Numerous residents inhabit the Tower of Trials.

Among them, a few particularly lingered in Jinhyuk’s memory.

Alice von Ataraxia of the Ataraxia family, the middle manager Rick Hennessy, and the Amhuang of the Cheonmashin Church were such examples.

And the man now standing before him was no less remarkable.

The Great Explorer Pesis.

“Apart from myself and the deities, he knows the most about the Tower of Trials.”

Jinhyuk’s eyes narrowed.

It seemed as though he was examining a tree, but in truth, Pesis’s primary focus was not on such trivial matters.

He was waiting.

For players who wielded significant influence within the tower.

More precisely…

“He’s here to talk to me.”

Pretending not to know, Jinhyuk approached Pesis.

“Are you studying the Islian sapling?”

“Oh! You know about the Islian sapling?”

“It’s a tree whose sap is used to cure ‘Breeding Cancer,’ a terminal illness. It’s not quite complete yet.”

“Ha, ha! I’m surprised to meet someone else here, and even more by the knowledge you possess. Yes, that’s why I was examining this sapling.”

As expected.

“It’s odd though. If it’s for medicinal purposes, you should know that a sapling of this size wouldn’t suffice for producing a cure.”

At Jinhyuk’s comment, Pesis’s mouth fell open.

He was inevitably flustered.

He had chosen the sapling as a decoy, and Jinhyuk had seen right through its value.

Moreover, his own name had slipped out, making it seem like he had completely botched his first move.

“Ha, ha! You are far more interesting than I expected. Well worth the wait, Player Kang Jinhyuk.”

Perhaps he realized that poor acting was unnecessary.

Pesis burst out laughing.

“Yes, I’m glad to meet you too.”

Jinhyuk smiled back and activated ‘Gluttonous Eyes.’

Ding!

A cheerful chime sounded as a status window with detailed information about his counterpart appeared.

——————————————————

Name: Pesis Dantalian

Gender: Male

Age: ???

Level: 50

Strength: 23, Agility: 25, Stamina: 26, Magic Power: 11, Crisis Detection: 152

Stat Points Remaining: 0

Occupation: Explorer

Unique Ability: Layer Drifter (層階浮游)

Skills: ‘Sixth Sense’ Lv16, ‘Unyielding Stamina’ Lv16, ‘Multidimensional Map’ Lv15, ‘Art of Persuasion’ Lv14, ‘High Affinity’ Lv14, ‘Exceptional Appearance’ Lv14, ‘Quick Adaptation’ (臨機應變) Lv13, ‘Synergy’ (Passive) Lv12

——————————————————

[Conditions for Copying: Pesis, who receives much attention from numerous deities, is both an explorer of the tower and a herald spreading its news. To copy Pesis’s ability, you must fulfill two conditions:

1. Please do a ‘favor’ that Pesis will ask of you shortly.
2. To recruit Pesis as an ally, you must show how well you are treating your current comrades. Continue to emphasize teamwork and boost morale. When a certain level of satisfaction is achieved, you can catch two birds with one stone: copying the ability and recruiting him as an ally. ]

‘It seems I’m already doing quite well… Ah, the system’s standards are profound and distinct from those of humans.’

Jinhyuk cocked his head slightly as he returned his gaze to the status window.

First and foremost was the unique ability section.

Pesis’s unique ability, ‘Layer Drifter,’ allows free movement between floors up to the 41st without needing to defeat bosses or meet specific conditions.

However, this remarkable trait comes at a severe cost: those with this ability must forego all combat-related skills.

‘Exploring the tower purely, without engaging in combat, must be his joy.’

But there was no need for disappointment.

Though he couldn’t copy the unique ability, there were worthwhile skills to acquire.

‘Let’s see…’

Jinhyuk licked his lips.

The skill ‘Synergy.’

A passive skill that boosts stats by 10% when using two or more skills simultaneously.

‘As a multi-skill user, this is a must-have for me.’

Thump! Thump! Thump!

His heart raced at the thought of unleashing enhanced skills.

The thrill of directly copying abilities others had painstakingly gathered was exhilarating.

Alright.

He had roughly scripted out what to do next.

“So, why have you been waiting for us?”

“Ha… It wasn’t with ill intentions. Actually, I needed to meet various high-ranking players and residents for a certain task. You, Mr. Jinhyuk, are the fifth VIP guest I’ve met this week.”

An explorer wandering the tower… meeting people.

This was quite unexpected.

Probably, the ‘favor’ mentioned by the system was related to this.

“What kind of VIP guests are we talking about?”

Jinhyuk slowly opened his mouth.

Then.

“The tower’s ranking.”

Pesis dropped an unexpected revelation.

“…The ranking of the tower?”

“Yes. As you know, Mr. Jinhyuk, there is no measure to compare the numerous residents and the players who have joined from outside the tower. At least, not officially.”

In the past, the tower had only vaguely assessed the top rankers, without knowing the exact rankings.

But now, with reality setting in, a new standard was emerging.

By the system.

‘Interesting. This must be one of the changes.’

While he had long graduated from playing ranking games, this was intriguing.

Not just a simple numerical ranking, but the value of the influence that ranking represented.

It would play a tremendous role in ascending the tower.

‘With both the system and deities involved, the higher the ranking, the more benefits likely come with it.’

