Chapter 21

Chapter 20: The Ruins, the Corridor of the Fallen (1)

Thump! Thump! Thump!

Looking at the flashing status window, Jinhyuk's heart raced.

A single line of text labeled "Special Reward."

Yes.

He had always been curious.

Even though he was the first to see the top of the tower, there was no reward for it.

The reason the system had been silent until now.

All of it.

'Did they plan to give it with the Reboot Update?'

Jinhyuk quickly looked around.

"Never mind that. How much are you paying us?"

"I prefer to pay in coins rather than cash."

"What? Mr. Park, what are you going to do with coins? Climb the tower?"

"For us porters, getting cash is the better deal. Why waste coins that can't be used outside when you can have crisp cash?"

Everyone was preoccupied with discussing the pay.

Then this must mean...

This is a reward given only to me.

"I'll check it."

Jinhyuk muttered quietly.

Then,

[The first special reward is unlocked.]

[Passive 'Monopoly (獨食)' is activated.]

[Monopoly (獨食)]

Description: If you take the final reward without sharing, you can obtain the best reward among those available.]

[Your Luck stat permanently increases by +10.]

[Your Adaptive stat increases by +10.]

[Heart of Ruthlessness is activated.]

[Heart of Ruthlessness: You can maintain composure even in tense situations, but your human emotions may become faint.]

'What the...!'

Jinhyuk clenched his fist without realizing it.

If he monopolizes the reward, he will get the best one.

Things he never even imagined suddenly appeared.

He's crazy.

This is seriously crazy.

Of course, it had to be.

In the Tower of Trials, optional rewards often appear.

It's called a choice, but it's like rolling a gacha.

Sometimes, only one out of thousands would be a jackpot.

But this means ignoring all those probabilities.

As long as you don't share with others.

As long as you take everything for yourself!

'Ha ha.'

Thanks to the countless experiences he has accumulated, he has become a person who doesn't get surprised easily.

But this time, it was hard to suppress the cheer that burst out.

How could he not be biting his lower lip with his teeth?

'Luck stat... I never thought they would give me this.'

Not as much as the gap,

But in the Tower of Trials, which boasts an extremely difficult level, luck is incredibly efficient.

It even eats away at the laws of probability, turning impossible situations around, all depending on this luck stat.

'Adaptive stat is something I've never seen before...'

It can only be guessed that it means adapting to something.

It was a skill that didn't exist before.

Even if we exclude the last one, the other two special rewards are almost like cheats.

Moreover, the fact that it's called the first special reward means there's at least a second one.

'Judging from the fact that the status window doesn't appear anymore, this must be the end for now.'

Jinhyuk carefully checked the reward again and closed the status window.

Meanwhile, the discussion about the pay had also ended.

"300 a day isn't bad."

"Not bad? We're risking our lives. It means our lives are worth 300."

"Damn. When did you start caring about that? Besides, according to Mr. Oh, a well-funded guild is participating this time?"

The porters' gazes turned to Oh Seung-hwan.

"Yes. This raid is a joint operation. A large guild in the top 10 and a mid-sized guild are participating."

A large guild.

Being in the top 10 is an incredibly high rank.

Considering there are over 10,000 guilds worldwide.

"Moreover, many solo rankers are also participating, so there's no need to worry too much."

"Is that so?"

"Ha ha. We just need to hide safely in the back and carry the luggage."

"It will take about three weeks, so even after deducting expenses, we should get around 5,000 each."

Everyone cheered at Oh Seung-hwan's words.

"Alright, let's wrap it up if we're done."

"How about a drink with Mr. Park and Mr. Kim? Some pork belly, too. What do you say?"

"Ugh. Sounds good. I was thinking about a drink anyway."

"I know a place. Follow me. They have the best pork belly and pork skin."

The atmosphere had already shifted to a drinking session.

"Are you not coming, sir? You need to have a drink to prepare for the hard work tomorrow?"

"I'm fine."

Jinhyuk shook his head.

It would be insufficient to rest deeply and bring his condition to the best, let alone drinking.

They don't know how dangerous the first floor ruins are.

'Thinking that a mere top 10 guild can clear it is nonsense.'

The future of the raid party was already decided.

Total annihilation or a near-fatal blow.

One of the two.

And.

Jinhyuk's goal is to find a gap that only a veteran can exploit within that predetermined conclusion.

***

BOOM!

The giant desk shattered, and pieces of wood flew everywhere.

"Huff. Huff!"

The man's shoulders shook roughly, unable to contain his anger.

"What... What the hell is this disgrace!"

The master of the Black Crow Guild.

Shin Geon-soo.

He was furious at the news he had just received.

Of course, he had to be.

A once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

He had kicked away the ladder that could take him up in the new world.

And it was due to the mistake of the person he trusted the most.

"Do you even know how many coins and items I invested to bring in the Fighting Father Guild?"

"I'm sorry."

Park Ha-jin, kneeling on the floor, bowed his head.

"Sorry? Sorry? A sorry guy would do such a mess?"

Shin Geon-soo picked up a golf club.

And began to beat Park Ha-jin mercilessly.

SMACK!

CRACK!

"Ugh! Cough!"

