I Inherited the Basement of the Tower - Chapter 41

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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 41

After waiting a moment, a motorcycle pulled up in front of Hyeon-jun.
The helmet was jet black, and so was the rider’s clothing.
For a moment, I wondered if Ha-jin had come personally.
But I could tell it wasn’t him because the rider was slightly shorter.

“Quick delivery service.”

The voice sounded oddly youthful.
Age didn’t matter as long as the work was done well.
The delivery had actually arrived quickly too.
But I couldn’t help feeling curious.
When I’d asked Ha-jin how he could send precious items like Holy Power artifacts through a courier service.

‘I have a trustworthy courier.’

That’s what his reply had said.

“Thank you.”

There was no way to find out who this person was.
Honestly, it wasn’t that important, so I was just going to accept the delivery and leave, but the courier spoke to me first.

“Um, what’s your relationship with Hunter Kang Ha-jin?”

The trustworthy courier turned out to be a boy who looked like a high school student.
Seeing him remove his earbuds suggested he was quite curious.

“By the way, I’m under a contract so I can’t say anything. But you don’t have to answer if it’s uncomfortable.”

What kind of person was this?
Kids these days really do just say whatever they want.
I suppressed the rising urge to lecture him and answered.

“…We’re close.”

In that instant.
The delivery man’s eyes widened considerably.

“F-Friend!?”

He then bowed his head respectfully.

“It’s an honor to meet a friend of Hunter Kang Ha-jin! I’m Choi Hyeon-min!”
“Ahem, well, yes. I’m Hyeon-jun.”

I’d known it, but Ha-jin really does treat this guy like some kind of cult leader.
My shoulders lifted without reason.
Not that I’d done anything particularly noteworthy.
Wait, no. That’s not right.
I’d helped facilitate a smooth connection with the Association, and when you think about it, he’d entrusted me with distributing the meat, so I’d actually accomplished something quite significant.
With that thought, I puffed out my chest confidently.

“Anyway, thanks for your help. You must be tired coming out on a weekend morning.”
“Oh, not at all. Thanks to you, I got to meet Hunter Kang Ha-jin. I appreciate it!”
“Mm, yes. Work aside, study hard too.”

He’s quite respectful.
I like this guy.

“Ah, I dropped out of school. Since I’m still a minor, I can’t clear dungeons yet, but I’m a B-Rank Awakener. I’m planning to start clearing once I become an adult.”
“…I see.”

Damn, I lost.
B-Rank, no less.
Two ranks higher than my D-Rank status.
I might run into him at the Association soon enough.
Even as a student—no, a minor—he’s someone Ha-jin trusts, so that makes sense.
It’s fine.
Since he hasn’t started clearing dungeons yet, my current level should still be higher.
Motivation for clearing dungeons surged within me.
I wanted to have cleared the 10th Floor by the time I saw Choi Hyeon-min again after he became an adult.

‘Wait, Choi Hyeon-min?’

Why does that name sound so familiar?
I feel like I’ve heard it somewhere before.
Hyeon-jun paused for a moment, searching through his memories.
As he repeated the name Choi Hyeon-min over and over, a memory finally surfaced.

-My younger brother bought a motorcycle. He was trying not to burden me. He even dropped out of school saying he’d become a Hunter, which weighs on my mind. It really is difficult to fill the void our mother left behind.

More precisely, it was a voice he remembered.
Since he hadn’t encountered this person recently, it must have been quite a while ago.
Now that I think about it, the faces did resemble each other somewhat.
The person in my memory just wore such distinctive clothing that I didn’t make the connection.

“Well, I’ve delivered the item successfully, so the task is complete. I should be going now.”
“Do you happen to have an older sister?”
“Oh? How did you know? Are you perhaps friends with my sister?”
“Huh, I had a suspicion.”

This guy.
His connections are quite extensive.
The guild master of Korea’s leading guild is his older sister, and she’s someone Kang Ha-jin trusts.
It’s the kind of network that belongs in a manga protagonist.
And on top of that, he’s a B-rank Awakener.

‘Could it be that his abilities are broken too?’

Hyeon-jun, an ordinary office worker, felt dejected once more.

‘…But still, if there’s a protagonist, it would be fitting for it to be him.’

Kang Ha-jin.
He was the kind of guy who never faltered despite any setback and kept challenging forward, which made you want to root for him.

‘Ah, forget it. Stop thinking about this.’

There’s no such thing as a protagonist’s extra in real life.
Hyeon-jun was also the protagonist of his own life.
His girlfriend was the heroine, after all.
So, he had no choice but to work overtime today for his heroine.

‘I trust you, Kang Ha-jin.’

I opened the paper envelope and withdrew the pendant inside.

‘This is it.’

And immediately upon witnessing its effects, I was taken aback.

“Ha ha.”

