I Inherited the Basement of the Tower - Chapter 12

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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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Inherited the Basement 1 of the Tower – Episode 12

Yahwi and I grilled and savored the marbled pork belly together.

“Ahhhhh.”

Yahwi drained his soju glass with exaggerated flair.
His sparkling eyes revealed just how long it had been since he last consumed alcohol.

“This is absolutely wonderful.”

Yahwi closed his eyes, savoring the taste of meat and soju.
Behind him lay an enormous stockpile of Kobold meat.
While I was away from the Underground, Yahwi had been steadily clearing Dungeon Level 3 on his own.

“That’s all money right there.”

A smile crept across my lips.
No more incompetent master. Only a wealthy master remained.
This was all thanks to Nix and Yahwi.
My precious little treasures.
I was tempted to visit the Goddess Statue and kiss it.

“So, have you finished all your business on the Surface?”
“Not by a long shot. I still need to keep leveling up. Keep selling meat. Oh, and I still have a meeting with the Association President.”
“The Association President?”
“There’s such a person. A man of considerable standing.”
“Do not grow close to him! I have never seen a single decent person among those who receive government salaries!”
“He’s the one who bought me this liquor. He also helped me sell meat safely.”

Glug.

Yahwi emptied his soju glass once more.

“A truly admirable person indeed! Still, should the day come when someone plunges a blade into my master’s back, I shall exact retribution.”
“Ha ha. That won’t happen. Besides, how could you? You can’t even leave this place.”
“….”

The inhabitants of the Underground are bound to the Temple and cannot ascend to the Surface.
If only I could take them up with me, I wouldn’t have to haul the meat myself.

“Tsk.”

It was disappointing.
The grueling labor wasn’t the real issue—I found myself wanting to show Yahwi the world above.

‘If only the Temple’s influence could extend to the Surface…’

Could I expand the Temple’s reach to the Surface somehow?
I pondered briefly before letting it go.
There was no one here who could answer that question anyway.
I gazed at Yahwi for a moment.

Crunch, crunch.

“Master, please eat! It’s absolutely delicious!”
“…Yeah, it is.”

Yahwi would never know what I was thinking.

‘Well, I’ll think about it slowly.’

Yahwi won’t be the only inhabitant I summon in the future.
I need new inhabitants.

‘It’s time to complete the second quest.’

Then.
A bottle of soju suddenly entered my field of vision.

“Master! Have a drink!”

Yahwi tilted the bottle with perfect form.
I chuckled and held out the cup I’d been holding.

‘Right, let me drink first and think later.’

It’s already getting late today anyway.
My body hadn’t fully recovered from overexerting myself fighting Ahn Jae-jun earlier, and it wasn’t the right time to attempt the Tower anyway.
I’ll leave it to tomorrow’s me.

“Cheers.”

Clink.

The two glasses collided, producing a clear ringing sound.

* * *

The next morning.
I stretched and opened my eyes in the Temple of Nyx.
By now, sleeping and living here had become quite familiar to me.
I thought I’d suffer from a hangover since I’d drunk heavily the night before.

“I feel fine?”

I felt perfectly fine.
I was in such good condition that I could dive straight into exploring the Underground Layer.

‘Being a Hunter really is something.’

It was thanks to my increased Stamina stat.
Because of the nature of the Underground, Nix’s Blessing was active 24 hours a day, allowing me to maintain a Stamina stat close to level 35.

“Master, you’re awake?”

Yahwi opened the door to the Swordsmanship Hall and entered.
Had he already been up?
He seemed fine too.

“….”

I observed him quietly before asking.

“You seemed to drink more than me yesterday. What’s your Stamina stat anyway? Or rather, what’s your level?”
“Hehe. I don’t have something like a level. What determines the strength of a Temple resident is rank alone. Oh, aside from techniques like swordsmanship, of course.”

I nodded.
After all, it was thanks to Yahwi’s exquisite mastery that I’d been able to land a blow on Ahn Jae-jun, who had climbed over fifty floors.

‘It would be convenient if everything could be converted into numbers.’

After thinking for a moment, I suddenly asked.

“Then, how much stronger is your next rank compared to you?”

Flinch.
Yahwi stopped moving at my question.
Then he slowly turned to look at me.

“Uh, well….”

He hesitated several times before answering honestly, then squeezed his eyes shut and spoke.

“If they were a different type, I couldn’t say. But if they’re the same combat type, I would definitely lose.”
“That much difference, huh.”
“Gulp.”

Residents are classified into six grades total: Common, Special, Rare, Artifact, Legendary, and Mythic.
Since Yahwi was Rare, an Artifact-grade combat resident would be far stronger than him.

‘Honestly, I’m not looking to add more combat residents right now.’

Yahwi is enough.
But if it were an Artifact-grade of a different type.
Gulp.

‘That would be an incredibly helpful resident.’

I really need to clear the next quest quickly.
Motivated, I resolved to conquer Basement 4.

“Yahwi. Go to Dungeon Level 3 today and gather meat. I’ll come back after clearing Basement 4.”
“Yes, sir!”

Whoosh!

