I Inherited the Basement of the Tower - Chapter 43

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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 43

“Delivery!”

Choi Hyeon-min descended with a beaming smile.
Fortunately, this time there was no disaster of him being attacked by Yahwi and Barkalor.

“Still alive, I see.”
“Phew, such bloodthirsty words right off the bat. You’re talking about our contract from last time, right? Of course I didn’t tell anyone.”
“Good work. It’s been a while. You’re dressed well too.”
“Yes, that’s right. Last time you only contacted me, but seeing your face in person like this has been quite rare. Is the outfit okay? I tried to mimic a Hunter’s style.”

Choi Hyeon-min’s face clearly showed his delight.
Such hospitality for this guy.
I brushed aside the silly thought and stored the chicken in my inventory.

“Whoa, crazy! You can do that too?”
“No matter how much you flatter me, I’m not giving you a tip.”
“Hehe, I’m not really a fan of tip culture anyway. I’m just happy to see the great Hunter Kang Ha-jin like this.”
“That’s creepy. Don’t you have any female fans?”
“I do. A close friend, actually. Should I bring her next time? She’s a Hunter too.”

This bastard.

“Is there someone you want to get kidnapped? Just joking.”

I tried to stop him in alarm.
But he suddenly pulled out a photo from his pocket.

“Ah, well, actually. Since I’m here delivering, I have a favor to ask while I’m at it. It’s about that Hunter fan I mentioned earlier.”
“What, an autograph? Give it here. I’ll do it.”
“Uh, it’s not that exactly. Could you do it? When I showed off last time, she got jealous.”

He grins widely, clearly delighted by something.
Ah, now I understand.
I received an identification photo from him.
Like Choi Hyeon-min, the face was young, pretty, and cute.
But the clothing was rather unusual.
It resembled a modernized hanbok, in a way.
Though it also didn’t quite look like one—that kind of feeling.
The overall atmosphere reminded me of Yahwi.

“What is this? Who is this person? Is she a martial artist too?”
“A martial artist? Are you talking about that guy who tried to cut me with his sword back then?”

His perception is quite sharp.

“…Never mind. You like her, don’t you?”
“Yes. Is it that obvious?”
“It is. So, your request is for me to help things work out between you two?”

How very high school of him.
Wait, he dropped out, so he’s not even a high school student anymore.
While I was thinking such things.
Choi Hyeon-min suddenly wore a serious expression and shook his head.

“No. I was wondering if you could… save her life. Please.”

* * *

“The chicken has arrived.”
“Hooray! Master is the best! Thank you for the meal!”

When I descended into the temple, the table was already fully set.
Though calling it a table was generous—we were simply gathered in front of a wide, flat stone.
I unpacked the chicken onto it and spoke.

“I’m sorry, Eltos. I still don’t have a way to take you outside yet. I know it’s inconvenient, but bear with it for now. I’ll search through the Wol-yeong-seok Shop.”

Eltos’s size isn’t merely large—it’s overwhelming.
One glance says it all: wow, a giant. Run. Hide inside the walls.
That’s the scale of presence that inspires such thoughts.
Setting aside the stares from others, summoning him in the basement room would be impossibly cramped.
Fortunately, the underground temple is spacious enough.

“Ah, it’s fine, Master. Thank you for your concern. I’ll eat this and work hard on crafting equipment.”

Fortunately, Eltos is a timid and kindhearted fellow.
He’s never caused any trouble or rampage.

‘…But his timidity is the problem.’

I watched Eltos pop a chicken leg—transformed into a snack like a chicken leg cracker—into his mouth in one bite.
He’s pretending it’s fine, but he’s surely been hurt deep down.
I need to find a way to bring him outside eventually….

“W-Wow! H-How can it taste like this!”

Ah, startled me.
A piercing sound rings out.
I thought my ears would go deaf.

“Um, Eltos? I understand it’s delicious, but could you spare our eardrums?”
“Ah! I-I’m sorry. It’s just so delicious.”
“It’s fine. It happens, junior. I was the same way at first. Miss Jeong has probably eaten this her whole life, but in my era, such things didn’t exist.”
“Era? What are you talking about?”

