Chapter 68

Chapter 18. Tower (10)

"Seems like you're quite popular, bro? Hehe?"

Yeonwoo looked at the stack of business cards on the table with a slightly annoyed expression.

Pant laughed heartily at the sight, while Edora lightly covered her mouth with her hand, though the corners of her eyes were curved into a smile.

All of these were the scouting offers Yeonwoo had received over the past hour or so.

Ever since the Red West Wind had passed, countless other clans waiting outside had come and gone, making their offers.

This meant that his performance in the tutorial had been quite noticeable.

Most of them were just small, insignificant places, but there were also some of considerable size.

"So, what are you going to do, bro?"

Pant asked with a smirk.

"About what?"

"The offers. Even someone like you, they'd probably pay a high price for. Even the Eight Great Clans might be interested."

The world of the Tower, being a world inhabited by people, mostly desired outstanding talents.

The more they could strengthen their forces, the more they could stand out in the power struggles.

Pant was curious to see what choice Yeonwoo would make.

From what he knew, Yeonwoo had a strong individualistic tendency.

Though he had formed friendships with Khan and Doyle during the tutorial, he hadn't formed a team. He had almost always acted solo.

That's why Pant was curious to see if Yeonwoo would continue to pursue solo play like a lone wolf even inside the Tower.

However, Yeonwoo's answer was somewhat ambiguous.

"For now."

"Huh? For now? You mean you'll stay solo for now and then look for a team when your value rises appropriately?"

"Think what you want."

"Hmm."

Yeonwoo waved his hand as if he was too bothered to answer further.

The more he did this, the more Pant narrowed his eyebrows, unable to understand.

Of course, even though Yeonwoo said that, he had no intention of joining any specific team or clan.

'Such things, if they exist, would only be a hindrance. They might even become a liability.'

Yeonwoo had given some degree of trust during the tutorial, but he had never fully opened his heart.

Because he knew better than anyone how his brother had been treated.

He didn't want to create any weaknesses.

So, he tried to keep a certain distance from people, and this was no different when dealing with Hennoba and the Pant siblings.

'No, there might be a case where I join a clan.'

Yeonwoo made one assumption and chuckled, but his laughter carried a fierce intent.

'When I deeply penetrate their heart and stab them with a knife.'

Of course, it wasn't something he could attempt right now, given his current lack of power.

'For now, I need to focus on gathering the hidden pieces that Jungwoo wrote down and building my strength. Revenge can wait until after that.'

He had caught the build of Leont's one arm, one of his enemies, but it was only because the situation had aligned.

Yeonwoo had no intention of confronting them head-on yet.

So, for now, he planned to be a standout player to a certain extent.

'No teams, no clans, no affiliations with any forces. I'll just hide, lower my profile, and keep it concealed.'

Yeonwoo's eyes shone calmly.

'But when the time comes, I'll act swiftly. I'll cut off their breath in one go.'

That's why the first hidden piece Yeonwoo wanted to solve in the Tower was opening the vault of Olympus.

Because there was an artifact he needed inside.

"Since we've finished our coffee, shall we get up?"

"Yes, let's."

"Sure."

Just as Pant and Edora were about to get up with Yeonwoo,

"Hmm? This place still gives off the same vibe, doesn't it?"

At that moment, a man entered from the terrace.

A man with striking red hair that seemed ready to burst into flames.

Instantly, the bustling atmosphere around the cafe turned eerily quiet.

The tails that had been secretly observing Yeonwoo had already vanished.

The man, who seemed quite familiar with the terrace, glanced around the scenery and then turned his gaze to them with a warm smile.

The moment their eyes met,

For a brief moment, Yeonwoo's eyes stiffened.

Fortunately, his face was covered by a mask, so it wasn't noticeable, but the psychological disturbance didn't stop.

'Why is he here?'

Yeonwoo's mind was filled with questions.

"Glutton, right?"

The man smiled at Yeonwoo.

A calm, friendly smile.

But it contained a magical charm that made it impossible to defy.

Most people who came to scout Yeonwoo were respectful.

But the man spoke to him casually, and it didn't feel awkward.

It was because the atmosphere he exuded dominated the air.

The man possessed a power that overwhelmed everything. A power that Yeonwoo couldn't possibly challenge right now.

Yeonwoo knew very well the kind of people who possessed such power.

'Ranker.'

To meet a top-tier player of the Tower in such a place.

Moreover, it was a face that Yeonwoo was well acquainted with.

'Fire Fist Bahal.'

A ranker known for his calm demeanor in everyday life but who, when in a fight, envelops his entire body in flames and burns everything around him.

One of the Red Dragon's top officers and a former member of Artia.

And,

'He was also Hennoba's disciple.'

But after the dissolution of Artia and his falling out with Hennoba, he had said he would never return to the regions outside the Tower.

'Is it because of the Night Watch? I thought it wasn't something rankers would care about, even if it was a subordinate organization. Was my judgment wrong? Or is it simply to scout me?'

Various assumptions flashed through his mind.

But there was one thing he didn't forget.

'No matter the reason, I can't show any signs of disturbance.'

Most rankers were superhumans who had established their own families.

The thoughts and schemes of ordinary players were as easily readable as the palm of their hands.

Bahal was indeed someone Yeonwoo would eventually have to face, but not now.

As he had thought before,

He still lacked the power to directly confront rankers or clans.

Until then, he had to hide himself as much as possible.

So, Yeonwoo tried not to show any signs of disturbance.

He only nodded calmly.

Bahal smiled lightly at such a composed Yeonwoo.

"I've heard you're a bit gruff. Seems like it's true. Well, it's not a bad thing to be that way."

