Aura
Tower of Despair, 22nd floor.
Hundreds of arrows and boulders rained down from the ramparts.
It was an attack that completely blanketed their field of vision.
There wasn't even a gap to dodge through—it seemed utterly pointless to try.
So, he decided not to dodge.
Pabababap!!
Arrows embedded themselves into his body.
The only part left unscathed was his face, shielded by his arms.
Even so, he didn't slow down.
He kept charging forward.
Kwang!
He took the incoming boulder straight to the body.
His head snapped back slightly, but his speed didn't falter, nor did his direction veer off.
"Is that all you've got?"
As he closed in on the ramparts, the immortal Dark curled up the corners of his mouth.
He'd figured that with so many gathered, they'd at least unleash one decent attack, but this? It was downright disappointing.
"If that's the end of it, then die."
Kicking off the ground, Dark leaped toward the ramparts.
He swung the chains on both arms in a wide arc.
The ogre struck by them was torn apart in an instant.
Arrows continued to pour down, but he paid them no mind.
"Come on, you ogres, step it up. This hurts less than getting poked with a toothpick yesterday."
While all the ogres on the ramparts fixed their gazes on Dark.
Seira, who had arrived on the other side, swept through the top of the walls.
Not long after, Jinhyuk, with Kancho perched on his shoulder, climbed up onto the ramparts as well.
Even as he butchered the ogres, Dark flashed a grin at Jinhyuk.
'He doesn't look the type, but damn, he knows how to work people hard.'
Before entering the tower, Jinhyuk had given a brief briefing on the 22nd floor.
The 22nd floor, where relentless ranged attacks rained down from the ramparts.
To clear it, you'd normally have to advance while using the surrounding terrain and features for cover.
But that orthodox method took too long, so they were taking a shortcut.
-Shiny, shiny, shiny.
No sooner had he finished speaking than Jinhyuk looked up at Dark with sparkling eyes.
As a result, Dark had taken on the role of tank, absorbing every arrow and boulder at the front.
"Puhehehehehek! So fast! You're way faster than before, Boss!"
Jinhyuk turned to look behind him from atop the ramparts.
'Impressive.'
He'd leaped up a height of at least ten meters in a single bound.
It was thanks to the buffs from Ganjang and Makya stacking up as he'd sliced through dozens of ogres on the way.
"Sticky-sticky!"
Kancho picked bits of flesh from the fur matted with blood.
Jinhyuk was likewise drenched head to toe in green blood.
His current state was already giving him worries about laundry.
"Krarrararara!"
A fallen ogre charged at them.
Perhaps enraged by the ramparts being overrun, it looked thoroughly pissed.
It raised a massive axe, but it never got the chance to swing.
Jinhyuk plunged straight in, slashing his sword across the ogre's abdomen.
Compared to orcs or goblins, ogres were infamous for their tough hides that could deflect most blades.
But—
Sugaak!!
It couldn't withstand the blade wrapped in buffs from Jinhyuk.
The ogre warrior collapsed forward, split clean open.
[You've slain an enemy with your sword! Ganjang's buff activates, increasing the player's Strength! Current stacks: 37.]
Jinhyuk drew a pleased smile.
'Can't wait to level up.'
The sword Ganjang and Makya let him preview the enhanced power he'd gain once his stats rose.
Thanks to it, his desire to grow burned fiercer than ever.
Having tasted his strengthened self firsthand, his motivation for training had solidified even more.
Seok!
Seira severed the neck of the last ogre warrior.
Ding!
[All ogres have fallen! The ramparts have been breached!]
The objective for this 20th-floor section was to assault the city occupied by ogres and reclaim it.
Starting from the ramparts, they had to keep pushing inward, capturing the central keep—that was the role assigned to the players.
[You've cleared the 22nd floor!]
[Player Yoo Jinhyuk's level has risen! Level 30 achieved! All stats increase!]
[Experience points for participating cards have risen! Yodle Ranger Vice-Captain Kancho has achieved 0 damage dealt to enemies in this battle!]
'Huh?'
Jinhyuk glanced at Kancho, who was giggling "Puhehehe!" on his shoulder.
Come to think of it, ever since they'd entered the tower, Kancho had just been perched there, chattering away nonstop.
'It was tricky for him, yeah.'
The 22nd floor was a battlefield where the sturdy rampart walls made shooting ineffective.
Still, it was a relief that the system had granted him experience points anyway.
Ding!
[Collector Level 30 achieved! New unique trait, Weapon Collector, added!]
3 slots are granted!You can equip weapons from your current inventory into the slots!The player's stats will rise based on the level and grade of weapons equipped in the slots!The special effects of equipped weapons will be shared with manifested cards!
The moment the trait was added, he slotted in Ganjang and Makya.
[Ganjang and Makya's buffs are applied to currently manifested Seira Kinkayton, Kancho, and Dark Castro!]
"Oh?"
"What's this, nya?! My body's super light now, nya!"
Seira, Dark, and Kancho twisted and turned, testing their bodies.
It wasn't a dramatic change, but their physical abilities had risen enough to feel immediately.
'A walking buff machine.'
Jinhyuk nodded with a satisfied expression.
This would let him contribute a little more to the party.
[Black Knight Order Swordsmanship - Basic has reached Level 10! You can learn Black Knight Order Swordsmanship - Intermediate!]
[Card slots expand from 4 to 5!]
Current card possession: 3/5.Seira Kinkayton.Kancho.Dark Castro.
After that, messages about acquiring ogre hides, armaments, and other accessories scrolled up one after another.
