Chapter 15
The clinking of ice cubes in coffee cups accompanied the introductions being made around the table.
The man previously known as Bald Human’s real name was Lee Tae-min, a student majoring in Mechanical Engineering at Korea University.
“So, what’s the deal then? You played games all through high school and still got into Korea University?”
A university that’s notoriously hard to get into, even with 10 hours of study a day?
This guy was something else.
In more ways than one.
“Let’s see what kind of abilities this smart cookie has managed to snag.”
With a click of his tongue, Jin-hyuk activated his “Eyes of Truth.”
Name: Lee Tae-min
Gender: Male
Age: 23
Level: 11
Strength: 13 Agility: 15 Stamina: 16 Magic Power: 21
Stat Points Available: 0
Coins Owned: 2,500
Occupation: None
Unique Ability: Mechanical Sovereign
Skills: Lv2 ‘Sandbox Mode’, Lv2 ‘Command’, Lv2 ‘Hacking’
“Figures, he got this one.”
Jin-hyuk’s eyes narrowed.
Mechanical Sovereign.
An ability more specialized for combating armies rather than individuals.
Back in the Tower of Trials, Lee Tae-min, or the Bald Human as he was known then, frequently utilized this to conduct mass hunts.
A well-balanced character in terms of offense and defense.
Aside from its high magic power consumption, it was an ability without flaws.
Next, Jin-hyuk’s gaze shifted.
The face of the woman who had been known as the Fist of Bulkwang-dong came into view.
Her real name, Yu Yeon-hwa.
Initially, he hadn’t realized who she was affiliated with based on her name alone.
But as the introductions went on, it became clear who she was.
Yu Chun-young.
A living legend in the martial arts world, who had taken Taekwondo to its practical extremities, stunning the globe.
Yu Yeon-hwa was the granddaughter of this martial arts giant.
“And a very beloved granddaughter at that.”
It made sense now why she had been able to take down giants over 7 meters tall with her bare hands.
Blood of the same calibre as Yu Chun-young flowed in her veins.
Jin-hyuk activated the “Eyes of Truth” once more.
Name: Yu Yeon-hwa
Gender: Female
Age: 25
Level: 12
Strength: 25 Agility: 22 Stamina: 17 Magic Power: 5
Stat Points Available: 0
Coins Owned: 4,775
Occupation: None
Unique Ability: Extreme Taekwondo
Skills: Lv3 ‘Taechung Hwarang Heart Technique’, Lv2 ‘No Retreat in Battle’, Lv2 ‘Magic Power Enhancement’
“This is quite interesting.”
A close-combat tank and damage dealer.
Her unique ability and skill set lived up to the moniker Fist of Bulkwang-dong.
Given their similar levels, it seemed likely that the two had hunted together.
After all, they had always worked well together in the past.
[Copiable Conditions: These two have been comrades for a long time. When the three of you reach the 20th floor of the tower, you can copy the abilities of players Lee Tae-min and Yu Yeon-hwa.]
Reading the copiable conditions, Jin-hyuk nodded.
So, the abilities of these veterans of the tower wouldn’t be easy to copy.
“It’ll be difficult for a while.”
But that was okay.
After all, the three of them were bound to reach the 20th floor one way or another.
It was then.
“Bro, what are you doing? It’s your turn.”
Lee Tae-min, sitting across from him, cocked his head.
Unaware of the “Eyes of Truth,” he found Jin-hyuk’s behavior, staring into space and nodding, peculiar.
“I’m Kang Jin-hyuk, 27 years old. I used to be a BJ on Paprika TV.”
“Oh! You were a BJ? I used to watch Paprika TV too! Were you into gaming? Eating shows? Ah, but you’re handsome, so maybe you were a male cam streamer.”
Lee Tae-min approached with a grin.
Despite having interacted in the game, this was their first real-life meeting.
Yet, there was no sense of wariness between them.
“Yep. I’ve quit that now though.”
