I Became a 6★ Gacha Character

Han Se-ah and Grace quickly adapted to their new environment.

Grace had already experienced life in the lower floors, completing various quests to survive, while Han Se-ah was a naturally gifted gamer.

They used my advice, Grace's experiences, the game's system, and information gathered from other streamers to their advantage.

However, there was a minor issue—

"Hanna, how do you know that? You really are a remarkable mage."

"Ah? Oh, well, yes? I studied a bit."

"Seriously...you study even in your room?!"

Perhaps because Han Se-ah knew how to make items like Horned Wolf lure scent, despite being clueless about the prices of hygiene products or desserts for female adventurers, Grace started to cling to her a bit more.

Due to the impression of a "young genius witch who knows nothing about the world" that Grace had of her, she let it slide. However, this made me realize that Han Se-ah had no talent for acting.

Her eyes would dart around, looking into empty space, as she stammered "Ah, yes, ah, yes," buying time to come up with a lie.

It made one understand the true meaning of the phrase "it's written on their face."

Fortunately, thanks to the assistance of the game system, Grace seemed to have no doubts and continued without any issues. I felt relieved, knowing that there wouldn't be any conflicts that could break the party and impede our progress up the tower.

"We're getting accustomed to the plains, so today we'll hunt Horned Wolves. Look for any related quests. While the guild buys the by-products of Horned Wolves, impatient wizards and alchemists might pay a premium to purchase them immediately."

"What kind of by-products do Horned Wolves have?"

"Horns, eyeballs, fangs, skin, and claws."

"Oh...they really are by-products."

"Even though they're animal by-products, they contain as much magic as magic stones, so alchemists buy them in large quantities. Due to that, there's a significant difference in income between adventurers on the 9th floor and those on the 10th floor."

Grace explained the details to Han Se-ah, who was asking about Horned Wolf byproducts for the first time.

It seemed that it was about time for players to start encountering bosses.

Grace and Han Se-ah eagerly examined the quest board.

Herb gathering requests are highly sought after, but for something like the Horned Wolf, there is less competition, allowing them to leisurely browse and choose.

"This one involves delivering materials to an alchemist's workshop, but the price difference from the guild's purchase is negligible, so it's not worth it. Eye balls are a rare find among the byproducts, so we'll skip this request too."

Grace skillfully navigates through the requests, disregarding those that don't offer enough payment for the effort or those that require hunting more Horned Wolves than manageable. She may not have hunted a Horned Wolf before, but she seems to have a good eye for selecting requests.

Did she memorize the prices of materials up to the 10th floor? Impressive.

To be honest, I'm just as clueless about the prices of low-level materials as Han Se-ah. My exceptional physical strength allowed me to adapt to the tower battles mostly on floors above the 11th. What's the point of practicing against Horned Rabbits that can't penetrate leather armor?

Consequently, I don't know what medicinal herbs look like, how to find them in their natural habitats, or which herbs grow together or should be eliminated due to parasitism. All of that is left to the party's scout.

'If we had a priest for emergencies, the party would be perfect.'

With me here, there isn't an urgent need for an offensive vanguard. Looking at Grace, a 3★ ranger, her stats seem higher than expected, possibly due to some balance patch to make lower-ranked characters more viable...

However, that doesn't mean that higher-star characters have been nerfed as well.

If an offensive vanguard of 4★ or lower were to join the party, my warhammer alone would undoubtedly have higher attack power. So what the party urgently needs right now is a priest who can cover my weaknesses, similar to Grace.

"I've picked out the requests! Let's get started."

***

***

She selected a request related to a herb habitat near the passage we surveyed yesterday, as well as requests involving horned wolf byproducts.

Grace, ever the eager one, had picked these quests because a wealthy patron had set high prices for their completion.

She had chosen them with a wide grin on her face.

As we walked through the bustling streets filled with adventurers, we made our way towards the tower. The only noticeable change in the daily street life was the growing number of fair-skinned women.

'What's with the increase in fair-skinned women?'

Beginner adventurers who are saving up for their next equipment can barely afford to maintain proper hygiene, let alone take care of their appearance. The typical adventurer has oily, unkempt hair and rough skin, but some female adventurers seem to have fairer complexions.

They may not be remarkably beautiful, but they seem to prioritize basic hygiene. They must be 1~2★ adventurers. Well, if Grace received a boost, it's only natural that other women can enhance their appearance too.

