Chapter 88
The only S-rank Hunter in South Korea, Kim Suho.
He was now at the special training ground at the headquarters of the World Hunter Association.
This was a testing ground where top-ranked hunters from each country had their chances of successfully clearing the next floor verified in advance.
Testing here was a mandatory step before challenging the next floor.
Because failure to conquer the Tower didn't end with just one person's death.
The collapse of the Tower would become a national disaster.
Naturally, precautions had to be taken.
Today, there was only one examiner to measure Kim Suho's chances of climbing the 54th floor.
A man in a blue costume.
The current world No. 1, the man closest to a god: Demigod.
Demigod enjoyed this role.
Because it let him periodically confirm that there was no one in this world capable of threatening him.
Of course, there was one exception.
'Double O....'
That mysterious nickname wouldn't leave Demigod's mind.
A being who kept surging upward at a terrifying pace.
He had also doggedly asked for information from the S-rank Hunters of various countries who had come here for the test.
But no one knew who it was.
Or they were pretending not to know.
'So finding them myself is a dead end? I'll have to think of another way....'
Demigod shook his head to clear away the stray thoughts.
For now, it was time to focus on what was in front of him.
"Test over. Yang Tai, impossible to clear."
Demigod declared in a disinterested voice.
In front of him stood a Chinese S-rank Hunter covered head to toe in dust.
Yang Tai shouted as if he couldn't accept it at all.
"That makes no sense! This is rigged! You're trying to hold back China's growth, aren't you?"
"Rigged?"
"Obviously! You're so afraid of us that you declared it impossible even though we had plenty of chance to clear it!"
Yang Tai claimed that Demigod had deliberately failed him.
He said it was all to crush China's spirit.
"Tsk. I won't be seeing anything pleasant today."
The other hunters waiting in a corner of the training ground clicked their tongues.
Demigod's brow furrowed deeply.
He slowly approached Yang Tai.
"Got a complaint, China?"
"Of course! This is blatant discrimination...!"
Before he could finish, Demigod's two hands shot out like lightning.
His massive hands clamped over Yang Tai's cheeks.
Yang Tai's face, despite being that of an S-rank Hunter, was crushed flat without even a chance to resist.
"Kgh....!"
Demigod lifted Yang Tai right up. His feet dangled in the air.
Demigod opened his mouth.
"Hoooo———!"
A lion's roar accompanied by a physical shockwave.
The entire training ground vibrated violently with his voice.
Even the people nearby covered their ears and dropped to their knees.
"Kuhk!"
Blood streamed from Yang Tai's eyes, ears, and nose.
Thud.
When Demigod let go, Yang Tai collapsed straight to the floor.
The medical team nearby rushed over as if it were routine and loaded him onto a stretcher.
"You thought I'd try to intimidate a guy who collapses from just a shout? What a ridiculous fool."
The people watching the fallen Yang Tai snickered as if he were the one who didn't know any better.
Demigod turned toward the next person as if nothing had happened.
His gaze landed on Kim Suho.
"Next, Kim Kadian?"
Kim Suho walked silently out to the center of the training ground.
Demigod asked him.
"Do you have any complaints or worries like that too?"
"No. I don't."
Kim Suho quietly shook his head.
Demigod raised the corners of his mouth, as if he liked Kim Suho's answer.
"I like that you're cool. Good, let's begin. I'll match you according to the next floor's data."
The mock battle began the moment Demigod finished speaking.
The frightening thing about wind magic was that there was no warning.
An invisible attack that couldn't be detected.
One brush of wind was often enough to leave its target in pieces.
Whoosh-!
At the same time as the sound, invisible blades rushed in.
An attack imbued with S-rank power.
It had enough force to split a mountain in two.
But Demigod didn't dodge.
He simply stood still.
His hair fluttered softly in the wind.
"Is that all?"
Kim Suho grit his teeth.
As expected, there was no advantage to a surprise attack against a strong opponent like this.
He brought both hands together and raised a massive storm.
The strongest attack skill he could use.
A Rainbow-grade skill: Split Heaven.
A vortex that tore through everything swept over Demigod.
But Demigod didn't seem inclined to dodge.
It was only natural.
If he dodged, he couldn't accurately measure its power.
Swoosh!
Demigod's fist punched the air.
A shockwave spread out.
A shockwave that overpowered the storm.
