Chapter 6: 1st Floor. Master of All Weapons (1)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 6: 1st Floor. Master of All Weapons (1)
[Title: Quick question. Is it impossible to get skills this way?]
[I spent the entire day searing my flesh in the 1st-floor lava trying to get the Fire Resistance skill. But I didn't get anything. Is there some kind of restriction?]
[Kang Man-sik (12th Floor): Ah…]
[Olga Fedorova (22nd Floor): How many times has this been asked already?]
[Park Jun (16th Floor): I think this is exactly the 43rd time since the Tower opened. Though, I've noticed guys like this usually end up becoming monsters.]
[Olivia Turner (31st Floor): To answer your question, Tower skills cannot be obtained in that manner.]
* * *
Three days remained until the next floor unlocked.
During that time, Kang Jun-hyeok kept a close eye on the news.
[The conflict between the Verdant Guild and the Baekdusan Guild has concluded. The victor is the Verdant Guild. The Ansan area has officially become Verdant Guild territory.]
"They’re right in the thick of it."
The Verdant Guild and the Baekdusan Guild—the two giants competing for supremacy in Korea—were locked in a brutal struggle. Half the country was caught in the crossfire of their dispute. In his past life, Jun-hyeok himself had been significantly affected by their clashes.
Back then, he had viewed it as a monumental, world-shaping struggle. Looking back now, it seemed ridiculous—like watching children squabble over territory in a sandbox.
They’ve probably noticed by now.
He wasn't the only survivor of the 0th Floor Quest. Out of 100 participants, 80 had survived.
Considering the survival rate for the 0th Floor was usually around 50%, this was a massive anomaly. The major powers would be searching for survivors to gather information. Most of those survivors would likely seek out one of the three giants: the Verdant Guild, the Baekdusan Guild, or the Free Guild.
In that process, his name would inevitably surface. There was no way they wouldn't find out; the name "Kang Jun-hyeok" had been displayed prominently as the MVP. Once that happened, the guilds would realize exactly what he had accomplished on the 0th Floor.
"Things are about to get noisy."
It wouldn't be long before they came looking for him. The task before then was simple: build his strength.
Beep, beep, beep.
The alarm he had set finally went off. Three days had passed. Jun-hyeok smirked.
"Shall we go, then?"
Without a moment's hesitation, Jun-hyeok opened the system interface.
[Will you challenge the Tower?]
• Floor to challenge: 1st Floor.
"Yes."
[1st Floor Quest starting.]
• Prove yourself.
The world flipped. Jun-hyeok’s body left Earth, transitioning into a separate realm. At the end of that transition, he arrived.
He stood inside a cavern where the air shimmered with oppressive heat and lava bubbled rhythmically.
[1st Floor Quest]
• Reach the exit using the footholds.
"It’s been a while."
Jun-hyeok gazed at the scene with nostalgic eyes. Inside the massive cavern lay a vast swamp of molten rock. Circular stone footholds were laid out at intervals, forming a precarious path across.
The 1st Floor Quest was straightforward: step on the footholds in the lava swamp to reach the exit.
"Hup."
Jun-hyeok didn't delay. He kicked off the ground and threw himself onto the first foothold. As he moved across the swamp, a wave of sweltering heat crashed over him.
The gaps between the footholds were quite wide. If one misjudged their strength, they would fall short and plunge into the magma. Furthermore, the footholds were unstable, swaying like a suspension bridge. It was simple, but far from easy.
However, for the current Jun-hyeok, it posed no threat. His stats were 14 Strength and 14 Speed—numbers unheard of for a typical 1st-floor player. His movements were a blur. Combined with the experience from his past life, crossing the footholds was as simple as taking a stroll.
Tap. Step.
In an instant, Jun-hyeok traversed the path and arrived before the exit. If he stepped through now, he would clear the 1st Floor in record-breaking time.
But Jun-hyeok stopped. He stood before the exit and crossed his arms, deep in thought.
Now then.
His goal wasn't just to clear the 1st Floor. It was something much greater.
* * *
Climbing the Tower wasn't actually that difficult.
Of course, you had to put your life on the line, but with enough determination, preparation, and a proper understanding of the quest objectives, you could clear up to a certain floor without much trouble.
The 1st Floor was the perfect example. The footholds were far apart and unstable, but that was the extent of the danger. No arrows flew at you, and the stones didn't collapse. Even if you slipped and fell into the lava, the damage was minimal. You had multiple chances to try again.
