March 21st, 2018

Yeon-woo adjusted his clothes as he walked across the Incheon airport terminal. His head was shaved, and a Korean flag shone brightly on the arm of his neat military uniform, clearly indicating his status. After he took a moment to organize his backpack, he made a phone call.

Click.

“Sergeant Cha reporting in from Korea.”

“Understood. Take it easy, and try to comfort your parents while you are there.”

“Thank you.” After expressing his gratitude, Yeon-woo ended the call and put his phone down. He was feeling a lot warmer and more peaceful in Korea after a three-year stay in Africa even though his mind was full of distress. With a cigarette in his mouth, he took something out from his pocket. It was a letter he had received during his mission, and it was marked with the word “obituary”. His younger brother had disappeared five years ago, and the letter had notified him of his brother’s death.

* * *

The funeral was finished, and his brother’s ashes had been scattered in the sea in front of Taejongdae, his brother’s favorite place. Yeon-woo hadn’t heard any news about him in the last five years, and now, his brother had shown up inside a cold urn.

“He was holding this when I found him.” The person who had discovered his brother’s body took out a small box. Yeon-woo opened it with care. It contained two items: a faded photograph and…‘A pocket watch?’

In the photograph, his brother stood in front of a shabby house wearing some kind of medieval armor. Next to him were people with unusual appearances. ‘Had he been filming a movie somewhere?’ he wondered. Yeon-woo had roamed around all sorts of places, but he had never seen anything like this.

“Uhm…”

“Oh, I’m sorry.” Yeon-woo had been unconsciously touching his brother’s image in the photograph, and the man’s voice brought him back to his senses. A question popped into his mind, but it didn’t seem like an appropriate place to ask, so Yeon-woo could only thank the man and return home.

* * *

In his room, he quietly looked at his brother’s smiling face in the photograph. They were twins with identical features and yet they were so different from each other.

His brother had been a model student, but he had been weak and introverted. He enjoyed reading books and watching movies. Yeon-woo, on the other hand, was very extroverted. He was also very fit, majoring in athletics before entering the military academy.

People were often surprised by how different they were, but the brothers had always stuck together. The little brother would hold onto his scatterbrained brother and teach him how to study. As his little brother lay in bed, the older brother would tell him several times a day about the fun and exciting things outside. They were both devoted to each other.

But then, with only one day before the CSAT, his younger brother had disappeared. So many things changed from that day onwards. His mother, who was already suffering from a chronic illness, passed away. After unsuccessfully searching for his brother for over two years, Yeon-woo gave up and enlisted in the military as a non-commissioned officer, volunteering to be dispatched to Africa.

From that moment on, he became less of an extrovert and grew more cynical. His connection to Korea was cut off, and he’d believed that he would never return. But five years later, the notification of his brother’s death reached him. At first, he had been mad at his brother for disappearing without a word only to end up dead. The first thing that had come to his mind was how self-centered his brother had been. But as the funeral began, he started to feel empty, as if his soul were being torn apart. By the time he was scattering his brother’s ashes in Taejongdae, his heart was bursting at the seams.

He wanted to ask what happened to his brother, what he had been doing, and why he had to return in this manner. But his brother in the photograph did not say a word, just as he hadn’t said anything in the last five years.

“Ah…” Yeon-woo put the photograph down and examined the pocket watch. It was worn out and threadbare, as if it were more than a hundred years old. It no longer ran, and only the Roman numeral for twelve, XII, and the hour hand remained. He took it to a jeweler to have it repaired, but the only answer he got was that it was too rusty to fix.

“I gave this to my brother as a present.” When they turned nineteen, the year they entered junior year in high school, the brothers had given each other a present on their birthday. The younger brother gave him a book to study, and Yeon-woo gave his brother a pocket watch to wish him luck on his CSAT. This was the pocket watch.

Yeon-woo grabbed the pocket watch, it slipped and fit perfectly in his palm. It was just the right size. “I knew it.” He remembered how he wandered around all the shops, looking for a pocket watch that would perfectly fit in one hand. Yeon-woo turned the watch over. There was a name engraved in cursive in one corner on the back: J. W. Cah.