It wasn't a skill. It was a phenomenon created purely by brute strength.
"Is this your finishing move?"
"Kgh....!"
"It looks like there's no point in continuing."
Demigod looked down at Kim Suho with emotionless eyes.
A cold judgment spilled from his mouth.
"Hey, Kim Kadian."
His voice rumbled low across the entire training ground.
"At this rate, you'll fail to conquer the next floor. You can't defeat the boss with this power."
A pronouncement full of certainty.
Kim Suho couldn't lift his head.
Because more than anyone else, he himself knew that Demigod's words were true.
Kim Suho returned to his quarters in silence.
***
The sound of the door closing echoed through the empty hallway.
Kim Suho leaned against the door and sank to the floor.
It felt as though all the strength had drained from his body.
He lifted his head and looked at the mirror on the opposite wall.
What it reflected was not the strongest S-rank Hunter in South Korea.
Just one frail human feeling powerless.
"... I'm still weak, aren't I."
Kim Suho covered his face with trembling hands.
Ragged breaths leaked through his fingers.
Forgotten memories surfaced.
It felt like he could hear the sound of rain.
A memory of the smell of mud and blood mixed together.
'Go on! I'll handle this...'
A memory of running away with his back turned on the person he was supposed to protect.
The sight of his own weak, cowardly back.
From that day on, Kim Suho made a vow.
That he would never run away again.
That he would take the place of the person who died for him.
The vow became his life itself.
He spoke like the person he respected, and acted like that person too.
Always confident, and steadfast enough never to back down in the face of any crisis.
The title of the only S-rank Hunter in South Korea was the result of that vow.
"Hoo.... I need to pull myself together."
He let out a short breath and stood up.
The person who died for him surely wouldn't have broken down in a situation like this.
There was no time to sit around collapsed.
He was the only S-rank in South Korea.
And the one responsible for the Tower of Seoul.
Giving up would mean Seoul's collapse.
He had to find a solution somehow.
"I need to find a way. Somehow."
He picked up his phone.
The cold touch of the metal seemed to cool his head a little.
But who should he ask for advice?
The Association? The government?
He could get support, but it wouldn't mean much.
He was already receiving as much support as he possibly could.
S-rank Hunters from other countries?
That was the worst option.
It would only expose his weaknesses.
"Damn...."
A sense of isolation and pressure washed over him.
The helplessness of not seeing any solution.
Meanwhile, his hand had already opened one app out of habit.
Mage Gallery.
The moment he saw it, Kim Suho's awareness snapped back.
"Why did I come in here? In this situation...."
Kim Suho was flustered by his own actions.
He had apparently sought out an escape without realizing it in the midst of extreme stress.
A place where the only five mages in South Korea existed.
Here, he wasn't an S-rank Hunter who had to protect Korea, but just fixed-nick Dung Beetle.
It was the only place where he could reveal his true self.
One of the few places in the world where he could relax and let his guard down.
[Title: How about changing the Korean flag to my emblem someday.]
[Author: ㅇㅇ(88U.8T8)]
[They're already doing it inside the Tower. Let's embrace good Tower culture.]
ㄴPkkatju: You're out of your mind.
An ordinary conversation, just like always.
Kim Suho read the posts blankly.
For a moment, the weight of reality seemed to fade away.
That was when it happened.
His fingers moved on their own.
As if the dam holding back his emotions had burst.
[I...]
A single character typed into the input box.
Kim Suho hesitated for a moment.
But his fingers, once they had started moving, wrote on their own.
[Title: I was judged to have failed the 55th-floor climb]
Just one sentence with no explanation.
Before Kim Suho even realized what he'd done, he hit send.
***
[I was judged to have failed the 55th-floor climb]
"What is this?"
S-rank Hunter Kim Suho.
The strongest man in South Korea. And he failed?
I wasn't the only one surprised.
Other mages' comments came in one after another.
ㄴPkkatju: ???
ㄴFridge: ?????
ㄴMagic Is Firepower: ????????
Soon, Dung Beetle added an explanation.
ㄴBeetle: That's the result of the official test I just took. Apparently, my firepower's lacking.
Firepower lacking.
The moment those four characters appeared in the comment box.
I had a feeling someone would chime in.
ㄴMagic Is Firepower: Who said 'firepower is lacking'??
ㄴFridge: I knew this would happen.