Bahal said with a gentle smile.

"Since you don't seem to like long talks, I'll keep it short. Are you interested in joining the Red Dragon?"

"…!"

An unexpected question.

Yeonwoo's eyes widened slightly.

"You might not know, but this is the first time we've made a recruitment offer to a novice. You're the first target."

Bahal's lips curled up.

"We'll support you in every way, both materially and mentally, for your future floor conquests. The support will probably exceed what you expect. How about it?"

Yeonwoo remained silent.

To his knowledge, this was the first time one of the Eight Great Clans had shown direct interest in a novice who had just completed the tutorial.

Even if a novice had shown outstanding performance in the tutorial, it was common for them to die or drop out during their ascent in the Tower.

There was a significant difference between the tutorial and the Tower.

Moreover, it was common for novices to become powerful players after a certain trigger, even if they initially lagged behind.

That's why the Eight Great Clans preferred to recruit players whose skills had been verified rather than trying to discover 'promising talents.'

The only exception was Cheonghwa.

However, due to the nature of the clan, Cheonghwa had to select and train players themselves to build their own forces.

Given this situation, Yeonwoo had not taken the many offers from various clans seriously.

But the fact that the Red Dragon had moved directly like this meant,

'They must need a significant boost in power.'

Yeonwoo recalled the high-quality mana stones from Hargan's nest being sold to a mysterious merchant for a high price, and the tension that was expected to rise among the Eight Great Clans.

It wouldn't make sense otherwise.

For the Red Dragon, the primary goal would be to prevent someone like Yeonwoo from joining another clan early on.

And it was like announcing to the outside world that 'the Red Dragon has marked him.'

There would likely be no one who would approach Yeonwoo personally in the future, as they wouldn't want to cross the Red Dragon.

'In that case,'

Yeonwoo decided he needed to answer carefully.

Bahal appeared calm on the surface but harbored a fierce beast within.

He needed to avoid arousing suspicion.

"I don't want to be tied down to anything for now."

Yeonwoo shrugged lightly, like a novice full of confidence.

Fortunately, Bahal seemed to accept it, letting out a light laugh.

"Of course, at that stage, you're probably brimming with confidence that you can do anything."

Bahal didn't add, "The Tower is different from the tutorial."

He believed that after rolling around in the Tower and feeling the limits of solo play, Yeonwoo would naturally recall this offer.

"Still, consider it positively."

"Sure."

Bahal patted Yeonwoo's shoulder a few times and walked away. Each pat sent a powerful magical force that put significant pressure on Yeonwoo.

"Oh, and,"

Bahal stopped as if he had forgotten something, just as he was about to leave the terrace.

"It seems my teacher has taken a liking to you after a long time. He's a soft-hearted person, so take care of him."

Bahal left with a light laugh.

Yeonwoo tilted his head, pretending not to know.

"Teacher?"

"Ah, you might not know. I mean the dwarf Hennoba. Take care of him for me too."

The relationship between Bahal and Hennoba was not widely known in the Tower.

It was more of a secret.

It was a well-known fact that Hennoba disapproved of the Eight Great Clans.

This was also why the dark market clans had unknowingly harmed Hennoba.

After Bahal left,

"Phew!"

Pant exhaled roughly, his expression stiff.

"What was that?"

Pant hadn't dared to interject a single word while Yeonwoo and Bahal were talking.

It felt like being isolated in a separate space.

He had felt the same pressure when his father met powerful players, but he never expected to feel it in the regions outside the Tower.

And,

Yeonwoo, who had calmly conversed despite such pressure, now seemed like a monster to him.

"A ranker. Probably… Fire Fist."

"What? Fire Fist?"

Edora's slightly stiff expression made Pant turn his head sharply.

Fire Fist Bahal was one of the top players among the '81 Eyes' that symbolized the Red Dragon.

The fact that such a person was interested in Yeonwoo?

Especially, the Red Dragon, known for their aloofness, rarely showed interest in floors below the 50th, let alone the 76th.

They were a force that even the Unicorns couldn't easily deal with.

For a clan officer to personally scout Yeonwoo,

Naturally, Pant's gaze towards Yeonwoo changed strangely.

But regardless,

Yeonwoo, after pondering something, suddenly stood up.

"You two, if you have more to talk about, finish up and go."

"Where are you going?"

"To the forge. I left something there."

Without waiting for Pant to suggest going with him, Yeonwoo disappeared outside the terrace.

* * *

'If Bahal came and went, he must have visited Hennoba.'

Yeonwoo knew that Hennoba, though he often grumbled, had a heart as fragile as glass.

He couldn't guess what negative impact Bahal's visit might have had on him.

However,

"Hmm? What brings you here at this hour?"

Hennoba was puffing on his pipe by the hearth.

Yeonwoo was surprised to find no signs of sadness or depression, which made him feel awkward.

'Maybe I'm overthinking it.'

Yeonwoo was about to brush it off as nothing.

But Hennoba, without waiting for Yeonwoo's response, suddenly stood up.

"Whatever the reason, it doesn't matter. It's good timing. I was a bit annoyed earlier, so I hammered away to relieve stress. Turns out, I finished the item earlier than expected."

Yeonwoo's eyes widened slightly.

"What do you mean?"

"Exactly. Gies' Eye, I've finished it."

Hennoba brought out a chest from the corner and placed it on the floor.

Thud!

It was so heavy that the sound was quite loud.

"Open it."

Hennoba raised his chin arrogantly, as if preparing for Yeonwoo to be surprised.

An unexpected gift.

Yeonwoo nodded and slowly opened the chest.

Inside,

Not one, but two artifacts were neatly placed.