The Hero Returns

by Stayrr

The strongest hero of humanity, Kim Sung Bin. He threw everything on the line and fought but… He still couldn’t prevent the destruction of the world. But his legend has just begun as he returns 20 years into the past.

1. 1

The strongest hero of humanity, Kim Sung Bin.

He threw everything on the line and fought but… He still couldn't prevent the destruction of the world.

But his legend has just begun as he returns 20 years into the past.

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Chapter 1: Chapter 1

The sky was blue, and the smell of the rich, earthy soil was carried by a seasonal breeze. 1

The sight still came to him when he closed his eyes.

As it could never be seen again, it was much more precious.

"The past is the past."

He looked up only to see the black sky. Instead of the smell of soil, the smell of blood was everywhere. Was it a seasonal smell? No, there was only a repetitive, freezing winter that made the world nearly uninhabitable.

[Name: Kim Sung-in] [Another name: Hero] 2

[Spell counts: 97] [Spell grade: 9]

Sung-in went through his Ability Record in his mind, which was initially not a lot, but now it had become comprehensive. Among those statuses, he checked his one specific status.

[Fatigue level: 88]

"I knew it," he murmured as he checked his fatigue level on the bottom. "That's why my body feels so heavy."

The fatigue level showed a numerical representation of his current fitness state, with 0 meaning the best physiological condition and 100 meaning the opposite. 88 was quite high. No wonder his body felt as heavy as soaked cotton. Normal people couldn't even move their bodies in such a state.

Sung-in sighed as he looked around him. All he could see was the corpses of monsters, piles of them from a distance. That was his masterpiece.

Thump, thump.

He heard footsteps in the distance, and one set sounded particularly familiar.

"You guys are so fast." He was being sarcastic.

They must have noticed the fight, but they were still so late. He realized it was their strategy to get rid of him once and for all. That meant all those monsters had just been decoys.

This is the end. He thought this would be the last, but it was not as bad as he thought.

The reason was obvious. There was no more reason to resist.

"Now…" Sung-in stood up from the pile of dead monsters. "It is time to die."

The Hero.

That was another name for Sung-in. The title was from his ability, which increased his physical and magical damage by 20% and reduced the damage he would receive.

However, that was not just another name for Sung-in.

"Spell power of 9 grade? Was there such a magical awakener?"

"For a guy like you, it may be."

"It might be possible. No, it has to be possible."

"Do you think he may be able to restore our world?"

He'd heard those kinds of words many times.

At the time, he didn't know what they meant. No, he knew what they meant but wasn't able to understand.

They demanded a lot of things from him.

They said, "Sung-in, you are our hope." "You know what a hero is? The person who can save the world. You should consider yourself a hero. You understand what Mommy means, right?" That was his mother.

He was a good son, and at one point, he did consider himself a hero.

"You are the hero."

"Please, please, save this world."

"Mr. Kim, you are the only one now."

Hero, hero, hero… That almost drove him crazy. Stop calling me that. Are you not getting tired of the word?

It had been about 40 years ago when the monsters first appeared. Many magical awakeners like him had become heroes as they fought the monsters. The monsters had been too many and indeed so strong that even those heroes with magical powers struggled. People needed a stronger hero, and Sung-in had been one of them.

"Hero, my ass."

He plunged to the ground and looked up, but only the dark, murky sky came to his sight. His vision was slowly getting blurry.

Fafnir. An ancient hero, a dragon that was killed by Sigurd.

But Fafnir was a nickname for a giant with a dragon head, who had killed so many human heroes. The war was becoming advantageous for the monsters. Even Sung-in had to fight the giant for three years straight, although he had been the one who frequently retreated. Fafnir was not to be defeated easily by any human.

[Though you are my enemy, I admire your power, Fafnir said.

That isn't really surprising. For a monster like Fafnir, anything he did was not that surprising anymore. He was almost like a demigod; being able to speak a human language was nothing compared to his other powers.

"Bull…sh*t…" Sung-in mouthed. "Do you also think I'm a hero?"

[You are indeed a hero. You deserved that title, even if it is from others, Fafnir said.

A hero created by others. He sounded like he knew everything. Obviously, he knew about Sung-in, as he must have spied on him ever since they first fought.

But that wasn't like him. That wasn't like a monster.

[You are the last one.]

The last. That was self-explanatory; everyone had been killed.

For the past year, there had been no one other than Sung-in. He had been fighting alone for all that time. And here was the outcome: let's fight until one of us dies.

Fafnir had destroyed the whole world. Sung-in may as well pay the worth of his name.

"I'll die with Fafnir and kill as many monsters as I can. What's the point of dwelling on this destroyed world with no one else around?"

However…

"This is what I've got." Sung-in laughed at his own poor condition.

Fafnir was much more powerful than he had thought. He was also without any weak points. He still had billions of his monsters, and Sung-in was all alone. Even worse, Fafnir didn't seem to move until Sung-in moved first.

Even if his fatigue level was 0, it would still be a struggle to win.

Fafnir finally opened his enormous mouth.

[By eating your flesh, I will be devouring this world.]

A story of a hero who killed an evil monster and saved the world. That kind of happy ending was far from being realistic.

"So, basically, you mean I won't be a hero."

Crash—

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Chapter 2: Chapter 2

In a room in a Dong-ha University hospital, Su-hyeun was changing his clothes as he was listening to his doctor.

"Please make sure to avoid any intensive exercise and come back if you feel sick again."

"Thank you so much, doctor."

Su-hyeun kept on buttoning his clothes. Beside Su-hyeun, Shin Su-yeong, his mother, thanked the doctor.

While they were talking, Su-hyeun looked out the window at the sight of the city beneath the hospital building and the blue sky above. With a flock of cumulus clouds slowly flying over the sky, the whole world seemed placid and peaceful.

"It's rather awkward everytime I see it."

It had been a month since he was hospitalized. For four weeks of recovery, he had looked out the window like this every day as he enjoyed the peaceful sight.

"This sight — it will be all gone by 2030. All that will remain is pictures and paintings."

2018.

Everytime he checked his smartphone, he was surprised by the year and date.

Back in the past, in a different person's body.

His death from the battle with Fafnir would occur more than 20 years later.

Now, there was only news of a monster and dungeon. The outbreak and the initial invasion of monsters had yet to happen.

"I've come back to the past." However, not in Sung-in's body, but Su-hyeun's.

2

He took out a hand mirror from the drawer. He was slightly smiling.

"Why is he smiling?"

Since it wasn't his face, Su-hyeun's smile felt quite awkward. But, after about a month, he'd begun to acknowledge it as his own.

"Mom, please. Shall we go now?" he asked, stopping to look at Su-hyeun's smile while his mother was still talking to the doctor.

"Wait a second. You should properly thank the doctor before you leave."

"I'm so hungry for anything other than tasteless hospital food."

"You want to eat out? I actually have to go back to work soon."

For the past month, he had learned about his mother's personality as he talked with her.

"In that case…"

"No, Mom. I want your delicious cooking," he said, implying that her food was the most delicious in the whole world. And being so sweet paid off.

"Okay. If that's the case, let's hurry and go home. Goodbye, doctor."

The doctor moved on to the next patient. As they were leaving the hospital, Sung-in snuck a peek at Shin Su-yeong.

"So this is Su-Hyeun's mother."

No, now she was his mother.

Though it was confusing at first, it wasn't hard to accept as time passed. He was now quite attached to Shin Su-yeong.

She was quite different from his real mother in every way. She was so cheerful that it made him think maybe all mothers were supposed to be like her.

"I want nothing but for you to stay healthy."

Comparing Shin Su-yeong, who wanted nothing but her son's wellness —

"I believe you will do better than this."

— to his previous mother, who wanted her son to be the best in every possible way, they were so different. He felt a huge discrepancy and awkwardness.

His previous mother was too cold, too strict. It wasn't just because she wanted him to be a hero. From just this one month, he felt he had learned much more about his new mother than his old one.

Shin Su-yeong had come to see her son every day to check on him after work. She never forgot to do so even though she got tired from work.

Su-hyeun looked at his mother again, and their eyes meet.

"Why do you keep looking at me, Su-hyeun?"

"Nothing, Mom." He nonchalantly turned to attention to his smartphone.

"Su-hyeun, I feel that you've changed."

"How?"

"You speak differently these days. More politely, I suppose."

Right, that must be why she seemed a little taken aback when I first spoke to her in the hospital.

"You're like a totally different person."

"Well." He wondered what he should say. "I've just decided to change."

"Change?"

"Yeah." He said whatever popped into his mind, but it was partly true because he was still Sung-in, not Su-hyeun. It was not possible to be like Su-hyeun completely, as he didn't know what Su-hyeun was like to begin with.

Shin Su-yeong hugged him all of a sudden.

"Mom?" he asked, quite surprised. "What are you doing?"

"Su-hyeun?" She continued, "No matter how you change, you know I always love you."

"Okay…"

"Good. That's all we need to know as long as you don't do anything bad and we stay near each other."

"I understand."

"Good. You're the only one I care about." She released him after she heard his answers.

"Actually, Mom. I need to go somewhere," Su-hyeun said as he checked his phone.

"Where? You're not 100% well."

"I'll be right back before dinner. You can go back to your work." As he said this, he walked away.

"Then don't be late." Shin Su-yeong waved at him.

With Shin Su-yeong's voice far behind him, he shook his head sideways.

"That always gives me goosebumps."

He was still not used to his new mother's affectionate expressions that sometimes came so suddenly. He wasn't sure how to react to it.

Of course, he didn't dislike it. Rather, it made him feel good.

"Right! I don't have much time before dinner." He planned to go back home before Shin Su-yeong came back from work; he didn't want to make her worry.

Using his smartphone app, he navigated toward his destination, although it took him a long time. The place he arrived at turned out to be an alley inside a small residential area.

"Ah, finally you came."

"That was so fast."

Some guys in a shaded spot beckoned him to come near. All four of them were around Su-hyeun's age.

"Are you guys the people I've been looking for?" Su-hyeun asked as he checked with his phone.

"What are you saying?"

"I guess I'm right."

He checked a text message he got from a guy named Gwan Jang-hyeok.

—I heard you've been in a hospital.

—When are you coming back? I want to see you.

—I'm a little strapped for cash these days. Can you help?

—Are you f*cking ignoring me? Pick up your damn phone.

—You said you're coming back today. I'm where we last met. Come right away, otherwise I'll get you rehospitalized.

The text messages were all so mean. They didn't seem to care if he called the police.

It wasn't the first time, anyway. He could see how they bullied Su-hyeun.

He had learned from his mom that Su-hyeun dropped out of high school. Perhaps those guys were the main reason for that.

"Did you bring my money?"

So Su-hyeun was supposed to bring some money to them.

"Sure. I should also get rid of all the scumbags like you."

"What the f*ck?"

"I can't believe this."

"Have you gone crazy?"

One of the guys nearest to Su-hyeun swung his fist.

Then, all of sudden, "AHH!"

Su-hyeun snatched his fist and twisted it. The man screamed, looking at his broken wrist.

"What the —?"

While the rest of them were caught off guard, Su-hyeun had already become aware of his surroundings. There were no passersby who could witness anything and no surveillance cameras. That was probably why they had called him here in the first place.

"Don't worry. I'll make it quick." He walked toward the now frightened men.

Ahh…

Ahhhhh…

It felt nice to beat up all the bullies who were now squirming in pain like worms.

That was easy.

It was nothing to him. He had been through much harder fights countless times before, as it was important for heroes to practice fighting in order to defeat monsters. Comparing this to those occasions, those four bullies did not have any special fighting skills; they were absolutely nothing.

Of course, Su-hyeun must have been the same as them, helpless and weak, but basic experience and insight made the huge difference.

He could tell how ruthlessly they must have tormented Su-hyeun, judging by all those evil text messages from them.

Just from those guys.

All he needed was a little bit of courage. Su-hyeun also could get help from law enforcement, but what appeared to work best for the bullies was a little bit of a lesson from Su-hyeun himself.

Su-hyeun threw the clubs and metal pipes right beside Gwan Jang-hyeok. Those weapons are all theirs.

"Hey."

"Yes…. Yes…. Sir." Jang-hyeok was obviously terrified.

What a dumbass! You'd been bullied by those cowards for years during school?

"Tell me. Why did you bring all these pipes and weapons?"

"Well, that was just…." Su-hyeun could tell he was trying to give him an answer that would save himself.

"You were trying to kill me, right?"

Jang-hyeok went pale at his question.

"Then I suppose I can kill you too. Self-defense, you know. "

As he said this, he picked up one of the metal pipes that was thrown beside him. He swung it toward Jang-hyeok's head. As it almost landed on him. "Ahh, please save me!"

Tap—

It just lightly tapped his head. At that moment, Jang-hyeok wet himself.

He was such a coward.

Su-hyeun leaned toward him. "If you do this again…"

Bump—!

Su-hyeun said this as he beat him on his forehead. He gave all of the others the same warning. He didn't know how it would turn out, but surely, they had learned their lesson.

So, I got one out of the list.

As he walked out of the alley, he checked his phone. October 2018.

He thought about what he was doing in his former life around this time of year.

My school.

At that time, before he became a hero, he was just an ordinary college student.

Dong-ha University.

He realized where to go next. Before he went back home, he needed to check his past life.

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Chapter 3: Chapter 3

Act 2

Dong-ha University was one of the top three renowned universities in Korea. Su-hyeun was still attending this school until the day before, when he was Sung-in in his past life. But….

"It's not here?"

"How many times must I tell you?" The man who looked like the faculty's teaching assistant replied nervously. Su-hyeun knew him. It was the same teaching assistant back when he had studied here. It was this school, but….

"Student number 201413109, Kim Sung-in. This student isn't from our school. You may have come to the wrong place; it'll be faster for you to double-check." It was evident that the teaching assistant was suppressing his anger while answering. Perhaps he should have been, since he was wasting his time on something so time-consuming. Su-hyeun could only trudge out of the faculty department.

As classes ended, students came pouring out of the classrooms. Seeing this brought a probable thought to Su-hyeun's mind. However, no one knew of the student named Kim Sung-in, even if he remembered their faces and names.

It couldn't be….

A sudden thought got Su-hyeun to flip out his smartphone. Su-hyeun opened his bank's website and entered his name and resident number, which then brought him to the authentication page.

The result: The name and resident number do not match.

The result was the same, regardless of how many times he tried. Could he have misremembered? No, it couldn't be. Su-hyeun wouldn't be able to get into Dong-ha University if he couldn't even remember his resident number. Did I… disappear?

It was hard to believe. As Su-hyeun's mind turned blank and cooled, his steps steered toward one direction. He immediately headed to his old house.

Su-hyeun rang the doorbell to his old house in Pyeongchon, Anyang. Ding-dong. The bell rang. Su-hyeun's heart started racing, and his blank mind was immediately filled with complicated thoughts as soon as the door opened. "Who is this?"

It was his mother. Not Su-hyeun's, but Kim Sung-in's mother. Why was she home? She wouldn't be in most of the time, except for a day or two a month. Should he consider himself lucky? But Su-hyeun couldn't bring himself to speak in front of his mother. "Who are you?"

"I'm…." Su-hyeun then forced a smiling face and asked, "Is there… someone named Kim Sung-in here?"

"Kim Sung-in? No, I live alone here. Did you perhaps get the wrong place?" As expected, the answer was no different. It was his mother, not anyone else. Su-hyeun half-expected that she might not have remembered him. He was now certain that his life as Kim Sung-in did not exist in this world.

"Ha…." It eventually came to this. It didn't take him long to get this straight in his mind. It was one of the possibilities he had in mind.

That's true — I'm here. There shouldn't be another me since I'm here. It was easier to think of it that way.

If so, mother too… would not have remembered Su-hyeun. It was an awkward feeling. The woman standing in front of him now was no longer his mother. But why? She didn't look disturbed. It was just him who felt confused. If so….

As expected, I can't get any closer.

Su-hyeun lowered his head and bowed. "I seem to have found the wrong place. I'm sorry." Su-hyeun left the premises and headed towards town with a knotted heart. He gradually calmed down as he walked along the busy streets.

I'm Kim Su-hyeun. There was a question that he had been asking himself numerous times for the past month: Am I Su-hyeun or Sung-in? And the answer to his question finally came. I'm now… Su-hyeun.

He repeated this countless times in his head so as to not be wavered by it, and to avoid confusion. Out of nowhere, he heard Shin Su-yeong's voice. "I'll not ask why you're trying to change. Just don't go astray, and don't go too far away from home."

Why would she say that? Now he seemed to have understood. Shin Su-yeong felt anxious. Su-hyeun realized that she too had the same worries that he was having now — that he might leave for somewhere further away, that he might go somewhere far away and not return at all.

He slapped both his cheeks hard with his hands. That woke him up. He was no longer attached to his past life. There was no one to remember him and nothing else for him to leave or regret.

No, just one. Su-hyeun's eyes sank as he started to walk. Fafnir.

Not from the past, but the future. No, more accurately, something that he would encounter in the future. If it was 2018 now, Fafnir would appear someday, and this world would fall. If this was a world where Kim Sung-in did not exist, then this world would only become worse, not better. That is, if he did nothing.

On his way home, Su-hyeun observed his surroundings while walking on the busy streets. The sky was blue. Being in the bustling and lively landscape seemed to make one feel strangely excited. Until now, he would not have thought that he would miss this moment. In this landscape, in this setting. He wanted to protect the future that he would be living in.

To do that, first…. Su-hyeun turned his head and muttered while looking far into the horizon. "I'm going to have to suffer for a while."

Su-hyeun took the bus and arrived home. It wasn't hard finding his way back. While preparing to be discharged, he noted down his house address in advance. A two-room semi-basement apartment. Su-hyeun entered the house feeling awkward. Click—

As soon as Su-hyeun entered after opening the door with his keys, he could see the small living room and two rooms at once. It wasn't that small for two to live, but it was apparent that they were not so well-to-do since it was a semi-basement.

Seems that she isn't back yet. It was early evening. Though it was time for the office workers to get off from work, Shin Su-yeong had yet to return. She usually ended late.

I think we may have a late dinner…. There's still some time. Su-hyeun went into what seemed to be his room of the two. In a small room of 10 square meters, Su-hyeun sat on the bed that took up half that space.

Although it was his first time, it did not feel unfamiliar. A weird feeling came to him. It was a different sense of relief and comfort as compared to when he stayed in the hospital. It seemed that his body remembered this place.

Pull yourself together. He was quite affected by Shin Su-yeong. It wasn't in the wrong way. Instead, he liked the comfort, relief, and warmth, which was different from before. But from now on, these emotions would become poison to him.

Smack—

Su-hyeun slapped both of his cheeks hard. Pull yourself together, he repeatedly muttered in his mind.

From now on… I'll be back as Sung-in. He had lived as Su-hyeun for the past month, and it would stay that way in the future. But besides that, as a Magical Awakener, no one else would be able to catch up to Kim Sung-in.

I'm now…. As if chanting a spell, Su-hyeun continued muttering in his mind. Sung-in. As the spell was finally controlling Su-hyeun. Whoosh—

Su-hyeun's hand stretched forward and grasped his wide-open hand tightly. Rip! Su-hyeun made a tear in the air, and a space formed. A "doorway" was made such that only Su-hyeun could see it.

Step, step—

Su-hyeun walked towards the door. And after taking the first step, the landscape changed in front of Su-hyeun's eyes.

Su-hyeun opened his eyes. The white space came back to him. A familiar place, one that he had seen before. The warm feeling from earlier subsided quickly. Su-hyeun's eyes changed to those from his past life.

[Welcome to the Tower of Trials.]

[Kim Su-hyeun, will you start the trials now?]

It started.

The Tower of Trials. A place commonly referred to as an abyss by outsiders. Those who passed the first floor would be able to gain their abilities and become "Magical Awakeners." Of course, it was just the first step, but that performance was also equivalent to the Magical Awakener's level of awakening. If so, how could one enter the Tower of Trials?

No precise requirements were stated yet. And that was the same for Su-hyeun when he was still Sung-in who lived in the future. It was such that one would know when the moment arrived. For Su-hyeun, the moment he opened his eyes in this life, he realized the method of entering the Tower of Trials. No, more accurately, it seemed as though he remembered the way to enter it. His past life had a positive influence. However, Su-hyeun delayed the beginning of the trials until now.

And the only reason. In the best condition.

For the past month, Su-hyeun had been hospitalized. He had been waiting for his fractured bone to heal and for his health to recover fully. His body now had been fully recovered. While he was hospitalized, he had also done rehabilitation training on his own. He was convinced that this was sufficient.

"Let's start."

[Kim Su-hyeun, the trials start now.]

[Choose the level of difficulty.]

[Levels 1~10]

[As the level goes up, the level of difficulty increases, and the reward for clearing each level gets better.]

The explanation for the trials appeared in front of Su-hyeun's eyes. The trials were divided into a total of 10 levels. The most manageable level started at Level 1, and the difficulty would have reached its highest point at level 10.

It was a tough question. There was no right answer, and since there was no wrong answer, it was even tougher — to choose level 1 and clear the level with perfection, or to choose a higher level and scrape through the level.

The choice was up to him. And….

"Level 10." Su-hyeun's choice was already made.

[You have chosen Level 10.]

Su-hyeun had chosen Level 8 in his past life. It was quite difficult, and as tough as it was, the bounty was quite rewarding.

The trials did not start easy. But…. It's not enough with just this.

There was no end to the Tower of Trials. No one knew how many floors existed within this colossal tower. That was how it was known as being endless. But going up the higher floors did not mean that one was deemed to be stronger. There were cases where some Magical Awakeners who only cleared a few levels were stronger than those who completed dozens of levels. That was the difference when clearing levels and the levels of difficulty for the Tower of Trials.

High risks, high returns. Su-hyeun thought as the world began its fall. What would happen if he had chosen a level of greater difficulty? What if he had taken a tougher route? Su-hyeun soon came to regret his choice for the first time.

This time…. That was how he made up his mind then.

[Level 10 of the Tower of Trials' First Floor will start.]

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A dull voice was heard as the scene before Su-hyeun's eyes changed.

The white scene from before had colors added to it. The precious scene was one of those that couldn't be seen outside the Tower of Trials.

The chilly air tickled his skin.

The background of the trials was the Colosseum.

Grrr—

Kyaaa—!

The Colosseum was empty, but the cries of the monsters could be heard from somewhere.

What great sound effects.

Starting from the first floor, the background looked great.

One floor, ten levels — he knew about its theme.

Though the trials vary from the second floor onwards, the first level's trial was determined by its difficulty.

There was almost no one who cleared the first level trials.

Su-hyeun, too, had internal conflicts.

Would this be the right choice? On the contrary, wouldn't choosing those with greater difficulties bring worse results?

But his concern did not last long.

Nothing changes if there are no differences.

Change does not come without one's will. There's nothing else as stupid and selfish as expecting positive changes while doing nothing.

[Choose your weapon.]

A variety of weapons appeared around Su-hyeun.

Sword, spear, katana, ax, hammer, bow, etc.

Just the weapon types alone went well over the hundreds.

And Su-hyeun knew how to use more than half the weapons.

But there was no need to contemplate over which weapon to choose. Though Su-hyeun knew how to use more than half of them, there was the only one which he knew inside out.

Click—

Su-hyeun grabbed the sword.

1

The best weapon that was prepared to deal with Fafnir, the Balmung.

It was a sword type weapon, and Su-hyeun had used it for the longest time.

In terms of skills, no other weapons are on par with the sword.

[You have chosen the 'Silver Longsword.']

[Check its state.]

As Su-hyeun ascended the levels, the explanations would get less amiable, and the difficulty would get higher. Compared to that, the description now was so much friendlier.

"State."

[Name: Kim Su-hyeun]

[Strength: 11] [Agility: 12]

[Health: 10] [Reflex: 14]

[Fatigue: 10]

Its overall stats were not inferior.

The average stats could be seen as 10, so there weren't any stats lower than that.

Particularly, the reflex stat was well above average.

"Why did I get beaten up so much with such stats?"

Perhaps Su-hyeun's personality was the most significant contributing factor.

"Although my magic level and magic count were not evaluated…"

It was not bad at this level.

All preparations were completed.

Up until then, nothing had happened in the Colosseum.

It seemed that time was given to the newcomer to check his own condition and adapt to the new environment.

No matter how Su-hyeun thought about it, the system was treating him quite well up until now.

Of course, Su-hyeun didn't need this friendliness.

Su-hyeun stood in the middle of the Colosseum and looked up into the sky.

"Stop wasting time and start now."

[Do you wish to start now?]

Indeed, the system here felt vaguely like a game.

Like a meticulously built artificial intelligence, it understood every intention and gave the right replies.

It was a very convenient point.

"Yes."

[The trials starts now.]

[Fight and obtain victory.]

Simple and concise.

There's no need to complicate things. Su-hyeun knew what to do as soon as he saw the monsters appear in front of him.

Plonk, grrrr—

A red-furred wolf growled as it watched Su-hyeun.

If there was one more unique feature, it would be its third eye.

He wasn't sure where it came from. Not from the sky, nor from the ground.

There would be people flustered at the monster which appeared suddenly. But Su-hyeun knew about the trials beforehand, as well as the beast standing before him.

The Vampire Wolf.

Amongst all monsters, the Vampire Wolf was considered the weakest and of the lowest rank.

Its physical and abilities did not have much of a difference from ordinary wolves.

But the tricky part was its "bloodsucking" trait.

"Its bloodsucking trait helps strengthen itself. On the other hand, a small amount of poison on its teeth reduces its movement speed."

Plonk—!

The Vampire Wolf dashed towards Su-hyeun.

At that moment.

Slam—!

Splat—!

Su-hyeun swung his sword at the charging Vampire Wolf and chopped off half its head.

It was a masterpiece done at a timely moment with a fully prepared stance.

Although Su-hyeun could not completely chop off its head due to lack of strength, it made the Vampire Wolf plunge headfirst onto the floor as if losing its breath.

Squash—!

Su-hyeun picked up his sword and swung in the opposite direction, cutting off the wolf's head entirely.

Its breathing stopped.

[You have gained 10 achievement points.]

[You have killed your first enemy.]

[You have gained 1 strength point.]

The reward at the beginning was great.

It was a great kill that gained Su-hyeun a precious point in stats.

Could there be more rewards?

Every time a floor was cleared in the Tower of Trials, rewards were given based on the results and permission to advance to the next floor was given.

In some cases, rewards were also given while clearing the floor. But those were sporadic cases.

Grrrr—

Plonk, plonk—!

The slain Vampire Wolf's corpse disappeared, and two other Vampire Wolves materialized.

Two more.

It was still manageable.

Su-hyeun raised his sword again.

This time, Su-hyeun made his move first.

Slide—

Su-hyeun slid his newfound body between the two Vampire Wolves.

It wasn't as quick. This was the movement limit of Su-hyeun's newfound body.

The Vampire Wolves, too, began running at the same time Su-hyeun did.

And at that moment, Su-hyeun withdrew his body deep into the ground.

At the same time, he swung his sword upwards.

Slit—

Slash—

A large cut was made across the Vampire Wolf's abdomen as it flew above Su-hyeun.

The other Vampire Wolf missed its target and landed lightly. The injured wolf cried painfully while squirming about on the floor.

Dash—!

It wasn't certain if it was because of the death of its friend or its instinctive hunger for blood, but the remaining Vampire Wolf ran tirelessly towards Su-hyeun.

And…

Rip—!

Su-hyeun's sword ripped the running Vampire Wolf's mouth apart.

Thud—!

The two injured Vampire Wolves were not dead.

Of course, they would gradually die if he left them alone.

Shaking off the blood off his sword, Su-hyeun muttered.

"Indeed… I still haven't gotten used to it."

He was hospitalized for a month and still hasn't gotten used to fighting in a new body.

If he could use his strength to the fullest, he could have amputated the heads of the Vampire Wolves.

"But it was pretty good earlier," he added, referring to him making use of the opponent's charging momentum to fly the counter.

It was the best way that Su-hyeun could come up with from his current strength and agility, which were lower than before.

To make use of the counter, Su-hyeun had to continuously observe his opponent's movement and lure them into action.

"I'll just have to get used to it bit by bit."

The trials on the first floor until then were splendid.

As the theme was the Colosseum, only simple battles with the low-rank monsters occurred.

There was no better way than this for Su-hyeun to adjust to his new body.

Poke, poke—

Su-hyeun did not forget to kill off the Vampire Wolves that were lying on the floor.

[You have gained 20 achievement points.]

The second reward popped up in Su-hyeun's mind.

Unfortunately, no stats were increased this time.

What was the difference?

There was no other way to test the hypothesis that he came up with besides continuing the battle.

Grrr—

Plonk, plonk—!

Another two Vampire Wolves appeared before Su-hyeun.

This time, it wasn't just the Vampire Wolves.

Different from the Vampire Wolves, what could be called something close to a real monster had appeared.

Grrr—

A beast with dark red fur and a build smaller than the Vampire wolf.

Even though it had two eyes closed, its third eye was wide open. It was drooling as if watching Su-hyeun as its meal.

"Mad Wolf."

Also known as the Rabid Wolf.

The reason why the level 10 trial was so tough was due to this beast.

Of course, the Vampire Wolf was not an easy opponent for normal humans, but as long as one had a weapon in his hands, it was manageable.

But the beast ahead was the real deal.

It wasn't one that should appear on the first floor.

It was a monster that even well-trained soldiers couldn't catch.

"That's why it's level 10."

Grin—

It had been a while.

Su-hyeun felt as though he was back in his past life.

The bodily senses from his past life seemed to have recovered.

But Su-hyeun was still alert.

"I'm Su-hyeun."

He mustn't be mistaken.

Any small delusion would bring about a considerable side effect.

Putting aside his emotions, he had to view this situation objectively.

And objectively…

"Now."

Step—

Su-hyeun took a step towards the Mad Wolf and two Vampire Wolves.

"I'm stronger."

Plonk, plonk—!

Grrr—

The Vampire Wolves and Mad Wolf howled menacingly at Su-hyeun.

But Su-hyeun didn't even snort.

Su-hyeun had fought with monsters for many years in his past life.

And he knew instinctively that the monsters are scared of him now.

If so…

"Let's go."

It was now or never.

Tap—

The Mad Wolf was running towards Su-hyeun.

At the same time, the Mad Wolf, who was the size of a tiger, stretched its claws swiftly towards Su-hyeun. The Vampire Wolves were no different.

Slide—

Rip—

Su-hyeun did not go deep.

Instead, he dodged the Mad Wolf's claws and left a long cut along its side.

At the same time he dodged, his body flew past the Vampire Wolves, taking care to avoid their sharp claws and teeth.

A dig, and an immediate escape. Su-hyeun's lack of agility was replaced with his high concentration and broad vision.

That was Su-hyeun's strategy.

But it was only for that moment.

Grr—

Plonk, plonk—

The reactions of the two Vampire Wolves had changed.

The Vampire Wolves that barred their teeth at Su-hyeun looked at Mad Wolf.

"The unique feature of the Vampire Wolf is that it can't use blood unnecessarily."

It couldn't have the blood of the same race; unfortunately, for the Mad Wolf, he was not a member of their family.

It was just a coincidence that their priority was focused on Su-hyeun.

But since the Vampire Wolves have smelt blood…

Plonk, plonk—!

They started dashing towards the Mad Wolf.

And soon a fight between the two Vampire Wolves and the Mad Wolf started.

Not a three vs one, but a one vs one vs two fight.

No, more accurately…

"Only the winner comes this way."

The winner from their fight would go against Su-hyeun.

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Su-hyeun's past life, Sung-in, excelled in every way.

Not only were his overall stats remarkable thanks to his regular exercises since his youth, but due to his mother's influence, he knew the signs of his awakening and thus had received various training.

1

He understood the characteristics of the monsters, clearly knew their weaknesses, and came up with strategies to handle them.

Injuring the Mad Wolf and making use of the Vampire Wolves' instinct to engage them in a fight was thanks to that.

Ugh, ugggh—

Even though blood was gushing out and life was slowly draining, Mad Wolf was still drooling and swallowing its saliva.

Its instinct for food was more of an obsession. It didn't think of running away even though it was close to dying.

"But that was better for me."

It wouldn't be as knotty if it used its quick movement to escape and fought back.

Thankfully, it was an insane monster that lived up to its name. Its intelligence wasn't that high.

Stab—

Su-hyeun's sword penetrated deep into the Mad Wolf's head through the eye on its forehead.

At that moment, the Mad Wolf, which was barely alive, died.

[You have gained 50 achievement points.]

[You have passed the first floor's trial.]

[You have gained 300 achievement points.]

[All stats have been increased by 5 points.]

It was the end of the first floor.

Su-hyeun was wide-eyed.

"What a reward…"

300 achievement points.

All stats increased by five.

The reward exceeded his expectations.

Besides the achievement points, the reward was hard to accept as it was rare to be awarded an increase for all stats.

Plus, it was increased by 5 points for all.

No matter if this was a level 10 trial, the reward was beyond imagination.

"I knew the rewards would depend on the course of the trial and the performance, but…"

It did not occur to him that the difference would be this great.

Perhaps being rewarded with a stat increase for the first Vampire Wolf kill could be due to the time taken to finish it off.

Whatever the reason, it was satisfying for Su-hyeun.

If he were to be continuously rewarded in this way, he would be able to earn much more than he did in his previous life.

[You may use the first floor's store.]

[Do you wish to advance to the next level?]

Another message appeared later on.

It was the message that Su-hyeun was waiting for.

At the store, one could use their achievement points to purchase various weapons, shields, armor, and other equipment.

Currently, Su-hyeun had a total of 380 achievement points.

It was quite a substantial amount of achievement points earned from the first floor. It was thanks to the fact that Su-hyeun managed to swiftly pass the trial that got him a higher amount of points.

"Store."

Su-hyeun opened the store immediately.

Various categories appeared before him, such as equipment, consumer goods, medication, food, etc. As long as one had achievement points, he could do anything in this world.

Amongst them, there was only one that Su-hyeun was thinking of.

"Here it is."

[Lowest grade mana catalyst: 300p]

The item that came into Su-hyeun's view was a small bottle located in the consumer goods section.

The small bottle containing a violet-colored potion was the first item that Su-hyeun had wanted to purchase long ago.

"I thought it would only be available for purchase at the second level…."

It was thanks to the high achievement points he was rewarded that his plans were hastened.

"Purchase."

[You have purchased the lowest grade mana catalyst.]

[You have used 300 achievement points.]

As soon as the purchase had been confirmed, the violet-colored potion appeared in Su-hyeun's hand.

Su-hyeun opened the thumb-sized bottle cap and gulped the potion down.

Gulp—

The catalyst had no taste to it.

But a bitter aftertaste came later.

It was inevitable since the catalyst had been diluted in water.

"Pant—"

Su-hyeun threw the now empty bottle on the floor.

He flopped down to take a seat.

"Pant—"

Su-hyeun exhaled long and deep, focusing on the catalyst that was spreading throughout his body.

The magic factor also referred to the maximum amount of mana in his body.

If the magic level measures the power level, the magic factor would determine how much magic power could be released.

The awakener could never ignore neither the magic factor nor the magic level.

If the level was low, the overall power that could be released would be weak no matter how high the factor is; and if the factor was low, no matter how high the magic level is, only a small amount of magic power could be used.

"Firstly, mana's maximum limit."

Currently, his body wasn't carrying any magic powers.

The mana catalyst acts as a stimulant that forces the awakener to have magic power.

Of course, if an average person were to drink a small amount like this, it wouldn't make much of a difference….

Wiggle—

Since Su-hyeun had been dealing with magic for a long time, he reacted to the catalyst's effect of magic awakening quite sensitively.

"It's done."

[Responding to magic power.]

[Your magic factor has been increased by 1 point.]

[Responding to magic power.]

[Your magic level has advanced by 1 level.]

One point.

It was slightly humiliating.

However, not many would be able to respond to magic power from the first floor. If it weren't for this particular case, one would only encounter this on the third floor.

Initially, the first floor's level 10 was only a trial testing on one's physical abilities, and not related in any way to the magic power.

Whirl, whirl, whirl, whirl—

Su-hyeun sent magic power into the sword in his hands.

He felt the sword feeling better in his hands. But it was hard to have the magic power wrap around the sword itself.

"I can't hold this out for too long…."

It might have been better to get items like a sword or armor than to raise his magic level and factor.

But Su-hyeun was considering the long run.

"I should get stronger on this floor while I can."

The items couldn't be taken out of the Tower of Trials anyway.

The only thing he could take out would be the body that he built.

"For the sake of the future…."

As the sword's magic power ran out, Su-hyeun lowered it.

"As expected, magic power is most important."

[Will you advance to the next floor?]

As if knowing that Su-hyeun has finished using the store, the system asked if he would like to advance to the next floor.

Would he?

