Chapter 7

Chapter 6: National Central Museum (3)

"You will regret... this! I will never forget this!"

Min Jeong-woo glared at Jin Hyuk as if he wanted to kill him, grinding his teeth.

What can I say?

He still didn’t seem to fully grasp the situation.

Who was the boss and who was the subordinate, that is.

Jin Hyuk shrugged.

"Looks like you don’t understand. Do you not know why I burned the map?"

He didn’t need the information up to the 10th floor, which meant he already knew all the information up to the 10th floor.

"Could it be...?"

Only then did Min Jeong-woo open his eyes wide.

"If you want to reach the 10th floor of the tower safely, don’t resist and do as I say."

If he says to stick to the left, you stick to the left. If he says to stick to the right, you stick to the right.

Do you know?

If you listen really well, maybe I’ll give you a treat.

"Judging from the fact that you burned the map, it seems... you have a unique ability related to 'information exploration.' You have every reason to be confident."

Min Jeong-woo made an assumption.

And he looked at Jin Hyuk with a fierce gaze.

"But why should I listen to you? I could just burn you to a crisp and extract the information I want."

Though his mana was depleted now.

If his mana were to recover, burning a person would be no big deal.

He wasn’t wrong.

Torture and threats.

They are indeed effective means.

If...

"If you think you can win in a one-on-one fight..."

Jin Hyuk’s eyes turned cold.

At the same time, red flames rose from his hands.

[Lv1 'Element of Fire' activated!]

Whoosh!

A massive flame began to burn.

"Is, is that...?"

Min Jeong-woo’s pupils dilated.

The scene was so unbelievable that he almost screamed.

"How... how can you have the same ability as me...?"

No.

It’s not the same ability.

Stronger and hotter flames.

No doubt about it.

It was at least a few levels higher in terms of fire magic. The difference in the understanding of the stats and skills he possessed created this gap.

Swallow.

Min Jeong-woo’s throat made a dry sound.

Even if his mana were fully restored.

'Can I win?'

Min Jeong-woo shook his head after a moment of contemplation.

'Probably not.'

It was impossible to consume a larger flame with a smaller one.

Now he understood why Yeri was defeated.

The stone statue she had wouldn’t have been enough.

But there was one thing.

One thing that didn’t add up.

"If you have such power, why did you hide it? You could have easily killed someone like me from the start."

"Reason?"

Jin Hyuk smirked.

And he stood in front of Min Jeong-woo, breaking through the barrier.

"Do I have to explain this to you one by one?"

"T, that’s...?"

"Both asking and commanding are my job. You just have to follow."

Min Jeong-woo, who met his gaze, shuddered and then averted his eyes.

"Your answer?"

"I... understand."

As expected.

He completely cowered.

Jin Hyuk retracted the flames.

"I’ll contact you later. Until then, take the girl from the lower floor and focus on leveling up."

If she’s too weak, she’ll just be a burden.

'At least grow to a level where you’re useful.'

Jin Hyuk moved down the stairs, his back fully exposed.

Thud.

He looked completely vulnerable, as if he would allow any ambush.

"..."

But Min Jeong-woo didn’t move a finger. Or rather, he couldn’t.

He couldn’t.

'If I try to threaten him half-heartedly, he might just be waiting for a chance to counterattack.'

That’s how human psychology works.

When provoked, people tend to want revenge.

So he had to engrave it in his bones.

That he must never dare to attack, no matter what the situation.

Only then could he become a pawn that could be completely controlled.

***

Jin Hyuk returned to his neighborhood from the museum as the sun was rising.

It had been a really long day.

As if several months had been compressed into one day.

"Ugh!"

Jin Hyuk stretched.

As he slowly loosened his arms and legs, he felt his stiff body become a bit lighter.

'The Tower of Trials opens in the evening, so I’ll eat and get some rest until then.'

A good rest and a good meal are just as important as activity.

If your condition is bad, it’s hard to use your full strength.

But before he could really rest...

There was something he needed to check.

"Status window."

Jin Hyuk muttered to the air.

Then,

Ding!

——————————————————

Name: Kang Jin Hyuk

Gender: Male

Age: 27

Level: 1

Strength 8 Agility 8 Vitality 8 Mana 11

Available Stat Points: 0

Job: None

Unique Ability: Fusion (融合)

Skills: Lv1 'Element of Fire', Lv1 'Eye of Truth'

——————————————————

The status window had changed.

New words filled the previously empty unique ability and skill sections.

"Wow..."

He couldn’t help but let out an exclamation.

Having obtained the most OP unique ability, it was only natural.

Though he was just starting, the excitement made his whole body tremble.

'Calm down.'

Jin Hyuk barely managed to calm his trembling heart.

'The top priority is to acquire as many unique abilities and skills as possible.'

There are over 50,000 types of abilities in this world.

It means the road ahead is long.

'I need to prioritize and gather the most necessary abilities first.'

When he obtained 'Element of Fire' from Min Jeong-woo, the copying conditions weren’t too strict.

But that was because it was a level 1 ability.

The higher the rank and level, the more stringent the copying conditions would be.

Of course, he shouldn’t rush.

Rushing into things can lead to mistakes.

Historically, many have failed due to rushing.

A lesson from the opposite side.

'I won’t repeat the mistakes they made. Never.'