“Whoa! I really needed a watch. Thanks, bro. This is way cooler than a digital watch.”

“Hahaha! What do you think? Your big brother’s got good taste.”

“But what’s engraved here? J. W. are the initials of my first name, but what is ‘Cah’?”

“Hmm? That’s Cha, our family name.”

“How is this ‘Cha’? Look, it’s spelled C-A-H!”

“What? Dammit! Give it to me.”

“Why?”

“I’m gonna bring it back to the shop to have it fixed.”

“It’s OK, don’t bother. I’ll take it. From now on, I’ll just write C-A-H whenever I write my name.” The younger brother confidently put the watch into his pocket. Later, he proudly wrote “Cah” as his surname on his passport application. At that time, Yeon-woo had felt both sorry and grateful at the same time, but now, he chuckled as he remembered it. As he ran his hand over the pocket watch, he pressed on a knob by accident.

Click. “Huh?”

‘Isn’t it already broken?’ he thought. The knob slid into the watch, and suddenly: tik tok. The stopped hour hand began to move.

“To my older brother, who will listen to this sometime in the future.” He heard a familiar voice inside his head. Yeon-woo instinctively sprang to his feet. It was a voice he hadn’t heard in five years, a voice he thought he would never hear again—his brother’s voice.

Thump, thump! His heart started to pound crazily.

“By the time you hear this, I guess I will already be dead.” He was not hallucinating. Yeon-woo checked to see if there was a speaker inside the pocket watch but found nothing. The voice was really inside his head. ‘How is this possible?’ he thought.

“I am sorry. You all had a hard time because of me, didn’t you? I just wanted to find a medicine for Mom. I thought I could return home soon, but time went by too quickly.”

“What?” It was at this moment that his eyes grew strained. Whoosh! Suddenly, a flood of his brother’s memories passed in front of his eyes like a panorama.

It was a diary.

* * *

Oct 9th, 2013

A strange text message appeared on my phone. It said it would grant anything I wish. No other words, just buttons so I could choose whether to join or not. Normally, I would have ignored the message, but I couldn’t help thinking about Mom in the hospital looking more and more haggard every day. So I pressed the “yes” button, just in case my mom could be cured.

Nothing changed. I felt very hollow. It turned out to only be a prank. But from that day on, I began to have strange dreams of climbing what seemed to be an infinitely tall tower with ninety-nine floors.

Oct 12th, 2013

It was definitely not a dream! Everything was clear. It was real.

A world with creatures like elves and dwarves, but also monsters like orcs, trolls, and dragons. A world where several universes and dimensions intersect in one place. The tower sits in the center, waiting for people from all over the world to climb it. As soon as a person breaks through the ninety-ninth floor, he or she will become a god—at least, that’s what I heard someone say.

People pointed at the tower and called it the Tower of the Sun God. Obelisk. But that doesn’t mean a thing to me. The only thing that matters is that somewhere in this tower is an elixir that can cure all diseases, the Panacea. With that in my hand, I can save Mom from her illness.

Oct 28th, 2013

I was able to team up with some like-minded friends to start climbing the Tower. Still, it wasn’t easy at all. We had to kill all sorts of monsters, and we faced mortal dangers. This place may look like a game, but it’s not. It’s real. If you die, everything is over. But my teammates and I are talented. Back in the real world, my feeble body always caused worries for my family, but in this world, I was able to see the light through runes.

We were told that we were the first team to break through the first ten floors in four days. Since then, I began to seriously consider: I won’t be able to live in the real world and in the Tower at the same time.

Nov 9th, 2013

I’ve made up my mind. I tried explaining this place to my brother, but whenever I face him, the words won’t come out of my mouth. Do I say: “There’s a world called the Tower, and I’m trying to find some medicine there?"

Even though he looks gruff, my brother has a warm heart. What would he say? I bet he would volunteer to take my place instead. That cannot happen. In the end, I decided to leave home. They will be looking for me, but I’ll be gone for half a year. I’m sure I can retrieve the elixir by that time.

And just like that, I disconnected myself from the real world.

