Chapter 04 The Tower of Heroes

Jeongho activated his first elixir from the dimensional shop, Buy Everything.

[You have consumed an elixir.]

[Your stats have improved!]

[Constitution increased: F → D]

For an elixir that costs two million won, this effect is way too good.

Jeongho began to suspect that he was being scammed.

“Daeyeong? Be honest with me. You wanted to eat ramen again, didn’t you? That’s why you deliberately gave me a good one, right?”

“How does this make any sense? I ate a single elixir worth only two million won, and my stats went up by two grades!”

Daeyeong pointed at Jeongho with a shadowy tentacle.

Jeongho couldn’t help but nod. It was sound advice.

However…

“Why did my Constitution increase?”

Wasn’t the usual countermeasure against mana contamination to increase one’s mana? Wouldn’t he need to expand his mana capacity to reduce the effects of contamination?

Constitution, in simple terms, was about physical toughness and durability. It determined how much punishment you could take and how well you could endure pain. What was he supposed to do with more of that?

“Ah. Wait a minute…”

Is it so I can withstand 99% mana contamination?

“Come on, I’m not that clueless. Anyway, thanks.”

Jeongho clenched his fist and opened his hand again.

His Constitution had increased by two grades, but he had no idea how much stronger he’d actually become.

He wanted to test it somewhere.

I wonder if there’s a Gate nearby.

He opened the HunterOn app on his smartphone, but there wasn’t a single Gate in the vicinity.

Hunters in this country are way too diligent!

I’d prefer to test it inside a Gate, if possible.

The period immediately after consuming an elixir was the most dangerous.

Sometimes, the mind couldn’t keep up with a body that had suddenly become stronger, leading to accidents.

It was like driving a brand-new car after years of struggling with an old clunker that barely moved no matter how hard you pressed the accelerator. If you drove the new car the same way you had the old one, you’d easily end up speeding or crashing into something.

Gates were ideal places to test new abilities because hunters usually conquered them in groups. Other hunters could help if something went wrong.

In fact, other hunters did exactly that. Jeongho himself had saved Kwon Mingi, who had nearly died, with Fire Bolt.

But there were no Gates nearby.

I guess I’ll have to climb the Tower of Trials after all.

Going in alone was dangerous, but whatever. He’d give it a shot.

After all, the first five floors or so were beginner territory.

What could possibly go wrong?

[Skill activated: Enter the Tower of Trials]

[Entering Floor 3 of the Tower of Trials.]

[Floor 3 Objective: Obtain one blue gem.]

The third floor of the Tower of Trials was a dense forest, thick with trees and arranged like a maze.

Until now, the objective had been to eliminate all enemies. On the third floor, however, the goal was to find a blue gem hidden somewhere in the forest.

This was why hunters needed high stats across the board.

If all they did was mindlessly increase their Strength and Mana, they’d hit a wall on the third floor.

That was exactly what had happened to Ronald, the world’s number-one-ranked hunter. Ronald was the strongest, but that didn’t make him the best hunter.

Instead, the number-one spot on the third floor of the Tower of Trials belonged to China’s Li Wei, a detection-type hunter.

Honestly, what other people do is none of my business.

First, he needed to check his increased Constitution.

Even after rising by two grades, it was only D. Could he really withstand 99% mana contamination?

The moment Jeongho stepped out of the safe zone, he ran into a group of goblins on patrol.

“Kihyahyat!”

“F-Fire Bolt!”

Until that moment, he hadn’t given it much thought. If anything, there seemed to be fewer monsters than on the second floor.

But then—

[Skill activated: Original Fire Bolt]

[An arrow made of fire is launched.]

Just as before, a red sun appeared overhead…

Wait a second. Hadn’t it gotten bigger?

KWA-KWAKWANG!!

The forest maze was reduced to a handful of ashes.

“W-What the hell? It’s stronger now?”

A straight, wide-open highway had been blasted through the middle of the maze.

Jeongho sprinted at full speed toward the blue gem visible on the other side.

[You have cleared Floor 3 of the Tower of Trials!]

[Clear Time: 00:00:07]

[Clear Rank: EX]

[EX-Rank Reward: You have obtained 19 magic stones.]

[EX-Rank Special Reward: You have obtained one Proof of a Hero.]

[You’ve reclaimed Rank 1! Your record has been updated!]

The moment the Tower’s clear screen appeared, another set of notifications followed.

[Warning! Mana Contamination: 99%!]

“Urgh… I can… handle this, I think.”

He could taste metal in his mouth, but it seemed he could manage two consecutive casts of Fire Bolt. Hadn’t its power increased, too?

Why did its power increase, of all things?

Constitution was supposed to improve his durability. Was there something he didn’t know about?

Jeongho exited the Tower and opened HunterOn.

—(Question) Does increasing Constitution make your skills stronger?

