Chapter 6

Ha-min has been feeling like dying every single day lately.

“Awakeners! Over here!”

Next to Ha-min, a new employee with short, spiked-up hair, Ahn Cheol-min, was energetically waving a sign.

In his mid-20s with tanned skin, Cheol-min’s eyes were full of enthusiasm.

“Sunbae! People are staring at us so intensely!”

‘What’s he so excited about?’

Ha-min shook her head as if she couldn’t understand.

The Association had ordered Ha-min to find an Awakener connected to a resident of the Tower. Naturally, the task she had been handling was passed on to the newbie.

The Association believed that if someone had ties with a Tower resident, they would visit the 0th floor again.

However—

“This is like finding a needle in a desert.”

Even though she came out early in the morning, Ha-min couldn’t find any Awakeners.

Finding a specific Awakener on the 0th floor wasn’t easy.

The Polaris Kingdom had four plazas, each about half the size of a soccer field, arranged in a fan shape around the Tower.

Awakeners would spawn randomly in one of these four plazas.

In reality, the number of new Awakeners was very small, the plazas were vast, and Tower residents were mixed in as well, so the chances of running into each other were extremely low.

Last time had been lucky, but there was no guarantee they’d be lucky again.

“How long do we have to just sit around— hmm?”

Ding!

[For the first time, an Awakener has been acknowledged by a Tower resident.]

[A first-time special reward is granted to the corresponding Awakener.]

[Exchange with the Polaris Kingdom has begun.]

“W-what?”

While she was complaining, a system window suddenly appeared before her eyes.

And it contained unbelievable information.

“S-sunbae? I’m not seeing things, right…?”

With a hollow laugh, Ha-min shook her head and muttered,

“…I don’t even know what’s going on anymore.”

Tzzzzt!

[You have entered Tower Floor 1.]

[Single Quest: Eliminate 50 goblins.]

As soon as Jong-hyuk entered the first floor, a quest appeared.

“Good.”

Standing firmly as he stomped the ground, Jong-hyuk faced a group of green-skinned goblins holding clubs and bats.

Grrrrr!

Kek! Kwek!

The goblins drooled with foam at their mouths.

Their bloodshot eyes and clubs stained with flesh and blood evoked disgust and fear.

The first floor of the Tower was also called the Trial Floor, as it tested the basic qualifications of a climber.

No matter how good an ability one awakened, killing a living being was a different matter.

In fact, about one-third of Awakeners who received good skills on the first floor gave up climbing because they couldn’t bring themselves to kill goblins and instead worked as laborers.

But Jong-hyuk…

“So I just need to take care of the goblins?”

“Please do.”

He had a reliable ally with him, so he had nothing to worry about.

“Why should I dirty my own hands?”

When there was such a good method.

“Huh?”

“Just talking to myself.”

Emiel, who had been watching the goblins beside Jong-hyuk, glanced at him and asked,

“So this is how demons enter the Tower.”

“You’ve never entered before?”

“No.”

That answer surprised Jong-hyuk inwardly.

The Tower was located in the Polaris Kingdom.

Naturally, he thought the kingdom’s people—called Tower residents—could freely enter and exit the Tower.

“In the past, when we arrogantly challenged the Tower, we lost the right to climb it.”

“…Arrogant? What is the Tower to the Polaris Kingdom?”

After thinking for a moment, Emiel spoke,

“…A god. In the past, we also had the right to climb it. But after a certain incident, the Tower rejected us and sought new climbers.”

“And those new climbers are…?”

“Yes, you. To refuse the Tower’s trials is blasphemy. That’s why those detestable demons can roam around Polaune.”

As she spoke with a frown, Emiel suddenly looked at Jong-hyuk.

“It’s fine.”

Knowing what she was about to say, Jong-hyuk spoke first.

‘So that’s why Awakeners walking on the main roads weren’t killed.’

He nodded, recalling a post saying that even if Awakeners got hit with stones on the main road, their lives weren’t in danger.

“…My apologies.”

Emiel bowed her head, then changed the subject.

“Do we just need to deal with them?”

“That’s right. I’ll leave it to you.”

After scanning the goblins, Emiel drew her sword from its sheath.

“It won’t take long.”

A blue light surged from her sword, pulsing intensely, and she dashed toward the goblins as if gliding.

Slash!

The goblin in the front row lost its head before it could even swing its club.

Slash! Slash! Slash!

That wasn’t the end.

Leaving behind a flowing trail of blue mana, Emiel moved to the next goblin and beheaded them before they could even react.

