I Inherited the Basement of the Tower - Chapter 62

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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 62

I walked out of the Fortress of Oblivion after finishing my private meeting with Thanatos.
My steps felt considerably lighter.

“So now I can clear this whenever I want.”

The Special Dungeon Layer was created by Thanatos.
The authority to complete it also rested in the hands of its creator, Thanatos.
I had just received that clearing authority from him.
In other words, I could now clear the Special Dungeon Layer whenever I wished.
But I had no intention of activating this authority immediately to close the dungeon.
There were still unfinished matters within.
First, I needed to find my scattered team members who had fallen into traps, especially Hyeon-jun and Eun-ji, and secure their safety.
Moreover, I had to make those traitors who disrupted this situation and tried to kill us pay the price.
After all, the advantage of this Special Dungeon Layer having no CCTV could be exploited by me as well.

“With this, I can escape.”

Clink.

Two stones called Escape Stones clinked together in my hand.
These too were gifts from Thanatos.

‘If I clear the dungeon, I won’t need them anymore.’

Since they could be used in areas other than the Special Dungeon Layer, having them would prove useful.
Two tasks remained.

‘Wait for me, Hyeon-jun. And you too, Eun-ji.’

Rescuing my scattered team members.

‘…And Park Seong-cheol.’

Making those who disrupted everything pay the price.
That was when it happened.

Whoosh—

Near the tomb shrouded in a thick violet mist, I sensed someone’s presence.

“Captain! There you are.”

Parting through the mist came none other than Park Do-hyeon of the Nameless Guild, dressed in drab ash-gray attire.

“So it was you.”

Clink—!

I instinctively sheathed the jet-black longsword I had drawn.
Now that I thought about it, when the magic circle activated and everyone vanished,
only this man’s figure had remained invisible.
It seemed to be due to his characteristic faint presence.
Wondering if I could learn information about the other members, I asked.

“Who were you with?”
“Yang Sang-jin. Hah, but Captain, I have something urgent to tell you.”

Park Do-hyeon spoke breathlessly, bringing up Kim Hyeon-su’s story.

“You saved him? Yang Sang-jin, who was about to be caught?”
“Yeah. To be precise, we barely escaped. You know how it is with me—low presence, fast feet. I grabbed Yang Sang-jin and whoosh! We were gone.”

He continued, saying he had evacuated Yang Sang-jin to a safe location.

“Captain, didn’t you see the other members? Were you moving alone? Or did you perhaps discover a way to clear the Special Dungeon Layer?”

He approached with his characteristic cheerfulness.
But instead of answering readily, I stood motionless in place.

‘Something’s off.’

Under normal circumstances, I wouldn’t have even noticed his existence.

‘No, that’s the strange part to begin with.’

Now that I think about it, what exactly is going on?
My sensory perception far exceeds that of ordinary people.
On top of that, I have a specialized detection skill, Near-Murk Vision, and night vision as well.
Yet from the Training Ground until now, I’ve never been able to find him before he revealed his presence first.

‘I never even thought that was strange.’

But what if.
He had been revealing his presence ‘intentionally’ all this time?
Even that approach just now.

‘…Then he must have heard what I was muttering to myself.’

My muttering about reaching a state where I could clear this.

‘Or the existence of the escape stone.’

Perhaps this creature’s objective wasn’t the items that would come from the Special Dungeon Layer at all.

“…Who are you?”

As I asked in a cold, measured voice, Park Do-hyeon threw up both hands.

“Captain. What are you talking about? Yang Sang-jin is in danger, you say? Kim Hyeon-su isn’t Kim Hyeon-su—”
“He was a hunter from China. Lin Xiao-wei. I’m asking about you. What’s your true identity?”

As I struck at the heart of the matter and cut off his words, a cold silence flowed through the thick fog.
The urgency in Park Do-hyeon’s eyes, which had been feigned, suddenly deepened.
The smile hanging at the corner of his mouth slowly faded.

“…Hoo. Captain. I knew you had it in you, but you’re sharp, aren’t you?”

Park Do-hyeon straightened his bent posture and spoke in a low voice.

“You’re still unaffiliated, right? How about it—the Nameless Guild? You seem to have considerable talent.”