Seeing their lively banter, my heart eased a bit.
Eltos seems satisfied with the chicken now.
I don’t need to rush finding a way to bring him outside.
He has plenty of people to keep him company so he won’t be lonely.

Thud, thud.

Barkalor approached, wiping the grease from his mouth with a handkerchief.

“Master. The time approaches.”
“I know.”

I could guess which day he was referring to.
Had the date already come to that?

“So you’re planning to attend in person?”
“I have to. Whether we like it or not, we’ll be partners clearing the dungeon together.”

Soon the Association would be holding an auction for access rights to a special dungeon floor.
I didn’t need to attend in person since Association President Yun Tae-sik would use his designation right for me.
But I was curious nonetheless.
What would the atmosphere be like there?
How would it all unfold?
And.

‘Who would win the bid? Who would I end up clearing the special dungeon floor with?’

It would be good to familiarize ourselves with each other’s faces beforehand.
We’d have to cooperate regardless of our feelings.
I had some suspicions about who might participate.
Since it was an auction format rather than a random draw.

‘I wish Taesan would suffer a sudden major financial drain.’

That wouldn’t happen though.
Taesan wasn’t the only one I was concerned about.

‘…Park Eun-ji, was it?’

Before Choi Hyeon-min left earlier.
That was the name of the person in the photo he’d shown me.

-She’s my friend and a member of my sister’s guild. Since she has no siblings, she didn’t need guardian permission.

The situation was like this.
The girl Choi Hyeon-min had a crush on was a member of his sister’s guild.
And she happened to be level 10.
His sister’s guild was also targeting this special dungeon floor.

-Come to think of it, I didn’t ask about my sister’s guild. Which guild is it? What’s your sister’s guild called?

At my question, Choi Hyeon-min tilted his head as if asking why I hadn’t already heard this, then answered.

-Gaebang Guild. My sister is an absolutely obsessive martial arts novel fanatic.

I kept thinking it couldn’t be, but it turned out to be the guild master’s younger brother.
Really, what a small world.
A twisted twist of fate.

‘Of all places, why there.’

The item that elevated Gaebang to its current position came from a special dungeon layer.
Choi Yeon-su, the guild master of Gaebang and Choi Hyeon-min’s sister, seemed addicted to that power.
That’s why she made the choice to send a guild member who wasn’t even of legal age to such a dangerous place.
I could understand why Choi Hyeon-min was so anxious.

‘Special dungeon layers are no trivial matter.’

The first expedition was composed entirely of elite hunters.
Due to level restrictions, everyone was level 10, but the fact that they belonged to Taesan was as good as a guarantee of their abilities.

‘Setting aside personal feelings, it’s also the best guild for hunters.’

That’s why I was trying to join as well.
Those elites failed.
Some didn’t even return.
They lost their lives.

‘She’s sending a minor to a place like that?’

While preventing her own younger brother, a B-rank awakener, from even attempting Basement 1 because it’s dangerous?

Crunch.

I couldn’t manage my expression.
My fists clenched so hard they trembled.
The already bitter feelings within me grew worse.
I knew this well, having lost my parents in childhood.
No adult was ever truly on my side.
They saw me only as cheap, disposable labor.
They never cared about my circumstances or my health.
I didn’t complain about it.
I wasn’t pessimistic.
I struggled all the harder.
Because I wanted to be like everyone else.
So I understood.
In such circumstances, one could do anything.
There was no point in stopping that kid at this moment.

-Our sister’s lost it. I’m not exaggerating—she’s been getting stranger lately. More irritable, angrier. I couldn’t live with her anymore, so I moved out. I don’t know if it’s because running the guild is hard on her or what, but something’s wrong.

That’s right.
He wasn’t in a position to refuse the orders or requests of such a person.

-I know you’re the one designated to choose the special dungeon floor. I also know there’s no reason to grant the request of a mere delivery person you’ve only signed for once. I won’t ask you to protect him on purpose. But if you have a spare moment, if your gaze happens to fall upon him, just save him once.