Dec 1st, 2013

My teammates and I named our team “Arthia”. Arthia is the best in every single way—in teamwork and in individual skills. We are at the top of our game.

We rapidly broke through several floors, and there is no one in the Tower who doesn’t know our name. I might be able to get a hold of the Panacea much faster than I thought.

······

Sep 7th, 2014

Our climbing speed has slowed. I thought I would need only half a year, but now I might be here for one more year.

Nov 11th, 2014

We had a fight with some high-ranking clans who see us as an eyesore. We now have more obstacles to overcome.

······

Feb 31st, 2015

Negotiations have broken down.

War has begun.

······

Jul 2nd, 2015

The alliance of clans we’re fighting has just collapsed. Arthia, which started with only twelve people, is now one of the ten largest clans. All of our teammates are high rankers. And I, Arthia’s leader, have risen to ninth place. It is said that I’m the person who’s entered the top ten in the shortest amount of time. However, I can’t just stand here and celebrate. Because of the war, we haven’t had time to find the elixir. We need to pick up our speed and climb the Tower.······

Mar 4th, 2016

I’ve fallen in love.

······

Sep 19th, 2016

Another war has begun. There’s a fresh enmity between Arthia, which wants to climb higher, and other high-ranking clans, who want to maintain the status quo. I’ve been trying my best to persuade them, but it isn’t easy.

To make matters worse, some of our teammates agree with them, but they can’t voice out their opinions because they are worried. Even though I know this, I pushed our clan to continue climbing up the Tower so we couldn’t avoid conflicts.

But even now, time keeps flowing. I feel like I’m going crazy.

······

Jan 2nd, 2017

Arthia is now in fifth place. However, the war hasn’t ended, and everyone is too tired.

······

Jun 6th, 2017

We found a traitor in our clan. We managed to kill him before he could rise up against us, but it was enough to cause a rift within the team. Everyone has started to distrust each other. Members are leaving the clan one by one.

Jul 1st, 2017

My body feels heavier.

I have been poisoned.

Oct 30th, 2017

Half of the clan is gone. We keep on losing battles, and now we don’t dare climb to higher floors. I tried asking around about the elixir, but I couldn’t find any information about it.

And my body is slowly breaking down.

Nov 1st, 2017

The person I loved left me with a dagger to the heart.

I barely blocked it with my skill, but I could not continue suppressing the poison. My body is starting to rot.

Dec 30th, 2017

I miss my brother.

······

Feb 1st, 2018

I am the only one left in Arthia. How did things go so wrong? Is it because I trusted people too much? Or is it because I was too absorbed in my own needs and neglected to look after my teammates?

Or…is it because I left my family?

Feb 28th, 2018

On the last day of February, I finally got my hands on the elixir. Now, I need to find a way to send it home, but there’s no way. I can’t leave the Tower even if I wanted to, I’m surrounded by other people.

Maybe they think I will treat my poison with it if I leave. Everyone is coming to kill me. There is no one left by my side. Now I know. There is only one person I can trust.

But I cannot show them my weakness.

* * *

This is the end of my diary. I believe that if I leave this behind, my brother will find a way to come to this place. If it's you, hyung, you can retrieve the elixir and bring it safely to our mom.

The message ended. Speechless, Yeon-woo quickly examined the pocket watch again, just in case he could find another trace of his brother or another message hidden inside. However, he couldn’t find anything.

Plop. Yeon-woo sat down heavily on the sofa, continuing to hold the pocket watch without saying a word. It was scratched in several places and missing its minute hand. He felt like the experiences that his brother had gone through on the other side were appearing right in front of his eyes.

Yeon-woo slowly wound the knob once more. Click.

To my older brother, who will listen to this sometime in the future. By the time you hear this…

The recording of his brother’s voice started again from the beginning. After that, Yeon-woo rewound the knob.

By the time you hear this…

Yeon-woo rewound the watch over and over to that phrase. Each time, he could hear his brother’s voice inside his head. The same voice, the same tone, the same diary.

[Starting the succession process.]

At that moment, a small screen popped up behind his retina. It was an interface system—he had managed to connect to the Tower. His body began to change.

