Chapter 44: Full Moon Wolf 4
The day Han Se-ah slipped away to the temple to dodge the mages' endless prattle, a lot changed overnight.
The most noticeable change was the imposing stone gate that stood tall in the morning light.
Whether it was the work of magic or the system's power, the gate was built in a single night.
It was so large that it could swallow not just people but entire carriages.
"So, what did we get for taking down the Full Moon Wolf?"
"First, we've got an unlimited access pass to the 10th-floor gate, plus a set of intermediate-level adventurer gear for me and Grace. Irene and Roland each get to pick a magic tool. They say they're out of cash since they used all the Full Moon Wolf loot to build the gate."
"Magic tools? Sounds good."
Han Se-ah got a mage's robe infused with magical power and a hefty staff with a magic stone embedded into it.
Grace, on the other hand, received leather armor treated with a magical potion.
Of course, Irene, who insists on sticking with her nun's robes while we're in the tower, and me, for whom intermediate-level gear is no use, were given magic tools instead.
I got a purifying gadget, like an air cleaner, and Irene received a device to keep the kids warm in winter.
'So, gear and skill upgrades instead of money? Not bad.'
It seemed like Han Se-ah, as a mage, got some extra skill points too.
It felt like the game was rewarding us for killing the boss.
And so, our party members gathered around a table in the cafe.
I stole glances at the forum while engaging in conversation.
Following Grace's suggestion to take a break, we rendezvoused on the bustling market street.
After all, being an adventurer is a dangerous business.
If you don't take time off when you need it, you could work yourself to death.
From a gamer's point of view, if you log in and hunt every day, you end up working seven days a week.
Working seven days a week, clocking in 360 hours a month and no life insurance?
That's one crazy schedule.
"But an unlimited gate pass?"
"The Magic Tower built that costly gate for research. Even if it didn't involve Full Moon Wolf loot, the material cost for such a space-travel gate would be pricier than most nobles' estates."
"Indeed, it seems like incredible magic."
No doubt, a space-travel gate isn't child's play.
Even for a mage, magic that transcends space isn't cheap or easy to use.
If it were that simple, I would have hopped through a gate whenever I had a request in the kingdom's outskirts.
But gates linking the kingdom's cities are rare, only accessible to high-ranking nobles and esteemed people of the Magic Tower. 𝓯𝓇𝘦𝘦𝑤ℯ𝓫𝑛𝓸𝑣𝓮𝓁.𝒸𝘰𝓶
Just giving a regular adventurer access to such a gate is a massive perk.
It means joining a privileged group in a world where social hierarchy matters more than money.
"So we're starting from the 10th floor tomorrow? That's great."
Grace, taking a sip of her drink, shares her thoughts.
If you can skip the first nine floors that aren't profitable, most people would be thrilled.
Unless the gate cost is absurdly high, intermediate-level adventurers will use it every time.
Mages with any sense would set a fair price.
One that 10th floor adventurers, who earn their living hunting horned wolves, could afford.
It's more enticing to pay the Magic Tower to use the gate than to trudge through nine floors, allowing more time to hunt more horned wolves.
Of course, this didn't concern our party, who could use it for free.
"But what was up with that wolf?"
"Huh?"
"I mean the Full Moon Wolf. A beast that popped up out of nowhere outside the tower, leading a whole pack. It was a big deal. But it got sorted out so easily."
"Well, yeah"
Grace speaks and points her arrows towards me, who was lost in thought.
It seems she's still holding a grudge from when she was teased earlier.
Surprisingly, Irene backs up Grace.
Even Grace herself looks shocked, casting a wide-eyed gaze at her.
Of course, the meek and shy future saint isn't upset because the adventure ended too easily.
"As a person of faith, on a journey of hardship, it feels odd that it was so easy. But as a nun who takes care of the temple's people, I'm glad no one got hurt. It's a rather complex feeling...."
"Ah, I see. Well, as long as nobody was injured."
The temple priests' climb of the tower is a sort of pilgrimage, a challenge.
If Christian pilgrimages involve visiting places of religious importance, pilgrimages of the Goddess Church mean those with divine power travel to places the Goddess's will doesn't reach.
In that sense, it feels a bit hollow since it was too easy.
It's like having a shuttle bus on an 800km pilgrimage route that you're supposed to walk.
And that shuttle bus saved lives, so there was no extra loss.
Irene, nibbling on a small cookie, shares her mixed feelings, looking somewhat troubled.
