I Inherited the Basement of the Tower - Chapter 53

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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 53

“Ugh!”

Choi Yeon-su felt a headache coming on and hurriedly searched for her medicine bottle.

Gulp.
Nerve stabilizers, heart medication, mood stabilizers—she had quite the variety of pills to take.

“Sigh…”

A heavy sigh escaped her lips.
How much longer would she have to suffer from emotional dysregulation and these relentless headaches?
Even the hospital visits only provided temporary relief through medication.
No examination had ever revealed the underlying cause.

‘I even set aside my pride as a martial artist and allowed Western medicine into my body.’

The mirror reflected only a gaunt complexion and deep shadows beneath her eyes.
It had been quite some time since this began.
She couldn’t pinpoint the exact duration.
Roughly, it started after she successfully conquered the Special Dungeon Layer.

‘Perhaps the item carries a curse.’

Yet she harbored no regrets.
That item had been instrumental in elevating her beloved guild, the Open, to such heights.

‘I was overwhelmed by the disciples I couldn’t turn away.’

But through this fateful encounter with the Special Dungeon Layer item, she had overcome that burden.
As a guild master, she couldn’t help but feel satisfied.
Of course, afterward she had to turn away those seeking guidance and protection, having reached her limits.

Throb—

“Gah!”

My chest throbbed painfully again.

“Huff, huff.”

My breathing grew ragged, and my heart constricted.
Because of that, I couldn’t control my emotions either.
I took the deepest breaths I could manage, suppressing the urge to overturn everything in the room.
I could barely remember when I’d last had days where I could rest comfortably.

‘Ah. Now that I think about it.’

There was one recent occasion when my emotional control had been unusually steady.
It was the day I returned after auctioning off Park Eun-ji’s strategy guide.
I remember it because I slept remarkably well that night.

‘Did the doctor’s advice about meeting more people actually work?’

I had certainly met many people that day.

‘I even saw Kang Ha-jin.’

He was as good-natured as the rumors suggested.
I even liked his confidence.
And most of all, his face….

“No, stop.”

If I indulged in such pointless thoughts, my heart would constrict again.
Since my emotional control was unstable, every feeling felt precarious.

Beep—!

Just then, the door lock activated and someone entered through the front door.
It was Eun-ji, the child I was living with.

“You’re home!”

Choi Yeon-su sprang up to greet her.
Even the joy I felt was difficult to control.

“Ugh, I can’t breathe. Please let go, Guild Master.”

Only after ruffling her hair for quite some time did I finally allow her to take off her shoes.

“You know, martial arts robes really suit you well.”

As I looked at her with an approving expression, Park Eun-ji’s face flushed with embarrassment.
She quickly hid the bag in her hand behind her back.
Inside it were her training sweats.
She made sure Choi Yeon-su wouldn’t find out.

“Haha. Sister, you haven’t eaten yet, right? Let me prepare dinner for you. Just sit in the room.”
“Alright.”

Shortly after, the two of them shared a meal and talked about their day.

“How’s the training going?”
“It’s going well. Everyone’s been very helpful.”
“I only agreed because you insisted on wanting to be useful. But don’t overexert yourself, understood?”
“You say that every day. I know. Don’t worry.”

Park Eun-ji popped a side dish into her mouth while observing Choi Yeon-su’s face.
Since her mood fluctuated so much, watching her carefully had become a habit.
It wasn’t always like this.
I missed the old Choi Yeon-su—the simple martial arts fanatic she used to be.

‘Now might be the right time to tell her.’

Park Eun-ji cleared her throat and opened her mouth.

“Sister, um… by any chance…”
“Even if you obtain items from the Special Dungeon Layer, if something feels off about them, don’t use them. You can just sell them instead. Got it?”
“Huh? Oh, yes.”

Park Eun-ji nodded.
A shadow fell across Choi Yeon-su’s face.
I’d missed my moment.
Let me shift to a different topic for now.
Besides, there was something I wanted to ask about.
It was about Choi Hyeon-min.
Park Eun-ji first learned about him when she began owing debts to this household.
He was Choi Yeon-su’s younger brother, after all.
When they were younger, they’d gotten along like siblings, but things became awkward after puberty.
When Choi Yeon-su refused to let Choi Hyeon-min do as he pleased, he rebelled and left home.
Park Eun-ji had been suspecting whether the person Kang Ha-jin described at the Training Ground might be Choi Hyeon-min.

