I Became an Awakener the Whole World Is Obsessed With (3)

Three minutes before I got banned.

I had a blast trolling.

Thanks to that, my anger completely dissipated.

'…Did I go a little too far?'

Afterward, I felt a little sorry.

I knew my post was genuine, but…

How did it look to everyone else?

Just another common troll, like they said.

They probably thought I was making baseless guesses after watching the news.

It was only natural for them to react a little sharply.

And I'd lost my temper and trolled.

I was a petty little man.

'I'm an Awakener now. I can't keep living with an ordinary person's mindset forever.'

After a brief moment of reflection,

I put my finger back on the phone screen.

This time, I planned to write something genuinely useful, not bait.

Now that I was an Awakener, I could put my Mythic-grade traits to use.

'I should only write about places where something truly serious is happening, right?'

The strategy guide I was about to write would cover the world's seven great Gates.

I planned to cover places where a 'Break' had occurred because the boss couldn't be defeated, wiping out an entire metropolis.

It wouldn't reach the locals directly, but…

Someone would dig it up eventually.

'I'll make a new ID, and just in case, use a VPN too….'

Tap, tap. Tap-tap-tap.

I busily tapped away at my phone's keyboard.

I also watched Gate strategy videos from time to time and activated my Dragon Eyes trait.

And the result?

'I still made it to the popular posts.'

It wasn't as urgent as before, and none of the seven places had anything to do with Korea.

Still, they were willing to read it.

Some of them even seriously analyzed it with me.

'They were surprisingly decent people.'

Sorry, everyone.

I got a little heated earlier because you looked down on construction work.

Still, once this post gets dug up, the site's reputation will shoot up.

So let's get along from now on.

Along with my 127th account, 'Cheol Gangmin's Awakener Analysis 2.'

"Serin, big brother's heading out now."

I left the hospital room feeling refreshed.

If the value of that strategy guide became known, it would cause a huge commotion…

But that would be much later.

I could worry about it then.

* * *

But the next day.

I announced that I would work at the construction site only through today,

and was stuffing down the lunch the old man had bought me to thank me for all my hard work.

"Yeah, you made the right decision, kid. You should do something more respectable than construction… Hwi-min?"

"……"

I gaped at the TV in the gukbap restaurant.

My nickname… had been immortalized on the news.

[Cheol Gangmin—Who Is He?]

[The Queen of England is considering conferring a knighthood if the reports prove true…]

[India's S-rank Hunter Rohan makes headlines after saying it exactly matches their research]

No, only a day had passed.

I had been carrying bags of cement and joking around, saying, 'Wow, I'm seriously strong now.'

And in the meantime, I'd become an Awakener the whole world was obsessed with.

What on earth had happened overnight?

[Hwang Hee-chan says he wants to personally reward Cheol Gangmin…]

'Ah, that post from yesterday.'

It didn't take long to figure out what was happening.

The strategy guide I'd written about the turtle.

I had deleted it quickly, but apparently someone had already passed it along.

'This is so embarrassing….'

My face grew hot.

My body kept jerking and trembling from embarrassment.

Having my community nickname appear on the news was much more humiliating than I'd expected.

Apparently, the old man interpreted my reaction differently.

"You little punk, you still lose your head whenever you see Awakener news. You like it that much? Enough to make your body jiggle?"

"…Pardon?"

"But that's not something to envy. Getting that much attention isn't a good thing."

The old man, who had been staring intently at me, continued.

High expectations meant enormous pressure.

Bearing that burden was a completely different matter from awakening a good trait.

A big shot like Hwang Hee-chan could withstand it.

But it was impossible for most people.

"Well, that guy must have enough confidence to do it."

"Uh… Do you think so…?"

"Why else would he do something like that? Obviously, he's trying to raise his market value."

"……"

Thanks to that, I had nothing to say.

That hadn't been my intention.

I only did it because the people in those countries were having a hard time.

Besides, it was nothing to me.

I just thought it would be nice if I could help them, so I told them.

-Snicker.

'Well, it doesn't matter.'

