Chapter 3
When Jonghyuk left the main road together with Kal, Hamin hurriedly exited the Tower and made her way to the Association.
“Uh…?”
When she arrived, the scene before her eyes was one of utter chaos. Association staff were rushing about frantically.
“Contact everyone! The Awakener communities—anyone who might know even the smallest bit of information!”
People ran back and forth, while others clutched telephones in panic.
“Moshi moshi!”
“Hello!”
It wasn’t just Korean. The air was filled with a chaotic mix of different languages from all over the world, blending into an unpleasant noise.
“W-What is going on…?”
Blinking in confusion, Hamin grabbed Lee Jongseon, her senior, who happened to be hurrying past her.
“Sunbae! What’s happening all of a sudden?”
“Hey! Didn’t you read the notice? It’s complete mayhem because of the 0th Floor quest! Instead of standing around, go find any information you can!”
Jongseon tried to shake her off and rush away, but Hamin quickly shouted,
“That’s actually why I’m here!”
“What? Do you know something? …Wait. Aren’t you in the Tower Guide Division? What are you doing here?”
Only then did Jongseon remember her department and frowned sharply.
“Don’t tell me you skipped work—”
His expression turned grim.
In truth, nothing disastrous would have happened if Hamin stepped away briefly. Besides her, representatives from Associations of various countries were guiding new Awakeners.
“Even if new Awakeners have been rare lately, that’s no excuse, is it?”
Still, slacking off wasn’t something to be tolerated.
“That’s not what’s important. We found one!”
Cutting him off, Hamin clenched her fists and spoke urgently.
“We found an Awakener that a Tower resident is showing goodwill toward!”
For a moment, silence fell over the Association office.
“…What?”
“I’m telling you, there’s an Awakener walking around arm-in-arm with a Tower resident!”
At that, screams erupted from every direction.
“W-What?!”
“What country is the quest challenger from?!”
“W-Where did they go?!”
“Did anyone else see them?!”
“Hey! You finally did something right!”
“…Huh?”
Shrinking under their overwhelming reactions, Hamin’s eyes darted nervously.
‘This doesn’t feel like the right atmosphere to say we lost him….’
As hope spread among the Association staff, Hamin could only stand there with a tearful expression.
The person who suddenly visited Kal’s house that night was a woman with long golden hair and well-maintained armor.
“Kal Rotary. Is that correct?”
Jonghyuk looked at the woman standing outside the door.
Her nearly white-blonde hair fell to her lower back, and her clear blue eyes were striking—but what surprised Jonghyuk the most was her stats.
Name: Emiel Lycan
Level: 41
Occupation: Vice-Captain of the Agenbach Knights, 2nd Royal Knights Order
Status: Hostile (-10)
Skills: Lycan Swordsmanship (Max), Blue Bloom (Lv. 1), Will of the Knights (Lv. 3)
[Would you like to use Affinity (Lv. 1)?]
An absurd level.
Awakeners also had levels. Each time they cleared a floor of the Tower, their level increased by one.
The highest floor humanity had cleared so far was the 39th.
The woman before him was two whole levels higher than humanity’s top player.
And she wasn’t even the strongest force here.
Not the Knight Commander—but the Vice-Captain.
‘So that’s why humanity hasn’t been able to conquer the 0th Floor.’
Jonghyuk was genuinely impressed.
It was said that the current top player, if they used their awakened skills outside the Tower, possessed enough power to cripple an entire nation.
And yet the person before him was far stronger than that Awakener—despite only being a vice-captain.
As Jonghyuk stared in pure admiration, Emiel sharply furrowed her brows.
“Why is a demon here?”
She made no attempt to hide her disgust as she looked at him.
“He is my friend. Pay him no mind. But what brings you here at such a late hour, Vice-Captain?”
Kal casually changed the subject.
“I’ve come to request your help with my sword.”
Emiel withdrew the sword at her waist and handed it to Kal.
“Oh…”
Kal let out a short exclamation as he carefully accepted it. After examining it closely, his eyes narrowed.
“Ascent… it has lost its light.”
“Can it be repaired?”
Emiel stared at the sword, lips pressed tightly together.
‘It looks fine to me,’ Jonghyuk thought as he peeked over Kal’s shoulder.
The blade didn’t appear chipped or worn. It was an ordinary sword with a red gemstone embedded in its guard.
After examining Ascent carefully, Kal handed it back.
“The master’s breath is gone.”
Instead of taking it, Emiel gently pushed it away.
“Yes. The sword itself was repaired… but the master’s breath has vanished.”
Clenching her fist, she pleaded with Kal.
“In the kingdom, you’re the only one who can imbue this sword with the master’s breath. Please help me.”
“…If I still had the ability to do that, I wouldn’t have been expelled from the royal palace.”
Shaking his head slowly, Kal held the sword out to her again.
“It would be faster to find another method.”
