Episode 32.
Jung Si-woo carefully inserted the key directly into a patch of ground, which then revealed a door. It led to their resting place and their new home.
“Did you receive a blessing from the god of the earth?”
Yong Se-ha muttered behind Si-woo’s back. Soo Ah-rin chuckled at his question.
“When I retired, I lost interest in such things. But I heard the latest topic in the guild was ‘God’.”
Players didn’t gather that much to discuss religion. Still, since the Sky Castle and the dungeons had surfaced, conversations about the possibility of metaphysical beings existing beyond human limits were making a comeback. Versatile arguments of being divinely chosen by God served as sources of excitement for players all over the world. Jung Si-woo would’ve laughed at such religious talk, yet his experience in the higher-level dungeons had shown him strange, unexplainable truths. The monsters he had encountered and some ruins that existed within the dungeons strongly hinted at the existence of a deity.
As the monsters cried out the name of their deity, their power grew. If this were the case for mere beasts, could the same thing not occur for humans as well? Could it be possible to believe or follow a god and, in doing so, share their power? Perhaps this righteous, divine person was being prepared for his arrival among the echelons of human society. Would it be possible to overwhelm all other beings with the blessings of God within oneself? Stories and theories such as these were spreading rapidly through all the elite guilds.
“Yeah, Ah-rin. There was a lot of talk of deities. Some are saying that there is a Shinwa, an angel. The guild master had a powerful grasp of fire as an elemental force, to the extent that some speculated he had been blessed by the God of fire.”
“Huh, I didn’t know about that.”
Soo Ah-rin responded with a frown as she digested the new information.
She recalled the face of guild master Kim Ha-ryong. Even though he had been a disdainful person, she had followed him as a member of Soaring Tempest. He was strong, and his skills were so advanced that he had easily become the leader of Korea’s top guild. They had talked a few times, and she remembered that all he cared for was competitiveness and fame.
The attempt at clearing Level 32 of Sky Castle had been a hasty and messy quest, where Ha-ryong rushed his players to get ahead of other national guilds. Due to such negligence, Ah-rin had been retired. She would never have met Si-woo had she not fallen, yet this didn’t mean she would ever forgive Kim Ha-ryong for his recklessness.
“Until I see it with my own eyes, I won’t believe in a god. Even if a human was blessed by a deity, I still believe that to rely on one’s own power is better.”
Jung Si-woo finally intervened, tired of such talk.
“Even so, maybe a god has chosen you, and you are already engaged as its servant, with it your master!”
“Empty rumors, bubble talk! Let’s not speak of it again.”
“Yes, I’ll obey!”
Ah-rin said, shutting her mouth and falling into a contemplative mood. Ha-ryong’s attention had singled Soo Ah-rin out, and the others in the guild had kept their silence over it. Everyone knew that Ha-ryong would never have lavished such attention upon a man. She was with Si-woo now, however, so she was content. Jung Si-woo entered the resting place and waved his supporters inside. They didn’t notice him, so he thought of another way to get their attention.
“Are you two dating? Stop being shy and come inside.”
He joked, catching their attention.
“No!”
Ah-rin almost shouted as she blushed.
“Hey!?”
Jung Si-woo could see they wanted to scold him, so he laughed to break the tension.
“They call this a resting place? What a pretty space!”
He exclaimed, changing the subject. This hole in the Earth was convenient enough to be called a home. Even more remarkable were the inner chambers. He knew that every piece of furniture counted as a piece of equipment and that upgrading was possible.
“Hah! I am surprised that all these things are artifacts.”
Yong Se-ha echoed his thoughts.
“Your eyes are sharp, newcomer!”
Jung Si-woo couldn’t help but compliment him upon hearing the observation.
“First of all, I think I need to strengthen this bed. No one must bother me here, and a bed must be sturdy for a night of well-deserved rest.”
He tested the bed by placing his hand firmly upon it. A screen of scrolling text appeared on his retinas.
[To level up the bed, the base’s level must be raised]
[The base can be upgraded to Level 3 by spending 30% of the player’s total beads.]
[Would you like to upgrade now?]
[Y/N]
After reading this, a confused Si-woo paused.
“Uh, what’s this? It wasn’t like this before. The resting place had still been level one! Perhaps this is a bug. Bring me the operator.”
“The last time we were here, I had upgraded the base.”
Soo Ah-rin admitted her actions.
“Did you raise the resting place to level two to strengthen the bed, Ah-rin?”
“N…no, there was no specific mention of that.”
Jung Si-woo shook his head sadly. He had assumed that by upgrading the base, all the furniture would also gain a level. His head almost started to ache.
“If you raise the base’s level to three now, you may not be able to upgrade the bed with the beads that are left.”
“But Ah-rin, a man always needs to have a strong and sturdy bed!”
Si-woo said with a smile and a wink.
“Uh, it’s still extraordinarily strong. Be patient.”