Yahwi departed for Dungeon Level 3.

“Well then, let me give it a try too.”

Whoosh!

Ding!
【You have entered Basement 4.】
-Clear Condition: Defeat 50 Sunlit Cave Bats.

Basement 4.
A familiar place.

‘It’s been quite a while since I’ve been here.’

After all, this was where the blood-sucking bats appeared.

Screech screech!

The cries of bats echoed throughout the cave interior.
Their bodies were as large as eagles, and their teeth were as thick as a raptor’s beak.
Dozens of such creatures, enveloped in light, flew at me simultaneously—a spectacular sight.
But.

Ding!
【Releasing special stat: Darkness.】

I was the one who slaughtered bats on the Surface Layer without a single sword technique.
Now my level had risen by one.
My stats were at level 35 caliber.
On top of that, a new sword and sword technique.

“Yahwi Style, Second Form. Midnight Consecutive Slash.”

Whoosh!

Sizzle—!

Slash slash slash slash!

Ding!
【You have defeated all monsters.】
【Darkness Stat has increased by 1.】
【You have obtained 40 Moonlight Stones.】
【You have cleared Basement 4.】

The clear had been instantaneous.

【You have obtained a large quantity of fangs from Sunlight-Infused Vampire Bats.】

“Exit.”

Ding!
【You are exiting Basement 4.】
【Moving to the Temple.】

Whoosh!

Before I knew it, I had been transported to the Temple.

“Master! I have also completed the conquest of Dungeon Level 3.”

Yahwi handed over the meat and Moonlight Stones obtained from Dungeon Level 3.

“Well done.”
“Yes, sir!”

By now, I had accumulated quite a number of Moonlight Stones.

【Current Moonlight Stones Held: 100.】

It was insufficient to purchase a Rare Resident Evolution Right.
But since my beloved Jet-Black Longsword cost 50 Moonlight Stones, there were quite a few worthwhile purchases to be made.

‘I should do some shopping before entering the Quest.’

Once I cleared the Quest, obtaining Moonlight Stones would become far easier anyway.
This was an investment, not an expense.
Just then, Yahwi spoke to me.

“Master. Now that today’s clear is complete, shall I prepare a meal? As always, I’ll grill some meat while you train.”

It was routine.
Since there was plenty of time left after clearing, I devoted myself to training while Yahwi handled the cooking.
But I shook my head.
A smile playing at the corners of my lips.

“No. Tonight, we’re working late.”
“Pardon? Working late? Isn’t the Underground Layer only clearable once per day?”

Yahwi tilted his head in confusion.
Right.
I thought the same thing.
Until I saw what was floating before my eyes just now.

Ding!
【Time until Underground Layer entry available: 23 hours 57 minutes.】
【A ‘Tower Entry Time Reset Ticket’ is currently available for use.】
【Will you use it and challenge Dungeon 5th Floor?】
-Upon clear, you can challenge the special dungeon, Nyx’s Second Trial.

‘I thought Dungeon 5th Floor was the Second Trial itself.’

It was like a 5.5 Floor concept that appeared after clearing Dungeon 5th Floor.
Just yesterday, I had cleared the 5th Floor on the Surface Layer.

‘I had plenty of room to spare on the Surface.’

No matter how much stronger I’ve become, clearing itself shouldn’t be a problem.

Strike while the iron is hot.
With the reset ticket, I’ll clear everything right now.

“Enter Dungeon 5th Floor!”
“Wait—!”

Leaving Yahwi’s protesting voice behind.
My body moved from the Temple of Nyx to Dungeon 5th Floor.

Whoosh!
【You have entered Dungeon 5th Floor.】

Shhhhh.

A breeze swept across the grassland.
It was the same wind I had felt just yesterday.
I braced myself for Nix’s blessing to fade.
If the structure of the surface and the dungeon were the same, then Basement 4 would surely have a sun like the surface—

“Huh?”

Ding!
【You have entered Dungeon 5th Floor.】
-Clear Condition: Defeat 30 Werewolves infused with sunlight.

“Auuuuul!”

Werewolves enhanced by sunlight appeared.
Thirty of them.
Yet the message about Nix’s blessing fading that I had anticipated never came.
A strange sense of familiarity made me look up at the sky.

Ding!
【Sunlight does not reach the dungeon of the Tower.】
【Nix’s power ‘Eclipse’ is in effect.】

A sun hidden behind the moon came into view.

“…Ah.”

Admiration escaped my lips unbidden.
It was beautiful.
It was the first time I had truly felt Nix’s power.
For a moment, I thought it resembled Nix’s eyes.

‘If all the layers with sunlight ahead are like this…’

I could clear this at ultra-high speed.
Now that I possessed the ‘sunlight-infused’ power, I could easily dismiss darkness itself.

‘Of course, the quest would be an exception.’

Shing.

【You have equipped the Jet-Black Longsword.】

I drew my blade.
Now was the time to focus on combat.

“Come on then. Let’s finish this quickly without even the sun.”

【Special Stat: Darkness is being released.】

Whoosh!