Or would he stop here, and pause the trials temporarily?

Or…

"No."

Su-hyeun expressed his refusal when the system asked if he would like to advance to the next floor.

Grrr—

Kyaaa—!

Su-hyeun heard the monsters growling in the Colosseum and said, "Call the next one out."

No pain, no gain.

You must suffer the equivalent hardship before gaining something.

It was the principle that Su-hyeun had from his past life, and it was also the truth in this life.

Even if he couldn't endure it, it was still a go.

There was no stopping.

"Before we advance, we should see it until the end, shouldn't we?"

Act 3

In the Tower of Trials, there were some rules to adhere to get stronger.

—Choose the higher levels.

—Clear the higher floors.

—Give a better performance.

Although there were several other expedients like the catalyst that Su-hyeun used, they were just additives.

The crucial point was how high the level, the floor, and how to get a better performance to clear the trials.

And depending on the circumstances, it was better to find a way to get a better performance at certain levels instead of the predetermined.

[Will you advance to the next floor?]

There were two choices to this question.

Yes and No.

Most would choose "Yes," as they would have decided to start the next floor of trials by quickly heading to the next floor.

But occasionally, there was another type of trial that is similar to the one Su-hyeun was at now.

A bonus mission that could be taken up after the trial ended.

"Where's the end of this Colosseum?"

A fight that only had three battles.

Su-hyeun thought it was boring.

All his stats had increased, and now that he had his magic awakened, fighting would be a lot easier.

It was a pity to stop here. Also, it was apparent that the trial's achievement level would get higher after clearing and getting more bonus missions.

No words were needed for the rewards. Plus, Su-hyeun was taking on level 10 of the trial at the moment.

Su-hyeun took on the Colosseum's next challenge.

And the one after.

And….

[You have cleared stage 10 of the first floor.]

[There is nothing else after this.]

[You have flawlessly cleared the first trial.]

[You will be ranked according to your achievement.]

[You are ranked first.]

[You have gained 1000 achievement points.]

[All stats have been increased by 1 point.]

[Your magic factor has been increased by 2 points.]

[Your magic level has increased by 1 level.]

"Pant, pant—"

Su-hyeun looked at the great wolf that was the size of a bull lying on the floor.

This wolf, whose whole body had been raked, was called the "Raked Wolf." It was a monster that had relatively keen senses.

It was hard for even a skilled magic awakener to deal with this beast, and it appeared on the first floor of the trials.

"I wondered what happened."

He did expect that it wouldn't be easy when he decided to clear all the 10 stages on the first floor.

But never did he expect to meet the Raked Wolf on the first floor.

"But still…"

As tough as it was, the reward was bountiful.

It was a given to be ranked first in the trials' ranking. Su-hyeun was also ranked first in most of the records in his past life.

But he never expected to be able to gain a magic level of 2 on just the first floor.

"Status."

[Name: Kim Su-hyeun]

[Magic Factor: 8] [Magic Level: 2]

[Strength: 28] [Agility: 29]

[Health: 28] [Reflex: 34]

[Fatigue: 55]

His overall stats had increased tremendously.

One would not have thought that he had just cleared the first floor of the trials.

This situation surpassed his expectations much more than he had imagined.

"Should I continue on to the second floor now?"

Su-hyeun shook his head at the sudden thought which surfaced in his mind.

"No. Let's stop here for today."

He could not ignore his level of fatigue now.

He needed enough rest, had used his achievement points, and was required to maintain himself. Furthermore, he could not ignore the reality.

"I'm returning."

[Your qualifications are distinct.]

[You have cleared the first floor.]

[You will now exit the Tower of Trials.]

The world before Su-hyeun's eyes changed once again.

Cut, cut, cut, cut.

Boiling, boiling.

As Su-hyeun stepped into the now-familiar room, he heard sounds coming from the living room — the sounds of soup boiling and some excellent cutting skills.

Su-hyeun opened his room door and went out to the living room.

"Oh, son, you were home?"

Shin Su-yeong, who was preparing dinner, turned around.

Su-hyeun nodded his head slightly and looked at the food set on the dining table. He was at a loss for words.

"Pork rib stew, stir-fried mix vegetable noodles, and bean paste soup… Why did you prepare so much?"

Although the house was small, the dining table had a sumptuous feast that would make many feel envious. Just by looking at it, one could tell it was a feast that needed a lot of preparations.

"My son just got discharged, so of course I have to prepare this much."

"Didn't you just come back from work?"

"That's right. The soup is almost ready, so take a seat. I'll get you a bowl of rice."

"It's alright. I'll get it myself."

Su-hyeun checked small the wall clock hung on one side of the living room. It had been well after 10PM.

Shin Su-yeong arrived back home after work at around 9PM.

If it were other families, their son would be eating alone at this time. Nevertheless, it seemed that Shin Su-yeong had been preparing dinner that late into the night every day after work.

As soon as the soup was done, Su-hyeun got his bowl of rice and sat down at the dining table. They turned on the television and started their meal.

—Recently, there has been an increase in the number of dungeons. When comparing the first-time dungeons that appeared back in 2013, in 2018, it was discovered that the number has multiplied by threefold.

As expected, the issues raised in the news recently were about dungeons and magical awakeners. As it was something Su-hyeun was used to, he did not show much interest in it.

"Aren't you fascinated at it?"

"What about?"

Su-hyeun focused on his meal and replied to Shin Su-yeong's question in a mundane manner.

If she asked about fascination, his answer was predetermined. To him, it was his daily life and lifestyle.

"Suddenly monsters and people with weird supernatural powers are appearing. These only came out in the comics and stuff that you liked when you were young."

"Well, it has now come to reality."

That's right. It had become a reality.

—Meanwhile, the prices of energy sources and ether stones found in the dungeons continue to skyrocket due to its wide variety of uses. Though some people mentioned the dangers of the phenomenal dungeon outbreak, it still has had a positive impact on our society…

Of course, the reality wasn't as hopeful as what was reported on the television.

"It wasn't hope, but more of desperation."

This happiness would not go on for long.

The dungeons that came to the world with a hopeful image would soon change into a huge disaster.

Knowing this fact, Su-hyeun could not accept the news that this was being reported as a trivial story.

They ended their meal, and Su-hyeun pushed Shin Su-yeong into her room, saying that he would do the dishes.

Su-hyuen went back into his room after he finished doing the dishes.

Creak—

"Mom, I've finished doing the."

Su-hyeun's voice turned softer.

During that short time, Shin Su-yeong fell asleep while lying against the wardrobe.

It seemed that she was quite exhausted, seeing that she might not have known how she fell asleep.

Su-hyeun looked quietly at the sleeping Shin Su-yeong before spotting a folded blanket on the side and covering her with it.

"Mother."

Looking at her face, his insides turned.

He still felt awkward at that term. Even though he had decided to live as Su-hyeun, he nevertheless felt some awkwardness.

But…

Of course, it would be hard for anyone to understand why her devotion to Su-hyeun was so great.

"Just wait a while more."

He wanted to repay as much as he had received.

Even though it was a devotion that wasn't directed entirely at him….

The end of this devotion must not lead to the end of this world.

"Even though I can't become your real son…" he thought while he closed his eyes and held her hands.

"I'll definitely make you happy."

Certainly.

He would not have anyone die under his watch.

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Chapter 6: Chapter 6

Shin Su-yeong woke up late from her sleep. In the wee hours of the morning, dawn had just started to break.

"When did I fall asleep?"

She rubbed her blurry eyes and looked around her.

Got to do the laundry and clean the floor…. House chores are piling up like a mountain. But —

"Oh?"

The room was clean.

The untidy pile of clothes had been neatly folded and the floor had been cleaned without a single strand of hair left behind. The piling trash can in the living room had been emptied as well.

"You're awake?"

Shin Su-yeong turned around.

Su-hyeun was carrying a change of clothes and a bag. Shin Su-yeong, in turn, spoke to Su-hyeun while she looked inside the recently cleaned room.

"You did all this?"

"The cleaning?"

"Yeah."

"Since you were sleeping, I didn't want to wake you up. I didn't know where to put the laundry, so I just left it aside. Please do it later. The toilet was dirty, so I cleaned it as well."

Shin Su-yeong stared blankly with a loss for words. Although he did occasionally clean the floor and do simple household chores, she never thought that her son would clean up the house so neatly while she was asleep.

"There's nothing much left for me to do."

It seemed that she could sleep more before heading to work.

"But son, where are you heading at this hour? Do you have plans?"

"I'm heading to the library."

"The library?"

"Yes. I might stay at my friend's house for the night, too. My phone will be turned off, but don't worry."

"To study?"

"Yes. I have to attend university."

It was a lame excuse, but there were no other excuses that he could come up with.

Su-hyeun scratched his head and turned away.

"Well, I'll be back." Su-hyeun put on his shoes and headed out.

Shin Su-yeong looked out into the dark, early morning sky where the sun had yet to rise and muttered.

"Oh my, what is going on?"

It might have been too much to go back to sleep immediately.

Trudge, trudge.

5AM in the morning. It was dark out on the streets. It was quiet outside except for the sounds of a few people who started work early in the morning.

"I should start studying for a bit."

Since he used studying as an excuse, he couldn't help but do it.

"Although I won't need it much."

Anyway, he did more than enough studying in his past life.

He had been admitted into a reasonably respectable university and still remembered a fair bit from those times. It had been a short-term investment while he was recovering from his fatigue.

"Before that…"

Slide—

Su-hyeun headed into a deserted alley. The narrow alley wasn't hard to find, as this was an area where few people lived. He came up with the excuse of going to the library to explain his long absences, but actually, he had something else to do.

"Ha. What am I even doing?"

He wasn't a criminal, but found himself pathetic to be hiding away in a place like this.

"I had to hide it immediately, so I had no choice."

It had only been a few years since the appearance of magical awakeners and dungeons. As precious as each magical awakener was, great attention was also given to every new magical awakener.

Therefore, moving on with the Tower on Trials in the middle of the streets would only garner more attention.

"I would never be able to go back again."

Su-hyeun reached out and shook his head clear when he thought about where he belonged in his past life.

Rip—

Su-hyeun's grasp tore a space in the air. The entrance to the Tower of Trials appeared before him. The gigantic tower could be seen once he stepped in.

Step, step—

He had become familiar with the route towards the tower. Su-hyeun could now pass the doors without any hesitation.

The landscape turned white before him and was recolored once again, revealing a completely different scene. Regardless of how many times he had crossed the entrance to the tower, he would always find this change fascinating.

[Welcome to the Tower of Trials.]

The message appeared in his mind.

Su-hyeun stood in the middle of the vast city, where people were walking in the square around the lake.

"Tower of Trials."

In the outside world, it was known as "The Abyss."

Different from its dark and dreary title, this world was quite habitable. One could live considerably well without having to clear the floors of the tower.

"It's a nice place."

Compared to the nearly destroyed future, the world now was very much better to live in.

"Because of that day, the Day of Selection…"

Su-hyeun shook his head. It was too far into the future to think about it now. Instead, now he had to resolve issues and prepare for the Day of Selection.

Step, step—

Su-hyeun immediately headed to a large department store located outside of the square. It was composed of a dwellers who did not appear to have any items on display, but the place was clearly meant to be a store.

A voice piped up while Su-hyeun walked in. "What are you here for?"

A beautiful lady with black hair, soft skin, and a slender jawline gained Su-hyeun's attention.

"If you're here to buy stuff, come here. Are you looking for anything in particular?"

Su-hyeun looked at her.

What a charming lady. Su-hyeun knew just who she was.

Dark Elf Velly. One of the merchants found on the second floor of the Tower of Trials selling skill books.

Dark Elf was a nickname that was widely known amongst the magical awakeners. Although Velly was not an elf, it meant that her beauty was equivalent to one.

Su-hyeun walked towards Velly's calling. Velly leaned her face and body up close to Su-hyeun.

"Is this your first time?"

"What about it?"

"It's my first time seeing you, but your eyes don't seem so. It's as if you've returned to someplace familiar."

"Don't mind me. Just think of me as a passing customer."

"How snippy. So, what are you looking for? I usually sell skill books. If you're not looking for anything in particular, shall I show you the whole list?"

Su-hyeun looked at her seductive appearance from the bottom up. It wouldn't be weird if anyone were to commit an impulse purchase to win her favor. It seems that many stupid customers would fall for this.

Those stupid customers would not live for long. Su-hyeun ignored Velly's gaze and spoke.

"Do you sell the transfiguration skill?"

"…Sell what?"

Velly's eyes turned small with Su-hyeun's question. With that change in expression, Su-hyeun was able to confirm that he had found the right place.

"I don't want to go around in circles finding it."

Su-hyeun bent down to meet Velly's eyes. Velly pulled back and distanced herself from him.

"How much is it? I'm looking for it."

"I do have it… But why are you looking for it?"

"Because I need it."

"And you can afford it? Even if it costs a whopping 1,000 points?"

1,000 points. A ridiculous amount for someone who just cleared the first floor. It was rare to gain stats or achievement points at the first level, especially since it was just a level to be cleared for formality's sake.

"Even so, the transfiguration skill is only accessible for those with magic level 2. You're just a newbie who recently cleared the first floor…."

"Stop your nagging and give it to me. I have the 1,000 points."

"What?"

"Give it to me."

Velly considered Su-hyeun's request for a moment and slowly took out a book.

"Here it is. The transfiguration skill book."

"Thanks."

Su-hyeun took the book from Velly. At the same time:

[You have used 1,000 achievement points.]

The achievement points which he had accumulated were gone. Although there were still some left, most of them were used.

"What are you?"

"What?"

"Are you sure you've just cleared the first floor? You were looking for the transfiguration skill, and you already had that many points as well…"

"Stop being nosy. I won't be staying here for long, either."

"What?"

"Forget it. Give me the leap skill. It's 150 points, right?"

"…Are you really supposed to be on the second floor?"

Velly looked suspiciously at Su-hyeun. But still took out the leap skill book and handed it to him.

Soon, her expression changed into curiosity, much like when he first met her. Su-hyeun judged that Velly must have known the value of the transfiguration skill. Indeed, she's not a normal lady.

How did she come to live here? All dwellers here had their own unique story to tell. Velly probably had something similar.

"I'm off."

Su-hyeun walked into another store and bought some simple equipment.

To move equipment from the Tower of Trials a separate item was needed, one different from skills. But that item was not available to purchase on the second floor, so the equipment that Su-hyeun had got to use was quite a steal.

"It's not bad for this much."

A total of 200 achievement points.

Add another 100 points for dry rations, bandages, medication, and more.

The remaining 700 points were used to purchase a low-grade mana catalyst.

"Appraisal."

[Transfiguration Skill.]

-Magic level: 2

-LV: 1

-Can mimic a specific target's physical ability. Depending on the transfiguration level, the level of imitating the opponent will increase.

[Leap.]

-Magic level: 2

-Ability: 0.

-Able to do one more leap in the air. Depending on the ability, the number of leaps and height will increase.

These were the two skills bought from Velly. They were the two most useful skills known to Su-hyeun on the second floor.

"It was an excellent choice to purchase transfiguration skill."

A skill worth 1,000 achievement points.

In fact, it was almost impossible to obtain it. The person whom Su-hyeun knew to have gotten this skill appeared only 10 years later. That person was a magical awakener who chose the ninth level, and like Su-hyeun, had out-performed when clearing the first floor.

Although he used up 1,000 points in one go, he didn't find it to be a waste.

"Level-dependent skill."

Unlike the leap skill, which was determined by ability, the transfiguration skill was determined by magic level. A skill's required magic level was the minimum needed to learn it, and at the same time, it referred to its own level as well.

Of course, it was a skill that showed excellent efficiency anytime, anywhere, regardless of the level. It was similar to the leap skill in that it could perform evasions and deceptions in various situations.

But most of the skills were not like that. Thus, this level-dependent skill was one that many magical awakeners would kill to have while they ascended the tower.

"Still, I have no use for it now."

He was prepared to the best of his ability. Su-hyeun used 50 points to purchase a small pouch to contain his rations and some thin armor that would not hinder his movement.

He had used up all his achievement points gained from the first floor — it was all to achieve even better performance on the next floor.

"Before that, first…"

Su-hyeun went to book his accommodation. All the tower's dwellers used achievement points as currency. The remaining small amount of achievement points were used to rent a place for himself.

COMMENT

Click—

Su-hyeun stepped in and placed the sword and spear, which were slung over his shoulder, in a corner. He then pulled out the violet-colored bottle from the small pouch hung around his waist.

[Low-grade mana catalyst.]

-Mana catalyst diluted with distilled water. Depending on the user's level, it permanently amplifies the magic level and factor.

Such a slipshod explanation for an item that could make one waste 700 points if misused.

In fact, it was common to see many magical awakeners who wanted high magic factor to not see much effect after taking the catalyst. Because of this, the catalysts were often described as a lottery amongst magical awakeners.

"Strictly speaking, they aren't lotteries."

But now, Su-hyeun did not even have an item like this.

Pop—

Su-hyeun sat down and immediately opened the catalyst's lid.

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Chapter 7: Chapter 7

Gulp, gulp—

As if downing a hot drink, the feeling of the catalyst flowing down his esophagus was intense. Su-hyeun put the empty bottle down beside him. He could feel the same intensity that he had felt when he first had the low-grade mana catalyst.

Focus, focus. Like a spell, he chanted it twice in his mind. From now on, the value of the catalyst would vary depending on how focused he was. The 700 points which he spent might be for naught if there was no effect, but on the contrary, it could also worth thousands of points.

Wriggle—

The catalyst that went into his body started reacting. It was the real deal now.

Rumble, rumble—

Sizzle—

The magic's build started growing after reacting with the catalyst. Its properties did not change. If it did change, it would have meant that the magic level had increased.

Greed was taboo. Instead of the properties, it was more important to focus on the maximum amount of mana, which in this case was the magic factor.

[Your magic factor has increased by 1 point.]

[Your magic factor has increased by 1 point.]

[Your magic factor…]

As the magic properties increased, the magic factor increased as well. Su-hyeun tried to ignore the message that popped up in his head. If he lost focus now, all that he had done up until now would have been for nothing.

Tch—

Rumble, rumble—

At that moment, some changes were visible in the magic properties. Now is the time.

Although he tried not to be greedy, the situation changed. The effect of the catalyst was beyond his expectations. Su-hyeun quickly focused on the remaining catalyst. The magic properties changed rapidly in response to it. The color changed slowly from one to another until it was one of a better grade.

The results.

[Your magic level has increased by 1.]

Compared to the first time, the effect had exceeded expectations.

"Huuuu—" After the last message popped up, Su-hyeun let go of his breath, which he had held for so long. At the same time, he let go of his concentration, and the magic that gathered at the catalyst had dissipated.

But the magic that had undergone change once would not change anymore. After sweating it out, Su-hyeun laid on the floor. As expected… It's tiring.

Extreme concentration brought severe fatigue. As his vision blurred, all his energy left his body. He needed to rest.

Great. Awesome. Unlike the fatigue in his body, Su-hyeun's mind was feeling quite refreshed. Magic level of 3. On top of that, he also attained a magic factor of 16. The maximum amount of mana had definitely changed. Not only that, but the magic properties had also increased to a higher level.

I'll rest for awhile… Su-hyeun took smaller breaths and closed his eyes.

And move on to the next floor.

Act 4

Su-hyeun headed out to the square after taking a rest. The second floor of the Tower of Trials was a city so vast it was as if it had no end. In the city existed several squares, and most of the squares had portals that were linked to the upper floors.

"Looking for people to challenge the third floor! Willing to compromise on the level!"

"Cleared level 5 challenger attempting level 4! 2-person party, looking for one more to join!"

It was as if looking at a scene from a game. There were those who were reluctant to head up to the next floor on their own. They introduced themselves and started to look for parties to head up with.

"Are you going up to the next floor?" An amiable looking young man appeared beside Su-hyeun. He looked almost the same age as Su-hyeun. It seemed like he, too, would like to challenge the next floor.

"I want to go to level 8. Do you want to join? You seem to be quite skillful, judging by your equipment."

Level 8. A fairly high-level challenger. Seeing that the young man was as well-equipped as Su-hyeun himself, it seemed that he had passed the first floor with a high performance.

Where have I met him before? Su-hyeun did not answer immediately, but instead scrutinized his face — it looked familiar. Soon, Su-hyeun was able to recall where he had seen the young man.

Choi Hak-joon.

He was labeled as a genius amongst the promising magical awakeners at a certain point in time. Unfortunately, he had lost his life in an accident. He had seen him a few times before, but he did not look this young even then. More accurately, it wasn't just his face that was different.

His aura feels different. The Hak-joon he remembered was not this affectionate and sociable. Even his expression was different. That was why Su-hyeun couldn't recognize him at first.

Some events had caused people to change, and it seemed that it was before the accident happened. That accident… which guild's extermination was it?

The accident was the wipeout of the guild that he was in. It was a relatively large guild, and the future Hak-joon was a highly skilled magical awakener. News of a guild being wiped out was the talk of the town. Strictly speaking, it wasn't strange if one had enemies amongst the magical awakeners. Hak-joon was finally acquitted when the relationship between him, the guild, and the syndicate came to light.

Level 8… Although he did challenge a higher level, Su-hyeun shook his head.

"I'm sorry." Hak-joon smiled awkwardly with a look of regret on his face at Su-hyeun's refusal.

"Haha. It's quite a high difficulty, isn't it? If I can't get anyone to join me today, I might have to head up on my own."

Most would not bother to challenge level 8. It was because the moment one cleared level 5, the subsequent levels' difficulty would increase exponentially. Hak-joon thought that it was because of the high difficulty that Su-hyeun had to consider joining him. But it was actually the opposite, and Su-hyeun did not bother to explain.

"Don't you want to lower the difficulty?" Su-hyeun became curious about the man standing before him. As Hak-joon passed on too early, he never had the chance to talk to him. On top of that, the Hak-joon he remembered wasn't such an amiable person.

Something must have triggered a change in him. Exactly what had made him change? Hak-joon answered Su-hyeun's question. "I don't."

"Why must you challenge level 8 then?"

"The higher levels seem to be a lot tougher…"

"Isn't level 8 of a high difficulty as well?"

"Of course, it is."

"But why?"

"Well…" Hak-joon shook his head to avoid answering the question.

"It's nothing. If it's tough for you, I'll just go by myself." Su-hyeun also had no intention of forcing an answer from him. Eventually, Su-hyeun left Hak-joon and went into the square.

Hoping to find others who would join him, Hak-joon approached some others who were equipped well enough. Others had also expressed interest, but only for a while.

Although some saw Su-hyeun's equipment and approached him to clear the levels together, he rejected them all.

No one would want to attempt level 10, right? Even if there was someone, he wouldn't want to do it together.

Chuck—

Su-hyeun went into the portal located in the center of the square. His vision turned white, and he felt his body float in the air. Soon, a message appeared in his mind.

[Kim Su-hyeun, your second-floor trial starts now.]

[Choose the level of difficulty.]

[1~10 Lv.]

[The difficulty gets higher as you go up the levels. The reward after you clear the level would also get better.]

His decision had already been made. "Level 10."

Although he could choose the level of difficulty at each floor, Su-hyeun had already decided on the difficulty himself. High risks, high returns. This absolute principle would never fail on its own.

[Level 10. The second-floor trial will begin.]

The white space in Su-hyeun's eyes was colored again. The landscape and the temperature on his skin changed. It was not clear if the surroundings changed with Su-hyeun in the center, or if he fell into another world. But this feeling was not bad. Su-hyeun observed his surroundings.

Caw, caw—!

Hwing—!

There were the calls of some unknown species of birds and a chilly wind blowing. Before he knew it, Su-hyeun was standing in the middle of the deep forest.

[The trial begins now.]

[You are being pursued. Your opponents are the Shayres, a species that dominates this forest.]

[You must take the Shayres' treasure and escape from the forest. If it is stolen or if you die, you will fail this trial.]

[Survive.]

[Protect the treasure.]

As soon as the message ended, a necklace appeared in Su-hyeun's hands. He didn't know when he started carrying the necklace. It was most likely the treasure that was mentioned before. The treasure of Shayres.

He knew what species they were. Although they were categorized as a species, the magical awakeners identified them as monsters that moved in tribes.

Hunter-type monsters. They were excellent at tracking. It definitely would not be easy trying to escape from them in this dense forest. Although the Shayres did not have exceptional physical abilities, they were hard to deal with, especially for someone who was just about to take on the second floor's challenge.

Click—

Su-hyeun wore the necklace that he was holding onto. There was no effect from it. It didn't look like a treasure at all. It could also be that only after clearing the trial that the necklace show its effect.

It would have been better if the necklace were sealed. Sealed items had a far better effect than ordinary objects. Treasure of the Shayres…

Crack, caw—!

Caw—!

A terrible cry could be heard from somewhere within the woods. It was the cry of a Shayre. It seemed outraged by the fact that its treasure had disappeared.

"It seems to be quite angry." Su-hyeun grinned.

Protect the treasure, escape, and survive. Now he clearly understood the objective of this trial. If so… "Forget about escaping."

Step, step—

Su-hyeun started walking towards the Shayres' cries. I'll face them head-on.

A monster with an oval-shaped face, no facial features, and white skin appeared before him. The Shayres were quite intelligent monsters. While their physical abilities were not particularly outstanding, they were civilized and moved in groups, which made them a species that was quite difficult to deal with.

Crr, crrr—

Caw, caw—!

The Shayres were outraged. The reason was simple: their treasure had disappeared. Tens of Shayres sat on the trees above and looked at one side of the forest. The treasure was nearby; the Shayres knew this because a unique scent had been sprayed on the necklace for them to track it easily.

Crr, crack—

It was him. The human who had stolen their treasure. The human was coming closer — not escaping, but returning again? It was weird.

The Shayres were intelligent creatures. There was no way that the human would return here without any reason. But even so, they would not be scared enough of just one human being to retreat.

Creak, creak—

The leader of the Shayres raised his hand. The others widened their formation and got prepared. It was not for pursuit, but to prepare for defense. The culprit would soon enter their territory.

Step, step—

The human walked in slowly. He wore thin armor and had a sword and spear slung over his shoulders. He was strolling. Su-hyeun greeted the Shayres.

"I've heard that you are the predators in this part of the forest." Su-hyeun spoke as he held the sword and spear in each of his hands. "So…"

Crr—?

Unable to understand Su-hyeun, the Shayres' leader tilted his head to one side. At that moment —

Sleek—

Plop—!

The spear came flying and pierced the Shayre leader's head into the tree. As soon as they were angered, Su-hyeun raised his sword. "From now on, I will change the predators of this forest."

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The night grew deeper in the forest.

Shuffle, shuffle—

The forest shook in an uproar. Countless shadows were in pursuit of one human.

Creak, creak—!

Squeal—!

The Shayres pulled their bows with a lunatic cry. And at that moment:

Snap, snap—

Su-hyeun lightly stepped on a few branches. He was waiting for that moment.

Swoosh—!

The arrows flew in Su-hyeun's direction, but they couldn't hit him. As the thin branches snapped, Su-hyeun's body bounced upwards.

Plat—

He had used the Leap skill. The unexpected movement got the flustered Shayre to take off.

Slash—!

[You have gained 20 achievement points.]

The Shayre's throat was slashed and bright red blood came gushing out like a fountain.

Wooong—

Plat, plat—

Su-hyeun moved fast. He focused the magic on his legs and was able to move around in the forest's complicated terrain freely. Even the Shayres, who dominated the forest, were unable to catch up to him.

Caw, caw—!

The Shayres panicked as half of their tribe was lost. They had to run. They were not the hunters. At this moment, the hunter was Su-hyeun. But…

Jingle—

"Going to run?" Su-hyeun said as he showed them the necklace on his neck. The Shayres turned furious upon seeing the necklace, though they did not understand his words. The remaining Shayres headed towards Su-hyeun in unison. They probably realized that bows would not work on Su-hyeun, who could leap into the air. "Of course. That's right."

Pssh—

Plop—!

The spear in Su-hyeun's hand pierced through the forthcoming Shayre's head. "There's no need to drag it on any further…."

Pick, pick—

Tung—

Su-hyeun slashed the two Shayres near him and leaped to get to the Shayres that were in the distance.

"Let's finish up quickly."

Slash—!

He slashed the last Shayre.

[You have gained 20 achievement points.]

[Your strength has increased by 1 point.]

Drip, drip—

His blood dripped on the floor and covered his body. The tension in Su-hyeun eased and fatigue came over him. "Huuu—"

He lost count of how many tribes there were. The numbers were increasing. There's no end to them.

Although it was a level 10 trial, not all the rewards were equivalent to the effort put in the trials. Su-hyeun had the first-hand experience of clearing the level with better than expected performance, where the reward was even more bountiful than usual.

Su-hyeun had thought about it when he started the second floor's trial here. If the purpose was to run away from the Shayres and survive without losing the treasure…

It would end if the Shayres were wiped out, regardless of how long it took. It was best to get the highest reward possible if he were to continue challenging the level 10 trials for each floor. To do that, Su-hyeun did not run from the Shayres, but chose to face them head-on instead.

The numbers are slowly increasing. No, it wasn't just the numbers. Even amongst the Shayres, there were the strong and the weak. Not only were their numbers increasing, but their level was also getting higher as well.

I'll stop here for today. His fatigue level was increasing. Not only had his stamina reached its limits, but the magic that he had been cherishing was also nearly used up.

It wasn't a trial that could be cleared in a day or two. One also needed to know when to stop and take a rest to complete this long-running marathon.

Su-hyeun went into a nearby cave that he found. He could see light coming through the ceiling as he entered the deep cave.

[You have entered a safe zone.]

[You are safe from attackers here.]

He had found a safe zone, also known as a neutral zone. It was first place Su-hyeun entered after his fight with the Shayres. There were several other safe zones in different types of trials. Although there were some trials where safe zones did not exist, they were uncommon. Additionally, the safe zones were treated as separate spaces, disconnected from the trial.

"Status."

[Name: Kim Su-hyeun]

[Magic Factor: 16] [Magic level: 3]

[Strength: 32] [Agility: 31]

[Health: 30] [Reflex: 35]

[Fatigue: 79]

The increase in the stats range was quite slow compared to the first floor, but Su-hyeun thought that it was fast enough. As each stat increased, a vast difference could be seen, and it also got harder to increase.

It was not advisable to become too ambitious. Although things seemed slow on the second floor, it was imperative to increase his stats and magic factor steadily.

Fatigue has piled up, as expected…. He needed to rest right now. Thankfully, it was a trial without any time limit. Su-hyeun just couldn't focus on clearing the floors now.

"It's better to head back." There was no reason for him not to take a rest here. Su-hyeun reached his hand out.

Rip—!

Once again, Su-hyeun opened the door back to reality.

It was late at night in reality. Su-hyeun hurried down the mountain and headed home. Although he was exhausted from fighting all day, he had no intention of worrying Shin Su-yeong.

11PM. It was nearly time for the library to close. As Su-hyeun turned on his mobile phone, a few missed calls from Shin Su-yeong popped up.

She must have been quite worried. He did tell her that he might stay out for the night just in case, but of course, such words would not make her worry less.

Click—

Su-hyeun unlocked the door as he arrived home. The light in the living room was turned on, but it was dead quiet.

"I'm home." Su-hyeun stood stiff at the entrance as he spoke in a small voice. Food was laid on the dining table, and Shin Su-yeong was there asleep. How long did she wait? Su-hyeun went to shake Shin Su-yeong's shoulder.

"…Mom. Sleep in your room."

"Mm… Umm… Son… You're back?" Shin Su-yeong asked as she rubbed her eyes and stretched her back.

"Yes. Did you not eat?"

"I ate first since I was hungry. You'd better eat, too."

"Okay. Go to bed first."

"No. I'll have to do the dishes and the floor…"

"I'll do it. Hurry." Su-hyeun adamantly pushed Shin Su-yeong into her room. Although Su-hyeun had been taking mixed grains and dry food to keep himself satisfied, he could not turn away from Shin Su-yeong's food.

He finished his meal and did the dishes. He even cleaned the floor thoroughly, took a shower, and returned to his room.

Whirl—

The old computer turned on with a loud whirl. It took quite a while to boot up.

Click—

Su-hyeun opened the Internet browser and searched "Abyss Online." It was a representative site for magical awakeners that had over a million members. Of course, most of them were ordinary people. In fact, the site was for the public to be updated about news related to magical awakeners and not meant solely for the magical awakeners themselves. Every Tom, Dick, and Harry is here.

Su-hyeun grinned after checking out some of the articles on the main page. He knew even just by reading the headlines whether the author was a real magical awakener or he was just trying to show off.

2018 October. Su-hyeun took out a notebook that was stuck in the corner of his desk. He took a pen and recorded today's date.

What I have to change. What I must not change. What I must achieve.

Complicated thoughts filled his mind. In the past month, he did not waste his time while he was hospitalized. He was organizing his future plans in his mind during that time. He worked hard to not forget the future events. The final goal was Fafnir.

Firstly, the fourth floor is my target. In 2018, around this time, the appearances of magical awakeners were not a public issue. The dungeons appeared and were swiftly dealt with by the awakeners, and the resources collected were treated as new energy and raw materials for social development.

But as time passed, the monsters in the dungeons became more robust for the awakeners to deal with alone.

"Thankfully… it's still manageable now." The atmosphere on the Abyss Online was lively. There were many humor-related posts, and some were related to ranked awakeners. There was even an article about a celebrity's awakening on the bulletin board.

It's almost like entertainment.

Up until now, the appearance of dungeons and awakeners was nothing but the start of a new topic in society.

A dungeon attack led by top-notch awakeners was filmed on-air and boasted a dramatic amount of viewership — its popularity did not lose out to any celebrities or politicians. Abyss Online became a platform for people to communicate with their favorite awakener, much like a fan cafe.

It was clear that the dungeons had yet to become a huge social issue. Until now, that is.

One of the reasons why Su-hyeun wanted to check out the posts on Abyss Online was to gather information on the current events between the dungeons and awakeners around the world.

Even at this period, Su-hyeun was not an awakener. Naturally, he wasn't aware of the happenings in this period; if he did, it was vague.

"There are no visible problems right now…." Su-hyeun sent a couple of links to his email. "But there were still some catches."

Although there's no way to verify them now, there were signs that something was about to happen. As he read some tabloids and posts, he began to recall some memories from before. Amongst them was some information that he wasn't aware of. Meanwhile…

[A divinity appeared on the second floor of the Tower of Trials.]

Shivers went down his spine. A new post appeared. Su-hyeun clicked on it with doubts in his mind.

Title: A Divinity Appeared on the Second Floor

Content: 2,230 points lolololololol is this possible? What did he do to get that record on the second floor?

—no no how did he get 2,230 points on the second floor lolololololol

—how many points can you get from the first floor?

probably 940 points?

—no. you can check the rank in the northern square. A rookie named kim su-hyeun was ranked first.

An exploding reaction.

One could even get his face on the main page if the reaction was this huge. The click count was already in the ten thousands. And one of the comments under that post…

—I'm Kim Min-soo, an awakener from the Blue Dragon Guild. Kim Su-hyeun, if you are reading this, please contact me here. We at Blue Dragon…

—I'm Yoo Jung-gyu, an awakener from the Ares Guild. If you're reading this post…

There was a message left for him. Groups that were centered on the awakeners were interested in "Kim Su-hyeun," who appeared on the second floor.

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Chapter 9: Chapter 9

Are they fostering new clan members? Some awakeners created guilds through mutual cooperation. They were a kind of faction; they were also created for more effective dungeon attacks.

Having a great awakening was also directly connected to the guild's status and power. As a result, guilds also recruited awakeners and even trained budding rookie awakeners.

Blue Dragon, Paradise, Association… Quite a number came.

Though he thought this would happen, the reaction came earlier than expected. Not even a day had passed and there was already a post about him.

True, the points themselves were quite ridiculous.

The person who ranked first before Su-hyeun had recorded 940 points. Since the difference between the first and second place was huge, it was expected that the appearance of divinity would appeal to many.

Still, there is a difference between the present and the future.

In the future, a system was made to optimize data compiled on awakeners who were heading to the next floor. It was the result of a long period of countless guilds and organizations studying the awakeners. But that system had not been created in this world yet.

In fact, if anyone who challenged from the second floor onwards recorded 1,000 points, it would be of note to them. Even if it were the same floor, the standard would be different.

This isn't good.

Su-hyeun did not want his name to be known so soon. If his name were made known, problems would become inevitable; additionally, he did not want to worry Shin Su-yeong too much.

There are not many benefits.

No matter how amateur an awakener was, there was something for one to benefit from by joining a guild. The resources and items related to the Tower of Trials would be of enormous help. But to Su-hyeun, that information was not required. Instead, they needed help from him.

"There's not much they could tell just by my name…."