└ It might. Or it might not.

└ Mana is something people use, too, so you unconsciously apply the brakes. If you increase your Constitution, you don’t have to hit the brakes as hard, so your skills get stronger.

└ Why would you hit the brakes? Why not just use your power?

└ If you want to trigger mana contamination and die, go ahead. Mana is similar to Strength. Push yourself too hard, and you’ll break.

└ That doesn’t mean you should increase Constitution, though. Raise your Mana first, and only increase Constitution when there’s nothing else left to improve. That’s how Constitution works. Even S-rank hunters do it that way.

Ah, I see. Constitution does have an effect.

Constitution was more than just physical toughness.

Had Great Shadow Daeyeong anticipated even this much? Jeongho felt that he ought to make him some delicious ramen next time, if only as a token of appreciation.

Oh, speaking of ramen…

Grrrrr.

Jeongho was hungry.

Awakening was great. Climbing Towers was great. All of it was great.

But a person still had to eat to survive.

I’m craving ramen. Time to make some.

As soon as Jeongho got home, he filled a pot with water and put it on the stove.

He flicked the gas burner on with a click, but something felt strange.

He could feel the fire. He could hear it speaking directly to him.

He could sense how hot it was, how its temperature would change in the coming moments, and exactly how much he needed to adjust it to cook his ramen perfectly.

Have I finally gone insane after three years of preparing for a job?

Jeongho questioned his own sanity, but he soon figured out the likely reason.

Is this because of Original Fire Bolt?

Hunters in the mage class often described the experience as hearing.

They said they could communicate with the elements they primarily used.

Jeongho had always dismissed that as nonsense, but now he’d experienced it firsthand.

So it’s actually real. I can control fire more precisely?

Jeongho dropped the ramen noodles into the boiling water.

Bloop, bloop! The noodles cooked in the bright red broth.

Jeongho had always been good at making ramen, but today he could directly sense the fire and make fine adjustments to its intensity.

And the result was—

“Whoa. Whoa, this… This isn’t ramen. It’s art. Let’s eat!”

Slurp, slurp!

He emptied the entire bowl in no time.

Who knew ramen could taste even better than before?

He couldn’t keep something this wonderful all to himself.

“Enter the Tower of Heroes.”

The moment Jeongho arrived at the Tower of Heroes, Daeyeong started scolding him.

“What? Am I not allowed to come here?”

“Jeongho. Son Jeongho. Come to think of it, I never introduced myself.”

“Nope.”

Daeyeong slowly lowered his gaze.

Jeongho had almost taken offense, but since Daeyeong had apologized, he decided to let it slide.

He held out his pot of ramen.

“I brought ramen again today. Eat it before it gets soggy.”

“That’s a harsh way to put it. I brought it because it’s delicious and I wanted to share it with you.”

This wasn’t just ramen. It was art.

Daeyeong deserved to experience this flavor, too.

Besides, it was all thanks to the skill book Daeyeong had given him.

“Come on, try it before it gets cold or the noodles get soggy.”

“That’s right. But I bet it tastes different.”

Without much expectation, Daeyeong tilted the pot and began eating.

Slurp, slurp…

Then the sound of him eating abruptly stopped.

“See? What did I tell you?”

Jeongho had thought it was nothing special, but Daeyeong seemed to take it rather seriously.

“Is that an insult or a compliment?”

“Could it be because of the elixir?”

Jeongho had said one thing and received a lecture in return.

Daeyeong tilted his head, looking puzzled.

What on earth could appear on the first floor?

A dragon? A great demon? An ancient weapon?

Curious, Jeongho asked.

“An ordinary… person?”

“I’m an ordinary person. See you later!”

The scarecrow is cute.

Someone had even drawn a smiling face on it.

Now all he had to do was hold hands with the scarecrow?

—A person who can kill someone with a harmless handshake… That’s what the Seeds of Heroes are like. To become a hero, you must first learn to restrain your power…

Jeongho took the scarecrow’s hand.

It felt soft and fluffy.

And then he was supposed to reach the finish line?

—Heroes move quickly. They use techniques that let them cross distances in a single step, teleportation, and advanced footwork. Ordinary people can’t keep up with them. But a hero’s true purpose lies in leading others while matching their pace…

Daeyeong had been going on and on with his lecture.

Jeongho didn’t really understand any of it.

But who cared? He’d already arrived.

[You have cleared Floor 1 of the Tower of Heroes!]

[Clear Rank: EX]

[EX-Rank Special Reward: You have awakened the Power of a Hero!]

[Stage 1 of the Power of a Hero has been unlocked!]

Awakened the Power of a Hero? What’s this now?

Before Jeongho could do anything, his status window opened automatically.

Flash!

[Name: Son Jeongho]

[Unique Skill: Enter the Tower of Heroes]