Chapter 18: Ddakkeum, the Sword That Shook the Tower

A day passed.

‘So?’

Rani is fully charged.

[Fixed Team Summon]

Rani (High-Grade)

“Sohjang! Rani’s here!”

When she calls out, her energy is unmistakably different.

She’s waving her hand and bouncing around…

‘What’s with her?’

‘Why is she this excited already?’

“Rani wants materials! Sohjang promised I’d get to touch some good materials when you come tomorrow!”

Ah, no wonder she was overly excited.

“Materials?”

“Yep!”

Of course.

I have to give them.

“Get ready to be amazed.”

Opened inventory, and handed over the materials in a flash.

[Basilisk Fang, Spider Queen’s Venom Gland, Meteor Sword (Fragment), Gargoyle Wing Fragment, Mithril Ingot, High-Grade Mana Stone]

‘Rani?’

“Materials, materials!”

She came running excitedly but then froze.

‘How’s that? Plenty, right?’

Look at her eyes wide open.

“Wow… that’s a lot!”

“Right? I told you yesterday you’d get to handle good materials tomorrow.”

Rank 1, I Bojun.

That guy sure has deep pockets.

Just the materials alone must be worth a fortune.

“It’s a sword! Rani, can I use this as material too?”

‘Sword?’

‘Ah, the Meteor Sword fragment?’

“Of course. They sent it for you to use, so use it all you want.”

“Yay! Awesome!”

You really can use it without holding back.

The materials arrived neatly.

[Crafting Request]

[Required Item: Sword]

[Main Materials: Basilisk Fang ×20, Meteor Sword (Fragment)]

[Sub Materials: Spider Queen’s Venom Gland ×8, Gargoyle Wing Fragment ×6, Mithril Ingot ×20, High-Grade Mana Stone ×10]

Usually, only 10 main materials are needed.

Baek Hwarang sent exactly that much.

But here, it’s 20.

Same goes for the other materials.

Exactly double the quantity.

This means…

“Make one and send it over, and the rest are for you to use.”

Generosity fitting for rank 1.

Or maybe it’s desperation of that scale.

“Ready! Rani will make it right away!”

Ready for what?

Ah, the hammer.

‘What’s in the other hand?’

She’s clutching the materials tight.

Rani, I always say this, but no one’s going to snatch those from you…

Anyway.

She held them as is and went to a corner.

“Hehe.”

Smiling brightly, she started hammering.

She’ll have it done soon enough.

Meanwhile…

“I should call Arthur and the other workers to run Automatic Hunting.”

“It’ll take a while.”

***

Yeah.

Arthur already dashed through the Tower and the orc dungeon, then had a cup of coffee…

“Hwaa-!”

But Rani’s still hammering away.

‘Is it because the materials are high-grade?’

“This might be the longest one yet.”

“Longer than Hwarrhwa!”

“Hwalhwal was faster.”

“Really?”

Yeah…

We watched together.

She made it fast, but the stats were unbelievable.

What kind of sword takes this long to make…

“Tada! Done!”

Oh, finished.

Rani’s third sword.

Now that we have it, better ask.

“Rani, what do you want to name this one?”

“Ddakkeum!”

No hesitation this time.

Well, it’s her third already…

She must have thought it up while making it.

“Ddakkeum…?”

“Yeah!”

***

After Hwalhwal and Hwarrhwar comes Ddakkeum.

Our Rani’s naming sense is uniquely something else.

We’re going to be making a lot of items from now on…

Still, the crafter’s opinion?

We must respect it.

“Ddakkeum… nice.”

“Right?”

Does it really?

But there’s no choice.

If it had another name, Baek Hwarang would feel left out.

Like, “Mine’s Hwarrhwar!”

“So, Mr. I Bojun, your weapon’s name is Ddakkeum.”

“Still better than Hwarrhwar, right?”

“Hmm…”

“I guess so.”

Anyway.

As long as it performs well…

“Ma-dda! Hwarrhwar! Nice!”

‘See?’

This customer’s satisfied too.