He ignored it for now. Su-hyeun had no intention to join any organization or guild from the start. Su-hyeun ideally wanted to be a mercenary soldier, not belonging anywhere.

It was best for him since he knew about the future. Su-hyeun, who had decided his path, turned off the computer and went to bed. Now, what he needed most was not a guild, but rest.

Act 5

Kim Su-hyeun. The name that excited many guilds. The second floor's new awakener, who just stepped into the tower. It wasn't enough for the guilds to notice someone usually; instead, it was because of his record and ranking.

"Hak-joon, do you know of a guy named Kim Su-hyeun?" Ares Guild's leader, Jung Dong-yeong, asked.

Hak-joon, who sat on the hard sofa in a spacious office, shook his head. "I don't."

"Really? I heard that he just entered the second floor like you."

"The second floor is so vast. Although it's incomparable to the upper floors, what would the probability be of me meeting a certain person in that vast city?"

"Hmm, is that so?" Jung Dong-yeong lightly smacked his lips. It seemed that he was also coveting for the new awakener, Kim Su-hyeun. Hak-joon could easily sense that.

"So, what happened to the third floor's attack?" Jung Dong-yeong asked again after organizing his thoughts.

Hak-joon was one of the new awakeners that the Ares Guild was supporting. They were supporting him with various information as well as equipment. He had the talent and had already proven it on the first floor. He, too, knew that he was supported by the Ares Guild.

"There's no one suitable to join me yet. If I can't get someone by tomorrow, I might have to head up myself."

"Really? Good. If you maintain this, just head up till the tenth floor. Until then, we'll give you our full support."

"Okay."

"You know what to do next, right?" Hak-joon closed his eyes and nodded at Jung Dong-yeong's question.

Of course he knew. How could he not know? He had been asked countless times. Did Jung Dong-yeong like the obedient Hak-joon? Jung Dong-yeong put on a satisfied expression and waved his hand.

"Go on. Let's go over it again a week from now. If possible, try to beat Kim Su-hyeun."

"I got it." Hak-joon slightly bowed his head and hurried out the office.

Kim Su-hyeun, Kim Su-hyeun… The name was left in his head. At the same time, a familiar face appeared in his mind.

Could it be him? The guy whom he approached to join hands together. Hak-joon had a sudden thought that he might be Kim Su-hyeun.

He couldn't be. Even if he was right, there was no way to verify. Hak-joon shook his head.

No other thoughts were needed. He just had to focus on his goal now. Now, he was exhausted just looking after himself.

Plat, plat, plat—

Swoosh—

Countless arrows fell overhead like rain. To avoid them, Su-hyeun hid behind a tree.

Pababak—!

Pong, pong—!

Due to some of the Shayres' special items or energy, a few arrows made a large hole in a tree, but Su-hyeun was no longer behind the tree that they were targeting.

Swoosh—!

Su-hyeun sneaked up on the Shayre who had used magic and slashed its neck using the sword in his hand. This was the priority of a fight: when there was one that used magic, exterminate it immediately. Su-hyeun was reminded of it the moment he encountered them.

Creak, creak—!

Squeal—!

With a grotesque cry, the Shayres drew their swords. Su-hyeun distanced himself from the Shayres and looked at the gigantic Shayre standing amongst them.

The Shayres' chief.

The ruler of this vast forest.

It looked at Su-hyeun with terrified eyes. The Shayres here were the remaining ones who survived after a month-long battle. If they were considered seasoned troops, the Shayre chief was the final boss of this trial.

"Why don't you fight me head-on?"

Though he did not expect it to understand his words, he was confident that his intention was conveyed. Sure enough, the Shayre chief raised its hand and walked towards Su-hyeun.

Creak, creak—

Clang—

The Shayres that stood between their chief and Su-hyeun started murmuring. They were possibly saying that there was no need for the chief to do it personally. But it seemed the chief had no wishes to lose more men, and he asked them to step back as he walked up to Su-hyeun.

Stomp, stomp—

The size of the nearing chief was enormous. Unlike a usual Shayre, who was a head taller than a grown man, the chief had a build that was many times taller than Su-hyeun. Furthermore, its body was entirely made of muscles.

"You should have done this earlier," Su-hyeun said, but he was glad to see such a reaction from the chief.

I've waited for a long time.

It had been an entire month. Su-hyeun was buried in the second floor's trial while moving between reality and the Tower of Trials during this period. It wasn't easy meeting the Shayres' chief. Their chief was surrounded by numerous Shayres, and the chief seemed to have no intention of taking the first action. Eventually, Su-hyeun made the decision to wipe them all out.

Creak, creak—

The chief said something to Su-hyeun. Of course, Su-hyeun could not understand. But he understood the gist of it.

"Are you saying that you'll avenge your men?"

Creak—

The chief nodded. Su-hyeun turned speechless. How did he understand my words enough to nod his head?

He didn't understand why he was trying to communicate with a monster. Su-hyeun sighed and picked up his sword. "Forget it…"

Pat, pat—

"I'm sick of this. Let's end it." Su-hyeun leaped and jumped a few flights of stairs in a flash.

Zong-!

The chief's ax blocked Su-hyeun's sword. As his magic-filled sword and the chief's ax struck, a sharp pain was left on Su-hyeun's grip.

Pat—!

The chief swung its ax again, this time passing by Su-hyeun's eyes.

Swish—

A thin cut. At the same time, Su-hyeun shrunk his body downwards.

Slash—

Stab, stab—

Su-hyeun's sword stabbed deep into the chief's shoulder.

Splash, splash—!

Su-hyeun stabbed the chief continuously, but none of his blows were deadly. If he got ambitious, the chief's ax might still swing towards him if he wasn't careful.

Slowly, steadily. No matter how small the stabs were, if they accumulated, the chief would eventually fall. If the opponent were superior in health, Su-hyeun would merely crumble when going head-on. Thus, he needed a more flexible fight.

Roarrrr—!

The chief couldn't stand it any longer and had an outburst. At that moment, the chief had gotten more agile. His pure white skin turned red.

Stomp—!

Soon enough, the chief dashed towards Su-hyeun and swung its ax widely.

Fwooom—!

Su-hyeun's body flew up as the strong wind ripped the still air. The faceless Shayre's chief looked up following Su-hyeun's body. The chief stepped back and took out a huge bow and arrow in its hands from behind.

Stretch—

The bowstring was stretched taut and aimed at Su-hyeun. A force was applied on the bow, which was similar to the magic that awakeners use.

Twang—!

Swoooosh—!

The arrow flew at a terrifying speed too fast to avoid. However, Su-hyeun wasn't looking at the chief's arrow, but its hand.

Boom—

Su-hyeun's body bounced forward. The repeated leap was not restricted to just leaping upwards. It was possible to go in any direction one wanted.

"Bingo."

Screeeech—

A bow that he picked up from one of his previous fight was in his hands. Su-hyeun held the bow at the chief's head the moment he reduced the distance between himself and the chief.

Twang—!

Swooosh—

The arrow went flying as soon as the bowstring was released.

Stab—!

Kyaaaaaaa—!

The chief grabbed the arrow stuck in its head and screamed.

Swash, swash—

The other Shayres who were watching started to move. As it wasn't a fair fight from the start, the Shayres came forward to protect their chief.

It was expected.

Pooot—

Su-hyeun grabbed the spear from behind him after releasing the arrow.

"I said to end this quickly, right?" This time, Su-hyeun's body became the bow. He widely swung the spear and released it.

The magic filled spear smashed the chief's head. It was a moment when no other Shayres could have helped. Suddenly:

[You have gained 300 achievement points.]

[Your Health has increased by 1 point.]

[The Shayres have been defeated. There is no other enemy who can harm you.]

[You have perfectly passed the second floor's trial.]

[Your achievement will be ranked.]

[You are ranked first.]

[Your Strength has increased by 2 points.]

[Your Agility has increased by 1 point.]

[Your Reflex has increased by 1 point.]

[You have gained 25,000 achievement points.]

[Your Magic Factor has increased by 3 points.]

[You have obtained the Shayres' treasure.]

[Will you advance to the next floor?]

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Chapter 10: Chapter 10

It was a pleasing message. Su-hyeun liked that the message said he had perfectly cleared the trial. He was right to exterminate the Shayres.

The slowly increasing stats and magic factor had risen by a few points at once, as well as his achievement points. Not to mention, he had obtained even more stats and achievement points from battling the Shayres in the past month. Since the Leap skill's mastery had increased, it wasn't a waste of time.

I've stayed for too long. Although he very much wanted to advance to the next floor, there was something else he had to do.

Creak, creak—

Su-hyeun, who watched as the remaining Shayres escaped, looked back at their chief. And…

"Transfiguration skill."

The moment he had been waiting for had arrived.

[The transfiguration skill will be used with the "Shayre Chief" as the target.]

[Some parts of the target's characteristics will be absorbed.]

[Trait: "Berserk" has been acquired.]

Berserk. Su-hyeun had known of its trait.

"A trait that increases the physical ability in proportion to one's fatigue, health, and blood loss."

It was quite the useful trait. One's physical ability would naturally decrease as fatigue and health got worse. But the berserk traits could reverse the effect exponentially. It would be quite handy in times of emergency.

It was worthwhile learning the transfiguration skill, capturing the chief, and obtaining this trait.

In the meantime, there's no need to change the trait.

The Shayre chief was a monster similar to the Shayre's boss. If it was the monster boss's trait, a normal monsters' trait would be incomparable. If there was only one trait that could be attained through the transfiguration skill, there would be no use for others for the time being.

Anyway, I've been here for way too long.

It was only the second floor. There were many more floors to ascend. Although Su-hyeun chose a higher difficulty level to receive better rewards, he could not continue to stay on the lower floors.

Time to speed up. Su-hyeun increased his abilities while hunting the Shayres in the past month. Although his magic level did not increase, his magic factor increased. His stats, too, had been raised significantly, and he accumulated a large number of achievement points.

He could get himself a few more useful skills with this amount of achievement points. It would be much easier to climb the tower. In the next year.

Su-hyeun's eyes narrowed. The goal… tenth floor.

It was easier to make concrete plans with a clear goal. Su-hyeun quickly organized his future plans and goals in his mind. The determined Su-hyeun finally spoke.

"Next." Su-hyeun immediately ascended to the third level. He had spent a month there, as well as on the fourth and fifth floors. Su-hyeun ascended the floors without rest. A year had passed.

Wednesday, December 7, 2019. It was a day that caught the hearts of many students. There were some satisfied with their results after a long period of suffering, but most were disappointed and frustrated.

It's alright. Su-hyeun headed out after verifying his results slip in the mail.

Eating out… It was rare for Su-hyeun and Shin Su-yeong to dine outside. If it were a special day, Shin Su-yeong would prepare a fancy feast, but Su-hyeun would bring up the excuse of studying and not make time for it.

But now he could no longer use that as an excuse. The exams were over, and the results of Su-hyeun's studies were shown to Shin Su-yeong. I can't afford to use working part-time as an excuse.

He thought it would be better if he were to live independently. Otherwise, I'll reveal the truth.

It wasn't easy hiding the truth for a year. Moreover, Su-hyeun felt guilty about it. Su-hyeun left the house and took the subway. Although Shin Su-yeong ended work late, Su-hyeun personally went to find her at her workplace.

Su-hyeun arrived at the subway station by bus and took Line 1 towards Suwon Station. Although it was after office hours, the station was still packed.

Screech—

Clank—

It was noisy. Although Su-hyeun had earphones plugged in, he couldn't focus on the music.

It'll soon be… 2020? It was now December 2019. Time flew quickly.

1

Su-hyeun looked out of the window in the crowded subway. The densely packed buildings and people passing through them looked peaceful at that moment.

Crash—!

Shatter—

The world turned upside down in front of his eyes, and everything was destroyed. The buildings crumbled, the people who were smiling brightly turned bloody. The sky turned black, and hot flames rose above the ground.

Part of the world, destroyed. This would probably be how it would look like after a few decades.

Again…

Su-hyeun shut his eyes tightly. One, two, three. He opened his eyes after counting to three. Thankfully the world was still the same.

"Huu—" He was sick of it. He occasionally had thoughts that everything was an illusion, and the world had been destroyed. Everyone else besides him had died, and the world had been burned down to ashes.

He might still be dreaming, and the moment he woke up, the destroyed world would appear before him. He had seen this illusion countless times and feared it every single time.

He was afraid that he would be left alone. Fearful that all these days were just lies.

However, it had improved lately, since he had seen these illusions numerous times. He probably would feel better staying in the Tower of Trials.

Has it been a month? He should have accepted reality at this rate.

Whatever they are, they are not illusions. The destroyed world — and the remaining part of this world, too — were both true. There was no need to take it badly. He just had to make sure the illusions he saw were not turned into reality.

Screech—

The subway soon arrived at Suwon Station. Su-hyeun alighted the subway and walked towards Shin Su-yeong's store.

"Su-hyeun, you're here? Wait a minute."

Shin Su-yeong was closing the store. Su-hyeun asked while helping her out.

"Did you sell a lot today?"

"Why should I sell so much? My salary would still be the same."

"There's no bonus?"

"The boss is so stingy. She's rich but such a miser." She said it half-jokingly.

Su-hyeun now smiled frequently while conversing with Shin Su-yeong. He had changed quite significantly in the past year.

They walked towards a barbeque restaurant nearby. It had been a while since they had grilled meat cooked over charcoal instead of in a pan.

As soon as the meat was cooked, Shin Su-yeong said, "Eat a lot, son. You've worked hard studying so much."

Although he felt guilty for lying, Su-hyeun still nodded his head. "Thank you for the food."

"Right. How were your results?"

It seemed that Shin Su-yeong did not forget that the results would be released today. Su-hyeun shrugged knowingly, took out his results slip from his bag, and handed it to her. He was about to put the wrapped meat into his mouth.

"My gosh, son! Are these really your results?"

"You surprised me. Did you think I would steal someone else's?"

"My gosh, my gosh!"

Not realizing that the meat was getting burnt, Shin Su-yeong smiled brightly at the results slip. The tired face after work was nowhere to be seen. Su-hyeun had never seen Shin Su-yeong smiling so brightly.

"Son. I hope for you to graduate from university, but it's alright if it's a normal university…"

Most parents would want their children to attend a good university. It was the same for his mother from his past life. Although attending university would not guarantee a good future, but it would be advantageous to have a higher educational background.

University. Although it would be deemed useless in a few years, Su-hyeun wanted to fulfill her wishes. Thus, Su-hyeun took out some of his sleep time to study a month before the exams. It wasn't difficult. He had done the same in his past life anyway.

There was no need to attend a good university, too.

Su-hyeun attended Dong-ha University in his past life. It was one of the three top universities in Korea. For Su-hyeun, who had studied so intensely, it wasn't that tough to study again.

"The meat is getting burnt. Let's dig in."

"Aigoo, I'm full even if I don't eat. I'm proud of you, son!"

Shin Su-yeong, who was still beaming, seemed to not care about the meat. The string of compliments got Su-hyeun to turn red. He couldn't taste the meat properly.

How happy she must have been. She couldn't hold it any longer and started calling someone to boast about it. Su-hyeun eventually bowed his head and sighed as he watched.

Su-hyeun thought the results weren't good enough. This was enough, he thought. But if it were the university from his past life? No way. It was just enough to get him into a university in Seoul. As time passed, it seemed even more challenging to get such high grades in his past life.

Should I have worked even harder? If she was delighted with results like this, what if he had gotten even better results?

She would be grinning from ear to ear. He felt good just imagining it. A smile crept up Su-hyeun's face, too.

Suddenly, he heard a voice in his ears.

"I thought you would do even better…"

It wasn't Shin Su-yeong's voice — it was a voice from his past life. The words were spoken by Sung-in's mother. The results had been a lot better back then. But why…?

Why did she have such a disappointed look? Was it because he did not meet expectations? Instead, he had hoped that she would be as happy as if he had done his best.

I don't know anymore. Su-hyeun shook his head.

I'm not even going to attend university religiously.

He only took the exams to make her happy. Su-hyeun had no intention of attending university earnestly.

Because I'll soon… Su-hyeun glanced at Shin Su-yeong's smiling face… Have to take action here as well.

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Act 6

After they finished their meal, they left to get a few beers at a pub. Coincidentally, Shin Su-yeong did not have to work the next day, so she could let go and stay out for longer.

Su-hyeun hurried to bed after returning home a little after midnight. He woke up again in the wee hours of the morning and left his room after finishing his preparations.

"Su-hyeun, you're leaving?"

Shin Su-yeong met Su-hyeun at the front door with a disheveled face. Wanting to leave quietly, Su-hyeun nodded and said, "Yes. I'll be back."

"You said you're going on a trip? For how long?"

"I'm not sure yet. I'll head to wherever my feet take me."

After his exam results were released, Su-hyeun had said that he would be going on a trip. As much as he studied over the past year, Shin Su-yeong did not oppose it.

"Don't stay out too late. And call me when you can."

"Don't worry. My phone will be switched off, so don't call me."

"You're doing it again. "

"It's not the first time. I'll be back." Su-hyeun grabbed his backpack and left. As if it were a daily routine, Su-hyeun took a deep breath before heading deep into the mountains.

It took a while. Although it took just a little over a year, he still made it here.

Tenth floor. It was the minimum criteria he had in mind. He had no intention of breaking it himself. But Su-hyeun realized that his initial goal was harder to achieve than expected.

It took longer than I had expected. His goal was to clear all the trials with almost perfect records. He thought it would be possible to complete the tenth floor within a year when he was clearing the first two floors. But it eventually took over a year. The level 10 trial was much more formidable than anyone could have imagined.

Rip—! Once again, Su-hyeun opened the doors to the Tower of Trials.

The city on the tenth floor was always dark and dull. Unlike the city on the second floor, it was hard to even come across a dweller in this empty and quiet place.

The world that people avoid the most. The Tower of Trials was a world packed with numerous floors, and each floor had its own world. Although it was a gigantic tower, each had its own environment, climate, and culture.

Amongst them, most would avoid the tenth floor. The sun never rose, and the dwellers always looked depressed. Even those who wanted to forget and live anew in the tower also avoided the tenth floor.

Su-hyeun walked north to the ends of the tenth floor, where the route was blocked by a black wall. People often called this place the "end of the world." There was a massive portal in front.

"Are you going in?"

A gatekeeper was guarding it. A middle-aged man with a long, stiff face sat on the floor and looked up at Su-hyeun. He was the gatekeeper who guarded the portal.

"Payment." The gatekeeper reached out his hand towards Su-hyeun. Others may have misunderstood him as a beggar asking for money, but Su-hyeun knew.

He was the so-called informant, the one and only informant who would provide you with legitimate information about the tenth floor. How he knew the details of each awakener's trials was a mystery. However, the information he gave was credible.

Su-hyeun grabbed his outreached hand. And…

[You have used 5,000 achievement points.]

Quite a bit of achievement points were used in a flash. Even though Su-hyeun had accumulated quite a considerable amount of achievement points as he ascended the floors, using this many points was still quite a burden.

But Su-hyeun made the payment in a heartbeat. The gatekeeper's eyes grew. "You're quite generous."

"Because you're that valuable."

The gatekeeper smiled at his answer. "Thanks for the compliment. Which trial do you wish to attempt?"

"Level 10. I want the highest difficulty." The gatekeeper's eyes grew even bigger. His expression had changed drastically as compared to his stiff face.

As his expressionless face returned, he said, "It's as if I've taken a hit. I must provide you with some information after receiving so much."

It seemed that paying the gatekeeper a high amount was the right choice. The gatekeeper felt conflicted for a while, contemplating on what information to provide.

Hopefully, it's a piece of valid information…. For those who climbed the tower, the tenth floor was a form of crisis.

This was because the trials' difficulty jumped every 10 floors. Some would say that the 11th and 12th floors were more manageable than the 10th. Moreover, Su-hyeun was challenging the trial with the highest level of difficulty.

No one had yet to clear the level 10 trial at the 10th floor as of yet, to Su-hyeun's knowledge. Normally, certain sections on the tenth floor have their level of difficulty reduced by one or two levels.

It was a tip that could be easily obtained through Abyss Online, but Su-hyeun knew how harmful it was. If the difficulty gets lowered once, the following floors would also become a crisis.

Once one started, one would never be able to advance further. Instead, one would continue to find ways to lower the level of difficulty.

Su-hyeun decided that it would be better to pay more to the gatekeeper to continue receiving reliable information and challenge higher difficulty trials than to reduce them. The still contemplating gatekeeper finally said, "Beware of the village chief."

"The village chief?"

"That's all I can say. I wish you all the best." The gatekeeper ended the conversation.

The information felt a little off. It was too vague to be worth 5,000 points. The prices of intel seemed to increase as the level of the trials gets higher.

Beware of the village chief…. Su-hyeun repeatedly reminded himself of those words. There was no reason for the gatekeeper to lie to him.

"Thank you."

Su-hyeun walked towards the portal. The view before Su-hyeun turned white as he stood on the portal, and a familiar message popped up.

[Kim Su-hyeun, the 10th-floor trial begins now.]

[Please choose the level of difficulty.]

[Level 1 ~ 10.]

[The level of difficulty and rewards obtained increases as the level gets higher.]

It was the start. A good amount of nervousness filled his chest every time a new trial began. He always gave the same answer.

"Level 10."

[Level 10. The 10th-floor trial starts now.]

The white scene before him changed once more. The landscape of a village appeared before him. The sky was black. A dark atmosphere and stale air filled the village, similar to a simple and quiet countryside.

Su-hyeun looked up to the sky. The landscape looked strangely familiar.

[The trial begins now.]

[You have entered an unfamiliar village. The village is now in a massive crisis.]

[Rescue the village.]

[And survive.]

[The reward varies according to your performance.]

The trial's explanation was straightforward. He wondered if there was a better explanation, since it was frustrating that it did not provide clear instructions. There were loopholes in the explanation.

Rescue the village. Survive. Survive what?

He recalled the gatekeeper's words. He said to take extra notice of the village chief.

He thought that he should find the village chief first. A warning to be careful of the village chief could have also meant that the chief would be the key to clearing this trial.

Step, step—

Su-hyeun started walking into the village. Instead of looking around the village, Su-hyeun looked up at the sky. Su-hyeun's face darkened. "It feels… more familiar here."

The awkward black sky seemed to be inked. The black sky felt different from a moonlit sky. Su-hyeun had not seen this sky for over a year.

He suddenly felt awkward at the thought of a clear, blue sky. The color of this sky, which he often saw in his illusions, felt more familiar. It was the same for this village.

Step, step—

He then felt eyes on him. It was one of the strangers looking at him. A skinny mother with a baby in her hand, an old man, and a few other men. They stood at a distance, unable to get close to Su-hyeun. They looked frightened in the dark.

People. It wasn't the first time he met people in the trials. But it was his first to see such realistic expressions and reactions. It felt that way for their familiar reactions.

I have definitely… He recalled. In the future, he had felt similar eyes from a particular village.

"So that was it." He seemed to have understood what the theme of this tutorial was. This place must have been part of their destroyed world. No, more accurately, it was a world close to destruction.

"Excuse me." Su-hyeun smiled and approached the villagers.

The villagers did not hide their defensive response towards Su-hyeun. When the child tried to approach Su-hyeun, the mother pulled him back.

My, I'm hurt. As it was his first time to see people so afraid of him, he did not know how to respond.

Su-hyeun sighed before continuing. "I want to stay here for a few days before leaving. Is there any way I can do that?"

The question was directed towards everyone, but not one of them responded. It would have been better to point out someone to talk to…

"Where is the village chief?"

…like the village chief. A commotion stirred amongst the people as he questioned. It seemed the people, too, thought that it would be better to talk to the village chief.

Su-hyeun observed the villagers silently. He was certain about one thing just by observing them.

They are uncomfortable with outsiders. It could be from their experience.

Drugs, murders. The societal problems that surfaced in a collapsing world. It was the same, even though the civilizations are different. Human nature was not much different anywhere.

It was a pity. It would have been better to cooperate and help each other out at times like this.

It's a utopia. Anyone could paint a utopia in their minds, but it was literally nothing more than just an ideal world. Such worlds would never exist unless the evil in human nature was removed.

The man who Su-hyeun was waiting for finally appeared.

"I'm the village chief here."

A hunchbacked old man walked out towards Su-hyeun.

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Chapter 12: Chapter 12

With a face filled with aging pigmentations and droopy eyes, he was a gentle-looking old man. He didn't look like anyone to be cautious of.

"I heard that you were looking for me. What is it?" The village chief was wary of Su-hyeun, just like the rest of the villagers.

"I was just passing by and saw a village here. I would like to stay for a few days. Is it possible?"

"…You don't have any other motives?"

"What?"

"There's nothing to take from us. Not even a speck of dust, so leave."

Su-hyeun seemed to be regarded as an uninvited guest who was here to loot the village. Persuasion was required.

"No. I don't want anything; I just hope for a place to sleep. I brought rations with me."

"…Really?"

The village chief's eyes brightened at the word rations.

Su-hyeun nodded, answering, "Yes, of course. I'm willing to share my rations, too. Even if the monsters are here…"

"The monsters don't come to our village!" a child screamed.

Su-hyeun turned his head immediately. The child's mother hugged him close to her chest. Then, the village chief spoke. "If so, alright. There are a few empty houses, so you can use one of them. As for the food…"

"I'll give it to you."

"…Thank you."

He was greeted with thanks. Do they have problems with food, too?

There were a few severe issues in the destroyed world, and one of them was food. In a world where neither rice nor wheat could be grown again, food became scarce to the point when cannibalism began. This village had yet to arrive at that stage, but it might arrive there soon due to limited food resources.

But… Su-hyeun looked at the child who screamed earlier. The monsters don't come.

As Su-hyeun went deep into his thoughts, the village chief turned around and spoke, "Follow me. I'll show you an empty house."

"Ah, thank you." Su-hyeun bowed and followed the village chief. His worries did not end.

The empty house that the village chief brought him to was a shabby tent that could not even keep the wind out. Its shabbiness was worse than his semi-basement apartment. One had to wonder: how could this be called a house?

I didn't know our house could feel so luxurious. Su-hyeun left his bags in the tent. Su-hyeun took out bread, nuts, beef jerky, water, and more rations that filled his small pouch.

"Ah."

As Su-hyeun stepped out, the child from earlier was waiting for him. It was a little girl, about six or seven years old. She looked at Su-hyeun with her filthy face.

"Were you waiting?" Su-hyeun bent down.

She looked at the bundle in Su-hyeun's hand as she nodded. "You want to eat this?"

"Yes."

Su-hyeun offered a piece of bread from the bundle.

It was when the girl reached out. "What are you doing now?!" The village chief roared.

It was an unbelievably loud and high-pitched voice coming from such a small build. "Didn't you promise me?! If I provide you with a bed, you'll hand me your rations!"

"Isn't she from your village?" Su-hyeun asked, dumbfounded.

The village chief's gentle expression was suddenly replaced by an intimidating look.

"What does she know?! She only knows to fill her stomach, and that's it. You might not know this, but food is equivalent to our lives here."

It wasn't an incomprehensible remark. But…

Su-hyeun looked back at the little girl. "Don't cry."

He patted the little girl's head as she silently sobbed and held the bundle out towards the village chief.

"Take it. The food that I promised to give you is here."

"Hmm. Don't be too upset over this. It's all for the villagers."

The village chief came up to Su-hyeun and took it. His eyes went huge as he verified the contents. Su-hyeun hated the sight of him, and not just because of the gatekeeper's words. He seemed indifferent, at least to the feelings of others.

"Please leave."

"Uh-hmm. Hmm." The village chief left, making a few exaggerated coughs. The little girl soon burst into tears.

That moment, her mother walked up quickly. "Don't hate the village chief."

She seemed to have overheard their conversation earlier while looking for her daughter. The mother looked in the direction where the village chief left and said.

"It's quite tiring on him. He worked hard for this village his whole life…. And I believe he has something else on his mind."

"You mean he is so preoccupied that he can't share a piece of bread?"

"Yes. I — no, we — believe so." Her voice wavered at the end. There might have been something else that made her hesitate while she said that.

What could it be? Just what did the village chief mean to them? That thought did not last long. Su-hyeun took out a piece of bread and handed it to the little girl who wouldn't seem to stop crying. "Here."

The child's mother was startled.

"Is, is this alright? What if the village chief finds out…"

"Don't worry. I took it out from my own rations, so the village chief can't say anything about it."

"But still…"

"If you still feel uneasy, you can take it. The village chief can't possibly say anything if an adult accepted this, right?"

Whether given to the child or the mother, the little girl would still get to eat it. Su-hyeun forced the piece of bread into her hand. Su-hyeun patted the little girl's head again and stood up.

As he walked around the village, Su-hyeun looked at the mother who was nagging her daughter. It feels kind of weird.

The villagers had much faith in their chief, but he felt another feeling besides belief from her eyes. It was nothing other than fear. The village chief felt almost like a fishbone stuck in his throat.

I'll need to verify it.

Protect the village and survive. The trial's subject was still vague about what he was supposed to protect the village from and what he had to survive.

There were divided opinions on the village people by those met from the trials.

Some said that it was like a program made for each floor of the trials, much like a Non-Player Character (NPC). The rationale was that when they attempted the trial again after failing it, the people could not remember them.

Some others said they were probably real people living in another world. Their rationale was that the appearances and mindsets did not look like they were made from a program.

Indeed… Su-hyeun thought while looking around the village.

I'm not sure yet.

Were the villagers' expressions, speaking, lifestyle, and civilization all made up? Or could they be real living humans? Nothing could be confirmed, but Su-hyeun was certain of one thing.

They are, at the very least, reacting based on their thoughts and emotions. So, he would have to treat them the same as humans.

Su-hyeun tried finding out about the village chief — what kind of person he is, how had he lived his life — but everyone's response to those questions was cold.

"Why do you ask that?"

"You have something up your sleeves, right?"

"Don't you dare harm our village chief, otherwise I'll—!"

Full-blown reactions. Nevertheless, Su-hyeun was able to hear a rough story when he approached a mild-looking middle-aged lady.

"Please understand. We react this way because our village got looted by outsiders quite often. Although I do not know what the village chief is thinking, we do feel uneasy accepting outsiders."

He had expected that. Weak villages would only get looted in this world. But Su-hyeun was curious about something else.

"Why does everyone trust the village chief so much?"

"That is because the village chief is a hero to the villagers." Su-hyeun's eyes wiggled at her answer. It was a word so familiar that it felt annoying.

"…Hero?" That old man? Su-hyeun asked about the details. He wanted to know what had happened to make everyone here regard him as a hero.

"Ah, I don't know. I can only tell you this much." Even the lady who was less wary about Su-hyeun shook her head and turned away. Su-hyeun's mind got complicated.

Hero. There were a couple things he was sure of if the village chief was called by that title: the village chief saved the villagers, and it must have been through an extreme method.

…He didn't seem to be that kind of person. It was something he would come to know without the gatekeeper's warning. As he went deeper into his thoughts, Su-hyeun's mind got more complicated.

Either the gatekeeper's warning was wrong, or the villagers are blind. It was one or the other, and Su-hyeun was betting on the latter.

Su-hyeun had observed the village for a while. It wasn't long until he started to widen his area of search. There was nothing else he could fish out from the villagers. They were definitely with the village chief. He could only find out new information by himself.

First, I'll need to find out… From what did he have to protect the village from? He required an answer to that.

But as he left the village's entrance, a strong smell stimulated Su-hyeun… a familiar smell. "It couldn't be."

As soon as he smelt it, Su-hyeun's face cringed. Su-hyeun looked around him, and the doubt soon became the truth.

"…Damn it."

Su-hyeun had seen the ugly side of men for a long time. As the world was collapsing, he learned that even good men would turn evil, and their smell was evidence.

"Beware of the village chief." He needed a little more verification.

Somehow… Su-hyeun's eyes narrowed at the source of the smell.

I have got to be more assertive than this.

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Chapter 13: Chapter 13

Act 7

The night went by, and the morning sky came. The village chief came looking for Su-hyeun, calling for him in front of the tent.

"Are you in?"

There was no answer. After he called out a few more times without hearing any response, the village chief opened the doors and stepped in.

"Until when are you going to… Oh?" It was empty inside.

He looked around the tent and came out. There was a vague sense of uneasiness. "Where did he go?"

He definitely said he was looking for a place to rest. The village chief came out of the tent and looked around in the village.

"Village chief, where are you heading to?" One of the villagers approached him. The village chief answered him, still looking around.

"I'm looking for the outsider who arrived yesterday. Did you see him?"

"No, I didn't. What is it about?"

"He disappeared suddenly. I'm worried that he might be up to something in the village." The chief's worry was not just his own. Looting by outsiders happened quite often in the village. Many came as guests like Su-hyeun but looted the village through the night.

"It couldn't be…"

"Shh! Lower your voice. Didn't I say that we can't help it?"

"But even so…"

"Just sleep and stay quiet. Got it?"

"…Yes."

The village chief looked disapprovingly at the man who lowered his head. Right, he thought. We can't help it.

The village chief looked at the small bottle he held in his hand. It was a powerful medicine that could make one sleep for over 10 days. Indeed, the village chief was hungry for the food that Su-hyeun had.

And the one asleep is… The village chief looked around the village quickly. At that moment, a woman approached the chief.

"Village chief, village chief!" The woman who was running helter-skelter stopped before him. She took a while to catch her breath.

"What is it?"

"At the village's shopping district…" The village chief's eyes grew wide as he listened. He couldn't wait any longer and made his way towards the shopping district.

It was a central district that merchants used as a marketplace before the world collapsed. The villagers crowded around the area.

"What is this?!" The village chief's roar drew everyone's attention.

Fear and uneasiness could be seen on their faces. The village chief pushed through the huge crowd and found Su-hyeun amongst them. Su-hyeun raised his hand, greeting the village chief. "Did you just arrive?"

"I asked what this is!"

"By that, possibly…"

Poke—

Su-hyeun poked at the gigantic snake's head that was placed beside him. "Did you mean this?"

The village chief did not answer. The village chief's mind got complicated, wondering what it was all about.

Su-hyeun spoke again with a grin. "Why are you so angry? I took care of the monster hidden in the basement."

"What, what? That was uncalled for…!"

"It wasn't unnecessary?

"Yes! That monster was protecting our village!"

Indeed. The smile left Su-hyeun's face. "Why did you think that it was protecting you?"

"It wasn't a thought, but the truth!"

"And for that…" Su-hyeun looked at the villagers and asked.

"Do you make human sacrifices one by one?" The village chief's eyes widened at his question. He was so surprised that he took a few steps back, before gritting his teeth and asked.

"How… did you know?" It was the village's secret. More accurately, it was something that Su-hyeun must not know of. From the chief's point of view, it was incomprehensible that he severed the beast's head.

"I know a bit about this monster." The head of the gigantic snake was about a meter wide in diameter. Su-hyeun knew its name.

"It's called the Predatory Snake. Except during meals, it's lazy and spends most of its time sleeping." As soon as the monster's name was spoken, everyone's, including the village chief's, face visibly stiffened. In fact, they did not know the monster's name.

"It doesn't care about anything else besides satisfying its belly. It searches for a hunting ground and, until it leaves, marks its own territory so that weaker monsters can't even come near."

"Stop, stop it!" The village chief panicked as Su-hyeun spoke as if he knew everything.

His uncomfortable body walked towards Su-hyeun; however, Su-hyeun continued on. "Eventually, you will have to keep feeding it food. That way, it won't run away. But you know what's funny?"

"I said stop it!"

"This beast does not see the person who feeds it as its prey." There it was: the truth that he did not wish to be known. His words stirred a considerable commotion.

"Is that the truth?"

"He said so?"

"So, then… the chief made us…"

"Wait, the monster did not even try to eat the chief, right? What actually happened?"

Here was what happened: One day, the village chief brought the Predatory Snake and said, "Listen to me. If we let it stay here, it'll keep us safe."

But there was a condition to it.

"This beast will only be full if it eats a human every three days. If we are to live, we have to make a human sacrifice every three days. Let's draw lots. And… I'll become the first offering."

The village chief claimed himself to be the first offering, but the Predatory Snake did not eat him. They had no choice but to offer someone else.

"You seem to have taken someone else as an offering before bringing it here," Su-hyeun said after he listened to the villagers with contemptuous eyes.

"You b*stard."

"Lies! It's all lies!" The village chief shouted in a fit.

Disbelief grew in the villagers' eyes. The village chief had never been looked upon like this in his whole life. "Thank you, village chief. It was thanks to you that our village could survive," someone said.

"It was thanks to you that we can finally sleep in peace. You are our village's hero."

"Village chief…"

Amongst them were people who made "inevitable" sacrifices.

"My son, not my son! Village chief, please!"

"It's inevitable. Please understand."

"Village chief, village chief!"

"That… bad guy…"

"He fooled us!"

"Wait, don't get duped by the outsider!"

