[The sunlight blessed by administrators has completely cured low level abnormal status effects.] [A total of six Lv.2 Banshee’s Curse has been cured.] [All stats will slowly recover.] [Challenge, Sweetness After Bitterness, completed – You have endured the banshee’s curse the longest] [Will increase magic power stat by 0.5 points and infuse magic power with an undead attribute.]

The artificial sun radiated warmth and revealed a blue sky. Sunlight descended to the earth and enveloped Jin Sahyuk’s cold body. It cleansed the curse and blessed her with a special reward for all her suffering.

She had suffered greatly for months. No other time in her life had she cried or been weakened so much. It made her realize that she was only human. so she should rejoice about overcoming the curse today.

However, happiness still seemed distant. Her body refused to listen to her brain as she felt herself wither up from the heavy tension.

“…”

The man’s sudden silence made her feel like walking on thin ice. Jin Sahyuk licked her dried lips. Should I turn around? Should I? She finally glanced at Kim Hajin.

“Wow…”

He stared at the sun with a stupid, thoughtless expression.

Jin Sahyuk felt her rage explode. Am I actually afraid of someone like him? Just when did I grow so weak?

She forcibly moved her body with rage. Her fingers and joints began to listen again.

“Oi.”

Kim Hajin turned and faced her. He glared with wolf-like eyes that froze her body. She could only look, but wasn’t sure if it was out of courage or fear.

“Do you have a special resistance stat?” Kim Hajin asked. Jin Sahyuk didn’t answer.

“Do you or do you not?”

“…”

“Answer,” Kim Hajin pressed her.

“You’re not going to answer? Three, two, one—”

“I do.”

She only found out recently, but a special stat called inhumane resistance indeed manifested. It must’ve been because she refused to give up against the banshee’s curse.

“Mmm, I see.”

Kim Hajin grinned, then exerted more strength into the arm wrapped around her shoulders. They looked like close friends from anyone else’s point of view. The whole situation disgusted Jin Sahyuk, but she didn’t resist. She simply clenched her teeth, raised the magic power inside her, and muttered inwardly, I’ll cut out your heart if you get any closer. Then the dry, cold voice entered her ears.

“Looks like I’ll have to kill you now.”

His sharp voice carried genuine killing intent and goosebumps rose all over her body. Even she felt surprised by her subconscious reaction. Ssk— Kim Hajin pulled out a gun from his pocket. The beautiful gun slowly approached her neck. Jin Sahyuk stared at the muzzle as the cold metal made contact.

“Huuk.”

She could only eke out a sound and recalled how Kim Hajin placed a vicious curse on his arrow. Would he use an even more brutal curse this time? Would she have to go through all that suffering and pain again? A feeling of terror rose from the depths of her heart. Jin Sahyuk panicked as her body lost all its strength and leaned against Kim Hajin.

“Hmm.”

Kim Hajin had his own worries. Jin Sahyuk didn’t seem to be thinking normally. She didn’t risk her life to kill him because of her laughably low stats and lost all her confidence.

Kim Hajin knew he would instill a powerful effect by killing her this time. His existence would become a trauma for her and might even cause a complete death. He only needed to move his hand a little. However…

[Warning! Many administrators are watching you. Murder is strictly prohibited in Prestige today.] [Warning! It is recommended that you stop your act of hostility.] [Warning! It is strongly recommended that you stop your act of hostility. Otherwise, you will be turning many administrators into your enemies!]

The system even used the phrase, strongly recommended. It seemed today wasn’t the day. Kim Hajin sighed and put away his Desert Eagle. The cold metal disappeared from Jin Sahyuk’s neck. Only then did she come to her senses and look up at him.

“I’m proud of you.” Kim Hajin patted her head instead of killing her and forcefully ruffled her hair. “You’re lucky too.”

Jin Sahyuk thought of how he treated her like a dog. She refused to suffer such humiliation. How can such an unhandsome man… Rage rose from within her and she resisted for the first time.

