I Inherited the Basement of the Tower - Chapter 6

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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 6

Whoosh.

One swing.

Whirrrr—!

Twice.

Crack!

And three times again.

A simple consecutive strike technique.
But what if there were no pauses between each motion?

Swish!

I swung my blade once more.
Then I redirected the tip toward the next creature.
The movements flowed like water, never stopping.
Combined with my high agility stat.
It felt as though time itself had frozen, leaving only me in motion.
The Kobolds couldn’t react to my elusive movements.
They didn’t even realize they had already been cut.

Sheath.

Finally, countless consecutive strikes had carved through the entire space.
Only then did I resume the breath I had been holding.

“Phew.”

Click.

The moment I sheathed my sword.
The black lines etched across the Kobolds’ bodies erupted all at once.

Crackle, crackle, crackle—!

Ding!
【You have defeated all Kobolds infused with sunlight.】
-Remaining enemies: 0.
【Your proficiency with Imperfect Yahwi-type (Rare) has increased.】
【Your Darkness stat has increased by 1.】
-Current value: 7.
【You have cleared Dungeon Level 3.】
【You may now return to the surface.】

‘My Imperfect Yahwi-type skill proficiency has risen, and my Darkness stat has increased.’

Clench—

I clenched my fist, overwhelmed with a sense of accomplishment.
Growing stronger was exhilarating.
I wanted to become stronger faster, more abundantly.
I would perfect the Imperfect Yahwi-type skill.
I would recruit more inhabitants and multiply my Moonlight Stones.
With the resources I gained, I would purchase weapons and strengthen my inhabitants.

‘Then I can climb back up.’

I would rise again from a fallen prospect, spreading my wings once more.
Even if that ascent drew me close to the sun and my wings burned away.

‘Ahn Jae-jun.’

If the first time was difficult, the second time would be nothing.
There was nothing I couldn’t do.
He had no idea what was happening.
That I—called garbage—was gathering strength in this garbage heap.
I could already picture his face twisted in shock.

“Well then, Yahwi. Begin the slaughter.”
“It is already done, my lord!”
“What?”

Thump—

【You have obtained a large quantity of Kobold meat infused with sunlight.】
-The taste improves.
【You have obtained a large quantity of Kobold hide infused with sunlight.】

Just as Yahwi had said, the floor was piled high with butchered meat.
He’d even thoughtfully laid down the hides first on the ground.

“Yahwi, you bastard. You’re quite capable, aren’t you?”

Without even giving orders, he’d already handled everything in advance.
When I patted his back in appreciation, Yahwi let out a pleased laugh.
Then, as if remembering something important, his eyes widened.

“Ah, Master! Now that I think about it, that sword strike from earlier was truly spectacular!”
“You think so? It’s all thanks to you.”
“No, sir. All I did was show you the First Form. You, Master, are truly a genius. To master the Second Form on your own without me even teaching it to you.”

I scratched my head at Yahwi’s flattery.

“I just didn’t feel like slashing one by one, that’s all.”

With multiple enemies, I slash multiple times.
Isn’t that something anyone would think of?
But Yahwi shook his head again.

“Not everyone can think of such things. Humans are creatures who cannot think beyond their own limits. Only a fool or a genius could do such a thing. It must be one of the two.”
“….”
“Ah, no, no! Of course! I absolutely wasn’t calling you a fool, Master! What separates a fool from a genius is success. Look—you succeeded brilliantly, didn’t you? Hehe.”
“Ahem.”

Part of a master’s role is motivating the disciple.
Yahwi’s flattery probably came from that perspective.
But I had to admit, it felt rather good.

“Let’s eat something.”

Ding!
【You have exited Dungeon Level 3.】
【You have obtained 30 Moonlight Stones as a clear reward.】

Whoosh—!

After returning to the Temple of Nyx.
Yahwi wore a constant, beaming smile on his face.
He even hummed occasionally.
The lyrics mostly consisted of verses about receiving praise from me or about a meat feast.

‘I’m glad I brought the cooking tools.’

