Chapter 20: Ruins, Corridor of the Corrupted (1)
With his heart pounding rapidly, Jinhyuk looked at the flashing status window.
A single line of text that mentioned a special privilege.
Yes.
He had always wondered.
He was the first to reach the tower’s summit, yet there had been no reward for such a feat.
The reason behind the system’s silence all this time.
‘Was it all to be granted alongside the reboot update?’
Jinhyuk quickly scanned his surroundings.
“Let’s set that aside for now. So, how much are we getting paid daily?”
“I’d prefer to be paid in coins rather than cash.”
“What’s with you, Mr. Park? What are you going to do with coins if you can’t even spend them outside the tower?”
“We porters are better off getting cash. What’s the use of hoarding coins that can’t be spent outside?”
Everyone was preoccupied discussing their daily wages.
This meant…
The reward was intended solely for me.
“I’ll check.”
Jinhyuk murmured quietly, and then,
[Your first special privilege is unlocked.] [The passive ‘Monopoly’ is activated.] [Monopoly] Description: If you secure the final reward for yourself, you can obtain the best possible reward among those available.] [Your luck stat permanently increases by +100.] [Adaptive stat increases by +10.] [The heart of ruthlessness is activated.] [Heart of Ruthlessness: Maintains composure even in critical situations. However, it may diminish one’s humanity.]
‘Incredible!’
Jinhyuk clenched his fist without even realizing.
To promise the best reward if I monopolize it.
Such unexpected rewards sprang forth.
This was absolutely insane.
Naturally so.
The Tower of Trials often presented selectable rewards.
Calling it a choice was generous; it was essentially a gamble.
And in some cases, only one out of thousands would be a jackpot.
But this was saying all that could be disregarded?
Without sharing with anyone else.
As long as I alone consume everything!
‘Haha.’
Thanks to numerous experiences accumulated over time, he had become someone not easily amazed.
However, this time, he couldn’t contain his exhilaration.
To the point where he bit down on his lower lip hard enough to bleed.
‘Luck stat… To think, this too.’
While not as extreme as the gap stat,
In the Tower of Trials, known for its harsh difficulty, luck was incredibly valuable.
Essentially flipping impossible situations through sheer fortune was all reliant on this luck stat.
‘Adaptive stat, I’ve never seen this before…’
It presumably meant adapting to something.
It was a capability not previously in existence.
Even excluding the last, the other two privileges were close to being cheats.
Moreover, the mention of the first special privilege implied at least a second was forthcoming.
‘The lack of further status windows suggests this is the end for now.’
After thoroughly checking the rewards again, Jinhyuk closed the status window.
Just in time, the discussion about daily wages wrapped up.
“300 a day isn’t bad.”
“Not bad? We’re risking our lives for this. Are our lives only worth 300?”
“Damn it. Since when did you care about such things? Besides, according to Mr. Oh here, a rich guild is joining this raid?”
Everyone’s gaze shifted to Oh Seunghwan.
“Yes, this raid is a joint operation. One of the top 10 major guilds and a mid-tier guild are participating.”
A major guild.
Especially one within the top 10 was a significant force.
Considering there were over 10,000 guilds worldwide.
“And with several solo rankers joining, there’s no need for excessive worry.”
“Really?”
“Hahaha. Guess we can just hide safely in the back and carry stuff around.”
“It should take about three weeks, so excluding expenses, each person should get around 5,000.”
Oh Seunghwan’s words ignited cheers from the crowd.
“Alright, if we’re done here, let’s wrap it up.”
“How about grabbing a drink with Mr. Park and Mr. Kim? How about some soju with pork belly?”
“Ah, soju sounds good. Was just thinking about having a drink.”
“I know a place that does an amazing job with pork belly and skin. Just follow me.”
Suddenly, the mood shifted towards a drinking session.
“Hey, aren’t you coming? A shot of soju before a hard day’s work tomorrow is just what you need!”
“I’m good, thanks.”
Jinhyuk shook his head.
Even resting to bring his condition to its peak seemed insufficient, let alone drinking alcohol.
They didn’t understand.
Just how dangerous the first-floor ruins were.
‘It’s nonsense to think that a mere top 10 guild can conquer it.’
The fate of the raid team was already decided.
Either total annihilation or a devastating blow.
And Jinhyuk’s goal was to find opportunities only a veteran could in that predetermined outcome.
A massive desk shattered,
User continue ChatGPT sending wooden splinters flying in all directions.
“Huff, huff!”
Fuming with rage, the man’s shoulders heaved violently.
“What the… what kind of disgrace is this!”
The master of the Black Crow Guild,
Shin Geonsoo,
was infuriated by the news he had just received.
Naturally so.
A once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
He had kicked away the ladder that could have elevated them in this newly changed world.
All because of the mistake of someone he had trusted most.
“How much did we invest in coins and items to bring in the Fight Club Guild… Do you have any idea?”
“I’m sorry.”
Park Hajin, kneeling on the floor, bowed his head.
“Sorry? You say sorry? If you knew you’d be sorry, would you have messed up like that?”
Shin Geonsoo picked up a golf club.
And began to brutally beat Park Hajin without mercy.
Thwack!
Thwack!
“Ugh! Agh!”
“You fed your sister the best refined Ginseng we had, one that could almost be called miraculous.”
A stroke of luck that was nearly a miracle.