Darkness bloomed from beneath my feet and crawled up my body.
It extended through my arms and wrapped around the blade of the longsword.
With stats alone, I was already at level 35.
Enhanced Werewolves were nothing—I could suppress them with ease.

“Grrr….”

Sensing my aura, the enhanced Werewolves hesitated.
My crimson eyes moved swiftly, pinpointing their positions.

‘None of them are hiding.’

How could they hide their enlarged bodies in an open grassland like this?
Their entire frames had thickened with enhanced strength and agility—bulging muscles and massive forms.
They were certainly on a different level from the ordinary Werewolves of the Surface Layer.
Perhaps the difference between regular monsters and boss monsters.

‘Boss monsters that appear from the 10th Floor and beyond—dozens of them have appeared here?’

Screech.

I extended my hind legs far back, lowering my stance to an extreme degree.
It was for greater propulsive force.

“Here I go.”

The ground caved in as my body shot forward.

Whoosh!

My blade extended long behind and downward, moving with my hind legs.
In an instant, as the Werewolf drew near, I swung my sword upward to strike.

“Yahwi Style, First Form.”

Whoooosh!

“Midnight Flash!”

The blade never even touched the Werewolf directly.
Darkness in the shape of sword energy cleaved the Werewolf in two.

Splatter!

Ding!
【You have defeated a Werewolf bathed in sunlight.】
-Remaining: 29.

“Grrrraaaaahhh!”

The others reacted belatedly and rushed toward me.
They seemed to have decided there was nowhere to retreat.
I smirked and didn’t recover the force from my swinging blade.
Using the momentum, I continued to swing my sword relentlessly.

Whoosh!
Whoom!
Slash-slash-slash!

My speed accelerated with each passing moment.
I continued my assault, linking blade strike after blade strike.

Ding!
【Your proficiency with the incomplete Yahwi technique has increased.】

With each sweep of my blade, the Werewolves were sent flying.

Slash!
Thud!
Scrape.

Ding!
【You have defeated a Werewolf infused with sunlight.】
-Remaining: 28.
【You have defeated a Werewolf infused with sunlight.】
-Remaining: 27.
【You have defeated a Werewolf infused with sunlight.】
-Remaining: 26.

Even amid the chaos, I continued to wield my blade.
In that moment, the Taesan Guild, Ahn Jae-jun, the Association, the Temple—
none of it crossed my mind.
Only the blade and the enemy existed. Nothing else mattered.
The Werewolves continued their assault, driven by pure instinct.
They resembled moths hurling themselves into flame.

Ding!
【You have defeated a Werewolf infused with sunlight.】
-Remaining: 1.

Before I knew it, only one remained.

“Kuh, kuh-waaaah.”

I approached the terror-stricken creature and swung my blade.

Whoosh!

The blade cleanly severed the creature’s neck.

Scritch.
Thud.

The severed head rolled across the ground.

Ding!
【All enemies have been defeated.】
【Dungeon 5th Floor cleared.】
【You may now exit.】
【Darkness Stat increased by 1.】
-Current value: 13.
【Obtained 50 Moonlight Stones.】

The clear message appeared.
But it wasn’t over.
Butchering remained.

“Phew.”

Scritch, scritch.

The jet-black longsword was put to use in an unconventional manner.

Ding!
【Obtained large quantities of Werewolf hide infused with sunlight.】

Since the monster was so muscular, there was no meat this time.

“Tsk.”

I had expected it, but it was disappointing.
It would have been another chance to gain an additional stat for free and earn substantial money.
Of course, I wasn’t impatient.
Demand for meat still exceeded supply.
Beyond the function of raising stats upon first consumption, it also had flavor.

‘Besides, there are many more floors ahead where I can obtain meat.’

It’s not just meat.
According to Hunter Net, there are plant-type monsters too, so who knows what’s possible.
They might even boost my stats or have special properties.
Maybe they’d taste good too.

‘Anyway, I should start thinking about how to utilize these materials infused with sunlight.’

Whether roasted, boiled, or steamed.
Unlike meat that raises stats simply by eating it.
The remaining materials were still stored in the Temple like useless relics.

‘There has to be a way to process them.’

I stared at the leather seriously, then made a decision.

‘I’ll check the next resident’s specialty, and if they can handle these materials, I’ll entrust them with it. If that’s not their field…’

I’ll just use another favor from the Association through Hyeon-jun.
Not every guild existed solely to conquer the combat Tower.
There were plenty of guilds specializing in alchemy and material processing, and there were also non-Awakened individuals conducting research at the corporate level for technological development.

‘In other words, if I sell it, I’ll make money either way.’

Unknown materials always sold for more than their actual value.
And if processing succeeded and it became practical?

‘Then it’s a complete jackpot.’

Money literally falling from the ground.

“Alright.”

Setting aside my thoughts, I shouldered the backpack containing the leather and opened my mouth.

“Exit.”

Ding!
【You are exiting Dungeon 5th Floor.】
【Moving to the Temple.】
【You can now challenge the second task of the Special Dungeon.】
-The Special Dungeon can be conquered with multiple people.

At last, it was time to clear the second task.

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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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