A hollow laugh escaped my lips.
With this, it’s possible.
Absolutely.
My awakened ability is defense-oriented, though I rarely use it due to the overwhelming pain it causes.
Had the Tower been a place to conquer with others, I would have certainly filled a tank position.

‘My struggle in clearing floors has always been insufficient attack power.’

But with this pendant?

‘I can compensate for the lacking attack power on the 10th Floor tier.’

Hyeon-jun headed toward the Association where my exclusive equipment—shield and mace—were stored.
My pace quickened with each step.
As the sun set and Saturday drew to a close.

Ding!
【You have cleared the 10th Floor.】
【Your level has increased by 1.】
-Current level: 10.

It seems I’ll be able to take my honeymoon overseas after all.

* * *

[From: Hyeon-jun.]
-Thanks, Ha-jin.
-You were teasing me earlier, but you were also pushing me forward.
-We’ve known each other for years—how could I not understand that?

I let out a quiet chuckle.

“You bastard, you actually did it.”

I felt about ten times more satisfied than when I’d cleared a dungeon layer myself.
I had made the best possible use of the pendant that Eltos and Jeong Min-hee had painstakingly crafted.
With that sentiment in mind, I sent my reply.

-What? I was just messing with you earlier.
-You can’t handle scary things anyway.
-Since it took so long, did you pass out and just wake up?

My heart swelled even fuller.
It felt like the emptiness from falling into the abyss and losing contact for a year was finally being filled.
I’d mentioned distributing meat and receiving a performance bonus.
But that wasn’t something I’d given him, and even if I’d tried to give him money directly, he’d refuse, uncomfortable with the burden.
Because I would have done the same.

‘Two billion won—what was I thinking, substituting for that?’

He’s truly a good man.
I wanted to repay him not just this time, but continuously going forward.
Because he was one of the reasons I hadn’t given up on everything back then.

‘My mental fortitude isn’t that strong. I could never have endured alone.’

If I’d given up, I wouldn’t have had the face to see my parents who’d passed away in my childhood.
Well, there’s the God of Night and the God of Death anyway, so I can’t even guess what would happen if I died.

‘If only Greek and Roman mythology existed, I’d go to the underworld. But it doesn’t seem to be the case.’

But what does it matter?
Whatever drove me forward, I survived and built a new family like this, and now I can help my friends.
Isn’t that a truly fulfilling life?
That said, I have no intention of ending my journey here.
There’s still so much I haven’t done.

‘I need to buy back the house I sold.’

The new owner has surely erased the old traces, but memories of my parents linger in that neighborhood.
I want to reclaim it someday.
And besides.

Crunch—

‘There’s still unfinished vengeance to settle.’

This emotion carries no small weight as a driving force.
I’ve repaid the penalty, but the debt in my heart remains.
Of course, the debt I owe isn’t gratitude—it’s resentment.

‘Just wait a little longer.’

I don’t know what he’s planning.
Once I clear the Special Dungeon Layer, I’ll ascend to the 53rd Floor in one breath and stop him.
When I become the new pillar supporting Korea, the unstable old pillar—Ahn Jae-jun—can be toppled.

‘When that time comes.’

Once I’ve finished all my vengeance and prevented the Tower Break, achieving stability.
I’ll reclaim my old home.
With pride.

‘Until then, I’ll set it aside. Now is the time to move forward.’

* * *

“Argh! Why won’t this work? Theoretically it should definitely succeed!”
“Um, Jeong Min-hee. I can’t concentrate if—”
“What? What did you say? What did you just say? I’m sorry, I’m on edge right now.”
“…It’s nothing, yes.”

Eltos and Jeong Min-hee continued focusing intently on developing the new item.
I’d tell them about the field test’s great success later, during our dinner gathering.

“I can’t stay idle either.”

I grasped my sword and spoke.

“Entering Dungeon 11th Floor.”

Ding!
【Entering Dungeon 11th Floor.】

Whoosh!

My vision shifted to a desert landscape along with the status window.
And there—the Solar Knight I had encountered on Dungeon 10th Floor appeared.

“An enemy!”
“That bastard is a heretic!”
“Kill him! Let us prove our faith through his death!”

But this time, there wasn’t just one.

-Clear Condition: Defeat 10 Solar Knights.

A full ten of them.

“Coming at me in a swarm?”

Not that I was worried.

Click.

I drew my jet-black longsword slightly from its sheath.
Last time, I had fallen for the Solar Knight’s provocation and fought purely on instinct.
But this time, there was no reason not to use Nix’s blessing.

“I can’t afford to hold back this time. I still haven’t perfected my technique.”

I spread my feet and lowered my stance.
My back foot scraped against the sand with a sound.

Whoosh—

The Antagonists didn’t approach carelessly, as befitted their knightly bearing.
They observed my stance and remained vigilant.
They measured the distance between us.
Though their appearance leaned more toward warrior than knight.

‘I’m grateful for that.’

