I Inherited the Basement of the Tower - Chapter 25

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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 25

The Association Training Ground stirred with activity.
It was during an active training session.
A voice suddenly emanated from the internal speakers.

[I’m coming soon. Just wait right there.]

What’s this?
Everyone exchanged glances, trying to make sense of the situation.
But they could only stand bewildered.

“Damn it.”

Only one person grasped what was happening.
He was Park Seong-cheol, a promising prospect of the Taesan Guild and an A-rank hunter preparing to challenge the special dungeon floor once more.
Originally, he should have led the second expedition.
When Kang Ha-jin stormed into the Taesan Guild, he failed to stop him and suffered a humiliating defeat, resulting in his demotion.

-A pathetic wretch who couldn’t even properly defeat a broken-winged creature in its fall.

At first, he resented Guild Master Ahn Jae-jun for such treatment.
And he burned with rage toward Kang Ha-jin, the root cause of everything.
To dispel that rage, he threw himself into training.
In those moments of moving until death seemed near and sweating profusely, he could forget all emotion.
Gradually, he grew stronger.
Now he blamed no one.
He had shed much of his pathetic past self.
Meanwhile, the expedition of Taesan’s newly formed conquest team had failed.

-I’ll give you one last chance.

Another opportunity had come my way.
Ahn Jae-jun had promised to invest considerable funds to secure the conquest rights.
This was after the Association President’s press conference subtly endorsing Kang Ha-jin.
Regardless of the reason, it was an opportunity I’d grasped back from the brink of the abyss.
A chance to regain the guild master’s trust and rise as a promising prospect of Taesan.
I had been stuck in a slump, unable to advance beyond the 10th Floor.
That slump had become an opportunity instead.
I abandoned any lingering attachment to conquering the 11th Floor. I devoted myself entirely to training for the special dungeon layer conquest.
Whenever doubt crept in, I thought of Kang Ha-jin and pushed myself to swing my sword one more time.
I swore that when we met again, I wouldn’t suffer such humiliation as before.

“Hey! Park Chul-seong!”
“It’s Seong-cheol, not Chul-seong…”

At the sound of the voice, Park Seong-cheol squeezed his eyes shut.
That was fast.
He must have come down right after turning off the microphone.
My body wouldn’t move, overwhelmed by the fear that had been etched into me, making my earlier vow seem hollow.
Then.

“Kang Ha-jin? You’re Kang Ha-jin, right? The one who got lucky treating the Association President and got a designation right through flattery?”

Park Seong-cheol’s eyes snapped open and turned toward the voice.
What kind of fool was this?
Most of those gathered here were hunters of level 10 or below who had come to appeal to the Association President.
And from my experience, Kang Ha-jin was the hunter who best embodied the saying that “level does not absolutely indicate strength.”
In other words, even if all the hunters here rushed him in a mob, they wouldn’t land a single scratch on him.

“Hmm? Who are you?”

Kang Ha-jin, who had been approaching warmly, stopped abruptly and looked at him.
His demeanor was emotionless, unlike how he treated me.
Apparently offended by this, the other hunter who had started the confrontation bristled and shouted.

“Me? I’m Park Jin-woo from the ‘Sage’ Guild, the one who’ll get the designation right instead of a selfish bastard like you! Even if you climbed the 10th Floor that quickly, the special dungeon layer isn’t so easy! You think you’ll get the designation right while hoarding all the benefits and playing solo? I won’t allow it!”
“Sage? Ah, that merchant alchemist guild? I hear they’re loaded with money, so why don’t you just bid for the conquest rights?”

A ripple of laughter mixed with unease spread through the surroundings.
Just as he said, the items from Sage had good quality but absurdly high prices.

“Merchant-! What did you just say!?”
“It’s not meant as an insult. We might end up working together in the future. Besides, I’m already looking for a craftsman to create items related to holy power.”
“Pfft! Us? With you!? We’re already in the process of crafting items that boost holy power! You think you can surpass our Sage Guild just because you’ve distributed some unusual meat a few times?”