"I made your sister take the most refined Korean ginseng we have."

Almost a miracle.

The only Korean ginseng that showed a refinement rate of over 50% was given to Park Ha-na.

"All you had to do was follow and cheer when Park Ha-na got an A rank."

Emotion filled the violence.

THUD! CRACK!

Back, shoulders, head.

Anywhere his hand could reach, the merciless beating continued.

"But, you couldn't even do that? Was it that difficult?"

WHOOSH!

BOOM!

The golf club struck Park Ha-jin's head, splitting the air.

Red blood splattered the floor.

"Ugh... ugh..."

Finally, Park Ha-jin's body collapsed.

Only then did Shin Geon-soo stop hitting and throw the golf club to the floor.

"Who was the one who interfered? What kind of guy is he?"

"That... That's a guy named Kang Jinhyuk..."

Kang Jinhyuk?

A name he had never heard before.

"Rank?"

"..."

Park Ha-jin didn't answer.

He couldn't answer.

"Didn't you hear? What's his rank?"

As Shin Geon-soo reached for the golf club again, a hoarse voice finally came out.

"...F."

"F. F?"

Suddenly, Shin Geon-soo felt a shock as if he had been hit on the head with a hammer.

"Ha ha, this is ridiculous. So, you were beaten by a rookie who got an F rank?"

...Head.

At this point, even if he wanted to be angry, he felt drained.

"Whatever. He'll be taking the second test soon, right? Take the kids and take care of him cleanly. After all, there won't be any evidence in the dungeon."

Assassination Order.

Shin Geon-soo decided to move the guild.

"Understood."

Park Ha-jin clenched his fists.

He was caught off guard before, but this time it's different.

With Shin Geon-soo's permission, a group of B-rank players will move.

'I'll make him suffer as much as I did... No, even more, and then kill him slowly.'

Park Ha-jin's mind was filled with thoughts of Jinhyuk crying and begging for his life.

***

The next morning at 4:30 AM.

Jinhyuk headed to the Tower of Trials, the agreed meeting place.

"You're here. You must be Mr. Kang, right?"

"Here! Over here."

It was still before dawn, but the porters and miners had already arrived.

They had to move diligently to ensure the players could focus solely on combat.

Oh Seung-hwan was nowhere to be seen.

'Well, he was just a manager who facilitated the deal.'

Instead, there were many more people waiting than the porters he met yesterday.

After about 10 minutes, someone cleared their throat.

"Ahem! I'm Kim Kyung-yeol, in charge of supplies. You can call me Kim Team Leader."

A man in his early 50s introduced himself.

"Our job is to carry the food and other supplies for the 300 raid members for a week. It will be about 70-80 kg per person. It won't be easy, but the schedule is tight, so everyone, let's do our best. Where else can you get 300 a day?"

Kim Team Leader mentioned the pay,

But most faces were distorted.

"Damn. It's going to be so heavy."

"My back will be shot. We have to carry this all day, right?"

"At least the weight will decrease over time, so..."

"Shut up. Go to the truck and take your items in order. We need to arrive by lunchtime."

Voices were exchanged.

They grumbled, but they had no choice.

They had already signed a formal contract.

Soon, the porters received heavy-looking backpacks from the truck.

"Damn... Damn."

"Ugh!"

People grimaced as if they were carrying the weight of the world.

"Here, take it. No exceptions for F-rank, so don't whine."

Kim Team Leader handed Jinhyuk a backpack.

But.

'Hmm?'

Jinhyuk, who had put on the backpack, tilted his head.

It's light.

Too light.

'Almost... I can't feel the weight.'

But does this make sense?

His level hasn't changed since the maze.

After the mangrove's peony, he hasn't increased his strength stat, so there's no way a backpack weighing over 70 kg should feel light.

Could it be...

Something flashed in Jinhyuk's mind.

Jinhyuk immediately activated his personal status window.

——————————————————

Name: Kang Jinhyuk

Gender: Male

Age: 27

Level: 1

Strength 8 Agility 8 Vitality 8 Magic 11 Gap 100 Luck 10 Adaptive 10

Available Stat Points: 0

Available Coins: 12,740

Occupation: None.

Unique Ability: Fusion (融合)

Skills: Lv2 'Fire Element', Lv2 'Eye of Truth', Lv1 'Empathy', Lv2 'Soul Brand', Lv1 'Monopoly', Lv1 'Shallow Breathing'

——————————————————

Just one thing.

Has changed.

The three special rewards given with the second update.

And the last stat whose purpose was unknown.

[Adaptive +10]

That's right.

It's this.

'By working as a porter, I've adapted, making the weight feel lighter.'

If we assume this, it all makes sense.

Moreover, if I can get the same effect in combat or other situations...

It's a stat that can't be compared to Gap or Luck.

Then.

Wait.

Wait a moment.

'This is a stat given only to those who have seen the top of the tower, right?'

Even with the extremely low probability, there were ways for others to obtain the other stats.

But the Adaptive stat is an exception.

'There's no way to obtain it at all.'

Only one person.

Me, excluding.

Thinking this far, goosebumps ran down his spine.

It seems I've obtained a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.