I Inherited the Basement of the Tower - Chapter 78

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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 78

“Min-hee. This arrangement of magical formulas—when you convert the catalyst, twist this section a bit more….”
“Ah! Of course, Mentor! So if I reverse this….”
“Lowell.”
“Hmm? It’s you.”

The first floor of the state-of-the-art alchemy workshop I had built for Jeong Min-hee.
I descended there immediately and found Lowell.
As I expected, he was glued to Min-hee’s side, providing enthusiastic feedback on her ongoing experiment.

‘What a waste.’

I clicked my tongue inwardly.
No matter how dearly a mentor cherishes his disciples, he is still a national-level alchemist of Britain.
I couldn’t afford to let such world-class talent rot away like this.
I had to put him to work while I could still extract value from him.

“Min-hee. It’s fine if you fail. We have plenty of materials, so try completing the work you’re doing on your own.”
“Huh? Boss? What are you talking about! Where are you trying to take our Mentor all of a sudden!”

Jeong Min-hee protested, her eyes widening as she gripped the beaker.
Lowell beside her also flinched, stroking his mustache thoughtfully.

“Now, now. No matter that you are the master of this Temple, to separate us master and disciple so coldly after such a long reunion? Isn’t that a bit harsh?”

Both of them voiced their strong objections.
But I leisurely curved my lips into a smile.
I was confident in just how attractive the bait I was about to dangle would be to Lowell.

“Though you’ve retired and shut yourself away in Britain, you’re still active, aren’t you?”
“…Hmm?”
“The true calling of alchemy is to pursue truth and challenge the unknown. When you first came here before, you said so yourself, if I recall correctly. I have a commission that would be quite the formidable challenge.”
“…!”

At those words, Lowell’s eyes behind his spectacles gleamed with fervent light.
I could see the relentless thirst for knowledge toward the unknown, dormant in the blood of the retired scholar, beginning to stir and boil.

“Ahem, ahem! Well, if you’re going to ask like that, I suppose I’ll have to stick by Min-hee and finish the guidance. Since you’re begging so earnestly, I suppose I have no choice. Let me hear what you have to say.”

His words feigned reluctance, as if he truly didn’t want to leave.
Yet his two legs were already walking toward me with honest intent.

“No, no, no! Give back our Mentor, you heartless boss!”

Behind us, Jeong Min-hee’s anguished cry echoed, but we simply ignored it and climbed to the second floor of the workshop.
The first floor already had every tool and facility needed for alchemy perfectly equipped.
The second floor was no different.

‘Indeed, I nearly let this excellent facility sit unused.’

From the massive ancient furnace to the latest mana extraction apparatus.
As I surveyed the spotless second-floor workshop, I felt a quiet sense of satisfaction.

“By the way, what sort of item am I to create? Like what our Min-hee was making—equipment to amplify your Darkness?”
“No. A Hunter named James will be coming to Korea soon. I’d like you to create equipment for him.”

James.
The strongest Hunter in the United States and the undisputed number one in the world rankings.
Whether or not he was truly the ‘Apostle of Heracles’ that Thanatos had mentioned in passing at the fortress.
There was nothing wrong with establishing a favorable relationship with such a global figure.
After all, Association President Yun Tae-sik had asked Chef Ahn Yeong-jae to provide state guest treatment precisely because of that massive American backing.

‘Moreover, since the guild James belongs to essentially handles most of America’s raids and defenses, the better I appear to them, the better.’

Building goodwill with James was building goodwill with America itself, and making an enemy of him meant making an enemy of the entire powerful nation.

“You don’t need to know the details about him. In any case, I intend to create an item for this Hunter named James. I’ll gather more information about the required materials, the type of item, and the specifications needed, then report back to you.”

I didn’t bother adding lengthy explanations about James.
I hadn’t expected Lowell to know the name James.
He was a master craftsman who had spent his entire life confined to his workshop, pursuing only the truths of alchemy.
He hadn’t even recognized my face, which the media constantly broadcasts every day.
Why would James be any different?
Yet an unexpected response came back.

“Oh, James? Are you referring to that American kid I know?”
“…Pardon? James is a kid?”

I couldn’t help but ask back in confusion.
The image of James I had found on Hunter Net was a muscular giant well over two meters tall, befitting his superior Western genetics and the title of strongest.
There was absolutely no intersection between that physique and the word “kid.”
It must be a different person with the same name.
James is a common name, after all.

“He’s definitely not a kid. I’m talking about this person.”

I pulled out my phone and showed Lowell James’s profile picture.

“Oh yeah, that’s him! This little rascal!”
“Huh?”

Lowell burst into hearty laughter upon seeing James’s photo on my phone.

“I’ve heard so much about this little guy from his mentor—heard it beaten into my ears, you could say. That mentor was the youngest member of our party back when I and Association President Yun Tae-sik were climbing the Tower. We used to hang around together quite often. I wonder how he’s doing these days. Hehe.”
“…”

I could only gape in astonishment at Lowell’s words.
Once again, I felt the profound value of the connections I had forged with this old scholar Lowell.
Not just knowing from news or advertisements, but actually being close friends with the mentor of America’s strongest hunter.
And being in a position where I could even call that James a kid.
It was an unexpectedly vast network.

“So, what kind of item does that little guy need? Just tell me. It’s been a while since my blood has been pumping like this.”

Lowell rolled up his sleeves with enthusiasm.
What kind of item.
I already had a perfect design for it in my head.
Before asking Lowell, I had already conducted a thorough investigation of James through Hunter Net’s information network and Park Do-hyeon.

‘Though I had to use one free information token for that.’

It wasn’t a bad expenditure.

-Captain, so we’re using up one information token right now? Right?