“Ah, come on. Talk to us more casually, bro. We’ve known each other in the game for more than a day or two.”
“Right. It would be easier for us too.”
Yu Yeon-hwa chimed in as well.
Both of them had an exceptional ability to connect with others.
‘I thought I was pretty good at socializing from my time as a BJ, but these two are on another level.’
Or maybe it was because I had been around too many backstabbers, which made me build walls around myself.
Weighing benefits and backstabbing as needed.
After a month of living like that, this warmth and camaraderie felt oddly foreign.
‘Teammates… It’s been a while since I’ve heard that term.’
A small smile played on Jin-hyuk’s lips as he nodded in agreement.
“Alright, I’ll speak more comfortably.”
As the awkwardness dissipated, the three decided to change locations, a suggestion enthusiastically made by Jin-hyuk.
While the aroma of coffee was not bad…
There was something else he craved more.
They ended up at a renowned place for grilled pork belly and soybean paste stew. The sight of sizzling, golden-brown meat and stew filled with tofu brought tears to his eyes.
‘This is on a completely different level compared to moss and mushrooms.’
In novels, there are scenes where returnees who spent hundreds or even thousands of years in another world tear up eating Korean food upon their return.
In reality, it didn’t take that long. Lock someone up in the wilderness for a month with only grass to eat, and they’d sell their soul for a Choco Pie. That’s human nature.
He suddenly remembered his time in the military training center, where one’s religion could switch between Choco Pie and Mongshell depending on the day.
Ah! That reminded him…
There was something else he wanted.
“How about we get some ice cream from Baskin Robbins downstairs for dessert?”
“Ice cream, I’m in!”
“What flavors do you guys want? I’ll go get it. You two stay here.”
Lee Tae-min half-rose from his seat.
“Mint chocolate.”
Jin-hyuk replied without hesitation, which made the other two grimace.
“Ugh, you mean that toothpaste-flavored ice cream?”
“Bro, that flavor is so divisive. It’s like brushing your teeth while eating.”
These kids…
They didn’t appreciate the refreshing taste of mint mixed with the sweetness of chocolate.
This was not something he could let slide.
“Never diss mint chocolate again.”
It had a solid fan base, stronger than any other flavor.
While eating, Jin-hyuk learned about the events of the past month from the two. The formation of various guilds, the struggle for resources within the tower, policies of different countries, and trends related to coins. All were critical pieces of information.
“As you know, most of the guilds from when we played [Trial of the Tower] have reformed.”
Lee Tae-min flicked his fingers, and suddenly,
Whoosh!
Seven symbols appeared in thin air, symbols Jin-hyuk recognized: America’s ‘Titan’, Europe’s ‘Olympus’, China’s ‘Zhonghua’, Japan’s ‘Samurai’, India’s ‘Gandhara’, and Korea’s ‘Dangun’ and ‘Fight Club’.
Yu Yeon-hwa nodded slightly, “Everyone knows it’s beneficial to hoard information among the original members.”
True. At least the players in those guilds weren’t fools. They wouldn’t recklessly accept new members or share high-level information.
“How about the BJs? There must be freelancers gathering coins by streaming, right?”
At Jin-hyuk’s question, Lee Tae-min’s expression darkened slightly.
“Yeah. Mostly, the famous ones are exploiting their fame to milk views from their audience. And, there are rumors, though unconfirmed, about someone trying to run a coin factory like in the old days. They’re called ‘Mine’ or something. It’s all over the news these days.”
“…They’re out of their minds.”
“Exactly. They’d be facing life imprisonment if caught.”
Coin factories meant forcing people to watch specific streams to generate coins. In the past, NPCs filled these roles in the game, so it didn’t matter. But now, trapping people in a factory to farm coins would surely attract government intervention.
However, Jin-hyuk was certain these weren’t just rumors.
The world had changed, and the old rules no longer applied. It was a mistake to judge the future by the past’s standards.
