Chapter 4
Back in the Rogue Guild in Wolgok-dong, the first thing I did was sell the Magic Stones I’d taken from the Orcs.
When I pulled one out of my Inventory and showed it to the lobby staff, she immediately began appraising it.
“Where did you get these?”
“Why do you ask?”
She didn’t answer right away.
The way her eyes swept over me made her thoughts obvious.
“I don’t look like someone who can kill Orcs?”
“N-No, that’s not—”
“Do you need qualifications to sell Magic Stones? I’m pretty sure there’s no such rule.”
Her expression stiffened at the word “rules.”
She waved her hands and bowed repeatedly.
“That’s not it, I was just… curious. I’m sorry if I offended you.”
“Wow, nostalgia’s hitting hard.”
It had been a while.
In the Rogue Guild, even the staff looked down on you if you seemed weak. Strength was everything in this System.
Aside from when I was a kid, it had been years since I’d felt that familiar sting of being ignored and dismissed by the staff.
I muttered just loud enough for her to hear, as if talking to myself.
“Still got staff who judge by appearance? Should I make a scene?”
Her smug, confident expression drained instantly.
I meant for her to hear it, of course. But watching her face collapse that quickly reminded me where I was. This truly was the Rogue Guild.
“I-I’ll check right away!”
A wild place where the weak get eaten alive, and anyone can walk in.
That was the Rogue Guild.
“You think I came here with just one?”
“…Sorry?”
“Hold out your hands.”
This time, she obeyed immediately, holding out both hands.
I took out all the Magic Stones from my Inventory and placed them onto her palms.
Her expression froze.
Anyone could tell what she was thinking from the way she stared into empty space.
“Don’t worry about it.”
Since I hadn’t allowed Status Window viewing, pulling items from my Inventory must have looked like I was materializing Magic Stones out of thin air.
Without knowing what an Inventory was, she would naturally think I was using some kind of high-level Skill.
Maybe that was why—
“Ten minutes—no, five minutes! Please wait just a moment!”
Her attitude flipped instantly from arrogant to desperate.
Now, in her eyes, I wasn’t a skinny, pale kid who barely looked like he’d gone outside—I was a Rogue with a strange, special Skill she’d never seen before.
“Kindness brings kindness. Anyway… how much am I getting?”
I snorted.
“Maybe this works out. I don’t even know the market price, so at least she won’t try to scam me.”
Sure enough.
Perhaps because she felt guilty, she returned quickly and showed me accurate statistics down to the last won—and the total amount I’d receive.
“Here you go!”
“Good work.”
No haggling.
She bought the Magic Stones strictly at their listed prices, so I got a fair, high payout.
= = =
After leaving the Rogue Guild, I checked my Status Window.
== Status Window ==
[Name] : Bang Hyuk-min
[Level] : 11
[Class] : None
[Stats]
Strength – 24
Agility – 30
Intelligence – 16
Stamina – 16
Mana – 12
=======
Orcs really were high-Level monsters.
I only killed about 30, but I jumped 7 Levels.
And gaining the *Pioneer* Title with +10 to all Stats helped immensely.
“Level 11 with Stats like this.”
I couldn’t help laughing at Stats I usually only reached around Level 20.
Then, a strange emptiness washed over me.
“How ridiculous.”
It took me three years in my past life to reach those Levels and Stats.
And now it took only a day.
It was good—fantastic even—but the suddenness left a faint hollowness.
“But I never slacked off. My method was just wrong.”
Above all, I was too young.
I couldn’t see the forest—only the closest tree.
No, I couldn’t see anything except that tree.
I was hungry. I needed shelter.
That was everything.
“Well, it’s good things are good.”
I couldn’t enjoy the feeling for long.
Who knew what trouble Chung-ho and Hanbit were getting into right now?
Time to move to the next plan.
‘This time, I have to see the whole forest.’
I checked the Regression Mode cooldown.
[1 hour 32 minutes]
“Will an hour be enough?”
Just as I’d planned before leaving home.
With my wallet finally thick, I grabbed another taxi.
= = =
The massive Dotdae Tower in Jamsil, built by a major conglomerate, was tall enough to pierce the clouds. People joked that it was modeled after the Tower itself.
‘Still the same—past or future.’
Even after more than forty years of visiting this place, the crowds always made me shake my head.
I reached the entrance.
Only those entering the Tower could pass this point, yet crowds lined both sides.
“Clearing from the 50th floor! Anyone who can handle it, come!”
“Leveling on the 40th floor! Must be able to stay up all night!”
“Need a carry for the 45th floor—offering 400! Price negotiable!”
People waved signs and raised hands, forming quick parties.
These were Rogues without Guilds.
No—almost everyone here was probably a Rogue.
Guild members already had assigned parties.
“Excuse me! Which floor are you heading to?”
I glanced over.
But the Rogue wasn’t talking to me—he was addressing someone walking right beside me.
As I walked forward, people were plucked away one after another, disappearing into groups.
Everyone was chosen by recruiters.
Except me.
‘Well… even I wouldn’t choose me.’
Look at me.
My Stats were higher, my muscles had filled out a bit, but I still looked like a scrawny kid—not a Rogue.
People climbing the Tower weren’t doing charity; no one would choose someone like me.
Even the past me would’ve avoided someone who looked like this.
“This is better.”
In fact, it was perfect.
Today, the Tower mattered just as much as the Dimensional Bag.
And I needed to enter alone.
