Chapter 259: New Heroes Are Always Welcome

I’ve often wondered about it.

Who are those behind the Tower of Trials game, who released it to the public and have people play it? And more importantly, why would anyone create such a supernaturally gigantic tower?

“I’ve wanted to know the reason ever since the tower first appeared.”

While I threw myself into climbing the tower and growing stronger, it didn’t mean I neglected the fundamental questions.

“Look closely. With your own eyes.”

Jinhyuk opened a status window.

It displayed some of the comments Se-yeong Eonhwan had left on videos over time.

• Everyone seems unaware, so it’s probably not from the lower floors of the tower.
• If you’re an oil-grade veteran, it makes sense you’d know information others don’t.
• Why? There’s one, isn’t there? A veteran who wanders alone, unaffiliated.
• Doesn’t Unknown ever show up? I’d love to see that player fight alongside Kang Jinhyuk.
• I doubt it’s easy for those two to match up.
• The only player who might measure up to Kang Jinhyuk.
• There’s a rumor about a hidden piece that could transcend levels… So, it actually exists?
• If it’s Jinhyuk, maybe he’s gone even beyond that.
• Our Jinhyuk is indeed special. Born different.

Comments flowed in sequence.

“No viewer knows about the existence of the ‘mirror that breaks boundaries.'”

Even among veterans, no one has heard its name.

A normal viewer wouldn’t know about the mirror’s existence.

A rumor also requires access to certain information.

“Besides, it’s ridiculous that they think Unknown and I are the same person and yet push for us to be seen together.”

It’s not easy for a match between them to happen. Unknown and I are the same person.

Thus, we are the only players who could possibly rival each other.

There were also other statements that could serve as evidence.

Gradually.

Based on the clues I had gathered over time.

Finally, I was ready to ask the first question.

• Se-yeong Eonhwan: Haha. This is fun. I tried to control it as much as I could, but seems I was a bit sloppy? Didn’t plan on being caught this quickly.

Se-yeong Eonhwan’s exclamation burst forth.

Apparently not denying it, the darkened status window lit up brightly.

[The broadcast system is forcibly activated.]

A giant ‘?’ appeared.

A white question mark filled the screen, emitting an indescribable sense of unease.

Indeed…

Is this what they call the operator?

Never thought I’d actually face it, but here we are.

I always wanted to meet them when clearing the past towers, but now that it’s reality, my heart races uncontrollably.

• Se-yeong Eonhwan: Don’t be so tense. Just because you know our identity doesn’t mean we’ll harm you. Rather, since you’ve played so cutely, I’m thinking of giving you an extra special gift.

Wait…

“Us?”

Jinhyuk’s eyebrows furrowed.

Does that mean there are other operators?

• Se-yeong Eonhwan: There are several of us, yes. We’ve been watching you with interest since the very beginning. Honestly, there hasn’t been anyone else worth watching but you.

“I know that.”

I’ve been stalked enough since the Thousand-Eyes Avalokitesvara to not know.

• Se-yeong Eonhwan: No.

The voice from the question mark shifted.

I might feel the corners of a mouth twisting into a grin if it had a face.

• Se-yeong Eonhwan: When I say ‘from the beginning,’ I don’t mean after the Tower of Trials became a reality. I mean since you first started as a BJ. We’ve been with you ever since.

“What…?”

Jinhyuk’s pupils shook.

I’ve grown so accustomed to surprises that it’s hard to feel shocked by ordinary events.

But this was definitely startling.

• Se-yeong Eonhwan: Jinhyuk, always rolling with it, coffin dance, 25 years on a diet, etc. Why do you think those loyal viewers who always visited your broadcast are no longer around? Don’t you think it’s odd that they, who supported you so much, aren’t here to see how much you’ve grown?

Viewer count: 20.

A small number, but I thought it was a generous amount of fans for a small-time BJ.

But those weren’t people… they were the creators of the tower?

“That’s rather bitter, thinking it was all the result of my hard work.”

• Se-yeong Eonhwan: Ah. Seems there’s a slight misunderstanding. It’s not that you lacked talent for broadcasting that made you unpopular. Rather, you had too much talent, which was problematic. How else do you think we had to play around a bit to prevent your Tower of Trials gameplay from being exposed? We also made sure you didn’t have financial troubles by sending donations, ordering food deliveries, even getting a discount on your gym membership. We’ve been quite busy.

The more I heard, the more astonishing it was.

By now, I couldn’t even guess how long they had been manipulating things.

One thing was certain…

Their reason for orchestrating all this was.

“…To ensure that I could focus solely on climbing the tower?”

• Se-yeong Eonhwan: Exactly.

The question mark vibrated faintly.

As if saying it was thrilled.

But I found this intriguing too.

Having finally met those behind the scenes who orchestrated everything.

“What do you want from me, seeing as you’re so interested in me?”

This was the most crucial question.

They must have a reason for setting all this up.

• Se-yeong Eonhwan: Climb to the top of the tower again. We want you to reach the end of the tower, a place no deity or resident of our world has ever reached.

