TRC 02

Chapter 02…

Thirty years since the Tower appeared.
Three years since the Gates began opening.
And—

“It’s also been three years since I awakened as a Player…”

During that time, countless people had thrown themselves into the Tower.
But not me.

“I hid my awakening instead.”

I couldn’t risk my widowed mother’s safety by getting involved in something as dangerous as the Tower.
So I devoted myself to my day job instead.

My profession? Animal caretaker.
It suited me so well that I thought it might be my true calling. But luck wasn’t on my side.

As Gates started appearing all over the world, monsters came pouring out, wrecking industries everywhere. Naturally, zoos were among the first to fall into decline.

Everyone around me urged me to change jobs, but I loved what I did.
Even with the low pay, I stuck with it until the bitter end.

But no individual could stop the tide.
Eventually, I was laid off and forced to return home.

“Maybe that’s why I was so obsessed with becoming a Tamer…”

The public opinion on Tamers could be summed up in one word—“trash.”
Actually, even “trash” was too generous; they were considered utterly useless.

Anyone could tell just by looking at the front page of TowerNet—a Deep Web only accessible to Players.

[A Must-Read for Newbies Who Chose the ‘Tamer’ Class (Why Did You Do This to Yourself?)]

“First, if you picked Tamer, accept that you’re an idiot.
Why am I insulting you from the start?
Because admitting it is the first step to survival.”

“The system sends you against monsters with no combat skills at all and calls it ‘training.’ But hey, you’re a Tamer—guess that’s fine, right?”

“When your bank balance evaporates trying to increase ‘affinity’ with a beast, just remember—you’re a Tamer, so it’s fine.”

“You must keep telling yourself that, or you won’t last a week.”

└“Anyone still choosing Tamer after reading this? No way, right?”
└“Wait, is it really that bad? I just changed to Tamer… how cold is the Han River right now?”
└“This comment smells like a funeral.”
└“LMAO, even a weak Thief is better. At least they get some sweet DPS.”

And honestly, TowerNet wasn’t wrong—Tamer was one of the hardest classes to start with.
But—

“Thirty years later, I proved it had the highest potential. Because of me.”

The Tamer—
A bizarre class with the highest ceiling and lowest floor of any.

[Please choose your class.]

• Warrior

• Thief

• Monk

• Archer

• Wizard

• Cleric

• Tamer

“Yeah, no hesitation—it’s Tamer again.”

As soon as I focused, the long-delayed system window appeared.
Without a shred of doubt, I picked the last option.

[You have chosen the Tamer class.]
[Skill Acquired: Taming Lv.1 (F)]
[Bonus Stats: +5]

It all happened in an instant.

Just then, a gray wolf nearby noticed me—and my mother.
Things were getting urgent.

I pulled a small knife from the grocery bag and tucked it into my belt.

“Mom, don’t move from this spot, okay?”

Now that I’d classed up, it finally felt real—I was alive again.

“What do you mean—”

“Stay still, or I’ll get mad!”

“Hey! Siwoo—!”

Tap—

I kicked off the asphalt and dashed forward, leaving her voice behind.
The single gray wolf had already multiplied into three.
And one of them had a silver mane.

“…Wait, that one—was it there before?”

A special variant.
Rare monsters born only under strict conditions—worth at least twice a normal beast. Usually, only one survives long enough to become the Gate’s boss.

“Change of plans, then.”

Originally, I was going to kill them all.
But when circumstances change, so must the plan.

“Only idiots kill the golden goose.”

Wiping drool from my chin, I charged.

Five meters left.
The wolves bared their fangs, coiling their bodies like springs.

“Grr—!”

Two regular wolves lunged first.

“Been a while since I had a good brawl.”

Most people think Tamers are useless in direct combat—and they’re mostly right.
After all, our strength comes from the beasts we tame.

“But if you rely only on that, you’ll stay a trash-tier Tamer forever.”

A Tamer’s biggest weakness is their own body.
So basic self-defense is essential.

Of course, my definition of “basic” is… demanding.

Beast Tamer, Kang Siwoo.

Some people think I just laze around while my monsters do the work.
But those who know me… know better.

“Siwoo, you won. I admit it—you’re a champion.”

“Heh… Young man, ever thought of the sword? Swear to inherit my style, and I’ll teach you my secret technique myself…”

“Monster bastard—huh? No, I’d never call my glorious leader that! Just saying, even the first time I used this gun, I hit ten out of ten shots, right?”

That nickname—“Beast”—didn’t just describe my monsters. It described me.

“Focus. Focus.”

I shoved away distractions as the wolves closed in with frightening agility.
Even if they died, they’d still try to take a bite.

Wolves were strict about hierarchy.
Seeing them stirred an old instinct in me.

“Let’s learn that skill again…”

The system claimed Players had freedom.
Meaning if the right conditions were met, one could create or replicate a skill.

“If the conditions are right, that is.”

[All 5 bonus stat points have been assigned to Agility.]

With a sudden burst of speed, I sidestepped—almost like a glitch.

“Focus. One bite and I’m dead.”

My current HP was basically that of an ordinary human.
Still, I didn’t hesitate.

“Forget logic—trust instinct.”

Throw yourself into the darkness, and you start to see.

“There—!”

One glimmer of light—my only escape.
I stepped toward it.

Then the system’s voice rang out.

[Your movement contains enlightenment.]
[Converting enlightenment into a skill.]
[User’s qualifications insufficient for full mastery.]

“Shut up and give me the skill.”

