CHSE 14

Chapter 14

<How many floors are you planning to climb? And what about the Frost Queen?>
“She’s too much for me right now.”
I waved my hand at Tich’s words.
The Frost Queen was a monster a step above the Ice Dragon.
With my current ability, lasting even ten minutes against her would already be considered an achievement.

<Then what are you going to do?>
“…First, I’ll open the rewards I haven’t used yet and then decide.”
<You had something like that?>
Yes.
Since the special day I first gained access to the Save Earth system, I had been stacking up rewards…
Specifically, the attendance rewards.

[The Attendance Event has begun.]
[Attendance count is updated daily at 4 AM.]
[Day 1 Reward – Lowest-grade Growth Candy.]
[Day 2 Reward – Low-grade Life Potion.]
[Day 3 Reward – Tower Travel Time Reduction Booster.]

And so on, piling up. By now, I had about two weeks’ worth.
‘I never really checked them before.’
Not on purpose—it was more like I wanted to save them for when I really needed them, like in a game.
Since they were automatically stored in the subspace bag, I didn’t even notice when I got them; I just skipped the messages in the morning.

The attendance rewards were divided into three categories:

1. Growth Items – things like the lowest-grade Growth Candy, which help the player develop.
   ‘And the lowest-grade candy has a 10% chance of randomly raising one stat.’
   That’s why people either stock them up and eat them in bulk, or just use them when they don’t expect much.
2. Consumables for convenience – like potions or tower travel boosters.
3. Currency unique to Save Earth – things like the Mark of Chill.

<Do they have much influence?>
“…Probably not?”
<Urgh.>
They weren’t particularly great rewards. That’s why, even though I had the system, I never cared much for attendance bonuses.

‘But if I’m going to face the Frost Queen, I’ll need every scrap of power I can get—even the useless-looking rewards.’

I wasn’t expecting much, but… I took out all the growth candies first.
In my bag, I had three lowest-grade candies, one low-grade candy, and, as the 15-day special reward, one medium-grade candy.

Huh?
That was more than I expected.
“Is this some kind of real-world bonus instead of game logic?”
A sudden wave of expectation filled me.

Unlike the candies from the Tower of Growth, attendance candies randomly raised stats instead of letting you choose.
“But with my current level, it’s a luxury to be picky.”
With the mindset of anything will do, I popped them all into my mouth and chewed.

[Success!]
[Lowest-grade Growth Candy effect: Luck +1.]

“Huh?”
The success message made me blink.
Lowest-grade candies only had a 10% success rate.
Luck wasn’t the best stat to get, but it felt like finding money on the street.

But that wasn’t the end.

[Failure]
[Did you enjoy the taste of the lowest-grade Growth Candy?]
[Success]
[Lowest-grade Growth Candy effect: Mana +1.]

“What?!”
<What is it?! How did you succeed again?>
Not only had I beaten the 10% chance a second time…

[Success!]
[Low-grade Growth Candy effect: Mana +1.]

<No way, again?!>
I pierced through the 40% success rate too.

[Medium-grade Growth Candy effect: Mana +1.]

And even the guaranteed one boosted mana.

<That’s… that’s lucky.>
“Right? Can’t believe this happened.”
Maybe the Goddess of Fortune was smiling at me since I had to save Earth.

Among the candies I had pulled out, only the medium-grade one was guaranteed to increase a stat.
Yet, except for one failure, all of them worked—and most of them gave me mana, the stat I needed the most.

<That’s weird. Isn’t this cheating?>
“Cheating? Please repeat that, Sir Tich.”
<What?>
“Skill.”
I answered firmly, then organized my subspace bag. I used the token-like Marks too.
Better to clean things up when I could.

<That’s more marks than I expected. How many do you even have?>
“A little over a million, I think.”
I had gathered a fair amount while climbing the tower. But it was still far short of what I needed to buy the tier of item I wanted.
‘At the very least, I want something unique-grade…’
With what I had, I could maybe afford fragments of unique gear.
‘But downgrading to rare-grade would feel like a waste of marks.’

I already had the weapon Oath of Frost, and while my armor was low-tier, it was still serviceable. So I decided to keep the marks for now.

Anyway, with this, my stats now were…
I turned my gaze to the monitor.
Strength and Agility had risen into the 30s, and Mana had skyrocketed into the mid-30s as well.

<That’s… a lot higher than before?>
“My dormant extrasensory abilities have awakened, Tich.”
<Extrasensory?>
“Yes. We call it muscle memory.”
<Is that… really a thing?>
How would I know?
<You little–?!>

I shrugged like it was a joke, which made Tich snap and attack me. I calmed the plush bear down with a cherry pepper and went back to checking stats.

