I Stepped on Their Shadows and Skills Started Copying Like Crazy - Chapter 12

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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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12
The song of steel fell silent, and the smithy’s furnace heat mellowed into warmth.
I thought it was finished, but a new mission came down.
‘A name? You want me to give it a name….’
Suddenly I was asked to name it.
‘I’ve never even thought about something like that before.’
According to my naming sense, white things were “snowy rice cake” and black things were “blackie.”
Of course, I couldn’t name a sword “blackie.”
‘Ugh… think, think. Not blackie, please…! Oh, that’s good!’
Fortunately, blackie gave me a hint, and a fitting name came to mind almost at once.
The night sky as it appeared from the moment I first saw it, and the steel’s song it had sung to me.
I blended the two together.
“Nocturne. Let’s go with that.”
[Once an item’s name is set, it cannot be changed. Confirm the name ‘Nocturne’?]
“Yes.”
[New item ‘Nocturne’ information is being recorded in the Tower.]
[The item’s partial information will be reconstructed according to its nomenclature.]
Soon, as promised, the item’s details came into view.
[Nocturne]
Rank: Masterwork
Classification: Longsword
Description: The melody of night, wrought from Sak Iron, a special material that devours light. The dying breath of a Master Craftsman burns anew with the passion of his successor.

Special Effects:
[New Moon]: The blade suppresses light reflection to an extreme degree, making it difficult for the opponent to perceive the sword’s outline and trajectory.
[Prelude]: When maintaining a non-combat state for 10 minutes or more, the blade absorbs cold and frost forms upon it. During activation, sword strikes inflict additional cold damage for 1 minute.

[Crescendo]: When maintaining a combat state for 1 minute or more, the blade takes on heat, adding burn damage to sword strikes. The longer combat continues, the stronger the heat becomes, and the burn damage increases proportionally. Upon switching to non-combat state, accumulated heat rapidly dissipates and vanishes completely after 1 minute.

[???: This is a sealed ability. It will unlock upon meeting specific conditions.]
“…!”
Masterwork. I hadn’t even dared to dream of it—my eyes flew wide open at such an unexpected jackpot.
‘Nice! I knew I was right!’
I’d thought myself lucky if even a Rare graded item came out, much less a Masterpiece, yet the result vastly exceeded my expectations.
‘And it has four special effects…!’
According to the Tower’s item classification standards, items up to Rare rank usually have their grades determined by quality rather than special performance.
Taking a sword as an example, a low-grade longsword barely maintains the form of a sword at all.
Up through high grade, most items’ ranks are determined by their craftsmanship, and items with genuine “effects” are usually only found at high grade or rare rank.
That difference forms some insurmountable wall between normal and high-grade items.
‘It’s only one rank higher, but in terms of value….’
The difference of whether or not one more zero gets added to the price.
But Masterwork? At my current level, I couldn’t even begin to imagine its true worth.
Though I wasn’t planning to sell it anyway.
‘I’m the one who should use it. Why would I sell something like this?’
If I’d been the type to see something like this and turn around to sell it for money, I would’ve cashed in the Endless Hunger I received as an extra reward for achieving EX rank and quit life right there.
“Even after seeing it, I still can’t get used to it—Awakeners just standing there muttering at a wall like that.”
The Old Man’s voice from beside me snapped me back to attention.
“Ah, my apologies, sir. I got lost in thought there for a moment without meaning to be rude.”
“Don’t mention it—an object like that deserves the attention. I was busy looking at that sword myself. Ah, yes. If it’s no trouble, could I take a look at it for a moment?”
“Of course. I was actually hoping to ask you to examine it.”
After all, he’d made significant contributions to the sword’s creation.
I readily handed it over.
“Hoo…… Hearing its song, I suspected it was no ordinary iron, but such a beautiful dark luster. I’ve never seen anything like it before. What did you call this again?”
“If you mean the iron, it’s called Sak Iron. Written with the character for ‘new moon.'”