“By the way, what’s Choi Hyeon-min up to these days? It’s about time he ended his runaway phase, don’t you think?”

Crunch.
In that instant, Choi Yeon-su’s spoon crumpled.

“H-hiek.”

There’s no magician quite like that.
The problem was that it wasn’t magic at all.
Rather than admiration or applause, fear made me lean back slightly.

“…I don’t know. No word from him. I just hope he’s not causing trouble somewhere.”
“I-I see.”

I shouldn’t have asked.
Park Eun-ji regretted it and considered saving the matter about Kang Ha-jin for tomorrow instead.
But watching Choi Yeon-su gulp down water and then straighten out the spoon again, I gathered my courage.

“Do you happen to know Kang Ha-jin?”
“If you don’t know that person in this country these days, you’re a spy. Actually, even spies probably know him.”
“Ah, are you perhaps close with him?”
“Not at all. Why?”

Choi Yeon-su looked bewildered.
But Park Eun-ji, the one who’d brought it up in the first place, was equally flustered.

‘That excuse was a lie, so why did I actually ask?’

If we were close, she would have contacted me separately.
Not asked through you like this.
Is this really about romance?
Maybe someone from school days.
They seem to be around the same age.

“You don’t know her at all?”

So I asked.

“Well… I know her somewhat.”

Choi Yeon-su’s head drooped heavily.
Then Kang Ha-jin’s words came back to me.

…There must be some kind of emotional debt.

An emotional debt heavy enough to make her bow her head like this.
What on earth did this noona do?
Or is it just another emotional issue?

“Then, would you be willing to meet her?”
“Oh, right. You’re on the same Special Dungeon Layer raid team. She asked me to introduce you. I’m sorry, but I have no intention of dating anyone—not just Kang Ha-jin, but anyone.”
“No! Not dating. Just… meeting. Well, that sounds weird too. Um, I think she just has something to discuss with you?”
“Her? With me?”

A question mark appeared on Choi Yeon-su’s face.
Then it quickly transformed into an exclamation mark.

“Ah! Could it be? Has she also become interested in the ways of the Martial Arts World? Is she joining Gaebang? Has the chance for me to atone finally arrived?”
“A-atone? No, no. Anyway, that’s definitely not it.”
“Oh, is that so?”

Park Eun-ji thought for a moment, then nodded.

“From what I can tell, I think that’s what it is. You’re pretty, noona.”

Choi Yeon-su’s face turned bright red.

“Ugh, honestly, I’m not thinking about dating right now. Well, the doctor did tell me to meet more people.”

I twirl my long hair around my finger.

“I should dig out that martial arts robe I’ve been saving.”

Park Eun-ji let out a fake cough.

“What, a martial arts robe!?”

Park Eun-ji recalled what Kang Ha-jin had said.
The story about an unrequited love that reminded her of Choi Hyeon-min.

“Let me help you get dressed up. Let’s go to the department store this weekend. … I need to buy some new clothes too anyway.”

Kang Ha-jin didn’t seem like a bad person at all.
There was no harm in just having a conversation.

“Oh, but let’s meet during the day. Let’s grab coffee instead of alcohol. You understand, right!”

The misunderstanding between the two women deepened.

* * *

Three days until the Special Dungeon Layer conquest.
The raid team focused on training more intensely than usual.

“Yang Sang-jin! Park Eun-ji, healing!”

I was no exception.
Today’s training was about improving my reaction speed when giving and receiving orders with the raid team members.

“Got it!”

Zing—

Warm holy power flowed from his wand to Park Eun-ji.

“Yang Sang-jin! Heal Jinhyeok!”
“…Understood!”

Zing—.

“Yang Sang-jin! Heal me!”
“…Ugh!”

Zing—.

“Yang Sang-jin!”
“Argh!”

Zing—.

Let me be clear—this was training.
Absolutely not me picking on Yang Sang-jin.
Conquering a Special Dungeon Layer is perilous, and whether the healer responds to injuries swiftly determines the difference between life and death.
This was essential training.

“Alright, break time.”

The moment I announced it, Yang Sang-jin—drenched in sweat—grew irritated.

“Damn it!”

Jinhyeok covered his mouth at the sight.

“Keep your distance. The ammonia stench is overwhelming.”

As our training sessions accumulated, I came to recognize that gesture—he was suppressing nausea.

“Ha ha ha! It’s ammonia, not ammonite.”

I turned at the sudden voice, startled.
Park Do-hyeon was there.
Since when?
Park Do-hyeon clutched his belly laughing, then wilted under my gaze.