‘Am I really recovering my physical abilities?’
When my mana circuit broke, my stats plummeted day by day.
But ever since I started climbing the Heilongjiang Tower and hunting monsters, it felt like my dried-up body was blooming with life again.

<Still… don’t you think this growth rate is strange?>
“Ah-ah! Talent.”

Of course, compared to my old self, I hadn’t even recovered half yet.
Still, with this level, I’d probably qualify as at least a C-rank hunter. The Crystal Guildmaster would be thrilled if I called him.
Not that I planned to.

‘No wonder I could manage even the 50th floors solo.’
I had thought it was all thanks to Infinity, but apparently my boosted stats also played a role.

…Wait. Mana 36?
Why?
I didn’t even need to calculate—it was clearly from the three extra points I had gained just now thanks to the lucky candy streak.

“Tich.”
<Yeah? What?>
“How much growth power do we have saved right now?”
The teddy bear rattled an empty can and answered.
<326. Why? You want to use that too? Hey, wait—are you giving this to me?>

Feeling sorry for him, I handed him another cherry pepper and went into calculations.

‘High-grade candy = 4, top-grade candy = 10.’
There were time restrictions (two weeks and a month), but the Tower of Growth was still the fastest and easiest way to increase stats.

‘Opening the 4th stage requires 100 influence. The 5th stage, 200.’
With the amount Tich just mentioned, I could barely meet the conditions.

“Then…”
My hand quickly clicked the mouse.
I noticed the price of a support buff I had glimpsed earlier while browsing the shop tab.

<500,000 Marks of Chill? That’s insanely expensive! And it says you can only buy it once?>
That was actually cheap.
Normally, it cost much more—but right now, there was a special discount event.
<Oh? So the real price is 500,000 marks. That’s still pricey. Blessing? What’s that?>
“A ridiculously powerful buff.”
In over ten years as a hunter, I had only ever received it during massive alliance raids or through sheer luck.
It was…
“About a +20 boost to total stats.”

Meanwhile…

[China Hunter Association: “Hunter X’s intrusion into the Heilongjiang Tower is unacceptable.”]
[Master Chen Long: “I will personally punish the criminal who disrupts the world’s order.”]

Following America, China had now officially labeled Hunter X an international terrorist.
Asia was in an uproar.

[Chen Xi Yi: “There must be an organization or country supporting Hunter X. Strong hunter nations like Korea and Japan should prove their innocence.”]

Chen Xi Yi, daughter of Master Chen Long and an S-rank hunter herself, had encountered Hunter X.
Her comment that he “looked Asian” caused Korea to fall under heavy suspicion, being China’s closest neighbor.

“So this week’s raid schedule is postponed.”
Giants Guild conference room.
At the words of first-team leader Kim Soo-hyun, the hunters’ faces twisted.
Days of preparation had gone up in smoke because of one statement from China.

“Ugh… kills the mood. You’ll scold me if I light up in here, right?”
“Yes, go outside if you want to smoke.”
At Choi Soo-jung’s calm response, Han Sung-tae sheepishly put away the cigarette he had half pulled out.

“So, Soo-hyun.”
As Soo-jung leaned back against the table with her hands clasped, Soo-hyun sighed.
It was her usual gesture whenever she was displeased.

“This week’s schedule is completely gone?”
“Yeah. China asked for cooperation.”
“And if we ignore them and push ahead with the raid?”
“…Then Master Chen Long himself will probably pay us a ‘one-on-one visit.’”
In other words, they wouldn’t be left alone.

“What, are we their vassal state now?”
“If he’s really a Master, then we’d all be flattened.”
“Well, technically, that’s true.”
“Damn it. Disgusting. Spit!”
“Clean that up. This isn’t your personal room.”
“…Fine.”

China using a Master to pressure Korea wasn’t new.
But this time, it felt like they had crossed the line.

“What about the higher-ups? Didn’t the Guildmaster and directors say anything?”
Asked Oh Min-seok, half lying against the table. Soo-hyun shook his head.
The Giants’ executives had immediately obeyed China’s warning and ordered a raid halt.
It was almost like they were a Chinese guild, not Korean.

“I told you, didn’t I? Our Guildmaster’s Chinese-Korean. Do you even see many Sims in Korea?”
“What do you mean? There’s Sim Bong-sa.”
At Han Sung-tae’s retort, Min-seok blinked.
“…Who’s that?”
“The dad in The Tale of Sim Cheong. Seriously, read a book.”
“Hey, I graduated elementary school, okay?”
“And this is why modern hunters are hopeless. At least I finished middle school.”
“…Wow, elite much?”

