The Tutorial Is Too Easy, but the Rewards Are Amazing (2)

I blinked, dumbfounded.

'Why is this happening now…?'

One of my Mythic-grade traits.

Freely changes the Tower's difficulty.

Why was a notification saying that was possible only appearing now?

As if it were telling me, 'That's not how you're supposed to use it.'

'Could there have been another reason it was Mythic-grade?'

Until now, I'd taken its being Mythic-grade in stride.

That made sense, since I'd thought it was an emergency escape trait.

If I was climbing the Normal or Hard Tower and things looked dangerous, I could flee to the Egen Tower, the cowards' shelter.

That was what I thought the proper use of it was.

'But maybe that wasn't all there was to it.'

Ding—!

I hurriedly opened my Status Window.

As I examined the trait slot, the words 'When used, moves you to the same tier' caught my eye.

'I thought it was supposed to take me to Floor 0.'

Generally, Towers were divided into ten-floor sections.

The large safe zone that opened after you defeated a boss had a magical elevator that moved you exactly ten floors at a time.

Even the Tower's theme changed in ten-floor increments.

Floors 0 through 9 were collectively called the first tier.

Many Awakeners called it that.

'No, it's a different Tower to begin with. Then of course I'd have to clear it again from the start.'

Besides, there was a reasonable explanation for this.

It was why I assumed activating that trait would take me to Floor 0.

But…

What if there was another reason it was Mythic-grade?

'Could it really send me to the same tier?'

I immediately focused my eyes.

I intended to try using another one of my traits.

And the Mythic-grade trait…

showed me why it was Mythic-grade.

-Ding!

[The trait 'Dragon Eyes' reveals a secret.]

Additional details about the trait have been revealed.

[The Tower's Harmonizer (Mythic)]

Towers currently available for travel:

Challenger's Tower (Floor 1 safe zone)

Pilgrim's Tower (Floor 1 safe zone)

"…Insane."

Dragon Eyes, aren't you a little too overpowered?

I thought it might work, but I never expected it to go this far.

'And it's the Floor 1 safe zone?'

"…Should I try it?"

-Press—!

I pressed the Tower Transfer button glowing brilliantly.

A blue light, unlike the one when I entered the Egen Man's Tower, illuminated my vision.

When I opened my eyes again.

I was standing in a place that looked exactly the same.

-Ding.

[You have been moved to the 'Challenger's Tower'.]

[Entering safe zone.]

[The system's 'Return' function has been deactivated.]

(Next activation: Floor 5 safe zone)

'It's real.'

Notifications poured in the moment I changed the difficulty.

But my gaze went beyond them.

What had been a wooden box in the Egen Tower had turned into a golden chest.

-Ding.

[The trait 'Dragon Eyes' appraises the item.]

[Challenger's Tower Floor 1 Climbing Reward]

- Stat Points +8

"……Let's, let's go back again."

I wasn't excited. Absolutely not.

Very calmly, yes.

First, I'd return to the Wimp's Tower and think about it.

-Ding.

[Moving to the 'Beginner's Tower'….]

[Beginner's Tower Floor 1 Climbing Reward]

- Stat Points +3

"Phew…."

Fortunately, returning wasn't a problem either.

Apparently, it wasn't going to say, 'How dare you switch to Normal? Have you been kidnapped, you bastard?'

And that meant…

'Even the Coffin…?'

"M-Move!"

I squeezed my eyes shut and pressed the button.

I was going to set foot in the Pilgrim's Tower, infamous for its utterly brutal difficulty.

Fwoooosh—!!!

An ominous blood-red light flooded my vision, and

when I opened my eyes, a black obsidian chest was sitting in front of me.

-Ding.

[You have been moved to the 'Pilgrim's Tower'.]

[Pilgrim's Tower Floor 1 Climbing Reward]

- Stat Points +20

- Lowest-grade Recovery Potion x1

- Weapon Summon Ticket x1

"Insane."

I cursed without meaning to.

I even covered my mouth in disbelief.

It was because I belatedly realized that what I'd thought was a shitty trait was actually an insanely overpowered freebie trait.

'Isn't this a little too much of a freebie!?'

I only cleared the first floor of the Egen Tower on Easy difficulty.

But I'm getting the reward from the Pilgrim's Tower?

That's equivalent to clearing the 'Coffin,' where 99 percent never return?

It's Mythic-grade and all, but does this really make sense?

I wanted to coast through life,

but I never intended to be this shameless.

'Of course I'll take it, though!!'

"I'm sorry for failing to recognize you, O GOAT of traits!!"

Whip—!!!

I reached out and opened the chest.

The moment my fingers touched it.

Notifications erupted before my eyes like a storm.

-Ding!

[You have acquired the Floor 1 climbing rewards.]

- Stat Points +20

- Lowest-grade Recovery Potion x1

- Weapon Summon Ticket x1

[The trait 'Inventory' activates.]

2 items have been stored in the Inventory.

[The trait 'Sword God' activates.]

Stat Points are automatically distributed.

[Ryu Hwi-min]

Level: 21 (+20)

Title: None

Strength: 20 (+7)

Agility: 20 (+2)

Vitality: 20 (+6)

Mana: 13 (+4)

Luck: 7 (+1)

"…Ah."

I could feel it.

The fatigue I'd built up from working at the construction site vanished completely.

I was about one and a half times stronger than before, my body felt lighter, and my physical stamina had improved just as much.

My mana had increased too, to the point where I could even feel some refreshing energy circulating through my body.

At this very moment.

I had truly become an Awakener.

And yet I'd become as strong as someone who'd climbed seven floors after clearing just one floor of the Egen Tower.

'…No, I'll go back and celebrate first!!'

"Move!!"

Just in case, I returned to the Wimp's Tower again.