Of course, I wasn't too worried.

Surely I hadn't done it without thinking.

I'd already decided how to deal with it.

"Mister, what would you think if that person were doing it just to get attention?"

"Huh?"

"What if they stayed anonymous and didn't answer, even while people from all over the world sent them offers?"

There were plenty of ways for me to make money anyway.

If I made too much, the National Tax Service, supposedly scarier than the Administration Bureau, might come after me too.

So I'd just stick to posting in the anonymous gallery.

I would respond to all the attention directed at me with complete indifference.

Put simply,

"It'd feel like giving unsolicited advice without asking for anything in return?"

An anonymous ghost king of unsolicited advice.

That was the concept I'd come up with for my community activities.

Perhaps because it sounded absurd, the old man snickered.

"You could get massive amounts of money and fame. Why would you do something like that?"

"For the sake of the concept?"

"What a fool."

"It's okay to have one Awakener like that. It'd be boring if everyone acted as serious as Hwang Hee-chan."

I grinned too.

It felt incredibly rewarding to have done something good for the first time as an Awakener.

Being on the news was still embarrassing, but…

I was sure it would feel different once I got used to being an Awakener.

-Tap-tap-tap.

[Awakener Minor Gallery]

Author: Cheol Gangmin's Awakener Analysis 2

Title: No turning me into a celebrity

Not joining a guild

Not meeting anyone

I'll drop by occasionally to post information

Bye-bye

ㄴ ????

ㄴ You even ignored Hee-chan hyung's call, lol

ㄴ What the hell is this guy doing?

ㄴ I won't join some Cheonghwa Guild that can't even clear a boss like that (no lies)

ㄴ Cheol's cold judgment is spot-on, lol

ㄴ Scout17_Cheonghwa_Official: No, sir, please wait a moment

"…Why are you suddenly looking at your phone?"

"I've been getting some messages."

"How dare you act so rudely at the table, you little punk."

"I'm sorry~ Ah, I'll get more cubed radish!"

After that, I finished the rest of my meal with the old man.

I had become a Mythic-grade Awakener.

Free food was still delicious.

* * *

Then, the next day,

the entire world was in an uproar once more.

One of the seven great Gates, the Demon Realm in New Delhi, had finally been cleared after about ten years.

[Citizens who finally reclaimed their capital shed tears of joy….]

'Once you knew its weakness, it was an easy clear~.'

It was kind of like that turtle-type one from the day before yesterday.

Once you solved its gimmick, it didn't seem like much.

Of course, the fact that it was cleared in just two days was thanks to India's Awakeners working hard on the raid.

But it would have been impossible without my advice.

That was why people looking for me had begun popping up everywhere…

'Look all you want. I'll be climbing the Tower.'

While everyone was looking for me, I was heading back to the Wimp's Tower.

Now that I'd quit my job, I planned to resume climbing the Tower immediately.

Since it was Easy difficulty, it would probably take about three days to clear through Floor 20.

By then, people would surely understand.

That I really wasn't answering any messages.

'All right, shall we climb again?'

"Enter!"

Fwoooosh—!

When I placed my hand on the Egen Tower, dazzling white light enveloped me.

It took only a few seconds to transport me inside the Tower.

'First, I'll go to Floor 10….'

After that, I took the magical elevator to Floor 10.

I immediately reached into my Inventory.

Shing—

When I pulled out the Rare-grade sword I'd fused two days ago, confidence welled up inside me.

'Honestly, I'm overpowered enough to climb the Normal Tower.'

My level was now 201.

Including the title's effect, my actual strength was close to level 300.

By contrast, what were the specs for clearing the Wimp's Tower's second tier?

Usually around level 60.

And they generally only used Common-grade weapons.

The second tier was nothing more than the hill behind my neighborhood to me.

"Dohwa, summon."

"Yip!!"

"Want to come with me?"

"Yaaap!!"

"Good. Let's go."

I even summoned Dohwa, for good measure.

I'd dismissed her as weak because she was level 45, but even she could breeze through the Egen Tower up to Floor 15.