The Fourth Technique required considerable preparation time.
Of course, that limitation applied only to me.
Yahwi could close his eyes and open them to find the Night Domain already deployed, slicing through everyone with power to spare.
I couldn’t do that.
Not yet, at least.

‘That’s fine.’

The Underground Layer didn’t require time attacks.
I was the only one clearing it.

‘Ah, I should test whether Jeong Min-hee can clear it too, later.’

There was no fastest-clear bonus anyway, and I had plenty of time to practice.
I stared at the Antagonists for a long moment before speaking.

“Not coming? Then I’ll go first!”

Shing—!

My jet-black longsword slid from its scabbard with a smooth whisper.
The first draw.
And using that momentum, I immediately activated the Third Technique.

‘Night Phantom Slash.’

Whoosh!

The blade energy tore through the air, advancing forward.

Swish.

The Antagonist in my path smirked and stepped aside slightly.

“Is that all you have?”

I smiled back at him.
Night Sword Return wasn’t merely a technique that released blade energy.
I placed my foot lightly upon the sword path I had carved through the air.
Acceleration surged through me as my body shot forward like an arrow.
There was no need to draw a circle.
During the third trial, the circle Yahwi had drawn on the ground was merely for my understanding.

As my blade passed through the Antagonist, my body followed in the same instant.

Splurch!

Blood scattered in an instant, staining the desert sand crimson.

“Kugh.”

Thud.

Ding!
【You have defeated one Solar Knight.】
-Remaining enemies: 9.

‘One down.’

If I stopped here, it would be nothing more than a simple third technique.
I wasted not a shred of the energy from that moment of cutting through my enemy.
Instead, I drove my feet into the ground, propelling myself back the way I came.

Whoosh!

My body shot forward once more along the sword path.

Screeeech….

I landed in a long stretch across the sand.
It was the same spot where I had first unleashed my swordsmanship.
The remaining enemies stared in bewilderment, their gazes flickering between their fallen comrade and where I stood.
To their eyes, it must have appeared as though I had vanished for a moment, only to reappear with one of their allies mysteriously slain.

“Everyone, be careful! This one moves incredibly fast!”

…Not quite yet, then.
True to their nature as knights, they had already grasped my movements.
But that was fine.
The Fourth Technique, Yuya Manchan, had already begun.
After my return, I channeled the remaining energy as my driving force and swung my blade once more.

Whoosh!

The second flash draw.
Faster than the first.
This was the principle of Yuya Manchan.
Like a pendulum or the swing of a clock.
Moving in a pendulum motion.
But when reaching the end, rather than relying solely on momentum, I added more force.
Repeating this caused speed and power to grow exponentially.
The sword’s trajectory layered and accumulated upon itself.
Three times, four times… repeat it ten times and it becomes so fast it’s invisible to the eye, appearing as a black ray of light.
From a distance, it resembled a black dome.

Slash!
Thus the second strike, which would become the cornerstone of the Realm of Night, was unleashed.

Crack!

“Ugh!”

Ding!
【You have defeated one Solar Knight.】
-Remaining enemies: 8.

Whoosh.
I killed another one and returned to my original position.
Now, for the third draw—

“…!”

At that moment, I stopped my motion by gripping the sword hilt tightly.

Clang!

“…If I’d gone through with it, I would’ve been hit.”

The knight in my path had assumed a complete combat stance and was glaring at me.

‘It reacted.’

My movement was read.
It was because I lacked sufficient speed.

‘…Too slow.’

This won’t do.
I can’t match Yahwi’s speed.
It’s unavoidable because of my level and stats.
Even with Nix’s blessing, moving like a relic-grade combat resident was impossible.

‘What should I do.’

How could I become faster.
How could I become so fast that enemies couldn’t react.
How could I….

As my thoughts chained together endlessly.

Ding!
【The Black Dragon’s Consciousness carefully offers its opinion while kneeling on one knee.】

Whoosh!

Darkness bloomed and gathered into the form of a sphere.
It was an action taken by the Black Dragon, or more precisely, the one absorbed within the Black Armor.

“…!”

And I immediately grasped what he was trying to convey.

“Ah. I see.”

I didn’t need to become faster.
It was impossible in my current state.
Then, the opposite approach.

“Haha. Thanks, Black Dragon. Hey, Black Armor. Just for today, treat him well.”

Ding!
【Black Armor strokes the Black Dragon’s head.】
【…The Black Dragon carefully flushes with embarrassment.】

I cancelled the Fourth Form and rose to my feet again.
I should probably visit Elder Barkalor.

“Sorry. I won’t be able to show you any new techniques. Just die quickly.”

And without the conscious behavioral restrictions for Fourth Form training.

Whoosh-crack-crack!
Screech!

… Ding!
【All enemies have been defeated.】
【Dungeon 11th Floor cleared.】
【Darkness stat acquired: 1.】
-Current Darkness stat: 41.
Even if a hundred Solar Knights came instead of ten, it would be easy.

—————
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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