Seeing Yahwi so excited lifted my spirits as well.
There would surely be a smoke hole connected to the Basement Room.
We began grilling the meat in earnest.

Sizzle—!
Pop, pop.

The fat from the Kobold meat meant we didn’t need additional oil.

“I’ve drained the blood thoroughly, so it shouldn’t smell too gamey.”

Yahwi skillfully cut the meat and flipped it over.

‘As if that would help.’

Kobold meat tastes terrible.
If it tasted good, the monster meat business would have been a goldmine.
Perhaps even more profitable than Mana Stones.

‘Tsk, tsk.’

I patted Yahwi’s back a couple of times as he worked with anticipation, then moved to a corner.
I needed to organize the rewards.

‘An additional 30 Moonlight Stones.’

My Darkness stat had risen considerably as well.
Now I had sufficient provisions.

‘If I run short, I can always clear another floor for more.’

【Time until next Underground Floor entry: 20 hours.】

Of course, I could only enter once per day.
To conserve time and energy, it was best to keep pushing forward.

‘Besides, I won’t be living here forever anyway.’

I suddenly gazed toward the hole where I had first fallen through.
Currently, it served as a chimney for the smoke from roasting meat to escape through.
But that place was unmistakably my room.
Someday, I would have to go back up.

‘…Maybe I should try it soon.’

My Darkness stat had risen significantly.
Recently, while training in Yahwi’s methods, my Strength and Agility stats had also increased.
Considering the boost from Nix’s Blessing, it was as if my level had jumped from 4 to 5 or higher.
With my current abilities, climbing back up through that hole might actually be possible.

‘If I can just master the Darkness stat properly, it should work.’

The effects of Darkness I displayed in combat against the Kobold were extraordinary.
It essentially functioned as physical force as well.

‘And it’s about time Taesan started looking for me too.’

The day to pay the penalty fee would be arriving soon.

‘My phone doesn’t have signal down here, so I can’t even contact them.’

If Taesan came looking for payment and discovered my basement room, they might stumble upon this underground hole—a catastrophe I absolutely could not allow.

‘I must prevent that at all costs.’

It was a space unlike the Tower—one I had never seen before in my entire life.
If they ever discovered this fact, they would undoubtedly come searching to seize it by any means necessary.
Above all, this place had become far more than just my goldmine; it was a sanctuary.
Yahwi was here too, completely on my side.
I couldn’t simply hand over this space to them.

‘I really need to venture out soon.’

“Master! It’s all done! Please, eat while it’s hot!”
“What? You finished already?”
“Even so, I once had quite the reputation in the village for grilling meat better than anyone.”
“Really? Let me try some then.”

I placed a piece of Kobold meat into my mouth without much expectation.

“…Wow.”

I couldn’t easily close my mouth after that first bite.
The aroma, the color, and the taste itself.
It was all extraordinary.
I had only intended to eat it out of necessity—having nothing else available and lacking protein.
Yet it was absolutely delicious.
Better than most meats I’d paid good money for before.

‘Is it because it’s been so long since I’ve eaten meat?’

Even when I was on the surface, I was too preoccupied paying off debts for meat to be a luxury.
So why hadn’t they butchered Kobolds on the surface floors?

‘Why wouldn’t they have tried?’

They had.
It tasted absolutely awful.
The reason the Kobolds down here tasted better seemed to be thanks to the effect of sunlight.
The effect description even mentioned they became more delicious.
But that wasn’t all.

Ding!
【You have consumed Kobold meat rich in abundant nutrients.】
【All stats increase by 1.】
-Limited to the first time only.

“…!”

I stopped mid-chew, startled by the notification.
My stats increased?
I glanced over and saw Yahwi’s eyes were wide as saucers.

“Yahwi, did your stats go up too?”
“Mine didn’t increase numerically, but I feel subtly stronger.”
“Must be a level difference.”

