Right now, the Tower of Training is strictly controlled by the Foundation, but in the distant past, countless Adventurers sought out the tower, filled with dreams and hopes of becoming Warriors.
Monsters of disaster level rampaged, reshaping the landscape, and what was once a continent has now become an archipelago.
The long lines of Adventurers dwindled to nothing, their names lost to the ages.
However, the Director, who deciphered the existence of the Tower through ancient documents, has utilized its true potential.
Definitive enhancements up to +7.
This was also a huge contributor to the wealth the Director has amassed.
Gasp! ‘I’ve already grasped the true nature of the tower. To think it was a foolish arrogance.’
It was indeed a shocking discovery.
How is the tower maintained?
What happens to the unnecessary ‘impurities’ in maintenance?
These were concepts that had been dismissed with the convenient idea of relying on magic.
Oknodie took advantage of this and used all the backpacks of past Adventurers who had visited the Tower as enhancement materials.
Even the Adventurers themselves were no ordinary Adventurers.
They were strong enough to target a training tower dedicated to Warrior Parties, so their backpacks generally ranged from +3 to even +5.
A new position called ‘Pack Mule’ was born among the Adventurers, spurred by one Warrior who observed the loot-capturing effect of high-level backpacks.
Whine. “Aww, what a waste. I should have left at least one sticker.”
Having used all the stickers for guaranteed enhancements, Oknodie had so many backpacks left they blew up a few times due to enhancement failures.
Yet, she ultimately completed the enhancements she aimed for, and her backpack contained countless +10 backpacks.
“May I examine the specifications of that special backpack with an appraisal scroll?”
“Ehh. No way. Information on such a precious item can’t be leaked!”
“How about an exchange for unique-level cooking?”
“Um… three!”
“Sounds good.”
“But I have to see it alone?”
“Deal.”
The most special backpack that contains all magical backpacks.
The specifications appeared above the appraisal scroll.
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[Pack Mule No. 2 (Artifact (+12), Bound)]
Grade – Rare 3rd
Description – A backpack created by enhancing accumulated backpacks in the Tower of Training. This backpack can only hold backpacks. While equipped, growth is halted due to the backpack’s curse.
Effect 1 – Expanded capacity (100 slots)
Effect 2 – Expanded maximum storage weight (10 tons)
Effect 3 – Protection against physical damage below rank 4
Effect 4 – Protection against magical damage below rank 4
Effect 5 – Protection against status effects like flooding and corrosion
Effect 6 – Complete weight reduction of items in the backpack
Effect 7 – Search function to look up contents and retrieve them
Effect 8 – This backpack can only hold backpacks.
Effect 9 – While wearing this backpack, height and weight do not increase.
Appraisal Value – 10,000 gold, 1 million points
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Current Backpack Inventory (32)
Pack Mule No. 1, Weapon Backpack, Armor Backpack…
…Incredible.
It was specs that could only elicit admiration.
To bypass the [Specialization] penalty of being able to store only one type of item, a backpack that can only hold backpacks was created to store other specialized backpacks.
No need to rummage through each item, thanks to the search function properly implemented.
The accompanying powerful penalty, [Physical Growth Freeze], counteracts the severe drawbacks!
Chuckles ‘If the Pack Mule of the Warrior Party were to revive, they’d definitely be carrying this kind of bag.’
Just having this single backpack would warrant a gold medal for the mule.
Of course, the penalties weren’t light.
Height doesn’t grow.
Weight doesn’t increase.
For someone whose growth has ended, it’s not exactly a scary penalty.
For a Warrior Party that grows rapidly from a young age due to high potential, this is a backpack they should NEVER wear!
Therefore, someone must bear the burden of the penalty instead.
Only when someone willing to give up growth to silently perform the role of the Pack Mule exists can this backpack truly reveal its worth.
Oknodie blocked that detour with the element of [Bound].
By adding [Bound] as a penalty to manage the rising effect of opening each backpack while enhancing, she increased the risks involved.
Thus, the effects carried by each backpack grew even greater.
The greater the danger, the greater the reward.
A result that properly considered the exchange conditions of enhancement.
Snicker “Aren’t you afraid of the price you’ll have to bear carrying this backpack? You’re still young. What seems light now will be felt over time.”
The Director isn’t dumb enough to carry around a collection of different specialty backpacks inside this Pack Mule.
Even he, whose growth has already finished, could see the risk this backpack held, and that it was minimal compared to the issue of growth.
Hesitates. “What if the prized collectibles you painstakingly gathered get destroyed by a high-level attack?”
One could lose their entire collection overnight.
Of course, collections come with two types of judgment.
Ownership judgment and record judgment.
Ownership judgment applies just for having an item, while record judgment is obtained by carrying the item for 24 hours.
This backpack easily earns record judgment just for being owned.
However, even if collection effects can be gained, losing all obtained items at once is no different from bankruptcy.
Take food for instance.
Even if items grant collection effects, the Cooking Handbook does not activate without consuming a single serving.
There are many Handbooks that are tricky to qualify, just like the Cooking Handbook, which doesn’t acknowledge recognition with possession or records.
If one loses the collection they’ve spent a long time gathering before qualifying, that’s a massive loss.
Grins. “Then just keep enhancing it until it can withstand high-tier attacks! Isn’t this the ultimate item you can carry until the end?”