"No, we're fooled! I wondered why the monster did not eat the village chief!"

"Calm down and…"

"He made my husband into that monster's food! Why would he do that? Why?!"

The villagers were outraged. Su-hyeun's words were reasonably trustworthy. Without his knowledge of the Predatory Snake's habits, they would never have found out. Still, however, some people still believed in the village chief.

"My son, my son…"

"My gosh…"

"Oh my! Max, Max!"

Su-hyeun watched as they mourned loudly. An inevitable sacrifice. Must be endured. There were those who had pent-up resentment at those words.

Rescue the village. Survive.

Survive from what? The questions had already been answered by the gatekeeper. The village chief could not do anything more.

"From now on…"

Stomp—

Su-hyeun stomped the ground. The magic that accumulated on his feet spread into the ground. The commotion ceased in a flash.

"Everyone, please answer."

Silence.

"You can decide the deposition for your village chief. You can either wait until he becomes prey for the monster, or…"

Su-hyeun's eyes met the chief's.

"Hick!"

The frightful village chief lost all strength and flopped onto the ground.

"Everyone will make the call."

Suddenly a young man stood out. "Isn't it too much to ask us to make a decision after you've killed the monster? We might be dying right now because of you!"

The young man was trembling. He was a coward. Even if he himself were a coward, everyone would be the same.

The chief was, so to speak, the much-needed evil. Although he shamelessly sacrificed others to save himself, it was evident that his role contributed to the safety of the village.

"So, are you going to wait until he becomes prey to another monster?"

"That…"

"Also, there's one more thing that you're not aware of."

"What else do we not know?"

"The Predatory Snake lays about six to eight eggs once a quarter."

The villagers were not the only ones surprised at Su-hyeun's words. The village chief's eyes widened once more at this fact.

"If you keep offering human sacrifices every three days, the number would increase each time. Here is the problem."

Su-hyeun asked, looking around. "How long will it take for everyone here to end up in the snake's stomach?"

The villagers kept quiet. They had quite a number of people, despite being just a village, but what if the number of people they sacrificed increased exponentially? It wouldn't be that way for long.

Silence.

"There's no need to know for certain. You could roughly guess. If you need verification, I could show you the eggs in the basement."

"Ahh, ahh…"

Despair. The thought of being able to live a bit longer was actually a shortcut to death. A dark shadow cast on all of their faces, losing even the faintest trace of hope.

"There's a method."

"…A way?"

"What is it?"

The villagers pricked up their ears. They thought all hope was lost…. But was there really a method? As they needed a more detailed explanation, Su-hyeun had more to say.

"There's a way for everyone to live," Su-hyeun spoke, looking at the villagers surrounding him.

"Will you listen to me?"

The villagers made a decision concerning the village chief.

Death. There was no other way of repaying his actions for fooling the villagers. He had already offered the villagers to the Predatory Snake as prey. The village chief, who could not endure floggings and beatings, shouted furiously.

"You lot are being fooled! All of you are being fooled by him!" Some were wavered by his screams. It was true that the village chief had devoted his whole life to the village, and Su-hyeun was an outsider who arrived just yesterday.

The anger of the villagers whose family had become prey to the Predatory Snake was not easily shaken by his play.

Su-hyeun brought six robust young villagers down into the basement.

"What is happening here?" One of them soothed his shivering forearm. The Predatory Snake lived in the village's basement, which was connected to the chief's house. Although Su-hyeun killed it, the young men did not wish to enter after knowing the truth.

"Didn't you say that there's a way for everyone to live?"

"Is the method right here?"

"Yes."

The basement was dark and humid. As they followed the stairs, they arrived at a huge cave. The sound of something crawling could be heard.

Screech, screech—

Their eyes were glistening in the dark. The young men who followed Su-hyeun down stepped back in astonishment.

"M-m-monster…"

"Ugggh…"

The monsters were the babies of the Predatory Snake.

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Chapter 14: Chapter 14

It was a total of six. Su-hyeun nodded his head after counting their numbers.

Thankfully, they have all hatched. The snakelets had the body size of an adult male. Although they were young, they were still twice the size of an anaconda. Their growth period would end within a few months.

Adult Predatory Snakes usually slept soundly for a day after a meal. On the contrary, the snakelets would eat much more than that.

Creak—

The six snakelets showed their teeth as they approached Su-hyeun, who was taking the lead. Although they were smaller than the adults, their build was still a lot larger than humans; hence, the young men are intimidated by them. But…

"Close your mouths."

Creak, creeeak—

Su-hyeun spoke again, walking towards the snakelets. "Close your mouths."

Gu, guuu—

The wide cave shook. Not only the young men, but also the snakelets that were facing them were in disarray.

Seuk, eukkk—

A pair of magic-filled eyes looked at the snakelets. The snakelets were frightened and cowered at Su-hyeun's eyes. The young men watching Su-hyeun saw him once again as a monster.

W-what is that?

I knew he wasn't normal when he killed that monster…

Is he human?

A human overpowering a monster with his eyes alone? It was impossible. Just one of those snakelets could turn the village into nothing. The Predatory Snake was a monster of that capacity.

"W-why did you show them to us?"

"It couldn't be…"

Disbelief was in their eyes. They thought that Su-hyeun might throw them to feed the snakelets. The fear made them unable to think.

"What are you guys thinking of?" Su-hyeun shook his head and spoke while looking at the young men.

"We will be training them from now on."

"What?"

"What do you mean, 'training them?'"

Su-hyeun started explaining to them as they looked confused. "I have explained to you that the habits of Predatory Snakes are that they sleep soundly after meals and do not prey on the one who feeds them."

"Right."

"Those habits are for the normal Predatory Snakes. Though they have similar habits, the snakelets have one more habit. It's a normal one, not much different from animals."

"No way…" They must have understood after listening to this explanation. Su-hyeun nodded at the men's suspicions.

"Right. They would regard the person who feeds them like their mother."

So they had to train the Predatory Snakes. That was what Su-hyeun was suggesting. In this era, monsters were evil and predators to humans. It was absurd to think of taming them.

"Taming these guys… means the villagers would once again…"

"Why did you think that its food has to be humans?"

"What?"

"Isn't there food for them outside the village?"

"Outside the village?" They showed faces that could not comprehend. Su-hyeun nodded towards the green-horned beasts.

"They eat humans, but there's no rule that they can't eat other monsters."

"A-are you suggesting to feed them the monsters outside the village?"

"It's impossible! How can we…"

"Who asked you to catch those monsters?"

"…What?" Su-hyeun was faced with puzzled expressions. Su-hyeun let out a deep sigh. He picked only the most robust men from the village, but they had more fear than he thought.

"I'll catch the monsters. You guys would just have to feed them to the snakelets." There was a reason why the Predatory Snake gave birth to snakelets at the start of the trial. Su-hyeun took advantage of it to pass the trial.

The trial occasionally gave extremely tough missions. This trial could be said to have the theme of endless dedication. Asking to rescue the village with no strings attached was not a problematic mission for Su-hyeun.

It's me. Though it might have felt relatively easy, as time went on, it became more ridiculous. What if he had not known about the Predatory Snake? What would have happened if he did not heed the gatekeeper's advice and trusted the village chief?

He would have fallen into the trap that the chief made without getting a clue and would have been sent as the Predatory Snake's prey.

[Accomplished: 30%]

[Will you complete the trial?]

These were the messages that appeared in his mind when he killed the Predatory Snake and suggested to kill the village chief. They were a different style of message. It didn't say that the trial had ended, but instead gave him the choice to end it himself.

He had encountered these types of trials in his past life. There were times where you could choose when to complete the trials.

Is dealing with the village chief and the Predatory Snakes the minimum requirement for clearing?

The trial seemed more irresponsible than he had imagined.

I can't treat what I've done so far as rescuing the village. The village was nearly at its end when the chief died and they lost the Predatory Snake's protection. It was evident that they would soon be attacked by monsters.

Although he did not know when it would happen, he knew at the very least that it would not be in the distant future. "30% accomplished" definitely meant that the village was still not completely safe.

From now on, Su-hyeun had to find a way to protect the village and increase his level of accomplishment.

It was a purposeful installment of the snakelets… The key point was how he made use of the installment.

It would have been impossible to clear the mission without knowledge of the Predatory Snakes' habits. Su-hyeun came to that conclusion. It was apparent every time, but the level 10 trials did not just require one's strength. As the trials got harder, they required something more.

It was the evening. Nevertheless, dark clouds brought upon total darkness in the sky. Su-hyeun was familiar with this world, which could not even see dusk.

"It's been a while since I've done babysitting." Su-hyeun muttered after stepping out of the village. The Predatory Snakes' territory had been maintained for a month.

The Predatory Snake marked its territory with bodily fluids secreted from its mouth, and the nasty smell made weaker monsters stay away. As per the villagers, the territory would only last for 15 days. He had to train them within that period.

"Six snakelets…"

One snakelet per day. He had to fill the stomach of six snakelets.

"I have to work hard for quite some time."

Step, step—

Su-hyeun stopped in his tracks and observed the surroundings. "No, there's no need to."

Grrrr—

As soon as he stepped out of the territory, he detected several signs of monsters.

"It's not as much of a nuisance as expected."

He did not have to search for the monsters. They lurked around the predatory snake's territory, targeting the people coming out of the village.

"Here! Your prey is here!"

[You used the skill "Leap."]

[Excluding the targeted object, the surrounding enemies perceived you as an enemy.]

Kyaaaa—!

Stomp, stomp—!

The monsters that were salivating as Su-hyeun came rushing towards them.

Clang, clang—!

Su-hyeun grabbed his sword and spear in his hands. And at the same time, Su-hyeun leaped forward.

Ssss—!

Rippp—!

A monster's body with the face of a huge wolf was slashed half. After avoiding the forthcoming monsters with Leap, he leaped once more in the air.

He leaped twice in total. As the skill's ability increased, the number of times he could use the skill increased as well.

"Hoop—"

Su-hyeun looked down as he leaped high in the air. He fixed on his target.

Paang—!

Swooooosh—!

Su-hyeun bent his body into a bow and threw the spear.

Plat—!

The massive spider monster's heart was destroyed. Su-hyeun first finished the trickiest monster, which secreted venom.

Hwooong—!

The next monster that came running was a translucent goblin type monster with no form. It swung Su-hyeun's body around and emitted dark energy. It was an energy that made human flesh age and rot.

Whoosh—

That moment, the end of Su-hyeun's sword was engulfed in blue flames.

[The skill "Flame" was used.]

Hwaaa—!

Slash—!

Not only did Su-hyeun's sword cut the dark energy, but it also slashed the formless goblin.

Su-hyeun, who leaped high in the air, returned to the ground. The monsters hesitated.

They focused on the flame, which engulfed the sword. Su-hyeun instinctively sensed that the blaze was more dangerous than anything else.

It was at that moment when the monsters were afraid of Su-hyeun. "Where are you heading to?"

[The skill "Provocation" was used.]

Once again, Su-hyeun made the monsters turn back. "I would be sad."

Flame. Su-hyeun obtained that reward on the eighth floor. Su-hyeun chose not to learn too many skills. If the skills were not used at the right time and place, he thought that it would be pointless to obtain them as well. Thus, Su-hyeun chose to focus on learning the most useful skills.

Leap and Provocation were the most-used skills by magical awakeners and were also proven to be effective. And amongst them, Flame was a skill that the picky Su-hyeun liked.

[Flame.]

-Magic Level: 4.

-Level: 1.

-Ability: 15.5%.

-A sacred fire that burns magic. It inflicts fatal wounds on dark-type enemies and its power is determined by the magic level.

It was a level-dependent skill. Firstly, he liked this part. Level-dependent skills, like the Transfiguration skill, were more efficient. In particular, many of the dark-type monsters were quite tricky. There were some enemies in soul forms that would not be harmed by physical attacks.

It's certainly the best skill in terms of power. Su-hyeun's assessment of Flame was quite generous. Amongst all the top-notch skills that Su-hyeun had seen, giving the Flame skill such high evaluation meant that it was quite exceptional.

Besides high magic consumption, it has quite a heavy pressure on health too.

It was too excessive a skill to be used on small monsters. Nevertheless, Su-hyeun used Flame for just one reason.

When else can I increase my ability other than at this point?

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Chapter 15: Chapter 15

The skills' powers were classified into two categories.

Firstly, the most basic requirement of a skill was its magic level. The second was its ability.

Thus, regardless of how high the skill level was, if the ability was meager, one would not be able to use it to its fullest potential. In this regard, it wasn't a bad idea to make use of this trial to raise Su-hyeun's skill ability.

Burn, burn!

As he watched the surrounding monsters' corpses burn, he let out a breath of exhaustion.

"Huu—"

The Flame skill's ability had increased.

It was the same with the Provocation skill. There was nothing better than real battles to increase a skill's ability.

The monster that I could use the Transfiguration skill on…

Su-hyeun clicked his tongue as he watched the corpses lying on the ground.

"It's not here."

The 10th floor.

Regardless of how difficult it was, the trial would not arrange monsters that were impossible for awakeners to deal with. It would be surprising to see monsters of a higher caliber than the Predatory Snake.

"Well, if a tougher monster than the Predatory Snake appears, the mission would not be valid."

The Predatory Snake's territory created a deterrence to other monsters. If there were stronger monsters, the village would have been destroyed much earlier.

"This should be enough."

He had sufficient corpses to feed the snakelets. The rest were hunted to increase Su-hyeun's skill's proficiency. Su-hyeun brought out the six young men who were supposed to feed the snakelets.

"A-all of these…"

"Did you catch all of these?"

The six young men looked wearily at Su-hyeun.

There were countless bodies. Most of them were black as if they had been burnt to death.

"Drag those bodies there onto the cart. They should sustain the snakes for a few days."

"Yes, yes!"

"Um… What will our benefactor like to do? Will you be returning with us immediately?"

Benefactor? Su-hyeun's eyes narrowed at the awkward, burdensome title.

"I'll catch up in a while."

"Why don't you leave with us?"

"That's right. Let's go together. Mealtime is already over, too…"

It seemed that they were worried that Su-hyeun might disappear without a trace.

Even though Su-hyeun was an awkward and unfamiliar person at first, he was now the only person they could rely on.

Su-hyeun was aware of their worries. But before that, he had something he needed to do.

"The snakelets take time to mark their territory. No matter how fed and bloated they are, it's going to take around a month."

"S-so… In the coming month…"

The young men's faces turned pale at Su-hyeun's words.

Su-hyeun's words meant that in the following month, the village would be unsafe from the monsters outside. They didn't know it, but it was part of the trial that Su-hyeun was given.

"I'll protect the village for the next month."

"…What?" asked one of the men.

"Personally, by the benefactor?" asked another.

"But why…"

It should have been a happy matter, but they could not bring themselves to feel that way. The question of why came naturally.

Why was it that Su-hyeun wanted to help them like this? It was an overly one-sided relationship. And if you were no fool, you would know that one-sided good deeds without reason were not something you could easily come across.

However, such doubts from the young men did not matter to Su-hyeun. No matter how they saw him, Su-hyeun would only take one action.

"Anyway, I will catch all the monsters around the village, so don't worry. Just return to the village. I will also return before the sun sets."

The young men had no choice but to nod their heads, leaving Su-hyeun at that spot.

This is just right for training my skill's ability.

Protect the village, increase my skills' proficiency, kill two birds with one stone.

After a moment of rest, Su-hyeun wandered around the village and began calling for monsters.

Just like that, all day long, Su-hyeun caught the monsters again and again.

Act 8

Time passed quickly.

Luckily, the village was recognized as a safe zone, so Su-hyeun was able to come and go between the real world and the village. Occasionally, Su-hyeun would return to the real world to contact Shin Su-yeong and then return to the village to repeat his hunts.

The villagers' attitude towards Su-hyeun had also changed. At first, their gazes towards Su-hyeun were full of suspicion. They thought he might be approaching the village with an ulterior motive. However, their suspicions cleared up as time passed.

Perhaps, just like what Su-hyeun had said, they could see that the snakelets were becoming tamer. The snakelets grew day by day. The young men had begun to train them in various ways according to Su-hyeun's words.

Late one night, Su-hyeun finished his hunt and returned to the village. His skill's proficiency was progressing steadily.

[Accomplishment: 65%]

Su-hyeun was satisfied after checking his accomplishments.

As expected, taming the snakelets was the answer.

As the snakelets grew, his accomplishment percentage increased. That steady rise in accomplishment was also proof that Su-hyeun was on the right track.

Flop—

Su-hyeun returned to his shabby tent house and laid down on the hard floor. He was exhausted.

After fighting monsters all day long, his body felt drained of strength. Recently, it felt as if he had gone back to the past.

Perhaps it's because of that sky.

This place was very similar to the world he lived in: a destroyed world, anxious people, the black, dead sky and earth.

It was swarming with monsters outside the village. It might have been set up as such to match the stage of the 10th floor, as there were no monsters above a certain level.

I'll get some sleep and start again tomorrow…

Just as Su-hyeun was about to close his eyes, he heard some rustling.

He felt a presence outside the tent house. It was a very small presence.

Dragging his tired body, Su-hyeun stood up from his spot. He walked towards the door and saw a familiar face outside.

"Kid."

"Hic."

It was the same six or seven-year-old kid that he saw a few days back. The child who came to find Su-hyeun seemed so afraid that she covered herself behind the tree in the distance.

Looking at the child who was half-covered, Su-hyeun said with a small smile, "I can see you. Are you looking for me?"

"…Yes."

The child was cute. Su-hyeun continued talking, holding back his laughter that was threatening to burst because of the child's reaction.

"Since you are looking for me, could you come nearer? If you stand so far away, Uncle would not be able to hear you."

"I'm not a kid! I'm Mellie!"

Upset by being called a kid, the child cried out.

She was an interesting child. With seemingly no thoughts of going closer, Mellie kept her distance while stealing glances at Su-hyeun. He waited until the girl came closer.

Mellie approached Su-hyeun slowly after making eye contact several times.

"Here."

After moments of fidgeting, Mellie came near and held out her hand towards Su-hyeun. In her palm was a small piece of bread slightly smaller than a fist.

"What could this be?" Su-hyeun asked. "Is this for me?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

"I'm just thankful."

"Thankful?"

"I heard that you were protecting our village. Thank you for protecting our village."

It seemed like rumors had spread throughout the village.

"Did you know that? Actually, the village chief was a horrible person. I knew that…but…"

"How did you know that?"

"My elder brother was taken away by the village chief. And he did not come back."

Su-hyeun's heart sank at Mellie's answer. This young child was aware of everything. She was aware of the sadness of losing her brother and was holding onto the grief.

That was why while the others called the village chief a hero, Mellie seemed unable to do so. Mellie looked up at Su-hyeun with shining eyes and continued speaking.

"Well, they said that you are our village's hero. The other uncles said that."

"…Hero?"

"Yes. So, I will give you this. Take it."

Rumble, rumble—

As she passed over the bread, a sound of hunger could be heard from Mellie's stomach. Without batting an eye, Mellie held out the bread to Su-hyeun, hurrying him to take it. Something inside of him choked up.

Why was this young child given such a difficult task as starvation? What was it that made this young child unable to express her hunger?

He closed his eyes. Anger flared up.

If only I were a real hero.

He was not a hero. He had already felt that fact, bone-deep, in his past life. However, in this young child's eyes, his unremarkable self seemed like a real hero.

Su-hyeun opened his eyes. He looked at Mellie's eyes again.

"No, Uncle is…"

Absolutely nothing, unlike a hero.

Would it be right to say this?

Was it right to destroy this child's fantasies and hopes that were instilled in these words? There was a moment of hesitation.

"Mellie! You can't do that! I'm sorry, so sorry."

Mellie's mother appeared and swept her up in her arms. The woman might not have even known what she is sorry for. Knowing this, Su-hyeun hurriedly waved his hands.

"No, it's fine. I was bored and had fun because of Mellie."

"That's right! Mom, you don't even know."

"Mellie!"

As if asking her to please be quiet, Mellie's mother placed a finger to her lips. She bowed her head to Su-hyeun once again.

"No. I should have been keeping an eye on her…she has no manners…"

"It's fine. Really."

The woman had a look of relief after studying Su-hyeun's expression. Luckily, Su-hyeun had not shown any displeasure.

"Uncle, are you not going to eat this?"

Mellie once again held out the piece of crumbly and slightly dusted bread towards Su-hyeun. The girl's mother started nagging at Mellie again, but Su-hyeun laughed lightly and accepted the bread.

"Since Mellie gave me a present, I'll have to repay her, right?"

The crumbly, small bread returned as a piece of soft and warm bread.

Mellie's face brightened as she saw a piece of large bread emerge from Su-hyeun's pouch. "Wow!"

Mellie laughed excitedly. Her mother looked troubled once again. She looked between Mellie and Su-hyeun, unable to do anything.

"Mellie, you are really… I'm sorry. You do not have to eat that…"

Before the woman ended her words, Su-hyeun put the bread in his mouth and ate it. "It's delicious."

In fact, it wasn't even chewable. But…

"Really, it was delicious."

Those were sincere words.

It was tough to swallow that dry and tough piece of bread without water. It tasted nothing like food.

He would not forget the bread he ate that day for the rest of his life — it was, indeed, that gratifying.

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Chapter 16: Chapter 16

Creak, creak—

Slither, slither—

Six snakelets.

More accurately, half of them, now grown to be adult Predatory Snakes, darted their tongues.

They had a considerable physical build that spanned two meters in diameter. The triangular headed Predatory Snakes had venom in their teeth and saliva dripping from their mouths.

They have grown a lot.

It had been a month and a half. Although it was hard to discern whether they had developed into adults, they would be no match for the fair number of monsters lurking around the village.

"How was the hunt today?" Su-hyeun asked the six young men who were managing the predatory snakes. They seemed to have gotten familiar with training the snakes.

"There aren't many monsters left around the village. I think we may have to broaden the hunting ground slowly."

"What about the food rations?" Su-hyeun asked.

"We found potatoes and some rotten wheat in a distant village. We should have no problems with food for the next three months."

"Please search for other food that can be self-cultivated, since there will be a limited amount of food sourced from outside."

"We got it."

The village became livelier. Regardless of the situation outside the village, at least the village was now safe from monsters.

There were no more humans sacrificed for the predatory snakes. Before that, the villagers feared that they would be sacrificed for the snakes, rather than the monsters outside.

Peace created within the trial's confined stage….

Su-hyeun suddenly felt entirely unfamiliar with this world. Though it was similar to the destroyed world he knew, the system organized it well.

Just how long will this peace last?

In the past month and a half, Su-hyeun did not spot any other monsters that could invade the Predatory Snakes' territory, but it was unclear as to how much longer the village would be safe.

Even if they domesticated the six Predatory Snakes, if there were a monster stronger than them, the peace would vanish in a flash.

Step, step—

Su-hyeun left the basement where they were training the Predatory Snakes and walked through the village. A lot had changed during this period.

"Ah, it's the hero uncle!"

"Uncle, where are you heading?"

"Mr. Su-hyeun, are you heading out of the village again today?"

It was the villagers' attention and hospitality towards Su-hyeun. Their initial impression of Su-hyeun had long been erased. Now, in their eyes, Su-hyeun was the hero who saved their village.

Su-hyeun felt burdened with those looks. It was especially true when the children called him a hero openly.

Su-hyeun spoke to Mellie's mother. "I have to verify again if any more monsters are lurking around the village."

"That's hard work. Because of us, every day…"

"It's nothing. It's my duty."

He had meant it. His actions now were only part of the process to pass the trial. The mission was now at its final stage.

As the Predatory Snakes were growing into adults, the trial's accomplishment increased quickly, depending on the village's safety. The rewards would be great as it was a trial that required an extended period of time; the lingering attachment was higher than anticipation.

How will this village survive after I leave?

Would it return to its original state, as if Su-hyeun had never set foot there? Or would it maintain the status quo with the newly domesticated Predatory Snakes?

If so… would the village stay safe forever?

"Damn it."

Su-hyeun was organizing his train of thoughts when a stream of vulgarity unknowingly came out. The frightened children backed away in the tense atmosphere. The same went for Mellie's mother.

"Why… Did something bad happen?"

"Ah, no."

Su-hyeun shook his head at the foul words he had just said. He looked at the children and smiled at them once again.

"Really, it's nothing."

Su-hyeun left the village after those words. Strangely, the weird feeling did not go away. As Su-hyeun felt that he was unnecessarily concerned, he checked the trial's status.

[Accomplishment: 99 percent.]

Why?

There had been no change in the accomplishment level for a few days. Obviously, the village would be safe if nothing else were to happen.

There must be something left I haven't taken care of.

It was because of the remaining 1% that he was unsatisfied and did not choose to clear this trial.

The Tower of Trials' system never lied. Failure to achieve 100% in accomplishment meant that the village was not completely safe.

Since Su-hyeun could have already cleared this trial when he had killed the village chief and the first Predatory Snake, there would not be much of a problem if the trial ended here.

But…

I can't just leave them like this.

Even if his goal was just to clear the trial with perfection, he had to do something.

You know, they said you're our village's hero.

With the sudden strange thought creeping into his mind, Su-hyeun shook his head vigorously.

Let's not think needlessly.

Su-hyeun then left the village. No other monsters remained outside the village. They were mostly dealt with in the past month and a half.

The remaining 1 percent.

He had to find out the reason.

Su-hyeun did not return to the village, even when the sky had turned completely dark at night.

Step, step—

Su-hyeun was now quite a distance from the village. He felt the eyes of various monsters on him, but he could sense something larger amongst them.

He looked down beneath his feet. It was directly beneath him.

"…So, it was you."

Its eyes only opened at dawn. As it was quite a distance from the village and barely active during the day, he could not have sensed it.

The Flame skill was used on Su-hyeun's sword.

The flame's size was a lot larger than the first time. This was thanks to the hunted monsters that increased his skill's proficiency.

Su-hyeun used his magic to bring out the flame as much as he could, and using the sword as a counterweight, stabbed it into the ground.

Stab—!

The flames permeated into the ground. Su-hyeun consistently sent the fire into the ground. Soon, he got a reaction.

Rumble, rumble—

Crack—!

The ground beneath him shook and its surface burst open. Soon, something huge appeared above ground.

Su-hyeun avoided it by leaping into the air. He could verify the monster's form by leaping a few times more into the air.

Kyaaaaa—!

A gigantic earthworm.

It was an earth-colored monster without any eyes, nose, or limbs. The only body part it had on its lengthy build was a hideous mouth that unleashed a loud groan.

Its form was similar to the Predatory Snake's. But Su-hyeun knew.

A natural enemy that could threaten the Predatory Snake.

It was the only remaining threat to the village in this trial: the Earthworm.

Its body had even more venomous poison than the Predatory Snake. If both the Earthworm and Predatory Snake met, the Predatory Snake would be paralyzed and die from the Earthworm's venom in an instant.

Though it isn't the only monster that would appear in the 10th-floor trials…

The trial could be cleared without even catching the monster. In other words, one could catch it if possible; otherwise, he would have to return to the Tower.

Su-hyeun observed the Earthworm's movement, and its related information appeared.

The Earthworm belonged to the boss level monsters. Its lifeline was lengthy and not to be taken lightly. Moreover, the most important point was its venom. Even for Su-hyeun, it was tough to be safe from the Earthworm's poison without toxic-resistant skills.

I came here asking for trouble.

Su-hyeun set the flame ablaze once more and charged towards the earthworm.

Drip, drip—

Pant, pant—

Su-hyeun let out a heavy breath and stumbled, exhausted.

The Earthworm's green blood flowed into the dirt. Su-hyeun's feet seemed to burn wherever he stepped on the blood-stained ground.

Creak, creak—

The Earthworm was not dead yet. A few fragments of its body were prolonging its life.

"Let's end this."

Su-hyeun finally gathered the last of his magic and severed its head.

Slash—!

Kya—

[You have gained 1,000 achievement points.]

[You have attained the highest accomplishment.]

[You have passed the 10th-floor's trial with perfection.]

[You can choose an additional reward. The additional rewards depend on your accomplishment level. The command is "Select."]

[Your achievement will be ranked.]

[You have ranked first.]

[Your Strength has increased by 1 point.]

[Your Agility…]

…

[You have gained 50,000 achievement points.]

[Your magic level has increased by 1 level.]

[Your magic factor has increased by 2 points.]

[Will you ascend to the next floor?]

The allocated achievement points were not as generous as he had expected.

But the other rewards were that his magic level had increased and that he was allowed to choose his additional reward.

It didn't increase all this while.

"Haa—"

Whatever the additional reward, Su-hyeun trudged heavily and sat on a dry patch of ground where there was no Earthworm's blood.

He could not even open the door to reality in his current state.

A considerable amount of concentration was needed to open it. Thus, it was impossible to open the door when Su-hyeun was poisoned.

Click—

Su-hyeun held the necklace that was hanging around his neck in his hand. It was the treasure that was obtained on the second floor: the Sharyes' treasure. Though he did not have many chances to use it, it was useful every time.

It would be great if this could be brought into reality.

Although it would cost quite a considerable amount of achievement points, it was an item that valuable.

Whirl, whirl, whirl—

As Su-hyeun activated the necklace, a light came out and enveloped Su-hyeun's body. A bright light green light fully wrapped around Su-hyeun's body and soon dissipated.

Su-hyeun's poisoned body felt lighter and more relaxed.

Indeed, there were some effects on poison.

It was an item that recovers the users' health three times.

These types of items were rare. Unfortunately, as its recovery speed was slow, it was difficult to be used in combat, but it couldn't be matched with natural recovery.

Initially, the poison would have gradually spread in the body, and overcoming it naturally would have had taken a long time.

Perhaps parts of the body that could not be recovered would be permanently paralyzed or led to an early death, but the Sharyes' treasure was slowly neutralizing the poison.

Such a pity it has limited usage… But I can't help it.

He could only use it two more times. He had expected to use up one chance when he started the fight with the Earthworm and did not regret it.

With this… There should be no more remaining threats.

The Tower of Trials' system never lied. Su-hyeun believed so.

The lingering feeling had lessened. Thanks to that, Su-hyeun could ascend to the next floor without worries.

Before that…

There was the additional reward that he could choose after his accomplishment level had passed the 30 percent mark.

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Chapter 17: Chapter 17

"Select."

[The command has been entered.]

[Please choose your reward.]

A long list of rewards appeared as soon as Su-hyeun spoke those words. Very much similar to a website, various items were listed from top to bottom.

The ordinary stores used achievement points as their exchange currency, but these were different.

[Stored accomplishment points: 70.]

Are the excess accomplishment points used as currency?

Although he had heard of some selected stores using a different method, he had not encountered any in his past life.

Su-hyeun looked through the list of rewards.

It might have been hard to stumble upon this chance again in the future. He had to be careful with his choice.

It's not bad.

There were many items worth purchasing using his accomplishment points.

There were skills, equipment, and consumer goods. Unfortunately, the skills that Su-hyeun was unable to learn yet were not available for purchase.

Skills with a low requirement for magic level required fewer accomplishment points. Su-hyeun could have bought a few skills, but he quickly turned them away.

The number of skills is not important.

Su-hyeun turned to the equipment and consumer goods. Unfortunately, none of the skills he could learn right now were better than Flame. On the contrary, there were a lot more useful items under the equipment category, some of which were of similar standards to what he had used in his past life.

"It's better than I thought."

As it was tough gauging the difficulty on the 10th floor, it was the same for the rewards.

Su-hyeun swiped down the rewards list. The items got more expensive as he went down the list, but it also meant that those were much more valuable.

The quantity isn't important.

Similarly to skills, he thought the same way about equipment.

Instead of carrying several pieces of equipment on him, owning just one an outstanding weapon or set of armor would be more efficient.

Su-hyeun went to the last item on the equipment and consumer goods category. The most expensive was 65 points.

Is this the end?

He felt that something was lacking.

It was the armor category. Named the Heavenly God's Armor, the item had the effect of changing its form according to the user's wishes. It also served as an extra lifeline, with resistance to various attributes like fire, electric, poison, and more. It was great.

In truth, it was a piece of equipment that wouldn't normally be obtained on the 10th floor.

But...

[Others.]

Su-hyeun's eyes turned to the last remaining category. It wasn't skills, equipment, or consumer goods, but "others."

All other random items were gathered here. Su-hyeun did not pay special attention to it at first, but he had decided to take a look at it; it didn't matter if it was lacking.

"Let's just take a look."

He selected the category, and various items appeared before him. Indeed, there was a wide variety.

From musical instruments to water tanks and fashion items, some would make one wonder why they were on sale. It was quite a spectacle. There were some useful items amongst them, but they would be a waste of the points.

"All that for nothing."

However, the last item on the list caught Su-hyeun's eyes. Find authorized novels in Webnovel, faster updates, better experience,

[Unidentifiable God's Egg]

[An unidentifiable egg. Not sure what will be hatched.]

An item worth 70 points.

But why is this even called an item? It was evident that something would be hatched, but there was no way to tell what it would be.

"God's Egg."

It was the item's name that caught Su-hyeun's eyes.

"This is it."

He was confident that he would somehow be able to get the other items.

No matter how valuable the equipment was, Su-hyeun knew how to obtain the hero level weapons, like Balmung, that he had used in his past life.

But it was different for God's Egg.

In fact, if an awakener was lucky enough to get this egg, the hatched item could elevate the awakener's rank. It was one of the few items that Su-hyeun knew of but did not know how to obtain.

"Although the unidentifiable explanation is quite worrying…."

But it seemed that there was no other better option.

"I've decided."

[You have used 70 accomplishment points.]

[You have purchased the "Unidentifiable God's Egg."]

As soon as he made the transaction, an egg with the size of a fist appeared before him. It was a white egg without any patterns. Su-hyeun accepted it carefully with both hands.

"It's smaller than I thought…."

Su-hyeun had thought it would be around the size of his body since it was called God's Egg. As it was his first time seeing the Unidentifiable God's Egg, he didn't know if it was normal.

"Anyway, with this, my job on the 10th floor is done…."

It was time to head back.

Most of the poison had been neutralized. It wouldn't be a problem for him to move about. Su-hyeun stood up and reached his hands out.

And with all his strength, he grasped the air and opened the door.

Rip—!

The door back to reality opened. Su-hyeun's expression calmed down as he stepped out.

"With this... Did I meet the minimum standards that I had planned out?"

He had cleared the 10th floor. It was the minimum standard that Su-hyeun had in mind initially.

That was what he had been working hard towards. However, the results were beyond his expectations.

"Although it took longer than expected…"

Step—

He grinned slightly as he passed the door.

"I've gotten a lot stronger than I had planned."

The standard was no different from when he cleared the eighth floor and obtained the Flame skill.

"I can't delay any further."

Act 9

Time flowed differently in the Tower of Trials and reality. Although it was dawn on the 10th floor, in reality, it was just 2 PM.

Su-hyeun headed to the nearest bank. He inserted his card and verified his bank balance. A total of 1,210,000 Korean won was all that Su-hyeun had.

He had saved all the allowance that Shin Su-yeong sent him every month. The fact of the matter was he had no use for the money. His only expenses were the occasional gifts for Shin Su-yeong, so he had saved quite a lot.

Whirl—

He withdrew all the money at once.

Su-hyeun took the money and headed to Seoul by bus. He had to rely on his memories to find his way from Seoul Station. Su-hyeun finally found the place he was looking for, which was located in a reasonably large area.

The Awakeners Accreditation Authority.

It was a state-run institute that evaluated the awakeners' ranks, but wasn't just that; the institute also monitored the foreign awakeners' movements and managed the local awakeners.

"It has been a while."

The awakeners who got stronger every singe time they ascended the tower would sometimes increase their skills and request reassessments. Therefore, an average awakener would visit the institution three to four times in his life.

But of course, it was different for Su-hyeun.

There was no reason for him to be elevated in the first place. Su-hyeun was previously a local awakener, but he wasn't a normal awakener.

He started heading in. He took his time, reminiscing about old times, as he had been living all the while as Su-hyeun.

"What brings you here?"

A staff member greeted Su-hyeun brightly as he stepped into the lobby.

"I came to be evaluated."

"Is this your first time as an awakener?" The female staff member, who appeared to be in her mid-20s, smiled and spoke calmly. She must have been one of those people in Korea who had seen many awakeners in her life.

"It has been a while."

"It might take a while according to procedures. Please follow me."

Guided by the staff, Su-hyeun went through several procedures to verify his identity and headed to the first floor. Several chairs were placed in the middle of a spacious room, and many people were standing. As soon as Su-hyeun saw the five people sitting on the chairs, he realized that they were awakeners like him.

"Oh?"

Su-hyeun recognized one of their faces.

"Choi Hak-joon?"

He was the awakener he had chanced upon at the Tower of Trials not too long ago. It seemed that Choi Hak-joon had also come to be evaluated as an awakener.