Soo-jung shook her head at the ridiculous exchange, then turned back to Soo-hyun.
“What about tower contribution ranking?”
“Currently 177th. At the rate we’re climbing, no major issues.”
“And the elite monsters above the 50th floor? Didn’t the Busan City Hall team ask for help?”
“For now… Min-seok, Sung-tae, and I will sneak in and handle them. We can’t allow civilian casualties.”
“They’ll let you?”
“We’ll just go secretly.”
He smiled bitterly.

They could delay the raid on Karas, the 72nd-floor boss of the Busan Tower.
But elite monsters were another matter.
They were three to four times stronger than normal ones and posed too much danger.
They had to be taken out immediately.

“Then let me join too. And split the rewards more generously.”
“Why? You need money?”
Soo-hyun looked puzzled.
“Yeah. A Blessing skill book went up on Sotheby’s Hunter Auction. I want to buy it.”

That single word froze the room.

“B-Blessing?”
“What?! It’s up for auction?”
“How much do you need?! I’ll pitch in!”
“…I just signed a housing contract last week, but I can lend you up to 1 billion won.”

Blessing—a buff that simultaneously raised Strength, Agility, Stamina, and Endurance.
Only high-level support hunters with Mana over 50 could use it.
Its power to massively boost stats made it the ultimate skill; parties with it could raid towers twice as easily.

There were only about five hunters in Korea who knew it.
Giants once had one, but he had defected to America last year.

“It’s fine. I’ve saved a lot. If I fall short, I’ll ask then.”
Soo-jung gently declined, then asked again.
“So what about next week?”

Her question struck home. Soo-hyun’s face twisted into a bitter smile.
“…Not sure.”
He had asked during the last meeting with the Guildmaster, but received no clear answer.

Silence fell again, until Min-seok muttered:
“Damn Chinese bastards. At least when Ji-min was around, they hesitated…”
“Can’t we bring him back?”
“He’d come if we called, sure.”
“But now he’s just an E-rank. China won’t even blink.”

Everyone sighed deeply.
They couldn’t help but miss the friend who had once led both Giants and all of Korea’s hunters into their golden age.

I invested all the influence I had into the Tower of Growth.
I decided to start with the 4th stage mana growth tower.

“I’ve done this plenty in games…”
<So?>
“This is my first time actually entering it myself. I’m nervous.”
<Wait, you said you did it often?>
“My characters did. I just pressed confirm when I saw success or failure messages.”

The 4th stage trial was like this:
Follow the constantly shifting mana circuit flow within a time limit and deliver mana to the designated point.
If successful, you’d get growth candy.

“Hm. Simple enough.”
<…Simple, really?>

Tich tilted his head at me, then I looked at the circuit too.
At least four different circuits overlapped like a tangled ball of yarn.
Just looking at it made my eyes spin.

But as long as you found the underlying rule and calmly followed the path, it was fine.
Guiding the mana was the same—ignore the distractions, match the timing, and guide it right.

<H-How did you do that?>
“Eh? You just do it.”
Was this supposed to be hard?
“Even Soo-hyun could clear this.”
<…Your friend, the S-rank hunter?>
“Yes?”
<……>

What’s with that face?
Tich’s plush face twisted weirdly.

<…Let’s go straight to the 5th stage.>

So we did.

<This… looks really hard.>
Tich’s eyes widened at the test.

“Hm…”
A three-dimensional space shimmered with dreamlike starlight, filled with countless crystals.
The task: move the randomly glowing mana crystal to its destination.

<Obviously you can’t touch them. You have to extend your mana to control them.>
“Uh, that’s obvious…”
<Just making sure.>

The 5th stage was clearly about precision mana control.
The crystals were close together and highly sensitive. One wrong move and everything could collapse.

<One mistake could send them all flying. Stay focused.> “Got it.”

The way he phrased it, it was like he expected me to fail.
But hey, I used to be called a national prodigy.
My pride wouldn’t allow me to slack here.

So I showed off a little.

<…W-What?>
Moments later, the mana crystals were all perfectly in place. Tich scratched his round head with his stubby paw.

How’s that? Surprised?

<Th-This makes no sense! It’s the Tower of Growth, but there’s no growth happening for you at all!>
“One top-grade candy is worth 10 stat points, though.”
<That’s not the point! This tower is supposed to improve your mana control ability!>

…So basically he was telling me to just eat the candies and keep raising stats faster?