I destroyed the east, west, and north control towers with Cheok Jungyeong, Jain, and Boss. The other players should discover the gate to the 4th floor within a week after they destroy the south tower.

[Player Extra7 has greatly contributed to Medea’s quest.] [The performance ranking for Medea’s quest has been updated.] [You have gained Medea’s interest.] [The remarkable power of your explosives has unlocked an achievement.] [Terrorist] Destroy 3 or more buildings with a single explosion. [You have acquired a trait!]

“Oh?”

I received several alerts, but the trait surprised me the most. The Tower of Wish featured unlockable achievements that gave bonus rewards for being the first to complete it. Players rarely met the requirements, but receiving a trait was even rarer.

[Bomber] [Low-intermediate rank] [Special attribute] [Static] Explosive Reinforcement — Will increase the power of explosives by 30%. The explosion attribute may be added to certain objects. The power of the explosion depends on the object’s value or rank. The object will disappear after exploding.

I received quite a good trait. I would’ve been happy with even a low rank one and basically just received a free gift.

“Oi, can I fight those guys?”

Cheok Jungyeong cracked his knuckles. I looked out and spotted the demons that survived the tower’s collapse.

[Lv.4 Demon Foot Soldier] [Lv.5 Demon Soldier] [Lv.6 Demon Centurion]

The Lv.6 demon would be a bit tricky, but Boss and Cheok Jungyeong should have no trouble.

“Do as you wish.”

Cheok Jungyeong immediately activated his skill, [Charging]. His massive body grew even bigger. Guooo— And magic power covered his body like fire. Then he shouted at the demons.

“Come!”

Despite his words, he was the one who impatiently charged towards them. KOONG! The Lv.6 demon centurion flew back with a single blow.

***

[Lv.5 Chameleon Troupe’s Hideout] Your vitality will recover 30% faster. After waking up, your stats and skill will increase faster by 7%.

We returned to our hideout after working up a sweat. I didn’t mean to brag, but our hideout suddenly jumped to Lv.5 thanks to me. Unlike other players who rented, I fully purchased ours and expanded it with several handmade pieces of furniture. It contained 4 masterpiece beds (made by Kim Hajin) and 2 masterpiece couches (made by Kim Hajin). Furthermore, I also built a shower room and turned the entire basement into a training room. Jain even stole an air purifier from a noble’s castle. Our hideout was undoubtedly the best in all of Prestige.

“Ah, my home. I love the air here.”

Jain hopped on the couch, full of smiles. Boss sat next to her and opened the community page. Recently, Boss liked to browse the community. I couldn’t blame her since this place didn’t feature any forms of entertainment.

Other players had fun adventuring, finding quests, and learning skills, but Boss didn’t seem interested in any of those. She hadn’t even learned any skills yet and seemed pickier than me.

“Boss, aren’t you hungry?”

“I already ate.”

Recently, Boss had been acting quite curt around me. I still didn’t know why. Was it because of the community?

I slowly peeked at her screen. Players could see what each other did once they became friends.

[Returnee from a Ruined World – Chapter 19] I remembered my home when I lost him. A world that no longer existed. Families and friends who lived there. Suddenly, I was struck with sorrow. It felt like the heavens pressed down on me… I will not die here. I will survive no matter what and drag him down from his throne. I will kill him with my own hands. That’s why I lived… Just you wait. My soul rose from the bottom of my heart.

[To be continued.] 5 TP per chapter! I am aiming for at least 10,000 characters per chapter! With my skill, story imprint, you will have a more realistic reading experience! Readers who donate TP may decide a character’s name!

“…”

Boss was reading a webnovel on some unknown player’s profile. It slightly surprised me. Of course, I recalled writing something like this in the original story.

[Ordinary players decided to do what they were best at after contemplating how to earn TP: creating novels, manhwas, alcohol, and cooking.]

However, I didn’t expect Boss to read a novel. She pressed on the screen after finishing chapter 19.

Would you like to donate 75 TP to the player Wallet? [Yes] Player Wallet has gifted you with a character name coupon!

She even donated to the guy. I became curious about what name she would give the character. Cheok Jungyeong suddenly asked while I looked at her screen.

“Oi, newbie.”

“… Yes?”

“What’s the most dangerous thing here?”

“Most dangerous thing?”

“Yeah, I’m looking for something or someone worthy enough to fight with my life on the line.”

Cheok Jungyeong stretched his muscles. He still wanted to fight after the Lv.6 demon centurion? I pondered about the most dangerous thing in Prestige.

“Other than the demon king, it would probably be the banshee.”

“Banshee?”

