20th Floor
It didn't make the chattering sound like in movies or anime.
It used gas instead of gunpowder, after all.
There were no tracer lines drawn along the barrel, either.
It was a model that fired rubber bullets, not real ones.
And yet.
Kwarung! Kwarung! Kwarung!
A deafening roar that shook the ears echoed out.
The ground beneath their feet trembled.
Explosions bloomed like flowers everywhere the eye could see.
Yodel Ranger Kanch'o's explosive clay, standing in for the rubber bullets.
The moment this was used, that weapon could no longer be called a toy.
Even if they'd brought a real minigun, it wouldn't have matched this firepower.
'It sure is worth the price.'
Jinhyeok, pressed tight against the sandbag, let out a sigh of admiration.
It might be a toy gun, but it sure as hell wasn't cheap.
A survival gas gun favored by enthusiasts.
He'd shelled out a whopping 420,000 won for it.
"Puhahaha! Puhahaha! Puhahahak!!!"
Amid the explosions, Kanch'o's mad laughter wove its way in.
Yodels are just like people.
You can't know until you experience it.
Up until today, Kanch'o had thought that firing explosive clay with his flute was the best long-range attack he could manage with a tool.
But now, wielding the minigun Jinhyeok had bought him, he had no choice but to admit it.
His view of weapons had been as narrow as a frog in a well.
"Captain! This is the best! It's so good! The Captain's a genius!"
In this moment, Kanch'o was convinced once again.
The only one he would follow was Yoo Jinhyeok, and no one else.
"Captain?! Are you watching? I'm wiping them all out!"
Was it because there was no reply from his revered Captain?
Kanch'o turned his eyes, searching for Jinhyeok.
"Kanch'o! Don't look away! Focus! Focus!"
Jinhyeok, who had anticipated Kanch'o's movement, shouted.
They'd stacked the sandbags high for ample elevation, but caution was still needed.
The instant that gun barrel dipped downward, this small, precious village would turn to ashes in a heartbeat.
"Check carefully for Seira before you fire!"
"No worries! Yodel Rangers never miss their targets, but I'm fine even if I do!"
An answer that started to sound reassuring, only to make him more anxious.
Jinhyeok turned his gaze to find Seira.
'As expected, she's dodging on her own just fine.'
Seira was circling outside Kanch'o's firing range, massacring the orc unit.
It seemed Kanch'o's madness had reached her well enough.
Jinhyeok drew his two-handed sword and stepped away from the sandbags.
"Kanch'o! I'm heading near the entrance too! Don't shoot me in the back!"
"Got it!"
Yodel Ranger Kanch'o, who had picked up the word's meaning and now used it often.
He moved his steps toward the village entrance.
Most of the orcs had vanished under Seira's preliminary strikes and Kanch'o's bombardment.
But.
"Grrr..."
A few survivors of the explosions hadn't given up and were still approaching the village.
Of course, thanks to being doused in blasts, their conditions were the worst.
Physical disfigurement was standard; everywhere was soaked in blood.
It was less like walking and more like dragging their bodies along.
"Krraaaaa!!!"
Spotting Jinhyeok, two orc warriors picked up speed.
A resolute determination to vent their rage from Kanch'o and Seira on him, at least.
"Huuu."
Jinhyeok gauged the distance and exhaled.
Then, he planted his leading foot, fixed his stance, and swung the sword horizontally in a wide arc.
'It's still light, as expected.'
The strength stat he'd built swinging a pickaxe on Inwangsan Mountain.
Before, it felt like his body was dragged along by the two-handed sword, but now he could definitely control it.
The speed of the blade slicing through the air had noticeably quickened, too.
Slash!
The honed edge cleaved through the orc warrior's right arm.
The orc dropped the raised axe.
Even so, it didn't give up.
As if ready to bite with its teeth now that it had no weapon, it thrust its head forward.
But Jinhyeok had already retreated, opening the distance.
Crack!
What awaited the orc warrior there wasn't Jinhyeok's body, but the sharp two-handed sword.
Squeeee!
As the first orc warrior collapsed, a thick sword came flying in.
Before, he might have rolled on the ground or somehow dodged.
Orc warriors were monsters infamous for their brute strength, after all.
But now.
Clang!
He didn't dodge—he parried it.
There was no way he couldn't hold.
Just yesterday, on the 19th floor, he'd withstood an axe from a pristine orc warrior.
Instead, Jinhyeok pushed back with force, spinning his body.
The two-handed sword swept through, slicing the tough green hide.
Looking at the two orc warriors rolling on the ground, Jinhyeok smiled faintly.
Climbing the tower had taught him one thing.
That getting just a little better was truly a feel-good thing.
Of course, he wasn't satisfied with just this much.
No—more precisely, he couldn't afford to be.
Shwooooo!
Because right before his eyes, something like this was unfurling.
A jet-black sword aura scattered across the battlefield.
Orc warriors who would swing their axes to the end even with half their bodies gone scattered like leaves caught in a typhoon where it touched.
And yet, before Seira, even they were stepping back bit by bit.
'Let's work hard.'
Steeling his resolve once more, Jinhyeok began cutting down the orc warriors approaching the village.
Glancing around.