“Y-You!” She shook off his hand and glared.

“You son of a—”

“Talk and I’ll kill you.”

However, a single sentence shut her up again. Kim Hajin smiled at her.

“I’m letting you go just this once, so don’t let it dwell in your heart.”

Jin Sahyuk sensed a familiar presence as Kim Hajin spoke. She felt relieved at Bell’s return. Kim Hajin sensed it too and combed her disheveled hair before letting go of her.

“Alright, I’m leaving now.”

He knocked her head a few times for one last bit of humiliation. Jin Sahyuk kept her mouth shut. However, he looked at her one more time as though he found it displeasing.

“Don’t let me see you again.”

Jin Sahyuk stood blankly for a while before grinning. She managed to sneer now that a trustworthy ally had arrived.

“I thought about it…”

Her body still creaked from nervousness, but Jin Sahyuk managed to utter a few words. She glared at her sworn enemy and tried her best to shake off the fear.

“What do you plan on doing when we meet outside the tower?”

Kim Hajin paused. So he’s afraid. Jin Sahyuk guessed and tried to feel a sense of superiority. However, Kim Hajin only coldly smiled at her.

“It’ll be the same outside the tower.”

Jin Sahyuk couldn’t see it, but the system messages in front of him affirmed his statement.

[Unique skill, Lv.8 Clock Hand of Fate has activated.] [You have met the condition to set a target as your fate.] Completed: Converse back and forth more than 30 times between you and a target. [Jin Sahyuk, the Refugee of a Foolish Grudge, has been added to your Fate Record.] [The condition will change. You must perform a different action to set your second fate.]

“You’ll die if I see you again.”

Jin Sahyuk blanked out for a moment at Kim Hajin’s final words. Soon, Bell appeared and stepped between them. She could no longer see Kim Hajin as Bell eyed him before turning towards her.

“Are you okay, Sahyuk?”

Jin Sahyuk didn’t reply as her body and mind burned with anger. She vowed to make Kim Hajin regret letting her go until he coughed blood. She vowed to deliver him the most excruciating pain and suffering.

“I swear on my clan…”

Jin Sahyuk’s voice trembled, perhaps from the overwhelming rage. She seemed to be crying with tears around her eyes.

***

“Wow…”

Yoo Yeonha watched the rising sun from the opposite side of the same floor. This scene filled her with wonder even as someone who wielded magic power and saw all sorts of magic spells growing up.

The tallest steeple of Medea’s palace filled with fire and soon became an artificial sun that rose into the sky. This beauty lay outside the realm of nature, a miracle that one could only watch in a stupor.

“…?”

She only noticed the player standing next to her after a while because of the mesmerizing sun. Yoo Yeonha turned to the side.

“…”

The girl’s blonde hair shone brilliantly under the light. Yoo Yeonha became speechless at her beauty that rivaled elves. Rachel graciously bowed as royalty would.

“Hello.”

“Hi.”

Yoo Yeonha nodded. They greeted each other somewhat awkwardly, but had planned this seemingly coincidental meeting. Rachel had sent Yoo Yeonha a friend request along with the following message:

[Hello, Yeonha! It’s been a while >‿<! Maybe a year. I felt really happy when I heard you entered the tower ٩(◕‿◕｡)۶!… (13 lines of omitted text)… I’d like to show you around if you have time. Essence of the Strait and the English Royal Court guild have a good relationship inside the tower too… (8 lines of omitted text)… I won’t mind even if you say no! ʕ •ᴥ•ʔ]

It felt more like a letter than a text message. Yoo Yeonha didn’t feel like rejecting such a nice gesture, so she accepted. She initially planned for an Essence of the Strait member to show her around, but it would also be more efficient for her guild if Rachel guided her instead.

“Rachel, your ID is CaptainBritain, right?”

“Yes.”

Prestige’s new sun reflected off Rachel’s milky white skin as she fidgeted and smiled shyly. Rachel must’ve heard that Yoo Yeonha became Essence of the Strait’s chief strategic officer.