“Yeah, it’s hard to deal with its curse.”

The banshee’s curse led to death unless treated immediately. Not just a singular death, but a true death. This curse prevented players from leaving the tower and caused them to slowly suffer for up to 3 months before dying. Being able to revive didn’t mean anything. The curse wouldn’t lift upon death and would continue to follow the player.

“I see.”

“You should tell me immediately if a banshee curses you.”

I should be able to get rid of it with extraction if the curse remained at Lv.1.

“Heh, you think I’d get done in by something like a curse?”

“Well, the same goes for Boss and Jain. Just tell me immediately if a banshee curses you.”

With that, I turned to Boss’ screen once again. However, she seemed to have already submitted the character name and browsed through the public forum.

“Cough, then I’ll be going now.”

Cheok Jungyeong and Jain called out as I got up.

“Can you make some food before you go? I’m hungry, Hajin. You always only ask Boss.”

“You’re not going to train before you go?”

I could understand Jain, but even Cheok Jungyeong expressed regret. It must be because I’ve been training with him recently. It was hellish enough to kill me, but I barely held on with self-hypnosis. I can still do it. I don’t feel pain. I barely kept up with him with these 2 hypnotic suggestions.

“Do you want to return to Earth with me?”

“No, I like it here. It’s fun fighting with my strength restricted.”

Cheok Jungyeong smiled as though he truly enjoyed it.

“If you say so.”

I quickly went over to the kitchen to cook a boar steak for Jain.

[Lv.3 Kim Hajin’s Boar Steak]

“Wow. How is it Lv.3? It’s surprising no matter how many times I see it.”

I smiled from Jain’s compliment and teleported to my waiting room. Then I stretched and took a deep breath. One good thing about the waiting room was its sunlight. Muninn’s egg bathed under the warm light.

“Wait.”

I examined the egg closer.

“I knew it!”

It had grown bigger. Was it about to hatch? I smiled and sat next to it. I planned to leave immediately, but decided to wait for 30 minutes. The egg surely needed its master’s love.

“Mmm.”

I held it in my embrace.

***

[Lv.??? Highest Difficulty Tutorial Town]

The highest difficulty Tutorial Town troubled many players including Chae Nayun and Aileen. It also gained quite a bit of notoriety outside the tower. However, Kim Suho currently led a leisurely lifestyle. He couldn’t avoid receiving less from mercenary missions, but managed to gather the 1000 TP by being extremely frugal about living space and food.

Kim Hajin’s tutorial guide book contained the best haggling prices for various shops and inns. Other than this, it only gave general advice and told Kim Suho to look for things on his own. This led Kim Suho to find several hidden secrets.

“…?”

It first advised him to: [Walk slow and steady to find hidden secrets. There’s no need to hurry. Direction is more important than speed.] Following this, Kim Suho carefully explored the outskirts of the town and encountered someone unexpected.

“…”

“…”

Kim Suho stood in a daze at the girl sitting on a bench like a thug. The unexpected encounter caught them both off guard.

“I’m in a bad mood, so screw off.”

The girl broke the silence first as Kim Suho dryly coughed.

“I had a feeling I’d meet you here.”

“I said screw off.”

Kim Suho observed Jin Sahyuk’s condition. Her hair looked disheveled, her clothes had turned into a mess, and her lips swelled from stress. She clearly wasn’t having a good time.

“You don’t look… too good.”

Kim Suho honestly spoke as she shot back.

“You looking to die right now?”

“…”

He didn’t react to the provocation and simply sighed. They walked completely different paths. Still, she was the only remaining person from his home world. Kim Suho decided to talk things out like the saying, A battle can be won without fighting. He took out some jerky from his inventory, which he got from a boar that terrorized a farm.

“Do you want some?”

“You can shove it up your ass.”

Jin Sahyuk rejected his offer before getting up and glaring at him. She looked ferocious like usual.

“I want to kill you right now, but you’re far behind in line.”

“Line?”

“That’s right. You got pushed back to 237. You should thank everyone else.”

“There are 236 people in front of me?”

Kim Suho smiled bitterly. However, it didn’t take long to come to terms with it since Jin Sahyuk had always been a troublemaker in his hometown.

“You’ll still only be number 2 after I kill them all, so don’t count your chickens before they hatch.”

“What?”

Kim Suho frowned and couldn’t quite understand. Jin Sahyuk wanted to kill someone else more than him? Who could it… Ah!

“Are you talking about Kim Hajin?”

“Is that his name?”

Jin Sahyuk grinned. Kim Suho’s expression stiffened since he understood that smile.

“I wanted to kill him before I even knew his name.”

