Chapter 21. The Deal (2)

Squeak. Squeak.

"Exactly what are you planning to use those for?"

Kan looked at Yeonwoo with a disgusted expression.

Yeonwoo, who had been organizing the troll's skin cut for easy handling, looked up at Kan.

"Didn't I say? The blood is for potion ingredients..."

"No, that's not what I mean."

"Then what?"

"Do you really need to collect such things? You've already accumulated quite a bit of merit points, haven't you? You'll keep accumulating them in the future. So, do you really need to gather materials separately?"

Once you enter the tower, merit points, or points, can be used as currency.

If you need something or an artifact, you can just pay the points and buy it.

That's why players generally didn't bother collecting things like monster corpses or materials, which are often considered 'junk items.'

Instead, they preferred to hire less skilled players as workers or pay points to buy what they needed.

Of course, things would be different for rare and powerful monsters like elder dragons.

But those are usually handled by large clans or raid teams.

That's why solo players rarely dealt with junk items.

However, Yeonwoo, from the moment he killed the goblin to now, even as they passed through the compartments in a straight line, didn't hesitate to dissect any decent-looking corpses.

His hands were incredibly delicate.

When putting the blood into vials, he carefully avoided any contamination, and he neatly wrapped and stored specific parts in leather.

Thanks to this, the backpack Yeonwoo was carrying was already bulging, as if it might burst at any moment.

Despite only selecting and storing expensive materials.

"I have a use for everything."

"If that's the case, well, whatever."

Kan gave up on trying to understand Yeonwoo.

From his perspective, even if Yeonwoo did something incomprehensible, each action was thoroughly planned and meaningful.

Moreover, players were thorough individualists.

While he was curious about what Yeonwoo was up to, he didn't feel the need to pry.

However, being the nosy type, he couldn't help but ask.

"By the way, do you know anyone who can handle that many materials at once? Don't get scammed and end up with a black eye."

Yeonwoo slung the fully organized backpack over his shoulder.

The backpack, which had been torn in various places from passing through multiple compartments and patched with leather, had a peculiar look to it.

"Maybe a blacksmith. To some extent."

"Oh, is he good?"

"Maybe."

Yeonwoo shrugged and walked past Kan.

It was a clear sign that he was too bothered to explain further.

Kan lightly smacked his lips.

'He's really hard to get close to.'

The most significant thing Kan had felt while following Yeonwoo was that Yeonwoo never revealed his true thoughts.

Even though people tend to chat more when they spend time together.

But Yeonwoo never mentioned anything about himself.

He only spoke when necessary.

Occasionally, his white mask and indifferent gaze made him seem inhuman, sending shivers down one's spine.

Of course, in a tutorial and the world of the tower, such traits weren't necessarily bad.

It was a stance of not revealing any weaknesses.

Moreover, since there was no real connection or friendship between Kan and Yeonwoo, it might have seemed strange if he didn't maintain his guard.

Still, there was a 'feeling.'

A feeling that the other person was intentionally putting up a wall.

Kan prided himself on his excellent empathy and social skills.

That's why he felt this even more strongly.

'But with his skills, I'd like to keep him close if possible.'

Kan stroked his chin.

If he had to sum up what he had observed about Yeonwoo, it was one thing.

He could be trusted.

While he didn't reveal his true thoughts, he never interfered in others' affairs.

He silently and efficiently handled his responsibilities. And his skills were outstanding, having cleared two compartments in one go.

Kan, who had a 'big plan' in mind, couldn't help but be greedy.

He wanted to keep Yeonwoo close, not just for this mission but for the future.

But it was hard to get close to him, damn it.

'Is it because of that mask?'

Whether Kan had this thought or not.

Yeonwoo had already forced open the iron door blocking the boss room of Compartment D.

Creak, rumble!

The entire cave shook as if it might collapse, the iron door being much thicker than the ones separating the previous compartments.

Then.

Warm sunlight penetrated the cave, which had been dimly lit, barely allowing them to see.

Outside the cave.

The blue sky was visible.

[You have cleared Compartment D in solo play.]

[You have achieved a feat that few can accomplish. Additional merit points have been awarded.]

[You have earned 3,000 merit points.]

[You have earned an additional 2,000 merit points.]

[Your health and mana are restored.]

[All abnormal statuses are restored.]

[You have entered Compartment E.]

[You have successfully reached the outer area. Additional merit points have been awarded.]

[You have earned an additional 1,000 merit points.]