Increasing the renown of the territory he occupied, enhancing its defenses, and even lending weight to negotiations with residents.

“So, you’ve been waiting to assess the ranking?”

“Ha. That was a big part of it. Indeed, the members of the ‘Veteran Corporation’ you lead are quite formidable. Filling the gaps in the ranking would necessarily involve meeting you.”

“We are a small but elite group… So, how do we participate in this ranking?”

“Oh! Are you offering to cooperate with the investigation?”

“Of course, we should.”

The first condition for copying had to be met by doing the favor anyway.

Of course, there was no need to reduce Pesis’s favorability by mentioning that fact.

‘You’re also destined to be forcibly recruited into our company.’

And at that moment.

[The members of the mid-sized force ‘Veteran Corporation’ have been incorporated into the ranking.]

[Those included in the ranking are Kang Jinhyuk, Alice von Ataraxia, the 5th floor boss monster Andria, Chun Yoosung, ??? (Goguma), and Teresa de Laurentia.]

A blue status window appeared.

Setting aside Yoo Yeonhwa and Lee Taemin, it was surprising that figures like Moon Yeong and Tibon, and even the five great elemental spirits had not made the ranking.

Nor did the names of Melena, a senior figure in the Miners’ Association, and Orun, the dwarf blacksmith, appear.

What exactly are the criteria for this thing?

Jinhyuk was baffled, but Pesis was visibly excited, continuously uttering exclamations of astonishment.

“Wow, it’s amazing how many people have been included in the ranking! I’ve met many people recently, but I’ve never encountered a group with such members.”

“Is that a lot?”

“Yes, certainly! There are up to 1,000 ranks available, including some major forces from the upper levels. There are also beings included in the ranking whom I haven’t been able to meet with my authority. Just being part of it is a huge honor. Especially rare among players.”

Pesis added quickly.

“Of course, the rank doesn’t directly indicate combat power. Although in most cases it generally correlates, there are exceptions depending on achievements and influence.”

Then…

‘That means those bastards on the 50th floor are also in the ranking.’

It seemed that Pesis didn’t know everything, which meant the system managed the overall matter.

Just then.

“What’s taking so long? Did you know these people or something?”

“Tweet!”

Alice and Goguma approached from behind.

Chun Yoosung and Teresa, trailing at the back, looked curiously at Jinhyuk and Pesis.

“Oh, sorry. There was something interesting, so I got a bit carried away. Since you’re here, take a look. This is the latest system being introduced.”

“Huh? What is it?”

“Tweet?”

“The ranking…?”

“Wow, that’s amazing.”

Everyone’s gaze lifted upward.

＊＊＊

[???Goguma (28th), Alice von Ataraxia (29th), Kang Jinhyuk (117th), Teresa de Laurentia (231st), Chun Yoosung (688th), Andria (815th)]

[There may be elements not detected by the system due to various variables.]

[Reliability 97.85%]

“Wait a minute! Is this a joke?”

Alice immediately raised her hand high.

“What’s weird? It seems just right to me.”

“Just right! How can I be ranked lower than that stupid reptile?”

Clearly unable to accept it, Alice began to seethe.

“Tweet!”

Meanwhile, Goguma, who received a high ranking, waved its tail proudly within Jinhyuk’s arms.

“That’s because when Goguma manifests in its true form, it’s powerful. You know about ancient species, right?”

“And me?”

“You were at your peak back then. It’s not the same now.”

It’s useless to bring up glory days when they are long past.

“But still… I can be quite useful too. I could definitely do better than that slimy creature.”

“I know. Why are you so down? It’s not like you.”

Jinhyuk gently patted Alice’s head.

It almost seemed like she had calmed down for a moment.

“I’m surprisingly high in the rankings.”

“Teresa, maybe it’s because of the high evaluation when you ‘fell’.”

“Ah… because of that friend… I see.”

Teresa shyly bowed her head.

It seemed difficult for her to accept her counterpart with a completely different personality—the dark version.

I understand.

That version was honestly a bit too much for me too.

It must feel like facing an embarrassing history at every moment for her.

Lastly, Chun Yoosung also growled lowly, baring his teeth.

“There’s no way the gap between you and me could be this wide.”

“Weren’t you whining not long ago about not knowing how to beat me? Have you already forgotten that?”

“I never said that.”

Wow… Does this guy carry an eraser in his brain?

I’m genuinely curious how he passed med school.

It seems more realistic that he threatened the exam supervisor with a knife during the college entrance exam…

“Let’s drop it. I was the fool to try and get recognition from you.”

“Hmph.”

Chun Yoosung turned away coldly.

“Indeed, the atmosphere among Mr. Jinhyuk and his comrades seems good.”

“This looks good to you?”

“Bickering is only possible among people who truly trust each other.”

Pesis stretched with a broad smile.

“Then, let’s hurry along. We shouldn’t arrive too late and lose the spotlight to them at the Veteran Corporation.”

“Lose it? Who else is coming?”

“Weren’t you aware? Besides you, Mr. Jinhyuk, another group has been invited to the banquet currently being held at the palace.”

At Pesis’s words, Jinhyuk’s eyes narrowed.

“Another group… could it be?”

“Yes. The last demon, Velmariel. Those who defeated him are also headed to the palace. You might have heard of them by the name ‘Gandara’.”