“No. Come on, pick up on it a bit.”
“I knew. I was just startled by the sudden loud laughter.”
“Don’t lie, Captain.”

Seong U-jae chuckled at Park Do-hyeon’s drooping figure as he walked away.
Then, Park Seong-cheol, who stood in the direction Park Do-hyeon was heading, caught my eye.
He was always like that.
Every break time, he seemed to drift apart, isolated.
He had his hand tucked inside his chest as if lost in thought about something.

‘…He’s always doing that.’

I stopped staring and focused my eyes with slight intensity.

Ding!
【Night Vision Lv.2 activates.】

Then Park Seong-cheol’s chest glowed blue.
He was hiding something.
Something suspicious.
I approached him, pretending not to notice.

“Park Seong-cheol.”

He flinched in surprise and trembled.

“W-what is it?”
“Nothing, just thought you should drink some water during the break.”
“…Thanks.”

Park Seong-cheol looked at the water bottle I offered with suspicious eyes, wondering if I’d mixed something into it.
Since he said nothing more, I tried to leave to avoid the awkward atmosphere.
Then he spoke up belatedly.

“Why do you climb the Tower?”

Suddenly?
I was taken aback.
But I thought it was Park Seong-cheol’s way of trying to get closer, so I answered.

“Of course, to protect my family.”
“Family? You… Cough, never mind.”
“This bastard. About to insult my family again?”
“That’s not it.”

Park Seong-cheol hastily denied it.
I chuckled and replied.

“I have one now. Family. Blood doesn’t need to be shared for them to be precious. To protect them, I have no choice but to defend this Korean land.”
“…I see.”
“What about you?”
“I’m similar.”

Park Seong-cheol wore an expression as if pondering something.
I shrugged and continued.

“Is that so? We’ve had our share of conflicts in the past, but our goals align, and we’re a team now. Let’s cooperate until we clear the Special Dungeon Layer.”
“A temporary alliance, something like that?”
“Yeah, something like that.”

We looked at each other and chuckled.
Park Seong-cheol pointed at my eyes and spoke.

“Those sunglasses look cool.”
“Thanks.”

I grinned.
Something suspicious was still glowing blue in Park Seong-cheol’s arms.
When Park Seong-cheol and I returned to where the raid team members were.
Whether they’d overheard our conversation, they were also discussing their reasons for climbing the Tower.

“I am a nobleman. Nobles have duties, you see. Noblesse oblige.”
“Duty. That’s admirable.”

Seong U-jae nodded in admiration.
Then Park Do-hyeon, appearing from somewhere, clutched his stomach.

“Pfft! Oh my stomach. I’m dying, seriously. Noblesse oblige, he says.”

But soon enough, I noticed his gaze and his expression turned grim.

“…Captain. Isn’t this going too far? I climbed the Tower because of people like you. My presence….”

However, Park Do-hyeon’s words trailed off.
Yun Seo-rin had cut him off.

“I hate feeling left out. I always want to be at the center of the group. But without any special talent or charm, it’s not easy.”

Park Eun-ji spoke as well.

“It’s for the guild master who took me in.”

Hyeon-jun agreed, citing similar reasons.

“I want to do better for my girlfriend.”
“Even the reasons are clichéd, civil servant.”

Yang Sang-jin chuckled, and everyone turned to look at him.
Then Yang Sang-jin opened his mouth, asking if we really didn’t know.

“Money, fame, and women—of course.”

Jinhyeok covered his mouth.
He looked like he was about to retch again.
As I listened, it became entertaining, and I ended up hearing everyone’s motivations.

‘…No.’

To be precise, everyone except two people.
Kim Cheol-su, Kim Hyeon-su.
In other words, Li Wei and Lin Xiaowei.
I couldn’t see where they’d gone—those two were nowhere to be found.

“….”

I glanced around, wondering if they were holed up somewhere like Park Seong-cheol, but there wasn’t even a shadow of them inside the Training Ground.

“Mister. Do you happen to have time this weekend? Our guild master—”

Park Eun-ji tried to speak to me, but
I hastily cut her off.

“Wait. That’s enough for today. Anyone who wants to practice individually can stay, otherwise head home.”

They couldn’t have gone far.
If the two of them hadn’t slipped away to engage in some romantic escapade, then this was surely an opportunity to gather information.
I rushed out of the Training Ground urgently.

“Black Dragon. Activate Nearblack.”

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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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