Interesting!
This Child’s view of the world is vastly different from others.
Is it their own wisdom?
Or the wisdom of the Destroyer who has become their mentor?
Whichever the case, this wisdom is sharp.
It’s hard to gauge how much further it can hone.
Perhaps even that Dragon Principal might get a sharp strike if they keep this up.
Pouts. “But Papa, why did you hire an enhancer instead of just using the enhancement room? I thought you hired one because you couldn’t go up to the 70th floor, but you just took the elevator!”
Shrug. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. I’ve never hired an enhancer.”
“Eh…? Then who is the blacksmith who supposedly enhanced the light stands on Titosso’s ship?”
“His name is Ferguson. Verification is already underway.”
“Ahh.”
The child’s expression finally turned fearful for the first time.
They’d never shown fear even while eating the Steak of Despair or experiencing the Foundation’s power indirectly; this weak side of them piqued interest.
What could be up with this blacksmith named Ferguson?
“Isn’t he the professor teaching [Enhancement Smash Smash] in the Production Department?”
It’s understandable to be surprised if it’s an Academy professor.
But it has become bothersome.
Just when they thought they had outsmarted the Dragon Principal, two professors had already snuck onto the cruise ship.
Chuckle. Raeb was killed.
That’s a gain.
However, the approach of the blacksmith professor would have gone unnoticed if it weren’t for Oknodie.
The emergence of a new professor who hadn’t been on the faculty list until now.
How did Oknodie catch onto that?
“Looks like the chefs are going to get busy.”
More and more questions arose.
To resolve this spiraling curiosity, it seemed they would need quite a few unique dishes.
Ferguson recalled the Principal’s call.
“Get on the cruise ship and watch over the kids. A Foundation infiltrator has appeared among the professors.”
The Principal’s concerns had become a reality.
He had already caught onto Professor Raeb’s stowaway.
Unlike Raeb, who had secretly boarded the ship, one of the blacksmiths working onboard had been recruited, forged their identity, and officially boarded.
This meant a distinction in the available facilities and roaming range.
This would naturally lead to a disparity in the amount of information.
Tsk tsk. “I’ve heard young dementia is rampant these days, but they’ve truly gone off the deep end.”
Ferguson unleashed forbidden enhancement techniques, swiftly plunging the ship into chaos.
The moment he received intel that a specialized cargo ship arrived first at the destination uninhabited island, unleashing the Blue Metal Mice, Ferguson realized it was a trap.
That uninhabited island was advantageous for metal workers.
It was an optimal trap to thwart Raeb, a freezing spell caster, in a marine environment.
To aid the chaos, he enhanced the light stands, allowing the students to run riot on deck.
Raeb took advantage of the disorder and crossed over to the uninhabited isle, where he met his end.
However, an unexpected situation arose.
The rampage of the Apostle of Anrage.
Thanks to Oknodie’s arrangements, Raeb collapsed unable to show his true power, but Ferguson felt a significant chill at the possibility that the students’ souls could be swapped with those of Anrage’s followers.
He was a professor in the Production Department.
Even if he could unleash tremendous combat power with high-level equipment, he had no confidence in stopping the Apostle of Anrage.
The moment the contract of soul swapping occurred, he would have to enhance his body.
Using the destructive phenomena that accompany [Enhancement Failure] to burst souls was the only hope he had, but sacrifice was inevitable.
Through reverse flow, some students could return to their own vessels, while others might fall into a coma, turning into vegetables.
At that point, they would need to call in a professor skilled in soul manipulation from the Department of Necromancy.
The longer it took, the more students would die.
Still, he felt he had done what he could.
But Oknodie leaped past Ferguson’s plans and saved all the students.
“In the worst case, let at least Oknodie be saved.”
Now he understood the reason for prioritizing Oknodie over a Warrior.
The depth of wisdom differed from merely raw strength.
That kind of child is currently doing something at the tower they call the Director’s Mansion, meeting with the Foundation’s Director.
Should I request bombardment?
He pondered whether he should hurry to get Oknodie out of the mansion when a representative from the Foundation appeared.
“Professor Ferguson.”
“Eh? You’ve got the wrong person. I’m a blacksmith.”
“You’ve been confirmed as the appointed professor of the Production Department. Your identity as a watcher from the Academy has been revealed. No need to act coy.”
“…Foundation representative Jonnas. If I don’t need to act, why don’t you just say it plainly? When will you release our students?”
“Don’t worry. The students plan to return by boat today. I’ve come to convey that.”
A short while later, just as Jonnas said, the students emerged from the mansion.
Each one came out holding +5 grade equipment, which made Ferguson uneasy, but it wasn’t the first time the Foundation sought to poach Academy Students.
A not insignificant reward.
Some even held +10 grade equipment.
With this incident, the Academy couldn’t just keep silent and let it slide.
They would hastily open the treasure vault to give the students something to hold and something healthy to eat before their hearts swayed towards the Foundation.
At least the saving grace was that the bothersome tasks would be handled by the Principal or other staff members.
His role ended with bringing the students back.
In the worst case, securing only Oknodie’s safety was sufficient.
“However, two students will be returning separately, so please understand this point.”
Of course, the Foundation wouldn’t make it easy for the Academy.
Among the students who returned on the cruise ship, Oknodie was nowhere to be seen.
