected place.
Hunter Association. Academy City Branch.
A place where only those who receive the best treatment among the numerous students who aspire to become hunters cannot go in and out.
“…I saw it two days in a row. I see you so often with students. I might get a little attached to it.”
Let Meilin greet you with a light smile. Shin Yoosung laughed together.
‘Now they greet me like this.’
Evidence that he became a little friendly with Meirin, who was businesslike. Meilin gave orders to the officials in a familiar tone.
“Please designate the arrival point of portal G-3 as the tower. Portal guides are not required. I will accompany you myself.”
“yes! All right!”
Officials who operate the portal with concise answers.
Gying!
Mei Lin before entering the portal.
I tried to give Shin Yoo-seong a few cautions.
“Student Shin Yoo-seong is strong. Clearing the lower level section should be easy. However, even in the lower section, there are problems to be aware of.”
However, while trying to speak, Meirin stops. She really liked a well-prepared man.
Thanks to this, Shin Yoo-seong’s fully-prepared personality won Meirin’s favor in the attack of Yeowryong.
‘Could it be again?’
Meirin looked at Shin Yooseong and asked with a worried face.
“Student Yuseong Shin. 3 reasons to be careful even in the lower section of the tower. Do you know?”
Shin Yoo-seong fell into thought for a moment at Meilin’s sudden question.
‘…variables in the tower that happen even on the lower floors?’
To define it as the top, there were too many variables in the top. Because everything that existed in the tower was a variable.
Even on the same 30th floor, completely different stages appear depending on the time of the tower. The rotation of stages that can change at any time, random rewards that can be known only after clearing, and quests with different purposes always make the tower an unpredictable space.
‘But nothing special happens on the lower floors.’
The tower had nothing to do with quests until the 10th floor. Only breaking through to the upper level. All you have to do is clear the stage by killing the monsters the tower wants.
‘…But the place is the top. Even those monsters are different.’
Shin Yuseong searched his memory and recalled what Yoo Won-hak had said.
[…the tower is a place. It’s because it’s so arbitrary. You should always take a good look around you. Yoo Seong-ah.]
[Yes!]
Three things that Yoo Won-hak emphasized to Shin Yoo-seong, who was still young.
“Probably for three reasons. Hidden monsters and champion bosses. And I think you are referring to the hidden stage.”
At Shin Yuseong’s answer, Meirin smiled with a satisfied expression.
“Exactly. Then what is the difference between a hidden monster and a champion boss?”
Now, Meirin was asking Shin Yoo-seong for an explanation as if she couldn’t be satisfied with the correct answer. However, that is the story that Shin Yoo-seong’s answer attracted attention.
Shin Yoo-seong confidently opened his mouth.
“…Hidden monsters are monsters that have nothing to do with the floor that appear with a very rare probability. You can just call it a variable. But champion bosses are different.”
“…Your description of hidden monsters is perfect. Whoops, how is the champion boss different?”
When Meilin asked with a smile. Shin Yoo-seong started explaining right away as if he didn’t have to think about it.
“It is a new evolution when an existing boss meets certain conditions. Its evolution depends on habitat and conditions, so we don’t know what form it will take. However, this is an extremely rare special case. Only about 20 cases were found on the 10th floor or lower.”
A perfect explanation as if you had opened a textbook.
To put it simply, a hidden monster is when a strong monster suddenly appears.
On the other hand, the champion boss was a case where the existing boss became stronger for a special reason.
After Shin Yuseong’s explanation was over, Meirin even clapped her hands in admiration.
“Really. That’s a perfect explanation. I didn’t expect much because only Sumire had high theoretical grades…”
Meirin started explaining about the ‘Hidden Stage’ herself this time.
“A hidden stage is when you are warped to a location other than the original target location. I recommend a retreat because you don’t know what variables will come out, but… If you’re a Shin Yoo-seong student, you know, right?”
“Sometimes the portal doesn’t work. There are cases where there are no warp stones at the destination.”
Shin Yoo-seong answered all questions.
Meilin had a very satisfied face.
“…To think that even though he was a student, he already had all the literary skills. As expected, there must be a reason why the president cares about it.”
Meirin even gave me compliments that I wouldn’t normally do.
“You are overrated. Something I haven’t experienced yet. There are many things we don’t know.”
Let Shin Yuseong smile humbly.
Meirin rested the back of her hand on her chin and stared at Shin Yoosung.
‘…Nice and smart, handsome and even strong? You really are the type to be loved wherever you go.’
However, Meirin did not covet Shin Yuseong. The person who requested Shin Yoo-seong was none other than Kang Yu-chan, the president of the Yuwon Department Association of King Kwon. No matter how much he was a 6th grade hunter, he was not an opponent he could rub against.
Saaa!
The portal glowed blue as if it were ready. Mei Lin checked the location of the portal several times before guiding Shin Yoo-seong.
“If you go through the portal. It will be on the first floor of the tower. This time, let’s enter with me.”
Swoop!
