I Inherited the Basement of the Tower - Chapter 17

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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 17

“Phew. It feels like it’s been forever. Wait, hasn’t it only been a few days?”

That was my impression as I emerged into the basement room for the second time.
In terms of actual time, it felt like barely any had passed.
I’d cleared the second trial, recruited my new subordinate Barkalor, and even finished testing him.
With so much accomplished, it felt like an eternity had gone by.

“But this… it’s quite convenient.”

I glanced at the opening I’d just come through.
Well.
Saying I “came through” it doesn’t quite fit anymore.
I’d teleported instead.
It was right when I first tried to ascend to the surface and was putting on the backpack Yahwi had given me.

-Master, surely you’re not planning to climb through this opening with your bare hands…?

That’s what Barkalor had said.
And this is the result that followed.

Ding!
【Deactivating Darkness Release.】

Whoosh.
The darkness that had been radiating from my skin subsided.

‘I could use darkness like a portal.’

It was a complete culture shock.
When I first summoned Yahwi and asked how to ascend, what did he say?

-You just climb through this opening, sir!

Yes, that’s what he’d said.

‘I knew there had to be another way.’

It was one of the reasons I had wanted such a capable resident.
And Barkalor, true to his relic-grade status, did not disappoint me.

-My great Master, I beseech you to cherish your precious self.

Unfortunately, I still cannot open portals directly myself.
There is the limitation that I can only connect the Temple and the Basement Room.
But what does it matter.
Just this alone has dramatically improved my quality of life.
After contacting Hyeon-jun, I’ve already made the trip back and forth five times.

‘I’ll need plenty of meat.’

I dusted off my hands.
And surveyed the packed interior of the Basement Room.
Satisfying.
All of that would become money and strength for me.
Just looking at it filled me with reassurance.

Ding dong.

Then.
A high-end doorbell that didn’t belong in a basement room rang out.
Park Seong-cheol had destroyed the old one, and I had gotten a new one.
Of course, I had squeezed the money out of Park Seong-cheol for it.

“Who is it?”
“It’s Gu Jang-hun.”

Gu Jang-hun.
I remember him.
He was the Association Hunter who came to rescue me when I was fighting Ahn Jae-jun at Taesan.
How could I forget.
The man whose height and build were so massive he completely filled the elevator.

“I’ve come to pick you up on the Association President’s orders.”

A deep baritone voice followed, befitting his massive frame.

“I apologize, but would you mind waiting outside the building?”
“Of course.”

He didn’t ask further questions at my request.
Shortly after, the sound of footsteps in the corridor faded into the distance.
If I opened the door, he might catch a glimpse of the hole in the basement.
I knew Gu Jang-hun wasn’t a bad person.
But whether someone was good or bad had never been my standard for trust.

‘For now, no one but the Temple residents can know.’

I shouldered my backpack and headed outside.

“Just leave it. You can load it into the vehicle.”
“Thank you.”

Gu Jang-hun came running when he saw my luggage.
He quickly loaded the meat into the truck.
He’d brought a refrigerated truck equipped with freezing capabilities, just as I’d requested.
Precious meat deserved equally precious storage.

‘There’s even meat from the new Werewear.’

Still, I didn’t get into the vehicle right away.
I pulled an item from my possession.
Gu Jang-hun was too busy loading the cargo to notice.
After confirming no one was watching, I placed something on the ground near the Underground Building.

Ding!
【You have planted a Black Land Purification Tree.】
【Detected dark energy.】
【Growth has begun, using dark energy as nourishment.】
【The fully grown Purification Tree will produce ‘Darkness’.】
【Time remaining until complete growth: 11 hours 59 minutes.】

‘Perfect.’

I had worried that it might not work outside the Black Land.
But that concern proved unfounded.
The purchase was suggested by none other than my new household member, Barkalor.
So it was when I finished moving all the meat and was about to use the final portal.

-I should accompany you, Master!

Yahwi said this while making a whimpering sound.
When I pointed out that residents were bound to the Temple and couldn’t ascend,

-Master, this old one has a thought. Might you hear me out?

Barkalor, who had been listening silently to Yahwi’s words, offered his opinion.
A hundred Moonlight Stones per sapling.
I had put it in my shopping basket for asset growth, and since I’d already paid off Taesan’s debt, Moonlight Stones were more valuable than money, so I was about to refuse.
But Barkalor said this:

-It is merely a hypothesis, but it may become a bridge for the Temple’s expansion and advancement to the surface.

At those words, I purchased it on impulse.
Now my Moonlight Stone balance stood at 460.