Park Seong-cheol nodded.
Ah, I understand now.
It’s because of the meat.
The meat Kang Ha-jin obtained was absurd.
Unlike typical items or elixirs created by alchemist hunters, which only temporarily boost stats while equipped.
The meat he brought back permanently increased stats. And unlike bitter elixirs, it actually tasted good.

Apparently, due to the large-scale distribution of the meat, numerous workshops had closed their doors.

‘As someone in the same industry, he must be irritated. He’d probably covet the distribution rights too.’

At the same time, I was somewhat surprised.
If Park Jin-woo from the Sage Guild was telling the truth, it was quite a bold move.
With holy power items, clearing special dungeon floors would become much easier.
It would benefit everyone.
The public might even side with the Sage Guild, which would help the masses.
The Association President’s authority couldn’t be overturned or changed, but at least they could raise questions.
Moreover, if the clearing team that included Kang Ha-jin failed, the Sage Guild would use this as leverage to pressure the Association.
It was a surprisingly sinister calculation, befitting those who used their heads.

‘Separately, it would be nice to obtain holy power items.’

Even if a related stat increased by just 1, or if only 10% was added to attack power, it would greatly influence the success or failure of the clear.
However, Kang Ha-jin showed no signs of wavering.

“That works out well. If I add my materials to yours, we’ll create something even more remarkable.”
“You’re not getting through. Come at me! Who knows if that vaunted fastest record of yours works on anything other than monsters!”

Poof!

Soon after, Park Jin-woo glanced at the camera he presumed the Association President was watching.
He pulled several flasks from his pocket and consumed them indiscriminately.
They were elixirs.
Park Seong-cheol felt a momentary sense of pity for him.

‘Only works on monsters?’

That wasn’t the case.

“A combat style that raises stats through elixirs? I needed a place to test curses anyway. Looks like luck is on my side.”

Whoosh—!

Flames of darkness bloomed from Kang Ha-jin’s fingertips.
Park Seong-cheol clicked his tongue.
That bastard was nothing but a cockroach back then.
Yet he’d acquired new power from somewhere else.

‘No. Actually, this works out better. When Park Jin-woo drew his attention, I….’

Snap.

Kang Ha-jin’s head snapped around, his gaze locking onto me.

“Hold on. Fair warning—if you run, I’ll hunt you down.”
“…Damn it.”

Startled me.
I nearly lost consciousness.
Right.
If I can’t escape, I’ll enjoy it.
I’ve trained hard for this, after all.
Who knows.
If I’m facing someone exhausted from fighting Park Jin-woo…!

….

A short time passed.

“Huff, huff.”

Park Seong-cheol lay on the ground, breathing heavily.
One minute flat.
That included the time spent fighting Park Jin-woo as well.

‘Still not there yet.’

Crack—

I stared at the door through which Kang Ha-jin had already departed.
The days when I had dismissed him as a cockroach flashed through my mind.
A cockroach that could never escape the dark, cramped cavern of the 4th Floor.
Yet he never surrendered even in that lightless darkness.
And now he stood brilliantly before the world.
And truthfully.
Park Seong-cheol had always been terrified of cockroaches.

“Ugh, ugh, ughhhhh!”

My gaze shifted toward the groaning sound.
There lay Park Jin-woo, sprawled in an awkward position on the ground, unable to rise.
Each time Kang Ha-jin swept his hand, dark energy enveloped Jin-woo’s entire body and dragged him down to the earth.
Before Kang Ha-jin’s gestures, evasion meant nothing.

‘At least I avoided that fate. That’s something to be grateful for.’

—As expected. My eyes don’t deceive me. You’ve grown considerably. More than before.

Kang Ha-jin’s voice echoed in my memory.

“…Damn it.”

Shamefully.
I brushed myself off and stood up.

“Increase the intensity more.”

Beep—
[Training intensity increases.]

I resolved that one day I would become a true rival.

* * *

Ding!
【24 hours have passed.】
【You may now enter the Underground Layer.】

Whoosh.
I stepped through the portal descending into the basement.

