Chapter 10
Jinhyuk’s hands trembled as he examined the item that appeared before him.
[Fortune’s Wheel of Goddess Fortuna (Incomplete)] Acquisition Difficulty: S
Description: Increases luck to its maximum for 10 minutes (single use). However, due to its incompleteness, the range of use is limited.
The goddess of fortune from Roman mythology.
This was her Wheel of Fortune.
Despite being a one-time use item and incomplete, due to being synthesized from F-rank items, it was sufficient.
At least on floors five and below, it could create something more powerful than any weapon.
‘Let’s see…’
Jinhyuk grabbed the handle of the wheel.
Warm.
A hot magical energy spread from his fingertips.
‘So this is what a holy relic feels like.’
It had a surprisingly spicy flavor.
‘Yes, this is what makes it appealing.’
Jinhyuk chuckled and turned the handle 360 degrees.
Click!
[The holy relic ‘Wheel of Fortune’ is activated! Your luck reaches its maximum for 10 minutes!] Heavenly luck.
Though he didn’t know the exact figure, his current luck must be astronomical.
Scratching a lottery ticket would mean winning every time.
He could even nap in a bullet-riddled battlefield.
Of course, there’s a catch.
The use is limited to certain ranges.
The scary part about this…
Misplacing your luck means it’s all for naught.
Moreover, there wasn’t a single line explaining how far this range extended.
Gaining such luck only for it to potentially go to waste meant careful usage was a must.
But.
That’s for the amateurs.
Jinhyuk knew exactly what those limits were.
‘It cost me a fortune to learn this information.’
He cursed it thousands of times before.
Thanks to that, he wouldn’t make the same mistake again.
Time to get started.
Jinhyuk took out the ‘Lottery Enhancement Scrolls’ he had bought, ten of them.
An enhancement success chance of 0.000012%.
A one in 8.14 million chance.
The same odds as winning the lottery.
Using it on the dagger would…
[Enhancement successful! You have obtained ‘Worn Dagger (+1)’.] A dagger glowing faintly red.
Just as expected!
The corner of Jinhyuk’s mouth lifted.
These scrolls, notorious for their atrocious success rate, were now as good as 100% success scrolls with his luck maxed out.
Now, it was a matter of repeating the same process with the remaining scrolls. Over and over.
Jinhyuk used the second enhancement scroll.
[Enhancement successful! You have obtained ‘Worn Dagger (+2)’.]
[…….]
With each successful enhancement, the dagger’s color shifted slightly.
Growing increasingly redder.
And finally.
[Enhancement successful! You have obtained ‘Worn Dagger (+10)’.]
[Since you have reached the maximum enhancement level, further enhancement is not possible.]
[You are the first in the Korean server to successfully create a +10 enhanced item!]
[You have received 5,000 coins!]
[This achievement will be displayed in the ‘Hall of Fame’ for one day!]
+10.
He had reached the maximum enhancement level for an F-rank item.
And he also secured coins as a reward.
Whoosh!
Jinhyuk lightly rotated the dagger counter-clockwise.
A smooth curve sliced through the air.
Light and clean to the touch.
‘I like it.’
[‘Worn Dagger (+10)’] Acquisition Difficulty: F(→A)
Attack Power: 280
Durability: 110/110
Effects: Bleed damage 3%, Lightweight 50%
Decent attack power.
With added bleed damage and lightweight magic.
‘Now I’ve got something worth using.’
He wouldn’t need to worry about weapons for a while.
A day had passed since the Tower of Trials opened.
On the first day, countless players explored the tower and recorded their growth, uploading videos in an attempt to secure subscribers with their unique approaches.
And those living outside the tower…
Watched those players’ videos.
For one reason.
To find the most talented and promising players.
Because only they could conquer the next floor of the tower within 90 days and prevent humanity’s demise.
Just then, while browsing the [Tower of Trials] community, Jinhyuk paused.
He had found something interesting.
[#Player Haemosu #Korean Server #Real Veteran #Fastest Clear of the 1st Floor Goblin Dungeon!] ‘Always someone bragging about something.’
The video, claiming a 15-hour clear of the goblin dungeon, had over a million views.
Translated to a 10,000 to 100 ratio, that’s about 10,000 coins.
After deducting a 90% fee, that’s a thousand coins earned.
‘Haemosu… He was somewhat famous in the lower floors at one point…’
The name rang a bell.
A rookie who had briefly shone before fading away, known to have played under the nickname Haemosu.
’15 hours to clear…’
Jinhyuk clicked on the video with a disinterested expression.
The video showcased a close-combat dealer mowing down goblins.
Not a bad speed, for the average player.
But to Jinhyuk, who cleared it in 3 hours and 40 minutes, it was merely cute.
However, the reaction in the comments was completely different.
Homonaeksang: Seriously insane. Solo clear in 15 hours, is this for real?
Taejungtaesebeyonce: LOL. Changed my pants after watching.
Kaltoeyojeong: Wow. Gonna subscribe and only watch this person’s videos from now on.
Maltiz Association President: 22222222
3dae500chim: 3333333
The comment section was filled with awe and admiration, praising this player as the one who could climb the tower and save humanity.
Then, a comment appeared.