-Master! My advancement! The Relic Grade is…! The Fourth Form of Yahwi-type and the Ultimate Technique can only be taught once my seals are further released! I wasn’t intentionally withholding them!

When the Purification Tree came into my possession,
Yahwi, witnessing his advancement delayed once more,
his voice still echoed in my ears.
I’m sorry, Yahwi.
Let’s unseal you later.
Right now, I’m not in urgent need of increased combat power.
With Barkalor now available, it was time to invest in expanding the Temple’s scale and earning Moonlight Stones from a combat perspective.

‘So it produces Darkness.’

I thought this while looking at the jet-black sapling planted in the courtyard before the basement.
Was it the same principle as ordinary trees consuming carbon dioxide and releasing oxygen?
Consuming dark energy and releasing Darkness.

‘The black energy the Tower released when it appeared. And Darkness.’

What connection could there be between the two of them?
A vague thought crossed my mind that this was no mere coincidence.
Just as I, once a Knight of the Night, had happened to obtain the key to the Underground Temple.

Thud.

“Hunter Kang Ha-jin?”

Along with the sound of the car door closing, Gu Jang-hun’s voice reached me.

“Yes. Let’s go.”

I lifted myself up.
One last time, I took in the sight of the well-planted purification tree sapling.
Whether Barkalor’s hypothesis was correct remained to be seen.
I would find out in twelve hours.

‘I hope it’s true.’

There were so many things I wanted to feed the residents.
So many things I wanted to show them.
Especially Yahwi.

‘I’ve been bothered by not being able to promote him.’

He was the most loyal of all.
Yet here I was, the master himself, listening to a newly arrived Relic-grade resident instead.

‘He’s a simple fellow, so it’ll blow over quickly.’

I should pick up some expensive liquor on the way back.

“…Not that I’m overstepping, but it would grow better if you planted it somewhere with more sunlight.”

Inside the moving car.
Gu Jang-hun, who held the steering wheel, spoke up.
It seemed he had seen the purification tree from earlier.
Fortunately, he had only regarded it as an ordinary tree.

“Ah, so you have an interest in this sort of thing. It should do fine—it grows well even in darkness.”

Or rather, it thrives better in darkness, to be precise.
Gu Jang-hun laughed awkwardly at being caught peeking.

“Haha, yes. I was wondering if I’d been rude just now. That’s right. I manage a small garden as a hobby.”

Unexpected.
With that build, I would have assumed his hobby was American football.
I briefly imagined Gu Jang-hun holding a watering can and garden shears.
…No matter how I thought about it, a gargoyle statue guarding a garden suited him far better.

“I’d like to visit you privately sometime later. I’m certain there are ways I could be of help regarding plants and trees.”

He seemed warmer than when we’d met before.
He appeared to be loyal to the Association President.
Was it because of today’s meeting?
Or because of the meat in the trunk?
Or perhaps both?
The meat supposedly benefited the Association President.

“…You may have heard, but the Association President’s condition is not very good. Abroad, foreign nations attempt to poach our Hunters. Within, the guilds grow blinded by greed and do nothing but check and undermine each other.”

He frowned as he spoke.
I’d heard of it before.
When the Tower first appeared and administrative and legal systems had yet to be established.
The Association President had conquered floors with overwhelming performance surpassing anyone else and established the current system.

‘Ever since Ahn Jae-jun appeared, he’s been gradually losing ground in records. Now he’s completely focused on managing the Association.’

There had been rumors it was due to health deterioration, but I never expected to hear it stated so officially.

“For now he endures as a symbol. But if something were to happen or if he were to retire due to worsening health….”

Crunch.

Gu Jang-hun gripped the steering wheel tightly with his massive hand.
He soon composed himself and spoke again.

“It was at that moment when you appeared, Hunter. You’ve established yourself in Taesan, belonging to no one, and you possess that meat that raises one’s stats. The Association President consumed some, and his condition improved, however slightly.”
“….”

Ah.
So that’s how it happened.
Did I appear to be some paragon of virtue simply because I distributed the meat through the Association?
As I listened, I furrowed my brow.
No wonder things felt so warm.
The atmosphere was flowing in an odd direction.

“How fortunate it is that someone like you has appeared….”
“Let me be clear from the start. I have no intention of pledging loyalty to the Association.”

Flinch.
Gu Jang-hun was taken aback.
I cut off his words and spoke.

“I don’t have a shred of patriotic sentiment. I’m acutely aware that the interest directed toward me could vanish at any moment.”
“….”