The Nameless Guild.
A group that prioritizes information gathering and sales over simple Tower exploration, while accepting covert commissions and acting as problem solvers.
Yet their military strength cannot be ignored—they’re counted among South Korea’s five greatest guilds.
So then, Park Do-hyeon… this bastard.

“You were never interested in the items from the Special Dungeon Layer from the start?”
“That’s right. I received a commission. To investigate a foreign hunter who seemed to be hiding with impure intentions.”

Thinking everything was already exposed, he spoke without reservation.

“Who hired you?”
“Obviously confidential. It’s the Nameless Guild’s iron rule. If you want to know, try finding out yourself.”

Park Do-hyeon shrugged his shoulders with ease.

“…And Yang Sang-jin?”

His claim of leaving him in a safe place might be a lie too.

“He’s safe. That part’s true, so don’t worry. I was going to ask about an escape method, but apparently an item is needed. Something called an Escape Stone. Without it, he can’t leave, he said. So, hand it over.”

Shing.

Park Do-hyeon slowly drew a sharp dagger from his waist.
I watched him silently without a word.

“…”
“This is the first time I’ve seen you so cautious, boss. You always said it like a habit—that level is just a number. But, you know? What if the difference in that number exceeds ten? Twenty?”

As he spoke, a sharp tearing sound split the air.
Park Do-hyeon’s momentum and presence rapidly surged.
It was an overwhelming pressure that was utterly unbelievable for someone at level 10.

“You concealed your level. Not just from us, but from the Tower system itself.”
“The Tower has all sorts of items.”

Park Do-hyeon held up a sun pendant as if to show it off, then smirked.
Well, I’m the one who inherited the Underground Layer from Nix.

“I see.”

Whoosh—!

I immediately drew the jet-black longsword from my waist and pointed it at him.
Regardless of his momentum or level, I had no intention of backing down.
Park Do-hyeon, meeting my fighting spirit, clicked his tongue with a grunt.

“Tsk, so bluffing doesn’t work.”

Then he loosened his grip on the dagger in his hand.

“You’re right, boss. Level is just a number, after all. I was honestly shocked. I thought you had a level trick too. But you really were level 10. Yet when you cut that pendant string, I couldn’t react at all.”

I matched his casual tone as well.
I withdrew the longsword I’d been pointing and shrugged my shoulders.

“I just heard it from that fortress too—that my enemy isn’t human or a monster. So to survive, I have no choice but to grow stronger—”

Clang—!

In the middle of speaking.
Park Do-hyeon’s dagger, which had closed the distance in an instant, thrust at me at a speed invisible to the eye.
But I simply flicked the dagger away.

“—but there’s no choice.”

My words continued naturally without breaking.
Park Do-hyeon’s eyes, having failed even the surprise attack, filled with astonishment.

“…You’re a real monster.”

He grasped the dagger vibrating from the recoil and muttered helplessly.

“I’m level 25, mind you? I threw away my conscience and attacked mid-sentence, yet you blocked it. How embarrassing.”
“Don’t complain about underhanded tactics after losing. If you want to win, you’ll do whatever it takes. I simply keep in mind that my opponent might do the same.”

At my calm response, Park Do-hyeon completely gave up and raised both hands.

“Fine. I surrender for real this time. Consider what just happened as part of gathering intelligence on the Nameless Guild. Information about the leader sells for a high price, after all. South Korea’s most famous celebrity, you know.”
“You’re boldly admitting you’d sell someone’s personal information right in front of them?”
“Well, let’s do this instead. Let’s make frequent deals from now on. If you need any information, just ask. I’ll provide it free of charge—three times.”

Three times? That’s ridiculous.

“Ten times.”

When I stated it firmly, Park Do-hyeon grimaced.

“…Where’s your conscience? Five times!”

Oh, nice.

“Deal.”
“…Sigh. Insane. Do you know how valuable my information is?”
“It must be expensive.”
“Ugh. Yeah, you know it well.”

Park Do-hyeon scratched his head and grumbled, but he seemed oddly relieved.
After all, what he wanted from this dungeon wasn’t items.
He dangled a small voice recorder from his pocket.

“This was my real objective. As you can see, I’ve achieved it. Now I just need to get out safely.”

With that, he promised to help rescue the team members.
Since he didn’t seem like the type to lie at this point, I agreed.