“Sak Iron… yes, that’s exactly what a New Moon night looks like. New Moon and Nocturne… that name isn’t bad at all.”
“Ha… you heard that?”
I felt oddly embarrassed.
I wondered if I’d given it a grandiose name by getting swept up in the mood.
“There’s only you and me in this place—how could I not have heard it? Unless my ears have gone completely deaf.”
He spoke curtly to me, yet his eyes studying the blade were so tender.
The Old Man turned the sword over in his hands, examining it carefully, and murmured softly.
“Nocturne, is it… I thought it was nonsense, but it has merit. A fitting name for this one indeed.”
I laughed awkwardly at the unexpected praise.
“You think so?”
“A good sword must bear a name worthy of it. A blade without a name is merely polished metal. Thanks to you, this one has found its name. That’s enough.”
The Old Man said this and returned the sword to me.
As if there was nothing more to see.
“Now go on. Let me get some sleep. Because of you today, I skipped dinner, finished tomorrow’s work ahead of time, and stayed late clocking out. I’m exhausted.”
The Old Man grumbled, though not without a certain charm.
Yet his complaints didn’t sound unpleasant to my ears at all.
“I learned so much today. I could never have revived this blade without your guidance.”
“My guidance? What did I do—lay a finger on it? It was all your work.”
No, this much was certain.
Without having witnessed and learned from the work of a Master Craftsman of his caliber, I could never have managed it.
Of course, I was grateful that he said such things.
“Ha—well, you’re right. Still, I learned an enormous amount.”
“That’s enough. Go. Why thank me when I never taught you anything?”
With that, he turned his head sharply toward the furnace.
Faced with such an obvious dismissal, I bowed respectfully whether he saw it or not and slipped out.
“Ahem…”
No—I stopped myself.
A gruff cough, the sound of metal mingling within it, held me back in my tracks.
“…?”
“If you ever need to use the furnace or have any metalwork to commission, come by anytime without hesitation.”
Words oddly at odds with his curmudgeonly nature.
The second most surprising thing that had happened all day.
“Really? Is that alright?”
“We made a bet, didn’t we? Even if it was a poor one, I settle my debts promptly. I promised to examine your work properly, and I failed to do so. It’s only right that I examine other pieces instead.”
The Old Man added this gruffly.
Still not sparing me a single glance.
“Don’t misunderstand. I’m a man who can’t live with owing others. I’m not doing this because I like you.”
Yet the warmth hidden within his words shone as plainly as fire in the furnace.
“Yes. I’ll visit often and pay my respects.”
* * *
The morning after.
Apparently the work of a Master Craftsman was no light labor—I’d slept in for once.
When I woke, it was already nine o’clock.
I hadn’t even heard the alarm set for seven.
‘Goodness, I was completely out. It’s no joke, this Master Craftsman work.’
Even after a good night’s rest, my shoulders ached like some sort of badge of honor.
Transforming a brittle, worn blade into a masterpiece hadn’t been a dream, then.
‘So, should I go test it out today?’
My body itched at the thought of testing the new sword’s capabilities.
Yesterday, when I’d gone as far as the Plaza near the Tower and gotten buffeted by the crowds, any thought of going there directly had vanished.
‘I need to get used to this now. The Tower’s system sends me there anyway, so there’s no reason to make a habit of going myself.’
Unless there was something special I needed—like borrowing a Short Sword from Kim the other day.
My preparations were simple: a quick wash and a light meal.
“Good, I’m ready for work.”
After one final check of my condition, I accessed the Tower’s system and headed for the Tower.
“2nd Floor Waiting Room.”
A Portal appeared in front of me as if it had been waiting.
Its appearance was identical to the Portal that led from the Tower’s Waiting Room to the Mission Area.
“Then, if you’ll excuse me.”
The moment my foot stepped into the Portal, a message appeared.
[Awakener ‘Kim Si-hyeon’ identified and authorization confirmed.]
[Proceeding to the 2nd Floor Waiting Room of Korea Tower.]