Jin Sahyuk added apathetically as Kim Suho placed his hand on his scabbard. Seeing this, Jin Sahyuk instantly unleashed her magic power.

“You’ll die the moment you take that out.”

“…”

Kim Suho silently faced off against her. His sword shone inside its sheathe as Jin Sahyuk’s magic power surged. Kim Suho’s hostility and Jin Sahyuk’s killing intent formed a cold and heavy atmosphere. However, he soon gave up on attacking after realizing that he worried about the wrong person.

“Heh.”

A small smile emerged on his face as he recalled a past incident.

“Didn’t you already lose to him?”

“What?”

Jin Sahyuk’s face instantly distorted.

“I didn’t see it clearly, but didn’t you get done in by a single coin?”

“…”

“I bet the same thing will happen even if you challenge him now.”

Kim Suho provoked her, but she didn’t say anything. She felt slightly odd for some reason. Not rage, but an uneasy feeling that bothered her. However, Jin Sahyuk still didn’t know why she felt this way.

“Hajin is the same.”

The tutorial guide book, a leather armor rivaling an intermediate rank artifact, and his career as Fenrir. Kim Suho felt certain Kim Hajin was just as strong as him, if not stronger.

“Screw off.”

Jin Sahyuk shot back. Suddenly…

“Suho! This is where you were?”

Kim Suho’s companions finally found him. He first met the Fermun brother and sister half a year ago and decided to travel together after meeting them in the tutorial. Kim Suho relaxed his hand and Jin Sahyuk also calmed down.

“What are you doing here? Yeonghan is looking for you.”

“Pft, I see you still have annoying flies around you.”

“Who’s this? I’m not like that!”

The older sister, Venessa Fermun, cut in. “If anything, it’s natural for a flower to attract butterflies.”

Vanessa bashfully grabbed the hem of Kim Suho’s shirt. Jin Sahyuk’s eyes narrowed in disappointment. However, Vanessa tactlessly pointed at Jin Sahyuk and laughed.

“From what I can see, you’re a butterfly too.”

“Shut your trap if you don’t want to die, crazy bitch,” Jin Sahyuk retorted.

***

I arrived home. Four weeks had passed since the last time. Thankfully, Evandel did just fine and became the leader of a small group that included Hayang, Haeyeon, and a 4 year old kid from the next block.

“Mm, so you don’t want to go anywhere?”

“I like it here!” Evandel replied and went back into her tent.

“…”

I felt slightly flustered alone. A tent sat in the middle of the living room like a secret base. I did something similar as a kid. Close friends would eat together, play games, and tell scary stories.

“Then I’m going out, okay?”

— Okay.

— See you later.

— Meow.

I could hear their voices from the tent. I felt a bit sad, but could only smile at their cuteness.

I left my apartment. September would soon end and beautiful autumn leaves decorated the garden outside. I walked towards the local playground and spotted a familiar figure. She sat on the swing and glided back and forth. I went and sat next to her.

“You didn’t take a limousine today?”

Kiik, kiik. Her swing creaked until it came to a stop. Ssss— The leaves rustled from the blowing wind as Yoo Yeonha looked up at the sky and sighed.

“Did something bad happen?”

“…”

She finally turned and faced me with an exhausted and troubled expression. Was something bothering her?

“What did you want to talk about?” I softly asked.

Yoo Yeonha had called me here. To be more precise, she left a message to contact her whenever I came back. I replied as soon as I saw and she promptly arrived.

“It’s about your request from before.”

“Oh, that’s done already?”

Yoo Yeonha nodded. The Falling Blossom information network surprised me. It grew quicker than I originally anticipated.

“But…” Yoo Yeonha looked at the ground and kicked the sand.

“There are things I can and can’t tell you…”

“Huh? What’s that?”

Yoo Yeonha sighed and raised her head. “You can choose. Do you want me to tell you everything or do you want me to tell you what I can.”

She sounded nervous and her voice trembled. I became serious as well from her expression. Suddenly, I felt a bit scared. Just how bad was Chundong’s past?

“Then… tell me what you can first.”

I didn’t want to force her to say anything she didn’t want to.

“Is that okay with you? You don’t know which details I’ll leave out.”

“You can tell me the rest when you’re ready.”

I smiled. “I don’t know what you’re hiding, but I can wait.”

“…”

Yoo Yeonha bit her lips. Then she swung on her swing once again. Kiik, kiik. It swayed as the wind blew and leaves fell. Time passed until she felt ready again.

“Um.”

“Yeah?”

“Have you heard of the Chameleon Troupe?” Yoo Yeonha looked at me and asked.