"Please wait for 30 minutes until the ranking evaluation is prepared. You will be called accordingly."

The woman who guided Su-hyeun quickly left after she finished speaking. Soon, everyone in the room looked towards Su-hyeun.

"Oh?"

Unlike the other awakeners, Hak-joon narrowed his eyes and waved his hands as he seemed to have recognized Su-hyeun, but he soon tilted and scratched his head as if he was afraid that he recalled the wrong person. True, it would not be easy to recognize Su-hyeun right away after only one encounter.

"It has been a while."

Since he had time, Su-hyeun approached Hak-joon. Actually, he was also curious as to what kind of person he actually was.

Hak-joon asked, delighted that his memory did not fail him, "Indeed, we have met before, right?"

"We did have a small encounter once on the second floor."

"Ah, I remember it now."

Hak-joon clapped his hands and laughed while looking at Su-hyeun. It seemed that Su-hyeun's first impression was too intense to be forgotten.

"Are you here to be re-evaluated again?"

It seemed that Hak-joon had been evaluated once before.

Su-hyeun shook his head.

"No, it's not a re-evaluation."

"So it's your first time?"

"Yes."

"Hasn't a year passed since we last met?"

Usually, after a person has awakened, they were evaluated within a month because it was the first time that they are magically awakened. After that, one would usually get re-evaluated every time their magic level increased. It was the only reason why awakeners were evaluated. One had to be ranked in order to enter the dungeons, and then one could earn some big bucks there.

In this regard, it was rare to see someone doing their evaluation a year after awakening.

"If you're unsure about the rank evaluation for awakeners..."

"I'm fully aware."

"So, you're not here for the money?"

There had been occasional instances, too, when those who awakened but did not care about the money did not receive rank evaluations. They were usually rich enough to decide not to work as an awakener.

"My objective..."

Truthfully speaking, it wasn't for the money at all — it was because that was the minimum requirement to work as an awakener.

But...

"It's not my purpose, but I sort of need it."

He did not intend to let Shin Su-yeong suffer forever.

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Chapter 18: Chapter 18

Hak-joon tilted his head at Su-hyeun's answer. He did not know how to accurately interpret Su-hyeun's response.

So, money isn't his main objective?

Hak-joon figured that if money were his objective, this would not have been his first evaluation.

Su-hyeun and Hak-joon continued to talk for quite a while. The conversation was mostly Su-hyeun questioning Hak-joon. Su-hyeun was most curious about which floor of the Tower of Trials had Hak-joon reached up until this point.

15th floor… He has gone up quite high.

They had first met on the second floor, but Hak-joon had now reached the 15th floor.

It was quite a feat considering that as one ascended the floors, the difficulty of the trials increased as well. Moreover, Hak-joon had always chosen Level 8 trials, the same as Su-hyeun had done in his past life.

If only he could continue to survive like this….

Su-hyeun's perception of Hak-joon had changed a little. Hak-joon was better than the person he had remembered. Su-hyeun felt a need to continue observing him.

As time went by, everything had been prepared for the evaluation. There were large palm-shaped boards — with machines as tall as men — and the institute's awakeners, who would be notarizing.

"Ares Guild's awakener Mr. Choi Hak-joon! Your evaluation will start now!"

Hak-joon, who had arrived the earliest, headed up upon being called.

The Ares Guild.

Ares Guild had been reaching out to Su-hyeun via Abyss Online, asking him to join them. Although he did not have any intentions to join a guild, he recalled the name as it was related to Hak-joon.

It was the guild that disappeared in his hands.

Joining hands with a crime syndicate, the guild had been supported in the dark to foster power.

Hak-joon and Ares Guild would meet in the future, and the guild would disappear by the high-profile awakener's hand. Su-hyeun had considerable interest in this matter when he had learned of it. He had also planned to meet with the Ares Guild sometime, but of course, not so soon.

Whirl, whirl—

Hak-joon injected magic into his palm and placed it on a large plate.

Soon, a stone that turned blue shined brightly. The examiner checked the machine beside him and announced the results.

"Level four, Factor 44. Rank B!"

"Rank B?"

"Really?"

"He looks quite young… Already?"

The other awakeners started murmuring upon the examiner's announcement.

A B-rank awakener.

They were labeled the so-called high-class awakeners of the top 10 percent. Anyone above a magic level of four, or with a magic factor over 40, was given the qualification. Of course, on top of this, there were other methods to measure an awakener's rank.

There were cases where one was measured by their skills stats, magic, sense of battle, and other awakener's abilities through a particular examiner.

"B-rank within a year… Is that good?"

Though Su-hyeun knew that B-rank wasn't a low rank, it felt weird that the people around him were reacting quite wildly to it. He thought that it was a given to be ranked B if Hak-Joon had been challenging the level 8 trials up to the 15th floor.

I don't understand the standards.

Come to think of it, he did not know anything about awakeners' standards. Su-hyeun only had his first awakening half a year ago, and he did not have any exchange with other awakeners.

I need to find out more about the awakeners of this period.

There were quite a lot of eyes here as the ranks were announced in a public area.

Each guild had Scouters. Their sharp eyes were watching out for any useful awakeners to invite to join their guild.

"Next, Red Devil Clan's…"

The next awakener after Hak-joon was called up for evaluation. Hak-joon returned with a cheerful face. It seemed that he was quite satisfied with his own rank.

They announced the ranks of the other four awakeners: C, C, D, D.

"Why am I a D-rank? Why?!" the last evaluated person shouted furiously. The machine that verified the magic level had shown a magic level of three.

"Can't you see? Damn it! Don't you know the C-rank's standards?"

The by-products one could get from the dungeons between a C-rank and D-rank were quite different, thus his huge reaction towards the results.

"Well… the readings kept changing, and we can't do anything about that either…"

"There's an error, so why lower the rank? Are you guys kidding me?"

"We can't do much about it. The manual says so…"

"Damn it, then do the evaluation again!"

The commotion continued. It didn't seem like it would end anytime soon.

Seemingly disliking the commotion, Hak-joon frowned and pointed at the awakener's wrist. "Did you think you were the only person to have thought of using items to cheat your way through?"

"What?"

"If you're scared, take off the bracelet and do the evaluation again. I don't know how you could bring an item like that here in the first place…."

"Damn you…"

The flushed man muttered something to Hak-joon, then turned and left the room.

Su-hyeun grinned at Hak-joon, who was pouring out foul language. He had a more refreshing personality than expected.

"You talk really well."

"He would be found out either way when taking the evaluation. There wasn't a need to waste time, was there?"

"How did you know he used expedients?"

"I felt the magic flowing out from the bracelet. It could be an artifact that amplifies magic."

An artifact that amplifies magic… An expensive item that could increase the magic factor or level according to one's original level. There was no knowing how a C-rank was able to obtain such an item, but Hak-joon saw through it accurately.

He has a keen sense….

Hak-joon was clearly a promising awakener.

His path was similar to mine in my past life….

Even the part where he had passed each floor's Level 8 trials mirrored Su-hyeun's past life.

Hak-joon had the talent and took a smooth-sailing path in his guild. If he continued on, he would be able to reach a similar standard as the past Su-hyeun.

But from which part of his life did his downfall start?

Choi Hak-joon had started to take a wrong path at some point in his life. He ignored other's deaths and formed a twisted mindset. Eventually, he got himself killed.

In the future, Su-hyeun had coincidentally met him for the first time during a massive outbreak from a particular dungeon.

"Outbreak? What has that got to do with me? Why should I care who dies or not?" he asked indifferently.

Su-hyeun was curious as to whether the Choi Hak-joon he had met in his past life and the one he saw now were the same person.

Just what, and how?

Had this man standing before him bring upon that disaster? Or had he seen Hak-joon in the wrong light? Su-hyeun's thoughts grew deeper and deeper.

"Next, Mr. Kim Su-hyeun! Please come forward!"

The commotion died down, and Su-hyeun's name was called out. Su-hyeun stood up from his seat. As soon as his name was called, all eyes had gathered on him and their looks changed.

"Kim Su-hyeun?"

"That kid?"

"Really?"

Kim Su-hyeun.

The name that became the most famous over the past year. He had broken all the records from the first through the ninth floors in the Tower of Trials.

However, his ascending speed wasn't that high. Compared to the other awakeners, he was slow as a larva.

It's different for someone who challenged the Level 10 trials.

Level 10.

It was the highest difficulty level in the Tower of Trials, and it was known that the trials were almost impossible to complete. Just by clearing the trial alone was enough to garner interest on Kim Su-hyeun as an awakener. Moreover, the overwhelming achievement points recorded on each floor added to his appeal.

"That guy? Really…?"

Su-hyeun was young in Hak-joon's eyes. He recalled that strangely alienated feeling he had from Su-hyeun when they first met. That feeling was within reach.

Was he the Kim Su-hyeun that he knew?

It was understandable that he rejected his offer of challenging the Level 8 trial. It was not that it was too difficult, but rather, it was too easy.

It was not only Hak-joon.

The others locked their eyes on Su-hyeun's back, thinking that they could somehow finally uncover that mysterious veil and find out who the famous Kim Su-hyeun really was.

"Mr. Kim Su-hyeun, please place your hand on this board and inject your magic. It will evaluate your rank according to your magic level and factor."

Su-hyeun nodded.

What would the results be?

As expected, the examiner was a B-rank awakener as well. Although he had given up climbing the Tower of Trials, he knew the name Kim Su-hyeun through the grapevine.

It would be the same if one logged into Abyss Online now. There was a commotion on Abyss Online every time Kim Su-hyeun's name appeared on the ranking system. He had been waiting for Kim Su-hyeun to get his evaluation done.

"Please, inject your magic."

As soon as the examiner spoke, Su-hyeun placed his palm on the board.

And soon, his magic was injected.

Whirl, whirl—

Sizzle—

The board shook lightly, and a blue light flowed out.

Everyone's hearts started racing.

Those sensitive to magic focused on it, and those who were not as sensitive had their focus on the number appearing on the machine. After a while, Su-hyeun's magic level and factor appeared above the machine.

The examiner who verified it announced with a disappointed face.

"Level 3, Factor 29. Rank… C."

"Hmm…"

"Indeed."

"I had half-expected it."

Disappointed voices echoed throughout the place. There was no way such results would appear if it were the Kim Su-hyeun they had known.

Although a C-rank wasn't considered low, the Kim Su-hyeun who had broken all those records should have at least received a B-rank.

Although being ranked C after a year was quite a feat…

As he was looking closely at Su-hyeun, the examiner's face turned weird.

Is that not it?

Su-hyeun, who hadn't revealed his identity to the public, could not have been evaluated at such a public place — Su-hyeun could have applied for another way of evaluation just to hide his identity from the public.

Or it could be…

The examiner looked at Su-hyeun, who was returning to his seat, in suspicion.

He probably faked his magic level…

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Chapter 19: Chapter 19

The sudden thought got the examiner shaking his head.

Impossible. Even so, this is only Kim Su-hyeun's first year as an awakener.

It was possible to fake one's magic factor. One would just have to reduce the amount of magic that was injected. Still, it wasn't an easy feat. Aside from just having a high magic level and factor, a high level of control was needed just to change one's magic properties.

He could count with his fingers the number of people he knew who had that much control over magic. They were world-class awakeners.

The first man amongst all awakeners who entered the Tower of Trials and had survived until now had that level of magic control.

Even if he is a genius… it is impossible.

Moreover, what other reasons could there be for hiding his capabilities? The examiner found his thoughts to be overboard. He started clearing up the place after putting aside his interest in Su-hyeun.

Hak-joon found a black vehicle waiting for him after he exited the institution. It was an expensive foreign car, but it wasn't that expensive for a somewhat established awakener.

Whirl—

The backseat window was drawn down. The Ares Guild leader, Jung Dong-young, who was waiting in the backseat, spoke to Hak-joon.

"All done?"

"Yes."

Click—

Hak-joon opened the backseat door and hopped in next to Jung Dong-young. Jung Dong-young signaled the driver to get going.

"How did it go?"

"I got a B rank."

"Well done."

It was quite a satisfying outcome. Getting a B-rank just after a year of climbing the Tower of Trials was a rare achievement. B-rank awakeners were one of the top ranks now.

"What is the A rank's standard?"

Hak-joon's question contained his earnestness to achieve his next rank as soon as possible. Feeling happy, Jung Dong-young laughed and replied.

"Level 6 and above, factor 55 and above."

"Do I have to meet both requirements?"

"Of course. The institution is also paying attention to awakeners of A-rank and above. In fact, those who are above A-rank are the driving forces of this era."

"You're indirectly complimenting yourself. How great."

Jung Dong-young was one of the few A-rank awakeners in Korea.

Although it was almost the same as complimenting himself, his words weren't entirely wrong. In fact, the main leaders of each existing guild were all A-ranked awakeners.

"Besides that, I heard that there was an awakener called Kim Su-hyeun in the evaluation today?"

"Yes."

"I heard his ranking was bad. Was it someone else with the same name?" Even if the results were out, he seemed to be quite concerned. In fact, most guilds were eager to recruit the rookie awakener Kim Su-hyeun.

"I think so."

"Hmm… What are the chances of him faking his magic level?"

"You know that can't happen, right?"

It was nearly impossible, even for Jung Dong-young, to have that level of magic control. Regardless of if he were a genius, it wasn't something that Kim Su-hyeun, who was just in his first year, could do.

Still, Jung Dong-young smacked his lips at the thought of it being fishy.

Compared to Hak-joon, Kim Su-hyeun, who had broken each floor's records, was more talented.

Where is this kid and what is he doing?

Not receiving his evaluation until now would mean that the possibility of him not receiving his re-evaluation was higher.

Jung Dong-young thought that Kim Su-hyeun might just be a child from a well-off family.

C-rank should be enough.

Su-hyeun picked up his bag and checked his new awakener's registration card. The letter C that was clearly printed on the card was evidence enough. This card was required before entering public dungeons.

Well, I could get caught sooner or later…

Although he felt guilty for faking his magic level, he could not freely reveal his identity either. He hated the fact that so many people were focused on him. Furthermore, the institute's eyes were on him, too.

When I officially obtain my rank evaluation, it would be to do it after I have obtained the S-rank.

It wasn't time for him to step into the limelight yet. Hence, he chose not to undergo a confidential evaluation either. Regardless of confidentiality, as long as one had to receive an evaluation, the institute would still find out about it.

I can just make up for faking the magic level next time.

It wasn't tough to change his magic attributes. There might have been no other awakeners in the guilds with better magic control than Su-hyeun.

No, it wasn't only that. Even in the future, there were no other awakeners with better magic control than Su-hyeun. In terms of magic control, Su-hyeun was too remarkable for any awakener to follow.

Deceiving magic attributes? So long as it was not increasing his magic level, it was as natural as breathing to Su-hyeun.

There will be some nagging when I return home, right???

He had heard from Shin Su-yeong to return home quickly countless of times. Since he was so stubborn, it was evident that he would be nagged at.

"Nagging isn't the problem…"

He checked the date on his smartphone and let out a small sigh. December 29, 2019.

The year 2020, which he had hoped would not arrive, was coming near.

Shin Su-yeong did not flare up as much as Su-hyeun had expected. Although she did express that she was upset about him not being around for so long, it wasn't something to be angry about. She seemed to be happier to see Su-hyeun after so long than to be angry about it.

Su-hyeun logged onto Abyss Online after spending a whole day with Shin Su-yeong. He didn't usually have anything to do on his computer; thus, he hadn't really gone online.

Damn this old computer. I should have it changed soon.

This annoyingly sluggish computer was testing his patience. Suddenly, he felt lucky to have gotten his awakener registration card.

After this, I should be able to rent a place of my own.

He just had to endure this frustration until then.

After he had logged into Abyss Online, Su-hyeun looked up "Ares Guild." Quite a few articles appeared in the search results. It wasn't a huge guild, as Su-hyeun had expected, but it was on the larger side.

Wait, aren't they famous for being quite a large guild?

It wasn't just how large Ares Guild was that got them famous.

"Guild leader Jung Dong-young. Former gang member. Fistfighter that suppressed all of Gyeonggi Province, except for Seoul."

Jung Dong-young had an impressive portfolio. Apparently, he lent his fists to loan sharks and even touched on human trafficking, as well as private loans and ring payments.

It was revealed that the guild was training its own awakeners, and it was gaining higher profits than before. Although they knew he was running a cleaner business than before, those who knew Jung Dong-young said that he still hadn't cleaned his filthy hands yet.

But it seems that he still has some skills.

No matter how great a gangster he was previously, Jung Dong-young could never make a name for himself amongst awakeners as a fistfighter. Besides being known as a fistfighter, he was also a great awakener. There weren't many A-rank awakeners in this era.

"Hmm…"

In the end, the Ares Guild that Hak-joon belonged to wasn't a good guild. Even though all awakeners in the guild weren't corrupt, there was no way the subordinates would be competent if the higher-ups weren't scandal-free.

The conflict between Choi Hak-joon and Ares Guild… Just what kind of connection is there between them?

There was no way of knowing now. Su-hyeun stuck out his chin and started reading the past trending articles on Abyss Online. Su-hyeun didn't have much knowledge of issues that had happened before 2020.

Most of these are crap.

Most of the articles until now were about specific large scale guilds, celebrities' awakenings, and politics and laws about the awakeners. He had no interest.

Compared to what would be happening not too long from now, these were just minor issues for pure entertainment. Su-hyeun briefly read through and remembered the comments circulating on Abyss Online. Amongst them…

[January 1. We're gathering C-rank and above awakeners for a new dungeon attack that appeared in Gwangju, Gyeonggi Province. It is an orange level dungeon. For more details…]

There it was.

Su-hyeun's eyes lit up slightly at the post.

"January 1, 2020."

The part of the future that he had to change.

The beginning was right in front of him.

Act 10

Gwangju, Gyeonggi Province.

It was around a week ago when a dungeon had appeared on Yakshi Mountain, just a short distance away from City Hall. Its difficulty level, orange, was second to last on the easy side of the scale, with the easiest being red.

Lee Ju-ho, who was head of the Dungeon attack and a B-rank awakener, sat down and laid across a table in the cafe.

"Why aren't there more people applying…"

"It's the year-end. On top of that, the frequency of dungeons appearing recently has increased rapidly."

The man who sat across him, Kim Ba-reum, was Lee Ju-ho's co-leader of the dungeon attack and also his long-time friend. They needed at least seven awakeners in a team but had only gathered six, including both of them.

"Damn it. It's getting tougher now, too. As dungeons keep appearing, the price of Ether is getting lower and people aren't gathering as much."

"What do you mean by getting tougher? Even if the prices fall, you could still make a few hundred million won out of them."

Kim Ba-reum waved his hand as if telling his friend to not be funny. Lee Ju-ho grinned and picked up his half-emptied Americano, knowing that his own words were silly.

"But the things that happened recently have been quite weird. Aside from the increasing number of dungeons appearing, the number of deaths is also increasing during dungeon attacks."

"Since when was there no awakener who overestimated themselves and died during dungeon attacks? The death count would increase as much as the numbers of amateurs increase."

"Is that so?"

"Are you sure you didn't mishear that it's actually the Tower of Trials' death count that is increasing? If it's so, there's no need to worry."

Lee Ju-ho did not pay much attention to Kim Ba-reum's words.

In the first place, his job as an awakener warranted high risks as well as high returns. Of course, there weren't as many deaths from dungeon attacks up until now. Amongst awakeners' accidental deaths, almost 99 percent had happened in the Tower of Trials.

Because of that, those awakeners who were guaranteed a certain level of safety had given up on climbing the tower.

It was so foolish of them.

Lee Ju-ho was a B-rank awakener. When Lee Ju-ho first started climbing the tower, he had aimed precisely for a B-rank status. Even if a B-rank awakener joined a dungeon attack, the allocated rewards were different. In fact, being a B-rank awakener in this industry was quite a success.

The money he had earned over the past year had led him to live a decent life where he could afford expensive foreign cars and lavish apartments.

Why do people foolishly stake their lives to climb the tower?

Lee Ju-ho had thought that his life from now on would be smooth sailing.

Ding—

Just then, Lee Ju-ho's smartphone rang. Who had contacted him? He checked his phone. He quickly sat up while still checking the message.

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Chapter 20: Chapter 20

"He's here!"

"Really? Now?"

"Yeah. He's a C-rank awakener."

"Are you sure he's not just phishing information? You uploaded that post on Abyss Online."

"It couldn't be. I definitely said those who contacted needlessly would be sued."

"Well, if that's the case…"

No one would probably play a prank like this with the risk of getting sued. It meant that they had really found the last member of the team.

"What's his name?"

"It's special. You should have heard of it too."

"Who is it?"

"Kim Su-hyeun."

"Kim Su-hyeun? Really?"

Any awakener would have known of the name. Kim Su-hyeun was the rookie who had been breaking records starting from the lower floors. The other reason why he got famous was also that he was a hidden figure without any rank.

"No, that can't be him. He's still a C-rank. If he's as good as the rumors say, he should be at least a B-rank."

"True. So two of the same name?"

"Probably?"

"He doesn't belong to any guild?"

"Yeah, he doesn't belong to any. There's not much information on his profile either."

While typing on his smartphone to reply to the other party, Lee Ju-ho said, "This guy is just right."

It was the new year. The year 2020.

Su-hyeun's feeling this morning was very different from yesterday's. Impossible as it was, he had hoped for this day to not arrive.

"I'll be back."

In the wee hours of the morning, Su-hyeun had his breakfast and finished his preparations. As if Shin Su-yeong wasn't scheduled to work for the day, she yawned and returned to her room after preparing breakfast for Su-hyeun.

"Are you coming back late?"

"Maybe."

"Give me a call if you're staying out late."

There weren't many times when Su-hyeun returned early in the past year. He came back even later than Shin Su-yeong, who always returned home late after work.

"Okay. I'll drop a text."

Su-hyeun said those words and left the house. In fact, he, too, had no idea how long it would take this time.

Su-hyeun took the subway and bus. He finally arrived in front of Gwangju's City Hall in Gyeonggi Province. Su-hyeun fished out his phone and dialed a number. Then, a group of people who gathered on one side of the City Hall waved towards him.

"Over here."

There were a total of six people waving at him. They were the team of awakeners who Su-hyeun would be entering the orange dungeon with.

"Are you Kim Su-hyeun?"

"Yes, it's nice to meet you."

"Yes, it's nice to have met you. I'm Lee Ju-ho. Over here…"

Lee Ju-ho introduced the others who were on the team. It seemed that both Lee Ju-ho and Kim Ba-reum knew each other, and the others joined them for the first time at the dungeon.

"Are you possibly that Kim Su-hyeun…"

A female C-rank awakener, Lee Eun-mi, looked at Su-hyeun with sparkly eyes. Indeed, the name Kim Su-hyeun had always brought about huge interest.

It wasn't only her. The others — seemingly with the same thoughts — pricked up their ears, curious to hear Su-hyeun's answer.

But that answer was filled in not by Su-hyeun, but Lee Ju-ho.

"Aye, he shouldn't be. Kim Su-hyeun here had recently received his C-rank evaluation not long ago."

"Ah, so…"

"Aha."

Their faces were saying "Of course."

Su-hyeun laughed lightly at their reactions. He felt lucky that they understood immediately, and he did not have to come up with excuses every time.

"You've requested for the dungeon attack party with the institute, right?"

"Yes. I did it yesterday."

"What is your position? Please give an introduction of which skills or weapons you usually use."

"I usually use the sword and my auxiliary weapon is the spear. I don't have any items yet, so the sword I borrowed from the institute is all I have."

A Property of Dimension Order Form was needed to bring items from the Tower of Trials into reality. It was tough for awakeners below rank B to obtain the order form, as a substantial amount of achievement points was required as payment. Thus, Su-hyeun could only use the sword which he had loaned from the institute for now. Although it was a considerable amount to rent, if he joined in on one dungeon attack, he would receive enough to pay for it.

"If this is your first time at a dungeon attack, you might be slightly confused. I will explain to you more about dungeons on the way there."

"Thank you."

As they started heading to the dungeon, Lee Ju-ho shared various stories with Su-hyeun. Most were tips related to dungeon attacks, but amongst them, quite a few portions were mixed with foolish advice — it seemed as though an elementary student was teaching a college professor. Su-hyeun only felt frustration throughout the explanation.

They hopped on two vehicles that were prepared for them and arrived near the Yashi Mountain, where the dungeon appeared. The dungeon's entrance was a cave with a glaring orange light. A few supervisors were on call at the entrance of the dungeon, where it was marked with an off-limits sign. Lee Ju-ho approached them as the party's leader and started with the procedures. Several conditions had to be met to enter a public dungeon, and the appropriate procedures were laid out.

Kim Ye-eun, a short-haired female, walked towards Su-hyeun and said, "Surprisingly, you don't seem to be nervous."

She seemed to be around Su-hyeun's age and despite not wearing any makeup, it was clear she had a fair-toned and pretty looking face. Although the average age of awakeners wasn't that high, they were still quite young.

Su-hyeun replied in a low whisper to her as she approached. "I'm actually quite nervous."

"Really? It doesn't seem like it at all."

"It doesn't usually show on my face."

"Really? We're quite similar. I'm quite nervous, too." Ye-eun shuddered quite a bit after those words.

"Why are you so nervous?" Su-hyeun asked. "Is this also your first dungeon attack or…"

"No, it's not like that."

"Then what is it?"

"Actually, those people make me feel a little uncomfortable," Ye-eun said, pointing to Lee Ju-ho and the other members of the party.

Su-hyeun narrowed his eyes at Ye-eun's answer.

"How so? Did those people turn you into an outcast or something?"

"It's not that, but…"

Ye-eun shook her head.

"Nothing, it's just a feeling."

"Hmm…"

Su-hyeun nodded his head at Ye-eun's reply, seemingly to understand her point of view. Delighted, Ye-eun patted his shoulder lightly.

"Indeed, we have the same thoughts, right?"

"Ah, just a little…" Su-hyeun's words trailed off. There was no other reason to continue, but there was one thing that he was sure of.

It wasn't just an ordinary accident. There was a disaster that is supposed to happen here.

As he looked at the glaring orange dungeon entrance, Su-hyeun couldn't help but give a suspicious look.

There were definitely six reported deaths from that dungeon.

There was a minimum requirement of seven members in a party to enter the dungeon. The reason why the dungeon was the talk of the town was that nearly all members of the party had died.

But still, there was a point of doubt there. Seven members entered the dungeon, but only six were reported dead.

The bodies had been damaged… someone who would not reveal the truth… were they killed by a monster or…

It could have been a planned attack. There was no way of knowing what had happened at this place. Su-hyeun had no intentions of finding out either. Even so, it wasn't his role to just leave the dungeon alone either.

I'm treating this as a new year's present. The dungeon is too big.

The first start to the year 2020.

As everyone got excited about the new year's arrival, lives were ended, bodies crouched in the dungeon without anyone's knowledge.

The dungeon's difficulty level was measured using colors ranging from red to purple. There were a total of seven levels.

The lowest level was the red color, and the highest level was the purple color. As the color got closer to purple, the dungeon's difficulty got higher.

But at this period in time, dungeons with blue-colored difficulty and higher rarely appeared here. To Su-hyeun's knowledge, the highest difficulty, the purple dungeon, had only appeared once.

Fafnir.

The monster that was brought from the end of human history — it was the dungeon where Fafnir appeared.

But an orange level dungeon isn't that low a difficulty at this time either.

Su-hyeun looked around the dungeon's surroundings as he stepped in. The dungeon's entrance actually also acted as a door to another dimension. There was no rule that the cave where the dungeon's entrance appeared also determined that the dungeon itself was a cave. Perhaps it was coincidental, or for other reasons, that the entrance of the dungeon assumed that of a cave.

Of course, the inside of the dungeon was a lot more spacious than the original cave.

"It's quite chilly and cold in here."

The rest nodded at Kim Ye-eun's comment. Although it was a step apart, inside the dungeon was an entirely different dimension from reality.

Chilly weather was similar to the start of the winter season. Although the awakeners did not feel extremely cold, it was the atmosphere within the dungeon that made their skin more sensitive to their surroundings.

"Let's head inside first. I'll take the lead from here."

Lee Ju-ho started walking in front. Amongst all seven members of the party, Lee Ju-ho was the only B-rank awakener. As one B-rank awakener had the power that was equivalent to five or six C-rank awakeners, it didn't come off as suspicious that he should lead the party.

Lee Ju-ho, Kim Ba-reum.

Su-hyeun locked his eyes on both of them.

Surprisingly, the possibility of either them being the instigator is low.

Considering the relationship amongst all the members here, only the two of them were the closest. If one of the awakeners were murdered, it would be natural to be suspicious of Lee Ju-ho, who was the highest-ranked awakener amongst them.

Then could it be a monster's work? Or could it be that corpse had just disappeared?

The possibilities of either suspicion were valid. Since there were no leads in this case, Su-hyeun had to openly consider all the possibilities that he could come up with.

Su-hyeun carefully observed each and every member from all sides while following the group from behind. Then, Lee Ju-ho suddenly stopped in his tracks.

"Please stop for a moment."

Step—

As per Lee Ju-ho's orders, all members came to a stop behind him. He had sensed something unusual right over the corner just ahead. Lee Ju-ho carefully walked over and stood beside it.

Lee Ju-ho peeked over the corner slightly and looked back at the members with widened eyes.

"What is it?" Lee Eun-mi, with the most impatient personality, asked. Lee Ju-ho bit his lips lightly and answered.

"…I think that something must have gone wrong here."

"What do you mean?"

"Those guys…"

Lee Ju-ho pointed to the monsters that were just around the corner and replied.

"They aren't the usual monsters that should appear near the entrance of the dungeon."

Lee Ju-ho's low voice trembled. Su-hyeun looked at Lee Ju-ho. He was the highest-ranked awakener there. He should have met lots of other monsters of that level and should have known very well about the dungeon's characteristics.

He must have noticed something strange, too.

The dungeon wasn't normal; it was a dungeon that evolved day by day. Su-hyeun was already aware that it wasn't an ordinary orange dungeon. The same went for Lee Ju-ho. Besides Su-hyeun, he was the most veteran amongst everyone else.

An evolving dungeon. Instead of being an orange dungeon, it should be a yellow level dungeon by now.

Lee Ju-ho, too, could vaguely sense this fact. Although he might not have been as confident as Su-hyeun, he stood at a crossroad, finding it difficult to make a quick decision.

If so, then…

What kind of reactions will those who are present here make?

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Chapter 21: Chapter 21

It would have been a difficult situation for anyone, but it was even more so for Lee Ju-ho, who had verified their identities with his own eyes.

Lee Ju-ho started his explanation.

"Lizardcops. A one-eyed lizard type monster with a size of over two meters. Aside from its muscular build, it is very agile and uses a particular type of magic. It's quite a tricky monster."

"How many of them?"

"There are five of them."

"Isn't that number manageable?" Kim Ye-eun asked, wondering what the problem was. She suggested that Lee Ju-ho was such a skilled awakener that the Lizardcops shouldn't be much of a problem for him to deal with. The others started to agree with Kim Ye-eun's words. Amongst them, the one with the most confidence was Ahn Min-seok.

"If it's Lizardcops, I have hunted them in a previous dungeon. Handling five shouldn't be tough." He spoke confidently, hitting his chest to imply that he wouldn't mind taking the lead. With an experienced awakener standing out, anxiety was lifted from everyone's faces.

However…

"I know that in normal dungeons, the stronger monsters usually appear much deeper, and only as we get nearer to the boss monster," Su-hyeun, who had been staying silent, said. He had everyone's full attention. "Handling five Lizardcops wouldn't be a problem now, but the number would continue to increase, or higher-level monsters would appear later on."

The team seemed surprised at Su-hyeun, who had said that it was his first time joining a dungeon attack. Ahn Min-seok, who had the most experience in dungeon attacks, asked, "That is the nature of some dungeons. Aren't there some dungeons where their difficulty level does not change even if we go deeper in?"

"If you focus on thinking about the best and not the worst as you progress…" Su-hyeun replied, not only just to Ahn Min-seok, but also to the other members, "…you probably would not live for long."

It was a lesson that Su-hyeun learned from living as an awakener all this time. They weren't just empty words, but something that he realized from his past experiences.

As he said, there were many types of dungeons. Some had only one boss, while some had a slight change in difficulty after exploring deeper into the dungeon. Some dungeons took the style of the Tower of Trials, giving special missions. One could only be called a skilled awakener if he remembered the various dungeons' characteristics and was able to deal with them in the right situations.

Their basics aren't up to standard.

In this regard, most of them, except Lee Ju-ho, seemed to care less about the situation at hand.

Maybe… it's due to the significantly low death counts at dungeon attacks during this period.

He understood — most awakeners' deaths that were being reported happened in the Tower of Trials. Most people had probably thought that dungeon attacks weren't that dangerous. It was the same for Lee Ju-ho. His gaze seemed to indicate that he had no intention to give up on the dungeon attack.

It seemed that he was just surprised at the unexpected situation. Lee Ju-ho soon put on his composed expression.

It's hopeless.

Though Su-hyeun knew that they would not turn back, it was a pity. If only they were a tad more cautious and had presumed not the best, but the worst…

Humans always become more self-aware after an accident has happened.

"…Su-hyeun, didn't you say that this is your first dungeon attack?" Lee Eun-mi asked, feeling slightly offended.

Su-hyeun chuckled at her question and replied, "Well, that's what I had heard from others. Shouldn't I gather more of such information since it's my first?"

"It's all just theories! What do you know?"

"Stop, stop." Lee Ju-ho stopped Lee Eun-mi from raising her voice at Su-hyeun. "Do you think it's good to get into a fight amongst ourselves before the actual battle? Furthermore, I think this dungeon's difficulty could increase, so let's not do this from the start."

After the party's leader said those words, Lee Eun-mi could not do anything else to Su-hyeun. However, she still felt hurt, and her eyes continued to linger on Su-hyeun.

"Let's see if you're as capable as you speak," she spat. She seemed to fiercely hold onto grudges. She was also quite fierce tempered, seeing that she didn't give up even after her previous words.

"Yes. Have a good look"

"Why, you!"

It seemed like Su-hyeun had no further intentions to continue the argument. Su-hyeun, who had intentionally provoked her, contemplated slightly and looked at the others.

It seems like they won't stop here…

Lee Eun-mi, Ahn Min-seok, and Kim Ye-eun. Lee Ju-ho and Kim Ba-reun… and the last guy who hadn't spoken a word up until now.

The ones who had expressed the most opinions on this dungeon attack were Lee Eun-mi and Ahn Min-seok.

The possibility of Lee Ju-ho being the catalyst had just lowered.

Though there was the possibility of it being purely an accident or an unintentional murder, Su-hyeun was more focused on finding the culprit who planned the killing.

Su-hyeun had always presumed the worst over the best. It would be a mistake if the person who had assumed the worst had only prepared for the best.

Indeed, the most suspicious person…

"I will lead the party then." Lee Ju-ho walked in front as he spoke. The dungeon attack had officially started.

There's no time for him to be immersed in his thoughts. Su-hyeun nodded his head and followed behind Lee Ju-ho.

I'm a C-rank now.

He was confused by his identity for a while. A C-rank awakener. A magic level of three, and a magic factor of 29. Su-hyeun was now known as an awakener of that standard.

If it's that standard…

Schwing—

Su-hyeun thought for a while as he pulled out the sword — which was mixed with Ether stones — that he had borrowed from the institute.

It'll be quite sufficient.

Lee Ju-ho felt anxious from the start.

Five Lizardcops. They would be tricky for C-rank awakeners. They had to be on their toes when facing them.

Lee Ju-ho had been startled at the sight of the Lizardcops after they first entered the dungeon, but that was not the end of his problems. The other members who joined the dungeon attack turned out to be a huge liability. Besides the fact that he had not verified their capabilities, their teamwork was rocky from the start.

Especially this guy.

Lee Ju-ho slightly glanced back at Su-hyeun, who was following right behind him.

It would be great if he were half as capable as the real Kim Su-hyeun…

He could only be anxious since it was his first dungeon attack with this group. Though he had accepted Su-hyeun just to fill up the positions, Lee Ju-ho realized the situation had just become tougher.

"Once I give the signal, Ahn Min-seok and Kim Su-hyeun will attack together. The remaining four will provide support from behind, and from there, Eun-mi and Ba-reun will move closer when they get the chance."

A perfect order. He seemed to have quite a substantial amount of experience in dungeon attacks. Su-hyeun, too, was fully aware of how to manage attacks at situations like this.

"So…"

Lee Ju-ho turned around the corner and shouted.

"Let's go!"

Creak—!

Lee Ju-ho was first to charge towards the Lizardcop, which was waiting around the corner. He pulled out a long sword and increased his speed by using magic. As a B-rank awakener, he used the skill Swift to distract the Lizardcops.