Inhumandaemeorinam: 15 hours isn’t that fast. I know someone who cleared it in under 5 hours. This comment, like throwing ashes at a festival, naturally stirred up a storm.
Taejungtaesebeyonce: Proof or it didn’t happen? Spouting bullshit without evidence is seriously disgusting.
Godbelt loosen Scholar: Just the tone of your comment is disgusting. Who taught you to speak formally on the internet?
Gopchangsoju: I cleared 50 floors in 1 minute. Of course, no proof. Just believe.
The backlash was swift and harsh, with hundreds of mocking and angry comments flooding in.
But amidst all the ridicule,
Jinhyuk didn’t laugh.
Inhumandaemeorinam…
‘He’s also here in the tower.’
How could he forget?
Someone he occasionally played with up to the 20th floor.
After the 20th floor, he never saw them again, but they were nothing like the flashy but shallow Haemosu.
A fundamentally different player.
‘Among sparrows, a phoenix is playing.’
Inhumandaemeorinam was one of the few true veterans Jinhyuk acknowledged.
“Puhahaha! That’s it! That’s the ticket!”
While browsing the community, a man celebrated loudly.
This was Haemosu.
Or rather, Lee Myunghwan, who operated under the nickname Haemosu.
“See? Told you it would work.”
“Look at the comments.”
“The forums are buzzing with your story, too. Battling those goblins paid off. Cheers!”
Lee Myunghwan and his friends celebrated with high fives, raising their voices in excitement.
“It’s all thanks to everyone’s hard work. Thank you, guys.”
Lee Myunghwan scratched his nose bridge.
“Haha, people think you did it all alone?”
“The edit was good, and our covert support was so crafty they’ll never notice, right?”
“Yeah, look at this. There’s a truckload of people wanting to sponsor you.”
The video, supposedly a solo play, was in fact…
Staged.
Besides Lee Myunghwan, four others had helped.
Not that they took center stage.
They supported from just out of frame, stacking buffs and debuffs to make Lee Myunghwan appear stronger and more dazzling to capture the audience’s attention in one glance.
‘Heh.’
Lee Myunghwan’s smile grew wider.
[Views: 1,235,095]
Achieved in just 6 hours after posting.
If they kept attracting viewers like this, they could secure a substantial amount of coins later on, even after the 90% fee.
‘Don’t feel too bad.’
The world has always been dominated by those who pioneer.
As Lee Myunghwan was lost in dreams of glory, a notification popped up.
[The Hall of Fame has been updated with a new video.]
Suddenly, a new video was posted at the very top.
“What the hell is this?”
Lee Myunghwan stood up so quickly he nearly bit his tongue, but he had no time to care about such things.
“How… How could someone score higher than me?”
That seemed impossible.
There shouldn’t be any achievement higher than his on the first day…
Impossible.
But seeing it with his own eyes left no room for denial.
“Myung… Myunghwan…”
“Just play it. Let me see it.”
“Someone must have cheated. There’s no way… absolutely no way.”
“Shut up and just play it!”
Lee Myunghwan yelled.
“Okay, okay.”
Finally, the video played.
Unlike Lee Myunghwan’s, it was a brief 5-minute video, unedited.
Yet, the content was beyond imagination.
“This is… insane.”
Lee Myunghwan’s jaw dropped.
It was inevitable.
This was. ‘Impossible.’
[World’s first successful enhancement to a +10 item!]
The appearance of a +10 item.
Further explanation was unnecessary, as was calculating the odds.
“What’s… the view count? No, what about the comments? Tell me what’s happening right now!”
Lee Myunghwan’s voice trembled even louder.
There was desperation in his frail query.
“Posted 15 minutes ago, and it’s already over a million views. Word’s spreading fast.”
The response shattered Lee Myunghwan’s hopes.
Taejungtaesebeyonce: A +10? For real? 10?
Homonaeksang: Insane. Was that even possible? I’ve seen up to +5 but…
Kaltoeyojeong: What’s the probability for a +10, considering he used the lowest grade enhancement scrolls?
Speedwagon: Here’s your math. Multiply 1 in 8.14 million by 10 times.
Kaltoeyojeong: So, how much is that?
Speedwagon: Look it up yourself. No hands? No feet?
Kaltoeyojeong: You son of a…
Godbelt loosen Scholar: But seriously, if you want to secure regular viewers, why keep everything private? Why not disclose info?
Gopchangsoju: Exactly.
Highwater Identifier: Who else could it be, logically? The same player who fought with the mangrove tree has to be.
Godbelt loosen Scholar: Seriously? Wow, that makes sense. Only that legend could.
Gopchangsoju: Yeah, agreed. If it’s that veteran, it might be possible.
Kaltoeyojeong: Just got chills all over my body. I’m only watching his broadcasts from now on.
Harvard 5th Year Class 3: I’m willing to strip down to my underwear to donate.
The comments heated up, not just warm but boiling over with excitement.
The story of clearing the goblin dungeon was quickly buried, and the internet was plastered with tales of the newly risen veteran.
“Uh… uhuh?”
Lee Myunghwan collapsed in his seat.
Having never gone past the 6th floor himself, his aim was essentially to gather viewers at this early stage.
‘It’s over.’
Completely.
“What kind of bastard is this! Aaaaaargh!”
Lee Myunghwan’s scream was despairing.