I Became an Almighty All-Master with EX-Rank Spirits - Chapter 3

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 3
Episode 3
“Is it really that tasty?”
-Squeak!
[Fire says he’ll kill you for this!]
“Mana Stones have flavor, apparently. You eat plenty of them. I’m holding out for something tastier.”
-Squeak!
[Fire says next time he wants a higher-grade Mana Stone!]
“Yeah. Fine. Today I’ll make do with this one. I can only enter the Trial Tower once a day, anyway.”
He swept his gaze across the room and stopped his complaining.
He understood, too.
That I’m not in a position to afford better Mana Stones right now.
-Squeak.
[Fire says he understands, since you’re living in a prison!]
“Hey! This isn’t a prison.”
That mouthy little beast.
How dare he insult my very first place of my own like that?
Though, to be fair, he wasn’t entirely wrong.
Fifty square feet. One room.
But this place meant something.
My first time living on my own. My first real apartment.
It held the marks of every hardship I’d endured.
-Squeak. Squeak.
[Fire apologizes for insulting his contractee’s home!]
“It’s not even my home.”
-Squeak?
[Fire stares at you as if what you said makes no sense at all.]
He drops the Mana Stone he was eating and looks genuinely horrified.
Like I’d just said something ridiculous.
“Of course it’s monthly rent. What money do I have?”
-Squeak. Squeak. Sigh.
[Fire asks what you’ve been doing all these years.]
[Fire sighs, saying this is who his contractee turned out to be.]
“Hey, you! Look, I’m twenty-six years old and a job seeker! What kind of attitude is that? Come on now, you really don’t know anything about how the world works, do you? Want me to take back that Mana Stone? Apologize right now.”
-……Squeak.
[Fire pouts and apologizes.]
“Phew. Okay, since you said sorry, I’ll give it back. Living your whole life in the Spirit Realm probably does mean you’d miss a thing or two.”
I handed back the Mana Stone I’d taken.
Never thought I’d get a lecture from a spirit about how the world works.
I’d have to be patient.
He’s a Spirit King coming to the human world for the first time, after all.
Besides, he’s a spirit who brings in money — it stands to reason.
Yeah, it does stand to reason.
If he doesn’t know, I’ll teach him.
❰Hunger: (250/1,000)❱
“Oh, it’s going up.”
F-Rank gives 10, E-Rank gives 20.
Less than I’d hoped, though.
I thought I’d be able to sell the byproducts and whatever Mana Stones were left over.
But Hunger isn’t just steadily filling up.
I hadn’t even finished the F-Rank Mana Stone yet.
❰Hunger: (240/1,000)❱
“It went down? Wait — it can actually decrease?”
-It’s Hunger, after all. You must reach the target before it decreases.
A real glutton for Mana Stones, this one.
My plan crumbled in an instant.
Turns out the Hunger had to fill completely before a Level Up was even possible.
Not from defeating monsters.
‘But if I can use skills like that freely, I don’t have anything to worry about.’
Even stepping into the actual Trial Tower would let me Level Up in no time.
Judging by the number of Mana Stones that dropped, I should be able to reach Level 2 without trouble.
Nothing to worry about there.
What I really need to think about is getting something to eat.
‘Pig’s feet just arrived.’
The sound of movement from downstairs.
And that distinctive pungent aroma of pig’s feet with it.
They say Awakening enhances all senses and physical abilities tenfold—so this must be what they meant.
I’d only known the delivery arrived because I’d pressed the doorbell, but this was on another level entirely.
‘No wonder people call Awakening a lottery ticket.’
The probability of getting sick plummets exponentially.
I won’t have to worry about illness until the day I die.
Ding-dong.
“Your pig’s feet are here! Delicious pig’s feet have arrived!”
A feast materializes on my weathered dining table.
Half-spiced, half-savory pig’s feet, an assortment of lettuce wraps, ssamjang and wasabi, even cold noodles.
Everything is here.
I picked up a single leaf of lettuce.
Time to build a tower.
Two pieces of pig’s feet, a generous helping of cold noodles, garlic dipped heavily in ssamjang.
I assembled one wrap and shoved it into my mouth.
“Ahhh!”
This is it. This is the real thing.
Isn’t this why I work for money?
I was rolling up my sleeves to eat properly when I felt a sudden, intense presence beside me.
It was Fire.
The Mana Stones held in both of his paws went completely unnoticed.
He was staring at the pig’s feet, swallowing saliva over and over.
There was something unsettling about the gleam in his eyes.
