Chapter 4
[ ☆ Isn't Lunatic just ez? (289) ]
[ Posted by: 39.7 ]
< Clear message proof >
< V-sign selfie with slime corpse in the background >
One lousy slime, and the clear reward's nothing special...
Hmm... Is this really that hard...?
- Anonymous Climber: ????
- Anonymous Climber: What, how'd they clear it...?
- Great Mage: W-what??
- Anonymous Climber: What the hell is this guy?
- Scarlet Letter*: Lunatic?? A newbie cleared Lunatic????
- Anonymous Climber: No, holy shit;;;;
- Save the Newbies: All the newbies are dead now
└ Anonymous Climber: You're not exactly a newbie yourself, though...
- Air Raid Alert: Isn't that Sludge, not a slime? The one from Floor 5
└ Anonymous Climber: Yeah, Black Sludge
└ Anonymous Climber: Right? No way a slime could look that fucking disgusting
└ Speed Vegan: FYI: Black Sludge. One of the Floor 5 mini-bosses that often appears on difficulties up to Insane. It has the ridiculously overpowered trait of being immune to physical attacks, and its poison mist lets it attack over a wide area, so most A-rank Hunters can't even get close. Melee types who can only walk up to it don't stand a chance, and the only ones who can hold their own are fire mages...
└ Anonymous Climber: No, seriously, how the fuck did they kill it;;;
- Great Mage: Is it a girl?? She's definitely a girl, right??
└ Anonymous Climber: Can't tell until she shows her face
└ Child Enthusiast: From her hair, shoulders, and hands, I'd say so. Judging by the camera height, she's pretty short too?
└ Early Adopter: Gasp, no way...
└ Anonymous Climber: This is getting wild, damn
└ Not a Saint: Please hold your breath for 99,999 seconds...
- Sogatamyeontanso: Wait... 39.7...?
└ Anonymous Climber: Huh? Isn't this guy an Awakened Gallery anon?
└ Anonymous Climber: Is he famous?
└ Ice Fan: Yeah, the anon who posted a pic of himself puking blood after drinking 26 cans of energy drinks, then got blocked
└ Anonymous Climber: What...? He drank 26 cans of energy drinks...?
└ Anonymous Climber: So he didn't die—he Awakened
└ Anonymous Climber: More importantly, wait. This guy was a girl??
Meanwhile, at that very moment.
The person at the center of the hot topic setting the Awakened Community ablaze...
"Mom~! That lady's weird! She's walking around with all her clothes off!"
"Shh! Be quiet."
"But..."
"Never, ever make eye contact with her, okay?"
"......"
She was walking down the street naked, covered in slime.
While some weird-looking guy in a hat pointed at her.
...Fuck.
*
*
*
After somehow managing to make it home naked, against all odds.
Having finished my shower, I started checking the Floor 1 clear rewards right away, feeling much fresher.
[ You have obtained a 2nd-Floor Pass. ]
[ You have obtained Random Skill Box x1. ]
"Claim."
Fwoosh—!
The moment I claimed the items, a box appeared in midair with a flash of light.
It looked a lot like the Hextech chests from that one game.
"Still, I guess Lunatic difficulty really does come with a proper reward."
I never thought I'd get a skill from Floor 1.
The only ways for Awakened to grow stronger were traits, skills, and items.
And among those, traits and skills were famously damn hard to get, even in the Tower.
Unless you found a hidden secret or had a fortuitous encounter, they were rewards you could only get by beating a boss every ten floors.
But maybe because I was on Lunatic difficulty, I got a skill as a reward just for clearing Floor 1.
"Damn, Tower-bro! I knew I could count on you!!"
Ah, righteous and merciful System!
I can suddenly feel the Tower's philosophy and vision...
...Anyway, moving on.
"Shall I open it right away?"
Without delay, I opened the box.
System messages appeared in midair, and the names of countless skills began to fill my vision.
