The Late Cook Ascends the Tower - The Late Cook Ascends the Tower chapter 23

23 – Episode 23. The right to survive

First of all, you should check artifacts before cards.

Because certain artifacts determine the direction of the deck.

For example, something like the [Utility Belt], An artifact that adds 1 defense whenever a skill card is put into your hand.

Once you get something like that, from then on, just pick up skill cards.

So put off card rewards for a while.

Let’s open the box.

I hope that the relics of the opening ceremony will come out as much as you have suffered so much…

Please…!

Kikki-

When I opened the box, I heard a voice inside my head.

『You have obtained an excellent uniform from Flik Proudkill’s inventory. Not a single drop of blood can be seen on the pure white fabric.”

In the box was a neatly folded white uniform.

The top was a black hood that was easy to move, and a thick white cloth was wrapped around it, and the bottom was thick black woolen pants and wide leather gaiters that covered the thighs.

It wasn’t a relic from the game, it was the same outfit Flick was wearing.

So, do enemies treated as monsters by the tower drop personal belongings from the original world?

Hmm… I might drop Jessica.

First of all, I like the white jacket and the apron-like leggings because they look like a chef, but I was a little worried about the performance.

Flick didn’t seem to enjoy the effect of the artifact.

After checking the artifact information…

What is this?

[Champion’s Uniform/Rare Artifact]

– The uniform of Proudkill, a famous gladiator.

– It is made of special yarn that prevents blades.

– Immunity to bleeding.

‘Bleed Immunity Artifact?’

After checking the ability, I nodded my head about the battle just before.

No matter how many times he stabbed Flick, it didn’t bleed at all.

So don’t you bleed with a dagger? I was really disappointed.

I never thought I would be wearing such a relic…

This is a fraudulent ability in the game, but it’s even worse here.

In the game version, skill cards were used to inflict status ailments on enemies, but now status ailments occur in various ways.

Like Nana, who got a [Fracture] Due to a broken bone, or Tilda, who got a [Passout] Card because of exhaustion.

Can you completely neutralize one status ailment in this environment?

Besides, if you think about it with common sense, most of the weapons are probably bladed.

But you’re immune to bleeding?

I think I’ve obtained an artifact that’s crazy beyond my imagination.

‘I ate a lot from the first artifact… No, don’t listen to Jessica!’

In addition, since this type of relic goes well with any deck, card selection has become much easier.

I’m sorry I left Tilda unattended, so I need to hurry up.

I quickly picked up my uniform and checked my card information.

[Bare Handed Guard/Battle Card: Get 4 shields. Draw 2 cards. If the drawn card is a Combat card, discard it. ☆]

[Battle Cry/Skill Card: Shout loudly to reduce the enemy’s shield by 60%. ★]

[Slicing/Battle Card: Inflicts 1 damage to a target 3 times. Adds 2 hits when using dual swords. ★]

‘Oh… No matter how many players it is, it’s the same as the mid-boss.’

All three of the card rewards were rare cards. Even with all the usable stuff.

As for the battle cry, if you encounter a defense-oriented enemy, you can see a large amount of cost benefit, and it seems that you can cheat something by shouting.

And in the case of chopping, it seems weak now, but the potential was enormous.

If you gain even one strength in the future, the damage increases by 1 for each stroke, so you can put up to 10 damage in 1 cost.

But what if strength is 2 or higher? From then on, it’s a disaster.

But… I didn’t know yet whether investing in strength was the right choice.

I don’t know.

If the cards continue to match, you can decorate a multi-strike build with a focus on strength.

Forcing a continuous hit build that doesn’t suit my job and race characteristics at all?

With 0 muscle strength?

No matter how much I think about it, I don’t mind.

The experience of thousands of editions tells me.

So my choice is this.

『As a reward, I acquired a rare [Bare Handed Guard] Card.』

With this card, you can get an extreme advantage right now.

If you raise your defense by even 1, you can use the shield trick. Above all, the fact that it cost 0 was the best.

If you cheat with free armor, you can now fake a cost of 6 or more.

I still have only battle cards in my deck, so there’s no point in drawing 2 cards. Just cycling through the deck quickly was beneficial enough.

If you get a good skill card in the future, the synergy will explode.

Every time I think about the endless possibilities, I smile.

‘Okay. Relics and cards were all drawn with good efficiency… Starting is the best.’

Although it’s a pity that I couldn’t get my hands on the artifact from Gnome’s Rest…

It doesn’t matter if you go backwards through the tower at will in this round.

There will be another chance to get the artifacts you didn’t get next time.

So today’s exploration ends with this!

Let’s go back to the village now.

I didn’t get the vegetables I wanted, but there are still two monster corpses.

