Chapter 12: Exposure = Strong

After a long time, I slept deeply without any worries or concerns and woke up early like a great early bird.

The boiler seemed nonexistent, leaving the air chilly.

The peaceful chirping of birds made it feel like I was in the countryside.

I’ve grown quite accustomed to it by now.

Today is the first day of the big project.

And the day I, who was just an ordinary guy until yesterday, died, only to be reborn as the embodiment of health, Gigachad.

Johanna, as expected of a saint, has already left for the sanctuary.

Ari’s soft snoring echoes.

Rumi’s sleepy barks and sleep-talking.

Listening to the everyday sounds from the next room, I carefully changed my clothes.

Without the hood that usually harms my neck health, I stepped outside in simple attire.

“It’s cold………….”

The temperature-sensitive guy in me reacted sharply, but exercise won’t betray me.

Gradually increasing my pace, I began running leisurely through the quiet streets of the city.

First, from the guild house to my shop.

Checking as I ran to ensure no thieves broke in last night, no fires broke out, no drunkards caused trouble, and no one sprayed graffiti on the walls.

Next, to the square where I found Rumi.

In this primitive, uncivilized fantasy world, the majestic fountain gushing water was a sight to behold.

Then, heading up the hill, I circled near the sanctuary of revelation.

The resonant singing, reminiscent of a hymn, seemed to heal my soul.

“In te spem habére, te diligere”

That’s Johanna’s voice.

I don’t know what it means, but she sings well.

From a distance, I also caught a glimpse of the temporary hero’s camp where Ari stayed (cold, often messy, and prone to fights).

Maintaining my pace, I continued running.

“Saha, hello?”

“Huh? Huh? ……Huh?”

Patrolling with other knights or vigilantes, Saha, clad in armor, greeted me warmly as we passed by.

Circling back to the guild house.

“Ha, ha, ha………….”

The cold air seeping into my lungs didn’t feel too bad.

Yes, people need to exercise.

A lively morning makes the day more productive.

To wrap up the refreshing morning,

I lay back down on the bed.

Just 10 more minutes of sleep.

***

As they say, great power comes with great backlash.

Like in a certain manga where the manifestation of spots leads to a shortened lifespan.

“……So you overslept.”

“Johanna, it’s not oversleeping. I woke up and then went back to sleep.”

Correcting the facts, I continued eating with a sly smile.

Today’s lunch menu is Ari’s homemade rice bowl.

No joke, it’s real Jjambbong.

She’s definitely off kitchen duty from now on…..

But a person’s gotta eat to live.

Somehow forcing it down my throat,

“By the way, Ari, did you find the blacksmith?”

I asked the groggy, hungover-looking girl.

With bleary eyes, she stared at me blankly for a moment.

“You introduced me yesterday……..?”

What?

Are you still drunk?

Seems like it.

“Yesterday? You? To whom? How?”

I pressed her with the five Ws and one H.

Not to be outdone, Ari replied,

“Harong said he used to be a blacksmith……? We really searched hard yesterday…..”

“Wait, really?”

I thought he was just a drinking buddy who liked alcohol.

He didn’t look like he had the muscles for hammering.

After interrogating Ari further, I was shocked to learn something astonishing.

The two had just met yesterday!

Yet they drank like lifelong best friends.

How is that even possible?

Women are truly terrifying creatures.

Putting today’s tower climb on hold, I rushed to the shop right after finishing the meal.

“Yahoo~ Ark! You’re late.”

In stark contrast to the walking dead in the guild house corner, Harong was lively and waiting.

“Did you wait long?”

“Nah, just two hours at most?”

“……? That’s quite a wait.”

“Well, I’m unemployed. Got plenty of time~”

Don’t say such sad things so casually with a smile…

Now I feel the pain too…..

Entering the shop together,

I proudly showed Harong the newly unlocked forge, opened with the tower’s power.

The response I got:

“….This is in serious condition, huh?”

What, why?

Why is it serious?!

But as the expert explained, I had no choice but to agree.

The current forge only has the most basic setup, lacking essential equipment for actual work.

It felt like déjà vu from the guild house days.

“But there’s a furnace, and I have my magic hammer, so it’s fine. The main issue is the lack of an anvil. And basic tools like fullers, chisels, tongs, and quenching buckets are either rusty or missing…………… Well, we can just buy them!”

The sound of money draining away echoed in my ears.

“By the way, what’s the budget…………?”

“Hmm. Starting cheap, about 10,000 gold?”

Hmm.

Cheap is a bit of a stretch.

No.

I’m destined for great success in business.

The Night Prince, the Spirit of Cocktails, the Ruler of Money. That’s me.

With tears of blood, I scraped together the amount Harong suggested from the chest and handed it over.

Well.

Money comes and goes.

I’ll earn it back.

“…..Harong…. please….. take care of it…..”

Anyway.

The expert will handle it.

But thinking about it,

Heroes usually wear the same outfit, right?

So what’s the point of equipment?

***

“Woof! Bark bark!”