Meirin enters the portal first. Shin Yoo-seong lightly prepared his mind by clenching his fists.
‘What does the tower look like?’
Shin Yooseong always heard about the tower. Of course, the person who told the story was his teacher Yu Won-hak.
[Once you get to the first floor of the tower, you will feel it. How many hunters are there in the world!]
[How strong you must be!]
Shin Yoo-seong walked toward the other side of the portal, remembering Yu Won-hak’s hearty laugh.
Saaaa!
The anticipation of the unknown in the heart.
Let’s walk through the portal. An unimaginable landscape unfolded in front of Shin Yuseong’s eyes.
“Hunter to break through the 8th floor? Even the Italians here speak Korean well! 1 spot left! quickly!”
“…Andiamo e basta.(…Let’s just start.)”
A Korean woman and an Italian man looking for members to break through to the top together.
[Repair/purchase/sale of hunter goods!]
[Magic stone exchange office]
[Hunting request office (level 3~5)]
Shops for various purposes located on the 1st floor of the tower. The first floor of the tower, where many people were entangled, was reminiscent of a plaza or market.
“…Is this the tower?”
Shin Yoo-seong looks around the mysterious place.
“It’s not always like this. Most of the first floor is like this. It is where the journey begins.”
Meilin pointed to each shop one by one to give directions.
“Hunters who are short on portal costs often reorganize on the first floor like this. You can also fix broken hunter supplies. I also rest at the accommodation.”
“…okay.”
“And to start the journey of the tower, you have to use the warp stone at the reception desk.”
The place Meirin led Shin Yuseong to was the reception desk where the warp stone was placed, as she said. Mei Lin handed out the permission slip that Kang Yu-chan had given to the guide.
“Confirmed. Then, is Hunter Shin Yuseong the only participant?”
Upon checking the permit, the guide smiled brightly. Meirin asked Shin Yoo-seong, a participant, about his intention.
“I can experience it alone now. You may come later with your party members. Or you can gather active players and members here. Shin Yoo-seong student. What are you going to do?”
In response to Meilin’s question, Shin Yuseong looked around. A short worry that I do.
‘As expected, I’m…’
After thinking, Shin Yoo-seong smiled faintly.
* * *
In the morning, the sunlight filtering through the large curtains. Kim Eun-ah rubbed her eyes and slowly got up.
‘This is…’
Fluffy bed and soft duvet.
Furniture that is at a level that is frugal enough to be your own home. As Kim Eun-ah was rubbing her eyes with a blank face, she heard a familiar voice.
“ah! Are you awake?”
The identity of the voice is Sumire, wearing a T-shirt and smiling. Kim Eun-ah, feeling empty, lowered her gaze and quickly checked her outfit.
‘…what are these clothes?’
What he is wearing is a T-shirt that is too loose in the chest.
“Ah… It’s the head. Is this… a dormitory?”
Kim Eun-ah put her forehead on the tiramisu hangover and said, and shed a smire.
“But Sumire. why am i here This is your… home, isn’t it?”
When Kim Eun-ah asked a question with a strange expression, Sumire laughed awkwardly.
“That’s because Eun-ah… she said she really wanted to go with me…”
“Huh? what!? I?”
Kim Eun-ah, who points out her memory, saying that it could never happen. However, in her faint memories, Kim Eun-a gradually recalled herself from yesterday.
[Naaah~ I’m going to sleep~ I’m going to sleep alone today~ Oh, I hate it~ Not at the mansion~ I want to sleep with the party kids.]
Myself drunk and raging.
[…to Sumire. Do you like me?]
[Kyaa!? yes!? yes I like it!]
[Hehe, I like it too~ Then sleep together! If you don’t sleep with me, I’m sorry…]
The more the memory came to mind, the more Kim Eun-ah’s face turned red.
“I’m sorry… I was in a strange state yesterday…”
Finally, Kim Eun-ah apologized urgently.
Sumire smiled and spread a mini table on Kim Eun-ah’s bed.
“ruler! Here’s breakfast.”
“What are you killing?”
“Because it is morning. I prepared something that is easy to digest! …Hehe, we all ate too much yesterday.”
While saying that, Sumire cutely patted her belly. Kim Eun-ah took a bite of porridge with a spoon and ate it, her eyes shining.
‘It’s delicious…’
In Kim Eun-ah’s standards, strangely, Sumire’s plain porridge was better than the chef’s food.
Really don’t know why.
Eunah Kim ate the porridge slowly and belatedly asked Sumire.
“But what about Yooseong?”
“Ah, Yuseong went on a field trip to the tower today.”
“alone?”
Kim Eun-ah, with a sad-looking face. But that’s for a while. At the sudden rush of memories, Kim Eun-ah stopped spooning.
[huh? Rather than that, I came to give you something that Yoosung can drink…]
[Yooseong~ What I give you. I’m going to go to the sea~ It’s like a baby bird.]
And when all the memories of last night came to mind, Kim Eun-ah thought to herself.
‘Let me just die…’
