Chapter 19
Shortly after, a new mana stone was prepared.
It was a large, blue-tinged, mid-grade mana stone.
“Here you… huff, huff. It’s ready.”
The examiner gasped for air.
He had really prepared it in less than a minute.
He must have been quite frightened.
Alright.
Let’s begin, then.
Jinhyuk positioned himself with the dagger in hand.
The dagger once again turned red as mana was infused.
‘No need to hold back this time.’
Previously, he had restrained his strength.
After all, there was no point in going all out on a low-grade mana stone.
[The stat ‘Gap’ is activated to its maximum.]
The dense mana transmitted through his fingertips made the corners of Jinhyuk’s mouth rise.
Yes, this is it.
‘Strong against the strong, and strong against the weak.’
An overpowered stat that allows one to be formidable against both the strong and the weak.
It’s time to see how much progress I’ve made over the past month…
Sparks flew as the blade swept across the side of the mana stone.
“This… can’t be.”
The examiner’s jaw trembled.
It had been a month since the Tower of Trials appeared.
During that time, numerous awakeners had come here to take the test.
Most couldn’t even wield the minimum mana required by the mana stone.
Below F grade.
In other words, disqualified.
Of course, a select few were awarded ranks and,
The right to climb the tower proudly.
But, no one,
Not even the rankers who received S grades,
Had ever sliced a mana stone in half.
It’s a given.
This is…
An impossible tale.
The mana stone, now halved, crumbled down noisily.
Its cut surface glowed red.
Speed, power, and mana, a proof that everything was perfect.
[1st Place Kang Jinhyuk. Measurement: 20,895. Grade: S]
The birth of a new S grade.
Actually, since all measurements above 10,000 were included in S grade, the real rank was much higher.
More than double.
…A monster.
“Uh…uhm. S grade, con-congratulations. I’ll report this to the higher-ups, so please wait a moment. What was the number…”
The examiner fumbled for his phone.
‘It’s not just Korea.’
The emergence of a mega-rookie that required reshuffling the global rankings.
At least a director… No, with an incident this big, it had to be reported directly to the head of the association.
But then,
“Wait a moment.”
Jinhyuk grabbed the examiner’s arm.
“Yes?”
“Are you going to report this now?”
“Yes, that, that’s right.”
“Could you delay that for about a week?”
“Delay? I don’t understand what you mean.”
The examiner tilted his head, confused.
“A personal reason. After a week, you can inform the association or spread it on the internet; I won’t mind.”
“But, I can’t do that.”
Manipulating information.
If caught, he couldn’t fathom the punishment.
Even altering lower ranks was considered a serious crime, let alone hiding an S grade?
For an entire week.
“It can’t be done! Really, it’s impossible!”
He vehemently refused, stomping his feet.
As expected, this reaction.
Jinhyuk nodded as if he had anticipated it.
He wanted to enjoy the benefits of an S grade, but before finishing a certain task, it was necessary to hide his rank.
To do that, he first needed to control this examiner’s mouth.
“I’ve learned a few things in my life.”
“You’ve learned?”
Jinhyuk stepped forward.
A faint light flickered on the dagger in his hand.
“The first is ‘never make promises about human affairs’.”
The adverb ‘even if I die’ in a hypothetical statement holds no credibility.
It can’t.
Because the way of the world can change with the situation.
“Secondly, ‘a fist close by is scarier than a distant law’.”
‘The head of the association is on the top floor of a building, and I am right in front of you.’
So, it would be wise to make the right choice. Unless you want to face unpleasant consequences.
Jinhyuk casually played with the dagger in his hand.
Did the threat work?
The examiner’s complexion visibly paled.
The opponent was S grade.
A superhuman, not fit to be categorized as merely human.
If he wished, taking a life would be no trouble at all.
“A week! Will a week be enough?”
The examiner asked urgently.
Jinhyuk stopped walking.
“Yes. That’s enough. After that, you can do as you please.”
In fact, by then, he hoped for active promotion.
To attract significant attention.
That would make the plans he had in mind much easier to execute.
“Understood. Kang Jinhyuk’s rank will be announced precisely a week from now.”
Eventually, the examiner made his decision.
“You’re not going to change your mind or anything, right?”
“No, of course not. I promise on my name.”
“Sorry, but I don’t trust promises made in words.”
Verbal promises are the least reliable in the world.
People say they’ll take them to their graves yet often forget them over a drink, don’t they?
Rather than that…
I need something more concrete.
A sign that if breached, could mean death.
Flames flickered on Jinhyuk’s fingertips.
[Lv1 ‘Soul Brand’ is activated.] The same mark he had placed on Park Hana.
“It won’t hurt. Just bear with it for a moment.”
A sizzling sound as the soul brand was etched.
The examiner grimaced, but it was only for a moment.
This bought Jinhyuk a week’s time.
“For now, please use the initial measurement.”
“The F grade, you mean?”
“Yes.”
Jinhyuk nodded.
Then the examiner cautiously spoke up.
“So… how shall we proceed with the second test?”
The first test involved measuring mana to determine one’s rank.
Those who passed then faced a second test.
Its premise was simple.
Clear one of the dungeons within the Tower of Trials.
Since there were no restrictions on difficulty, most chose dungeons inhabited by goblins or orcs.
That was the conventional and wise choice.
However,
“I’ll be targeting the ruins on the first floor.”
Jinhyuk had already decided on his destination.