The rank 1 guild’s chief strategic officer undoubtedly held great power. If Yoo Yeonha wanted, she could collude with other guilds and drive the English Royal Court guild to the depths of despair.

“You don’t have to talk so formally. It’s fine if you speak like in your text messages.”

Yoo Yeonha projected her system messenger. “Also, where did you learn to type these emoticons?”

“Ah…”

Rachel smiled bashfully. She couldn’t usually say what she wanted because of her position as England’s princess and felt unfamiliar with addressing people with great authority like Yoo Yeonha.

“It’s been a while since we last met, so it’s a bit… awkward.”

Rachel rarely talked if she didn’t need to and kept it simple whenever she did. Of course, she used her keyboard when she felt especially grateful.

“Um, so how are you going to help me?”

“Ah, I’ll explain how to grow stronger in detail…”

Rachel paused in the middle of her speech and looked around. Didn’t Yoo Yeonha say she came with that person?

“Duchess Ah Hae-In went back. She said receiving the sunlight’s blessing was enough.”

Ah Hae-In had a 100 day training routine already prepared. She should be in the middle of meditating inside Essence of the Strait’s hideout.

“Ah, I see.”

“Yes.”

“Then we should visit the various hunting grounds on the 3rd floor first. Erm, let, let’s go?”

Rachel tried to casually speak as Yoo Yeonha instructed. They used to be classmates and Rachel wanted to close the distance between them considering the potential benefits. Rachel’s relationship with Kim Youngjin seemed fine, but Yoo Yeonha would clearly be Essence of the Strait’s new head inside the tower.

“…”

However, Yoo Yeonha didn’t reply as Rachel dejectedly asked again.

“Shall we head to the hunting grounds?”

Yoo Yeonha remained silent, but not because of how Rachel spoke. She smelled a familiar scent from the princess. Yoo Yeonha furrowed her brows and stared intently at Rachel. This, of course, made Rachel flinch.

“O-Or would you like to go somewhere else? I’d be honored to guide you wherever…”

Did she dislike my casual tone? Rachel spoke even more respectfully, but Yoo Yeonha only focused on figuring out the smell. Then she suddenly approached Rachel and sniffed her.

“You…”

Yoo Yeonha sniffed her one more time to confirm. She became certain now. This smell practically doused Rachel’s body. Yoo Yeonha could only blankly stare and knew exactly where this smell came from. After all, the same smell soaked her bed and wouldn’t disappear no matter how many times she washed it. Right, it smelled like Kim Hajin.

***

[3F, Prestige]

The price of land in Prestige skyrocketed 10 days later after the artificial sun appeared. However, players couldn’t buy any land even if they had the money because most of it already belonged to another player.

I owned almost 50% of all available land in Prestige. Henry and Kiri used it to form mutually beneficial relationships with NPCs, so Prestige’s citizens didn’t complain about my monopoly of wealth.

“How are things going?”

I visited Henry and Kiri for the first time in a while at Riry Shop. I asked them about Prestige’s state of affairs and worried if Medea might scheme to take away my land.

“It’s going great! We’re both really happy!”

“Oh! Our daddy also came back!”

I widened my eyes at Kiri’s words. “Really?”

“Yes! Oppa’s friend rescued him and brought him back!”

“Cheok Jungyeong did? That’s great.”

I smiled and patted their heads. All the NPCs that Cheok Jungyeong and I saved possessed useful skills in construction, law, administration, education, and magic. Prestige now rapidly progressed, but Kiri’s smile soon faded as she asked with a worried expression.

“I heard about oppa’s upcoming battle.”

“Hm? Oh, the one with Black Lotus. It’s tomorrow.”

It would take place at dawn since Crevon was least active then due to the morning Fog of Darkness. I planned a flawless show, but it would be better with fewer eyes.

“How are the goblins doing?”