Other floors weren't much different. They were designed so that anyone could clear them—up to a point. And that was exactly why the most important thing when climbing the Tower wasn't the "clear" itself.
It was how you cleared it.
Achievement Rate.
In the Tower, there was a metric called the Achievement Rate. It went beyond simply finishing a floor; it measured how perfectly you reached the goal. It was a percentage calculated by weighing every single action.
And what did one receive for reaching a 100% Achievement Rate?
The Holy Sword—a divine blade imbued with the power of all the gods defeated by the current Ruler.
The Lemegeton—an evil grimoire written by the Demon King, containing all the black magic in the world, said to grant power rivaling the Demon King himself.
The Great Restoration Pill, Stalactite Milk, and Ten-Thousand-Year Fleeceflower—items that, if perfectly refined, allowed one's internal energy to reach the heavens.
Unique items that were essentially miracles, allowing even the cowardly and the dull to survive until the very end. Those were the rewards Jun-hyeok had obtained in his past life by reaching a 100% Achievement Rate.
On the floor where I obtained a Great Restoration Pill, other players barely managed to get a basic first-aid kit.
Jun-hyeok’s goal was simple: A Perfect Clear of every floor. To conquer the Tower flawlessly. And in the end, to obtain what he couldn't in his past life and reach a realm beyond.
* * *
Realistically, it was a goal bordering on impossible.
In his past life, only about twenty floors had ever been "Perfect Cleared." Among those, he had cleared about ten. For the remaining eighty floors, he would have to figure everything out on his own without any prior information.
But he had no intention of giving up. He had returned with that resolve from the start.
Therefore, he would begin with the 1st Floor.
The 1st Floor was a floor that no one had ever Perfect Cleared. Since there was no information, he had to deduce the secret himself. Jun-hyeok calmly analyzed the cavern's structure.
The 1st Floor was about crossing the footholds to reach the exit. Nothing else was visible. No matter how much he looked, there seemed to be no other path.
But he knew better. If he left through that exit now, his Achievement Rate would be a mere 0.1%.
Where was the other 99.9%?
To find out, Jun-hyeok moved back and forth across the cavern. For over an hour, he examined every single foothold, scouted the entrance, and checked the exit.
But he saw nothing. It truly looked as if there was nothing there. Jun-hyeok frowned.
Is it hidden so well it can't be found?
No. That wasn't it. The Tower was honest. Just as it had been on the 0th Floor, if there was a way, it always provided a hint. Jun-hyeok didn't give up.
Finally, he found it. He narrowed his eyes, focusing his vision.
"What is that?"
On the far cavern wall, there was a tiny hole. It was so small that one would miss it without a meticulous search—a small opening barely large enough for a person to crawl into.
That was it. His intuition was screaming. But there was a massive problem.
Does it want me to walk there?
The small hole in the wall was located across the lava swamp, roughly 100 meters away from the nearest foothold. He would have to cross 100 meters of molten rock using nothing but his bare body.
"This is madness."
Jun-hyeok let out a hollow laugh. A player’s body is protected by the system; even if attacked, their health decreases, but they don't suffer physical wounds like severed limbs or charred skin.
Jun-hyeok knew that, theoretically, walking through the lava wasn't impossible. But that was only in theory. Just because you didn't suffer permanent physical wounds didn't mean there was no pain. The sensation of flesh burning and melting would be transmitted perfectly to the brain.
Above all, he had no idea what was inside that hole. There was a high possibility it was just a natural flaw in the cave. It was pure insanity.
But Jun-hyeok knew the truth of the Tower. It was precisely that kind of madness that led to the greatest rewards.
"I'm doing things I never even dreamed of in my past life," Jun-hyeok muttered as he took a step forward.
There was no hesitation. He stepped directly into the lava.
Splash!
His body plunged into the molten swamp, submerging him up to his waist. Simultaneously, an excruciating pain surged through him.
It was the sensation of flesh searing and melting away. Because he was under the system's protection, there was no physical damage, but the pain wasn't dampened in the slightest. They say a burn is the most intense pain a human can experience. Jun-hyeok realized the truth of those words instantly. He wanted to crawl back onto a foothold immediately to escape this horrific agony.
His instincts screamed that this was insane, begging him to turn back. They told him that if he just went through the exit, all this terrible pain would vanish.
