I Inherited the Basement of the Tower - Chapter 77

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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 77

“Ah, we’re a bit short on Wol-yeong-seok.”
“Great Hero! Here it is!”

Crash—!

Before Eltos could even finish his muttered words.
Garet came rushing from a corner of the Temple, a pickaxe slung across his shoulder, and dumped out an enormous sack.
Thousands of Wol-yeong-seok tumbled down like a waterfall.
Generally, the higher a resident’s rank, or if they bore the title of Legendary, they possessed a certain arrogance or haughtiness.
But the Legendary miner Garet had none of that.
At least, not in front of Eltos.

“Oh? Thank you as always, Garet.”
“It’s nothing! Rather, I’m honored! Because you shielded us with your back and stopped the lava, our ancestors survived, and the dwarven clan was able to endure until now!”
“Ha, you’re too kind. By the way… I wonder…”

Eltos set down his hammer and carefully opened his mouth.

“Is there… no remaining legend about the One-Eyed Dwarf?”

It was a question about my father.
Then Garet stroked his bushy beard and laughed heartily.

“Ah, if you’re asking about the Hero’s mentor, don’t worry! Even after that terrible volcanic eruption, he’s said to have lived a long, happy life with his son until old age. And it was he who erected the Hero’s statue first and honored him his entire life! How do I know? Because I’m his descendant.”
“…Thank goodness. Really, what a relief. Somehow he seems to resemble the little one.”

The little one was the original owner of the body I had possessed.
Eltos’s adoptive father’s biological son.
He had survived that terrible catastrophe and apparently even fathered Garet.
Only then did Eltos’s rigid expression brighten considerably.
In truth, after escaping the fourth trial and fully recovering my memories through Nix’s miracle.
Eltos had been suffering in silent anguish.

“The sword I forged… it killed the Elder…”

The cruel truth was that the ‘Solar Knight’s Sword’ he had forged with all his might had pierced straight through Barkalor’s heart.
In the original timeline, unlike the tasks I had intervened in, the Solar Knight safely obtained the Solar Knight’s Sword and headed to the Demon King’s castle, where he cut down Barkalor according to the contract between the Imperial Palace and the White Tower.
The sword he had created had killed his mentor—a man like family to him.
Barkalor knew all these facts, yet he never showed it to Eltos, and instead took his side, even calling him his ‘youngest.’
Moreover, he willingly took revenge on his behalf within the task.
It was more than enough to plunge the timid and gentle Eltos into melancholy.

‘But everything changed after Garet arrived.’

The survivors of the Ignare Mountain Range safely descended the volcano and established a new village.
The fact that they named the place ‘Eltos’ after the hero’s name.
And most importantly, the dwarf who had been his mentor and father figure survived safely and lived out his days in happiness—this allowed Eltos to regain his spirits.

‘Thank goodness.’

Thanks to that, Garet, who had been territorial and grumbled a bit right after being summoned as a Legendary-grade, was someone I found quite satisfactory and endearing.
I found him very pleasing and lovely to look at.
And setting aside such personal factors altogether.

Ding!
【Current Wol-yeong-seok in possession: 5,420.】

“…This is insane.”

I let out a hollow laugh as I looked at the balance displayed on my status window.
This was the amount he’d mined in just one day since being summoned.
So this is why everyone talks about Legendary-grade, Legendary-grade. It was truly an overwhelming mining speed worthy of being called legendary.

“Garet, was it? Come here for a moment.”
“Understood, Chief!”

Moreover, he had also joined forces with Elder Barkalor.
Consulting on Barkalor’s hypothesis about the ‘Black Land’s underground ore vein,’ and when it proved to be true, he participated in the grand plan for how to efficiently tunnel and mine it.
And when that turned out to be true, he joined in on a massive plan for how to efficiently tunnel and mine.

“It’s definitely possible! Just by looking at the flow of the earth veins, I can tell there must be something extraordinary buried beneath here!”

Considering that one could buy almost anything at the Wol-yeong-seok Shop, this would have an enormously positive impact on my overall strength.
Considering the fact that you can buy almost anything at Wol-young Stone’s shop, this will have an enormous positive impact on my capabilities.