Returning sickness can be cured to some extent.

I grabbed Tilda’s arm that was sticking out of the hole and pulled it carefully.

But strangely…

No matter how much I pulled, there was no sign of Tilda coming out.

I don’t even dream of it.

‘Why did he suddenly become so heavy?’

Originally, it was very light.

It’s not stuck in a hole, what is it?

‘I’m sorry, but I’ll pull a little harder.’

So this time, with both legs anchored to the wall, I pulled Tilda with all my might.

“Turn it off…!”

Then, little by little, the body began to be dragged out.

Her head came out without getting caught anywhere, and her little shoulders came out.

And then I started to see her other hand…

It wasn’t until I saw that that I could understand why Tilda was so heavy.

‘What… Is this a coincidence…?’

Plant vines were wrapped around Tilda’s hand after she came out of the hole.

Because even that wasn’t enough, the end of the vine was tied to the handle of the treasure chest.

No matter how you look at it, the tied shape wasn’t a coincidence.

She tied herself up right before she passed out.

‘I’m tired. It’s an acknowledgment…’

Actually, her equivalent exchange and anything that made her do her job meant hiding in her hole.

Because there are still more climbers and hunters left on the first floor.

Besides, she was in such bad shape that she never imagined that she would bring a box…

We applaud her endless spirit.

Thanks to you… I got an extra reward that I wasn’t expecting. hehehehe

First, when I picked up the plants and put them in my inventory, there were 2 [Gnome crop piles].

I don’t know if it can be used as food as it is, but if you go to town and disassemble it into Jessica, you’ll get an answer.

And inside the treasure chest…

『Inside the treasure chest hidden by the gnomes, there are shoes that someone lost.

Congratulations. You have acquired the artifact [Speedy Boots].』

A normal artifact, [Speedy Boots] Has been found.

[Speedy Boots]

– Shoes made of thin rabbit skin.

– Movement speed +15%

Light brown leather boots that go well with the uniform.

When I put my feet in, it felt more comfortable than sneakers, perhaps because the leather was thin.

This was a fairly good relic among the general population.

If you don’t have an evasion card like [Dash], You can’t dodge an attack yet, but if your movement speed builds up, you’ll be able to dodge slow attacks by moving.

Of course, it would be nice to have a chase like before or avoid traps.

Above all, the sneakers I was wearing when I came to this world were too worn out, so it was time to change them.

From the uniform to the shoes, he wore one suit at a time.

I can’t hear you, but I thanked Tilda.

“Thanks for the shoes. I’ll wear them well.”

If you think about it, today’s performance was all thanks to Tilda.

From fighting Flick, who had no intention of fighting, to attacking the Gnome’s Shelter, which I couldn’t figure out how to do.

Something that was not planned was resolved in one go.

At first, it was just because I was angry.

I was angry because Tilda, who was struggling to live as a child, seemed like my old self.

The point of stupidly trusting people and being scammed.

I’m also angry at the guy who laughs at the person who showed his faith.

More than anything, I feel like struggling with a situation where I can’t even see the future.

I just wanted everything to disappear right in front of my eyes, and then I stood in front of Flic.

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He picked up Tilda and put it around her shoulder.

And then I suddenly felt strange.

Somehow, I felt that everything I was doing was unnatural.

The fact that he was caught up in by Dana in the village and offered to cook for him.

The fact that he was angry with Flick, who had nothing to do with it, and the fact that he was saving Tilda now.

It’s not something I chose out of necessity, I feel like I’m being manipulated by some huge force.

As if it was designed to be this way in the first place.

Thinking about it, if Flick hadn’t been selected as my boss monster, he wouldn’t have died.

Conversely, if Tilda hadn’t met me, she would have surely died, so maybe this death and survival is also a choice of the tower.

Tilda’s small body fits perfectly into a dog hole.

I feel that way from that unnatural sense of unity.

Still, well, the ignorant, courageous and tenacious Tilda seems to have a higher survival rate than a coward like Flick.

Even if I were in Tower, I would still want to save Tilda.

And from now on, I really intend to save him.

[HP : 21]

I had only 21 HP left and even got the [Fracturing] Card.

Since Tilda brought me all the plants and the treasure chest, from now on I have to save her even if I die.

Because my promise was an equivalent exchange.

Even this idiot kept his promise, but I must keep my promise with the pride of a deceased person.

And when we arrive in town, we should fill our stomachs with delicious chicken dishes.

If you have enough ingredients, it’s good to just skip to chicken soup.

As I think about going back to the village, I somehow remember someone’s face…

Because this thought is also unnatural.

I see it as the design of the tower.

Let’s go back.