‘I’ve definitely grown stronger.’

I recalled the sparring match from earlier.
Park Seong-cheol.
Had he learned from watching Park Jin-woo take a beating?
He dodged every curse I threw and countered with precise sword strikes.
So he truly deserved his A-rank status.
In South Korea, excluding Ahn Jae-jun and myself, he held the highest rank.
Though overshadowed by others, his above-average talent was undeniable.

‘That was fun.’

A smile naturally formed on my face.
Tormenting Park Seong-cheol proved more entertaining than expected.
It seemed I wasn’t as virtuous as I thought.
A strong premonition told me I would face him again during this special dungeon conquest.

“Well, that’s only if things proceed according to plan.”
“It will go well.”

Yahwi handed me a towel, reassuring me.
When I mentioned exploring the Underground Layer, he stubbornly insisted on coming along.

“You should rest up there.”
“No way. How could I not follow where my lord goes? I need to handle the butchering anyway. Please leave it to me!”

A quiet laugh escaped me.
He was truly reliable.

“Where’s the old man?”
“Probably holed up somewhere conducting research again.”
“Is that so? That’s reassuring.”
“Ehehe.”

Actually, his absence was even more reassuring. It meant the Temple’s systems were being continuously strengthened and developed in real time.

“I’ve already asked everything I needed to. Right now, I need you more.”
“N-needed! You need me! Kugh! This Yahwi is deeply moved! I shall serve you with unwavering loyalty for the rest of my life!”
“Very well.”

Listening to Yahwi’s flattery—something I’d grown accustomed to without finding burdensome anymore.
I descended into the Underground Layer.

Ding!
【You have entered Basement Level 7.】
【Nix’s authority prevents daylight from reaching this place.】
-Solar eclipse in effect.
【Nix’s blessing activates.】
【All stats increase by 500%.】

I let the familiar messages pass without dwelling on them.
And surveyed my surroundings.

“Let’s see what we have this time—”

But I couldn’t finish my sentence.
Whoosh!
A spear came hurtling into my field of vision.
Thunk!
The spearhead buried itself in the ground, sending fragments of rock scattering.
It was exactly where I had been standing moments before.
At that angle, if I hadn’t dodged, my head would have been pierced through.

“Squeeeeeal!”

Looking toward where the spear had come from, I saw a pink-skinned humanoid pig stamping its feet in frustration at having missed.

Ding!
【Basement Level 7 Clear Condition: Defeat 30 Wild Hogs infused with sunlight.】

“Heh.”

On the 7th Floor of the Surface, Wild Hogs were nothing more than four-legged boars charging forward.
But here in the Basement Levels, they not only glowed—they had taken humanoid forms.
They resembled orcs, but the difference was their skin was pink like a pig’s, and their bodies carried more fat than muscle.
And this was precisely why I had readily accepted Yun Tae-sik’s proposal.

“Yahwi. Fresh meat. Prepare for butchering.”
“Yes, my lord! I shall await your return!”
“Squeeeeeal!”

Whether they understood that I had referred to them as meat.
The Wild Hogs snorted in unison.
Normally, they would have charged at me immediately, but these were different.
The remaining twenty-nine hogs simultaneously leveled their spears at me.
And one by one, they hurled them.

Whoosh!
Huff!
Whirrr!

My vision filled with spears raining down like arrows.

‘Ranged attacks.’

Should I deflect them one by one with my sword?
I considered it for a moment.
Then I sheathed my jet-black longsword once more.

-A skill creation right, you say? Hmm…

The old man’s voice echoed.

You are strong, my lord. However, if I had to point out one thing lacking, it would be this.

I closed my eyes.
And I recalled the image of something.
What I was lacking.
It was—.

The next moment.
Thwack-thwack-thwack-thwack!
A dozen spears pierced toward my body.

A ripple—.
No, to be precise, they struck something and bounced off without piercing through.

Ding!
【Skill Creation Authority is activated.】
【Skill ‘Black Armor’ is created.】

Armor forged from darkness—Black Armor.

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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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