The only Ginseng with a refinement rate over 50% was given to Park Hana.
“All you had to do was follow her and cheer when she received an A rank.”
Emotion charged each strike.
Thwack! Crunch!
His back, shoulders, head – wherever his hands could reach, merciless beatings followed.
“And you couldn’t even manage that, huh? Was that too hard for you?”
Roar!
Crash!
With a sound cutting through the air, the golf club struck Park Hajin’s head.
Blood splattered across the floor.
“Ugh…”
Eventually, Park Hajin collapsed.
Only then did Shin Geonsoo stop the assault and toss the golf club aside.
“Who’s the guy who interfered? Spit it out. What does he do?”
“It’s… Kang Jinhyuk.”
Kang Jinhyuk?
It was a name Shin Geonsoo had never heard before.
“What’s his rank?”
“…”
Park Hajin didn’t respond.
Or more precisely, he couldn’t.
“Can’t hear you. What rank is he?”
As Shin Geonsoo reached for the golf club again, Park Hajin finally managed to speak in a croaking voice.
“…F rank.”
“F? F rank?”
For a moment, Shin Geonsoo felt as if he’d been struck on the head with a hammer.
“Haha, this is ridiculous. So, we got trounced by some rookie with an F ranking?”
…Stupidity.
At this point, it was so absurd that he was too shocked to even be angry.
“Forget it. That punk will be taking the second test soon, right? Take the guys and deal with him cleanly. If it’s done in the dungeon, there won’t be any evidence left anyway.”
A death order.
Shin Geonsoo decided to mobilize the guild at an official level.
“I understand.”
Park Hajin clenched his fist.
He had been caught off guard before, but this time it would be different.
With Shin Geonsoo’s approval, a group of B-ranked players would move out.
“I’ll make him suffer… No, I’ll make him beg for his life more than I did.”
Park Hajin’s mind was consumed with thoughts of Jinhyuk begging and crying for mercy.
The next day at 4:30 a.m.,
Jinhyuk headed towards the Tower of Trials, the agreed meeting place.
“You’re here, Mr. Kang, right?”
“Over here! This way.”
Even before dawn, the porters and miners had already gathered.
Non-combat personnel had to be active early so that the players could focus entirely on combat.
Agent Oh Seunghwan was nowhere to be seen.
‘Well, he was just a mediator.’
Instead, there were many more people waiting than the porters he had met yesterday.
After about 10 minutes, someone cleared their throat.
“Ahem! I’m the food supply manager, Kyungyeol Kim. Just call me Manager Kim.”
A man, appearing to be in his early fifties, introduced himself.
“Our job is to carry food and other supplies for 300 members of the raid team for a week. That’s about 70-80kg per person. It won’t be easy, but we’re on a tight schedule, so let’s all do our best. When else would you earn 300 a day?”
Manager Kim mentioned the daily wage,
But most faces were twisted in discomfort.
“Damn, that’s heavy.”
“My back’s gonna break. Are we supposed to carry this all day?”
“Well, the weight will decrease over time, so…”
“Stop whining and get in line at the truck. We need to be there by lunch.”
Voices exchanged back and forth.
Though they grumbled, they had no choice.
The contract had been
User continue ChatGPT officially signed, after all.
Soon, the porters began to receive their hefty-looking backpacks from the truck.
“Bloody hell.”
“Urgh!”
Faces contorted as if they were carrying the weight of the world.
“Here, take it. Being F grade doesn’t exempt you, so don’t make a fuss and just carry it.”
Manager Kim handed Jinhyuk a backpack.
But,
‘Huh?’
Jinhyuk tilted his head as he shouldered the backpack.
It was light.
Unnaturally so.
‘It’s almost… as if it weighs nothing.’
But how could that be?
From the labyrinth to now, his level remained the same.
After consuming the Mangrove Heart, he hadn’t increased his strength stat, so a backpack weighing over 70kg should not feel light.
Could it be…
A thought crossed Jinhyuk’s mind.
He immediately activated his personal status window.
——————————————————
Name: Kang Jinhyuk
Gender: Male
Age: 27
Level: 1
Strength 8 Agility 8 Endurance 8 Magic Power 11 Gap 100 Luck 10 Adaptive 10
Available Stat Points: 0
Coins: 12740
Job: None.
Unique Ability: Fusion
Skills: Lv2 ‘Element of Fire’, Lv2 ‘Eye of Truth’, Lv1 ‘Sympathy’, Lv2 ‘Soul Brand’, Lv1 ‘Monopoly’, Lv1 ‘Shallow Breathing’
——————————————————
One thing had changed.
The three special privileges given alongside the second update.
And among them, the last stat, whose purpose had been unclear.
[Adaptive Stat +10]
That was it.
‘Acting as a porter has made me adapt, so the weight feels lighter.’
If that assumption was correct, everything fell into place.
Moreover, if this effect applies in combat or other situations as well…
This stat could be incomparable to Gap or Luck.
Then,
Wait a moment.
Just a moment.
‘This stat, it’s given only to those who have seen the tower’s summit, right?’
Although it was a long shot, technically, other stats could somehow be obtained by someone else.
However, the Adaptive Stat was an exception.
‘There’s literally no way to acquire it.’
Only one person.
Everyone except for me.
As that thought connected, chills ran down his spine.
It seemed he had stumbled upon a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.