Chapter 02
[You have become the Lord of the First Floor.]
Before I could even examine those unrealistic sentences in detail, there was something I needed to deal with first.
[Aqua… purr purr purr… (›´―`‹ )]
I need to save the spirit.
The spirit that had been thrashing around drunk had gotten sick from the alcohol, and its cheeks were sunken in.
First, I decided to go home and give it some water.
“Return!”
Flash!
Safely returned to my studio apartment.
I turned on the tap at the sink.
“Hold on a little.”
[Aqua… not drunk @#$#…… yet! %$#%! one more @##$% drink!]
Hearing the slurred speech, it seemed like it was still alive and kicking. I put the little guy into the sink.
Swoooosh―!
Clean tap water poured down on the spirit. Seoul’s tap water even has a brand name, you know.
It’s called Arisu…
With a rich chlorine flavor that’s a delicacy.
The spirit, having been pelted with Arisu, regained its vitality, and its wrinkled body became fresh and plump.
[Aqua… jolt! (☉.☉)!!!]
The spirit, who had been frantically gulping down Arisu, belatedly noticed my presence and started bouncing around. Looks like the alcohol finally wore off…
[Aqua… hisss! haaah!]
(꜆꜄꜆⚆ ⚆ )و✧
Well, well? The moment it regained its energy, it starts hissing at me?
It’s still trembling, but the bluster is no joke.
It seemed to have completely forgotten that I saved it by pouring beer on it.
‘Blacked out from the hangover.’
I decided not to be too strict about it.
Anyone can black out.
Not that I ever have.
“It’s okay. This is my home. You’re a guest.”
To think my first guest in my monthly-rent room is a spirit. My life sure is rough.
Grrrrr!
Seeing the mighty hungry rumble from the spirit’s stomach, it seemed very hungry.
I decided to cook some dried pollack soup leftover from a few days ago and serve it.
What a high-maintenance guest.
[Aqua… drool drool drool. (꜆꜄•ㅁ•)꜆꜄꜆]
Drool dripped from the spirit’s mouth as it sat before the dried pollack soup.
Drool drool drool.
Drool drool.
Drool-drool-drool-drool-drool-drool-drool-drool!!!!
“Whoa!”
That startled me.
It’s absolutely erupting with drool.
“Can you keep holding this in?”
It won’t be easy. Dried pollack soup during a hangover is a ticket to heaven.
[Aqua… suspicion suspicion! ꒰`•ㅁ•´꒱]
Explain yourself!
The spirit struggled to resist the dried pollack soup and demanded answers from me.
Explain myself?
About what?
About my kindness, obviously.
What a shameless little creature, but I actually felt sorry for it. The spirit was confused by my kindness.
That’s the kind of world inside the Tower.
Survival of the fittest!
The defeated receive no protection.
This spirit, too, had been withering away on the First Floor.
[Aqua… fidget fidget…]
When I showed no reaction, the spirit deflated on its own and shrank into a corner of the sink.
No home.
Nothing at all.
So it even doubts others’ goodwill. Because it’s never received help from anyone.
Poor thing. I pushed the dried pollack soup closer to the spirit.
“Today, eat and drink to your heart’s content. It’s on me!”
[Aqua… shock! (๑•̀o•́)!!!]
“I’m not lying.”
[Aqua… gulp! (つ ◕_◕ )つ]
The spirit agonized for a while, then began devouring the dried pollack soup.
Gulp gulp gulp gulp!!!!!
It really drank with gusto. The expression “drinking with the strength of a nursing baby” fit perfectly.
[Aqua… sniff sniff…]
[Aqua… delicious! ｡°(˃ɷ˂ഃ)°｡]
The spirit ate the dried pollack soup while shedding tears. Tears poured out like a faucet, carrying all its accumulated sorrow.
I let it cry.
Inside the Tower, even flowing tears had to be conserved, but now there’s no need for that.
Arisu is 0.51 won per liter.
* * *
The spirit drank a lot of water.
One liter.
Ten liters!
A hundred liters…?
Having grown tired of waiting, I showered and came out in the middle of it. I even applied a 10,000-won value lotion and dried my hair with a blow dryer.