ㄴMagic Is Firepower: Wind magic is fundamentally weak in firepower. Fire magic wouldn't have this problem.
ㄴPkkatju: It's not like you can choose your attribute, so stop saying useless things. Just tell us the solution.
The chiding continued.
Perhaps feeling awkward, Magic Is Firepower immediately offered a solution.
ㄴMagic Is Firepower: If firepower is lacking, just wield two staffs, right?
ㄴㅇㅇ(88U.8T8): What the—
ㄴFridge: If that works, why not hold one in your mouth too and go three-sword style?
ㄴPkkatju: I wear one on each finger joint and do six-sword style. Like Wolverine.
I agreed.
There was a limit to how much equipment you could wear.
"In that case, you'd just stack three rings on each finger and wear two or three layers of clothes too."
But Magic Is Firepower stubbornly insisted.
ㄴMagic Is Firepower: Man, you don't trust people. I told you, I've tried it.
ㄴFridge: Hmm....
ㄴMagic Is Firepower: Hang on, I'll upload proof.
Sure enough, a post was uploaded soon after.
In the GIF, two staffs really were being used at the same time.
It was pretty funny seeing him hold a long staff in each hand.
ㄴFridge: No, it really works.... Why does it work?
ㄴMagic Is Firepower: Told you it works, didn't I?
ㄴPkkatju: What on earth did you have to do to learn such a weird technique?
ㄴMagic Is Firepower: There is a really heartbreaking story behind it, you know?
ㄴMagic Is Firepower: Anyway, that's not important. What do you think? This should boost your firepower quite a bit, right? I'll write out the details now.
"Hmm.... Don't I have something I can use too?"
I fell into thought for a moment.
Dung Beetle, Kim Suho—one of the few people who knew my identity.
Besides, he'd been helping me out in all sorts of ways ever since his A-rank Hunter registration.
"Those fixed-nick old-timers who just show up and act all expert at times like this were kind of cool...."
I decided to help as much as I could.
For now, I suggested the first method that came to mind.
ㄴㅇㅇ(88U.8T8): Then should I lend you my staff? It's legendary.
ㄴBeetle: No thanks, but I'll appreciate the thought.
ㄴBeetle: What if I happen to die inside the Tower?
ㄴBeetle: If that happens, I'd lose that item forever. I can't let that happen.
ㄴㅇㅇ(88U.8T8): No, who puts dying into the plan? You go in determined to clear it no matter what.
ㄴBeetle: That's true. Still, I won't borrow the item.
ㄴBeetle: The attribute's different anyway, so it probably wouldn't have much effect. Besides, I can get gear of my own.
A polite but firm refusal.
I admitted that he wasn't wrong.
Sure enough, the World Tree Root I had wasn't a good fit for him.
With him being S-rank and government support on top of that, getting another staff suited to him wouldn't be hard anyway.
"Then maybe I should make something helpful."
I extended my hand.
The ring on my finger glowed.
A thick book of mana unfolded before me.
"Let's see, staffs or magic-related items...."
Countless blueprints for weapons, armor, and accessories scrolled past.
Soon, a promising item appeared.
[Dwarven All-Purpose Staff.]
"Oh? This looks kind of good."
I read the detailed description.
[Description: A magic weapon created with the wisdom and technical prowess of dwarves.]
[When the trigger is pulled, it fires compressed mana bullets.]
[Even a dwarf with no magical talent can use magic.]
[*Can help negotiations and conversations go in your favor.]
I doubted my eyes for a moment.
"... This is just a gun."
A crude item, befitting those uncultured dwarves.
I skimmed through the other blueprints as well.
But the situation was similar.
"There aren't many items that seem immediately useful."
Maybe a mana battery?
If I stored someone else's magic in it, it might be useful....
"Let's just think of another way."
I fell into thought again.
If items wouldn't work, what else was there?
What did I know?
A fundamental way to increase firepower.
"Ah."
At that moment, a memory flashed through my mind.
Gerard, the court mage I had met during the fortress defense on the 32nd floor.
Gerard's unusual mana flow.
I had seen through it with Insight Eye and copied it.
"Could this be helpful?"
Not increasing the total amount of mana, but using the power you already had more efficiently.
Wasn't that exactly what Kim Suho needed right now?
I typed into the comment box again.
ㄴㅇㅇ(88U.8T8): I have one technique I've learned in the Tower....