"Let's enter the tower and hunt the horned wolves on the 10th floor first. We'll tackle the other quests afterward."

As I glanced around, I found myself at the tower entrance. Without knowing the nature of the magic, I entered the tower, following the flow of people going in and out.

Remarkably, this tower always keeps us together, avoiding any unfortunate incidents of scattering us apart.

A vast plain, referred to as the first floor, greeted us.

I am not the party leader; that role belongs to Han Se-ah. I wonder if she remembers me mentioning that.

She quickly assumed her role as the leader.

"Grace, is there anything we should be cautious of when tracking Horned Wolves?"

"Horned wolves have an excellent sense of smell. When we're pursuing them, they sometimes ambush us instead. So always be ready with your shield spell when we are near a tall tuft of grass. Of course, whether a Horned Wolf can manage to break through our front line and reach the rear is a different story."

The two of them glanced at me, their faces full of faith in my ability to prevent any such breach.

I nodded my head slightly, and they resumed walking, maintaining a formation with a bit of distance between each of us.

Our journey to the 10th floor was nothing but peaceful.

We occasionally encountered other adventurer parties, but we kept a respectful distance as there was no need for conversation.

The tower was vast, filled with numerous adventurers, making it difficult to spot familiar faces on the lower floors.

The friends I was acquainted with were all camping out in a forward base above the 30th floor of the tower.

***

Once we reached the 10th floor, Han Se-ah asked Grace, "What's the best way to track horned wolves?"

"Just like searching for signs left by a Horned Fox in the grass, we look for tall grass where a Horned Wolf might be hiding. If we find any, great. If not, we follow their tracks and use the lure scent you prepared."

"So you'll be carrying this wolf lure scent."

As Han Se-ah conversed with Grace, she produced something out of thin air. It was a round lump about the size of a fist, wrapped in low-quality paper. Grace peeled off a small piece of the lump to examine it, then gently rubbed it between her index finger and thumb, releasing a pungent odor that filled the air.

It seemed they had mixed herbs and reagents to create a scent resembling blood.

Even though they suddenly found themselves in the tower, the monsters inside were no different from those outside. Just like real wolves, Horned Wolves possessed a keen sense of smell and often targeted injured adventurers. While this could spell disaster for novice adventurers, those of intermediate level and above saw it as an opportunity to earn easy money.

"Is it sufficient to apply this to our armor?"

"Uh... Yes! It's a mixture of animal fat and herbs, so it won't harm the armor. It can be easily wiped off."

"Like this? ... This stuff is quite effective, isn't it? I'll apply it right away."

Upon hearing Han Se-ah's response, Grace immediately rubbed a chunk of the mixture onto the belly part of her armor.

It appeared to be a type of herb cultivated for medicinal purposes, adhering to the armor like an ointment or shoe polish. With a bright smile, Grace then looked at me and retrieved her bow.

...Should I consider Han Se-ah lucky in this situation?

"Huh, what!?"

"Get your act together!"

As the bewildered Han Se-ah swiftly turned around, a Horned Wolf that had been lying in wait lunged forward with its head lowered.

It wasn't just a mere wolf; it charged fiercely, akin to a goat or deer using its horns to impale a human. The charge that should have pierced Han Se-ah's back and shattered her spine was naturally intercepted by my hand.

I suppose I'll have to postpone combat training for later.

"…Is it really dead?" Han Se-ah asked, still in shock.

"Wow, that was close."

Grace, quick as a cowboy, swiftly drew her bow and had an arrow ready on the bowstring. However, the wolf had long ceased breathing before she could even release the arrow.

I had grabbed its head in case Han Se-ah couldn't use her shield spell in time but it seemed the counter-force had crushed its skull.

Fortunately, my palms weren't soaked in the wolf's blood and brain matter.

"Grace, it's good that you trust me, but next time, make sure to give clear instructions that Hanna can understand too. And Hanna, your magic was quite fast considering you were caught off-guard. However, in a situation where the vanguard can block like just now, use an offensive spell instead of a shield."

Displaying the Horned Wolf, now transformed into a lower-grade magic stone, in my hand, I nagged them a bit, while Han Se-ah stared blankly at me.

"Is this really the boss monster of the 10th floor? I thought I'd be cooperating with Grace to hunt wolves using arrows and magic. But does this mean the mission is accomplished? Even if you killed it, our party ultimately succeeded, right?"

She seemed lost in thought, perhaps due to receiving a viewer mission related to the Horned Wolf.

***

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