“I’m here.”
I stopped in front of the dark entrance.
After stretching lightly, I stepped inside—
Ignoring the snickering behind me.
= = =
[You have entered the Tower.]
[The only floor you can ascend to is the ‘1st floor’.]
Whoosh.
Dozens of torches erupted into flame, illuminating the darkness.
“So I can only go to one floor.”
Normally, you’d be asked to select a floor using the Status Window as soon as you entered.
You could choose any floor you had previously reached.
But since I had never entered the Tower before, I had no unlocked floors.
So I started from the 1st floor automatically.
“Well, let’s begin.”
Floors 1 to 5 were basically a tutorial.
No monsters—only gimmicks you had to solve.
There was no danger at all unless you triggered traps.
Thanks to my past life memories, I cleared the 1st floor in under five minutes.
Ding.
[You have cleared the 1st floor.]
[Would you like to challenge the 2nd floor?]
[ Yes / No ]
“Yes.”
The floor collapsed beneath me, dropping me into darkness.
When the torches lit again, a different cave appeared.
“System. From now on, stop asking. Proceed to the 6th floor.”
[1 hour 2 minutes]
“I need to arrive within that time.”
One hour.
That was the time needed to reach a certain place on the 6th floor.
To be exact—the time needed to obtain the Hidden Achievement.
Just as important as the Dimensional Bag.
No—maybe even more important.
Thump! Thump! Thump!
With higher Stats and a sharp mind, I solved every gimmick perfectly.
= = =
[You have cleared the 5th floor.]
[Moving to the 6th floor.]
“Hoo…”
The ascent to the real floor began.
I cleared floors 1 through 5 nonstop, without resting.
Finished the tutorial in under an hour.
This would’ve been impossible without my past memories—or with an average memory.
I smiled briefly at my efficiency.
Then—
Whoosh.
The torches lit.
“It’s different, alright.”
A cold sensation brushed across my skin.
The pungent smell of sweat and the metallic scent of blood stung my nose.
“Goblins?”
I snorted.
This was the Tower’s real smell.
The tutorial had none of this.
Because starting from the 6th floor—monsters spawned *automatically*.
Ting! Tingting!
“Starting already?”
The sound of battle echoed through the walls.
“Good.”
It was normal for this floor to be noisy.
But because I’d cleared the tutorial quietly, the noise felt strangely welcome.
Hands clasped behind my back, I strolled slowly along the path others had dashed through.
Then I recalled the interview from the original owner of this Hidden Achievement:
—I found the Hidden Room on the 6th floor. Everyone else passed by it. I was lucky. I explore everything, so I touched different parts of the wall…
I brushed my hand along the wall.
—Since it’s over now, can you tell us where the Hidden Room was?
—Simple. Anyone who’s been on the 6th floor knows there are three forks. I just kept choosing left.
Arriving at the first fork, I saw monsters the earlier Rogues had killed respawning in a burst of light.
I didn’t expect to catch up to the person who’d gone ahead.
I picked up a stone and approached the freshly respawned monster.
‘Goblin.’
A small, green-skinned biped.
Low intelligence—but capable of using tools.
At least it wasn’t something like an Orc or an Ogre.
Shriek!
Three Goblins made eye contact with me.
They were ready to charge.
Even with my boosted Stats, taking on three unarmed would be risky.
“Let’s play it safe.”
I grabbed a boulder about the size of both my hands.
Then I smashed it against a bulging rock.
Clang!
It split cleanly, revealing a glossy black interior.
Obsidian. As expected.
Dungeon obsidian was far stronger than what you found outside.
Sharpen it properly, and it cut so cleanly you wouldn’t even feel it slice your skin.
Clang!
I struck it again.
Then carefully chipped and shaped it into a crude obsidian blade.
“Good.”
I wanted to refine it more, but—
Shriek!
The Goblins had run out of patience.
[5 minutes]
Perfect timing. The Regression Mode cooldown was nearly done.
I tightened my grip on the obsidian blade.
“I didn’t sync the cooldown to kill you three.”
This wasn’t the spot where I needed Regression Mode.
Shriek!
The Goblins charged.
“Five minutes is plenty. Wait for me, Hidden Achievement.”
I sprinted toward them.
The gap in combat Stats was obvious.
The three Goblins outclassed me.
But my steps were confident—unshakably so.
No matter how strong the Goblins were, I wouldn’t lose.
My raised foot came down hard—
Keck!
The leading Goblin crumpled.
Without pause, I kicked off the ground again.
Before the remaining Goblins could even lift their crude clubs, I flew forward, grabbed the downed Goblin by the face, and drove into it.
My body was weaker than my past life—but I’d already adapted.
My movements flowed like water.
Shriek!
The other Goblins panicked and ran after me, but it was too late.
Thwack!
My obsidian blade sank into the fallen Goblin’s neck.
Slash!
I dragged the blade sideways, cutting through more than half its neck.
Cough. Cough, cough.
The Goblin gurgled blue blood and died.
Swish.
I rose slowly.
The remaining Goblins froze when they saw the obsidian blade dripping blue blood.
“Be grateful. This isn’t where I’m farming experience.”
Wiping the blood from my face, I tossed the blade at the Goblin hesitating in place.
Whoosh—Thwack!
It collapsed with a pierced forehead.
[1 minute]
Leaving one Goblin behind, I sprinted toward the second fork—the location of the Hidden Room.
[30 seconds]