‘Since I’ve earned this much Wol-yeong-seok, there’s no reason to be stingy or put things off.’

I could finally execute the grand expenditure I had planned.
First, weapons.

‘I’ve already obtained the Demon King’s Sword, so there’s no need to buy a new one.’

Ding!
【Demon King’s Sword (Legendary)】

I withdrew the Demon King’s Sword from my subspace—a blade that emanated darkness as deep as pitch black—and examined its effects once more.

【Originally the sword of a Solar Knight meant to save the world, but the creator reforged it with the overwhelming darkness and profound regret poured out in their final moment.】
-Corruption: Damage related to darkness attributes increases by 100%.
-Hero Slayer: Upon impact, there is a 10% chance to destroy light attribute equipment and barriers.
-Return to Origin: If the user desires, it can emit a powerful radiance to temporarily masquerade as a sacred ‘Solar Knight’s Sword’.

“This is excellent.”

Every time I read the options, a quiet laugh escaped me.
If an ordinary hunter had obtained this sword, they wouldn’t have appreciated it nearly as much.
But for me, who had to face forces of light and wielded the power of darkness, it was nothing short of a perfectly tailored weapon.

‘Thanks to this, I can invest the entire Wol-yeong-seok budget I had set aside for crafting a new weapon directly into the workshop.’

Now it was time to hold the promised gift presentation ceremony.
I turned my gaze toward a corner of Eltos’s massive forge.
There, Jeong Min-hee and her mentor Lowell huddled together in a cramped space, struggling to handle alchemical apparatus.

“Mentor, where should I put this flask? Eltos’s anvil is so large there’s no room.”
“Haha, just set it on the floor. Alchemy cares not for location.”

‘They’re really struggling.’

I clicked my tongue sympathetically and walked toward them.
Then I called out to the two of them.

“You won’t have to work in such cramped conditions anymore.”
“Pardon? Boss, what do you mean…?”

I reached out into the empty air instead of answering.

“Wol-yeong-seok Shop.”

Ding!
【Opening the Wol-yeong-seok Shop.】
【’Temple Building Construction Kit (Alchemy Workshop)’ Price: 500 Wol-yeong-seok.】
【Will you purchase it?】

“Yes.”

Ding!
【You have purchased the Temple Building Construction Kit by consuming 500 Wol-yeong-seok.】

Crackle!

Sparks erupted violently from the empty air, and a heavy item dropped into my palm.

‘How am I supposed to use this?’

What I held in my hand was neither a mechanical device nor a magical artifact, but something resembling a large, pitch-black ‘seed’.
I glanced at the system window hopefully, and a helpful description appeared.

【Plant it in the Temple’s soil, and infuse it generously with the special stat ‘Darkness’.】

“…So it really was a seed.”

I have to admit, this intuitive system is quite commendable.
I selected an appropriate spot in the Temple’s empty courtyard—far enough from the forge for convenience, yet positioned for efficient workflow.
Then I clenched my fist and drove it down hard against the solid stone floor.

Boom!

Fragments scattered as the cavern floor shattered deeply in the shape of my fist.
It was thanks to the pure strength stat I had consistently raised even without Nix’s blessing.
I tossed the black seed into the depression and stepped back at a safe distance.
If a building were to materialize, I needed to be far enough away to avoid injury.

‘This should be sufficient.’
I flashed a smile at Jeong Min-hee and Lowell, who stood bewildered by the sudden turn of events.

“Stand back a bit, please.”
“Pardon?”

Whoosh—!

As I extended my hand, dense Darkness erupted forth, surging violently toward the pit where the seed lay planted.
Like watering a plant with an enormous watering can, I poured forth pure Darkness mana in torrents.

Ding!
【A building is sprouting.】
【Please be cautious of earthquakes and tremors.】

The familiar warning message appeared, the same one that manifested whenever I constructed a new resident’s exclusive building.

Rumble, rumble, rumble—!

The entire Temple began shaking violently.

“Kyaaah! Another earthquake!”

Jeong Min-hee stumbled and grabbed my arm.