Gu Jang-hun fell silent.
Sweat merely poured down his face.
Misunderstanding of one’s own accord, then disappointing them of one’s own accord.
That was something familiar to me.
Back when I awakened as an SSS-rank Hunter and couldn’t even clear the 5th Floor.
I felt it acutely then.
That there was no one I could trust.
That there was no one who would extend their hand when things truly became difficult.

‘Only Hyeon-jun reached out to me.’

Right now, my meetings with the Association President are only happening because of Hyeon-jun’s face.
Everything else is just that he safely sells my meat.
That’s it.
There are no other feelings involved.
The Association President’s achievements?
Mediating chaos?
I couldn’t care less.
Did he ever come looking for me when I hit rock bottom?
That too is just him being selective about people based on necessity.
Now it’s simply that I’ve become necessary.

“…I apologize. I was overstepping my bounds.”
“No, I was just being overly sensitive for a moment. The signal has changed. Let’s go.”

Though I spoke politely, it was the same as saying let’s leave quietly.
What I received from Taesan is what I received, but this is separate.
That’s why I’m going to this meeting.
Bringing meat that will improve the Association President’s condition.
I’m declining to expect anything beyond that.
Call it selfish if you will.
I’m still weak.
And now I have a ‘family’ I need to take responsibility for.
I have a ‘home’ I want to protect.
I had no luxury to wag my tail at someone for treating me well.
However—

“…For now, the Association President and I share the same enemy we must contend against.”

I won’t pledge loyalty, but I won’t refuse cooperation either.
As a Hunter, there’s no backer as reliable as the Association.

‘Besides, the Association President’s death right now wouldn’t benefit me either.’

That’s all there is to it.

‘…Gu Jang-hun.’

One more thing to mention.
Perhaps because we were discussing the garden.
I found myself thinking it would be reassuring if he remained as a gargoyle statue guarding the Temple.

‘His loyalty is truly remarkable.’

The more people I have on my side, the better.
The situation remained uncertain—whether the residents could actually ascend to the surface.
I needed my own people who would remain loyal to me even ‘above.’

Before long, the truck arrived at the Association Building.
Perhaps due to the awkward atmosphere, Gu Jang-hun volunteered to organize the luggage.
Of course, he wasn’t going alone.

“Hyeon-jun.”
“Yeah. You made it?”

The Association President had many enemies.
Moreover, even though it was brief, I was originally from Taesan.
Two surveillance personnel were assigned under the guise of guides.
One of them was Hyeon-jun.
Though he was a lower-tier Awakened, he was still an Awakened nonetheless.
The kid.
His appearance had improved noticeably since his advancement.
He patted my back.

‘Facing him without a blessing would be difficult.’

Of course, I had no intention of fighting Hyeon-jun.

Ding!
Whirrrr—.

The elevator doors slid open.

[VIP Reception Room.]

Knock knock—.

“Association President. I’ve brought Hunter Kang Ha-jin.”

Hyeon-jun knocked.
An elderly man’s voice came from inside.

“Ah! Our distinguished guest has finally arrived. Please, come right in.”

His voice was far more vigorous than what I’d heard about his illness.
Soon the door opened.
As I stepped into the reception room, I couldn’t help but start in surprise.

“Ah, what an honor to meet you. Association President, *cough*, *cough*! My apologies. I am Yun Tae-sik.”

It wasn’t because of the massive amount of IV fluids that made it unclear how he managed daily life.
It wasn’t because his body was surprisingly toned for an old man, rivaling that of many young Hunters.
It wasn’t because of the deep, piercing gaze befitting his legendary reputation and accomplishments etched in history.

-The method to distinguish illness from curse is simple. A curse, after all, is ultimately a form of dark magic. Traces of its mana always remain on the body. For example….

I recalled Barkalor’s words as he explained curses to me.

‘Deep dark circles.’

-Or sometimes irregular blotches scattered across the entire body.

‘The arms are particularly severe.’

-In some cases, the fingernails and toenails rot black from the root.

‘…Both hands are completely corrupted.’

-Finally, the longer the curse persists and the stronger it is, black veins rise across the entire body.

It was the same here.
But there was something far more decisive remaining.
There was no need to verify the rest.

-…Above all, if you are the master and apostle of the goddess Nix, you would recognize it at a glance, even without other signs.

‘So this is what Barkalor was talking about.’

I gazed at the status window before me, dripping with the saliva of enlightenment.

【A substantial amount of Darkness has been detected.】
【The title, Knight of the Eternal Night (EX) is activated.】
【Will you absorb the Darkness?】

Now it was certain.
Association President Yun Tae-sik’s illness was not an incurable disease.
It was a curse that required resolution.

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