Pop, pop pop—

Rip—

Lee Ju-ho's long sword made a cut through the Lizardcop's stomach.

Step, step—

Soon after, Lee Ju-ho went between the remaining Lizardcops. The Lizardcops released their long, sharp nails and swung, attacking Lee Ju-ho.

Whip—

The Lizardcop's tail brushed past in front of his eyes. Lee Ju-ho's eyes widened at the attack that scratched his nose.

These guys… their movements…

They were more agile than he had known.

The flustered Lee Ju-ho hurriedly distanced himself from the Lizardcops, but the five Lizardcops followed Lee Ju-ho closely, as if angered by the human who had suddenly attacked them.

"Su-hyeun, Min-seok, you must be careful…" Lee Ju-ho turned to warn the other two men who were at the front lines attacking the Lizardcops with him.

But…

Oh?

He could not see Su-hyeun.

Where did he go?

As Lee Ju-ho was looking around for Su-hyeun.

Whack—

A new form fell quickly from the sky and dived on the backs of the Lizardcops. The flash of a sword coincided with the Lizardcops' screams.

Rip—

Su-hyeun's new form quickly moved between the Lizardcops as he pursued them in a flash. He stepped on the sudden swerve of the Lizardcops tail, leaped twice in the air, and slashed the Lizardcop's eye with his sword.

Keeeek—!

He was fast.

No, not just fast.

He was elaborate and accurate. He made no unnecessary movements and without even using any special skills, Su-hyeun tackled the Lizardcops alone.

Did I… misunderstand something?

A new C-rank awakener.

A rookie at dungeon attacks.

That was the Kim Su-hyeun that Lee Ju-ho knew.

Keeeeek—

Su-hyeun's sword poked the Lizardcop's eye. The Lizardcop, which lost its only eye, screamed while covering its face with both hands.

Whish—

At the same time, a thick tail flew towards Su-hyeun. He had already known that it would do this, so Su-hyeun leaped into the air and scanned the whole situation.

For now, I've cut its sight.

There was one important thing to remember when dealing with Lizardcops, and that was to target its one and only eye. This was the only weakness of the Lizardcop. Compared to its other abilities, its sight was narrow and lacking.

Of course, losing just its sight alone would not totally incapacitate the beast, as it still had its other keen senses. Still, losing its sight had primarily affected its fighting power.

Whip—

Su-hyeun leaped in the air and circled above. He couldn't use skills like Flame because it was a skill that required a magic level of four.

Now, Su-hyeun could only make use of properties with a magic level of three. The same went for his magic factor, which could only be used up to a specific limit.

Luckily, it was enough to handle five Lizardcops.

A total of three Lizardcops with normal sight.

Su-hyeun stepped firmly on the cave's wall and charged towards the Lizardcops.

I'll finish them off swiftly.

A sharp sensation swept through his's body. The three Lizardcops were already focused on Su-hyeun. The distance between them was narrowed in an instant. The Lizardcop's tail made a rough swishing sound and pounded on Su-hyeun's face hard.

Boom—

Su-hyeun's new form used Leap to narrow the distance, and appeared before them after getting past their tails.

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Chapter 22: Chapter 22

Woong—

Magic pooled at the tip of the sword. At the same time, Su-hyeun's sword stabbed into the Lizardcop's eyes. Su-hyeun avoided the Lizardcop's nails while letting go of a scream. He drew his body in, sliding amongst their legs.

Creak—

There was a Lizardcop standing at the back.

Su-hyeun's new form that had slid along the ground disappeared from that same position.

The Lizardcop lost track of Su-hyeun's movement, turned its head around, and found him soon after. It was looking in the wrong direction right from the start.

Su-hyeun wasn't situated left nor right, nor was he under it, but just right above.

Kyaaa—!

Su-hyeun's sword penetrated both the Lizardcop's eye and head. The once screaming Lizardcop had started to go on a rampage, but Su-hyeun did not let go of his sword.

Crack—

Su-hyeun wrapped his other arm around the Lizardcop's neck and strangled it. The Lizardcop shook its body harder to resist the force.

[You used the skill Berserk.]

It was a skill that maximized one's physical abilities depending on one's fatigue, health, and blood loss which Su-hyeun obtained back when he fought the second floor's boss, the Shayres' chief.

For a long time, Su-hyeun had been working hard to increase his proficiency with this skill. As a result, though there might have been a slight loss in proficiency, Su-hyeun could now activate the skill at any time.

[Your Strength has been increased partially.]

[Your Agility has increased partially.]

[Your Health has been lost partially.]

Su-hyeun used all of his available strength to strangle the Lizardcop. After being stabbed in its eye and head, the strangled Lizardcop's body stiffened.

The result might have been different if it was unharmed, but since its head was punctured, it didn't have much strength.

Flop—

After Su-hyeun let go, the Lizardcop's body fell to the ground.

The others looked blankly at Su-hyeun, who flushed slightly at their stares.

"What are you doing?"

Su-hyeun looked at the party's leader, Lee Ju-ho, and spoke.

"Not dealing with the others."

One Lizardcop died but the remaining four Lizardcops each lost their only eye and vision.

Moreover, in a situation where his power was predominate, everything had been well set up. The battle against the Lizardcops ended quickly.

As the battle ended, Lee Ju-ho verified if there were any casualties. Indeed, there were none.

"You fought better than I had expected," Lee Ju-ho said as he approached Su-hyeun.

Su-hyeun was getting rid of the blood on his sword after the battle.

"Is that a compliment? Thank you, I guess."

"Are you possibly the Kim Su-hyeun everyone is talking about?" Even if he knew that the possibility was low, all he could do now was clarify. The abilities which he had showcased earlier were unbelievable, much like the acclaimed Kim Su-hyeun.

"Just think of me as an awakener who fights relatively well."

"Mm…"

What an ambiguous reply.

But it was obviously not positive. Lee Ju-ho had thought that Su-hyeun probably thought it rude to be asked such a question.

Well, there was nothing much to the skills that he had used earlier.

Lee Ju-ho was an awakener with a magic level of four. He could at least sense that the magic properties which Su-hyeun had were not of the same standards as he had.

Regardless of how well Su-hyeun was as a fighter, it was impossible for him as a C-rank awakener to change his ranking.

It was an unnecessary suspicion. Lee Ju-ho thought of it that way and shook his head. Anyway, he was glad to see that Su-hyeun had fought well up until now.

"If you have the chance, do take a special rank evaluation. According to your standards, there shouldn't be a problem for you to obtain a B-rank."

A special rank evaluation does not take into account one's magic level or factor but instead looks upon one's stats and combat sense and other attributes to proceed with the assessment. It was the type of evaluation that rarely took place as it was cumbersome and also rare for an awakener to be that capable, exceeding his magic level.

But Lee Ju-ho thought that Su-hyeun had better capabilities compared to his magic level and factor.

The abilities he showed earlier were definitely higher than a C-rank awakener.

At the same time, when Lee Ju-ho was flustered at how strong the Lizardcops were, he was also able to verify his team member's abilities personally. He was relieved that his ally had such extraordinary abilities, though it might not have been the same if he were an enemy.

"Thank you for saying that. I will definitely consider it after completing this dungeon attack."

Su-hyeun looked around after replying Lee Ju-ho. Ever since he showcased his abilities, Su-hyeun was always observing his team member's facial expressions. He wanted to find out who else felt hostility for the fact that there was a member who had outstanding skills.

I might sort of know who it was…

After gathering after himself, Su-hyeun turned and followed the party from behind.

When will he show his true self?

The monsters that appeared subsequently were of similar standards as the Lizardcops. Still, the others knew that Lee Ju-ho was stronger than the monsters, so they weren't too big a deal.

Above all, Su-hyeun's performance had exceeded expectations. Su-hyeun continued with a similar performance as the B-rank awakener Lee Ju-ho.

"This dungeon attack should be smooth sailing if it continues on like this."

"Yeah. As compared to when we first entered, the difficulty has not increased. Rather, the monsters that appeared subsequently were about the same as the Lizardcops."

They had let their guards down. Lee Ju-ho, too, had no longer felt threatened nor any danger as compared to the start.

Kim Ye-eun was stuck closely to Su-hyeun.

"Did you know?"

"What is there to now?" Su-hyeun felt uncomfortable with Kim Ye-eun sticking around him and trying to engage in a conversation with him. It was annoying, and the topics were mostly about his personal life.

"Aren't you acting a little uncomfortable?"

"Because you're always asking about things that are difficult to answer."

"I want to give you a piece of good information. Don't you want it?"

Good information? Su-hyeun shut his mouth, contemplating whether or not to listen to it. According to his experience up until now, she would continue to speak from here.

And sure enough…

"You know, those two people there."

Her eyes darted quickly to Lee Ju-ho and Kim Ba-reun, who were both leading the team in the front.

"I dug up some information about them before; they have quite a bad reputation."

"What do you mean by that?"

"There were a lot of problems when they were dividing the resources after dungeon attacks. They either divide resources unfairly to their team members or would request for more resources by coming up with excuses using the accidents which happened in the dungeon."

Su-hyeun seemed to have understood where she was coming from. For someone who had experienced dungeon attacks for quite a while, it would be common for him to have done this if he is obsessed with money. They would argue on the distribution of the Ether stones. If some disagreed, they would use violence on them. Such awakeners would never have accepted others stronger than themselves.

"I'll remember that," Su-hyeun answered.

Kim Ye-eun gave a curious look at Su-hyeun, who did not respond much to such a sensitive story.

In fact, it was not something that Su-hyeun was interested in.

What else is there to know?

There were tons of people like them with such evil character. The real dangerous ones were those who created accidents just to reduce the number of resources that would be divided amongst the group.

According to Kim Ye-eun's words, at least Lee Ju-ho wasn't that bad. But of course, he wasn't so nice to be entirely cleared of that possibility either.

Although they had entered quite deep into the dungeon, there weren't any more monsters that appeared. The scale of the dungeon was more extensive than expected. It seemed that there was no end to it even after having walked for hours.

The dungeon is getting wider.

The dungeon got bigger as they explored further in. The dungeon was initially 20 meters wide but had now grown five times larger.

There should be a valid reason for the interior of the dungeon to have grown by this much…

"There — isn't that a door over there?" Ahn Min-seok narrowed his eyes and squinted into the distance.

A huge door was located at the end of this dungeon. The thick and dark-colored door seemed to be the entrance to another dungeon.

"A door? In this kind of place?"

It was the type of door that even the most experienced Lee Ju-ho had never seen before.

Although he had entered dungeons similar to this one various times, he had never even heard of one that had an artificial iron door in it.

"What shall we do?" The same anxiousness that he had felt when they first entered the dungeon returned.

Ahn Min-seok hit his chest hard at Lee Ju-ho's question. "What do you mean? We should obviously enter. What difference does a door make?"

"That's right. This door might be the end of this dungeon, too. It's ridiculous to turn back now."

Most of the responses were in agreement. Su-hyeun watched them silently.

Lee Ju-ho turned the question to Su-hyeun.

"Mr. Su-hyeun, what do you think?"

"I was hoping to turn back…"

Was it an unexpected answer?

The others' expressions stiffened at Su-hyeun's words. Su-hyeun then changed his words slightly. "But if everyone is in agreement, I'll follow as well."

"Phew."

"Ha."

A thankful sigh of relief.

With this, everyone was in agreement. Although Lee Ju-ho was conflicted, eventually, he had no thoughts to turn back. Lee Ju-ho grabbed the doorknob as he nodded his head.

"Then, I'll open it now."

Creak—

As he pushed forward, the heavy iron door opened. Lee Ju-ho took the lead, and each of the members entered into the dark.

Behind the door was a vast and spacious cave. Su-hyeun's eyes narrowed as he looked around the dimly lit place.

It might be here…

The others might have thought that this was the end of the dungeon, but Su-hyeun thought otherwise.

Not the end, but the start of the real dungeon attack.

The amount of magic felt in the dungeon from earlier was different. The others probably had felt the same, as they started talking with anxiety in their voices.

[Welcome into the dungeon.]

[The trial will start from this moment on.]

Suddenly, a message appeared not only in Su-hyeun's but also in everyone's minds.

Creak—

Boom—!

The door behind them closed tightly with a massive sound.

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Chapter 23: Chapter 23

Act 1

"W-what?"

"The door…"

"Damn it, it won't open!"

Bam bam—!

Even Ahn Min-seok, who was at the back of the party, knocked hard on the door. No matter how hard he swung his magic-filled fist, the door did not budge. Everyone's expressions were flustered at the thought of being locked in.

Su-hyeun, who had no intention of getting out, observed the surroundings quietly. With this vast space, the possibilities of various missions could be endless.

Maybe we won't be allowed to leave until we clear this trial.

He had gone through these types of missions. They would only appear in dungeons above the yellow level.

Similarly to the Tower of Trials, only when the mission was cleared could the team proceed with their dungeon attack.

What the team had gone through up until now couldn't be counted as the dungeon at all. It was merely the dungeon's entrance, also known as a warm-up stage.

"A trial out of nowhere… What is this…" Even Lee Ju-ho was taken aback.

And unlike before, they were another level of flustered.

A dungeon that gave missions. Lee Ju-ho had heard of dungeons like these, too, but the main problem was that the dungeon was of a higher level, too difficult for them to handle with their own strengths.

Something must have gone wrong.

Just then, a bell rang in everyone's mind.

[The trial begins now.]

[All of you have been locked in here. To escape, you will have to choose one of two ways.]

[First, survive this trial. A group of monsters will attack you every 30 minutes. You can escape if you successfully defend 10 attacks in total.]

[Second, use the key to get through the door opposite this room. A horde of monsters will come out from there. Escape from them first. Your safety will not be guaranteed.]

[The trial will begin in 10 seconds.]

The trial had been explained quite thoroughly. It was a mission that was often given in the Tower of Trials. Although it did not have the same scenarios as the ones Su-hyeun had encountered, the rules were simple enough for this trial.

But of course…

The trial itself might not be that easy.

A total of 10 attacks.

Perhaps the attacks would become stronger each wave. The minimum standard would be the ones that they had encountered earlier.

The monsters we've met until now… could have been some sort of warning.

The dungeons weren't made at random. Except for the lowest red dungeons, most dungeons were made with a fixed frame, similar structure, or even a trap.

Su-hyeun accepted that the monsters they met outside were a warning — if he couldn't take those on, he would not have the right to take on the dungeon's trial.

Of course, hunting down the monsters and clearing the trial were two different matters.

Door.

Su-hyeun checked the opposite door, which the system had mentioned.

What could be behind that door…

The second choice.

Open the door opposite, and escape from the horde of monsters that would come from there. Compared to the first choice, it was a choice that could never be considered safe.

"Now, now, what should we do?" Lee Eun-mi asked with an anxious look.

Their way out was blocked. The tightly closed door did not seem like it would be broken or even open again.

"First… I think we'll have to clear this trial."

Su-hyeun nodded his head at Lee Ju-ho's reply. Indeed, Lee Ju-ho was the fastest at making decisions in the group.

But the problem is can we survive it?

No, they wouldn't make it. Zero percent possibility.

He was certain because it was something that had been verified once in the future, a verified truth.

If I wasn't around…

Only one variable had changed from that future and it was that Su-hyeun was here now.

Formerly, everyone had died in this trial. There was no exception.

They had two choices and there was no way of telling which was better.

It won't make much of a difference regardless of what choice was made.

Su-hyeun had made enough verifications on the dungeon's difficulty. Although Lee Ju-ho had great strength, the other members did not. With this standard, one could not even make it past the yellow level.

"What about the method? Which would be better?" Kim Ba-reun asked Lee Ju-ho's opinion.

Lee Ju-ho opened his mouth while thinking.

"What does Mr. Su-hyeun think?" He turned the arrow towards Su-hyeun.

It seemed that Lee Ju-ho thought Su-hyeun's capabilities would be second to himself.

Should they fight the horde in ten divisions or take them on all at once?

However, if one chose to open the door opposite, they would be given the option to run, which also meant that it was possible to escape.

But…

"We mustn't open that door," Su-hyeun replied, without thinking twice.

It was an obvious answer.

"Why did you say that?" Lee Ju-ho needed a more detailed answer.

The others had the same reactions. Some had thought it would be more convenient and better to open the door and escape from the horde of monsters.

"Didn't you already receive the explanation? When we open that door, our only option is to run."

"Ah…" Lee Ju-ho nodded at Su-hyeun's answer, seemingly to have understood.

But there were, of course, some who could not understand. Ahn Min-seok had the words "I don't get it" written blatantly across his face.

Su-hyeun continued his explanation after letting out a sigh.

"When the door isn't open, we have the option to defend. But once the door is opened, this option will change to escape. So, which choice would have a higher difficulty?"

"It would be, of course, to escape." An obvious answer.

But Ahn Min-seok's opinion was different.

"But instead of fighting and winning this, isn't running an easier way out? There's no need to fight."

"That's right. Instead of defending the 10 divided attacks, it would be more convenient to just escape from a huge horde of monsters."

"Then why…"

"Our aim isn't to survive, but rather to continue on the dungeon attack."

"Ah…" Ahn Min-seok had finally realized the main point which he had been missing out on.

The trial and the mission.

As he was too focused on those, he had forgotten the most crucial part. They weren't at the Tower of Trials but in reality. And within a vast dungeon at that.

Unlike the Tower of Trials, where one had to only focus on surviving and clear the trials, in the dungeons, one had to put his focus only on the dungeon attack itself.

So, it was only right for them to put their focus on the dungeon attack and not on running.

I wouldn't have accepted if they had wanted to run away from the beginning.

It was evident as to why they had wanted to run away from this trial. In a situation as dangerous as this, it would be safer and more convenient to make the choice of escaping.

An unfamiliar place, an unfamiliar situation, an unpredictable number of monsters, and a fight that no one wanted to happen…

[You have five more minutes.]

How friendly.

As the countdown reached five minutes, the door opposite shook slightly. The system seemed to be urging them to make a decision fast, but the members had already made their choices.

"As expected… It would be better to wait."

Probably thinking that Su-hyeun's words were more appropriate, Lee Ju-ho voted for his choice.

There were no oppositions.

Five minutes remain.

Su-hyeun drew his sword, stood at his spot, and closed his eyes.

Five minutes, an extremely long time, had started.

[You have one minute left. Please prepare for the attack.]

Cr— creak—

Kong, kong—!

Grrrr—

The door opposite opened slightly.

The monsters' cries could be heard from that door, which was left ajar. Although they couldn't break through the door and rush in, they could guess that there were countless monsters beyond that door.

"Um, that door wouldn't open suddenly without notice, right?"

"Ayy, it couldn't be…"

"But we're inside the dungeon now. There weren't any guarantees that the system would keep its promise…"

The wavering voices were full of anxiety.

As this was their first real trial, it was quite scary. The members had suspicions that the door might open without any notice, and the horde of monsters would rush out.

30 seconds.

Su-hyeun had been counting down the seconds since the five-minute mark from earlier.

The trial given by the dungeon would be starting soon.

Step, step—

Su-hyeun took the lead and walked towards the door.

The door might not open fully at all. As it was only the first stage, only a small group of monsters would be let out through the door and then closed.

Otherwise, it could be opened just to give us a scare.

Whichever was the case, it wouldn't change the fact that 10 groups of monsters would rush out from the door wave after wave.

The system never lies. That was an absolute rule and principle that would not change, even in the future.

Step—

Su-hyeun strode across the cave and opened his eyes. He had injected some magic into his sword's blade.

Looking at Su-hyeun, who took the lead without fear, their murmurs stopped altogether; gathering the army's morale was that easy.

As long as one had shown no fear and stepped up first, that courage was contagious. More accurately, the members' fear had lessened. If one saw another who felt no fear in the same situation, it would make him believe that the situation which they were currently in now was not dangerous at all.

"10 seconds."

Su-hyeun pooled magic in his voice and spoke. That voice was heard loud and clear in his team members' minds.

"Please be prepared."

After those words, Lee Ju-ho quickly walked up to Su-hyeun's side.

The same went for Ahn Min-seok. Instinctively, they got into each of their own roles and went into positions.

10 seconds. It was sufficient for each of them to get into their own positions.

It was a time that no one had the freedom to be concerned over. The moment when everyone was prepared to fight the monsters.

Slam—!

Kyaaaa—!

As the gigantic iron door opened, monsters came rushing out from behind it. The number of monsters well over 10.

Boom—!

The door that had been wide open closed in a flash. It seemed that this was the number of monsters for the first wave.

There was a wide range of monsters.

Gorger Ravens, Moss Salamanders, Lizardcops, and Black Spiders.

They were all familiar monsters.

Rip—!

Su-hyeun's feet slipped to the front.

Splat—

Su-hyeun's new form quickly leaped into the air.

Start from the Gorger Ravens.

Su-hyeun had already decided which monsters to attack first the moment he saw the group of monsters.

The Gorger Ravens were monsters with an extraordinary head. As they could fly in the air, there was a higher possibility that their team members positioned behind would be attacked.

Slash—!

The Gorger Ravens' sharp claws came flying towards Su-hyeun's head.

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Chapter 24: Chapter 24

At that moment, Su-hyeun's new form had disappeared.

Caw—?

The Gorger Ravens, which momentarily lost their target, glanced around left and right in search of him.

Stab—

Su-hyeun's strong hand grasped the Gorger Raven's wing tightly to prevent further movement.

"Firstly…"

Kyaaaa—!

As the Gorger Raven's wings were broken, it lost its sense of direction.

Caw—!

"One wing."

Su-hyeun, who had his fist in the air, slammed straight down onto the raven's back.

The raven's wing, which has already been broken, could not overcome the force and fell to the ground.

Swick—

Su-hyeun stepped on the falling Gorger Raven's back and leapt into the air.

The only monster that could fly in the air was the Gorger Raven.

The other monsters were on the ground.

Taking the lead, Lee Ju-ho pulled out his sword and blocked the incoming monsters while Ahn Min-seok shielded the others by swinging the knuckles on his fist. The long distant support members went on an attack spree on the monsters. They were all fighting well in their allocated positions.

That side seems to have no issues…

True, one would have to struggle from the start and have to paint the remaining picture accordingly.

Now, all that was left was for them to color the picture. Su-hyeun trusted that they would be able to do their part.

I'm heading to the back.

There was no way he could support the fight upfront right now. They didn't seem to be in danger either.

Su-hyeun went to the monsters' rear. The eleven monsters quickly fell apart, unable to withstand the simultaneous attacks.

Rip—!

The thick spider's abdomen was slashed in half, and green blood spilled out.

As if a habit, Su-hyeun shook off the blood on his sword after he got rid of the last of the monsters. They had defended three rounds of attacks up until now.

After the first round of attack, they were given 10 minutes of rest. Following that, the monsters' attacks continued. With this pattern, the members were able to defend themselves from the monsters.

Everyone is exhausted…

The exhausted Lee Ju-ho looked at the relaxed Su-hyeun who was wiping his sword, unlike the rest of the group.

Why does he look so normal?

The opponents were never easy. The number of monsters entering through the door was increasing. Furthermore, the monsters' levels weren't decreasing, taking a toll on everyone physically and mentally.

In fact, the others were sitting in a corner without any words. Their mana had also reached their lowest points.

On top of that…

Throughout the battle, Lee Ju-ho looked at Su-hyeun as if he were bewitched.

It's my first time seeing an awakener fight like that.

Though he had that feeling before the trial started, Lee Ju-ho always felt amazed at Su-hyeun's fighting. It wasn't because of his high magic level, outstanding stats, or a wide variety of skills. Such things were irrelevant.

It was purely his fighting ability.

Su-hyeun knew how to utilize his physical abilities and made use of them to fight to his advantage. In fact, it was as if he were showing others how to use the 100 percent potential in their own physical and magical abilities.

"Isn't it embarrassing?" Kim Ba-reun spoke, walking up to Lee Ju-ho and plopped down next to him.

Kim Ba-reun was looking at Su-hyeun as well.

"Really… wondering if that guy is really a C-rank awakener like me."

"That could be the truth since there wasn't much of a difference between both of your magical skills."

"Really? Then what do you think sets us apart?"

"Do I really have to say it out loud?"

It was a question not worth even thinking about.

"Just… It's just a gift."

Not everyone was able to have such fighting skills. Even Lee Ju-ho, who had joined countless dungeon attacks, could not yet imitate such fights.

"A gift…"

"Why? Are you jealous?"

"What about you? Don't you feel so?"

"Well, a little." Lee Ju-ho muttered after letting out a deep sigh. "Instead of jealous… I'm more envious." Jealousy was a feeling that one would experience when the shoe fit. Now, Lee Ju-ho just felt envious of Su-hyeun, who had such gifts.

"Hey."

"What is it?"

"After this dungeon attack ends… I'm considering climbing the tower."

Kim Ba-reun was shocked at Lee Ju-ho's words. "Are you for real?"

"Why are you so surprised?"

"Wait, isn't it obvious? You were just thinking that it's a joke to be climbing the towers a few days back."

"Right. I did say that." Lee Ju-ho looked at Su-hyeun with a bright face.

"Honestly… I was conceited."

"You really don't wish to climb up any further?"

A long time ago, when Kim Ba-reun had asked him the same question, Lee Ju-ho replied with a sneer.

"It's enough at this point. What's there to risk your life for by going further?"

"Hey, but if we continue going up…"

"Forget it, it's enough. This is just nice."

He really was conceited.

He understood now. The real thing existed separately, and it wasn't too far. And now, he wasn't close to being strong enough.

"I must thank that friend when we get out of here. If it weren't for him, we would have all been dead… I wouldn't be able to stay sane, too."

He was grateful to Su-hyeun. He felt his mind clearing up a bit. He couldn't see the need to climb up the tower any further before, but now he was given a new motivation and determination to do so.

"Hmm…"

Kim Ba-reun placed his chin on top of his knees and asked, "Could it be real?"

Lee Ju-ho turned around, ignoring Kim Ba-reun's question and asked, "Really?"

"I meant Kim Su-hyeun."

"…Ah, are you talking about that again?" Lee Ju-ho turned once more and looked at Su-hyeun. Su-hyeun was sitting against the wall and resting up.

"I had thought that he wasn't the one at first."

He was certain.

A mere C-rank awakener. The gap was too wide for the Su-hyeun who stood before them to be the heavily rumored Kim Su-hyeun. But after witnessing his abilities, his thoughts had changed.

Maybe… They could be the same person.

But why?

A sudden question flashed across his mind.

How could he only be a mere C-rank awakener while having such abilities?

If one had climbed the Tower of Trials for a year with those abilities and had accumulated an extraordinary amount of achievement points, his level must have been way above that.

Could it really be someone else?

But it was hard to imagine that two awakeners of the same name would have the same characteristics. It was unlikely that such coincidence existed.

Damn, exactly what's what?

Lee Ju-ho shook his head clear.

Such complicated thoughts would only affect his rest time. Survival was of utmost importance now.

"Ha, ha—."

"Huff. Huff—."

Lee Eun-mi and Ahn Min-seok took deep breaths while looking down at the blood on the floor.

It was crazily exhausting.

"Now… how many rounds are we left with?"

"Ah, it should be the last round now."

Both of them were unable to reply immediately, as they seemed to be quite exhausted. The other members were almost the same.

Su-hyeun was alarmed that most of them were too exhausted to speak.

The last round.

They had successfully defended nine rounds of attacks.

Monsters' corpses were piling up on the ground, and the members were both physically and mentally exhausted. More than anything else, the number of monsters pouring out from that door was increasing.

Everyone is quite exhausted now.

Lee Ju-ho was probably the only one with quite a bit of stamina left. As a powerful awakener, he had better physical abilities and skills compared to the rest of the party.

The plan was well laid out.

As if exhausted, Su-hyeun too sat against the wall and looked around at the other members.

If she wants to make a move…

When the rest had collapsed and were exhausted, Su-hyeun found the only one who was moving.

Indeed, it would be now.

Stomp, stomp—

There wasn't much time left until the last attack.

Beyond the door, noise could be heard as the monsters kept banging against the door.

Slide—

She slowly approached the door. As she came closer, the monsters' cries and anger could be heard much more clearly.

Once this door opens…

The monsters would rush out from there.

A nervous moment.

She reached her hands out. She grabbed the doorknob and picked up the key was that hanging there.

Until now, no one else had spotted her actions.

That's right.

Though it was a little disturbing, it wasn't tough.

It was a skill that was not obtainable through stores, but through the trials: Invisibility.

It was a skill that had yet to be revealed until now.

Although B-rank awakener Lee Ju-ho had a good chance of getting caught with invisibility, she had waited until everyone was exhausted.

Even Lee Ju-ho, too, was too exhausted to recognize her existence.

Let's open the door and escape quickly.

Creak—

She placed the key into the lock. At that moment, a voice could be heard from behind.

"There, over there!"

It was too late.

Click—

The key turned, and the door that had been obstructing the monsters' way started to open slowly.

[A minute later, the monsters will rush out.]

[The door behind has opened. Escape to survive.]

Great, it's done.

"Well done."

"…?"

She turned around at the voice that spoke. A familiar face came up close to him.

It was Su-hyeun.

"H, how…"

No, there wasn't time for that.

Soon, she left her position and escaped quickly.

Flick—

"What do you mean, how."

Clack—!

Su-hyeun grabbed Kim Ye-eun's neck quickly. Before she knew it, she had passed by him.

"Cough!"

Kim Ye-eun's eyes widened.

She could not understand what was happening around her.

'Just… how…'

A rare skill, invisibility, which she had obtained by luck through passing a trial.

She was now in the state of invisibility, transparent to the naked eyes of others.

It was the effect of the invisibility skill that killed her existence and made her transparent within a specific range.

Unless it was under normal circumstances, now the members were all exhausted, and she had thought she could completely kill her existence. The right time was now.

'How did he find me?'

No, before that…

'Just when, was he behind me?'

"Cough, cough!"

An incomprehensible situation.

Just as she had opened the door with the key, Su-hyeun approached her from behind.

No, he didn't approach her.

'No way… He waited until I opened the door…'

But why?

"I wondered when you would make your move."

Slam—!

Su-hyeun grabbed her neck and plummeted her on the ground.

Kim Ye-eun felt pain rushing throughout her bones as she was forced into the ground.

Her questions still remain unsolved.

'Did… he knew everything?'

It was as if he was waiting for her to make her move.

He knew of her existence. Even so, he had been waiting for her.

'But why?'

He could have stopped her from opening the door.

'Moreover, he told me earlier that I had done well…'

Confusion, fear, and questions were tangled up in her mind. She could not escape from Su-hyeun's firm grip.

"Was this a test from the Dump Guild?"

Kim Ye-eun's eyes widened in shock once more at Su-hyeun's whispers.

Su-hyeun's mouth twisted at her reaction. It was a look of displeasure and contempt.

Dump, a guild that was created and meant for the criminals who were abandoned.

It was a group that Su-hyeun had despised and detested the most.

"I was just guessing… But it seems that I'm right."

"W… wait…"

"What do you mean wait?"

Grind, grind—

As Su-hyeun added strength in his grip, Kim Ye-eun's neck began to break.

"In fact, I had intended to kill you even if it wasn't the truth."

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Chapter 25: Chapter 25

Act 2

Drip, drip—

Su-hyeun looked at the corpse of Kim Ye-eun, whose neck had been broken.

Su-hyeun first had his suspicions when she first started talking to him at the dungeon's entrance. Whatever her intention, it was thanks to her that she caught Su-hyeun's attention.

"Honestly, those people felt uncomfortable."

He had the same opinion.

Su-hyeun had already known what would happen in the future and had his suspicions, but she was different. Just based purely on her intuition, she felt strange suspicions towards them.

But…

Just from which point?

There was nothing suspicious about Lee Ju-ho and the others from Su-hyeun's point of view. At least, Su-hyeun could not understand the reason why they had felt uncomfortable.

Subsequently, Kim Ye-eun had been trying to strike a conversation with Su-hyeun from the start.

They were suspicious of each other and viewed each other negatively, but he wouldn't have been sure with just that reason alone.

An idiot who can't even manage her facial expressions…

Su-hyeun had been observing the members' faces while he was fighting the monsters for the first time.

There were only two whose faces had turned foul: Kim Ye-eun and Lee Eun-mi.

Unlike the others who were relieved that there was someone whose skills were outstanding, both their facial expressions were not good. Amongst them, Su-hyeun was more suspicious of Kim Ye-eun.

Although Lee Eun-mi's face was openly flushed and angry at Su-hyeun, Kim Ye-eun had tried to hide her expression.

She's such an amateur.

But of course, she shouldn't be labeled as a real awakener of the Dump Guild. Technically speaking, she was one of the few hopefuls who wished to be part of the criminal syndicate, Dump Guild. Whatever was bound to happen here could be related to one of the few special requirements or rites of the Dump Guild.

Until now… The existence of Dump Guild has yet to be made known.

It was several years before Dump Guild was made known to the public. Up until now, only a few people knew of its existence.

"This… what should we do?"

"What do you mean? We'll have to make our escape!" Su-hyeun looked at the flustered party.

Thankfully, the back door was open. The once boastful Ahn Min-seok was now the most cowardly and was already running towards the wide-open door.

Lee Ju-ho shouted towards Su-hyeun.

"Come over here quickly! We must run!"

How could he still be called the party's leader?

Judging from his actions, Kim Ye-eun's information about Lee Ju-ho seemed to be false. Truthfully, it didn't really matter.

"Please return first."

"What?"

"If we escape just like that, we'll all die."

[You have 30 seconds left.]

There was no time.

Lee Ju-ho shouted one last time in urgency.

"What are you actually planning to do now?"

"Leave me alone and run. I will follow behind soon after."

"What nonsense are you spouting…"

[You have 20 seconds left.]

Time seemed to be flowing past at a high speed. The others had already started running.

His friend Kim Ba-reun was shouting at the top of his lungs, asking him to come over. She was frustrated since he was still hesitating when even a second was too precious. Kim Ye-eun's betrayal was something that could be dealt with later.

"Don't worry and run. I have confidence that I can escape successfully."

Was there something else that was left? Lee Ju-ho, who had never seen Su-hyeun use his other skills, soon made up his mind.

"If so… I do hope to see you alive and well." Lee Ju-ho turned and started running towards the back door.

He used Swift to make his run, and soon his figure ran into the distance.

[You have 10 seconds left.]

10 seconds.

What an urgent situation.

But now that everyone had left, Su-hyeun felt a sense of relief.

"I'm finally alone."

He stretched his neck and then his legs.

He felt stiffer after a long period of restricted movement. He had to walk on thin ice with others around, and it was more inconvenient and uncomfortable than he thought.

There's no one else looking…

Su-hyeun grinned at the thought of his distance with Lee Ju-ho.

There are no problems at this distance.

As they quickly escaped, the distance between them lengthened. Furthermore, Lee Ju-ho had no time to take care of Su-hyeun in this situation.

"Now…"

Creak, creak—

The locked door started to open slowly.

Soon, the last message appeared.

[Please survive.]

Slam—!

The door opened.

Kyaaa—!

Hundreds of monsters rushed out in unison. The massive horde approached Su-hyeun.

Light fire wrapped around Su-hyeun's body.

Su-hyeun, who used Flame on his body and sword, grinned.

"Now, I'm feeling more refreshed."

Kyaaaa—!

Su-hyeun's new form slid through the monsters with the flame.

At that moment.

Slash—!

Splat—!

Blood gushed out from the monsters. Charred flesh was scattered, and red hot flames rose. The monsters faltered back.

Su-hyeun's new form rose and blocked the way of some of the monsters that retreated.

"Where are you heading?"

Grrrr—

Was it the system's instinct?

The monsters that were still in front of Su-hyeun were still trying to chase the other members who were running towards the back door — the monsters did not immediately head for Su-hyeun, as if they were slightly intimidated by him.

Stomp—

Su-hyeun closed the back door with his hand. As the large door closed loudly, Su-hyeun turned around.

"If you want to go past me…"

[You have used the skill Leap.]

[Excluding the target, all other surrounding enemies have perceived you as their enemy.]

At that moment, the monsters' eyes that were looking at Su-hyeun had turned red.

"Kill me first, you little cowards."

The legs that were running like crazy suddenly stopped.

Soon, Lee Ju-ho had caught up with Kim Ba-reun. He was already lagging behind the party and suddenly stopped in his tracks.

"Hey, what are you doing?"

"I just don't think that this is nice of us."

"What?"

At that moment, Kim Ba-reun could not understand Lee Ju-ho's words, but it did not actually take him too long to understand.

"Go ahead first."

Lee Ju-ho then turned around. Fully aware of what Lee Ju-ho was thinking, Kim Ba-reun blocked him in his way.

"Hey, are you crazy? How are you going to help him?"

"Well, you can't be so sure. Su-hyeun might survive if I go to his aid."

Why had this thought come in so late?