The boy without steel bowed his head deeply.
It was a perfect ninety-degree angle, as if he’d done it before.
I didn’t answer to a promise I couldn’t keep.
If the Marker and Park Eun-ji’s lives hung on opposite sides of a scale.
I would choose the Marker without hesitation.
However, if my gaze happened to fall upon him as Choi Hyeon-min requested, then perhaps once…

‘I should just hope his life never comes into real danger.’

And even if such a thing didn’t happen.
Someday I would meet Choi Yeon-su, the Open Guild Master.
Because it seemed I had something to gain from her madness.

-Get out!

That moment would surely come not long after receiving the special dungeon floor’s reward.
I had one more reason to participate in this auction.

* * *

…More time passed.
And so the auction day arrived.

Ding!
【All enemies defeated.】
【Basement 12 cleared.】
【Acquired 1 Darkness stat.】
-Current value: 42.

“…Huff, huff.”

I gasped for breath, my chest heaving.
Then I surveyed the scene I had created.
Solar Knights lay collapsed in a heap.
There were fifty of them.

【Proficiency with Incomplete Yahwi-style has increased.】

‘I’ve done it.’

The Fourth Form—not yet perfect, but.
Now it’s just a matter of time.
As I continue clearing floors, my proficiency will grow.
Even now, it possessed enough power to be used in actual combat.

“Let’s head out.”

Ding!
【Exiting Basement 12.】
【Moving to the Temple of Nix.】

My vision shifted, and the temple came into view.

“You’ve worked hard, Master!”

Yahwi rushed over and wiped the sweat from my face with a towel.

“Thank you.”
“Don’t mention it, hehe. How is your training with the Fourth Form progressing?”

I hesitated.
I averted my gaze at Yahwi’s words.

“…Yeah, it’s going well.”

Ever since learning the application of darkness from Elder Barkalor, I’d kept the Fourth Form’s variation secret from Yahwi.
He was always claiming that Elder Barkalor used some special power.
He’d even earnestly asked me to let him know if Barkalor taught me anything.
But in the end, I went and learned it myself on my own terms.
If I told him the truth, he’d definitely be upset.

‘If it makes me stronger, what does it matter where the power comes from?’

Yahwi had declared his ambition from his first appearance—to make me the strongest hunter.
Since Elder Barkalor’s technique brought me one step closer to that goal, Yahwi might actually be pleased.
But then again, he might explode in anger.
Since I’m his master, he wouldn’t dare, but he’d definitely sulk.
Yahwi was my first teacher, after all.
And my first resident.
Eventually he’d find out anyway, and if he was going to be upset, I wanted to delay that moment as long as possible.

‘I wish he’d never find out.’

Though that was impossible since I hadn’t even learned the ultimate technique yet.

Zing—

The alarm I’d set went off.

[From: Hyeon-jun.]
-Ha-jin. You coming to the auction today?
-If you are, the Association President said to save you a good seat.
-Let me know in advance.

Maybe I should head over.

—I’m going anyway, so could you reserve one more seat besides mine?

[From: Hyeon-jun.]
—Oh, did you finally get yourself a girlfriend?
“Ha, you bastard.”

—She’s a woman, but not what you’re thinking. She’s an employee.

‘Min-hee will manage fine on her own, right?’

I hadn’t called Min-hee in to work today.
Since she’d be heading to the auction house anyway, it would be more convenient for her to go straight from home rather than stopping by the temple first.
I ignored Hyeon-jun’s continued teasing and shoved my phone into my pocket.

“Yahwi. I’m heading out. I’ll shower and come back, so guard the temple well. If anyone shows up, don’t just draw your sword right away—talk to them first.”
“Understood, Master!”
“Oh, and have Eltos and Min-hee prepare the Holy Power items in advance. I’ll be taking them in my inventory.”

While I focused on perfecting the Fourth Form, Eltos and Min-hee had crafted a whopping nine sets of Holy Power items.
Since today was just an auction day, I didn’t strictly need to bring them.

—Boss. Some people from my previous workplace contacted me. They say Hyeon-ja is also participating in this auction. But she doesn’t even have money to bid… why…

“All nine sets without exception. You understand, Yahwi?”
“Yes, sir!”

It was simply preparation for any unexpected attacks.

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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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