Besides, Ddakkeum was made with care by Rani.

So the performance should be good.

[Ddakkeum]

[A masterpiece crafted by a skilled artisan.]

[Adds powerful poison damage.]

[High chance to inflict poison status on enemies.]

[Ignores a portion of enemy defense using the power of the meteor.]

[Can use special skill ‘Venom Overdose.’]

[Immune to poison below a certain level.]

“Wow…”

Rani, I don’t think that name fits.

It’s not just ‘a little sting.’

“Better than Hwarrhwar!”

“Right.”

Better materials were used…

But what came out is just ridiculous.

The requester will be surprised too.

They probably didn’t expect this much.

“Heh~! That was fun!”

If it performs like this, the recipient will naturally be happy.

And Rani’s happy too.

This request was a success.

[Send Ddakkeum right away?]

[Request done.]

The reward immediately went into inventory.

[High-Grade Mana Stone ×100]

Insane.

“With this, I really won’t have to worry about money.”

Hunters make a lot, but spend a lot too.

‘Why?’

Because they need to match their equipment…

And equipment is expensive.

‘So what about Yoon Hajun?’

“Hmm… why buy equipment? Rani will make it.”

“Rani’s really a lucky charm.”

“Rani, a lucky charm?”

“Yeah.”

“Bokdeong-i! That’s right!”

Look.

***

Arthur agrees while waving his arms.

She really is a lucky charm.

Ding!

[A Request Has Arrived.]

‘What now?’

Seeing Rani happily jump around, someone interrupts.

[Requester: I Bojun]

‘Huh?’

‘Another request?’

No way.

One was enough.

If she does more, Rani will collapse.

‘Was about to reject it, but—’

“Oh?”

The request message is…

[Thank you sincerely. Please accept this token of my gratitude.]

That’s all.

‘A token of gratitude?’

Wonder what they’re giving.

Might as well accept it.

‘What did they send?’

Glanced through the inventory.

“A ring?”

It’s probably not just decoration.

‘Can I check its stats?’

Oh, it popped up.

[Ring of High-Grade Healing]

Grants healing effect to the desired target.

Can instantly heal injuries up to moderate severity once.

[Usable once every six months.]

“Giving something like this?”

Healing up to moderate injuries…

This must be absurdly expensive.

“That’s a great item!”

“Exactly!”

Yeah.

It clearly looks that way.

Personally, I think it’s better than mana stones.

Workers rarely get injured, but if they do, having this is great.

So…

“I’ll use it gratefully.”

Customer, please use the sword well too.

And don’t break it again.

Seoul.

In front of the house of I Bojun, rank 1 in Tower clearing.

“What brought you here?”

***

“Didn’t the Gukjang come yesterday? Why didn’t you come out?”

“Yeah. He just said we’d meet later.”

“Aren’t you close with the Gajang?”

“We are. But I came separately at night, and he still didn’t come out.”

The Awakening Management Bureau’s Gajang, Yoon Jihyuk.

He’s personally like an older brother to I Bojun.

I thought they were pretty close.

But yesterday was no good.

When I Bojun said clearing the tower was tough, Jihyuk came out a few times to drink.

“Well, it’s the situation…”

Right.

So he had no choice but to just pass on the Labor Management Office Head’s news and leave.

But…

Now he’s contacting to meet within a day?

Maybe things got better.

“How about the Labor Management Office Head? Taking requests now?”

Yoon Jihyuk isn’t awakened himself.

Instead, he brought an awakened subordinate.

“Hmm… the one I submitted was rejected, and it looks like all requests on the bulletin board were rejected too.”

“Sigh… can’t they just make one more?”

“There’s a cooldown, apparently…”

Jihyuk is also from the Management Bureau.

Of course, he knows this stuff.

Still, it’s a shame.

Just one more…

“Here they come?”

Right.

If only I Bojun could get weapons made.

Sighing deeply out of regret, I saw—

What’s that in his hand?

“A sword?”

Not the Meteor Sword?

No.