Grit.
Shut up.
He suppressed his instincts with sheer will. Gritting his teeth, he took one step, then another, through the lava. With every movement, he endured a hellish torment. The hole was only 100 meters away, but it felt like an eternal distance.
Slowly, surely, he moved forward.
Finally.
Grab.
He reached the hole in the wall. Jun-hyeok grabbed the edge and hauled himself up, his body finally emerging from the lava.
At that moment, a system window appeared, signaling that his gamble had paid off.
[You have acquired the Passive Skill: Pain Resistance.]
• The mastery of Passive Skill: Pain Resistance has increased from F to E.
• The mastery of Passive Skill: Pain Resistance has increased from E to D.
[You have acquired the Passive Skill: Fire Resistance.]
• The mastery of Passive Skill: Fire Resistance has increased from F to E.
• The mastery of Passive Skill: Fire Resistance has increased from E to D.
• The mastery of Passive Skill: Fire Resistance has increased from D to C.
* * *
"…Whew."
Jun-hyeok finally exhaled. Perhaps because he had acquired the Pain Resistance skill, the horrific agony had subsided significantly. He still felt pain equivalent to a normal burn, but compared to what he had just endured, it was light enough to laugh at.
After catching his breath, Jun-hyeok opened his skill window.
[Passive Skill: Pain Resistance]
• Rank: Low-Rank
• Mastery: D
• Resistance against pain. Pain is reduced. Mild pain is transmitted only as a sensation.
Pain Resistance. It was a solid skill that mitigated most types of trauma. To test the effect, Jun-hyeok lightly struck the ground with his fingertip. Normally, a stinging pain like a needle prick should have been felt, but now it just felt like a light tap.
"Good."
Smiling with satisfaction, Jun-hyeok checked the next skill. Pain Resistance was useful, but it paled in comparison to the other reward.
[Passive Skill: Fire Resistance]
• Rank: Low-Rank
• Mastery: C
• Resistance against fire. You become immune to damage from most fire and heat.
It was a brief description, but the meaning behind it was incredibly powerful. It didn't just mitigate fire damage; it reduced damage from heat itself. From now on, he would be able to easily defeat any enemy that relied on fire or high temperatures.
Above all, his mastery was already at C. Skills varied greatly depending on their mastery level. At Rank C, he could likely take a Fireball to his bare chest without suffering any damage.
Considering that in his past life, he hadn't reached this level of mastery until after the 30th floor, this was a phenomenal pace.
"I already have three skills."
Dagger Technique, Pain Resistance, and Fire Resistance. Jun-hyeok couldn't help but burst into laughter. It was an incredible start.
Acquiring skills in the Tower was notoriously difficult. One had to fulfill both purpose and necessity, executing them perfectly to barely obtain one. Some players didn't acquire a single skill until the 10th floor.
The fact that he had overcome those conditions to obtain Pain and Fire Resistance was proof that he was in the right place.
Now then.
What exactly was hidden in here?
With an expectant face, Jun-hyeok ventured further into the hole. Passing through the opening, he found a small hidden grotto. In the very center sat an old treasure chest.
Inside that chest lay the 99.9% of the 1st Floor.
Jun-hyeok opened the chest with an excited expression. As he looked inside, his face shifted.
"Gloves?"
Inside the treasure chest was a single pair of ash-colored gloves. They were thin, covered in dust, and looked incredibly old. Jun-hyeok picked them up.
[Master of All Weapons]
• Slot: Weapon
• Grade: Unique
• Attack Power + ?
• Can store ten thousand weapons.
• Only those who are qualified may wield it.
Jun-hyeok’s eyes widened as he read the description.
"Unique?"
Unique Grade. One of a kind. The only one. Items of this grade existed only once in the entire Tower; if someone claimed it, no one else could ever obtain it. The Holy Sword and the Lemegeton he had obtained in his past life were both Unique Grade.
This meant the gloves he had just found were on the same level as those legendary items.
"Wait a minute."
Something like this was on the 1st Floor? Jun-hyeok couldn't hide his shock. Before his astonishment could even fade, the item began to activate.
Hummm.
A strange resonance vibrated through the air. The dormant equipment began to wake upon contact with a user. The dust covering the gloves slowly drifted away.
[…What is this?]
Then, the startled voice of a man echoed through the grotto.