“What the. Still drinking???”
[Aqua… pfft!]
The spirit finally pulled its mouth away from the tap. Even after drinking what must have been hundreds of liters of water, its body was still the size of a coin.
Where did all that water go?
It was the mystery of spirits.
“Good to see you’re better, Spirit.”
[Aqua is… Aqua! ( ◡̀_◡́)ᕤ]
Aqua put on airs and formally introduced itself.
So Aqua is your name?
A water spirit, so Aqua. Easy enough to understand, though I couldn’t help thinking its parents named it a bit carelessly.
[Aqua… dignified! (ง •̀ゝ•́)ง]
Ooh.
Aqua’s personality had already become bold and confident!
The status window had changed too.
=======
<Water Spirit Aqua>
[Vitality: Spirit Level]
[Defense: Spirit Level]
[Attack: Spirit Level]
Status: [Dignified] [Relieved] [Life Sustained] [Joy]
=======
Its condition had improved greatly. Just drinking water made it this healthy. A spirit’s life is convenient.
“So what exactly are you?”
[Aqua… Water Spirit! Q–(ᵔ.ᵔ Q )]
That’s already on the status window…
Aqua described itself as a “Great Genius Spirit,” a “Supremely Intelligent Spirit,” and an “Awesome Super Amazing Spirit.”
‘Hmm.’
The more answers I got, the more a strange suspicion grew.
This creature… isn’t there a high probability it’s just not very smart…?
[Aqua… Spirit of Spirits! (づᵔ.ᵔ)づ]
Since Aqua’s explanations were completely unhelpful, I decided to enlist the internet’s help.
“If we’re going to live together from now on, I’ll need information.”
But no matter how much I searched, there were no cases of anyone picking up a spirit on the First Floor.
There was at least a profession called “Spirit Master.”
I also looked up an interview with the world’s most famous number-one Spirit Master, Robert.
[Spirits are terrifying beings. I serve the spirits of wind and rock, and I follow 52 daily routines to keep them pleased. I offer 95% of my earnings to them, and…]
…You call yourself a Spirit Master.
Aren’t you just a spirit’s servant?
Furthermore, Spirit Masters can’t even meet spirits face to face. They desperately pray and borrow a fraction of their power.
Summoning is absolutely impossible, apparently.
Hmm.
Looks like I might be the world’s first spirit-picker-upper? That made me feel good.
“I’m… a Spirit Tamer!”
[Aqua… yay! (づᵔ.ᵔ)づ]
On top of that, thanks to Aqua, I had claimed the Tower’s First Floor.
Aqua is a total lucky charm.
“Yeah. That’s right. I became the Lord of the First Floor! But was it even allowed for an individual to own a Tower?”
The Tower cannot become private property.
Neither governments, nor militaries, nor dictators can claim rights over the Tower.
Climbers can enter their country’s Tower anytime, anywhere, just by shouting “Tower Entry!”
Furthermore, inside the Tower, you can’t meet other teams.
This gets a bit confusing. The Tower’s nature is that of a public good, so what advantage does owning the First Floor give?
I looked at the Tower outside the window.
[Tower of Seoul]
[Indestructible]
The Tower provides infinite resources.
The world’s economy depends on the Tower.
Climbers risk their lives for rewards, but the First Floor is the exception.
The First Floor is boringly safe, but by the same token, no gold or treasure ever pops out.
How do I make use of the First Floor?
“Let me check it out myself. First Floor Entry!”
Oops.
I forgot about the daily entry limit. Tower rules say entry is once per day.
“Huh?!”
Flash!
A vast wasteland appeared. I had entered the Tower’s First Floor.
[Lord Han Ja-in]
[Daily Entries: 9997 remaining]
What.
I can enter the First Floor 9999 times a day? I couldn’t believe it, so I double-checked.
“Exit!”
Flash! I returned to my studio apartment.
“First Floor Entry!”
Flash!
I was transported to the First Floor’s wasteland.
“Exit. Enter. Exit. Enter. Exit. Enter.”
Fwip-fwip-fwip-fwip! After going back and forth between the Tower and my apartment, I could finally accept it.
I am the Lord of the First Floor.