The Meteor Sword was shattered to begin with.

“Bro told me yesterday the Labor Management Office Head made Baek Hwarang’s weapon.”

“Yeah… no way?”

“Exactly.”

‘They accepted the request?’

They said they rejected everything…

Looking at the subordinate, he nodded.

‘But how did he manage it?’

“Look at this. You’ll be surprised when you see the options.”

“Let me see.”

‘How good could it be?’

Got it and looked.

“This looks better than the sword Baek Hwarang received.”

“Of course. I emptied the inventory to place the request.”

“Hey… well done! Really well done!”

‘Inventory?’

Who cares.

What matters is that such a sword exists.

You just need to get the item.

“The Management Bureau will support as much as possible, so take your time.”

‘With this sword, he can return immediately.’

Clearing the Tower?

Take it slow.

There’s still plenty of time.

“I was actually planning to clear the top floor today.”

“Huh?”

“The top floor is 58th?”

“Yeah.”

No.

You can go slow.

‘But can you even clear 58?’

You’ve been stuck for six months.

“Calm down first. Prepare slowly and then go. They say 58th floor is tough.”

I tried to dissuade him lightly.

“Nope. I’ll try right now. Feels like it’ll work. Left the door open. I’m resting with the staff here.”

Pah!

Calm? No way, he just disappeared.

That crazy guy.

Going to the Tower like it’s a convenience store.

So only Yoon Jihyuk and the subordinate were left.

“What do we do?”

“What do you mean? He left the door open.”

We just wait.

“Do you think he can clear the 58th floor?”

“Who knows.”

“It’d be nice if he cleared it like Baek Hwarang.”

“Yeah.”

‘Baek Hwarang?’

Cleared the 53rd floor.

Now preparing for the 54th.

He said he’d clear it in a few days.

“I Bojun’s situation is different though. The floor is higher.”

“That’s true…”

53 and 58 floors.

The difficulty difference is like heaven and earth.

Just swapping the sword won’t clear it instantly.

“Well, I Bojun knows that too. He’s probably going as a test.”

He wouldn’t actually think he’d clear it.

“Still, it’s a relief the Labor Management Office Head took the request.”

“Right. Without that person, he’d be in trouble by now…”

Definitely.

He’d be stuck with cheaters without any defense.

“Have you caught the tail?”

“Not yet.”

Suddenly, I Bojun’s slump issue was revealed.

There’s definitely someone behind it.

But they haven’t found them yet.

They hid their tracks well…

“It’s obvious. The countries close in Tower clearing rank.”

Bastards.

“I really hope I Bojun clears the Tower.”

If he succeeds, it’ll totally flip those bastards’ stomachs.

But well…

It’s a ridiculous dream.

“Sigh…”

***

“Hey, hey! Both of you, get up. What are you doing sleeping so comfortably in someone else’s house?”

‘Oh, did I doze off?’

Opening my eyes, I see I Bojun waving his hand.

Time passed… about three hours.

So, failure as expected.

“Good work. Now that you warmed up today, let’s prepare properly from tomorrow and try clearing.”

“Huh? What are you talking about? I told you I cleared it this time.”

Huh?

Cleared it?

“58th floor…?”

“Of course.”

No way.

The 58th floor that’s been blocked for six months?

“Gajang, I checked the Awakener network. It shows 58th floor cleared.”

“Really?”

“What’s with being surprised by the 58th floor? Get ready. Tomorrow, I’ll clear the 59th floor directly too.”

“He’s even clearing the 59th floor?”

‘How on earth…’

“The sword the Labor Management Office Head made.”

“Ddakkeum?”

“Ahem… Anyway, with this sword, I think 60th floor is possible.”

That much?

Wait.

Now’s not the time.

“I Bojun, you rest.”

Looking at the subordinate—

“Contact the reporters immediately.”

“What should I say?”

“Just ask. Say I Bojun cleared the 58th floor and will challenge the 59th tomorrow. They’ll handle the rest.”

Those cheating bastards in our country.

Time to really scratch their backs.