Swoosh! Something was wriggling inside his lower abdomen. He felt as though a snake had curled up in his stomach and was raising its head. It was a refreshing feeling, but at the same time, it felt as if a weird seed were sprouting inside him. It was mana, the basic element that made up the foundation of the world. It was also the power that people from other worlds and the Tower dealt with.

Bang! A cluster of mana exploded inside him. It spread unpredictably in all directions inside his body. He felt something changing inside, and then—crackle, crunch. His body started to twist and convulse, followed by a fierce pain that made him feel like he was being torn apart and pierced by millions of needles.

He had trained to withstand torture in military school, but this was completely different. Even so, Yeon-woo held tightly onto his sanity. Not a single groan slipped out of his mouth. He sat in the same place, rewinding the pocket watch and listening to his brother’s voice again and again.

By the time you…

His skeleton was changing, the joints in his body readjusting, and his muscles softening and firming up. A putrid black substance oozed from his torn skin. All the impurities in his body had been eliminated, and his muscles and skeleton had been refined.

Krak! Krak! He was in terrible pain, but it was nothing compared to what his brother had gone through. After what seemed like an infinity, the process finally came to an end.

[Awakening finished.]

[Your awakening process is incomplete. Current progress: 5%.]

[Your current body is inadequate to complete the succession process. Refine your body to complete the succession process. As your body improves, the succession progress will also advance.]

[Your current status is ‘Incomplete Dragon Body’.]

[Your physical abilities have partially improved.]

[Your traits have been confirmed.]

[Your skills have been registered.]

[You have acquired the qualifications of a player. You can only register once inside Obelisk.]

Yeon-woo was in no condition to concentrate on what the strange voice was saying. Strong feelings were still lingering in his mind after the intense pain, but Yeon-woo still couldn’t take his eyes off the pocket watch.

To my older brother, who will listen to this sometime in the future…

As Yeon-woo rewound the watch, he assimilated the five years’ worth of memories his brother had left inside the diary. The memories of first meeting his teammates and founding Arthia. The memories of their happiness after successfully clearing one of the hardest floors. The memories of them standing back to back, fighting their war. The memories of being drenched in blood and feeling worn out. The memories of kissing his love for the first time, and the memories of his tears because of her betrayal. The memories of walking alone to meet his enemies. They flooded in his mind like water, and as they integrated into him, Yeon-woo could feel the happiness, sadness, and all the other emotions his brother had felt.

Inside, Yeon-woo had become his brother. When everything was complete, the strange voice spoke once more.

[Player: Yeon-woo Cha]

[Trait: Cold-blooded]

[Strength: 10]

[Dexterity: 15]

[Health: 12]

[Magic Power: 21]

[Skills: Draconic Eyes, Sense Strengthening, Precognition]

Yeon-woo woke from the overflowing thoughts. As he opened his eyes, a transparent panel popped up in front of his eyes. “It was true. All of it.” He had been hoping it was a lie. He would have preferred if it had only been a dream or hallucination, but it wasn’t. It was true.

Yeon-woo’s expression grew grim. He finally knew everything his brother had gone through, even the identity of his brother’s killer, the reason why his brother had returned the way he had after five years. The Tower was a place that could turn someone into a god. But to Yeon-woo, it was nothing more than a lawless area where people bit at each other’s throats. And his brother had been bitten by the starving demons there. ‘If that’s the case…’

He spoke out loud, “I will return the favor.” He would follow their rules. “I will give it back equally to you all.”

Yeon-woo had gained his brother’s abilities, and he was now a player who had the minimum requirements to climb the Tower. It was his time to come forward, and grief disappeared from his eyes, leaving only cold fury behind.

* * *

Yeon-woo silently stared at the transparent panel in front of his eyes. “So, this is the status window.” The status window had three tabs labeled “Traits”, “Attributes”, and “Skills”.

Traits showed the player’s personality or talents. The first trait his brother had obtained was “Perfect Adaptability”—the ability to communicate with his surroundings. His brother had managed to overcome many dangers by using Perfect Adaptability to communicate with objects or skills.