He was browsing through what they'd gotten this time when he heard grunting from the side.
"What're you doing, Kancho?"
Kancho was straining with all his might to pull something embedded in the ramparts.
"I'm taking it, nya! It looks expensive, nya!"
He went closer to take a look.
The luster had faded quite a bit, but it was an ore that oddly gleamed with an iridescent sheen.
"Can't take this."
Jinhyuk reached out toward the ore.
[This is an ore belonging to the Tower of Despair! Insufficient authority to acquire!]
Authority.
It was something countless players had once desperately sought to uncover.
They hadn't found even the slightest clue, leading to the conclusion that 'items belonging to the Tower of Despair cannot be acquired.'
'What a shame.'
Jinhyuk smacked his lips.
If he could take it, he could've made a fortune.
Ding!
[Collector Level 30 achievement perk! Mythical Tower 3.5-floor entry ticket granted!]
Must be used before entering the Mythical Tower's 4th floor!Requires a top-grade subspace bag that is not tower-exclusive to use!
[Exiting the Tower of Despair's 22nd floor!]
A few days later.
[You've cleared the Tower of Despair's 23rd floor!]
[You've cleared the Tower of Despair's 24th floor!]
[You've cleared the Tower of Despair's 25th floor!]
[You've cleared the Tower of Despair's 26th floor!]
[You've cleared the Tower of Despair's 27th floor!]
[You've cleared the Tower of Despair's 28th floor!]
[Exiting the Tower of Despair's 28th floor!]
Jinhyuk stretched as he emerged from the tower.
Then he gave Dark a thumbs-up.
Dark had once again tanked spectacularly on this floor.
Seeing him without a single scratch despite all the hits he took was as awe-inspiring as ever.
Jinhyuk checked his status window.
[Yoo Jinhyuk]
Class: Collector.Level: 34.Blank Cards in Possession: True 1.Black Knight Order Swordsmanship - Basic, MAX.
The climb through the Tower of Despair was still going smoothly.
He'd achieved SSS+ rank every time, and the achievement gauge was nearly full.
His levels and stats were rising without a hitch, but.
"Hmmmmm."
There were two things not going his way.
The first was that, despite his intense training, Black Knight Order Swordsmanship - Intermediate wasn't manifesting.
Last time, Jinhyuk had acquired Kancho's Stealth Mobility trait without using a blank card.
Based on that experience, he'd tried to hold off on using a blank card this time too, but the Intermediate skill he wanted didn't appear. Instead, the Basic swordsmanship—which he'd thought capped at 10—had maxed out to another level.
Maybe because of that, his stats felt like they were rising even faster.
Step.
He walked over to Seira, who was maintaining her sword.
"Seira. How long did it take Black Knight Order members to go from Basic to Intermediate?"
"For those with exceptional talent, about five years. It's not just swordsmanship—gaining enlightenment in other areas is necessary too."
"Oh."
To think he'd tried to snag something like that for free.
His inner thief had gotten the better of him, it seemed.
Jinhyuk swiftly used the Blank Card - True.
[Seira Kinkayton's trait, Black Knight Order Swordsmanship - Intermediate, is imprinted on the card! Reach Level 10 to learn Black Knight Order Swordsmanship - Advanced!]
Seira nodded as the energy seeped into Jinhyuk.
"A good choice. With your training up to yesterday, Master has built a perfect foundation in the basics. If you can advance quickly from here, nothing could be better."
The Black Knight Order's Intermediate swordsmanship flowed into his mind and body.
Up to this point, it was similar to when he'd acquired the basics.
Rustle.
But there was one difference.
Jinhyuk stared in blank amazement at the energy emanating from his sword.
Seira, seeing it, wore a subtle smile.
The energy's name was aura.
It was the reason it took so much time to advance from Basic to Intermediate.
Realizing aura.
This was fundamentally different from physical conditioning or sword training.
The triggers for realization varied wildly from person to person, making it impossible to predict when it would happen.
Not a few knights had buckled and fallen here.
And Jinhyuk had pulled it off in one go.
"Boss! For today, this chicken..."
Plop plop.
Kancho, who'd come running with the delivery app open, hesitated and backed away.
He'd only brushed against the aura slightly, but his fluffy fur shed in clumps.
"It's... asymmetrical now, nya."
"Kanchok! Sorry!"
Jinhyuk hurriedly reined in the aura.
It was this dangerous? He'd need to hold back at home.
"It's okay, nya. I'll grow it back, nya."
Jinhyuk quickly ordered the chicken Kancho was craving.
Turning back to Seira, Jinhyuk swallowed dryly.
'Aren't auras something peak knights use?'
But here, auras started at Intermediate? Just how strong had the Black Knight Order been as a group?
'Anyway, nice!'
Aura—his shoulders suddenly shot up with excitement.
Then, the thought that followed made his brow furrow again.
There was one more thing he couldn't control yet.
[Mythical Tower 3.5-floor Entry Ticket]
Must be used before entering the Mythical Tower's 4th floor!Requires a top-grade subspace bag that is not tower-exclusive to use!
This was the problem.
The 30th floor of the Tower of Despair was right around the corner.
Once he cleared it, he'd naturally head to the Mythical Tower's 4th floor.
He had to use the ticket before then, but the usage conditions were way too strict.
'At least 50 billion.'
He'd agonized over it for days, but there was no way to get a subspace bag.
He couldn't just toss the ticket either.
'No helping it.'
Lost in thought, Jinhyuk picked up his phone.
His old man had once said that sometimes in life, you had to get shameless.
It seemed that time had come.
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T/N:
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