...as most veterans would think.

In reality, there were only four veterans, including Jin Hyuk, who appeared at the National Central Museum.

He understood.

The desire to reduce risk.

But to be cautious and act carefully while hoping to stay ahead of others?

Did he make a deal with them to just sit on their hands?

The world always smiles at those who take risks and challenge.

It’s not there for the cowards who only seek safety.

Please, keep acting like that.

'I’ll keep moving forward.'

Though he can’t monopolize all the opportunities with just one body...

Instead, he’ll monopolize the most delicious and important ones.

'You can share the leftovers.'

Jin Hyuk smirked and closed the status window.

'Anyway, I’m getting hungry.'

As his thoughts settled, the hunger he had been suppressing surged.

Rumble!

His stomach felt a violent vibration.

It was empty from moving all night.

'In such times, nothing beats a bowl of rice soup.'

Hot and white broth. Plenty of meat. Sweet and sour kimchi.

There’s nothing better for a hearty meal for 7,000 won.

It’s not for nothing that people say, 'If you’re going to spend this money on something else, get a hot bowl of rice soup.'

'Someone must be open...'

He found it.

A rice soup restaurant that felt like it had been around for at least three generations.

Jin Hyuk immediately entered the 24-hour sundae rice soup restaurant.

Creak! Ding!

The door opened, and a loud bell rang.

However,

The atmosphere in the restaurant was strange.

"Goodness..."

"This is real?"

All the customers, staff, and the owner were captivated by the breaking news.

-The government is investigating the unidentified structure named 'Tower of Trials' and has established a special department called the 'Awakened Association' consisting of civil servants who have gained special abilities.

"Hmm."

Jin Hyuk also muttered with interest.

'The Awakened Association...?'

The government’s response was faster than he thought.

Moreover, the fact that they formed a department with those who have awakened unique abilities shows that they decided to be quite flexible about this matter.

'This is unexpected.'

He thought it would take at least a few weeks.

-The government’s swift response is undoubtedly due to the incident that occurred early this morning.

-Yes. At the National Central Museum, at least 23 people died and over 50 were injured. The number of deaths is expected to increase as some of the injured are in critical condition.

-Oh. Why did they do such a thing...?

-It seems they targeted the artifacts stored in the museum. Similar incidents have occurred in various places around the world, including the United States, Europe, China, and Japan.

The British Museum, the Louvre in France, and the American Museum of Natural History.

'As expected.'

Players from other countries also moved.

To obtain replicas.

And to prepare for the tower.

-Let’s take a look at the internal CCTV footage.

The screen changed.

Two people, a man and a woman, were engaged in combat.

The woman who enlarged the Anubis statue was impressive.

Boom!

Deflecting a spear with bare hands.

Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!

Summoning a tiger from a painting was shocking.

When the tiger shredded five stone statues, even the announcer seemed to lose his words.

It was understandable.

Everything was beyond comprehension.

-...I know it’s hard to believe, but this is the unexaggerated reality.

After a few seconds of silence, the announcer stammered.

The restaurant became even more chaotic.

"Unbelievable. Can a human do that...?"

"Goodness."

"Who is it?"

Most of the older customers tilted their heads.

On the other hand,

"That, that’s the person who appeared on the Tower of Trials community a while ago!"

"Oh. The video where he turned a mangrove tree into splinters?"

"Right. That veteran!"

The younger generation recognized him immediately.

Since he was the most talked-about person on all portal sites and communities, it was only natural.

"I’m really curious. What’s his identity?"

"He could be a secret ultimate weapon developed by the government."

"There’s also a rumor that he’s a famous streamer."

Speculations were rampant.

Jin Hyuk, who was sitting nearby, scratched his cheek awkwardly.

Hearing such comments openly made his ears tingle.

At that moment,

A new person appeared on the TV.

A man in his early to mid-40s with a sharp expression.

-...I am Han Sang-jin, the head of the Awakened Association.

A man with a scar across his face and cold eyes.

'Han Sang-jin...?'

Jin Hyuk’s eyes narrowed.

To be the head of the association, he must have a good ability.

Or,

He must have played the Tower of Trials for a long time.

Hopefully, it’s the former.

Then he could copy his ability when they meet someday.

While Jin Hyuk was thinking, Han Sang-jin continued.

-The reason I’m here is to recruit those who have awakened. Depending on the rank, the minimum salary will be 60 million won, and we will provide treatment equivalent to a 7th-grade civil servant.

Considering the employment difficulties in Korea, it was a待遇 that could make one’s eyes pop out.

It seems they are trying to gather Awakened individuals, but...

How many will choose to become civil servants instead of staying in the land of opportunity?

-Of course, the person who appeared on the news is an exception. I’m offering this on behalf of the association. If you join us, we will support you with whatever you want at the government level.

So that’s why he was making such a fuss.

'My goal was me.'

A skilled individual is far more valuable than 100 ordinary players.

Han Sang-jin knew this, so he was trying to lure him with a blank check.

However,

'He’s completely underestimating me.'

No matter what the cost, he had no intention of joining any organization.

He had no intention of sharing the information he knew.

Jin Hyuk glanced at the clock on the wall.

Now, only 12 hours remained.

Exactly at 7 PM.

When the hour hand points to a new time.

The Tower of Trials will open.