“Wow.”

Jong-hyuk let out an admiring exclamation.

It was like watching a perfectly choreographed performance.

She flowed forward—stab, slash.

Before they could react, she moved again—stab, slash.

Some goblins tried to swing their clubs to stop her, but their heads were cut off before they could even touch her.

The trajectory of her mana looked like scattering flower petals.

‘Can I borrow that skill?’

Jong-hyuk watched Emiel’s skill and pondered.

[Lycan Swordsmanship (Max), Blue Bloom (Lv. 1)]

Then, a new system window appeared.

[So they can enter the Tower… demons truly possess mysterious power.]

That was probably Emiel’s thought.

Brushing it off, Jong-hyuk focused again on her swordsmanship.

The flowing movement and sword strikes must be the Lycan Swordsmanship.

With just that, even he could climb the Tower alone.

Without hesitation, Jong-hyuk activated the Affinity skill on Emiel.

Thanks to the previous quest, her favorability had risen, so the skill would work.

Name: Emiel Lycan
Level: 41
Class: Vice Captain of the Agenbach Knights, 2nd Royal Knights Order
State: Neutral (5)
Skills: Lycan Swordsmanship (Max), Blue Bloom (Lv. 1), Knight’s Will (Lv. 3)

[Would you like to use Affinity (Lv. 2)?]

“Yes.”

[Favorability has increased by 10.]
[Congratulations! Emiel Lycan has leveled up.]
[Would you like to register as close friends?]

“She leveled up?”

Jong-hyuk crossed his arms and thought.

When he used the skill on Kal, the level increased by 1—but that was at low levels.

Now Emiel was level 41.

Yet she still leveled up—meaning either her experience was already maxed, or this skill was ridiculously powerful.

The former seemed more likely.

“Well, doesn’t matter.”

Muttering, Jong-hyuk immediately registered Emiel as a close friend.

[Would you like to borrow a skill?]

He willed to borrow Lycan Swordsmanship.

Lycan Swordsmanship (Lv. 1): Just as flowers need soil to bloom, this is a movement meant to become nourishment for Blue Bloom… A sword technique passed down through the Lycan family, required to activate Blue Bloom.

This is a borrowed skill from Emiel Lycan.

‘Can’t I borrow proficiency too?’

The mastery instantly dropped to level 1.

“Well, nothing I can do.”

When Jong-hyuk looked back at Emiel, he was shocked.

“…!!”

She, who had been cutting down goblins like falling autumn leaves, suddenly staggered.

“Emiel! B-behind you!”

As if struck by an invisible hammer, Emiel stared blankly into the air.

A goblin seized the chance and leapt at her.

Crack!

Raising its club high—

Bang!

Emiel swung the hilt of her sword over her shoulder, crushing the goblin’s skull with a sickening crack.

The goblin fell, trembled, then went limp.

‘What was that feeling just now?’

Gripping her sword again, Emiel thought about the sensation that had just passed through her.

It felt like warm water spreading through her body.

It was so pleasant she wanted to feel it again.

Slash!

“…!”

After cutting down another goblin, she looked at her hand.

“I… broke through?”

Just barely.

She had been just a step away from the next stage—like a cup filled to the brim, missing only a few drops.

And just now, she crossed that threshold.

‘How did this happen?’

As Emiel was confused, a system window appeared before Jong-hyuk.

[Quest completed.]

Countless system messages followed.

Normally, clearing the first floor gave 10g of magic stones and experience—this was already known in the community.

But Jong-hyuk’s rewards were different.

[Clear rating: SSS achieved.]
[Reward tier increased.]
[Obtained 20g magic stones and experience.]
[Obtained 10 Goblin Skins.]
[Obtained 1 Resentful Goblin Skin.]
[Inventory function unlocked.]
[Items automatically stored in inventory.]

The inventory was a subspace storage given after clearing the first floor.

It could store only items obtained in the Tower and could be accessed outside as well.

But Jong-hyuk had no time to care about the inventory.

The rewards were far more shocking.

Double the usual magic stones and experience.

And instead of up to 5 goblin skins at a 30% drop rate—he got 10.

That alone was amazing, but he even obtained a Resentful Goblin Skin.

“What’s this?”

He took it out and examined it.

The goblin skin, tinged with blue and emitting a chilling aura, felt oddly cool to the touch.

When he focused on it, a description appeared.

[Resentful Goblin Skin: The skin of a goblin that died in terror. Tougher than normal goblin skin and contains cold energy.]