From the moment the Tower of Trials first appeared.
“The ruins on the first floor? You don’t mean…!”
The examiner’s pupils dilated in shock.
There was only one set of ruins on the first floor.
‘The Corridor of the Fallen.’
Even 11 years ago, when [The Tower of Trials] was first released,
And even now, as the Tower manifested in reality,
It was known as a forbidden area that no one had yet conquered.
The test was over.
He had received an F grade.
Jinhyuk showed the faint tattoo on his wrist to the two of them.
“You got an F grade?”
“How could that… Surely, we thought you’d be higher, is there a mistake?”
Lee Taemin and Yoo Yeonhwa exclaimed in unison.
It was an unacceptable outcome.
Especially for the two who had seen Jinhyuk’s capabilities in the Tower of Trials, an F grade seemed unbelievable.
“It’s a temporary rank. I’ve agreed to re-evaluate in a week, so we’ll have to wait until then.”
He glossed over the truth.
There was no need to reveal his S grade here.
“Ah…”
“If that’s the case.”
They seemed to accept the idea of a temporary rank with a nod.
“Oh right, brother. What about the second test?”
“I’m going to scout around now.”
“If it’s a low-level dungeon on the first floor, we have some on our side. Shall I look into it for you?”
“No. I’ll be fine on my own from now on.”
The path ahead was too dangerous.
No matter how skilled Lee Taemin and Yoo Yeonhwa were…
In reality, at this point, there was not a single player in the world, including myself, who could enter the ruins on the first floor and reach the end by normal means.
‘So, I’ll have to use abnormal means.’
Unconventional methods over the standard.
The Tower of Trials was a place where you had to survive by any means necessary.
“Don’t worry about me. You two keep climbing.”
That was the promise.
To meet again later.
Until then, they needed to focus on their own growth.
After parting with the two, Jinhyuk immediately logged onto the [Tower of Trials] community.
‘Should I search in the recruitment board?’
Typically, high ranks were gathered by guilds forming raid groups.
D rank and below often saw individual players teaming up.
And for a ruin, you’d need a group numbering in the hundreds.
[Recruiting players for the ‘Corridor of the Fallen’ ruins on the first floor. (000 members)] Found it.
Considering the difficulty, he thought there might not be anyone daring to attempt it.
‘Lucky.’
Jinhyuk immediately dialed the listed number.
The phone was picked up as soon as it started ringing.
- Hello?
- I saw your post on the community. I’d like to join the raid for the ruins. Haven’t you filled the quota yet?
- Of course, there’s room!
The man eagerly responded.
They must have been desperate for more people.
After all, only those without fear would choose to go there.
- By the way, what rank are you?
- F grade.
- Ah… F. Hmm. That’s okay.
- Is my rank an issue?
- Not at all. Even if you’re low-ranked, you can join the transport or mining teams. However, you won’t be eligible for a share of the loot found within the ruins. The transport and mining roles are paid daily since they involve less risk and therefore less reward.
It didn’t matter to Jinhyuk.
His goal in entering the ruins wasn’t to obtain a share of the loot anyway.
- Payment on a daily basis is fine with me.
- Then, could you come to the entrance of the Tower of Trials right now? The others are already gathered, and I’ll explain the details there.
- I’ll be there in 20 minutes.
The call ended.
Jinhyuk called a taxi and headed straight to the meeting place.
About 20 minutes later?
He arrived at his destination.
‘Should be around the entrance…’
Jinhyuk made his way through the crowd, looking around.
Then,
A group of men gathered together came into view.
Given their sturdy build…
‘Are these the porters they mentioned?’
As Jinhyuk approached, a man in a suit and glasses greeted him with a bright smile.
“By any chance, did you call earlier?”
“Yes. My name is Kang Jinhyuk.”
“Hello, I’m Seunghwan Oh, an agent from Matching Management.”
Oh Seunghwan welcomed Jinhyuk warmly.
“Is this the guy who’s supposed to be the last one?”
“Yeah, we’ve been waiting for over an hour.”
“Alright, let’s start then.”
“Haha, understood. First, please accept the raid team invitation. Yes, that’s right. Just press that accept button.”
Oh Seunghwan showed a 30cm screen to each of the people who had volunteered as porters.
“Your turn now.”
Finally, Oh Seunghwan showed the screen to Jinhyuk.
It was straightforward.
Just a sentence asking, ‘Do you agree to join the raid team?’
Agreeing meant officially joining the raid team.
Jinhyuk pressed the accept button.
Then,
[You have officially joined the raid team.] [A condition has been met.] [The second update will be applied.] [Language patches for 103 countries worldwide will be applied.] [A raid team exclusive quest begins.] “Wow. It’s up.”
“I got it too. Wow, this is fascinating. A raid team exclusive quest.”
Excited voices could be heard all around.
[#1 First Conquest of the Ruins] Difficulty: S
Objective: Defeat the boss monster and reclaim the throne at the deepest part of the ruins.
Reward: The right to choose one of the holy relics. (Note: If the boss monster is not defeated, the choice of holy relics will be restricted.)
Several status screens appeared in front of Jinhyuk.
Boss monster.
Reclaiming the throne.
And the choice of holy relics.
He was already familiar with the details.
But then,
‘What’s this?’
In front of Jinhyuk was a different message from the others.
[A special privilege for ‘The First to Conquer the Tower’ has arrived.] Another status screen positioned itself.