I Inherited the Basement of the Tower - 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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Inherited the Basement 1 of the Tower – Episode 3

Rummmmmble—!

A summoning message appeared.
The entire Temple trembled.
Then, one corner of the vast rectangular space split open.

Crack, craaack—!

It seemed as though something was trying to emerge.
Soon, I could discern its true form.

“A building?”

A Swordsmanship Hall—the kind you’d see in martial arts web comics—was rising through the widening fissure.

Rumble, rumble….

When the doors finally emerged completely.
The trembling subsided.

“…Is it over?”

I lowered my arm that had been shielding my head, worried a stone might fall.
Then a message confirming the summoning completion appeared.

Ding!
【Rare-rank combat resident, sealed Yahwi, has been summoned.】
【Yahwi’s symbolic building, the Swordsmanship Hall, has been successfully summoned.】
【The residents of the Temple will be loyal to you.】

Ah, so this is how it works.
I nodded and waited for the resident named Yahwi to appear.
It said he’d been summoned, but I couldn’t see him yet.
However, that question was quickly answered.

Squeeeak—

With the characteristic creak of aged wood, the Swordsmanship Hall door swung open.

I recognized him instantly.

There was no mistaking who it was.
A man with long black hair, his muscular frame concealed beneath a black martial robe, his large right hand resting upon the hilt of the sword at his waist.
His grip positioned as though he might draw and strike at any moment.
As if ready to unsheathe and cut at a moment’s notice.

“…Yahwi?”

As I cautiously spoke his name, his gaze turned toward me.
Then his eyes shifted to the longsword hanging at my waist.
He stared at me with an expressionless face.

‘Is he truly loyal to me?’

Well, regardless.
First impressions matter, don’t they?
Even if he was summoned from the Temple, he possessed intellect and self-awareness as a summoned being.
Besides, he would be my companion in building the Temple going forward, so there was no need to appear unfavorable.
Therefore, I deliberately raised my sword with a lighthearted gesture.

“Ah, this? I was actually wanting to learn swordsmanship anyway. Perfect timing…”

In the next instant.

Whoosh!

Yahwi’s form vanished.
A speed almost beyond belief.
A velocity my agility stat—inflated five times over—couldn’t even perceive.

Snap!

I had merely blinked once.
In that instant, he appeared right before my eyes.

‘He said he was loyal!’

I felt betrayed by the system as I drew my sword.

Shing—!

A Rare-rank resident.
I wasn’t sure if I could win, but I wouldn’t just take it lying down….

“Kyuuuuu!”
“Huh?”

Contrary to my expectation that he would attack.
The creature threw his entire body forward and prostrated himself on the ground.

“Thank you for summoning me! May you live a thousand years in good health!”

Then, with tears glistening in his eyes, he performed an exaggerated bow with dramatic flair.
In the absurdity of the moment, I was taken aback.
Yahwi seemed startled and quickly introduced himself.

“Ah, that’s right! I apologize for the late introduction. My name is Yahwi. It means ‘to serve the night.'”
“Yeah, I’m Kang Ha-jin. Looking forward to working with you.”

I extended my hand to offer a handshake.
Yahwi then clasped my hand respectfully with both of his.

“I’m honored to serve you!”

I was quite impressed.
Contrary to his solemn appearance, he was remarkably earnest and straightforward.
Like a large dog, except without the tail.

‘Ah, so that’s why he seemed familiar.’

He reminded me of the Golden Retriever I raised as a child, Injeolmi, in every way.
Good social skills, loyal to the core.
The more I looked at him, the more endearing he became.

“Impressive! I see you’re a swordsman like myself. I’m truly in awe of my lord’s discerning eye!”

His flattery was a bit excessive, perhaps.
But if it made the listener feel good, that was enough.
I wasn’t displeased by this special treatment I hadn’t experienced in a long time.
More than anything, just as Yahwi had said.
The fact that we were both swordsmen felt right.

“I was actually feeling the need to learn swordsmanship. This works out perfectly. Could you teach me the blade?”
“Of course, my lord! I taught swordsmanship at the Swordsmanship Hall in my past life!”
“Really? Seriously?”
“Yes! You won’t regret choosing me, my lord! The swordsmanship I created is the strongest!”

I hadn’t actually chosen him, but… it didn’t matter.
It seemed like just flattery on his part.

“Wait, hold on a second.”