Emiel looked at him with desperate eyes.
“I’ll pay any amount. If you wish, I’ll grant you anything within my authority.”
“Saying that doesn’t make the impossible possible, Vice-Captain.”
The two stood in silence, staring at each other.
After some time passed, just as Emiel finally lowered her shoulders and was about to speak—
“I think I can fix that.”
An unexpected voice came from the side.
“What?”
Emiel slowly turned her head. Jonghyuk was calmly staring at the sword, pointing at it with his finger.
“I said I can fix it. That sword.”
“…Is that true?”
Emiel asked in a trembling voice.
“Yeah. More or less.”
Jonghyuk answered indifferently.
Awakeners weren’t treated as fellow humans in the Kingdom of Polaris. At best, they were seen as filthy demi-humans roaming the streets.
Among Tower residents, it was common belief that Awakeners were unintelligent and barbaric.
Under normal circumstances, Emiel would have scoffed at his words. But right now, she was desperate enough to beg even a stray dog if it could repair her sword.
“…Then fix it.”
Jonghyuk looked at her blankly.
“For free?”
“…What?”
Caught completely off guard, Emiel blinked in disbelief.
“Well, you’re the one who wants it fixed. It’s not right for me to do it for nothing, is it? I should get something out of it too.”
“……”
Emiel simply blinked at his audacity.
Demons feared Tower residents. That was common sense.
They were unpleasant and weak beings—like cockroaches that had to scurry away to survive.
That was what Awakeners were to Emiel.
Which was why Jonghyuk’s bold attitude surprised her.
‘He’s not afraid of me?’
If anything, it felt as though his gaze wasn’t even focused on her—but on something beyond.
In reality, Jonghyuk was looking at the system window before him.
Skills Owned: Affinity (Lv. 1), Craftsman’s Conviction (Lv. 1)
While the two had been arguing, Jonghyuk had borrowed the skill Craftsman’s Conviction from Kal.
The reason was simple.
The skill description clearly stated it could imbue a weapon with the master’s breath.
Craftsman’s Conviction (Lv. 1): The quiet resonance of a master artisan—their law. O master, grant breath to the weapon forged through carved years. Greatly increases the completion of crafted equipment and can imbue it with the master’s breath.
Skill borrowed from Kal Rotary.
Just in case, he had also tried using Affinity on Emiel.
[Target’s stats are too high. Skill cannot be used!]
…It didn’t work at all.
“What do you need?”
Only then did Jonghyuk properly look at her.
“Is there a way for me to move freely around the Kingdom of Polaris?”
He couldn’t go around using Affinity on every person he saw on the 0th Floor. His top priority was securing safe movement within the kingdom.
“If you become an honorary citizen of Polaris, that’s easily solved. Even goblins can roam freely if recognized as honorary citizens. And I can grant that.”
“Then that works. Let’s settle it with that honorary citizen certificate.”
Emiel was speechless at his boldness.
‘Has he lost his fear?’
She wondered if he was someone who had already given up on his life.
But Jonghyuk’s calmness was natural.
He had lived at his uncle’s house, surviving on eggshells since childhood. Even as an adult, nothing changed.
Debt collectors glaring at him as if they’d devour him.
An aunt who saw him as a thorn in her side.
He was already used to being looked at with hatred.
Shrinking back now would be laughable.
“If you succeed, I’ll recognize you as an honorary citizen as many times as you like.”
Ding!
A system window appeared before him.
[An Epic Quest has begun.]
[Quest Progress: 1/2]
[The Flower That Blooms Blue: Repair Ascent.]
[Reward: 500 Achievement Points, Polaris Honorary Citizen Medal]
Emiel cast him a cold stare.
“But if you fail, I won’t let it slide.”
“No need to worry. I’ll succeed.”
He met her gaze confidently.
After a brief staring contest, Emiel abruptly turned to Kal.
“…Master Craftsman. Will you serve as a witness to this challenge?”
“M-Me? That old man?” Kal stammered.
He gestured for Jonghyuk to come closer and whispered urgently in his ear.
“You should back out even now. You must not know who she is, but she truly is—”
“Don’t worry. I just have to fix it.”
“How on earth do you intend to—”
Before Kal could finish, Emiel raised her hand to stop him.
“Leave him. If he’s someone you cherish, Master, he wouldn’t dare lie to a knight of the kingdom.”
Her blue eyes gleamed coldly as they fixed on Jonghyuk.
“You. What’s your name?”
Jonghyuk hesitated. His real name didn’t fit here—and he didn’t want attention.
After a moment’s thought, he spoke.
“Ardin. My name is Ardin.”
“Very well, Ardin. If you’ve deceived me, you’ll pay with your life. You have one day. That’s enough, isn’t it?”
“Yes. That’s plenty.”
Though he answered calmly, only one thought filled his mind:
‘If I repair it, will her favorability go up?’