The Attributes tab showed an assessment of a player’s capabilities, and Skills showed the standardized skills that players could use inside the Tower. ‘It’s just like a game.’

When talking about Obelisk, his brother had said that it might look like a game but it was real. Now, he understood why. ‘Currently, I have “Cold-blooded” as my trait.’

[Trait: Cold-blooded]

[An ability to maintain rational thought in any situation. Shows great immunity to mind control and brainwash-class curses.]

This was a talent Yeon-woo already possessed because of his training as a professional soldier, which meant he could make cool-headed decisions in chaotic situations and command his army on the frontlines. ‘Not bad.’

Actually, it wasn’t just “not bad”, it was perfect. It was important to have an ace in his hand that would help protect him in a world full of bizarre magic and skills. ‘It’s just that my attributes are too weak.’ Even though he had gone through an awakening as a player and his body had also improved, he was still just a normal human.

On average, his attributes were all below twenty, and he was too weak to climb the Tower, where all sorts of monsters lurked. However, it was no surprise. He had no idea how to handle mana, and he wasn’t particularly skilled at anything. His knowledge of skills was also insufficient. The only thing he could rely on was his instincts that had been honed by war.

Under the Skills tab, he saw a list.

[Draconic Eyes]

[Eyes of a dragon. Sees the truth. Can partially peek into an object’s or person’s abilities.]

[Sense Strengthening]

[The 5 senses are greatly improved.]

[Precognition (Special)]

[Sees into the near future.]

The Draconic Eyes were the only skills his brother had left behind for him through the succession process in the pocket watch. ‘Jeong-woo managed to make contact with an ancient dragon on the eleventh floor by chance. I wonder if this is a souvenir from that encounter.’

Draconic species were arrogant and ferocious by nature, yet they were also creatures that sought the truth. It seemed that his brother’s partial exposure to their nature had given him eyes that could see the truth. He would have to see how helpful this skill would be in the future.

‘It seems that Sense Strengthening was generated according to my trait.’ It was a skill that allowed him increased control over his five senses: sight, hearing, touch, smell, and taste. Yeon-woo liked this skill the most. Battlefields were unpredictable. He might have to locate enemies that were out of sight or track down the faint smell of oil. He might have to listen for an enemy’s footsteps in the distance. Having the ability to control his senses would be helpful once he began climbing the Tower.

‘This is the one that bothers me the most.’ Yeon-woo focused on the final skill, Precognition. He looked at the pocket watch in his hand. ‘Is it because of this?’

Skills were assigned according to players’ traits, but sometimes the player’s environment or their most precious possession had an influence, especially if the skill was marked “special”. It was safe to say that this was a skill unique to him.

‘OK. Now, let’s just do it.’ Yeon-woo took a deep breath. It was clear to him that, compared to other players, he was starting off with an advantage thanks to his brother’s help. Even so, there was a long road ahead of him. The ones who pushed his brother to his death were the strongest among all the people with high ranks. They had grown stronger throughout the years, some had even been around for hundreds of years. He had a long way to go if he wanted to catch up with those people. The image of his brother in the photograph surfaced in his mind. ‘You only wanted me to find the elixir and then live the rest of my life peacefully, but…’ He clenched his fist, his veins bulging. ‘I don’t think I can just let things go.’

* * *

Yeon-woo proceeded to sort out his personal affairs.

“Sergeant Cha! What are you talking about? You’re leaving the army so suddenly!” His commander sounded furious over the phone, which he’d expected. His commander had only allowed him to return to Korea after hearing about his brother’s death. He’d expected Yeon-woo to only take time to sort himself out, but instead, Yeon-woo was applying for a discharge without any warning. If Yeon-woo were the commander, he would be mad, too.

However, Yeon-woo did not specify a reason for his application.

“Did something happen? Or do you have complaints? If you do, just tell me. If Cain leaves, what am I supposed to—”

“I’m sorry.” Yeon-woo hung up right after apologizing. His phone rang again, but he turned it off and threw it into a garbage can on the street. The commander treated him like his own son, so Yeon-woo had to cut off the connection even more firmly. The only thing left was his house, and he put it on the real estate market. It had been empty since he left, and there was no excuse to keep it around. He didn’t want to have a place to come back to.