I forgot about the taste of the meat entirely, lost in thought.
I ate meat from the 3rd Floor, and at level 4, my stats rose.
Yahwi’s numbers didn’t increase, but he felt a subtle enhancement as well.
There was a limitation—it only worked the first time.
But gaining stats from simply eating, without leveling up, was nothing short of extraordinary.

‘If this gets out to the surface, it’ll send shockwaves through the entire Hunter industry.’

I couldn’t fathom why monsters infused with sunlight existed underground in the first place.
Or why meat infused with sunlight became more delicious and nutrient-rich.
But one thing was certain.

‘…This is money.’

Quite a lot of it, too.
And if this wasn’t limited to just Kobolds?
If it applied to all monsters that could be processed for consumption?

‘I have one more reason to escape.’

The penalty would essentially be resolved once I cleared the 5th Floor anyway.
But more strength and more money were always better.

“Yahwi.”
“Yes!”
“Can you clear a dungeon floor solo, by any chance?”

At my question, Yahwi’s eyes rolled around.

“Um, yes.”
“You can?”
“B-but my lord! I must remain by your side!”
“Why?”
“W-well, because it’s dangerous….”

I see.
Strictly speaking, Yahwi was a resident, not a summoned creature.
That meant he didn’t have to stay glued to my side unconditionally.
Until now, he’d simply followed me because of my protection.

“Me?”

I let out a soft laugh at Yahwi’s concern about danger.
Yahwi flinched in surprise, then his eyes shifted with renewed understanding.

“No, my lord is strong. With your current strength, and as you continue to grow stronger, there should be little true danger for you.”

He was right.
I had confidence.
At least for the foreseeable floors ahead, nothing here could threaten me.

“Until you receive a task, keep clearing Dungeon Level 3 repeatedly.”
“…Understood.”
“Good. I’ll continue descending through the dungeon floors, and if I find more appetizing meat, I’ll call for you. When that happens, abandon Dungeon Level 3 and clear that instead. Of course, for now you’ll have to make do with Kobold meat, but well. It’s delicious, isn’t it?”

Yahwi licked his lips.

“Yes!”

He’s a simple creature.
Either me or something delicious.
He seemed to think of only those two things.
Oh, one more.
A sword.
Yahwi would continue bringing in meat and Moonlight Stones at this rate.

‘Even while I’m away, the Moonlight Stone earnings will keep flowing in.’

On top of that, Kobold meat would pile up too.
Just thinking about it made my heart swell with satisfaction.
Indeed, people become generous when they have a little breathing room.
At this rate, I felt I could even spare one of Ahn Jae-jun’s arms if we met.
At least let him eat.

‘Could I have been some great saint in my past life?’

Truly, such boundless compassion.
Then.
Yahwi tilted his head in thought.

“By the way… now that I think about it, aren’t you going to conquer Dungeon Level 4, my lord? You said earlier you’d only eat Kobold meat for a while…”
“Sharp, aren’t you?”
“Hehe. So where are you going?”
“I’m just going to pop home for a bit.”
“Home? But isn’t this your home, my lord!”
“Tsk. How is this my home?”
“There’s a place to sleep! Food! And me!”
“What do you mean ‘and you’!”
“…You’re being too harsh.”

With his drooping expression, he looked just like a large dog.
And separation anxiety in a pet required training to cure.

“Don’t worry. I’m going to make money, so there won’t be any fighting.”
“B-but still…!”
“Ever heard of grilled pork belly and soju? The greatest combination in Korea.”
*Gulp.*

Meat and alcohol.
Yahwi’s eyes sparkled the moment he heard those words.
Saliva dripped from his mouth in an involuntary response.

“I’ll bring back plenty of delicious things. Keep watch over the place.”
“Yes! Have a safe trip!”

The Hole in the Cave Ceiling.
I gazed up at that very spot where I first fell into this place and smiled to myself.

‘Come back,’ he said.

It had been far too long since I lived without anyone to welcome me home.
Now I had a place to return to, and though not family, someone waiting for me.

‘Not bad at all.’

I gathered all my strength in my lower body.

Whoosh!

I launched myself toward the hole.

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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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