A white light that looked utterly harmless compared to the Pilgrim's Tower's blood-red glow enveloped me.

The 'You've been kidnapped' situation I'd feared until the very end did not occur.

-Ding.

[The system's 'Return' function has been activated….]

"Waaaaaaaaaaah!!!!!!"

Only then did I cheer and jump up and down.

There was no way to contain the dopamine surging through me.

'This is a huge snowball of free gains!!'

Now I'd grow stronger at a whole different speed.

The Egen Tower's second floor? Yeah, I'm a Floor 7 build.

The third floor? I'm a Floor 14 build.

Now that I could do this.

And by the time I cleared all fifty floors of the Egen Tower?

'I'll be number one in the world!'

All you world-famous Awakeners, stand to attention.

The man standing before you has climbed fifty floors of the Pilgrim's Tower.

In reality, I cleared the Egen Tower, but whatever.

"Heh heh, S-rank Ryu Hwi-min."

'Serin will love this. She'll have a big brother on the level of a national power!'

A golden future was already shimmering before my eyes.

I got so carried away that I even imagined appearing on a broadcast with my little sister for an interview…

[Hwi-min, how did you become so strong!]

[It's all thanks to easy wins, easy wins, glorious easy wins.]

[What is the secret to your success!]

[Well… huh? Who are you?]

[I'm from the Administration Bureau. You'll have to enlist, won't you?]

[…Kyaaaaaaaak!!!]

"Ah, shit."

The dopamine that had been soaring plummeted.

Ah, the sorrow of conscription.

'Well, I wasn't planning on going on TV in the first place.'

Of course, I wasn't too disappointed.

My dream was 'to be a rich man nobody knows'.

I had no interest in fame, even apart from the military.

My stats seemed too good to waste on an ordinary life, but whatever.

'Should I check the other rewards first?'

"Inventory!"

I sat on the bed and reached a hand into thin air.

One of my Mythic-grade traits, Inventory.

I intended to retrieve the items stored inside it.

It was my first time using the trait, but it wasn't difficult.

-Snatch.

'It works when I just do what comes to mind.'

Just like with the sword, when it was time to use a trait, I somehow knew how.

It felt like remembering something I'd forgotten.

This time too, my hand moved on its own as I thought, 'Ah, that's how it was done.'

Shloop. I felt my hand, which had reached into thin air, emerge again.

It held a bottle and a ticket.

-Ding.

[The trait 'Dragon Eyes' appraises the item.]

[Weapon Summon Ticket]

Summons one random weapon from the dwarves' armory.

(The type is fixed as a sword-type weapon by the trait 'Sword God')

[Lowest-grade Healing Potion]

Instantly heals minor injuries.

(Can create a 'Low-grade Healing Potion' with the trait 'Fusion')

(Required: Lowest-grade Healing Potion x10)

"Oh-ho."

I remembered potions being pretty expensive, so this was quite a windfall.

I'd ask Serin about it, and sell it if it didn't seem worth keeping.

'I might as well use the Weapon Summon Ticket now.'

Since I was at it, I tore the ticket.

Rip—

With a sharp sound, a notification popped up.

[The traits 'Inventory' and 'Dragon Eyes' activate.]

[Elite Soldier's Longsword (Common)]

A high-quality longsword.

Its edge has been sharpened to a keen point.

(Can create Rare equipment with the trait 'Fusion')

(Required: Elite Soldier's Longsword and 9 Common-grade pieces of equipment)

'So this is Common.'

Seeing something like this after all the Mythic-grade stuff is kind of cute.

Well, thanks to my traits, either way works for me.

Still, it's cool, so I'll use it.

-Swish—

After putting the borrowed trash sword into my Inventory.

I rose lightly to my feet.

Dreams and hopes of getting a free ride filled my eyes as I looked toward the portal leading to the next floor.

"How about I casually clear just ten floors?"

* * *

About ten hours passed after that.

I didn't spend all that time climbing the Tower; most of it was spent sleeping soundly in the safe-zone bed after getting drowsy midway through.

I actually fought for about three hours.

But what was the result?

[You have acquired the Floor 9 climbing rewards.]

- Stat Points +20

- Lowest-grade Recovery Potion x1

- Weapon Summon Ticket x1

[Ryu Hwi-min]

Level: 181 (+160)

Title: None

Strength: 70 (+50)

Agility: 80 (+60)

Vitality: 55 (+35)

Mana: 23 (+10)

Luck: 12 (+5)

"Mmm~."

'If I claim one reward, the others disappear, but this is still incredible.'

The average level of Awakeners from the Egen Tower is around 150.

I surpassed that in just nine floors.

That meant those bus drivers I'd seen earlier were no match for me anymore.

I did have a complaint about my low Luck, but

'I have Titles and Stigmata too, so I should be fine.'

The reason Awakeners kept throwing themselves into the Coffin despite its atrocious difficulty: Titles and Stigmata.

I trusted them to make up for it to some extent.

That was why I'd pushed through the Tower without farming.

'Come to think of it, am I at the boss floor now?'

"…I should clear it quickly and go see Serin."

After finishing looking over my Status Window.

Step—

I walked toward the portal leading to the boss floor.

I thought it might be hard to adjust if I grew too strong in a single day, and the clear conditions became complicated in various ways from Floor 11 onward.

For today, I planned to defeat only the first-tier boss.

However…

Just as my shoe was about to touch the portal.

-Ding.

[When a boss is defeated, 1 trait will be used 'immediately'.]

[Overlord (Mythic)]

Upon clearing a boss floor for the first time, you acquire that boss as a summon.

[Would you like to move to the Pilgrim's Tower using the 'Tower's Harmonizer' trait?]

"……Huh?"

The Status Window hit me with a 'Want to die?'