Of course, that didn't mean I planned to have her handle the clearing, but still.

"Then… shall we go?"

"Yap!!!"

I immediately walked toward the portal.

Whoooosh—!!!

The portal's brilliant light swept over Dohwa and me…

When I opened my eyes again,

we were standing in an unfamiliar place.

'Just as my research indicated.'

A small cell blocked off by iron bars.

Moss visible beyond the bars.

Orc warriors guzzling beer in the hallway.

Floor 11 in the second tier of the Beginner's Tower, also known as the 'Prison Floor.'

Once I took in the situation, a notification appeared belatedly.

-Ding.

[You have entered Floor 11 of the Beginner's Tower.]

You have awakened in an unfamiliar prison.

Beside you is

a single living sacrifice who is about to be offered up.

Use her to escape the prison.

(NPCs revive when you climb to the next floor, even if they die)

[Objective]

Reach the next portal

[Rewards]

- Stat Points +3

'Just as I'd heard.'

I looked around the cell while gripping my sword.

The person I was looking for was right beside me.

The NPC on Floor 11 of the Tower.

Her name was…

"Luka?"

"……Huh?"

The girl's head slowly rose from where she was huddled in the corner.

My face was reflected in her dull, clouded eyes,

-Swoosh.

"Let's go home."

I immediately held out my hand to her.

Gently, as if to show that I had no intention of hurting her.

This wasn't the proper strategy.

'Normally, you use her to get your hands on the key.'

The way to escape the prison was to lure those orc guards out.

Even if an Awakener shouted all day, they wouldn't listen, so the standard method was to take Luka, the living sacrifice, hostage and use her.

Apparently, truly heartless people could even kill her to make the orcs open the door.

Of course, I had no need to do that.

"Dohwa? Just in case, could you protect her?"

"Yap!!"

"W-Wha!?"

Dohwa took up position in front of the girl.

Luka blinked in confusion.

I stood in front of them and raised my sword.

Swish, swish—

After two light swings, the iron bars were sliced apart like butter.

-Ding.

[The trait 'Myriad Severance Sword' activates….]

'Now!!'

I immediately shoved through the bars with my shoulder and leaped out.

The bars, severed at the top and bottom, yielded helplessly and fell to the floor with a clang.

The orcs noticed me only after I had reached the vicinity of their piglike noses.

-Whoooosh!!!

"Flame Wave Slash—!!!"

I swung my sword forcefully through the air.

Blue energy gathered on the sword, then transformed into a crescent moon that swept across the hallway.

The special trait of my Rare-grade sword.

A function on a completely different level from ordinary weapons: it could gather mana and fire it once every ten minutes.

The sword energy rushed forward, leaving clawlike marks on the surrounding walls…

Kraaaang—!!!!

It finally reached the end of the hallway, leaving a vertical scar in the wall.

"Kkuiik…."

"Kk, kkk."

Even the solid wall had ended up like that. How could the orcs caught in the middle have endured it?

Thud.

They all collapsed with their bodies sliced in half.

Green blood sprayed out like fountains.

I watched the scene for a moment, then rested my sword on my shoulder and turned around.

"Two guards down. There are no enemies left on Floor 11."

"…Huh? Wha—what?"

"Yap!!"

Luka looked thoroughly confused.

Dohwa, on the other hand, wagged her tail at me.

Seeing the pink fur covering Luka's tattered clothes, I smiled contentedly.

'Maybe it's because she reminds me of Serin. It feels good to protect her.'

"Come on, let's go with big brother."

Step.

I was about to lead them both to the portal when…

-Freeze.

"……Huh?"

Just as I was about to take a step,

I spotted something and stopped.

When I turned around, my face must have been etched with shock.

-Ding.

[The traits 'Golden Rule' and 'Inventory' activate!]

[Golden Rule (Mythic)]

Greatly increases the chance of acquiring loot when hunting monsters in the Tower.

[1 item has been stored in the Inventory.]

"…Whoa!!!"

'An artifact dropped!!!!'