Chapter 12

After a long time, I slept deeply without any worries and woke up early like a great early bird.

Even though there’s no boiler, the chilly air doesn’t bother me.

The peaceful chirping of birds makes it feel like I’m in the countryside.

Now, I’ve gotten pretty used to it.

Today is the first day of the big project.

And it’s also the day I, who was just a regular guy until yesterday, died and was reborn as the epitome of health and gigachad energy.

Yo-Hena, true to her Saintess title, has already left for the sanctuary.

Ari’s snoring sounds like “dororong.”

Lumi’s sleep-talking goes “woong woong.”

Listening to the sounds of life from the next room, I carefully changed my clothes.

Without my usual hoodie, which secretly hates my neck, I stepped out in simple attire.

“It’s cold……”

Even though my temperature-sensitive self reacted sharply,

exercise won’t betray me.

Slowly picking up speed,

I started running leisurely through the quiet streets of the city.

First, from the Guild House to my shop.

While running, I checked if there were any thieves last night, fires, drunkards causing trouble, or if someone sprayed graffiti on the walls.

Next, to the plaza where I picked up Lumi.

I marveled at the majestic fountain, wondering if some kind of harmony was brought to this primitive fantasy world.

Then, I headed uphill and circled near the sanctuary of revelation.

The resonant singing, reminiscent of a hymn, seemed to heal my soul.

“In te spem habére, te dilígere──”

That’s Yo-Hena’s voice.

I don’t know what it means, but she sings well.

I also caught a glimpse of the temporary warrior barracks (cold, often messy, and full of fights) where Ari stayed.

As I kept running without slowing down,

“Saha, hello?”

“Huh? Huh? ……Huh?”

I greeted Saha, who was patrolling with some knights or militia members, clanking in their armor.

Finally, back in front of the Guild House.

“Haa, haa, haa……”

The cold air seeping into my lungs didn’t feel too bad.

Yeah, people should exercise.

A lively morning makes the day more productive.

To wrap up the refreshing morning,

I lay back down on the bed.

Just 10 more minutes of sleep.

—

As they say, great power comes with great recoil.

It’s like how using special powers in some manga shortens your lifespan.

“……So, you overslept.”

“Yo-Hena, it’s not oversleeping. I woke up and went back to sleep.”

I corrected the facts and continued eating nonchalantly.

Today’s lunch menu is Ari’s homemade mixed rice.

No joke, it’s literally mixed rice.

She’s officially off cooking duty from now on…….

But since people need to eat to live,

I forced it down my throat somehow.

“By the way, Ari, did you find the blacksmith?”

I asked the still-dazed, hungover mess.

With half-open eyes, she stared blankly at me for a moment.

“You introduced me yesterday……?”

What?

Are you still drunk?

Seems like it.

“Yesterday? You? Who? How?”

I pressed her with the classic who-what-when-where-why-how.

Ari, not one to back down, replied,

“Yesterday, Ha-Rong said he used to be a blacksmith……? We really searched hard yesterday…….”

“Wait, really?”

I thought he was just a drinking buddy who loved alcohol.

I didn’t see any hammer-worthy muscles on him.

As I grilled Ari a bit more,

I discovered something astonishing.

They had just met yesterday!

Yet they drank like lifelong best friends.

How is that even possible?

Women are truly terrifying creatures.

—

Putting today’s tower climb on hold,

I rushed to the shop right after finishing my meal.

“Yahoo~ Arc! You’re late.”

Ha-Rong, who was waiting, was as lively as ever, in stark contrast to the walking dead in the Guild House corner.

“Did you wait long?”

“Nah, just two hours at most.”

“……? That’s a long wait.”

“I’m unemployed. I’ve got plenty of time~”

Don’t say such sad things so casually…….

Now I feel bad too…….

We entered the shop together,

and I proudly showed Ha-Rong the newly unlocked forge, thanks to the tower’s power.

The response I got:

“……This is in serious condition, huh?”

What? Why?

Why is it serious?!

But as the expert explained, I had no choice but to agree.

The current forge only has the most basic setup, and it’s lacking essential equipment for actual work.

It felt like déjà vu from the Guild House days.

“But there’s a furnace. I’ve got my own magic hammer, so that’s fine. The real issue is the lack of an anvil. And tools like fullers, chisels, tongs, and quenching barrels are either rusty or missing…… but hey, we can buy them!”

The sound of money draining echoed in my ears.

“So, what’s the budget……?”

“Hmm. Starting cheap, about 10,000 gold?”

Hmm.

Cheap is a bit of a stretch.

No.

I’m destined for greatness in the water trade.

The Night Prince, the spirit of cocktails, the ruler of money. That’s me.

With tears of blood, I scraped together the amount Ha-Rong requested from the chest and handed it over.

Well.

Money comes and goes.

I’ll earn it back.

“……Ha-Rong…… please…… take care of it…….”

Anyway.

The expert will handle it.

But now that I think about it,

warriors usually wear the same outfit, right?

