TRHSOS 13

Chapter 13

[The door to the 46th floor of the Tower opens.]

This single line, fired off by Suwon (who didn’t even realize it himself), caused another wave of ripples. Naturally, on the Hunter anonymous boards, a flood of posts about the 46th floor opening appeared.

<Current Tower Status> Reporters lined up at the Tower entrance, and guilds containing top-ranking players in “Writing,” “Art,” and “Ambition” all rushed inside. └Anonymous1: Didn’t I hear that no matter how much the JP guild tried, the Gatekeeper refused to open the door? └Anonymous3: But it’s open now. └Anonymous4: So there’s a higher class than Writing? └Anonymous5: Writing must be so salty lol └Anonymous6: Doesn’t anyone else smell ambition here? └Anonymous5: Yep. Next in line, Writing. └Anonymous6: Yep. Bug cut! └Anonymous2: Seeing all top three guilds on alert, doesn’t that mean the person who opened the 46th floor isn’t inside? └Anonymous4: Agreed.

<Who the hell opened the 46th floor?> [Author: SiXto]
“You should be my companion.”
└Anonymous1: Author SiXto! That’s the real Bak Si**!
└Anonymous2: Oh my, sir. What brings you to such a humble place?
└Anonymous3: May I become that companion?
└Anonymous4: No, you may not.
└Anonymous3: Then at least let me be a footrest…
└Anonymous1: Crazy lololol
└Anonymous5: Open the path of flowers! He’s the real deal!

<Sorry to interrupt everyone talking about the 46th floor>
I was wandering around the Tower when I actually saw Bak Si** Park Ji Nu** in person—he’s insanely handsome ㅠㅠㅠ
Is this where I lie down? Let’s lie down!
└Anonymous1: Ma’am, you can’t do that here.
└OP: He’s a sir.
└Anonymous2: A Sixth Sense-level twist.
└Anonymous2: Father, I should put up a Writing poster in your room.
└OP: Where have you been all this time, my son?
└Anonymous3: Crazy male fan lololol
└Anonymous4: I’m a guy, but honestly… agreed.
└Anonymous5: And he’s an S-rank Hunter too. This world’s disgusting.
└Anonymous4: At this point, aren’t rankings basically by face?
└Anonymous6: Definitely F-rank.
└Anonymous4: Yup. Next F-rank.

<Isn’t the person who opened the 46th floor this time an EX Awakened?>
Why did it open right after the hot spring owner awakened?
└Anonymous1: To be factual, the hot spring owner’s rank isn’t confirmed yet. Only the hidden field hot spring is confirmed EX-rank. The idea that the hot spring owner is an EX Awakened is just speculation by Hunter experts.
└Anonymous2: Here comes the explanation nerd.
└Anonymous3: If he had awakened while wasting time posting this, he’d be S-rank.
└Anonymous4: Do you know whose dog is S-rank? Every Tom, Dick, and Harry is S-rank lol.
└Anonymous3: Seeing you rage, he must be F-rank?

<Possible that the hot spring owner went up to the 46th floor (with proof)>
[Photo]
I’m a member of the Writing guild, and I was the first to reach the 46th floor today. But the Gatekeeper was in the one-person bath sauna. Proof photo attached.
└Anonymous1: lol sauna fun.
└Anonymous3: And his expression is pure bliss.
└Anonymous2: Is it possible the hot spring owner actually went in?
└Anonymous4: EX-rank Awakened fun.
└Anonymous5: Seeing this makes me want to do a sauna too.
└Anonymous1: Anyone know where that sauna tub is? Coordinates, please.
└Anonymous6: Hello. I run a Hunter general store. The product you inquired about is our “One-person Sauna Tub [Navy (Adult): Space & Planets].” Thank you for your interest.
└Anonymous1: Going to support them with money.
└Anonymous3: Any discounts for group orders?
└Anonymous6: 10% discount for purchases of 20 or more.
└Anonymous3: Looking for people to group-buy one-person sauna tub (1/20)
└Anonymous7: 22222
└Anonymous2: 33333$