Park Do-hyeon’s mocking voice still echoed in my ears.
According to the information I’d gathered, James relied heavily on his special stat, ‘Superhuman Strength,’ in combat.
Without complex skills or magic, he was an extreme martial artist who climbed the Tower by literally tearing monsters apart with overwhelming physical prowess alone.
Powerful, yes, but that very strength came with a glaring weakness—his attack patterns were simplistic.
Until now, he’d managed to keep climbing by pouring the United States’ massive capital and resources into the effort.
But the section where he currently struggled was the absolute worst matchup for him.

‘The 50s are the Celestial Sanctuary theme, after all.’

The Celestial Sanctuary.
Also known as the Floating Continent, it literally floated in the sky.
Massive ruined temples were precariously connected like stepping stones across the clouds.
As the layer closest to the heavens within the Tower, it was an extreme environment where even breathing depleted stamina—a murderous sun that poured down like a scorching inferno.
Moreover, the monsters that appeared were massive beasts with wings boasting overwhelming aerial mobility: gargoyles, griffins, wyverns, and the like.

‘Ahn Jae-jun’s dominance and first-place position in the 50s was entirely thanks to that theme.’

His special stat, ‘Radiance,’ which possessed the opposite attribute to mine, doubled in power the closer he got to the sun.

‘Meanwhile, that layer would be my greatest weakness.’

Before reaching there, I needed to obtain light-resistance equipment through Jeong Min-hee, including the Black Dragon’s fangs.
I hoped her research would yield results soon.
Anyway, back to the main point.
This Celestial Sanctuary theme was James’s wall of despair.
No matter how strong his superhuman strength was, he couldn’t catch flying monsters by punching empty air.

‘To make matters worse, there’s barely any ground surface to jump and leap from.’

According to expert analysis, James was currently attempting to clear the area by hurling massive debris and rocks from collapsed temples into the sky.

‘Of course, only he would know the true difficulties of the strategy.’

In any case, he remained stuck at the boss room of the 55th Floor, the final section of the Celestial Sanctuary theme, unable to advance even a single step.
Even the United States, a hunter superpower, trembled in fear as the Tower Break deadline approached.
Without a doubt, the national burden and stress James carried personally were immense.
To summarize, James currently needed two things most desperately.
Perfect resistance against the murderous solar heat and solar winds.
And supplementary long-range attack power to strike enemies in the air.

“That’s what I’m thinking.”

I approached Lowell and began explaining the form of the item I was conceptualizing in my mind and the framework of the magical formula.
As my explanation continued, Lowell’s eyes, which had been listening silently, began to gleam with astonishment and delight.
Soon after, he slapped his knee and nodded his head firmly.

“Indeed! What a brilliant idea! If we can implement it, it will play the perfect savior role for that little one.”
“Then I’d like to ask for your work. I’ll pay the fee properly after the item is completed.”
“No need. I don’t need compensation.”

As I added that, Lowell waved his hand dismissively.

“Just seeing Min-hee’s happy face as she practices her alchemy down on the 1st Floor is compensation enough for me.”

During a moment of silence.
From below, the sound of something exploding mixed with Jeong Min-hee’s bright, cheerful voice as she practiced alchemy echoed upward.
Lowell listened to those sounds and smiled contentedly, then looked at me.

“Besides, thanks to the purification tree you planted in London, I can come and go from the workshop comfortably.”
“…But Lowell, since you connected the portal, you’ve hardly ever returned to the British workshop, have you? It seems like you’re always staying in this temple.”
“Ah, well, my workshop doesn’t get many visitors these days anyway, so it’s fine. The ones who occasionally stop by are just those checking on my well-being.”
“Checking on your well-being?”
“Yes. When I earned the title of National-Grade Alchemist back then, I secured a promise that they wouldn’t bother me anymore and the state wouldn’t interfere. But these blasted politicians keep sending people to monitor whether I’m alive whenever they feel like it. It’s absolutely infuriating.”
“…I see.”

Though he grumbled about them being bothersome, from the sound of it, they were likely high-ranking British government officials or intelligence agents.
This old man has a background just as formidable as Association President Yun Tae-sik.
I found myself gradually becoming accustomed to Lowell’s remarkable way of speaking and the scale of his operations.

“For materials, just ask Eltos and Garet on the 1st Floor whenever you need them. I’ll make sure to tell them in advance, so you won’t have any trouble procuring supplies.”
“Got it! I was already eyeing the quality of the sunstone that giant friend Eltos handles.”

At the mention of unlimited material supply, Lowell’s eyes lit up like a child’s.
He was about to set up his workbench when something seemed to occur to him, and he suddenly turned his head to look at me.

“Ah. And Kang Ha-jin. Watching you plan and design that item earlier, I saw you display quite remarkable talent in that field. How about it? Why not become my second disciple? I’ll pass on all the essence of alchemy I possess!”

Lowell made the proposal confidently, spreading both arms wide.
But I answered without a moment’s hesitation.

“I’ll have to decline.”
“I see….”

At my firm refusal, Lowell smacked his lips and turned away with a dejected expression.

‘Last time, Min-hee also tried to tempt me out of the blue, asking if I wanted to learn alchemy. Do all alchemists have this obsession with nurturing disciples? Unbelievable.’

I clicked my tongue inwardly and turned to descend the stairs.
Suddenly, I stopped in my tracks.

‘…Wait, that’s not it.’

Now that I thought about it, this wasn’t a problem unique to alchemists.
Previously, Elder Barkalor, a specialist in dark magic and curses, had praised my innate mana manipulation and extended a similar offer.
Even Park Do-hyeon, an informant and assassin for an unnamed guild, had scouted me after witnessing my intuition and sensing ability, urging me to join the guild immediately.
I gripped the stair railing and fell into serious contemplation.

‘Could the problem be with me?’

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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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