At the time, the sudden thought of facing death had instilled fear in him. Thus he made the decision to escape there and then. He did not know that he would regret his decision now. He could have run even faster, but the reason why he could not was also because of his conscience.

"He might have survived it, too. No, definitely…" Lee Ju-ho might have made up his mind as he walked past Kim Ba-reun, who was standing in front of him.

"Hey, if we just make our escape and live well and proper…"

Lee Ju-ho tapped on Kim Ba-reun's shoulder and spoke.

"How am I going to live with this shame in the future?"

Lee Ju-ho turned around and ran in the opposite direction, running faster than before.

The whole way back, he kept thinking about whether it was right to have made his escape or if he should have returned.

He was unable to make a swift decision as he was faced with death. His legs ran slower.

At that moment, if he could not make a decision, it felt as if he would regret it his whole life.

There were times when he could only make decisions based on his emotions rather than being objective, and that was the exact moment for Lee Ju-ho now. It made him feel better after he made up his decision to return.

Eventually, Lee Ju-ho ran without rest in the direction towards where the monsters pouring out.

That strange feeling had been around for quite some time.

No matter how far they ran, they never met the monsters that were chasing them. Regardless if Su-hyeun could have stopped the monsters, he would not have been able to stop all of them.

They definitely thought that way.

Did he really stop all of the monsters by himself?

Could it be that the horde of monsters that poured out was weaker than expected?

No, that couldn't be it.

As the door opened slightly, he could see through the slight opening that the horde of monsters was into the hundreds.

He was blocking that massive number of monsters by himself? Regardless of how outstanding Su-hyeun was, it was too tough to handle alone.

But if he could really deal with them…

He gripped hard onto his sword.

He had made the right decision to return.

He started running even faster. He squeezed more magic and used it on the skill Swift.

Not long after, the door which he had run away from became visible.

But…

What?

Trudge, trudge—

His feet became slower. As he went closer towards the door, he felt high levels of magic. The level was of a much higher magic rating than what he had now.

Moreover…

This heat…

Even though he was quite a distance from the door, he could still clearly feel the heat, and it was hard to say that it was from a monster. On top of that, the door was closed.

"It couldn't be?"

Lee Ju-ho hastily ran towards the door and stopped in front of it. He could feel the heat right there.

It was tough to even grab the door's handle without injecting magic in his hands. Lee Ju-ho hurriedly pushed the door inwards.

Creak—

The heavy door opened, and the interior was revealed.

Lee Ju-ho's eyes narrowed at the sight which unfolded before him.

"This… what's this…"

The monsters' corpses were quickly piling up and hot flames were hovering above them. The dungeon was filled with its heat.

The blood running along the floor dried up, and the monsters' corpses had turned black from the burning flame.

It seemed like there were hundreds of monsters. It was as much as Lee Ju-ho had expected — no, even more than he had expected.

Just who…

The answer to the question was pre-determined since there was only one person left in this room.

Lee Ju-ho turned around and spotted Su-hyeun, who was left all alone.

"Didn't I tell you to run away?" Su-hyeun's voice came from behind.

When?

Maybe he was nervous?

Lee Ju-ho turned around in surprise and distanced himself. Su-hyeun looked at Lee Ju-ho with blood all over his body.

"Why did you return?"

As soon as they made eye contact, Lee Ju-ho felt that the temperature in the room had risen multiple folds from before.

It was the level of magic concentration and magic factor.

This wasn't the Su-hyeun he knew. His gaze, his atmosphere, his everything was different.

Gulp—

By some chance, he was it.

"You…" Lee Ju-ho was confident as he looked at the Su-hyeun, who stood in front of him.

"…are Kim Su-hyeun?"

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Chapter 26: Chapter 26

Instead of answering Lee Ju-ho's question, Su-hyeun looked at his face for a while.

The heated surrounding and tense atmosphere around Lee Ju-ho was suffocating enough, and it was Lee Ju-ho who was unilaterally frustrated.

He knew that the atmosphere was somewhat different, but he did not know that Lee Ju-ho would be fearful of it.

It wasn't just the level of magic concentration; the skills Su-hyeun had were also of a different class from his.

It would not be surprising if he said he wanted to kill me.

Su-hyeun spoke as he looked at Lee Ju-ho's face, which was struck with fear.

"Yes, that's right."

There was no need for Su-hyeun to come up with more excuses or to beat about the bush.

As Lee Ju-ho had seen his original self, there would not be any use to try to deny it. On top of that, it wasn't his name that Su-hyeun had wanted to hide.

Lee Ju-ho's eyes widened at Su-hyeun's answer. It seemed that he was still quite surprised even after hearing the truth from him.

Su-hyeun pressed hard between his brows.

This turned out to be quite troublesome.

He had not expected Lee Ju-ho to return to the dungeon. Su-hyeun let out a deep sigh and spoke while dangling his sword in his hand.

"I'll ask you again. Why did you return?"

"Well, that…" Lee Ju-ho spoke after a moment of contemplation. There was only one thing that he could answer. "Because I was ashamed."

"Ashamed?"

"Yes."

"About what?"

"That I abandoned you and ran away myself."

"Was it solely because of that?"

"It wasn't all because of that…"

How should he explain himself? Conscience? Or embarrassment? It seemed better to say that his feet didn't allow him to go too far.

Does he mean that he returned completely unaware of anything? Su-hyeun originally thought that Lee Ju-ho probably sensed that he had hidden his actual skills and came back to check.

Su-hyeun nodded his head while looking at Lee Ju-ho, who was scratching his head dully.

"Well, forget it."

"What?"

"What else can I do now? I'm sorry to have lied to you."

"Ah, it's alright. Either way, the rest of us were able to survive thanks to you…"

There were definitely a lot of strange things in the dungeon. It had a weird format different from the normal dungeons, and the difficulty level on the outside was vastly different from the level on the inside.

If it weren't for Su-hyeun, it would have been impossible for them to clear the trial, and no one would have survived the trap that Kim Ye-eun had set up. In other words, they were able to survive because of Su-hyeun.

"Mister Su-hyeun is our benefactor."

Su-hyeun felt slightly relieved after hearing Lee Ju-ho's words.

It didn't seem like Lee Ju-ho would rashly spread the news about him either. He didn't seem to be that kind of person.

Although it was something that I had not expected, I don't lose out much either.

Lee Ju-ho was a veteran who had been working as an awakener for an extended period. It would be even easier to get more accurate and various news from Lee Ju-ho directly instead of searching through Abyss Online.

As said before, although it was true he had owed him a favor, their relationship in the future wouldn't be bad.

"Don't feel burdened by it. I'm not trying to erase the debt; I'm only doing what I should have done before," Su-hyeun said and flopped onto the floor.

He would, of course, be exhausted after clearing out hundreds of monsters single-handedly. On top of that, Su-hyeun's Flame skill was one that would use up high amounts of magic concentration at high speeds.

As the supply of magic got cut off from his body, the flames around started to die down.

Lee Ju-ho watched, fascinated, as the fire around him died down and flopped next to Su-hyeun.

"It's quite an interesting skill."

"It's the type that devours magic."

"What level of magic is required for this skill?"

"Although it's a level 4 magic skill…" Su-hyeun's words trailed off. It's too obvious and thus unnecessary for him to continue the sentence.

"What in the world…"

Lee Ju-ho, too, was a B-rank awakener, with level 4 magic. Lee Ju-ho's primary skill, Swift, was also one of the level 4 magic skills. It was a reasonably useful skill that boosted the overall speed on skills, magic usage, and physical stamina.

But compared to Su-hyeun's Flame, Swift was nowhere near as helpful.

"Awesome. Although you must have heard it countless times… It's for real."

Kim Su-hyeun. He had heard of this name countless times.

A unique awakener who had cleared the level 10 trials of each floor while climbing the Tower of Trials.

A divinity that had been breaking records on each floor.

There were many divided opinions on how strong he had become after a year of awakening.

It was also because he had never shown his face before. There was nothing else made known to the public besides his name.

I didn't know he would be this strong.??

It had just been a year since his awakening.

Regardless of how fast he had grown, Lee Ju-ho thought that Su-hyeun would be just at his level.

But goodness. Su-hyeun was already a few levels well above him.

"As expected, it's a secret, right?"

"What?"

"About you being the actual famous, mysterious Kim Su-hyeun. You don't have any plans on revealing this, right?"

He was quick-witted. He knew that he didn't have to go around telling others about Su-hyeun. And even knew that Su-hyeun had hoped for the same.

"Yes, that's right."

"I'll keep the secret then. I must never have you coming after me if I were to rashly spread the news about you." Lee Ju-ho spoke jokingly about it, but he was also being sincere.

He wasn't confident about shouldering the consequences in the event that he did go around spreading the news about Su-hyeun.

Su-hyeun did not respond to Lee Ju-ho's words. Although he didn't have any thoughts on killing him, he would feel better to have thought of it that way.

"Let's talk later and take a rest for now."

"Was it very exhausting?"

"Although it's exhausting…" Su-hyeun looked in the direction of the door where the horde of monsters had come from.

"All of this hasn't ended yet, has it?"

Su-hyeun used Flame and focused on refilling his mana that was nearly emptied.

Although he could simply rest up and recover his stamina, concentration was needed to restore his mana. Su-hyeun and Lee Ju-ho, who had both been silent for the past hour, started moving again. After entering the wide-opened door, an elongated cave appeared. It seemed to a dungeon made up of huge caves.

"As expected, the others don't seem to be returning."

Lee Ju-ho glanced back a few times behind him.

Lee Ju-ho put up a disappointed look, as he had thought that maybe his friend Kim Ba-reun would have returned.

Well, he couldn't be blamed since Kim Ba-reun didn't understand his actions.

Though he understood them objectively, he was slightly hurt emotionally.

"Isn't it weirder if you don't know how to value your own life?"

"Well, that's true…"

He had never thought that he would hear this. He had even hesitated to climb the Tower of Trials before as he had valued his own life then. Lee Ju-ho felt and put on an embarrassed look.

Su-hyeun peeked slightly at Lee Ju-ho. Certainly… He's too good of a person to die in a place like this.

Su-hyeun had been talking to Lee Ju-ho for a while now.

Amongst the topics was one about Lee Ju-ho, who hadn't been climbing the Tower of Trials for quite some time. Many didn't climb the Tower of Trials as they valued their own lives more. No, more accurately, it was most of the awakeners.

How many awakeners had failed to pass the trials while aiming for levels higher than their actual capability?

In fact, up until now, the awakeners' causes of death were mostly from the Tower of Trials. It was a given to value their own lives more, but Lee Ju-ho even valued others' lives as much as his own.

It wasn't common to find such a person like him in this stark and shriveled world. Thoughts like, "As long as it isn't me," or "It's just me by myself" were more prevalent in this world, but having a person like Lee Ju-ho was not bad at all.

"Tsk. Anyway, why did Kim Ye-eun betray us? I didn't expect that she would pull a suicide stint on us."

"She didn't pull a suicide stint."

"Then what?"

"She pulled a team kill on us."

Lee Ju-ho was horrified by Su-hyeun's blunt response.

Up until now, Lee Ju-ho had thought that Kim Ye-eun's action was that they should all have perished together. But to think that she had the intent of killing them?

"Do you know about Dump Guild?"

"Dump Guild?"

He seemed to be unaware.

Su-hyeun continued on.

"It is a guild made up with homicidal maniacs. Not just homicidal maniacs, but there are also others with conflicting interests gathered there."

"There is such a guild?"

"You would not be aware since they are not widely known." Su-hyeun, who was speaking as he walked, suddenly stopped in his tracks.

"In fact, we can say that those who have known about them have all died."

"Wait, what?" Lee Ju-ho's face went white as paper.

That was even more horrifying than what he said before. That those who knew about the existence of the Dump Guild had died.

In other words, he wouldn't know what would happen to him.

"S-so why are you telling me this?" Lee Ju-ho asked Su-hyeun, who continued walking again. He would have preferred to not have known about this at all.

Su-hyeun replied to Lee Ju-ho, who gave a massive reaction with a huge grin. "Aren't you an adventurer who isn't afraid of death?"

"No, but even so, why is there a need to kill when we've survived?"

"Did I say that I killed them? Perhaps Dump Guild would send someone to do it."

"Didn't I say that earlier!" Lee Ju-ho tore his hair out, screaming. He seemed to be quite frightened at Dump Guild's name.

Just what would Dump Guild think of this dungeon attack…

Technically, Kim Ye-eun wasn't a member of the Dump Guild.

To join Dump Guild, there was a special mission that potential candidates had to clear. It was a concept similar to the trials.

And Kim Ye-eun was right in the middle of clearing it. In other words, she wasn't an official member of Dump Guild yet.

Perhaps, Dump Guild might have considered this as a failed mission. They could also be afraid that their guild's existence would be exposed to the public.

It would be better if it was the latter.

He felt apologetic to Lee Ju-ho.

Because of this, Lee Ju-ho would be more interested in the Dump Guild as well.

But…

I can't let them continue growing their guild either.

Dump Guild. It was the worst criminal syndicate guild, and in the future, a group of murderers who were even more dangerous than monsters.

Punishing them was one of Su-hyeun's goals. It wasn't easy digging the Dump Guild out as they were intentionally hiding from the public.

In that case, he needed something that would make them surface.

Su-hyeun wanted this to be the starting point.

"Stop it and come quickly," Su-hyeun said, looking back at Lee Ju-ho, who still had his head hung down.

"Shouldn't we see the end of this?"

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Chapter 27: Chapter 27

"Huff, huff."

"Huff. W-we survived…"

The members who managed to flee from the dungeon collapsed to the floor as they came out.

A sense of relief took over when they realized that they had survived and their stamina had mainly been exhausted.

The only person with remaining strength was Ahn Min-seok, who had relatively high health stats. He held on without collapsing onto the floor and looked back anxiously at the dungeon's entrance.

"The dungeon's color…!"

Ahn Min-seok's eyes widened. At his reaction, Lee Eun-mi looked back too and screamed in surprise.

"Y-yellow?"

"What happened to it?"

Ahn Min-seok's eyes widened even more.

It was definitely still an orange level dungeon when they entered. Unless the party was all caught in a hallucinogenic skill, there was no doubt about it.

But the dungeon's color changed in that short time? No, more importantly, were the dungeon colors able to change in the first place?

It was confusing. But at the same time, it made perfect sense.

No wonder I felt that it was too tough.

It was impossible to target a yellow level dungeon with this number of people and standards. To raid a yellow dungeon, they would at least need 10 awakeners of Lee Ju-ho's level.

"Ahhhh—!"

Plop—

Kim Ba-reun, who was running out from the dungeon, hurriedly tripped over a stone and fell headfirst. Although it was not tough for an awakener to trip over a stone, it had also meant that he was that exhausted and had no stamina left.

"Are you alright?"

"Where is Ju-ho?" Ahn Min-seok and Lee Eun-mi approached and asked Kim Ba-reun, who had ran out hurriedly.

Kim Ba-reun held onto Ahn Min-seok's arm for support and replied with trembling lips.

"H-he's dead."

"What?"

"What do you mean he's dead?!" Lee Eun-mi asked in surprise. Ahn Min-seok screamed.

They had definitely seen Lee Ju-ho running behind them. How could he be dead?

Kim Ba-reun seemed to know something. Kim Ba-reun bit his lip as if it was something difficult to answer.

"That… that crazy bastard…" This was Kim Ba-reun's reaction.

Crying and cursing. One would know just by looking at Kim Ba-reun exactly how he felt.

"That's not possible…"

"Damn it!"

Lee Ju-ho died.

And on top of that, Kim Su-hyeun died, too.

At the very least, that was how they had perceived in their minds.

Act 3

"Ahhhh!"

Lee Ju-ho screamed fiercely.

He plopped onto the floor and gazed at the ceiling. The monsters corpses' were strewn all around him.

"I can't go any further. Please go on ahead."

"Really?" Su-hyeun asked while wiping the sweat from his forehead.

Though he had been fighting, Su-hyeun looked more at ease than Lee Ju-ho. He still had plenty of mana. For this battle, he did not use any skills and instead prevailed with only his fighting ability.

"…Are you really going?" Lee Ju-ho, who has still laid on the floor, turned around the glanced at him. It seemed that he would get up soon enough. He was just being whiny.

"Yes, I'm going."

In fact, Su-hyeun wanted to rest, too. He needed to rest up entirely as it would be a lot better if he could move again in perfect condition.

But…

[Time limit 00:30:28.]

There was another mission for them. It was a time-tagged mission where they had to complete the dungeon attack. The conditions were simple.

[Destroy the summoning stone.]

A mission that specified its own target.

And there was a time limit given for the mission. Both Lee Ju-ho and Su-hyeun had no way of finding out what would happen when the time was up for this mission, but it was certain that there would be significant risks as there was a penalty given from the system.

"Ah, honestly…" Lee Ju-ho stood up from his position in the end.

"Is this really the end?"

"How would I know?"

"Ack!" Lee Ju-ho tore at his hair again. Was this a habit of his? Amused, Su-hyeun smiled. It seemed that Lee Ju-ho was a more pleasant person than expected.

After Lee Ju-ho realized that Su-hyeun was stronger than him and that he wasn't actually the party's leader, his attitude had changed.

Although he was making quite a big fuss…

But there was no doubt about his skills.

At least he would not be much of an obstacle. It wasn't easy getting to B-rank either.

"There isn't much time left."

"What?" Lee Ju-ho, who struggled to get up from his seat, asked.

Su-hyeun tilted his head, referring to the end of the cave in the distance.

"I can see it there."

"Umm…" Lee Ju-ho narrowed his eyes and looked closely into the distance where Su-hyeun was referring to.

At the end of the cave, a gigantic blue stone could be seen.

"That's… the summoning stone?"

"Most likely."

"So, all this will end when we break it into pieces?" Lee Ju-ho's face suddenly brightened.

It seemed that things had been quite tough on him all this time. On the contrary, Su-hyeun's face darkened.

Because of that…

A growing dungeon.

The color of dungeons was usually determined by the special mana from the monsters that inhabited it, but there were also times when a dungeon changed color as well. It was the same as this instance.

The summoning stone.

A medium that summoned monsters from a different dimension. As long as it existed, monsters will be summoned endlessly. As the number of monsters increased, the dungeon's color would turn closer to purple, and an outbreak would be inevitable.

There would be a huge number of monsters. With this number of monsters, it would cause the death of over ten thousand people in the Gyeonggi Province as its epicenter.

That was the very first calamity that I could recall.

Su-hyeun started walking towards the summoning stone.

There were still some monsters left around the summoning stone. The types of monsters were of a wide variety, and it seemed that the monsters were summoned without any discrimination.

From where and how are these monsters being summoned?

The monsters were wary of Su-hyeun.

Lee Ju-ho stuck right behind Su-hyeun and muttered. "This… the numbers look quite a lot, though?"

He didn't notice from afar, but only when he went closer did he realize.

There were too many monsters around them, watching them closely. It looked like they were in hundreds.

Gulp—

The nervous Lee Ju-ho grasped his sword even tighter.

Fortunately, the monsters did not jump right at them. They were drooling, watching, and whetting their appetites. No, it wasn't anything good at all.

"How long are you going to watch us?" Su-hyeun opened his mouth to speak.

As he looked behind the summoning stone, he saw a shadow slowly appear. Hidden behind that gigantic stone was a shadow that donned a long robe.

"You could have come a bit closer. Hahaha." The sudden burst of laughter made the others feel uncomfortable.

That shrill voice and laughter were so horrific that it was hardly recognizable that it was a human. Lee Ju-ho had to retreat immediately at that sound.

No, it wasn't only his voice that was creepy. His magic's concentration and properties could also be felt emanating from him. Everything about him was creepy.

"A… human?"

It was a human in the dungeon.

This was Lee Ju-ho's first time experiencing this. His hands shook in astonishment. "He's not a human."

Flick—

Su-hyeun flicked his finger and a flame appeared over the hooded man's head.

The flame took off the hooded man's hood, and he accepted it without trying to avoid it.

As soon as the hood fell off, the hooded man's face was revealed.

"A-a-a skeleton?"

"Excuse me? Who are you calling skeleton?" The hooded man spoke with frustration. "I'd hope you would call me Richie instead."

It seemed that he had wanted to reveal his identity to them all along. It could be the same reason why he had not stopped them from taking off his hood.

However, Su-hyeun sneered at the skeleton's words. "What do you mean Richie, you fraud?"

Would his face have looked crumpled if he wasn't?

The skeleton turned towards Su-hyeun. It's empty eye socket looked towards Su-hyeun and starting using its frightening magic.

"What does a little boy like you know…"

"Of course I do. More than you do."

He might have presented himself as Richie, but Su-hyeun knew very well that he wasn't.

The real Richie didn't look like this. The real Richie had the ability to construct himself to appear more like a human being. Moreover, the magic concentration, factor, and properties he had felt were quite different from the real Richie. In other words, he was a fake Richie.

"I don't know how you'll think of this," Su-hyeun said as if he was hurt.

"You're a fraud."

"Hick." Lee Ju-ho stifled a burst of laughter from behind as if he had found it funny.

The skeleton was speechless. Probably because his feelings had intensified, the monsters' cries around him had intensified as well.

Kyaaa—!

As the hundred monsters cried out in unison, the sound was deafening. Lee Ju-ho quickly stopped his laughter and got ready to attack.

"Ah, seriously? I shouldn't have laughed." Lee Ju-ho's face quickly turned tearful.

Regardless, Su-hyeun had his eyes fixed on the skeleton in front of them.

He must be the summoner then.

He was the one who was using the summoning stone to summon monsters.

The evil summoner who later summoned and manipulated monsters, and later caused the death of ten thousands of people was just in front of them.

"Just endure for three minutes."

"What?"

"For three minutes only. Three minutes."

"Please, Su-hyeun…"

Even though Lee Ju-ho was tearing, Su-hyeun was walking towards the summoner.

Slowly, step by step.

As he took each step and narrowed their distance, the summoner's magic intensified.

"Your body and soul will suffer forever."

Step—

"Well, that's only if you win."

Squelch—

The ground was left with Su-hyeun's footprints as he took each step.

"You look exhausted; aren't you pushing it too much?"

The summoner knew.

"All these kids in the dungeon are my hands and feet. The one who was fighting them up until a while ago isn't getting exhausted?"

Su-hyeun's physical condition was not perfect. He was drained from fighting all the monsters endlessly. Although it was evident that Su-hyeun was strong, there were still more than a hundred monsters left with the summoner.

It was evident who would be the winner.

"Although my stamina is nearly depleted…"

Burning—

Su-hyeun's surroundings suddenly gushed out with blazing heat.

As the flame heated up, the summoner quickly rose up to his feet. The heat from the flames was fatal to the summoner who had dark magic properties.

He had thought that Su-hyeun's stamina was nearly depleted.

At the flustered summoner's reaction, Su-hyeun raised his head and looked at him.

"But my magic is still quite plentiful."

On his way here, he had purposefully saved up his magic.

All just for this moment.

And…

[Transfiguration skill: Berserk is used.]

[Your health is low.]

[Your ability has increased in proportion to your lack of strength.]

[Your health has been temporarily restored.]

[Strength has increased significantly.]

[Ability has increased significantly.]

Su-hyeun's body turned fully red.

His breathing got better, and his body was filled with energy.

Su-hyeun had been pushing himself to the limit, all just for this moment.

Su-hyeun was in his best condition ever.

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Chapter 28: Chapter 28

As the summoner realized Su-hyeun's breathing had turned normal, he quickly responded. He raised his hand and shouted.

"Kill them!"

The summoner's loud voice echoed throughout the cave.

At the summoner's command, the hundreds of monsters showed their teeth in unison, flexed their claws, and charged towards both Su-hyeun and Lee Ju-ho. The monsters were of a similar standard as the Lizardcops, perhaps even stronger.

But…

Burning—!

At the same time, the flame on Su-hyeun's sword was set ablaze. He hit the wall with extremely high heat, and it covered Su-hyeun's body. To find Su-hyeun in the flames, the summoner had to use his cane and search for him.

"Where did he go…"

Swish—!

Kyaaa—!

A group of monsters moved in one direction in unison.

It was the summoner, the mastermind, who was controlling the monsters' minds. However, the summoner's controls and intentions were nearly useless.

Fwoom—!

The monsters that were charging in one direction exploded and turned into burnt pieces. At the same time, Su-hyeun's new form escaped and ran towards the summoner.

At that moment, dark black magic burst out from the summoner's cane.

Slam—!

A sword and cane.

The crash of red hot flames and dark magic led to a massive explosion.

The summoner recoiled from the explosion and coughed. Feeling embarrassed by his own reaction, the summoner looked at his numb hands.

This energy…

It was the magic concentration that Su-hyeun was handling and the energy and flames that were created by his magic.

Although it was just one clash, he was sure about it.

He is incompatible with me.

The summoner felt threatened.

Just based on Su-hyeun's movement alone, it seemed unusual. Not only that, but Su-hyeun's magic was also incompatible with the summoner's.

The summoner finally found Su-hyeun — he couldn't find Su-hyeun earlier as he did not know where he went.

In a way that suggested he was not too concerned about it, the summoner hurled his cane like a wildcat in the air.

Dark energy started to burst everywhere. The surrounding air had been polluted, and the ground and walls started to rot.

Burning, burning—

Eventually, Su-hyeun revealed himself.

It was an attack that left Su-hyeun with nowhere to hide. Though his control wasn't right and was not as effective, it was a quick response.

How ignorant.

Su-hyeun frowned as he faced head-on with the dark magic.

Su-hyeun's eyes focused on the purple glowing stone that was located on the tip of the cane.

Was it because of that?

Most of the summoner's magic had come out from that stone. It was quite easy to see what kind of stone it was.

The highest grade of ether stones.

An ether stone that had contained magic.

It was a stone that could only be harvested in small quantities from the dungeons, and a fistful of this resource could fetch astronomical prices. Most items used by awakeners contained these ether stones. Of course, items with an ether stone of that size were scarce.

I might obtain an awfully rare item soon.

It made the situation harder to deal with, but not too much. It had never occurred to Su-hyeun that he would lose to a summoner.

Burning, clash—!

As the dark energy and flames clashed, they began to compete. Su-hyeun grew the fire with all his power and went for a head-on crash with the summoner.

"What…!" The summoner's voice exploded in bewilderment. The summoner began to step back as the dark magic from his cane was pushed by Su-hyeun's flame.

At that moment, the flame that was bursting out from Su-hyeun's sword fell to the ground.

Rip—!

A sharp sword attack split both the flame and the dark magic. The summoner, who blocked the sudden attack by raising his cane, looked at his cane incredulously.

"What's… this…"

A crack formed on the cane. In fact, there were quite a bit of crack lines.

As cracks formed on the cane which he believed to be unbreakable, the summoner's mind turned blank.

"It's not over yet."

Su-hyeun's sword rose up once again.

At the same time, the summoner held up his cane on reflex once more. He used dark magic, forming layers of black protection around his body.

To crumble that wall…

He must narrow their distance.

After coming to a decision, Su-hyeun sprang to his feet. Having leaped into the air a few times, it increased his speed.

Crack—

Su-hyeun's new form penetrated through the dark magic protection created by the summoner.

His whole body ached. The feeling of flesh rotting could not be erased entirely by the flames that were protecting his body.

But he endured it. Since he risked himself, the damage to the summoner would be fatal.

Slash—!

The flame which had been scattered momentarily gathered immediately back at Su-hyeun's sword.

Wielding the red sword in his hands, Su-hyeun aimed at the summoner who hid in his protection.

"Goodbye."

Stab—

Su-hyeun's long sword pierced through the dark shroud.

"Whirl—"

Lee Ju-ho pointed his sword at the monsters and had his back towards the wall.

Grrr—

There was nowhere else he could retreat.

"There's a shit load of them, seriously."

It was his first time to come face to face with such a large number of monsters. It was thanks to his skill Swift that he could survive up until now; otherwise, he would have become their meal.

Have I killed around ten of them already?

However, there were still dozens more of them left.

Not only just physically, but mentally he had problems, too. Moreover, having to deal with a large number of monsters on his own gave him enormous pressure.

Stomp, stomp—!

Grrr—

At that moment, the reactions of the monsters had changed.

The monsters which had been targeting Lee Ju-ho until now changed their line of sight.

'What had happened over there?'

The fight between Su-hyeun and the summoner. Their fight made Lee Ju-ho feel sick.

It's not a fight that I should interfere in.

It was to the point where the magic concentration dispersed in the air during their fight would cause his skin to shrivel up. It was obvious what would have happened if he had interfered.

No, it wasn't only that.

It wasn't just a fight where they were just slashing, stabbing or shooting skills at each other.

There was a massive gap between them; how would one utilize and use it?

Would the A-rank awakeners, who were of a level higher than him, be that way, too?

Even if so, he would never have thought that all A-rank awakeners would be as strong as Su-hyeun.

If so, what about the S-rank awakeners?

That was when he realized that there was another piece of sky higher than the current piece of sky.

Could I also be…

Blow—

He let out a deep sigh.

After calming himself down, his breathing had also slowed down.

For some reason, the mana that was nearly depleted dropped even more. Lee Ju-ho felt better for nothing.

"Great."

Grab—

He straightened the sword in his hand and brought his legs back up.

"Shall we start…"

Clash—!

Boom—

That moment, the cave shook wildly, and two types of magic clashed.

"Oh, oh my."

Boom—

The flames that clashed with the dark magic exploded and shook the whole place. The magic that could be felt from the end of Su-hyeun's sword started eating at his body.

Rip—!

As it penetrated through the dark shroud, Su-hyeun wielded his sword wildly.

As the flame spread out, it swept in front of his eyes. At the same time, cracks quickly formed on the dark shroud.

Crack, crack—

Bang—!

The summoner collapsed onto the floor amidst the broken dark shroud.

Although his head was pierced and his body was halved, the summoner's limbs were still moving, creaking away.

"I… will… curse… you…"

"Do that when you're in hell."

Crack—!

With his feet stretched forward, Su-hyeun crushed the summoner's head.

A small bead rolled out from the empty skull. Su-hyeun looked at it and said, "Rest in peace."

Grrr—

As the summoner's control disappeared, the monsters had lost their bearings. The confused monsters did not even have thoughts to attack Su-hyeun and Lee Ju-ho.

"So, now…"

Su-hyeun looked at Lee Ju-ho, who was leaning against the wall, with a puzzled look.

Burning—

Su-hyeun used his remaining strength and spread the flames around him, which had gathered on his sword.

"Let's wrap this up quickly and head back."

"Pant, pant—"

Lee Ju-ho laid on the floor and stretched widely. A burnt smell came out from his mouth, and he could hear his heart beating clearly in his ear.

"I-I really can't move anymore."

His back was covered with the monsters' blood. He swore there was never a time where he had slain as many monsters as he had today.

I feel quite relieved.

He had prepared to lose his life, but he managed to survive.

Not sure if it was satisfaction or a sense of achievement, he felt proud of himself and happy about it.

On top of that…

I have fought quite well at this level, too.

Of course, it was compared to his other fights.

As he looked at Su-hyeun, who seemed to have a bit of health left standing without issues, he felt a sense of shame.

A sneer escaped from the corner of his mouth. His skills were not as strong until he personally witnessed how Su-hyeun dealt with a hundred over monsters.

Lee Ju-ho hadn't personally seen him fought them.

It was the same up till this moment. Su-hyeun saved up as much mana as he could while fighting.

However, as his opponent was quite strong, Su-hyeun was still forced to go all out at the summoner, which could be seen as the boss of the dungeon.

It was beyond Lee Ju-ho's imagination to be able to witness Su-hyeun's ability through his own eyes.

He couldn't believe the Su-hyeun was just an awakener in his first year.

If a few more years pass…

Su-hyeun could be dubbed to be on par with the world's top rank awakeners, the S-rank awakeners.

"Please rest up a bit."

Su-hyeun did not push Lee Ju-ho, who was spread out on the floor.

Since the summoner was slain, there was no use staying around in the dungeon anymore. There was nothing else left for Lee Ju-ho to do.

There were only two things for Su-hyeun left to do.

Clearing up the summoner.

And…

Su-hyeun's eyes laid on the stone and the halved cane that was left behind by the summoner.

Collection of the ether stone.

First and foremost, he had to crush the summoner's stone.

[Time limit: 00:01:45]

It was very close.

If they were a tad slower, they might not have even gotten to destroy the summoner's stone on time.

Trudge—

Su-hyeun walked towards the summoner's stone and placed his hand on it.

In the aftermath of the fight, the stone gained some scratches and crack lines. As it hadn't been completely crushed, it still had its functions.

As Su-hyeun touched the summoner's stone, he injected magic into it.

Whirl, whirl, whirl—

Waves of disturbance started stirring from within the stone as he injected magic into it.

Su-hyeun started crushing the summoner's stone from within as he raised the flames.

A while later.

Boom—

Crash—

The summoner stone that started to split from within showed streaks of red light and started crumbling.

[You have passed the trial.]

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Chapter 29: Chapter 29

"Hooo—"

As soon as he heard the message, Su-hyeun let out a sigh of relief.

It was now, finally, the end of it all.

As the tension in his body left, all the strength was drained from Su-hyeun's body. As the effects of Berserk were lost, the temporary boost of health had plummeted to rock bottom.

This dungeon attack would have been easier if I had better items with me.

Su-hyeun looked at the sword he held in his hand.

The sword that looked like gold had now reached its limit. Su-hyeun had to inject magic into it to prevent it from breaking, but it could no longer endure Su-hyeun's magic.

He made sure the sword would not crumble by injecting his magic. When he had to use Flame, he used magic, and to maintain the sword, he could only use double the amount of magic.

Even so…

Su-hyeun's gaze went to the stone that fell out from the summoner's head, as well as the broken cane.

"The yield isn't that bad."

If he looked around the interior of the dungeon, there might have been more ether stones left. Of course, there would not be any of a similar grade as the one in front of him.

In a hurry, Su-hyeun took three ether stones with him. In fact, those were only collectively named as ether stones, but each of their usages differed by a little.

Emotions.

[Lich's Life Stone.]

An enhanced high-grade ether stone. It has a lifespan of 200 years.

Limitation: Not a living person's.

[The highest grade of ether stones.]

It contains a large amount of mana. As it had been used for a long time, its glow had faded.

[Dimension Teleportation Stone.]

A medium that twists dimensions and space. It can be operated with magic.

These three items.

The explanations were quite simple. The Dimension Teleportation Stone was the main ingredient for the summoner to summon monsters and Lich's Life Stone was the medium that made Lich able to move about.

A lifespan of 200 years…

A substance that could make humans live more than their expected lifespan.

But, there's a limitation. Only a non-living human could use this item.

"This kid, he used a cheap item."

Usually, Liches would want to have a lifespan of at least 500 years and above and thus made the decision to become a Lich. And the Life Stones that they could obtain were of quality better than this.

Of course, the life stone that Su-hyeun had in his hand now wasn't considered any less valuable either. Even with this alone, it would become quite a useful item after some enhancements. Above all, there was a considerable benefit from this.

The highest grade ether stone.

The purple stone was in Su-hyeun's hands. It was an item that would be too invaluable to be exchanged for money. In fact, amongst the existing ether stones, there was nothing else as substantial as this highest-grade ether stone in the world right now. If this ether stone appeared in the market, it might be too difficult to give an estimated selling price.

Of course…

It isn't an item worth selling.

He would use it solely for himself.

Since he couldn't bring the items used in the tower, he needed a separate set of weapons here especially because a good weapon or two right now would help in boosting up his power immediately.

After collecting all his yield, Su-hyeun flopped down onto the ground.

He had to take a rest before heading outside.

Act 4

Both Su-hyeun and Lee Ju-ho started to dig around in the dungeon to search and to collect the ether stones.

There were many discussions about how ether stones were mostly found in the dungeons where the boss was found. And in this dungeon, most ether stones were used to maintain the summoner's stone. Although there were ether stones found on certain parts of the walls in the dungeon, they did not have enough manpower and equipment to harvest all the ether stones.

"Really, I'm alright."

Lee Ju-ho refused the ether stones that Su-hyeun had extracted for him. In fact, it was safe to say that Su-hyeun had completed his dungeon attack alone.

"Are you really not going to accept this?"

"Yes. How can I accept this when I've done nothing?"

"Well, if you say so…"

Su-hyeun quickly put the ether stones in his arms. Honestly, he didn't need to have these stones, but it was better to have them, just in case.

Although the amount is quite a disappointment.

Either way, it could be said that he had monopolized and harvested all the ether stones here. Su-hyeun talked with Lee Ju-ho about various things as they walked out of the dungeon.

As they exited the dungeon through the entrance where they first came from, their views turned white, and the scene changed.

In reality, a full day had passed, and it was already the early morning. As they stepped out, Su-hyeun and Lee Ju-ho stood rooted to the ground.