It’s only natural that I can come and go freely when entering my own land!
“Hahaha. This is all thanks to Aqua.”
[Aqua… ahem!]
[Aqua… a capable one! ( ◡̀_◡́)ᕤ]
Hehe.
Aqua puffed up with pride at my praise. Let it puff up all it wants.
‘While I’m at it, should I try to own the Second Floor too?’
With Aqua’s firepower, it should be entirely possible. Aqua was also quite motivated to climb.
[First Floor Lord’s Declaration!]
[If you move between floors, you will declare “War” on the other Lords.]
“What!”
So other floors have Lords too, just like the First Floor.
Then would the Lords welcome my visit?
No way.
Anyone can see it’s an invasion.
Now that I’ve become a Lord, moving between floors has become an incredibly political act.
So how am I supposed to climb the Tower from now on?
[Upon Declaring War]
[Diplomacy: Completely Destroyed +++]
[Public Condemnation Statements +++]
[Coalition Formation +++]
Whoa. Aren’t you laying it on a bit thick? This kind of system is just like… the Civilization 13 game, isn’t it?
Right down to stepping on the wrong land and triggering a war, then getting condemned by every nation.
For now, I’m a rookie Lord.
If I declare war and the Lord Coalition comes and smashes my studio apartment, what then?
“Ugh. My entire deposit might fly away…”
War is out.
Fortunately, there is a way to climb floors safely.
I just need to be formally invited as a state guest.
<Your Territory Level>
[Trash Terrain]
[Barbarian Civilization]
[Diplomacy: Broke]
========
“……”
Getting treated as a state guest might be difficult.
For now, anyway.
Swoooosh.
While I was worrying, countless stars rose in the night sky.
Those were the gazes of those I had yet to meet.
They speak through starlight.
Your territory is nothing but wasteland, so just give up.
“Haha. Easy for you to say.”
How am I going to grow my territory?
Please.
It’s worth a shot.
“You don’t seem to understand… a Seoulite who gets hot-and-cold-pressed in the subway for four hours a day just got land.”
Do you know how hard it is to get even a patch of land in Seoul? If you go into jeonse, you get scammed. If business starts doing well, the landlord raises the rent.
Government housing?
When will it ever be my turn?
“You’d have to save up 500,000 cans of beer just for one apartment unit!”
But look at this.
I’ve been given a landmass as vast as the sea.
There’s plenty to do here. Camping you can enjoy alone, farming to start with.
All the way to full-scale land development.
“With Aqua here too, should I build a hydroelectric plant? How about a water park?”
Sparkle sparkle!
The stars in the sky still send suspicious looks.
Those are definitely the Lords of other floors.
“Seniors. Wait for me. I’ll catch up soon.”
Let me start with a simple business plan.
Climbers must have essential consumer goods, right? I’ll use my land to supply them!
I was about to search on my smartphone when I paused.
“Oh right. Wi-Fi doesn’t work in the Tower.”
My remark was embarrassing.
Ta-da!
Mutu-beu with its red logo launched.
[Lord Han Ja-in]
[Tower Wi-Fi Access Permission Acquired]
…!!!
Inside the Tower, all electronic devices become useless, but.
I’m a Lord.
The protocol isn’t bad, huh?
“If I supply Tower Wi-Fi technology to climbers, that would be a huge hit.”
It would be a guaranteed success.
But telecommunications technology is still beyond my capabilities.
On Mutu-beu, I found a useful video showing what climbers need.
“Ms. Wol Ha-yeon. What’s the hardest part about climbing?”
It was an interview with Wol Ha-yeon, Asia’s greatest Spirit Master.
“Finding vegetables grown in the Tower to eat is a headache.”
“Hmm. Is there a reason you must eat vegetables grown in the Tower?”
“Climbers lose mana just by breathing. It’s called mana decomposition phenomenon.”
“Is it like muscle loss?”
“Exactly. How wasteful would it be if all the mana you worked so hard to gather just scattered away? But if you eat vegetables from the Tower, the mana decomposition phenomenon stops.”
“So the vegetables were medicine all along!”
This is it.
Let’s grow vegetables in the Tower.