He bought several items, filling a new backpack with simple clothing and as many combat rations as he could. He also equipped himself with dozens of knives that he’d used in the army, and some survival gear like first-aid kits. He thought about buying firearms and bombs from the black market but dismissed the idea. ‘The Tower was built to test a player’s skills. It’s better to avoid those things. Besides, if I can’t find a regular supply of the ammunition, those items will become a burden.’

As soon as everything was ready, Yeon-woo went to a lonely park early in the morning, wearing jeans and a black hoodie with his hood pulled over his eyes. He slung his backpack full of supplies on his right shoulder. He had already burned his uniform and the bag he’d owned. ‘Considering the time difference between Obelisk and the real world, it must be about a week since the last round began.’

To enter the Tower, he had to go through a place called the Tutorial first. It was designed to test players who wanted to enter the Tower. Entering it a week late would be a disadvantage, but Yeon-woo still decided to enter. ‘Players who start late also have advantages. If I manage to catch up with the front runners, I’ll get more points. There’s also a secret location that is given only to latecomers. Besides…’ A grim light appeared in Yeon-woo’s eyes. ‘I’m sure that this is around the time that that guy will show up.’

As Yeon-woo organized his plans step by step in his head, he wound the knob of his brother’s pocket watch backwards. Click. A cluster of lights appeared in the middle of the park, and a shadow suddenly sprang out, swirling around to form a door.

It was the gateway to the world of the Tower. Yeon-woo stepped through the door without any hesitation. His eyes were colder than ever. From now on, I will make sure that all the people beyond this gate know who they messed up with. I am Cha Jeong-woo.’

The gate closed behind him.

If you desire to become a god, climb up the Tower!

* * *

[You have now arrived at Floor 0, the Tutorial Hall.]

Swoosh!

Yeon-woo frowned as the bright light pierced his eyes, making them tingle. His vision shook violently, and he felt dizzy, as though he were on a high-altitude flight.

[Your trait, Cold-blooded, has helped you maintain composure.]

He felt something wriggling inside his body, steadying the spinning world around him. The motion sickness soon subsided, and Yeon-woo could look around more comfortably. He found himself in a passage that ran straight ahead. The walls were made of rock, and the ceiling was studded with stones that glowed with light at regular intervals. However, the light was dim, and he could only see two meters ahead of him, and the rest of the way was dark.

“I’m really in.” Yeon-woo clenched his fists. He’d seen the same scene in the diary.

The Tower served as a gateway and as a test to assess participants who wished to become a god. The Tower didn’t accept just any player, so candidates had to prove that they were worthy. The Tutorial location where players were tested was often called “Floor 0”.

“The people who hurt Jeong-woo are just past this place.” Just by closing his eyes, Yeon-woo could recall the scenes from the diary and picture the faces of those who had betrayed his brother and driven him to his death. However, he didn’t get agitated and kept his head as cool as possible. “Just wait a little while longer. I’ll be there soon.”

To enter the Tower, he had to pass the Tutorial with a high score, and not just any high score. “It must be so high that I’ll be in first place.” Of course, it wasn’t going to be easy.

The Tower was connected to numerous dimensions, spaces, and worlds. Only the most capable could participate as players. Yeon-woo could only be considered a strong candidate among those from Earth. After all, the universe was vast, and there were many other candidates. Compared to the other players, Yeon-woo had many weaknesses, since he focused only on physical abilities and instinctual skills. He would be dead without even taking a few steps in the Tutorial.

“However, the Tutorial is also the place where I can obtain the qualification.” His brother had possessed a very weak body before he’d started climbing the Tower. However, he’d still passed the Tutorial and even reached sixth place in the rankings in the shortest amount of time ever.

The Tutorial didn’t only test physical abilities—it also assessed other aspects, such as players’ talent, judgment, agility, resourcefulness, and decisiveness. It rated the players after summing up all of these aspects. Of course, there were always deaths during the process. Many candidates were overconfident in their insignificant abilities and rushed into the Tutorial heedlessly, only to end up dead.

