Trait Selection
"How is it?"
"Delicious."
"Put a little more sincerity into it."
"This stretchy stuff is incredibly nutty. What do you call it?"
"That kind of interested question is great. It's cheese. Not every pizza place does it like this. The bad ones send it over hard like rubber."
"What's rubber?"
"Something you shouldn't eat."
"Something I shouldn't eat, got it."
Seira devoured the pizza just as enthusiastically as she had the chicken and beef.
Then, out of the blue, curiosity struck.
"What did you normally eat to survive? Hunt something and roast it over a campfire or whatever?"
"Master."
Seira, wiping her mouth with refined elegance, continued.
"I am the captain of the Black Knights. In the castle and the territories, I only ate the finest cuisine. My favorites were the highest-grade steak and turkey."
"You lived better than me."
"That's not what I meant. When I went out on missions, I did sometimes hunt and roast things just like you said."
Seira started munching on the pizza again.
From the way she stuffed her cheeks until they bulged, it looked like she was determined to finish it all before the cheese hardened.
Anyway, it was a relief that Seira, who had only eaten such fine foods, was taking to this world's cuisine so well.
"So, what do you think? Which one's better?"
"Hmm."
Seira let out a low hum while chewing.
In front of her were two lines of text.
1. Resistance to All Status Ailments SSS+2. Blessing of Blood SSS+
A tier summary for using the SSS+ Trait Selection Ticket.
These were the two traits that had survived to the end.
The first was self-explanatory, but the effect of the second was this:
The more blood scattered nearby, the greater the boost to all abilities—not to mention healing wounds—an utterly insane trait.
In other words, as long as the environment was right, he could fight without a care for injuries.
Seira, glancing back and forth between them, shot a sidelong look at Jinhyuk.
The handwriting sizes for the two options were starkly different.
If the first was size 200, the second was about 50.
It was like a silent pressure to just pick the first one.
"Ugh."
Jinhyuk was deep in agonizing thought.
Even players who wouldn't normally die on this floor sometimes met their end.
It happened when they fell victim to unexpected status ailments and couldn't perform at full strength. Thinking about cases like that, picking the first one was obviously the right choice.
It would add ridiculous levels of stability.
But the second trait was just too damn cool.
A knight endlessly regenerating and fighting on a battlefield strewn with blood.
This was the epitome of a man's romance and passion.
And it was true that, once the conditions were met, it was an absurdly powerful trait.
"No end to this, huh."
Seira realized from the difference in handwriting sizes.
This game would continue until she picked the first one.
And in truth, the advantages of the first were enormous.
No matter what status ailment skills the enemy had, Jinhyuk could always output 100% of his power.
"It's number one."
"As expected."
Jinhyuk let out a sigh of relief.
Finally, the weight on his chest eased away completely.
Even the captain of the Black Knights had chosen the first one.
Picking the second here would just be his own stubbornness, born of ignorance about combat and battlefields.
[You have selected Resistance to All Status Ailments SSS+.]
[You are immune to poison, hallucinations, curses, and all status ailments. No status ailment can infiltrate the player.]
"Phew, that was tough."
He leaned his back against the wall.
It was the hardest choice since "Daddy or Mommy."
He extended his limp hand.
[Using Blank Card. Please select a target card.]
'Seira Kinkayton.'
[Acquire one trait or skill from Black Knights Captain Seira Kinkayton.]
The slot began to spin.
Even on a second look, the sheer number of traits and skills was overwhelming.
'Those are locked, huh.'
The traits and skills painted in black.
They seemed to unlock as Seira's level rose.
The rapidly spinning slot came to a stop on an emblem depicting black armor.
[Acquired Seira Kinkayton's trait, 'Black Knight's Blessing'! Black Knights possess defense as sturdy and solid as their exceptional attack power! All worn armor gains 100% increased durability and defense!]
No need for cola after all.
A refreshingly straightforward percentage boost.
The Unique Armor Enhancement Scroll gave 30% defense increase.
Epic was 50%, Legendary 70%, but 100%? It was like permanently wearing a transcendent or mythic-grade enhancement scroll that had never appeared before.
"Looks like you got something you needed, Master. I won't have to worry about you as much."
"That's true, but still glance back at me sometimes. Don't want to die screaming."
"Protecting you is my vow and my duty. No need to worry."
She gave a thumbs-up and rummaged through her inventory to pull out items.
Tower-specific armor he'd hauled from the equipment shop near his place.
From the 11th floor onward, orcs appeared—unlike goblins, they employed tactics.
Not just blindly swinging clubs or axes, but dividing roles into archers, warriors, shamans, and such to assault enemies.
In other words, unlike before where hiding behind Seira guaranteed safety, there was now a higher chance of getting hit by arrows or magic.
To avoid going down pathetically, he'd shelled out money for these.
"You only got the top, bottom, and helmet? You need gloves and greaves too."
"No money."
"I see."
Tower-specific gear was expensive no matter what.
He'd prioritized the must-protect areas and bought those three first.