Now that I thought about it, I’d heard that name before.
Yahwi.
The Wol-yeong-seok Shop I’d seen earlier came to mind.
In the swordsmanship skill category, there was definitely
a very expensive swordsmanship technique I’d noticed.

“Wol-yeong-seok Shop. Search swordsmanship skills, Yahwi-style.”

Ding!
【Entering the Wol-yeong-seok Shop.】
【Found product: ‘Yahwi-style’.】
【Yahwi-style: 1,000 Wol-yeong-seok.】

Just as I thought.

My memory was correct.
The swordsmanship Ahn Jae-jun had acquired, Taesan Sword Scripture, was half the price of this.
Could it be…?

“By any chance… does the name of the swordsmanship you created have your name in it?”

At my question, Yahwi’s eyes widened.

“Oh! How did you know! You truly are remarkable, my lord! My swordsmanship is called Yahwi-style!”

I clenched my fist tightly.
I was right.
Though he appeared deceptively light on the surface, Yahwi’s resident rank was nothing short of Rare.
Moreover, he was a resident who had achieved a Rare rank even while sealed.

‘Krraaah!’

Suddenly, it seemed as though light emanated from Yahwi’s face.
I had effectively saved 1,000 Wol-yeong-seok stones.
Besides, receiving direct instruction from the founder and simply acquiring a skill with a snap were worlds apart.
And he was even a former Swordsmanship Hall instructor.

‘Wait for me, Ahn Jae-jun!’

I will crush the Taesan Sword Technique you boast about.

“Can you teach me swordsmanship right now?”

I asked, burning with enthusiasm.

Growwwl—

Yahwi clutched his stomach.

“….”
“…Hehe.”

At his awkward laugh, my body—heated by the ordeal—cooled instantly.

‘Right. Now that I think about it, I haven’t eaten either.’

I had been too preoccupied adapting to the Underground and completing the ordeal.
All of this was for survival, after all.
Fortunately, I had brought a large tactical backpack for Tower exploration in case of emergency.
Inside were basic cooking tools and provisions for about a week.
Ah, now that there’s one more mouth to feed, would it last three days?

“Yahwi. Do you happen to know how to get outside?”
“Yes! You just need to leap through the hole above!”

Good grief.
I wish the next resident would be a scholarly type with a sharp mind.

“…Well. Your enthusiasm is admirable.”

I gave him an answer, but inwardly I was anxious.
I had only three to four days’ worth of food supplies remaining.

‘I need to figure out how to get outside within that time.’

Or I could grow stronger like Yahwi suggested and make the leap myself.
After sheathing my sword, I let out a sigh toward Yahwi.

“Right. Let’s eat something.”
“I’ll prepare it right away!”

Rather than a capable swordsmanship instructor, it felt like I’d acquired a large dog to feed.

Though perhaps because I’d lived alone for so long until now,
having someone like him around kept me from feeling bored.

“Master! I found a worm here!”
“Hey, hey! I brought food, so don’t just pick up and eat anything!”

…Or maybe not?

* * *

Bubble, bubble.
The contents of the pot had boiled to a perfect consistency.
There was something romantic about setting up a simple table like this in the underground.

“Master! Do you have any salt?”

Surprisingly, today’s chef was Yahwi.

“Sure.”

I rummaged through my backpack and handed over the salt.

“Thank you!”

Yahwi grinned widely as he sprinkled the salt into the pot.
From his technique, he appeared quite skilled at cooking.
Especially his knife work.

Whoosh—!

He tossed three or four onions into the air.
Then he drew his sword and sliced them into incredibly fine pieces.

Chop-chop-chop—!

He caught all the sliced onions on his blade, then swept them into the pot with his hand.
Every time we needed to cut ingredients, he put on this spectacle.
No matter how many times I watched, I couldn’t help but stick my tongue out in amazement.

“Wow. It’s cool and all. But you know taste is what matters most, right?”
“Rest assured. Back when I was a Swordsmanship Hall instructor, whenever the students said they were hungry, I’d whip up something simple for them.”

Right, he’d mentioned he was a Swordsmanship Hall instructor in his previous life.
Suddenly curious about Yahwi’s past, I opened my mouth to ask.

“Was the Swordsmanship Hall pretty big?”
“No. I ran it small in the countryside.”

Whoosh—!

Chop-chop-chop-chop.

As he spoke, he reduced two carrots to powder as well.

“….”

With that level of skill?