“Rumi, be careful!”

Today’s climb is the 4th floor of the tower.

Watching Rumi go wild against monsters that don’t die in one hit, with Ari supporting,

“That’s because.”

Our party’s most knowledgeable intellectual.

The one and only healer with human rights-level dignity.

And currently, just a buffer thanks to Rumi not getting hurt.

Miss Johanna kindly began the explanation.

“Can you look here for a moment?”

Johanna reached out her hand and waved it gently.

“Oh.”

I always wondered if they did laundry since they wear the same clothes every day.

As her fingers waved, the hem of her saintly robe became transparent, revealing what looked like low-quality leather gloves underneath.

“The source of our heroes’ power, as you know, Ark, comes from these clothes blessed by the goddess. That’s why we can wield divine power.”

So it’s the clothes.

Ah, that’s why the outfit change system works.

Changing clothes completely alters performance.

“……I can’t show you here, but think of it as wearing adventurer’s gear like underwear under a saintly robe.”

“If not here, can you show me somewhere el—

Thwack!

Johanna’s book hit me square on the head…..

Well, it’s natural to be curious…….

“Please maintain proper behavior and decorum, Ark.”

“Yes.”

Anyway, curiosity satisfied me.

Regaining her composure, Johanna continued.

“The bow Ari is holding may look like a blessed hero’s bow, but it’s actually just a slightly worn wooden bow. That’s why we need the forge and why equipment is important.”

“Thanks for explaining, Johanna.”

Curiosity satisfied!

Meanwhile.

[4th Floor of the Tower of Wishes – Deep Forest Area 3 Cleared!]

“Mr. Jooiin! We’re done, woof!”

“Good job, Rumi.”

Rumi, who had autonomously cleared the area, came running over and lowered her head.

Getting petted has become a habit for her.

Well, her fur is soft and pleasant to touch.

And so, we climbed the tower safely again today.

But today wasn’t a full tower run.

Why?

“No rainbow, woof……” 

“Ugh…….”

“……Seems like we still lack faith.”

Because we failed the gacha again.

At this rate, I might hit the pity ceiling.

Will I be playing tug-of-war with the ceiling?

“It’s okay, Johanna. It’s not your fault.”

I forced a smile as I accepted today’s trash pulls.

Still, the pool of available 4-star heroes has expanded a bit, but I don’t feel the need to recruit one yet.

We have a balanced team of DPS, tank, and healer.

Given the stockpile of consumables and the guild house’s reconstruction progress, there’s no urgent need to add another member.

Instead.

“Ari, can you come here for a moment?”

“Huh? What’s up?”

I need to make our DPS stronger and more magnificent.

There’s a need to develop her further.

I pulled out a stack of 3-star universal contracts from my inventory, licked my fingers, and counted them like bills.

50 sheets.

Perfect.

“Alright, Ari, it’s time to get stronger.”

“Huh? …… Really?”

Have I been deceived too often?

I’m always working tirelessly for the heroes’ welfare, as a model shop owner.

“Yes. The other 3-star heroes are great, but Ari, you’re special. Let’s get stronger.”

“Woof!”

With Rumi’s interjection, Ari carefully accepted the contracts I handed her.

Sparkle sparkle.

And then, as if in a magical girl transformation scene,

“Wow.”

For a moment, her silhouette glowed, and then, with a flash,

Huh? Ari’s status is…..?

Congratulations! 

Ari has evolved to 4 stars!

My arrows are the wind!

Today’s a tailwind!

Veteran Archer—

Ari

NEW!

As they say, strength is proportional to exposure.

Her once modest outfit now reveals soft underarms and a belly button, refreshingly exposed.

I feel refreshed too. 

Ah.

It might be a bit cold in winter, though.

“It feels like I’ve been reborn…………!”

Ari, fascinated by her own transformation, kept looking at her hands, arms, body, everywhere.

Yes.

A DPS should be at least 4 stars.

Let’s all applaud.

Clap clap clap!

“Thank you, thank you! I’ll do my best!”

Seeing her jump around excitedly makes me feel good.

Even if she jumps, there’s no jiggle, just a comfortable feeling.

“I’m curious to see how much stronger Ari has become. Shall we climb the tower a bit more?”

“Yes!”

“Woof!”

With this, we’ll easily break through the 4th floor.

From the 5th floor onwards, many things will change.

The shop level will increase, boosting resource acquisition.

Reaching rank 4 will unlock ultimate skills.

The main story essentially begins at the 5th floor.

….And the tower’s difficulty will skyrocket.

Especially the 7th floor, which I both look forward to and feel vaguely anxious about.

Clearing the 7th floor will open the ‘Dimensional Arena.’

How will PvP be implemented?

Are there others like me who have been transported into this game?

Can we interact?

With such thoughts in my mind,

I absentmindedly watched Ari and Rumi bounce around.

Hmm. Simmons.

Hmm. Jiggle.

Ah.

I feel at ease. 

Hmm.

Instead of worrying about the future, I should focus on the present.