Si-woo’s fist hammered into the young fairy, slamming him into a wall for the arrogant way he had spoken. Quietly, he paid the required number of beads to upgrade their base. The change was dramatic and instantaneous; everything in sight was enhanced before doubling once again. The resting place was now the size of a spacious office.
[Base Level 3 Unlocked]
[Area Increased 2x]
[Refrigerator Level 1 Added]
[Refrigerator 1: Consumables can be stored within. Generates one random potion every 10 hours]
A refrigerator materialized next to the drawer.
“This is the storage place for all the medicine I’ll have to take as an old man.”
Si-woo muttered, dissatisfied at the ugly and ancient-styled fridge. His duties as a housekeeper were increasing, even if the fridge served a practical purpose.
“Well, maybe I can upgrade something else and not focus my attention on that damned scruffy bed, right? I’m so wise, guys!”
“Calm down, please.”
Another screen popped up, and Si-woo gained greater clarity as to what he could do next.
[Furniture Upgrades Unlocked]
[Bed Upgrade: 20% of total beads]
[Door Upgrade: 50% of total beads]
He nodded approvingly at the information, knowing now that he could upgrade his bed. He was surprised by the door upgrade, though, and wondered why it would cost double the number of beads compared to the bed. He returned to the screen, which gave a general summary of the resting place.
[Base Level 3]
[Bed Level 1: Able to sleep well. Health and Magic regenerate at an increased rate of 10% (Upgrade Available)]
[Drawer Level 1: Able to store items]
[Door Level 1: Portal to the outside (Upgrade Available)]
[Bathroom Level 1: Contains a bath. Cleanses the body of weak poisons, curses, and other unclean energies]
[Refrigerator Level 1: Consumables can be stored within. Generates one random potion every 10 hours]
After giving it some thought, Jung Si-woo decided that any door that appeared in the ground and led to a place like this was a special door, which explained the upgrade cost.
“You are going to level up to something anyway. Don’t waste time talking and spend your beads.”
“Aren’t you a bit too keen on telling me what to do these days?”
He asked Ah-rin. He looked at her strangely, feeling that she was gradually starting to grasp his behavioral patterns. On Soo Ah-rin’s part, she knew that Si-woo could be summed up in a few words by looking at his passive skill, ‘Courage of the Ignorant.’
“Do what you can do! Touch what you see; if there is a door, open it!”
Jung Si-woo sang under his breath.
“It’s a great song!”
“Be quiet, you.”
Si-woo chided Yong Se-ha as he scrolled through his screens. He decided to upgrade the bed. It immediately more than doubled in size, growing to one that was king-sized. The quality of the mattress, duvet, and pillows became more luxurious. Sitting down, he was impressed by the cushioning softness of the mattress.
“Comfort without wobbliness.”
Soo Ah-rin said, sharing his sentiment.
“Beds are an exact science.”
“These two really are from another planet.”
Se-ha muttered under his breath.
[Bed Level 2: Deep sleep is possible. Health and Magic regenerate at an increased rate of 20%. All skill proficiencies increase at a slow rate]
“Sleeping here increases skill proficiency!?”
Ah-rin exclaimed.
“Ooh, maybe that’s because you can practice in your dreams!”
It was a good guess, Si-woo decided as he was filled with the desire to jump into the bed. However, he had yet to shower and still had some tasks to perform.
“Do you guys think this door can take you anywhere after upgrading it?”
“I want to visit Greece!”
Ah-rin replied gleefully. Si-woo, satisfied with the new bed that could train him via dreams, upgraded the door with the required number of beads.
[Door Level 2: Your portal to the outside. Spend beads to enter the dungeon nearest to you immediately. This function is activated with your base key]
After reading this description, all three heroes were dumbfounded for a few moments. Jung Si-woo was reminded of the mother of an elementary school student who had spent ten thousand won at a beauty salon, only for her face to end up looking like the severed head of Marie Antoinette. As they calmed down, a sly smile spread over Ah-rin’s face.
“Now, you don’t have to be seen when entering a dungeon!”
“That is a benefit, yes.”
Si-woo let out a sigh. This feature was surprisingly good. Dungeons were appearing all over Seoul. If something like the Sanha-dong incident ever repeated itself, with monsters pouring into the streets, the dungeon could swiftly be entered with the key from any distance without anyone being aware.
There was a downside, however, and a dangerous one at that. The nearest dungeon to the base could be a place like Devil’s Castle, a place that would have to be fled immediately. Jung Si-woo decided he would only use this door’s function if his party had a Hearthstone in their inventory. He scratched his head and decided. They had conquered the dungeon of armored orcs, and there was no need to ponder about other dungeons now. Now was the time to relax.
“Let’s wash up and go to sleep.”
“Uh…”
Yong Se-ha looked nervous.
“Where must I sleep?”
Jung Si-woo tilted his head to the side, a wide hyena grin plastered onto his face.
“I will buy a second dollhouse just for you, Se-ha.”