Whoosh! The landscape shifted in an instant.
I’d barely taken a step before the Tower’s Waiting Room unfolded before my eyes.
‘This really is marvelous. I was just at home, and now I’m inside the Tower in a single step.’
The second-floor lobby was just as crowded as the lower level, though not quite to the same degree.
I pushed through the throng and headed straight for the mission area.
[Exiting the waiting room. Entering the 2nd Floor Mission Area.]
The environment around me shifted in color from top to bottom, as if ink were bleeding through water.
The 2nd Floor Waiting Room faded away, replaced once more by the Wasteland.
“The air inside the tower really is something, isn’t it?”
The second floor wasn’t dramatically different from the first.
Four goblins scattered across the Wasteland.
One of them had a head noticeably larger than the others—that much was immediately obvious.
‘So that’s a Hobgoblin.’
As for other differences in the landscape, unlike the endless barren Wasteland of the first floor, massive boulders jutted up here and there.
‘Still, climbing one floor up does change things a bit.’
My observations about the mission site ended there.
My real focus now was the Nocturne.
That was the whole reason I’d rushed to enter the tower in the first place.
“All right, time for the debut match. Let’s go.”
Shling—
The moment I drew the blade from its sheath, I felt the cold radiating from it.
“Wow, there’s actual frost on this thing?”
The Prelude effect, activating even outside of combat.
The frost-covered blade shimmered with heat haze, its steel-blue surface rippling with an otherworldly chill.
‘It’s like someone just dumped dry ice on room temperature. That’s how cold it is.’
Add to that the sharp bite of the edge releasing waves of killing intent, and suddenly the reality of wielding a blade hit me.
‘Everything I’ve swung before wasn’t a sword at all—it was a club. Yeah, this is completely different.’
No wonder people paid such ridiculous sums for decent items.
‘Wait, the effect’s already active? Does it auto-activate from the moment I draw it?’
Since it was already going when I entered the mission area, that had to be it.
“…you know, seeing things like this, the tower’s got more finesse than you’d think.”
At least I didn’t have to stand around like an idiot for ten minutes waiting to verify the effect.
“Well, that works out.”
I dove straight into combat.
‘Covert Movement.’
The moment I activated the skill, I felt myself blend into the surroundings.
Keeping low, I crept cautiously toward them.
The plan was simple.
‘First, approach with Covert Movement, take out the throat of the most dangerous one—the Hobgoblin—then…’
Test the full capabilities of the Nocturne against the remaining three.
Holding my breath, I advanced one careful step at a time toward my target.
‘Just one more step.’
The creature had no idea I was nearly within arm’s reach, yawning without a care.
Everything had gone smoothly so far.
Then came the moment I raised my blade toward its exposed green throat.
“Crook?”
In an instant, its head tilted, and it spun around.
Its snake-like yellow eyes locked onto me, and I couldn’t help but grin.
“…yeah? Guess I was too close for that to work.”
“Kraaaagh!”
The scream was expected.
No time to waste. I thrust straight at its throat.
Screeeee—!
Or tried to.
Clang!
The creature blocked my thrust with the iron club it was holding.
Not a deliberate block—more like it happened to raise its weapon while defending itself.
But luck, as it turned out, only goes so far.
Hissssss—
Frost bloomed across the back of its hand, spreading like white paint.
“Ke-rook?”
The creature’s eyes flew open in shock, and I couldn’t help it—I laughed.
‘So that’s what it was all about?’
I understood then. How he’d detected my ambush.
‘Even without direct contact, he felt it—so earlier, with the killing stroke coming, he must have felt the chill creeping up his spine.’
Standing in the glare of the Wasteland under a merciless sun, and suddenly the air behind you goes cool?
Anyone would have spun around in alarm.
‘If I want to use this combination for an ambush, I’ll need to master the Quick Draw.’
I’d learned something from it anyway—call that repayment.
“Die.”
A clean stroke. No suffering.
Slash!
The headless body followed a dark arc through the air.