[ You have used Random Skill Box! ]
Whirrr!
[ ... ]
[ Human Transmutation (S) ]
[ Blink (A) ] ◀
[ Harden (D) ]
[ ... ]
Golden, purple, and blue skills spun around like a roulette wheel.
The flashy presentation made me bounce in place and gasp in delight.
"Ooh...!"
This is totally, what's it called... a slot machine!
Of course, since what was at stake was a skill, it was gambling with my life...
But if you bet money, you're still betting your life, so isn't it all the same in the end?
Whirrr...
[ ... ]
[ Harden (D) ]
[ Taunt (C) ] ◀
[ Inventory (A) ]
[ ... ]
As I entertained myself with pointless thoughts, the skills gradually began to slow down.
[ ... ]
[ Taunt (C) ]
[ Inventory (A) ] ◀
[ Golem Creation (B) ]
[ ... ]
At last, the roulette stopped on a single skill glowing purple.
Ding!
[ You have obtained the skill Inventory (A). ]
"Gasp...!"
Inventory?
The one I know?
That legendary, ridiculously overpowered skill that gets you offers from the Association and guilds just for having it?
An A-rank skill, Inventory.
It's a famous skill everyone knows.
In countless RPGs, it's one of the basic convenience features.
But those bastard Tower folks turned it into DLC.
As a result, Awakened without this skill had no choice but to haul all sorts of weapons and consumables around in their bags while conquering the Tower.
That was why I'd just walked home naked, too.
Fucking bastards.
Flash—!
[ Inventory ]
- Rank: A
- Ability: Opens an extradimensional space to store and retrieve objects.
- Storage limit: 1 m³
I immediately opened my skill window and checked Inventory's description.
Its storage limit was one cubic meter.
It wasn't as spacious as I'd expected, but it was still just as useful.
Especially since it synergized well with me, an Alchemist.
After all, Transmutation required materials.
"Heeheehee."
Smiling happily at my new skill, I immediately turned on my phone and checked Awakened Gallery.
[ This IP has been blocked. ]
My IP was still blocked.
Even after checking the announcements and post lists, I couldn't find the reason, let alone how long the block would last.
I was so upset I'd forgotten my age and cried out for the assistant mod.
"Damn, assistant mod, you've lost it."
Assistant mod, come over here and sit down.
It's already been a whole day. How is this okay?
Does a lazy assistant mod who won't even tell me why I was blocked deserve to wear the mod armband?
I don't think so...
"...Anyway. That's Awakened Gallery for you."
I'd had enough of the endless harassment and bans.
There was no need to cling to Awakened Gallery anymore.
I had an alternative now.
[ Awakened Community ]
I immediately opened Tower Gallery.
The true 'Awakened Gallery,' which I'd only gained access to after climbing Floor 1 of the Tower.
Then, as usual, I started lurking so I could stir up some divisive shit, and just as I was about to check the top-post tab first, I spotted a familiar title.
[ ☆ Isn't Lunatic just ez? (294) ]
"...Huh?"
The post I'd mindlessly made after clearing Floor 1 just a little while ago.
But for some reason, it had made the top posts.
And it had 294 comments, too.
"......???"
Ding!
[ ☆ Isn't Lunatic just ez? (295) ]
"W-wait..."
Before I could even wonder what was going on, another notification rang out and the comment count went up again.
Panicking, I checked the regular posts instead of the top posts, but those weren't much different.
[ Let's take a look at the Floor 10 gatekeeper, Black Sludge ]
[ Isn't 39.7 that guy everyone likes from Awakened Gallery? ]
[ This Slushie bastard solo-killed it, what the hell ㄷㄷ ]
[ What the hell does a newbie have to do to solo-kill grape slush;;; ]
[ All the newbies in the gallery are dead now, holy shitㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ ]
"......"
The star of Tower Gallery's hot topic.
I'd become Tower Gallery's superstar.