Crack, crackle.
Boom!

And in the next instant.
The earth where the seed was planted split open, and from within, a colossal structure of stone, steel reinforcement, and glass began to rise skyward.
The building was growing.
I knew the phrasing defied logic, yet there was no other way to describe the impossible sight unfolding before my eyes—’the building sprouted and grew.’

Thud—!

At last, the massive three-story state-of-the-art alchemical workshop revealed itself in full, settling heavily onto the ground.

“…Wow.”

Min-hee’s eyes sparkled with a dazed expression.
The firelight of the grand, sophisticated forge flickered in her pupils.
Then she seized Lowell’s hand and bolted toward the forge entrance like a madwoman.

“Boss, I love you! You’re the absolute best!”
“You’re an excellent employee, after all. Please continue creating profitable, quality goods for us.”

I waved my hand lightly, and Lowell, despite his bewildered expression, was dragged along by his student toward the forge.

“Oof! Min-hee! My knees hurt! Slow down, slow down!”

Moments later, gasps of astonishment from the two who had entered the forge spilled out into the open air.

“Wow! This is insane! These are all state-of-the-art mana extractors! Master, look at this! There’s even an ancient alchemical furnace, and an automatic mana fusion apparatus is set up! Kyaaaah!”
“Hmm… This is far superior to my workshop in England. I thought it would be musty being underground. I had no expectations whatsoever. Hehehehe! Remarkable!”

I chuckled listening to them.
There was no need to go inside and check myself.
Min-hee was broadcasting the entire interior setup in real-time with her dolphin-frequency screams.
I had spent five hundred Wol-yeong-seok stones constructing the dedicated forge, but watching her bounce around with such joy made me wonder if I should have built it sooner.
Then Min-hee, who had been touring the forge, came dashing back out.
She approached the dazed Eltos and smacked his thick forearm with a sharp slap.

“Hehehehe! Eltos, you must be so jealous of my new forge, right? It’s in a completely different league from this blacksmith shop! So Eltos, you keep working in this old, decrepit forge, while we move to our pristine new one! Bye!”

With that mischievous teasing,
she neatly swept the project prototypes and makeshift alchemical equipment into boxes,
and dashed back into the forge.
It was playful boasting born from genuine closeness,

“…”

Eltos, the timid giant struck by Min-hee like a bolt from the blue.
He stood holding his hammer, his thick brows drooping downward.

“Sniff… This blacksmith shop is also a sturdy, modern one that the customer built not long ago…”

Eltos whimpered, gazing at the furnace flames.

‘…I’ll need to buy an upgrade kit for Eltos’s smithy soon and expand it.’

I made a silent vow to myself.
Now that Garet had left me with surplus Wol-yeong-seok stones.

‘Then Min-hee will continue developing darkness equipment for me in a comfortable environment.’

The problem was her mentor, Lowell.
What should the national-class alchemist Lowell create here?
Simply supporting Min-hee’s work from the sidelines or providing feedback would already yield tremendous efficiency.

‘Hmm.’

He was too valuable a talent—among the world’s elite—to use in such a limited capacity.
I needed to fully leverage him while I had the chance.
I pulled out my phone from my pocket and reread the email I’d received from Association President Yun Tae-sik not long ago.

[Association President: Hunter. The schedule for James, America’s top-ranked hunter whom I mentioned before, has been confirmed for his visit to Korea.]

‘His arrival is in a week.’

James. One of the world’s strongest hunters, undeniably the master of the special stat ‘Overwhelming Strength.’
But even he was not invincible.
According to Hunter Net information, he too was currently struggling against powerful boss monsters in the world’s highest floors.

‘Since he’s one of the top-ranked hunters everyone watches, detailed information about his progression status and the boss monsters blocking his path is relatively abundant on Hunter Net.’

My mind began spinning rapidly.
James would certainly meet me at Chef Ahn Yeong-jae’s restaurant.
And he would desperately want ‘something’ that could break through his current impasse.

‘Elder Lowell still doesn’t know what major project he should undertake.’

I grinned and gazed toward the workshop.
Bingo.
Supply and demand aligned perfectly.

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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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