He examined the armor laid out before him.
Orc Bone Chestplate.Defense 30 + 30 (Black Knight's Blessing)Durability 100 + 100 (Black Knight's Blessing)Armor made by linking orc teeth and bones. Inferior to plate mail in defense, but far lighter.
"Ugh."
He wasn't in a position to be picky, but orc teeth and bones? He couldn't help furrowing his brow.
As if reading his mind, Seira put on a stern expression.
"Master. The battlefield is where life and death hang in the balance. Even if it's armor stinking of basilisk rot-reeking fangs, you wear it if it helps."
"Then want to try this on? Most of your armor abilities are locked, right? Your defense is way lower than normal."
The same went for the sword that looked like a magic blade.
It hadn't met the requirements yet, so it couldn't perform at full capacity.
Seira shook her head in an instant.
"I'll pass. No matter how lame, it'd still be better than that chestplate."
"Shut your ears to my chestplate."
"And knights don't wear armor made from monster parts. Most come from nobility."
"What about me?"
"You're not nobility, Master."
"That's true."
True, but for some reason, it felt oddly melancholic.
Anyway, Jinhyuk slipped the chestplate over his clothes and stood up.
Beep beep.
An alarm rang.
Time to head to the 11th floor.
[Entering the 11th floor of the Tower of Despair.]
Jinhyuk tilted his head upon entering the tower.
"Mr. Mole Tower Resident, why are you here?"
Next to the starting point stood Konu, the one they'd seen on the 10th floor, his face full of dissatisfaction.
"It's the tower's orders. And I'm not a mole. I'm a raccoon dog."
Konu squeezed his eyes shut.
That insane pair who ignored his words and steamrolled the tower.
The moment they left the 10th floor, he'd thought he was finally free—but what a huge mistake.
-Thanks to Your guidance, the player achieved an unbelievable record! The resident who splendidly fulfilled their mission receives the tower's blessing! You may now access the upper floors!
Normally, he'd be thrilled, but Konu's case was different.
In outside world terms, Konu was an extreme homebody.
He hated wandering around and preferred holing up in the forest for naps after finishing his tasks—a total sleepyhead.
Yet the system had dragged that sleepyhead up to the upper floors, where fiercer battles raged.
He could go back down to the 10th, but his commute just got ridiculously longer.
'Give me back my sweet 10th-floor life!'
He was too scared of the system to say it out loud.
While Konu screamed internally like that.
Whooooosh!
A scene similar to the previous floor unfolded.
After a light greeting, the Seira and Jinhyuk pair bolted off immediately.
No time was given to explain the floor.
"Take it easy!!!"
Konu shouted desperately.
With the difficulty ramped up, the odds were low, but if they kept clearing like last time, he might get dragged up again for no reason.
He'd heard the air turned foul from the 20th floor onward.
A longer commute was bad enough, but crap air on top? Absolutely not.
'What was that? Did I hear something?'
Jinhyuk, rubbing his ear, shrugged and glanced slightly upward.
Just as he'd researched beforehand on the site.
The clear conditions had gotten a bit trickier.
[Clear Condition: Subjugate the Orc Encampment and Remove the Shamanic Runes]
"Master. Stick to the areas I've cleared."
"Okay!"
With the added condition, they split roles between Seira and him.
Seira charged into the encampment, sword aura flaring.
Green-skinned orcs reacted and poured out in droves.
'They're filthy huge.'
Definitely incomparable to goblins in size.
"Karaaak!!!"
The volume and presence of their roars were tremendous.
Their raw strength was exceptional too, and in the early days, quite a few players had lost their lives here.
Even now, newbies seeing orcs for the first time often lost the will to fight before it began and frantically hit the escape button.
Of course, this.
Slash! Swoosh!
Didn't apply to Seira at all.
From her perspective, it was actually easier.
The targets, once small, had grown conveniently larger to slice.
He ran along the path Seira had tanked and swept through.
'By the way, this place feels kinda familiar.'
Though much of it was burned and devastated, the terrain and layout strongly resembled the 1-1 floor from the Myth Tower, the village of the yokai.
He approached the first hut that finally appeared.
"Kurokash ta!"
No sooner had he entered than two orcs appeared, but he wasn't startled.
The smaller ones, unfit to be warriors, guarded the runes inside the huts.
According to the strategy guide for the 11th floor.
A few thrown weapons flew straight at him.
He could have deflected them with his sword, but he didn't.
Instead, he spun around and took the hits on his chestplate.
'This much, huh.'
A vibration transmitted through his body, but that was it.
The orc throwers' attacks weren't strong enough to pierce 60 defense.
Swoooosh!
After verifying the armor, he swung his sword horizontally.
Their defense was abysmal, not being warriors.
The split orcs tumbled across the floor.
'Next, the rune.'
He plunged his sword into the glowing rune.
And at that moment, the surroundings began to turn ashen.
----------
T/N:
Join for free and unlock 5 advanced chapters every week!
Access 35 chapters in advance on my Patreon:[email protected]//towerup