I'd become Tower Gallery's superstar.
Once I finally realized it, my heart started beating faster and faster, even though I hadn't had any caffeine.
Thump, thump...!
"Haa... haa..."
First... First, I need to calm down.
I, Geum A-yeon.
A proud, well-liked anon from Awakened Gallery.
Getting worked up over sudden bait was something only amateurs did.
An intermediate user would buy some penny stock with a name related to the hot topic and check the Han River's water temperature.
Then what does a pro do?
Set it on fire.
And that's what we call trolling.
[ ‼️+Prrrrrrrrrrt‼️+♥️+Hyaaah♥️+My butt‼️+♥️+‼️+ ]
[ Posted by: 39.7 ]
< Toilet photo cropped at the bottom >
< The "Just this once" frog meme >
Yeah, I'm here.
Been waiting for me, huh.
So what do you do here? Is it like Awakened Gallery?
Also, I got Inventory as my Floor 1 clear reward. Any tips on how to use it?
- Anonymous Climber: Finally, you're here
- Anonymous Climber: That pic gave me PTSD, holy shit
- Anonymous Climber: Post proof of your class, traits, and skills ㄱㄱ
- Anonymous Climber: No?? This guy's...
└ Anonymous Climber: Hey, hey, stop.
- Scarlet Letter*: Please read the announcements first
└ (OP) 39.7: Who reads the announcements?
└ Scarlet Letter*: Jesus;;;
- Save the Newbies: Flexing Inventory in the middle of all this;;;
└ Anonymous Climber: How would you get a skill from a Floor 1 reward? Quit lying
└ Save the Newbies: It's Lunatic, so who knows
- Great Mage: Are you a girl?
└ Child Enthusiast: Flat-chested?
└ Early Adopter: Height, age. Hurry. This is urgent.
A classic clickbait question post with a standard template for a title.
Some of the people browsing the gallery must've taken the bait, because comments started appearing before long.
"...I'm the one who asked the questions."
For some reason, I'd ended up being the one answering questions instead.
Well, the topic had been burning for an hour while I was in the Tower, so I guess it made sense.
For the record, I casually ignored the head mod's plea to read the announcements first.
The only times you read a gallery's announcements are when they're calling out a fixed-handle user or when you've been unfairly banned.
Ding!
"Huh?"
Just as I was happily refreshing the gallery and enjoying the new comments...
A notification rang out, and a private message arrived.
[ Messages (104) ]
- Anonymous Climber: (photo)
- Anonymous Climber: You're a newbie, right? I'm trying to help you...
- Great Mage: Are you a girl?
- Anonymous Climber: Wakya-pyah-heok-nong lmaoㅋㅋㅋㅋ
- Anonymous Climber: Looking for a girlfriend 010-XXXX-XXX
- ......
- ...
"W-whoa."
When I checked, there were a little over a hundred messages piled up while I wasn't looking.
Most of them were from women-chasers, scammers, or people sending photos that looked like you absolutely should not open them, but before long, I spotted a familiar username among them.
- Sogatamyeontanso: 39.7...? Is that you...?
"Huh?"
Sogatamyeontanso.
A familiar fixed-handle user from Awakened Gallery.
And having a fixed handle on Awakened Gallery meant you were Awakened.
In other words, of course they were active on Tower Gallery too.
So it wasn't all that strange that this person recognized who I was.
No, since I'd been giving myself away so obviously from my very first post, maybe it would've been stranger if they hadn't recognized me...
- Sogatamyeontanso: I know you're looking at this
"Eek..."
That message hit a sore spot, and I let out a groan without realizing it.
But whether I liked it or not, Sogatamyeontanso kept pressing me.
- Sogatamyeontanso: Answer me
"......"
It seemed something had gone seriously wrong.
*
*
*
Meanwhile, as Tower Gallery blazed with the Lunatic topic...
The Awakened Association was in a state of emergency.