Fortunately, Yeon-woo was aware of the dangers of the Tutorial, as well as its value. “Hidden pieces can be found everywhere. I have to gather as many of them as possible to finalize my incomplete succession.” Yeon-woo’s status window was displaying “Incomplete Dragon Body (5%)”, and his brother’s achievements had not entirely passed to him yet. Yeon-woo intended to refine his vessel as much as possible in order to replace the word “incomplete” with “complete”.

“I’m going to focus on making my vessel as complete as possible for now.” After organizing his thoughts, Yeon-woo quietly took a white mask out of his bag and put it on his face. He would have to face a lot of people, so he covered his face in preparation before he began walking slowly along the passage.

* * *

He didn’t know how long he’d been walking when a blue glow suddenly appeared in the air. “Ohyohyohyo! A guest at a time like this? I almost missed you and let you pass.” A portal opened, and someone dropped down from it.

In an instant, Yeon-woo instinctively stepped back and took a combat stance, crossing two daggers in front of his chest. The stranger’s appearance was bizarre. It was short and only reached to his waist, and it had bumpy, scabrous skin. It had long, slanted eyes and glistening fangs that poked out of its thick lips.

The mere sight of the creature filled him with disgust. It was a monster called a goblin. However, it had a different demeanor from the goblins he’d seen in the diary. Unlike ordinary goblins with low intelligence who only followed their instincts, the goblin in front of him wore a strange monocle over one eye and a fancy-looking tuxedo. His polite behavior gave him a dignified air.

“Despite my easygoing nature, your behavior hurts my feelings. So, why don’t you put down your daggers?” In contrast to his words, the goblin smiled in delight and winked. Only then did Yeon-woo realize who the goblin was. He was one of the Guardians who managed and oversaw each floor and trial in the Tower. “Greetings. I am the Guardian of Floor 0, Yvlke. It’s our destiny to meet like us. Why don’t you give us a round of applause? Ohyohyohyo.”

Yeon-woo lowered his daggers. The Guardians belonged to the Tower and were responsible for leading the players throughout the trials. There was no reason to be wary.

“Ho, you trust me?”

“That's because it’s good to keep a Guardian's advice in mind even if it seems trivial.”

“Oh my. I guess you know a little bit about us. Since you’re wearing a mask, I thought you were shy. Anyway, it should be much easier to talk now.” Yvlke began explaining with some light jokes. “The Tutorial is divided into seven sections, from A to F. Each section has a different environment and a different challenge. You will be scored according to how you perform the challenges within a restricted amount of time. At the end of the Tutorial, all your scores will be added up, and the results will be announced.”

Yeon-woo already had a rough idea of the rules thanks to the diary, but to avoid suspicion and confirm his information, he asked, “Do I have to pass all seven sections?”

“Not quite. You simply need to prove you possess the minimum qualifications in the Tutorial. If you think your score is high enough, you can simply stop. Of course, it’s good to pass every trial to get a higher score.”

“What are the benefits of getting a higher score?”

“Players are given rewards according to their score. After all, shouldn’t there be some motivation for players to get better results? The Tower and the Guardians are very thorough in that regard, ohyohyohyo.”

“How long does the Tutorial last?”

“Players have thirty days. It’s up to you to allocate the time for each section. However,” Yvlke smiled as he adjusted his monocle, “this round started a week ago, and there are only three weeks left. What do you want to do? Do you want to wait until the next round?” On the surface, a week didn’t seem like a long time, but it was already one-fourth of the whole Tutorial period. “The frontrunners have already used this time to run far ahead, and perhaps latecomers won’t be able to catch up at all.”

The higher the score, the better the reward and the better the chances of passing the Tutorial. Since Yeon-woo was planning to achieve a lot in the Tutorial, it was a very disadvantageous start. However, a slight smile appeared on his lips. “That’s what I was expecting, anyway.”

Yvlke was indifferent to his reaction and continued explaining. “Although this place is called a Tutorial, it’s still quite difficult. We usually advise players to organize a party of three to five people when going through each section. It increases the chances of proceeding smoothly.”

“That means I get a higher score if I pass a section alone, right?”