“They’re downstairs. Follow me. We expanded our basement a lot!”

Henry and Kiri pulled my hand and led me downstairs. Six goblins busily worked in Riry Shop’s basement. Weren’t there initially three?

“They multiplied?”

“Yes. Master reached the 8th floor, right?”

“Yeah.”

“It looks like the stone tablet leveled up accordingly. It might also have been because of the hard work the goblins put in.”

“I see.”

I examined the goblins.

[Lv.5 Craftsman Goblin] [In a state of increased efficiency due to being in a suitable environment.] [Feels very satisfied with his residential area. His happiness level has reached 99%.] [Will soon level up.]

“Residential area? This place is a residential area?”

“Ah, yes. I asked Kedrick oppa to separate the basement into different rooms. This is the potion room.”

Kiri opened the room next door with a sign that read, [Playroom]. I peeked inside and saw a pool table, ping-pong table, foosball table, etc. Another room had a sign that read, [Bedroom].

“Hm? What are they?”

I caught sight of 2 goblins playing cards. They had huge bodies unlike the goblins in the potion room.

“There are 8 goblins?”

“Yes, those two are in charge of the shop’s security. They play around during the day when the city guards patrol the area and work at night.”

They had the same build as an adult male and also seemed well-equipped. Henry and Kiri provided them with the proper tools to work.

“I see. Well, looks like I don’t need to worry about anything. Good job.”

I smiled and hugged them. The two starving kids I found had grown so much. They felt quite heavy now as well.

“Then I’ll be off.”

“Okay.”

“Stay safe!”

“Don’t worry.”

I left the shop with a smile and headed to the crystal stele at the center of Prestige. Then I used it to travel to the 8th floor.

[8-3F, Crevon, The Final Crystal Stele on the Eastern End]

Aileen and Jin Seyeon waited for me. Jin Seyeon held a recorder and Aileen had a face with mixed emotions.

“Oh, he’s here.”

“Hello.”

Jin Seyeon asked for my plan as soon as I arrived.

“Just bait him into shooting his warning arrow. Black Lotus always shoots a harmless wooden arrow first, so I’ll shoot him down during that brief opening when he attacks.”

“Oh, we thought of doing the same when we first spoke to you. After all, he would leave an opening no matter how fast his reactions.”

I nodded at Jin Seyeon’s intimidating words. As I thought, I might’ve been in trouble if I didn’t take on this role. I probably would’ve even died.

“Can we really take the reward for reaching the 9th floor first? We can wait for you if you want.”

Jin Seyeon felt a bit sorry.

“No, it’s fine. I don’t mind at all.”

They would simply be given the qualification to hunt the 9th floor’s calamities first. I didn’t want that reward anyways.

“Oh, take this.”

“What is it?”

I gave them several summoning scrolls. These scrolls could be torn in an emergency to teleport the user to a safe location within a 10 km radius. The emergency waiting room ticket served a similar purpose, but the user would return to the same place after exiting their waiting rooms. That wouldn’t help after being surrounded.

“Use it if you’re in danger.”

Aileen and Jin Seyeon took the scrolls without saying much. For the record, these scrolls cost about 3000 TP each.

“Such precious scrolls… Oh, did you manage to pinpoint Black Lotus’ location?” Jin Seyeon asked as she carefully placed the scrolls in her pocket.

“Yes, I spent the past month looking and also found a good sniping spot.”

Jin Seyeon nodded without suspecting me at all.

“Oh right, the Atalos Royal Family promised a great reward if Hajin manages to take down Black Lotus.”

“They did?”

“Yes, they came to us first and seemed curious about the higher floors. That’s also why I brought a recorder.”

“I see. That’s great.”

I didn’t have a reason to decline. I took out the Desert Eagle and fused it with aether. Creak— Creak— A strange, mechanical sound rang out as the gun transformed. In just 2 seconds, the Desert Eagle became an enormous monster.

“Let’s go.”

I placed the anti-material sniper rifle on my shoulder.