“I don’t know what era you lived in, but with your skills, social advancement wouldn’t have been a dream, would it?”

Flinch.

For the first time, Yahwi’s expression hardened at my question.
Soon after, he broke into a vacant smile as if nothing had happened.

“Hehe. It’ll be ready soon, my lord.”

From Yahwi’s reaction, it seemed he was trying to change the subject.

Clack.

“It’s finished, my lord! Please enjoy your meal!”
“Ah, yes. Go ahead and eat too. You said you were hungry.”
“Yes! Thank you!”

Munch munch. Slurp.

Yahwi ate the food from the bowl without any semblance of dignity.
He must have been quite famished.

‘So there was something about my disciple in my past life after all.’

Ever since I brought up the Swordsmanship Hall earlier.
The corners of his eyes, which always smiled so brightly, had drooped in a peculiar way.
Everyone has their own story to tell.
I too lost my parents young and endured alone, without even a stepmother to speak of.

‘Even reading the air would be S-rank at this point.’

I had no desire to poke at someone else’s wounds.
I didn’t have such crude tastes.
I didn’t press further.

‘Speaking of which, this cooking…’

A peculiar, appetizing aroma has been wafting from it since earlier.
Judging by its appearance, it’s closer to a broth than a soup.
Even I, a master of self-catering cuisine, couldn’t quite place what dish this was.

‘…It might just smell good, after all.’

Very carefully, I lifted a single spoonful.

Slurp—

“Mmm!”

Exquisite!
Why is this so delicious?
I forgot everything else and focused entirely on the meal.
That bastard Yahwi. He’s definitely hiding his rank.
It has to be at least one tier above Rare—an Artifact-grade ingredient at minimum.
To create such a dish in one go like this.
I spoke to Yahwi without any semblance of dignity, slurping loudly.

“Wow, this is delicious! From now on, you’re handling all the cooking.”
“Hehe, thank you so much! I’ll do my best, sir!”

Yahwi’s spirits lifted once more.
How someone so soft-hearted ever became a Swordsmanship Hall instructor is beyond me.
Regardless, the kid seems proud of himself.

“Hmm. He could’ve easily opened a restaurant instead of running a Swordsmanship Hall.”

Yahwi is Yahwi.
As for me, I was hungry enough to lick the bowl clean.
Then.
Yahwi, who had already finished eating, asked me a question.

“Master, how did you happen to venture down to such depths Underground?”
“Me? Well.”

I had just sworn to myself not to say another word.
But with my belly full, warmth spread through my body and vitality returned.
My heart softened, and my lips opened of their own accord.

“Actually….”

And so I told him everything about my past life.
Without embellishment or exaggeration, simply and plainly.

“Phew. Talking like this makes me crave a drink. Don’t you think?”

But it seemed Yahwi took it differently.

“Sob!”
“…?”

The one who had spoken ended up embarrassingly bursting into tears.

“Waaah! It’s so sad, my lord!”

He clung to my pants, tears streaming down his face.

“Hey, hey! My pants are slipping—let go!”
“Y-yes, yes…!”

Even after that, Yahwi continued to sniffle, barely holding back his tears.
Then, as if steeling his resolve, his eyes burned with even greater passion than before.

“My lord! I am bound to the Temple and cannot ascend to the surface! However, I swear I will make you the strongest Hunter!”
“Haha, very well.”

I laughed it off, but Yahwi seemed to be serious.

“The Underground is not limited to the 1st Floor.”

He suddenly sprang to his feet.

“It has the same structure as the Tower above ground. That means there are 2nd and 3rd Floors as well. While leveling up may be impossible, you should be able to obtain Wol-yeong-seok and Dark Stats.”
“Oh, so that’s how it works?”

Being an Underground Hunter meant far more than simply clearing objectives.
It was a fact I had only just discovered.
And instead of leveling up, I would gain Dark Stats.
The deeper I descended, the more grueling this would become.

“The fortunate part is that I can enter the Underground floors alongside you, my lord.”
“Oh! That’s reassuring!”

Yahwi added that since he couldn’t ascend to the surface, he needed to become strong enough to not fall behind others.
He said he would drive the monsters toward me.

“To do that, I should first measure your combat prowess, my lord.”
“Is that even possible? Do you have some kind of scanner?”
“No. We’ll go to Underground 2nd Floor.”

Ding!
【You are entering Underground 2nd Floor of the Tower.】

“Show me your strength, my lord.”

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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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