Of course, it was Han Se-ah who comforted her.
"Well, isn't it positive that we managed to spread the Goddess's will more widely because we resolved the situation easily? In that light, it's okay to feel good about it."
"That's true. Hanna, you have such a knack for words."
Three gorgeous women, all blessed with good looks and enviable figures, one of whom modestly hid hers, were chatting and laughing, naturally catching the eye of everyone nearby.
Suddenly, someone smacked the back of my head.
"Hey, kiddo! Your tastes have certainly changed since I last saw you."
"Huh?"
This woman spoke with a blend of brashness and cheerfulness.
Even the others were taken aback by her boldness.
However, the reason for my surprise wasn't her lack of manners.
'I didn't notice her until she hit me?'
Despite striding across the caf and approaching me from behind, I hadn't sensed her presence.
I may not be a professional scout, but failing to notice her until she struck the back of my head, at my level of ability?
Turning around in surprise, I saw a tall, slender woman with long red hair cascading down to her waist, looking down at me.
Her hair was glossy but slightly frizzed, reminiscent of a wild beast's mane.
Did I know someone like her?
"...Who are you?"
"Huh? Kid, you've learned how to joke. When you first arrived at the tower, you were shaking like a leaf."
"Wait, are you... Rebecca?"
"What's with the 'Rebecca?' just call me 'Rebecca.'"
The woman, nonchalantly pulling a chair from a nearby table and sitting beside me, took my iced coffee and downed it.
As she crunched the ice with her white teeth, I finally remembered her name.
Rebecca, the mercenary who had left me on the 37th floor and should now be on the tower's 43rd floor.
There's only one red-haired female warrior who could approach me unnoticed.
Her speech, behavior, and character confirmed it: this was Rebecca.
But there was a reason why I hadn't recognized her initially.
Rebecca wasn't this beautiful before, was she?
"You've become more beautiful since I last saw you."
"I've just returned to the city after a long while and freshened up. Why, does this sister's face make your heart flutter?"
Nonchalantly crossing her legs, she made quite an impression.
Unlike Grace and Irene, who seemed bewildered by the situation, Han Se-ah, her mouth agape, was awkwardly talking with her chat.
Rebecca hadn't just become prettier; she'd also received some stars.
I knew that various people, from the local baker's wife to Grace, a simple village girl, had transformed into gacha characters and received stars.
But seeing someone you've known for several years go through the same change feels different.
"So, are you planning to return to the tower? We've been short on decent vanguards lately, and it's been quite a hassle."
"I'm not heading straight for the 43rd floor."
"Because of the beginners you've taken under your wing? You've even managed to recruit a priest in such a short time. Impressive."
Rebecca seemed somewhat disappointed, licking her lips.
But thanks to her new-found beauty, her demeanor appeared more down-to-earth and spirited, rather than brash and rude.
...Before her transformation into a star-studded gacha character, she bore more resemblance to a filthy wild beast.
Due to the harsh conditions of the tower, with her disheveled hair and infrequent baths, she was practically a homeless beast.
It's as though a homeless person at Seoul station became Won Bin after a good cleaning and grooming.
"Um, who is this lady...?"
"Me? I'm Rebecca. A b*tch who lives on the edge and came to climb the tower in hopes of big money."
In response to Irene's question, Rebecca grinned, revealing her gums.
She grabbed a handful of my cookies and crunched them down.
It was like watching a delinquent intruding on a group of honor students.
And this delinquent had physical prowess.
She may act brashly towards me, who was assisted and nurtured by her during my early days as an adventurer, but she seemed to have no intention of being disrespectful to a temple priest, as her pillaging ended with my coffee and cookies.
"So, why are you here instead of on the 43rd floor?"
"It's because of you. You bagged some rare horned wolf and managed to open a gate to the tower's 10th floor, right?"
"What... The news reached the 43rd floor overnight?"
"You've really forgotten everything. The mage on the 43rd floor heard about the gate and threw a fit, insisting on returning immediately. The news has already spread like wildfire."
Ah, that makes sense. The senior mages must have bragged to the 43rd-floor mage through a crystal ball.
Rebecca, reclining in the chair like a well-fed beast, opened her mouth.
"So I came to negotiate about the use of the gate. Hey, if you're raising kids, why don't you take one of ours and raise them?"
***
Uhh Won Bin is a SK actor very famous for his looks. No other meaning other than homeless-looking girl takes a shower and turns into someone as beautiful as an actress/actor.
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