Yeonwoo ran his hand through his hair. A cool breeze accompanied the sunlight.

It felt like a weight had been lifted.

"Ugh! I thought I'd suffocate in there!"

"I'm a bit disappointed. It was perfect for sleeping in the dark."

Kan stretched and Doil rubbed his sleepy eyes.

The tutorial was divided into two main areas.

'Inside' and 'Outside.'

The inside, from Compartment A to D, was designed with various mechanisms to help newly entered players realize their abilities and quickly train their lacking skills.

The outside, from Compartment E to G, was where players could fully demonstrate the skills they had honed inside and prove their worth.

The inside was often a narrow cave or tunnel with poor lighting and ventilation, making it easy to feel mental pressure.

But the outside was different.

Yeonwoo also felt a sense of relief at seeing the outside world after a long time.

However, he couldn't let his guard down.

The outside could be more dangerous than the inside.

'Up to Compartment D, there were dead ends, so we only had to guard a certain area. But from Compartment E, there are no such limits.'

An open area meant being more exposed to enemies.

While Yeonwoo's eyes were deeply set, the message on his retina changed.

[The trial of Compartment E is beginning.]

At that moment, a light flashed in Yeonwoo's palm.

When the light disappeared, a small bead, about half the thickness of a finger, appeared.

[You have just been given one 'Token.' Tokens are hidden throughout Compartment E and can be transferred or traded with others. Collect 99 tokens to prove your worth.]

Yeonwoo fiddled with the bead, now called a token.

Kan, who had been watching, made a face.

"That thing annoys me every time I see it."

Yeonwoo quietly examined the token.

Compartment E was akin to a death match. While tokens were hidden throughout the area, it was often easier to steal them from others than to find them.

This made Compartment E a perfect place to develop paranoia. You never knew when or where an ambush might occur, and even a former ally could betray you.

But what was even more hateful...

Yeonwoo focused on the part about tokens being transferable and tradable.

This meant that you could extort or kill others to take their tokens.

Finding 98 hidden tokens was very difficult, but taking 99 from others was much easier.

It was obvious which path players would choose.

His brother had also struggled with this.

But what made Team Artia great was that they passed through the compartment without betraying each other, despite all the temptations, and found all the hidden tokens.

'There will be quite a few wolves to deal with.'

Wolves, or scavengers.

Compartment E was full of wanderers using the forest area. They had to be careful.

Suddenly, Yeonwoo remembered the worst of them.

The ones who kept players alive to farm tokens.

His brother and Team Artia had taken care of them, but if any were left or similar ones started to rise again...

Yeonwoo shook his head.

Unlike his brother, who was righteous and full of spirit, he was thoroughly selfish.

Even if he saw such a scene, he would likely ignore it.

He was already overwhelmed with what lay ahead.

He didn't want to waste his energy on unnecessary things.

Then, Yeonwoo glanced at the two men.

Fortunately, Kan and Doil were just staring at Yeonwoo's token without much interest.

They probably collected a lot of tokens before coming to the waiting room of Compartment B with a pass ticket.

'Or maybe they already have all 99.'

Yeonwoo caressed the token and swallowed it.

Kan and Doil looked at him with slightly strange expressions.

Swallowing a token showed a determination to never give it up, even if you die.

Yeonwoo's ruthlessness was evident again.

"Since we've received the trial, let's move. Didn't you say there's a hidden piece in Compartment E? We need to take care of that quickly so I can start looking for tokens."

Kan nodded.

"Sure. But it's quite a distance. It will take a lot of time."

"Then let's look for tokens while we move."

"Sounds good."

Kan took the lead, and Yeonwoo and Doil followed.

* * *

Compartment E was much larger and wider than the combined area of the previous four compartments.

As a result, each area had different terrain, objects, and environments, forming unique ecosystems.

The south had small hills, but as you moved north, a vast forest area formed.

At the northernmost end, a swampy area was formed.

The east was a barren and black rocky mountain range, while the west was a plain with a river.

Therefore, the types of monsters inhabiting each area were very diverse.

At the edge of the forest, mainly goblins and kobolds formed villages, but as you went deeper, large monsters like trolls and ogres roamed.

Lizardmen inhabited the northern swamps, and in the east and west, there were sandworms and orc villages, respectively.

Dealing with these monsters while finding the hidden tokens.

And avoiding other players, who might be more dangerous than the monsters, while protecting the tokens.

All of this was important.

And.

Yeonwoo and his party were heading north, toward the swamp.