"Uh, the people…"

"Wait, didn't you say the attack had failed?"

"Are you the awakeners Mr. Lee Ju-ho and Mr. Kim Su-hyeun?"

"That-that's right! Hey, Ju-ho!"

"Survivors, it's the survivors!"

Dozens of people gathered around, making a scene.

There was a total of over 10 awakeners besides Ahn Min-seok, Lee Eun-mi, and Kim Ba-reun. On top of that, there were a few reporters equipped with cameras.

Countless people were gathered, making a huge mess.

It seemed that the authorities had called other awakeners for assistance upon hearing that the dungeon attack had failed. It wasn't surprising to see the reporters being that interested in the awakeners.

Su-hyeun let out a deep breath as if exhausted.

Lee Ju-ho, who spotted it from the corner of his eye, spoke. "Throw the ball to me and quickly get out of here."

"Will you be alright?"

"I'll say that both of us completed the dungeon attack together. If that happens, maybe the distribution…"

"There you go."

Su-hyeun took out about half a portion of his ether stones and pushed them towards Lee Ju-ho. He then spoke in a loud voice. "So, that's all for the distribution."

"Thank you. If there's another opportunity, I hope we can work together again."

As quick-witted as he was, Lee Ju-ho replied on time in a loud voice as well.

It was an amicable scene of equally distributing the ether stones after the end of a dungeon attack. It was such a familiar scene that others could notice that both of them had safely completed the dungeon attack.

"Oh my, did you really complete the dungeon attack?"

"Just the two of you? A yellow level dungeon?"

"Wait, doesn't this tell a different story? The dungeon was obviously…"

"We're from Ilsung Daily! I'd like to ask a few questions!"

Not just Kim Ba-reun, but the other party members shouted loudly in surprise, and the other awakeners began to frown and question.

Taking advantage of the confused situation, Su-hyeun quietly made his escape. Although there were a few who approached him, Lee Ju-ho had blocked them out.

"Now, let's all calm down. I'll explain the details to everyone here. Let's not tire the exhausted."

But Lee Ju-ho should have been the most exhausted person instead.

Su-hyeun felt apologetic for throwing the situation on Lee Ju-ho and leaving first, but he thought that it would be even more burdensome if he were to be captured on screen.

Eventually, Su-hyeun left the place in a hurry. The remaining half of the ether stones could be considered a labor cost.

When he had left the crowd and reached midway on the mountain, the mobile phone in Su-hyeun's pocket started ringing. He then checked that it was a text message from Lee Ju-ho.

I'll return the remaining half of the ether stones to you later. Or should I change them to cash and transfer it to you?

It seemed like Lee Ju-ho was quite concerned over the ether stones that he had received earlier.

Imagining the scene where Lee Ju-ho took the time to send a text message amongst the curious crowd brought a smile to Su-hyeun's face.

In fact, it didn't matter much whether he received the ether stones or not.

Just think of it as a thought of gratitude.

Su-hyeun sent a reply to Lee Ju-ho's text message and started hurrying on his way.

There was someone worried about him.

As he was on his way home, Su-hyeun hurriedly bought clothes from a nearby clothing store.

It was uncomfortable wearing clothes that were severely torn and filled with dirt. Moreover, Su-hyeun could not return home in this state.

Shin Su-yeong nagged Su-hyeun for not contacting her, staying out the whole night, and returning in the morning. They met just as Su-hyeun was returning home and when Shin Su-yeong was about to leave the house for work.

"I'll see you when I'm back home, son."

Shin Su-yeong said that with a dull expression in her eyes as she was leaving for work. Su-hyeun let out a deep sigh and muttered.

"I have to let her know, too…"

In any case, if he were to continue working as an awakener, things like this would happen more often. He could not bring Shin Su-yeong so many worries every single time.

If I say this…

Su-hyeun sat in front of the door and took out the C-rank awakener's registration card to look at it.

If he showed her this, how would she react? Probably like the mother from his previous life…

Whatever.

His mind would not think of it any further. He had decided to take a good rest before thinking about it. It was too exhausting for him today.

I have things to attend to as well after I wake up.

Su-hyeun put the two ether stones and the Dimension Teleportation Stone into his bag, along with the remaining highest-grade ether stones he had left over after distributing half to Lee Ju-ho.

After waking up from his sleep, he had to deal with these.

Three hours.

Su-hyeun only had slept for three hours. For others, it would just be a nap, but for Su-hyeun, it was a long sleep.

When he woke up, the sun was already hanging over the sky. Su-hyeun took a shower, got changed and was prepared to leave the house.

The place where I could conveniently trade would be…

An ether stone trading store near Gangnam Station. It was a store where he could most conveniently dispose of the ether stones.

Su-hyeun took a cab, the transport which he would usually choose. Since he could trade ether stones for cash in the future, he could easily afford the taxi fees.

After a 30-minute drive, the taxi came to a stop at Gangnam Station.

He paid the taxi fees with 20,000 Korean Won and alighted right beside Gangnam Station.

Gangnam Station was busy with working adults from early in the morning. The crowd was filled with people heading out for lunch, as well as students who were out to play.

It had been a long time since Su-hyeun was out in a crowded area like this. Su-hyeun took a while to look at his surroundings and then went on his way through a familiar route.

Was it around here?

Amongst the tallest building in the area, there was a huge auction house where they had rented out five entire floors from the building.

Su-hyeun's feet stopped right there.

Buzz—

When the sizeable automatic door opened, a spacious and vibrant lobby appeared.

It felt similar to the entrance of a luxury hotel's lobby. The lobby personnel saw Su-hyeun's arrival and spoke.

"Welcome. How can I help you?" It was a male staff donned in a clean and neat outfit.

Su-hyeun looked at him and replied, "I came to sell my goods."

"When you mean goods?"

"They are ether stones."

As Su-hyeun replied, he took out the ether stones that were kept in his pocket and showed the staff. Although they were the size of small marbles, he had a fistful of them.

These were considered to be shabby compared to the highest-grade ether stones that Su-hyeun kept.

But…

"Are these really all ether stones?"

The staff's eyes widened in surprise.

Though they might have been small, they were ether stones harvested from a yellow level dungeon which over 10 B-rank awakeners had to gather in order to complete.

It wasn't surprising to see him shocked by the ether stones mined from that dungeon.

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Chapter 30: Chapter 30

"Please wait a moment."

The man bowed towards Su-hyeun, excusing himself and walking off with a skip in his step toward somewhere else.

No, by the time he turned around the corner, he actually started running. Su-hyeun waited just for a while as per the man's instructions.

Soon enough, the staff brought out another employee donned in a suit. It seemed that this person was of a higher position.

"Hello. I'm Lee Kyeong-jong, in charge of ether stone trades."

He looked to be in his thirties and had a handsome face that could pass off as an actor. Lee Kyeong-jong reached his hand out and shook hands with Su-hyeun before taking out his business card.

He held the position of a department head. He was quite successful considering his young age. If he was in charge of ether stone trades at an auction house of this size, he would be someone most influential here.

"I'm sorry to have kept you waiting. Let's get you seated and continue."

"Thank you."

Su-hyeun followed Lee Kyeong-jong into a spacious room. On the doors of the entrance, the enormous words "Premium Client Room" were printed on it.

Their hospitality was better than I had expected.

All this treatment just for a handful of ether stones. He could not imagine. Of course, that was something that Su-hyeun had not expected.

…It's still 2020 here.

In the era where Su-hyeun had lived in, ether stones were not this precious and valuable. Due to the persistent dungeon outbreaks, the supply of ether stones had increased significantly; thus, it was treated to be a more valuable resource than gold. Although the price wasn't too low, it was at a different level as compared to now. Up until this time, the ether stones were too priceless to be even bought with money.

As Su-hyeun and Lee Kyeong-jong sat side by side, a female employee walked into the room. She served a tray with two cups of coffee and left shortly, and that was when Lee Kyeong-jong spoke.

"I heard that you are here to sell the ether stones."

"Yes."

"Did you personally join in the dungeon attack yourself?"

"I'm a C-rank awakener."

Lee Kyeong-jong looked somewhat surprised at Su-hyeun's answer. Perhaps it was because of Su-hyeun's rank and the quality as well as the number of ether stones which he had brought along with him.

An awakener's auction…

A D-rank awakener. It was what Su-hyeun had felt of Lee Kyeong-jong's standards.

He was at the level where he could begin to feel magic, but Lee Kyeong-jong chose to earn money through ether stones instead of working as an awakener. In some ways, it was a wise choice. Even without risking his life by climbing the Tower of Trials, he could also earn money just by using ether stones. Perhaps he could get to where he was now at this age with his title as an awakener.

"Can I see the ether stones?" Lee Kyeong-jong asked point-blank without beating around the bush.

He seemed to have judged that it would be better to deal with it quickly instead of going in circles.

Su-hyeun took out the stones kept in his pouch.

"Here they are."

As soon as the ether stones appeared in front of him, Lee Kyeong-jong's eyes sparkled.

As the magic level of the dungeon increased, the value of the ether stones harvested would increase exponentially because the ether stone was filled with the dungeon's magic.

"It's quite… a huge stone."

As most ether stones were of the same size, Lee Kyeong-jong picked one up from the pile and looked closely at it.

It needed to be assessed for Lee Kyeong-jong to know its exact value. Still, its value was usually proportionate to its size.

Most ether stones found in the red level dungeons were the size of rice grains. Those harvested from the orange level dungeons were slightly larger. Still, only ether stones the size of a small marble could only be found in dungeons no higher than a yellow level.

"Did you just walk into a yellow level dungeon?" Lee Kyeong-jong asked half-doubtingly.

There was no reason for Su-hyeun to find excuses or lie about it. He nodded his head.

Lee Kyeong-jong's eyes sparkled once more.

I must definitely get my hands on this.

If it was of this standard, the ether stones would be on the lower mid-grade at the very least.

Yellow level dungeons had difficulties with rare cases of completion. It would require over 10 B-rank awakeners for the dungeon attack, or they would need help from an A-rank awakener.

Even so, there seldom were high-grade ether stones, so they weren't worth much. So to match the tastes of the auction house's clients, Lee Kyeong-jong definitely had to get his hands on these ether stones.

But the problem was, how did a C-rank awakener obtain ether stones of this size? Lee Kyeong-jong had a short conflict before posing his question.

"This ether stone… are you sure you obtained it through legal means?"

It was a situation where he could only have his suspicions. It was understandable. It would be the same if it were Su-hyeun.

"Yes, I'm sure."

But besides this, there was nothing else he could add on.

If he had to come up with an excuse…

Although I'm a C-rank awakener, I could still complete a yellow level dungeon attack by myself.

Who would even believe in that?

I wouldn't believe it either.

With that reason alone, there was no other way to persuade him that it was obtained legitimately.

Lee Kyeong-jong seemed to be in conflict with Su-hyeun's reply. As the silence grew, Su-hyeun stood up from his seat.

"I'll look into other places."

He could have sold the ether stones at any other place. As if implying this, without any hesitation, Su-hyeun reached out for the ether stones which were in Lee Kyeong-jong's hands.

And then…

"Ah, don't worry. I'll buy them. I'll buy the stones."

Lee Kyeong-jong's lips which were shut tight spoke. As if the ether stones were already his, he retrieved his hand while keeping it tightly clenched. With this, the negotiation preparation had ended.

"How much are you thinking of selling them?"

After a short pause, Lee Kyeong-jong started the negotiations personally. As much as the ether stones were not valued accurately, it was up to the seller to call the price.

"You can name your own price. But…"

Su-hyeun showed the ether stone held in his hands to Lee Kyeong-jong.

At the same time, Lee Kyeong-jong had just realized the ether stone in his hand had disappeared.

Just exactly when?

Cold shivers went down his spine. Su-hyeun took one of the ether stones and placed it in his pouch.

"Now open this pouch, and after you have assessed the ether stones…"

As if he wouldn't show Lee Kyeong-jong the ether stones in advance, Su-hyeun blocked the opening of the pouch tightly with his hand.

"I'll only accept your asking price for just once."

He would leave immediately if he did not like the named price. There wasn't a second chance.

A complicated calculation started going on in Lee Kyeong-jong's mind.

—Deposit 640,000,000.

—Balance 640,012,200.

A deposit transaction showed up on Su-hyeun's mobile phone. After waiting for a moment when the negotiation ended, the staff ran towards the nearest bank to make the deposit.

He had made his confirmation. Su-hyeun nodded his head and took out the pouch.

"Thank you for the pleasant deal."

"It was the same for me."

Lee Kyeong-jong reached his hand out towards Su-hyeun. Su-hyeun shook his hand.

640 million. It was the best amount that Lee Kyeong-jong could offer after making various complicated calculations in his mind.

Although there wasn't much margin, it was a profit to have just obtained the stones.

If they had bought this huge amount of ether stones at once, they could have left a considerable amount of margin. As the ether stones were auctioned off, they could have also earned a significant amount of commission.

Above all, obtaining these ether stones would be a massive lure for their clients as well. This alone made it worthwhile to have the ether stones. It was a satisfactory deal for both parties.

But Su-hyeun seemed to be quite calm seeing the amount on his mobile phone.

600 million…

It had been quite a while since he had an interest in money.

Either way, the value for money would have dropped to that of tissue in a few decades.

Besides, he had earned a lot back then. In his previous life, he had earned so much that this amount didn't seem significant in his bank account.

It wasn't too far from the era when there were over 20 awakeners on the world's top 100 financial business leaders list.

"If you have other products for sale in the future, please do not hesitate to contact me."

"I'll hope for it to be of this amount the next time too."

There was no implication of decline. Instead, he had set the minimum amount to be of a similar level for the next deal.

Lee Kyeong-jong laughed awkwardly as cold sweat trickled down his forehead.

This kid isn't so easy to deal with.

The dealing method had been the same, depending on whether the single calling price was satisfactory or not. If it wasn't satisfactory for once, Su-hyeun would head for another dealer without second thoughts.

He would have meant to hold onto a big fish once you've caught hold of it.

He still had to wait and see if Su-hyeun would be a big fish or just a minnow. But, Lee Kyeong-jong felt that Su-hyeun's presence was strangely huge.

He absolutely isn't your normal C-rank awakener.

On the outside, Su-hyeun seemed to still be in his early twenties.

But his aura and gaze, as well as his tone, never felt the same. It was as if he was a high-profile awakener who had several decades of experience.

S-rank awakener, Yoo Jin-sung.

The world-renowned top awakener in Korea.

He had felt the same presence from Su-hyeun when he had met Yoo Jin-sung for the first time. It was a mystery as to why he could have felt that way when Su-hyeun was just a C-rank awakener.

If this continues, I will have no money issues in the future.

Su-hyeun walked towards Gangnam Station to check on his deposit transaction. How would Shin Su-yeong react if she saw how much he had earned this at one go?

But he had achieved his goal as expected. Su-hyeun took out the other ether stone that he had kept in his bag.

[Highest-grade ether stone.]

Quite a ridiculous item.

It was of a different level from the ether stones which he had sold to Lee Kyeong-jong earlier. In fact, the only similarity was its name.

There were two reasons as to why Su-hyeon devoted himself into his level varying dungeon wholeheartedly. Firstly, it was to prevent disasters from happening in Gwangju again. Secondly, it was to obtain this item.

Only four more of these will be available in the future.

The value of the highest-grade ether stone would continue to rise not only for now but also in the distant future because this alone would also make a great tactical weapon.

There were rumours that a billionaire who coveted its power kept the ether stone by his side just to maintain his youth.

The highest-grade ether stone itself was such an incredible item.

Items made with the highest-grade ether stone would become the best item regardless of its form or completeness.

In fact, the summoner that Su-hyeon had fought was no different than an empty skeleton. It had maintained its lifespan with the life stone, but it was ultimately a mere skeleton. The only reason why the summoner was able to have a fight briefly with Su-hyeun was by making use of the magic from the highest-grade ether stone.

It wasn't just by putting it on a cane.

It had such powers when it wasn't enhanced by men, so what would its capabilities be after being enhanced?

Su-hyeun was well aware of its capabilities. In fact, he had even encountered it before.

The Sacred Sword, Balmung.

An item named after the holy and sacred sword that had slew dragons.

It was the same sword that Su-hyeun had used in his previous life, made with the highest-grade ether stone.

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Chapter 31: Chapter 31

Of course, it isn't enough with this alone to create Balmung.

Countless items were required to create Balmung. It was impossible to gather all the items needed to make only the shaft now. Balmung was the highest-grade weapon created to capture Fafnir, after sacrificing countless awakeners.

It's just quite a pity now….

Su-hyeun hailed a taxi and traveled towards Yangpyeong.

It took him an hour's ride to reach the remote forest. Su-hyeun walked along the forest path, where there were little street lights, and not a single local resident could be seen.

It was 4 PM in the afternoon. Although it was still quite early, it was getting dark in the forest. As he was in the woods and it was winter, it was a given for the sun to start setting early.

Was it around here?

Su-hyeun's footsteps hastened. Soon after, a standalone house with a small yard came into Su-hyeun's sight.

Clank, clank—

The sound of iron could be heard through the door that was left slightly ajar. He had found the right place.

As he carefully opened the door to the house, Su-hyeun spoke. "Is there anyone in?"

Clank, clank—

The sound of iron did not stop, nor was there any reply. Su-hyeun spoke in a louder voice this time. "Is there anyone in?"

Clank—

The sound of iron stopped momentarily. Su-hyeun stood at the door, waiting. Soon after, a middle-aged man donned in thick cloth walked out from the back of the house.

"What is it? You're making so much noise!" He had a shaggy beard, burning red face, and questionably raised eyes. It was a face Su-hyeun hadn't seen for a long while.

Uncle.

Craftsman Kim Dae Ho.

He was famous for his many talents, including iron smelting, weapon creation, and jewelry crafting. He was now holed up in the mountains, after taking a massive interest in ether stones and the awakeners' weapons.

He's still the same as always.

The weapon, Balmung, that Su-hyeun had was also crafted by him.

Act 5

The year was 2032.

There were lots of people gathered around him. Amongst them were high-ranking awakeners, and even some amateurs were present as well.

They were all here to just guard one man. It was top secret that this large number of people was called to gather by the edge halfway up the Yangpyeong mountain.

Just for one man. No, they were all here just to guard the one and only item.

Clank, clank—

The sound of iron could still be heard coming from the door. When would that sound stop?

Sung-in pushed the door open and said, "Uncle, it's me."

The sound of iron had continued for quite some time before, but now it stopped immediately, and the owner even came out to greet his visitor.

"You're here?"

Not knowing how long he had been sitting for, Kim Dae-ho walked out, hitting the back of his waist. He scanned Sung-in from top to bottom and asked, "You seemed to have made some achievement?"

"How did you know about it?"

"It's all over the news, kiddo. Are you crazy? You're still so young, yet going to all those dangerous places trying to get yourself killed?"

"Well, it's my job to do so."

"What sane person would be so hardworking and go around looking for all these places? Don't care about others, but take care of yourself first."

"Things never go as how I wish." Sung-in laughed lightly. If things had gone his way, he would have already done it.

It was a topic that he hadn't hoped to talk about. Every time it was the same result, a problem that had no answers to it. Sung-in changed the subject.

"What about the item I asked about the last time?"

"It's all done now. Here."

Kim Dae-ho pulled out the sword that was on his back and passed it to Su-hyeun. As he had it on him so carelessly, Su-hyeun had not realized that it was the exact item that he had asked for.

"This…"

"I named it Balmung."

Balmung. It was the name of the sword used by the hero Siegfried.

"What do you think? It's awesome, right?" As if satisfied with his own creation, Kim Dae-ho grinned so wide that his yellow teeth showed.

Sung-in looked at the sword closely. At that moment, his expression had stiffened.

"What did you add into the sword?" Did he think that Su-hyeun wouldn't be able to find out?

Kim Dae-ho, who had a smiling face on, shook his head. "Ah, this kid. Can't you just shut up and take it?"

"Uncle, could you have…"

It wasn't only the highest-grade ether stone that was put into the sword. There was also the item which Kim Dae-ho had cherished in his whole life, saying that he would make a masterpiece out of it. It was thanks to that item that Balmung was a masterpiece.

But…

"I can't accept this."

He wasn't happy at all.

"How can I accept this? Uncle, uncle, why did you…"

"Sung-in," Kim Dae-ho said in an attentive tone that was never heard from his mouth. It made Su-hyeun wonder if such a warm tone could actually be heard from his husky voice.

The flustered Sung-in kept quiet. Strangely enough, Sung-in's mouth was tightly shut.

"Everyone in the world calls you a hero. You know that, too, right?"

"…Yes."

"Don't live like that."

"What?"

"Your expression. Did you know that as you progress, it becomes darker? Why on earth would you go around carrying the people's expectations, hopes, and everything else?"

"That's because…" Sung-in could not answer.

It was a question that he could not find an answer to. Although he had thought about it countless times a day, he could only arrive at one conclusion.

It was because he had no other choice.

If it weren't him, if he hadn't done it, if he hadn't existed…

After a long string of assumptions, his body eventually reacted first. And the result was an exhausted body and mind. But it would happen all over again.

"Well, up until now, it was just my grumbles. I know it, too. No matter what I say, you would never step out of your stubbornness," said Kim Dae-ho.

"…I'm sorry."

"You asked earlier, right? Why."

"Yes."

"Because it's unfair."

Just what about it was unfair?

He needed more details. Sung-in stared blankly at Kim Dae-ho.

Kim Dae-ho took over the sword in Sung-in's hands once more. He slid the sword back into the sword shaft where the word "Balmung" was engraved on it.

"Everyone in the world has never done anything for you, and yet hope for your assistance. What else is there in this world that's this selfish?"

"Is that being unfair?"

"Otherwise?"

"But that's…"

"You're saying it's your choice?"

Kim Dae-ho had already known what answer Sung-in was going to give. It was obvious. It was something that Sung-in and Kim Dae-ho had talked about not long ago. Kim Dae-ho hated it the most when people called Sung-in a hero.

"Yes, I know. That it was your choice."

Sung-in didn't respond.

"So that's why I want to take a stand in this unfair relationship, too."

The unbalanced relationship that Kim Dae-ho was referring to had meant the vertical, one-sided relationship of unconditional giving. Kim Dae-ho grinned as he handed over the sword with its shaft engraved with the word "Balmung."

"When the whole world is waiting for your assistance, there should at least be someone who could be of help to you. Don't you agree?"

The craftsman, Kim Dae-ho.

When Su-hyeun first got to know of Kim Dae-ho, it was also at this place. Hearing that Kim Dae-ho had taken an interest in weapons used by awakeners and started making them in 2018, Su-hyeun had thought that he could be found there. A smile naturally crept onto his face. There weren't many times where he smiled, but when he saw Kim Dae-ho, a smile came to him.

"Uncle, I'm here."

It was a place that he often came to whenever he had tough times. But now, Kim Dae-ho could not recall who he was.

He's much younger now.

He was already well over his sixties. However, Su-hyeun had last remembered Kim Dae-ho to be an elderly man with grey hair and a hunchback. He looked much younger now compared to back then.

Su-hyeun was glad to see him. He clasped his hand and spoke. "Nice to meet you. I'm Kim Su-hyeun."

"Kim Su-hyeun? But what brought you here?"

Kim Dae-ho, who was working on his equipment until a while ago, showed an irritated look on his face. What other reasons would there be for him to be holed up in a mountain like this? It was for him to not get disturbed.

But Su-hyeun, who had already accepted his feelings, was undeterred by it.

"I heard that you have been creating weapons for awakeners."

"Who said that? Which blabbermouth…"

It looked like he was going to get furious right there and then. He seemed to have thought that someone had exposed his location. Su-hyeun spoke in a calm voice while Kim Dae-ho was jumping around in anger.

"I have a favor to ask of you."

"Get lost, kid! I don't do just any weapon!"

"It's not just any weapon."

"Ah, whatever, I'm not doing it…"

Kim Dae-ho's eyes widened in surprise. The stone that was the size of a fist was held in Su-hyeun's hand. He spotted the highest-grade ether stone.

"Could this be…"

"It's an ether stone."

"Is this for real?" He gave a flabbergasted and astonished look also filled with joy and anticipation. It was the exact reaction of the Kim Dae-ho he knew.

When others saw an ether stone, they would have a greedy expression on their faces because they saw it as money, but it was different for Kim Dae-ho.

He is still the same.

The greed shown on his face was not materialistic. It was out of curiosity and anticipation. It was the aspiration that had made Ki Dae-ho a craftsman. He was, indeed, a true blue craftsman.

"Yes, it's the real deal."

"I've never seen such a huge ether stone. Never…"

"Wouldn't you recognize it, though?"

Kim Dae-ho nodded slightly at Su-hyeun's question.

Ever since the ether stones were discovered, he was a craftsman who realized that the ether stones could be used to make items and had continuously made them. He sold items when he had insufficient funds and used those funds to purchase ether stones and other materials. Then he would continue to make equipment and items again. He had dealt with ether stones more than anyone else in the world. Thus, there was no excuse for him to not be able to differentiate between an ordinary stone and an ether stone.

"Where exactly did you get this from?" It finally seemed that he wanted to talk.

"Is the source of it important?"

"Not really." Kim Dae-ho grinned widely. It looked as if he was really enjoying it.

His reaction was as expected. The origin of the ether stone was never important to him. What was most important was that an ether stone of this size had appeared in front of him.

"Right. What do you want?"

"I want a sword."

"A sword?"

"Yes. I hope you could make me a killer sword."

In this era, no one else in this world had better weapon crafting skills than Kim Dae-ho. To Su-hyeun's knowledge, Kim Dae-ho would still be the only renowned craftsman even in the distant future. It was up to the point where the equipment and items created by him were traded at premium price points in the future.

"If so, you've come to the right place." Kim Dae-ho kept smiling and spoke with confidence.

"I don't need any payment. Since you've brought such a precious item, it'll be free."

"You're quite straightforward."

"Let's set up a contract. As for the guarantor…"

"I don't need it."

Su-hyeun shook his head at Kim Dae-ho, who was anxious to get started on the production.

Kim Dae-ho, who was in a hurry to create the contract, stopped and turned his head around.

"What?"

"I don't need the contact, Uncle."

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Chapter 32: Chapter 32

Kim Dae-ho responded with a blank face at Su-hyeun's words. It seemed that Kim Dae-ho did not fully understand the meaning behind what Su-hyeun said.

Kim Dae-ho frowned slightly and asked, "Are you sure about that?"

"Yes, I'm certain."

"Look kiddo, tell me the truth. Where did you pick the ether stone up? Are you not aware of how precious this item was?"

How could Su-hyeun be oblivious to it? The only person in this world who could have known how valuable this item was was Su-hyeun. Even so, there was only one reason that made Su-hyeun shook his head.

"I trust you, Uncle."

"…What?"

"Wasn't the only thing which you hoped for was a sword made with that stone? The process of using that item."

There was a slight twist in Kim Dae-ho's expression. After showing a preposterous expression, he opened his mouth.

"Ke, kah, kahahaha!" It was blinding. His roaring laughter came back, echoing from the forest beyond the door.

It had been a while since Su-hyeun saw Kim Dae-ho laughing so heartily. He, of course, had expected it.

Su-hyeun himself, too, was also aware of how ridiculous his words were.

"You're quite an interesting lad. No, are you a weirdo? Anyway…" Kim Dae-ho took the ether stone in Su-hyeun's hand and spoke. "You're right. What I wanted was the process of creating the sword, not this item itself. Let me ask you one last thing."

Kim Dae-ho held up the ether stone he took from Su-hyeun in front of his eyes and asked, "Do you truly trust me?"

"Yes, I have my trust in you."

"Kek. Kah! You're a weirdo, young lad." Once again, Kim Dae-ho started laughing heartily.

Soon, his laughter disappeared without a trace, and all that was left was a stern look.

"So, alright. As much as you have put your trust in me, I will return that favor as well. I'll create a sword out of this world."

"Yes, please do your best."

Su-hyeun reached out his hand to Kim Dae-ho cheekily. Kim Dae-ho blankly stared at Su-hyeun's hand for a while before grasping it. Strangely, there was a familiar feeling even though they had just met.

Su-hyeun then returned home immediately. It was already late evening. Su-hyeun arrived back home around a similar time as Shin Su-yeong.

Shin Su-yeong had prepared a simple stew and had been waiting for Su-hyeun's return. As she looked at Su-hyeun, who arrived back home late, she spoke out immediately.

"Son, shall we talk?"

"…Yes."

What had to come eventually came. Su-hyeun took his seat at the dining table. They did not turn on the television for this conversation.

Shin Su-yeong started to speak first.

"Tell me, truthfully, son. You are hiding something from me, right?"

"Yes, I am." Was it because he had been expecting this moment for a long time? He didn't find much difficulty replying. "You know what kind of person an awakener is, right?

Shin Su-yeong's eyes wavered at Su-hyeun's question.

Seeing that she wasn't too surprised, Shin Su-yeong must have had her suspicions and guesses.

"Yes, of course, I know."

"Then, you should know how dangerous that job is, too."

"Of course. Your mom has eyes and ears, too."

"Mom, actually…"

Su-hyeun closed his eyes tightly. Su-hyeun held his breath for a moment and started telling his story.

Everything that had happened before. How Su-hyeun started as an awakener, the things that every other awakener had gone through by clearing trials to get even stronger. He even spoke of yesterday and the day before, when he had gone for a dungeon attack.

After Su-hyeun had told all of his stories, he observed Shin Su-yeong closely.

"Mom, why… do you have this expression?"

The one flustered should have been Shin Su-yeong, as it was Su-hyeun who had been keeping all of this a secret until now. But after all of this had been said, it was Su-hyeun who felt flustered.

"What kind of expression should I have?"

Su-hyeun stumbled at Shin Su-yeong's rhetorical question and finally spoke.

"Aren't you angry?"

Su-hyeun had expected Shin Su-yeong to flare up at him and be worried about him. Shin Su-yeong had always worried over him even when nothing happened, asking if he had been taking his meals; Su-hyeun could never imagine how worried she would be when he revealed that he had been fighting monsters all this while.

But…

"It's not something that I should be angry about."

Not only did Shin Su-yeong not flare up at him, but she only put on a sad expression. Su-hyeun had never expected such a reaction from her.

"Why?"

"Son."

Hearing Shin Su-yeong's voice, it broke Su-hyeun's heart.

"Wasn't it tough?"

Su-hyeun's eyes widened at Shin Su-yeong's question. That short phrase created a considerable stir deep in his heart.

It was tough. It was quite tough at that.

Never had anyone asked him this question before. Not even his mother from his previous life.

"Won't it be even tougher… in the future? Won't you feel exhausted or even regret your decision?"

It would be tough. Even more so as compared to now.

Instead of hearing words of encouragement, it was his first time hearing words of concern like these.

Something rushed up from within Su-hyeun as he was forced to suppress his feelings. Su-hyeun, afraid to show his tears, clenched his fist tightly, bit his lips, and lowered his head.

"Yes. I'm… alright."

His heart and mouth could only respond differently. Su-hyeun could never bring up the word "difficult" in front of Shin Su-yeong.

Either way, it was something that he was prepared for all along. She probably would have known about it, too.

But even so, Shin Su-yeong did not stop Su-hyeun. She could never be happy nor sad for Su-hyeun.

"If you say it like this, there's nothing I can do."

Shin Su-yeong had already known.

Seeing how Su-hyeun did not tell her the truth and his thoughts, it meant that her persuasion or words would not work on him. She knew that right at this moment, her persuasion and worries would only make it harder on Su-hyeun. Thus, all she could do now was encourage him. Furthermore, Shin Su-yeong did not want to change Su-hyeun's life.

Shin Su-yeong respected and supported Su-hyeun's decision. If it meant for Su-hyeun to have a happier life…

"I'll support you, my son."

Shin Su-yeong hugged Su-hyeun.

For some reason, something surged up from within once again.

"Thank you."

He could not show his weak side in front of Shin Su-yeong. Not being able to cry, Su-hyeun suppressed his feelings and laughed.

"Thank you, mother."

After that, Shin Su-yeong began to ask Su-hyeun various questions. She questioned what kind of job awakeners did, whether it was dangerous, and how busy the job was. And of course, she had also insisted for him not to take up too dangerous jobs if possible.

Su-hyeun responded to them all, saying, "I got it." He didn't want to see Shin Su-yeong getting anxious over him.

"Really?"

"Yes. Look at this."

Shin Su-yeong stared in shock as Su-hyeun showed her his bank deposit balance.

"Lies…"

"Do you want to confirm this with me at the bank tomorrow?"

"Oh my, oh my…"

She had heard that awakeners had a job that paid well, but never did she expect them to be able to earn this much just overnight.

The amount that Su-hyeun earned overnight was what Shin Su-yeong could only make after working for over 20 years.

"Aren't you being too happy?"

"Of course. Why would anyone hate money?"

"But you weren't pleased earlier?"

"Well, that's that, and this is this."

"Oh my…"

Although he knew Shin Su-yeong liked money, he had never expected her to change her attitude this fast. Su-hyeun let out a sigh and shook his head. Even so, he felt relieved that Shin Su-yeong did not show an even more tormented look.

She might have intentionally hidden that side of her as well.

Either way, he felt good.

Shin Su-yeong, who was always struggling with monetary issues, thought that she could finally relax for a bit now.

"Let's go take a look at houses tomorrow."

With this money, they could finally escape from this basement apartment. Shin Su-yeong could also achieve her dream of having her own little store. Moreover, Shin Su-yeong had always wanted to manage a store of her own.

As their conversation ended, they watched the television as they had their dinner.

Right on time, Lee Ju-ho's face appeared on the news.

"Last night, a dungeon that appeared in Gwangju, Gyeonggi province's Anyak mountain had a level change. Fortunately, the leader of the party, Lee Ju-ho, who led the dungeon attack, completed the dungeon attack; but through this accident…"

This type of dungeon had not yet appeared up until now; thus, it was enough to be reported as news.

But it wasn't creating much stir as Su-hyeun had expected. The news had only served its purpose of warning the public that such dungeons were appearing as well.

Buzz—

Su-hyeun's smartphone rang as soon as he stepped into his room after dinner.

It was a call from Lee Ju-ho.

"Hello?"

Are you not going to accept it?

It's the same topic over again.

Although Lee Ju-ho had sent the same text messages previously, Su-hyeun's replies never changed.

But no matter what, Lee Ju-ho seemed not to have any thoughts on accepting the other half of the ether stones that were given to him.

"I have lots of money. I'm not that poor to accept them shamelessly, nor do I have any reason to."

"Isn't there a reason for you to accept them? You kept my secret and even took care of the annoying issue for me. That's enough reason."

"But it's too much compared to what I've done. It's not wrong to say that you've completed the dungeon attack yourself, isn't it?"

Lee Ju-ho's opinion was more tenacious than he had thought. He didn't seem easy to persuade.

If so…

"How about this, can you lend me your name?"

"My name?"

"More accurately, your B-rank awakener title. Since there are higher possibilities for a B-rank awakener to register for a red level dungeon attack alone, you'll just have to add me in."

There will be more dungeon attacks happening in the future. Instead of hiding Su-hyeun's capabilities and strengths, it's better if both he and Lee Ju-ho worked together as a team. Moreover, if there's only the both of them, the distributed amount of ether stones will be higher, too.

"Of course, if you think that's troublesome…"

"No, it's not. Let's do it according to your suggestion."

His reply was quick. Lee Ju-ho seemed to have thought that Su-hyeun's suggestion was better for himself, too. To be able to enter a dungeon attack with a skilled awakener like Su-hyeun wasn't a bad proposal for him either.

"I'll take your acceptance as agreement, and will contact you in the future. If you want to apply first, that's fine, too."

"Yes, I'll wait for your call."

That ended their phone conversation. Su-hyeun's expression relaxed as his worries were lifted off his shoulders.

With this, I don't have to create a fake identity either.

He didn't need to get the awakener's registration card that one needed to obtain permission for a dungeon attack thanks to his new friend, Lee Ju-ho. The minimum conditions of being at least a B-rank awakener for joining a dungeon attack was fulfilled thanks to Lee Ju-ho.

The issue with Shin Su-yeong had also been resolved amicably. It felt as though an immense thunderstorm had quickly passed.

Now…

All he had to do was to look forward and achieve his goals.

The next day.

Su-hyeun left home as the day broke. Now, Shin Su-hyeun did not even ask Su-hyeun where he was headed. Su-hyeun opened the door to the Tower of Trials.

The things I have to do.

It was different compared to the times where he meaninglessly climbed the tower without goals.

Now, he had a clear goal for climbing the Tower of Trials. There was also an apparent reason for doing it. Strangely, his feet felt light. With this feeling, it felt as if he could do achieve anything.

Step—

Su-hyeun stepped into the Tower of Trials.

[Kim Su-hyeun, your 11th-floor trial starts now.]

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