"Control room report!! A new Floor 1 clear record has been confirmed!!"
"Where the hell did a monster like that come from? Have we identified the Awakened?"
"Control the press and the online communities!! This absolutely cannot get out!!"
Shouts rang out from every direction.
People rushed around, papers flew through the air.
Even new hires were getting their asses chewed out by their bosses as they stood there dumbfounded.
In the chaos, which was like a madhouse, a red-haired woman with dark circles under her eyes strolled in holding a cup of coffee.
"...This place is a complete circus."
Hong Yeon-hwa.
Gallery handle: Sogatamyeontanso.
An A-rank Awakened and high-ranking Association executive (aka graduate student).
She was in a very bad mood right now.
She'd been training for once when the Association chairman suddenly summoned her with an emergency call.
'Haah, damn... I was just about to get the hang of it...'
Lately, she'd been training in seclusion.
Taking on the armored monsters on the floors in the tens was impossible without serious firepower.
Especially to take the head off the Floor 20 boss, overwhelming firepower was more essential than anything else.
"...Just as I thought. I don't have enough firepower."
The only thing better than firepower was more firepower.
More explosives.
A bigger explosion...!!
It sounded like something a nation in the East obsessed with firepower might say, but she was serious.
After all, pouring everything into firepower was how she'd conquered the Tower so far.
...Although she did have the weakness of being a glass cannon who ran out of mana after a single shot.
That was only a minor problem that could be solved by increasing her firepower.
Then Hong Yeon-hwa grabbed an Association employee passing by and asked him.
"Hey. What's all the commotion?"
"W-well..."
Caught off guard by a question from her boss's boss's boss, the employee couldn't bring himself to answer.
Judging by how slow he was to respond, he seemed to be a new hire.
As the employee's boss watched and quietly prepared to chew him out...
A bald middle-aged man suddenly appeared, stepped between them, and continued speaking.
"Apparently, an Awakened has cleared Lunatic difficulty this time."
"Oh, Chairman, sir.“
The bald man Hong Yeon-hwa had called the Association chairman continued explaining.
"And it seems they bragged about it on the community. Without us knowing."
"What the hell are you talking about? Tower G... Weren't you monitoring that place?"
"What's more, it seems they're an unregistered Awakened."
"...Ah."
There was a reason the chairman was freaking out.
After all, unregistered Awakened were like the Association's PTSD.
Back in the 'Age of Chaos,' just after the Tower appeared.
The inside of the Tower, beyond the reach of public authority, was a paradise for criminals.
A lawless wasteland with neither rules nor institutions.
And once those people were given the blessing of 'Awakening,' the days that followed were horrific.
Civilians died.
A war on crime broke out.
Countless lives were lost, and the Association was formed.
A mountain of corpses built up to secure the peace they had today.
Recalling that blood-soaked past, the chairman spoke to Hong Yeon-hwa with a tired expression.
"...I know we can't control every Awakened."
But this time was different.
An Awakened who had chosen Lunatic difficulty.
Perhaps the fourth S-rank to emerge in Korea.
The chairman couldn't even bear to imagine the fallout if such an Awakened were left unregistered...
"Even a temporary registration would be fine.“
Even if they couldn't fully control them, they needed to at least identify them.
The tragedies of the past couldn't be allowed to repeat themselves.
"They seem to want to keep their identity hidden... It'd be better to accommodate them than provoke them unnecessarily."
But, the chairman continued.
He continued speaking.
"We must find them."
His resolute gaze, his eyes trembling, settled on Hong Yeon-hwa.
There was fear in them, the fear of someone who had lived through the era of war firsthand.
"Yeah... Sure."
Hong Yeon-hwa, on the other hand, replied with an indifferent expression.
She'd already figured out the identity of the newbie who'd cleared Lunatic.
[ ☆ Isn't Lunatic just ez? (294) ]
"......"
It was about thirty minutes later that she sent 39.7 a private message.