The system obliged.

[Skill downgraded.]
[Skill acquired: Wolf Step Lv.1 (D)]

I slipped past their attack by a hair’s breadth—then struck.
Two pressure-point hits, sharp as a knife.

Killing them would be a waste.
To tame a special variant, you must not kill its kin.

The wolves fainted silently.

“Next.”

I dashed toward the silver-maned variant.
Wolf Step, suppression, confrontation—all within one breath.

Our eyes met.
No fear there—just fire.

“Yeah, that’s what I like to see.”

The wolf growled, baring its fangs.
In battles between animals, intimidation was everything.

Back down, and you lose.

“But to me, you’re just a pup.”

I clenched my fists and let my aura flare.
The system responded instantly.

[Talent ‘Beast’s □□(?)’ has activated.]
[Cooldown: 72:00:00]

“…Huh?”

“Whine! Whimper—!”

[Beast ‘Freki’ panics and reestablishes hierarchy.]
[‘Freki’ acknowledges you as its leader.]
[‘Freki’ is now 100% tamable.]

“…What??”

I was stunned, but not stupid.
A real man doesn’t waste opportunities.

[Skill used: Taming Lv.1 (F)]
[Success! You have tamed Gray Wolf ‘Freki.’]
[Level +5]
[Taming skill upgraded to Lv.3]

[Beast Information]
Name: Freki
Type: Gray Wolf (Special Variant)
Rank: E (Conditional Growth)
Level: 10
Loyalty: 80
Skills: Two Are One (Lv.1 – S–), Wolf Pack (Max – B)

“…My talent must’ve changed completely.”

I had planned to tame it—but not this easily.
And those skills? Not normal at all.

“An E-rank beast with an S-rank skill?”

“Conditional Growth” meant its rank wasn’t capped.

Some beasts had hidden potential, but most Players never noticed.
Finding and unlocking that potential—that’s a Tamer’s true art.

“Though I admit, this one’s special. Maybe fate’s gift for my regression.”

Freki, belly-up and wagging his tail, looked so smug I couldn’t help but laugh.

“Your subordinates are watching. Don’t you feel embarrassed? And you…”

Freki.
The system even displayed his name.

A Named Monster.
Not every special variant had a name—only Gate Bosses did.
And they almost never left their Gates, since they were what anchored them.

Defeat the boss, and the Gate collapses.

So why was this one outside?
Why was the Gate still intact?
And how the hell did I just tame a boss monster this easily?

Questions spiraled.
But I forced myself to stop.

“Whatever. I tamed him—amazing start. Focus on that.”

Overthinking leads to worry.
And worry is useless.
That’s my motto.

[Second Wave Incoming.]
[Remaining monsters: 6]

“Alright, one thing at a time.”

I evenly distributed my new 15 stat points—
Strength 4, Agility 10, Stamina 7, Magic 7.

More than enough to handle gray wolves now.

Not that I planned on sweating for it.

“The beauty of being a Tamer—eventually, you let others do the work.”

Scratching Freki’s belly, I spoke softly.

“Freki.”

At my call, he sprang up, eyes fixed on the Gate.

Six gray wolves emerged.

“Growl—!”

Freki barked low.
The newcomers immediately wagged their tails and joined his side.

[Freki’s pack has grown.]
[Freki’s level +1]
[Loyalty +10]
[Skill ‘Wolf Pack’ strengthened.]

“Now this is auto-hunting.”

I wasn’t here to farm EXP.
Taming Freki was already jackpot enough.

“Once we clean this up, we’re heading home.”

There were five waves in total.
Even if I suspected why the Gate hadn’t vanished, I chose not to dwell on it.

“Let’s send these guys back in quietly and leave.”

Guilds or the government could handle cleanup.
I just needed Freki.

[Third Wave Incoming.]
Gray Wolves: 9

[Fourth Wave Incoming.]
Gray Wolves: 12

Each wave came faster and stronger.
But Freki’s pack only grew larger.

“Sweet, absolute bliss. Let’s keep it this way, huh Freki?”

“Woof!”

[Freki’s pack has grown.]
[Freki’s level 15]
[Loyalty 100]
[Skill ‘Wolf Pack’ strengthened.]

“Time to wrap this up.”

The pack was now thirty strong—a full-fledged army.

Everyone else had fled long ago.
Only me—and my mother, who hadn’t been able to run out of worry—remained.

“Just one more wave, then we’re—”

“Grrrr…”

I reached out to pat Freki’s mane when he suddenly growled.
At the same time, the Gate vomited forth a new batch of beasts.

[Fifth Wave Incoming.]
[Remaining monsters: 15]

And what stepped out weren’t gray wolves.

“…!?”

Giant wolves drenched in blood—

“Bloodfangs…?”

Not ordinary red wolves, but their superior form: Bloodfangs. Fifteen of them.

[Wave difficulty has increased drastically.]
[User level too low.]
[Recommended: Party of 5 or more.]

“What the hell kind of bugged-out situation is this…”

But I’d faced countless unexpected situations before—and survived them all.
This was no different.

I looked toward my mother, standing far away, panic in her eyes.

“Mrs. Park! Don’t move—just stay right there and watch!”

I waved, smiling reassuringly.

It was time to show her how strong her son had become.

Meanwhile, the Bloodfangs slinked closer, circling Freki’s pack.
I grinned.

The system warned that I couldn’t beat them at my level.

But to me?

“They’re just a bunch of red mutts covered in hot sauce.”

Just another pack of mobs.