"Alright."
Rakina grunted in acknowledgment and moved on, pinching her chin.
"A passive skill that reverses the curse temporarily… If we can remove the side effects and make it work permanently, you'd be normal again."
"Is that even possible?" Shun asked, skeptical.
"No, not really. We've never heard of a skill that stays active forever. To even try, you'd have to remove the two things that limit skill usage:
One, the cooldown.
Two, you'd need an enormous mana pool that regenerates constantly."
She paused, letting her words sink in.
Then, softly: "Both are hard… but not impossible."
"Really? How?"
"Conquer a tower, Shun."
He went quiet.
Towers were death traps. Over ninety percent of hunters who entered never came back—and those who did were changed.
However, the reward was as worthy as it was deadly. Once you conquer a tower, it will grant any wish in your heart. Power, fame, wealth—everything.
Shun hesitated. Was it worth all that risk just to be normal again?
His curse sucked, sure—but compared to the dangers of the tower, its side effects were… manageable. He could live with them, if he was careful.
And yet—deep down, something tugged at him. A quiet voice whispering: you need to do it.
Rakina spoke gently.
"I understand your hesitation. The choice is yours. If you want to reverse it, I'll help you. And if you don't… I'll still do what I can to ease it."
Shun looked at her for a moment.
"Thanks, Rakina. Really. But to be honest… I don't think I can do it." He looked away.
"Have you seen how many people die in those towers? I'm just an average guy. No special talents. I'd be dead the moment I stepped inside."
He shrugged.
"And if that makes me a coward? So be it."
Rakina fell silent.
"…What?" Shun asked, noticing.
"Nothing. It's just… unexpected."
"My answer?" He tilted his head.
"Yeah. I figured—if you were brave enough to ask His help… you'd be bold enough to take on a tower."
"I'm not that stupid," Shun said defensively.
"You summoned an Outer God."
"Okay, maybe I am that stupid—but that's a whole different thing!"
He coughed, trying to steer the topic.
"Anyway, no tower for me. I'll level up the usual way, play it safe. Earn money, maybe climb into the top three guilds. That's enough."
He smirked.
"And when that happens, I'll show up in front of my family and make them regret it."
Then he chuckled, eyes glinting.
"Heh. Maybe I'll start a guild of my own."
"I'm sorry to disturb your dreams, but you're still level seven and haven't even Ascended yet. Why are you still at level seven anyway? With the number of monsters in the world, resources aren't exactly scarce. You could easily get a Heart if you joined a guild."
In this world, hunters possessed a space called the Root. It stored the Heart—a crucial component allowing hunters to use skills and abilities freely.
Since Shun didn't have a proper Heart, but rather a Nascent Heart, his ability usage was severely limited and inefficient, leading to quicker exhaustion in combat.
However, once someone obtained a Heart and Ascended, they became far more powerful.
There were eight stages of Ascension, from lowest to highest: Dormant, Awakened, Shepherd, Refinance, Transcendence, Saint, Half-Lord, and, finally, True Lord.
For Hearts, Common Hearts were easy to find, and most hunters used them. But fighting in the higher floors became significantly harder unless one possessed Super Rare—or better, a Special Class—Heart. Only five people in the world had such Hearts.
"Right… the Heart." Shun came to a realization and turned to Rakina.
"What Heart do you have?"
"I picked one that matches my attribute—a Heart with cold properties. It's just a common Heart, but don't underestimate it," she said confidently.
"So I need to choose one that matches my abilities?"
"Not necessarily. As far as I know, you can choose a Heart that covers your weaknesses or one that enhances your strengths. Both approaches have pros and cons, so think it through carefully.
"Personally, I'd suggest looking for a Heart that eases your curse. I can help you find one."
"You even know where to get it?"
"Well, it's just a common one. Knowing where to find it is easy—getting it is the hard part."
"Can't say I'm surprised. What's the hard part?"
"Monsters that drop common Hearts are controlled by the big guilds, so finding one in the wild is pretty rare. You'd either have to join a guild or… steal it."
"Monopolized? Am I really the only person in this world still stuck at level seven? What the heck do people even do with all these Hearts?" Shun asked, bewildered.
"A Heart can be used as a material to enhance a weapon—even common ones."
"Hmm…" Shun pinched his chin, falling into deep thought. His eyes suddenly lit up.
"Hey, isn't there a Heart of Obedience?"
"It's a Special Class Heart located deep within the Tower of Odysseum," Rakina replied, then sighed, realizing what Shun was thinking.
"I strongly suggest you reconsider. That tower is the newest one—it only appeared five months ago and still isn't accessible.
"Even the information about that Heart is based on rumors. Nothing credible."
"But it should be worth checking out." Excitement flickered in his eyes.
"Shun, you're level seven, and your opponents are way stronger. How are you going to beat them?"
"I'll find a way." He gave her a thumbs-up.
"Hmm…" Rakina crossed her arms.
"Why not just find a common or rare Heart instead?"
"A Special Class Heart can grant any special attribute. Take Arvak, for example—one of the five people with a Special Class Heart. His Heart enhanced his perception and agility, allowing him to wield any weapon like a master.
"Maybe this Heart could ease my curse significantly."
"There are too many unknowns about this Heart. But one thing's clear—it's dangerous. You could die trying to get it. Are you sure about this?" Rakina asked solemnly.
Shun paused. His earlier playfulness faded.
"Yeah, I'm serious. If it were the old me, I might've hesitated. But I think I can do it."
"In that case, very well. I'll help you. I owe you my life." Rakina nodded.
"It doesn't have to be like that, Rakina." Shun waved his hands.
"I saved you because I wanted to—not because I wanted a favor."
"A witch always pays what they owe," she said, then paused.
"Besides, if it weren't for you, the Hideous Sage might've turned the world into pure data and consumed it."
She smiled, hesitated for a moment, then gently bumped her fist to his chest.
"You are a hero, Shun."
***
Outside the room.
Sitting on the roof, Elias watched the sky as the wind blew. His hair and clothes fluttered.
[The Odyss' Key has met its requirements to open the Tower of Odysseum.]
He smiled slightly and vanished from the spot.
He reappeared in front of a phone box from the 1980s.
From his coat, he pulled out a mythical key made of steel, coiled with a snake—its design infused with time itself.
Elias brought the key close to the phone box. A keyhole shimmered into existence.
He inserted the key and twisted.
Click.
[The Tower of Odysseum is now open.]