In that sense, it was time to warn them.
About that guy. They needed to know too.
“Even if you two stick together, you might be targeted. Just a heads-up.”
Jin-hyuk began to share.
“About a month ago, I encountered the swordsman.”
“What!?”
“The leech?”
Both reacted at once.
Easy, easy. The whole restaurant is staring.
But their barrage of questions showed they didn’t care.
“Where? Where did you see him?”
“Bro, did that guy start swinging his sword in real life too?”
The Swordmaster. Notorious for his relentless swordsmanship and use of barriers, a top-ranked player who attacked first and asked questions later. In the Tower of Trials, encounters with him were frequent, and they never involved dialogue—just direct confrontation.
Of course, each time, Jin-hyuk made sure to put him in his place, beating him so badly he wouldn’t dare come back for more. Was it over a hundred times? Normally, anyone would have given up, but not him.
Whether it was a sense of purpose or a twisted form of rivalry, he obsessively followed us.
‘Specifically, he was after me.’
It wasn’t a joke; the guy even targeted me when I was eating, sleeping, and yes, even in the bathroom, so frustration and anger were inevitable responses.
“I didn’t actually come face to face with him. By the time I got there, he had already disappeared from the National Central Museum with the ‘Iron Sword engraved with Qianlong’ in his possession.”
“So he was after the replicas too… Wait, hold on. You went there too? That place was a war zone!”
“You’ve always had a strong heart, but how could you even think to go there?”
“I had things to take care of too. Anyway, you guys need to be careful. They might not recognize you by appearance alone, but if they see your unique abilities or skills, they’ll know it’s you.”
Having the same powers as before was a double-edged sword. While familiarity was an advantage, it also made them as identifiable as fingerprints.
“Thanks for letting us know.”
“Phew, we’ll have to be extra cautious. It’s scary to think about, even with both of us together…”
Lee Tae-min and Yu Yeon-hwa sighed, seemingly recalling the horrors from their past experiences with the swordsman.
It seemed like the information exchange had covered everything necessary for now.
“Shall we call it a day then?”
Jin-hyuk suggested, pushing his chair back.
Every minute was precious.
Having satisfied his hunger and thirst, it was time to return to the tower.
“Already?”
“It’s not early. It’s already 9 PM.”
Tomorrow, they would have to climb the tower again. Plus, after a month, he was longing for a hot bath and a proper sleep in a real bed.
Reluctantly, the other two stood up.
“Bro, you said you’ve been gone for a month, right?”
“That’s right.”
“Didn’t you miss the tests then?”
“Test…?”
What tests?
Seeing Jin-hyuk’s puzzled reaction, both Lee Tae-min and Yu Yeon-hwa had an “I knew it” look.
“Well, from the 2nd floor onwards, the number of casualties skyrocketed, so the Awakened Association decided only those who passed a test could proceed.”
“It’s a sort of verification… like this.”
Yu Yeon-hwa showed her wrist, where a barcode-like tattoo was faintly visible.
Ah, so that’s how it is?
The intention seemed to be to prevent just anyone from climbing higher, under the noble guise of reducing casualties.
Outwardly, presenting it as a measure to minimize sacrifices was a smart way to lower resistance to the test.
What noble purpose could there be other than to save lives?
However, the real objective was different.
The tests were designed to identify hidden talents.
‘More accurately, to pull those talents to their side.’
Jin-hyuk recalled the day the Tower of Trials first appeared.
‘Was his name Han Sang-jin? The man who introduced himself as the chairman of the Awakened Association?’
His shallow attempts to gather Awakened players through the TV were unforgettable.
“Where do they hold these tests?”
Now that it had come to this, it was a good opportunity to see how much he had grown.
No.
‘It’s exactly what I’ve been hoping for.’
His heart began to beat faster with anticipation.
This system created by the Awakened Association…
There had to be a way to exploit it to his advantage.
‘In a way that benefits me.’