“Didn’t you say you preferred Mana Stones over food?”
-Chirp, chirp-chirp!
[Fire says he likes regular food too!]
[Fire says he tried it when he was in the Spirit Realm!]
I shook my head firmly.
Not a chance.
“You said Mana Stones were better. This tastes great, by the way. Don’t you dare look at mine.”
Should I mess with him a little?
I deliberately took another generous wrap right in front of him and ate it.
“Mmm, delicious. Really delicious!”
I couldn’t help but laugh.
Nothing malicious about it.
Just a small bit of revenge for when I’d given him expensive canned tuna and spam and he’d turned his nose up at them.
I was about to take another bite.
Fire suddenly leaped straight up.
The height was impressive, and he was fast.
I didn’t have time to react.
He opened his mouth wide and swallowed the wrap I’d been about to eat in one gulp.
The lettuce wrap vanished in an instant, and all that went into my open mouth was air.
“What?! Hey, damn it! Why’d you eat that!”
-Chirp-chirp~. Chirp-chirp~.
[Fire keeps saying how delicious it is!]
“Spit it out! Spit it—”
-Gulp. Khraaah! Cough-cough.
“Argh!”
Chaos erupted in my one-room apartment.
* * *
The next morning.
I quickly shoved a freshly fried egg into my mouth.
Along with the rice I’d bought from the convenience store, I wolfed it down.
Though I wasn’t usually the type to eat in a rush.
‘There’s no way that pig is getting any of this.’
Thinking about yesterday made my blood boil—I wanted to drive my fist into that spirit all over again.
Just because I teased him a little, he devoured half the pig’s feet.
If I’d eaten any slower, he would’ve stolen the whole thing.
And the Hunger efficiency was terrible.
It didn’t even fill half of half of half a Lowest-Grade Mana Stone.
This time, absolutely not.
I pushed Fire away from the dish, where he was drooling and begging.
“Sorry for teasing you. You have a Mana Stone, right? Eat that.”
-Chirp, chirp.
[Fire (EX) demands an apology.]
[Fire (EX) glares sharply and makes it clear he will eat it all again if you don’t apologize properly.]
“Sorry for teasing. I won’t do it again, okay?”
-Chirp!
[Fire (EX) demands a proper apology!]
“My sincere apologies. I promise never to tease you again, Spirit King Fire!”
The moment I bowed, he nodded, finally satisfied.
I had no idea anymore whether I was raising a spirit or a master.
Still, the reward was certain.
After spending all of yesterday evening consuming Mana Stones,
[Hunger has reached 1,000!]
[Fire (EX)’s Level has increased by 1!]
Level up successful!
As Fire’s level rose to 2, other things rose as well.
❰Fire (EX) Lv. 2❱
❰Possessed Skill: Hellfire (EX)❱
❰Hunger: (0/2,000)❱
……New Skill unlocks at Lv. 5
……New Skill for Lee Chan-young unlocks at Hunger 2,000
“Hunger doubled? So next is 4,000?”
-That is highly probable.
Fitting for a Spirit King—the conditions are brutal.
I’d worry about that later.
When I scrolled down, there was another system message.
[You have successfully reached Hunger 1,000.]
[You acquire the Skill ‘Blessed Body of the Spirit (C-)’!]
<Blessed Body of the Spirit (C-)>
Description: All parts of your body are strengthened. Your sense of Mana increases.
“Whoa! Skill acquired! And it’s a Passive Skill! Passive Skills are good, right?”
-Yes. Passive Skills are not merely ranked F through S by grade. Skills themselves have categories, and Passive Skills rank among the highest tier. They persist without any cost, so it’s remarkable that you’ve obtained one so soon after your Awakening.
I couldn’t believe a Passive Skill had already surfaced when I’d only just awakened.
“I have to test it right away! First, let me clear the Trial Tower from Floor 1.”
The real trial.
Goblins still, but there were far more of them now—befitting the first floor.
It didn’t matter.
With perfect timing,
[Fire (EX)’s possessed Skill ‘Hellfire (EX)’ activates.]
[00 : 00 : 00]
Using Hellfire was all it took.
In an instant, they were all gone.
[You have cleared Trial Tower Floor 1!]
[Defeat 100 Goblins.]
[Goblins: 5,000/100]
[Goblin Chiefs: 5/5]
[All five Goblin settlements on Trial Tower Floor 1 have been annihilated!]
[New Record achieved!]
[Trial Tower Floor 1 World Ranking 1st Place updated!]
[Clear Time: 1 second]
[You have overwhelmingly cleared Trial Tower Floor 1!]