<Top-ranking brothers!>
Now that the 46th floor is open, shouldn’t we rush in together and clear it?
└Anonymous1: I’m a JP guild member; if I go up to the 46th floor, I’ll get kicked out immediately.
└OP: Whoa. Getting a reply from a Writing guild senior is an infinite honor. I’ll bow deeply.
└OP: But why do we get kicked out if we go up to the 46th floor? Please explain, sir.
└Anonymous1: [The Gatekeeper of the 46th floor does not want his sauna disturbed.] [Kicked back to the 45th floor.]
└Anonymous1: Infinite loop fun.
└OP: Huh? Sauna?
└Anonymous1: Reaction of typical rankers who get kicked to the 45th floor.gif

Siwoo and Jiho weren’t any different, waiting endlessly on the 45th floor.
“Still getting kicked?” Siwoo asked, yawning.
“Yes, I just got kicked again on the way here.” Jiho shook his head hopelessly.
“Think we can get in today?”
Siwoo, looking bored to death, was scrolling quickly through the anonymous Hunter board when he suddenly froze his finger mid-swipe. His expression grew serious.
“Park Jiho, look at this. Doesn’t this look exactly like our ‘Una’?”

‘Una’ was the name Siwoo had given to his beloved personal sauna tub.

At his call, Jiho leaned in to look at the screen. The photo showed the Gatekeeper of the 46th floor enjoying a hot spring in a sauna tub identical to Una, his expression peaceful.
“Come on, there are so many identical sauna tubs in the world.” Jiho reacted indifferently.
“But… why does this feel like our Una? It’s like she’s crying to be taken with me.”

Jiho looked at his older brother, utterly ridiculous, fawning over just one sauna tub.
‘Is he really insane?’

Not sensing Jiho’s judgment, Siwoo couldn’t take his eyes off Una in the photo for quite a while.

At the same time, the one who handed Siwoo’s beloved Una to the 46th floor Gatekeeper was busy collecting herbs with full zeal.

[Acquired herb ‘Fresh Shoot’ through gathering.]
[Skill ‘Just a Hoe(A)’ acquired through consecutive gathering success.]
[Skill ‘Just a Hoe(A)’ doubles herb acquisition for 2 minutes. Cooldown: 30 min 0 sec.]

Jackpot! Right now, herbs are doubled!
I continued hoeing tirelessly.

[Acquired herb ‘Fresh Shoot’ x2]
[Acquired herb ‘Fresh Shoot’ x2]

The hoe the elder gave me was great, and with the skill effect, my herb bag quickly filled.
Did I overdo it?
Soon my breath was short and my back sore.
Stretching back like a cat, I groaned.
My stomach was starting to growl…
I rubbed my now-thin stomach.
If I’d known, I would’ve brought some simple food.
Ordering delivery at the hot spring wasn’t an option.

Rummaging in the bag the elder gave me, I unexpectedly found a rice ball.
Huh? I don’t remember packing this.
Worried it might have gone bad, I checked its info.

[‘Herb Jar (EX)’ rice ball (S)]
[Made by ‘Herb Jar (EX)’ for his first granddaughter, humming a tune. Restores Max HP when eaten.]

Elder, I’m so touched!
My stamina had been running low from gathering anyway, so I needed it.

Now… is there a place to sit and eat?
Looking around, I noticed a large marble space resembling a temple a little distance away.
Seems overly fancy for a herb-gathering spot.
Maybe it was built for resting while gathering?

I didn’t dwell on it; hungry, I climbed the stone steps and sat.

[The ‘Tower’s Guardian’ senses the presence of an outsider and opens its eyes.]

As I took out the rice ball, a prompt appeared.
Is the ‘Tower’s Guardian’ the Gatekeeper at the door?
What a grand name.
If you didn’t know, you’d think it guarded the entire Tower.

[The movement of the ‘Tower’s Guardian’ exudes a chilling aura.]

Why is a chilling aura suddenly rising?
Did the water the elder was in cool down?
It had been a while since I entered, so that would make sense.
But why does it feel so cold?
A chill crawled up my spine.
I felt like something was about to jump out from behind.
Just like in horror movies, where a ghost always jumps from behind.
Why does fear make imagination so vivid?

Even more terrified than before, I curled up against a pillar, trying to block the ghostly pathway, inching backward.

Then it happened.
“Who’s there?”
A cold breath rose right next to my ear.