“Then so be it. But if you betray me, I’ll cut you down on the spot.”

That’s when it happened.

Screeeech!

A sharp, piercing screech that tore through the sky echoed across the entire forest.

“…!”
“…Yeah. It’s Yun Seo-rin.”

I nodded toward Park Do-hyeon, whose expression showed surprise.
He then answered with a sly grin.

“See, boss? Good things just keep happening when I ally with you.”
“Shut up. Let’s go.”

I ignored his words and kicked off the ground toward the signal arrow, Hyo-si.

Whoosh!

I burst forward at maximum speed.
The acceleration came from combining Yahwi’s Third Form sword path with Nix’s blessing.
The surrounding landscape blurred and streaked past my vision on both sides.
Park Do-hyeon, true to his level 25 assassin nature, kept pace behind me well enough.
The difference in levels truly was undeniable.
I felt his capabilities anew in my mind.

Screee!

Hyo-si cried out once more.
This time, it was closer.

“There.”

The place we arrived at was where a massive ancient tree stood.
It was no ordinary dead tree.
It was a tree swarming with hundreds of Undead forces.
And atop the tree, I could see Yun Seo-rin, her expression worn with exhaustion.

“Yun Seo-rin!”

I leaped onto the ancient tree in one bound.

Thud!

There, Yun Seo-rin was leaning against the trunk, collapsing from exhaustion after depleting all her mana.

“…You came.”

Ding!
【A lower-tier being is suffering.】
【Will you grant them peaceful rest?】

The power of Thanatos that I had obtained earlier made its presence known.

‘Have I lost my mind?’

Of course, I immediately cancelled it.

“Are you alright? What about the other team members?”

Yun Seo-rin grabbed my arm urgently, breathing heavily.

“Hyeon-jun and Eun-ji are about ten minutes away from here. It’s dangerous. I don’t even know if they’re still alive right now…”

She spoke while tears streamed down her face.
It seemed to be guilt from leaving them behind.
But without her guidance, we wouldn’t have arrived this quickly.
Besides.

“…Then they haven’t died.”

I felt certain of it.

“Pardon?”

When I faced off against the Death Knight, the boss monster.
Hyeon-jun wasn’t on the list of team members expected to die.

“I’ve heard about that guy’s skill. If it’s Hyeon-jun, he absolutely won’t die.”

The weakest shield.
That was Hyeon-jun’s skill.

“Let’s go.”

* * *

“Cough!”

In the center of the battlefield, Park Eun-ji coughed up dark crimson blood and fell to her knees.
Her mana had completely depleted.
Watching the tide of Undead surge toward her, despair flooded her eyes.

‘Is this the end?’

But in that moment.

“Step back, Eun-ji.”

Hyeon-jun grabbed her shoulder.

“…What?”
“I understand. That you don’t trust me. I felt the same way about myself. I hate to admit it, but the only reason I could come here was because I’m Ha-jin’s friend.”

He gripped the shattered remnants of his shield and positioned himself in front of her.
It looked like it offered no defense whatsoever.
Yet he was resolute.

‘I didn’t want to use this.’

At the same time, doubt gnawed at him.
His trait was ‘The Weakest Shield’.

【Activate The Weakest Shield?】

“…”

Yun Seo-rin had gone to retrieve Ha-jin, but whether she’d found him was uncertain.
Even if luck favored them and she met Ha-jin quickly before joining here, it would take considerable time.
Meanwhile.

“Screeeech!”
“Screech!”

Rumble rumble rumble!

The Antagonists keep pouring in endlessly.
If I don’t activate it, I die.
Both me and Park Eun-ji.

‘….’

I have to go back.
To the home where she waits for me.
So let me find my courage.

“Ah, mister…?”

Turning around, I saw Park Eun-ji’s bewildered eyes.
Tears were welling up in them.

“Kiiieeeek!”

As I stared at the chipped blade of the skeletal soldier falling toward me.
I opened my mouth.

“I’ll activate it.”

Ding!
【Skill, Weakest Shield, activating.】
【The pain received until deactivation increases twofold.】
【However, all damage is negated.】

Thud!
Splurt!

The moment I activated the skill.
The blades and claws of the Undead crashed down upon my body.

“Ugh, gaaaaaaah-!”

My scream echoed through the canyon.

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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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