So what’s the point of equipment?

—

“Woof! Bark bark!”

“Lumi, be careful!”

Today’s climb is the 4th floor of the tower.

Watching Lumi go wild against monsters that don’t die in one hit, with Ari supporting her.

“Well, you see……”

The most knowledgeable intellect in our party,

the one and only human-level genius.

Um, healer.

And thanks to Lumi, who doesn’t get hurt now, I’m just a buff machine.

Yo-Hena kindly started explaining.

“Could you take a look here for a moment?”

Yo-Hena reached out her hand and waved it gently.

“Oh.”

I always wondered if they ever did laundry since they always wore the same clothes.

As her fingers waved, the hem of the saint’s robe became transparent and disappeared, revealing a pair of low-quality leather gloves underneath.

“As Arc knows, the source of our warriors’ power comes from these clothes blessed by the goddess. That’s why we can wield divine power.”

So, it’s all about the clothes.

Ah, that’s why the concept of “outfit skins” exists.

Changing clothes completely alters performance.

“…I can’t show you here, but think of it as wearing adventurer’s gear like underwear under the saint’s robe.”

“Can you show me somewhere else—”

*Thwack!*

Yo-Hena’s book hit me on the head.

…Well, it’s natural to be curious…

“Please behave properly, Arc.”

“Yes.”

Anyway, curiosity satisfied.

Yo-Hena, regaining her composure, continued the explanation.

“The bow Ari is holding may look like a blessed hero’s bow, but in reality, it’s just a slightly worn wooden bow. That’s why we need a blacksmith and why equipment is important.”

“Thanks for explaining, Yo-Hena.”

Curiosity satisfied!

While we were at it.

[Tower of Wishes 4th Floor – Deep Forest Area 3 Cleared!]

“Jjuin-nim! We’re done, woof!”

“Good job, Lumi.”

Lumi, who had autonomously cleared the area, came running over and stuck out her head.

Getting petted has become a habit.

Well, it’s not bad; it’s quite soft.

And so, we climbed the tower safely again today.

But today wasn’t a lucky day.

Because…

“No rainbow, woof…”

“Ugh…”

“…I guess our faith wasn’t enough.”

We failed the gacha again today.

At this rate, I might hit the pity ceiling.

Will I end up in a tug-of-war with the ceiling?

“It’s okay, Yo-Hena. It’s not the saint’s fault.”

I forced a smile and accepted today’s trash pulls.

Still, the pool of 4-star contracts has widened a bit, but I still don’t feel the need to recruit a 4-star yet.

We have a balanced team of DPS, tank, and healer.

Considering the stockpile of consumables and the guild house reconstruction trends, I don’t think we need to recruit another member just yet.

Instead.

“Ari, can you come here for a moment?”

“Huh? What’s up?”

We need to make the DPS stronger. Greater.

Time to level up.

I pulled out 50 3-star universal contracts from my inventory, licked my finger, and flipped through them like counting bills.

50 sheets.

Nice.

“Alright, Ari. Time to get stronger.”

“Huh? …Really?”

Have I been tricking her all along?

I’m always a model shop owner, working tirelessly for the welfare of our heroes.

“Yes. The other 3-star heroes are great, but Ari, you’re special. Let’s get stronger.”

“Woof!”

As Lumi chimed in, Ari carefully accepted the contracts I handed her.

Sparkle, sparkle.

And then, like a magical girl transformation scene—

“Whoa.”

For a moment, her silhouette was outlined in light, then it sparkled intensely.

Huh? Ari’s status…?

Congratulations! Ari has evolved to 4 stars!

Strength is proportional to exposure.

Her once modest outfit now reveals her soft underarms and belly button.

I feel refreshed. Ah.

It might be a bit cold in winter, though.

“I feel like I’ve been reborn…!”

Ari, amazed by her own transformation, kept looking at her hands, arms, body, everywhere.

That’s right.

A DPS should be at least 4 stars.

Everyone, applause.

Clap, clap, clap!

“Thank you, thank you! I’ll do my best!”

Seeing her jump around excitedly makes me feel good.

Even though she’s jumping, there’s no jiggle. Comfortable.

“I wonder how much stronger Ari has become. Shall we climb the tower a bit more?”

“Okay!”

“Woof!”

With this, we should be able to break through the 4th floor easily.

From the 5th floor onwards, many things will change.

The shop level will increase, boosting resource acquisition.

Reaching rank 4 will unlock ultimate skills.

The main story really begins at the 5th floor.

…The tower’s difficulty will also increase exponentially.

Especially the 7th floor, which I both look forward to and feel vaguely anxious about.

Once you clear the 7th floor, the “Dimension Arena” opens.

How will PvP be implemented?

Are there others like me who have been transported into this game?

Can we interact?

With these thoughts swirling in my head.

I watched Ari and Lumi bouncing around.

Hmm. Simmons.

Hmm. Jiggle.

I felt at ease.

Don’t worry about the future; focus on the present.