* * *
The Hobgoblin had managed to parry one of my attacks—a display of skill that caught me off guard—but after that, it was no different from the 1st Floor.
One blade, one head. I harvested the goblins like ripe grain.
‘Though I’ll admit, the sensation when I cut was different.’
The blade took to flesh so cleanly that severing a goblin’s neck didn’t feel like cutting at all—more like tapping away something already severed, already separated, just tapping it loose.
‘I tested Crescendo at the end too, but… I didn’t quite see its full effect. A shame.’
Still, the effect was unmistakable.
The one I’d deliberately kept alive until the finish showed the wound slightly charred at the edges.
‘I should feed the Hobgoblin’s shadow to my summon. Could prove useful on the next floor.’
Just as I was about to do that, a message appeared.
[You have demonstrated exceptional prowess on the 2nd Floor of the Tower.]
[The ‘Gaze’ of the Tower turns its attention upon you. You may be granted a new Trial or Opportunity.]
Trial or Opportunity? That phrasing was different from the 1st Floor—and now the creature’s true nature revealed itself.
[From this point forward, after completing the basic mission of each floor, you may attempt the ‘Trial of the Gaze.’ Overcome the trial, and you shall receive a corresponding ‘Opportunity.’]
[Basic Reward for Overcoming the Trial: Gaze’s Favor (1)]
Gaze’s Favor—that was the very pill I’d swallowed on the 1st Floor.
A consumable item of staggering power; simply swallow it and your base stats surge upward.
In other words, if I kept taking these with every floor, I’d grow twice as strong as everyone else with each ascent.
“So the 1st Floor was just a taste.”
I’d thought it strange when it offered only Opportunity without a Trial back then. Now I saw the creature’s cunning design.
‘It baits you with a sample reward. Gets you hooked on choosing the Trial. And then one slip—’
Game over.
‘There’s something sinister about you, Gaze.’
Whether or not it sensed my thoughts, the creature was busy hawking its Trial.
[Trial of the Gaze]
[Target: Awakener ‘Kim Si-hyeon’]
[Conditions: Only once, immediately after first conquering each floor of the Tower, will you be granted this opportunity.]
[Warning: Should you refuse or abandon the Trial midway, your chance to challenge it on that floor is permanently forfeit.]
[Mission Details: The content of the Trial changes with each floor and is revealed only upon acceptance.]
[Reward: Upon completing the Trial, you shall receive an ‘Opportunity’ commensurate with your performance.]
[Basic Reward for Overcoming the Trial: Gaze’s Favor (1)]
The creature dangled that basic reward again, as if luring a child with candy.
Its design was transparent—I could see straight through it.
‘Fine. I’m climbing this Tower with my life on the line anyway. Why not play along?’
I’d pillage this entire candy factory.
Whether my teeth rot out first or the factory crumbles, I’m going to ride this to the bitter end.
“I accept the Trial.”
[Warning: The Trial does not follow the ordinary laws of the Tower. Even the Floor’s conqueror cannot guarantee survival against the high-difficulty mission presented.]
Then came a soft chime—a red message window blooming before me.
[Do you still wish to proceed?]
“Yes. Bring it on.”
[Final confirmation received.]
[‘Trial of the Gaze’ commences.]
Only then did the mission details appear.
[Mission Objective: Survive an onslaught of enraged Hobgoblins for the allotted time. (14:57)]
Fifteen minutes. In the distance, yellow dust swirled into the air. They were coming.
‘Survive, huh… Well, I wanted to see the full effect of Crescendo anyway.’
It was supposed to grow hotter and hotter—I’d barely tasted it last time.
‘Perfect timing. Let’s see how many I can take down.’
Then an amusing thought crossed my mind.
‘If I survive this and manage to catch all of them, what happens then? This tower is definitely one that pays out rewards.’
Whoosh—
I need to test this out now.
I’ve only stepped on shadows, yet skills keep copying over.
Author |
Killing Part
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Samyang C&C Co., Ltd.
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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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