Even as he swung his sword frantically, he constantly checked the distance to the village.
Orc warriors were fine.
But Kanch'o's explosive clay was not.
Straying too far and getting caught in it would be a disaster, so caution was essential.
"Captain! You're so cool! You've gotten so valiant! You look like a seasoned squire!"
Even as he fired away furiously, Kanch'o never let Captain Jinhyeok out of his sight.
With Chief Seira absent, it was to ensure Jinhyeok's safety, but seeing him neatly carving them up, there was no need to worry.
And a little ways off.
Thud!
An orc warrior's arm came flying from somewhere and landed beside tower resident Konyu.
"Haa."
Konyu let out a deep sigh at the sight.
'As expected, they're crazy humans. No—two humans and one yodel.'
Shaking his head, Konyu surveyed the village.
Indeed, starting the mission in just one minute hadn't been mere arrogant bluffing.
The knight sweeping away the first wave from the farthest point, the foul-tempered mad raccoon pouring firepower from on high.
And the commander who, not content with setting up that formation, cleanly handled even the orc warriors closing in on the village.
Thanks to them, the village suffered no damage at all—save for the occasional flying orc body part.
Naturally, the gnome residents who had stayed inside the sandbag tower were unscathed.
Rumble...
Before long, the explosions ringing out in all directions began to die down.
It wasn't that Kanch'o's explosive clay had run out.
Simply, there were no more enemies left to blast away.
Swish.
Konyu turned his eyes toward the village entrance.
Jinhyeok, who had just felled the last orc warrior and was wiping sweat from his brow.
Gazing quietly at his back, Konyu flopped down flat.
"You guys handle it all yourselves."
The Jinhyeok party, ascending the tower with such absurd momentum.
He could confidently say it.
They were the most ferocious bunch he'd seen out of any party so far.
"Huuu."
Catching his breath, Jinhyeok sheathed his sword.
The orc warriors' savage howls had fallen silent.
A heavy stillness swallowed the battlefield, as if it had never happened.
In the distance, Seira approached.
Naturally, zero injuries.
Aside from the orc blood staining her armor, sword, and hair, she was in the exact same state as when she'd entered the tower.
Ding!
[You have cleared the 20th floor of the Tower of Despair!]
[Average time to clear this floor: Prep time 2 hours, Play time 1 hour 30 minutes. Total 3 hours 30 minutes.]
[Player's time: Prep time 1 minute, Play time 19 minutes. Total 20 minutes. World record! Recorded in the Ledger of Honor!]
[Player level increased by 2! Current level: 23!]
[Strength, Stamina, Agility, and Vitality stats increased!]
[Acquired large quantities of orc hide! Condition is poor due to explosions!]
[Acquired large quantities of orc warrior gold teeth! Heavily damaged due to explosions!]
[Acquired pouch of wudium shards! Fortunately, unaffected by explosions!]
Jinhyeok scratched his cheek.
The Tower of Despair, where byproducts varied depending on how the enemies were defeated.
In this barrage of explosions, the fact that anything survived unscorched was a blessing in itself.
'I wish they'd given more wudium.'
He eyed his inventory, now plump with loot.
The 20th floor was known as a layer yielding massive byproducts, thanks to the sheer number of orc warriors.
It was a bit disappointing that wudium was the only exception.
[Yodel Ranger Kanch'o's level has increased! Current level: 71, Held EXP: 30%]
[Kanch'o's Agility stat increased!]
[Kanch'o's explosive clay production ability increased!]
'Oh.'
There must have been a ton of orc warriors.
For him to level up despite the significant level gap.
"My level went up! I'm even stronger now! Puhahaha!!"
It seemed he'd vented his stress to his heart's content.
Kanch'o, minigun slung on his back, bounced around excitedly in all directions.
Of course.
[Black Knight Order Captain Seira Kin Katen's EXP increased! Held EXP: 11%]
Seira, whose EXP had only risen 11% from the 1st to 20th floors, was silently inspecting her gear as always.
'I need to climb faster to level up Seira too.'
There was no room for slacking.
Jinhyeok renewed his vow: one tower climb per day, no exceptions.
[Achievement Rank SSS+ achieved! Achievement gauge increased! When the gauge fills, you can spin the perk box!]
[Achievement gauge MAX reached! You can spin the perk box!]
Jinhyeok rubbed his palms together at the perk box appearing before him.
This was what he'd been waiting for.
The perk box began to rumble and shake.
Jinhyeok clasped his hands and chanted his perk prayer.
"Please be something good. Please be something good. Please be something good."
Kanch'o pointed at Jinhyeok, now squeezing his eyes shut.
"Seira, the Captain seems possessed by Satan."
"In a way, you might be right."
He continued the prayer for a moment.
The perk box opened, revealing a single square card.
[Acquired 'Blank Card - True, Double'!
You may select only one of your owned hero cards!A random unique trait or unique skill from the target will be imprinted on the blank card!True-rank blank! You can choose the desired trait and skill, not random!Double option imbued! You can imprint two skills and traits! Once imprinted, it cannot be erased!]
Jinhyeok's eyes sparkled as he checked the perk.
He lifted his head and looked at Kanch'o and Seira.
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T/N:
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