[You receive 235 Goblin Claws!]
[You receive 205 Goblin Hides!]
[Goblin Heart × 55 acquired!]
[Goblin Chief’s Club × 4 acquired!]
[Lowest-Grade Mana Stone (F) × 202 obtained!]
[Low-Grade Mana Stone (E) × 20 obtained!]
Refreshing.
The only drawback was how deafening the explosion had been.
‘Next time I’ll have to bring earplugs.’
Now came the moment to examine the new skill.
There was no need to verify it here on the first floor of the Trial Tower.
I hadn’t blown through it recklessly for nothing.
A new tower had opened.
A special floor where Fire’s formidable power couldn’t be used.
[The Single-Use Jump Tower has been unlocked!]
[You may now enter the Single-Use Jump Tower!]
The Single-Use Jump Tower.
-Simply put, you jump upward to reach the top and claim your reward. It occasionally appears as a reward for clearing the Trial Tower, and you can climb it only once. Even if you fail, you won’t die.
“Okay. I definitely won’t die, right?”
-Yes. That is certain.
There’s no reward for failing, but success grants a decent one.
It’s perfect for testing a skill.
One snap of Fire’s fingers and my body was in peak condition.
“Let’s go.”
The method of entering was identical to the Trial Tower.
Call out the tower’s name, then say yes.
My vision darkened, then slowly returned from the center outward.
Where the tutorial and first floor had been forest, the Single-Use Jump Tower was sky.
Looking down, I saw grass-covered ground below.
Sky, and yet there was grass below? How?
Simple.
“Wow, these are floating?”
I was even more amazed looking ahead.
Patches of land barely large enough to stand on hung suspended, spaced apart, reaching upward.
The destination appeared slightly larger than a dot, somewhere high above.
“Damn, this is high.”
I had a lot of climbing to do.
Truly fitting for a jump tower.
The objective was simple.
[You have arrived at the Single-Use Jump Tower.]
[Reach the destination!]
[Destination: 0/1]
I dismissed the system message and peered down where there was no ground.
An endless abyss stretched below.
Fall and it’s instant death.
Though supposedly I wouldn’t die.
‘Still, I’m nervous on my first try.’
I took a deep breath to center myself.
Fire had said she’d stay on my shoulder, so without worry—jump!
The distance was three meters.
With some height to it as well.
Definitely impossible for an ordinary person.
“Hyah!”
Thud!
“Phew, made it.”
I’d cleared it without trouble.
The Awakening helped, but the effect of the Blessed Body of the Spirit was far more significant.
Truth be told, seeing a jump tower for the first time rattled me.
One mistake and it’s over.
Even if they swear you won’t actually die, that kind of experience still leaves a mark.
Among climbers, many abandon the attempt for exactly that reason.
But this—
“This might actually be doable.”
I wondered if I was overestimating myself, so I tried jumping again.
With full concentration this time.
Thud.
“Got it.”
Again.
Thud.
Again.
“……Easy?”
Not all the sections were easy, though.
There were trap sections too, but the Blessed Body of the Spirit activated instantly each time.
The moment I noticed the ground was unstable, I shifted to solid footing beside it.
The collapsing earth fell away as if to confirm I’d made the right choice.
My enhanced senses worked just as well as increased strength, stamina, and agility — maybe better.
Exactly one hour later.
[You have cleared the Single-Use Jump Tower!]
[Destinations: 1/1]
[You have succeeded in overwhelmingly clearing the Single-Use Jump Tower!]
[A hidden reward has been granted!]
[The Skill ‘Blessed Body of the Spirit (C-)’ has been upgraded to ‘Blessed Body of All Spirits (B-)’!]

Description: Every part of your body is enhanced remarkably. Your magical perception increases, and an inexplicable sixth sense awakens.
“Oh! An upgrade!”
I’d gotten lucky.
To think I’d claimed the third-best reward from the Single-Use Jump Tower’s final tier.
I’m a bit disappointed I didn’t get a Mana Stone, but it’s nothing to complain about.
My body had grown stronger.
I could feel the difference just clenching my fists.
“Time to head home.”
Back in my one-room apartment.
I checked the Mana Stones I’d collected.
“Hmm, the tower didn’t drop any Mana Stones, so I’m running a bit short.”
Since I’d entered the tower once today, I couldn’t re-enter or climb to the next floor.
A place where I could buy Mana Stones and sell byproducts.
There was only one answer.
The wholesale market for Mana Stones and materials.
“I need to head to Namdaemun.”

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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