“Yes, but it will be much harder.”

“If a late individual player catches up with the leading parties, are there any benefits?”

Yvlke’s eyes glittered as he realized what Yeon-woo was thinking. He smiled broadly, making his fangs stand out even more. “The Tower grows according to the players’ achievements. The score will be adjusted according to a player’s individual achievements, so you don't have to worry about that.”

“Understood.” Now that he’d confirmed everything, Yeon-woo started to warm up lightly. Krak. ‘No matter what, I must kill that guy. If I don’t, it will mess up the whole plan.’ Yeon-woo recalled the most important hidden piece that could only be obtained in the Tutorial: the guy who only appeared during certain periods of time. Killing him would make the succession process easier. Crunch. Krak. His muscles began to tighten, his blood circulated faster, and his mind grew lucid.

Yvlke took a step back. He had already noticed that Yeon-woo wasn’t likely to listen to any more advice. There had been players like him before, and they ended up facing one of two possibilities: rushing forward overconfidently only to get fucked or doing something that was truly a sight to behold. Either way, Yvlke thought it would be fun to watch, so he did not stop Yeon-woo. “If that’s what you want.”

Snap. Yvlke lightly flicked his fingers, making a huge panel appear in the air.

[Beginning the trial of Floor 0.]

[Trial: you, a participant who aims to become a god, must prove yourself worthy of climbing the Tower. Within the time limit, you must pass through 7 gates and 7 challenges.]

[Requirement: achieve a high score within the time limit.]

“Let the trial begin.” Yvlke said goodbye with a dignified look as he disappeared like the wind. A timer appeared in his place.

[549:37:88_96]

[549:37:88_95]

······

“There are about twenty-two days and twenty-one hours remaining?” Yeon-woo clenched his dagger and stepped forward. “Let’s do this.” A new message popped up as he crossed the line dividing the starting zone from Section A.

[You have entered Section A.]

[Either break through or deactivate all the traps in this section.]

There was another straight passage ahead, and he felt like the darkness was beckoning him. Yeon-woo carefully took a step forward, keeping his senses alert. However, nothing happened even after a considerable amount of time passed, as though there were nothing there at all. An ordinary person would have relaxed, but the farther Yeon-woo went, the warier he became. Yvlke said it would be easier to pass through in small teams, and if this advice was accurate, then he shouldn’t underestimate the potential danger. After all, it always appeared without any notice, wiping out everything like a raging storm.

Like right now.

Swish! An arrow shot across the darkness, and Yeon-woo instinctively turned his body aside. The arrow brushed past his left forearm, leaving behind a scorching pain. His clothes were torn, and blood splashed.

Twang. “A steel arrow!” He came back to his senses, frowning at the arrow with the metal shaft that was deeply embedded into the wall. It would have torn off his arm if it had managed to hit him. He would be dead by now if it had hit his head or abdomen.

The diary had warned him about the various traps in Section A, however, the location of each trap changed each time and they were randomly activated, so his brother's experiences weren’t of much help. All he could do was stay alert and find his way through.

Swish! Swish! Swish!

More steel arrows flew towards him one after the other, all from different directions. It was impossible to track them. Yeon-woo crouched low and rolled forward, grabbing his backpack. It was thick and filled with clothing and equipment, so he could use it as a shield, which was why he had brought it in the first place.

Puck! Puck! Puck!

Three steel arrows struck his backpack with such strong impact that it felt as though his arm would come off each time an arrow hit. Two managed to fully pierce through the backpack, their tips poking out as if they were showing their faces shyly.

He managed to straighten himself up and stuck closely to a wall. Since he didn’t know where the attacks were coming from, he had to decrease his exposure as much as possible—something that he’d learned the hard way.

However, some traps had also been set up behind and below him. Snikt! Before he even realized what was happening, an arrow had pierced deep into his left thigh. “Ugh!” Yeon-woo felt as though fireworks were exploding right in front of his eyes. He gritted his teeth and tried turning around despite the terrible pain.

Puck! Puck! Puck!

Once again, arrows ripped through his backpack. This time, they penetrated his left shoulder, forearm, and ribs.