“Are you asking me to repeat what I’ve already done? Isn’t that too much effort for such a request?”

• Se-yeong Eonhwan: …The beings on the 50th floor are… all… there. Oh, direct transmission isn’t working? System limitations are really troublesome. Unfortunately, that’s all I can say. Just remember, the top of the tower… is completely different from what you know.

[Se-yeong Eonhwan has left the chat.]

[The broadcast has ended.]

The conversation ended there.

The screen flickered.

The chat turned black again.

I had met one of the most enigmatic beings and exchanged several words.

But not all my questions were answered.

“The top has… changed?”

It left me with even more questions.

However.

[A message from Se-yeong Eonhwan has arrived.]

The reward that followed proved that this dialogue was not a waste of time.

It was about 30 minutes later when Jinhyuk returned to Lee Taemin and Yu Yeonhwa.

Unable to share the details of his conversation with Se-yeong Eonhwan, he casually mentioned that he had been chatting with the viewers about the broadcast.

“So, what are we going to do now?”

“We managed as you planned, but isn’t it not so easy to just reap benefits among the guilds?”

The two looked at him with eager eyes.

It seemed quite fun for them to watch everything unfold as planned.

They appeared even more excited about what would happen next.

“For now, I’ll release just enough information.”

Although we agreed to work with the guilds, we hadn’t yet built enough trust.

A stage of providing some useful information to gain some level of assurance was necessary.

And with that as a foundation, using the substantial manpower and resources of the large guild coalition…

This raid could proceed very comfortably.

‘I’ll have to think about the tower later when I have time.’

Right now, the immediate task was to copy skills from the rankers and safely tackle the ruin.

The fortunes to be gained here were not to be underestimated, especially since ‘Black Tears’ was one of the few skills in the Tower of Trials that could be enhanced.

It was essential to acquire it, especially for use in the 40th floors and beyond.

“Oh, right, Yeonhwa. Did you manage to do what I asked?”

“Eh? Oh, that? It’s a bit ambiguous, but it should work. I did lay it on thick.”

Yeonhwa grinned mischievously.

Good.

If Yeonhwa speaks so confidently, it likely means we can count it as a usable card.

“Then, shall we get going?”

Jinhyuk stood up.

Since Nirasha and the other players were preparing to enter deeper into the ruins, it was time to join them.

• **Moving to the site, it was bustling with numerous players.

With the gate guardian down, they were likely planning to explore the interior seriously.

Tankers, dealers, and even healers.

The well-composed raid teams were busy even at this moment.

“Make sure everyone’s supplies are ample. We might need to stay inside for at least a week.”

“Pour out the magic potions without stint. Just hang the accounts in the finance department. Tell them to spend all their coins!”

“Remember, don’t start dealing damage until the aggro is fully on the tank. If it goes like before, we’ll have many casualties.”

Rankers in the main raid team were seen training the newer recruits.

“Tch. I’ll go ahead.”

Noticing Jinhyuk, Nirasha snapped coldly before leaving to attend to her duties.

On the other hand, Maria seemed quietly reassured by Jinhyuk’s presence.

“Why is she so cranky? Still upset about losing her meal ticket?”

“Please understand. The Gandhara side sent a few vanguards into the ruin before Jinhyuk arrived. None of them returned.”

Well.

They had moved too soon.

‘No wonder she was in a bad mood.’

It’s obvious, but there’s no chance for the Gandhara Guild to independently ascertain the information inside the ruins.

The second gateway through this route was much trickier than the first.

Modeled after one of the Seven Deadly Sins, ‘Sloth.’

In that place, only those who ‘remain silent’ can survive and move on to the next stage.

‘With the key obtained by killing the Reaper… only six more to go.’

If all the apostles created by the Witch of Lamentation are dealt with and their keys are obtained, then and only then can one be eligible to enter the witch’s chamber.

Jinhyuk glanced at Maria before starting…

First…

His ‘Eye of Gluttony’ pierced through her status window.

[Ding!]

——————————————————

Name: Maria

Gender: Female

Age: 26

Level: 61

Strength 23, Agility 35, Stamina 26, Magic 112

Stat Points Available: 0

Coins: 1,132,500

Occupation: Sorceress

Unique Ability: Elemental Mastery

Skills: Lv7 ‘Hellfire,’ Lv15 ‘Blizzard,’ Lv15 ‘Lightning Spear,’ Lv14 ‘Energy Shield’… Too many skills to display, listed as ‘folded.’

——————————————————

[Copy Condition: Deceiving and exploiting rivals may be one way to climb the tower, but there’s no need to make enemies of everyone. Cooperation and alliance are the best strategies for tackling the tower. If you form an alliance with Maria and refrain from stabbing her in the back until the end, you can copy one of her skills.]

‘No need to make enemies of everyone, huh…’

Well, that’s not wrong.

Maria, too, had been an ally during the European invasion at Bairodom and was probably the most cooperative of those affiliated with Olympus.

Just then.

[I’ve been trying to reach you for a while, but can you spare a moment? If I don’t speak up now, it might become a pretty big headache later.]

A familiar voice intruded his thoughts via whisper.