Chapter 88: The Second Test (3)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 88: The Second Test (3)
“Everyone is doing so well! Simply marvelous! You’ll have this cleared in no time!”
“Ah…”
The Administrator’s praise rang out, and the players' expressions brightened with hope. However, Kang Jun-hyeok knew better. He knew that the Administrator took immense pleasure in building people up only to watch them crumble.
“But… it would be so boring if it ended just like this, wouldn't it?”
The Administrator bared her teeth in a jagged grin and spread her arms wide.
“So, I’m going to add a little something extra!”
[The Second Test is being enhanced.]
[The duration of the Second Test is being extended.]
“…Huh?”
“Wh-what?”
Swoosh!
The progress gauge, which had just reached 90%, plummeted in an instant. People screamed in horror. The bar continued to drop until it hit a measly 10%.
“Start over from here! If you clear it, the rewards will be even greater, you know? Consider this a special service provided exclusively to your country!”
“W-wait a moment!”
Kim Tae-yeon hurriedly stepped forward.
“We don’t need any special service! Please, just let us finish the test as it was!”
It was a reasonable demand. They had finally reached the brink of success without major casualties, only for their progress to be slashed back to the beginning. For the players, it was a living nightmare.
“You don’t need it?”
The problem was that their opinions meant absolutely nothing to the Administrator.
“Why does that matter to me?”
Faced with an expression that asked why their thoughts should carry any weight at all, Kim Tae-yeon was left speechless.
“Work hard, now!”
The Administrator waved her hand and vanished. After a moment of stunned silence, the crowd erupted.
“Aaaaah!”
“H-how could this happen?!”
To have fought so hard only to be told to start from scratch—it was enough to make anyone lose their mind. However, Kang Jun-hyeok looked as if he had expected this all along.
I figured as much.
There was no way that fickle being would just sit back and watch them finish easily. He had anticipated that the Administrator would intervene. It hadn't happened in his past life, but it wasn't particularly surprising.
And he wasn't the only one maintaining his composure.
“Everyone, calm down!”
Yoo Jin-ha’s voice boomed. Infused with power, his shout settled the chaos.
“It has already happened! There is no point in lamenting the past! We must regain our senses and overcome this!”
He raised a fist high.
“I am here! Even if you fail, I will ensure the Tower is protected!”
“O-ohhh!”
“Yoo Jin-ha! Yoo Jin-ha!”
The people marveled at his powerful declaration. Praising their hero, they hurriedly scrambled back into their defensive positions.
Kang Jun-hyeok spoke in a low, measured voice.
“As expected of the great Yoo Jin-ha. Truly wonderful.”
“Haha. It’s nothing.”
“Then, I’ll continue to leave the strongest monsters to you.”
“Leave it to me.”
Yoo Jin-ha looked incredibly dignified. His face suggested he could easily overcome any trial placed before him.
Kang Jun-hyeok smiled silently.
The invasion resumed shortly after. The players pulled themselves together and defended against the monsters' onslaught. The difficulty had certainly spiked, but it wasn't impossible to manage.
However, that wasn't the case for the Black Tower.
[Kaaaa!]
A black wolf lunged violently. Yoo Jin-ha gripped his sword with confidence. He intended to dodge and pierce a vital spot in one fluid motion. Until now, no monster had been able to react to his speed.
[Kaa!]
But the wolf twisted its body savagely mid-air. It evaded Yoo Jin-ha’s strike and snapped at his throat. Terrified, Yoo Jin-ha jerked his body away, barely avoiding the fangs.
“…Wh-what?”
The caliber of the monsters had shifted entirely. Yoo Jin-ha’s eyes wavered.
The Administrator hadn't raised the difficulty blindly. It had been scaled so that the players at each tower could barely hold on if they gave their absolute all. In other words, the difficulty of the Black Tower had been recalibrated—with Kang Jun-hyeok as the new baseline.
“Eeeek!”
Yoo Jin-ha twisted his body and activated a skill, barely managing to take down the wolf. Kang Jun-hyeok let out a sound of mock admiration.
“Oh. That was impressive. It looked quite strong, yet you took it down.”
“Pant… pant…”
“Are you perhaps finding this difficult?”
“No. Not at all.”
“I thought so. There’s no way someone like you would struggle with this much. I’ll leave the rest to you, then.”
“Ha, haha…”
Yoo Jin-ha forced a smile.
But what followed was even worse. The monsters grew progressively stronger, reaching a point where Yoo Jin-ha struggled to handle them even when fighting with everything he had.
Slash!
“Urgh!”
For the first time, an attack landed. A shallow gash opened on Yoo Jin-ha’s arm, and his eyes shook violently.
“U-uaaaah!”
He swung his sword as if having a fit. He managed to kill the monster, but the relaxed, confident version of Yoo Jin-ha was nowhere to be found. His eyes were filled with terror, and his entire body trembled like a leaf in a gale.
Kang Jun-hyeok watched him with cold, calculating eyes.
This was Yoo Jin-ha’s true self. This was his true nature, the cowardice hidden behind a mask of genius.
* * *
Before the Towers appeared, Yoo Jin-ha had been a very ordinary person—perhaps a bit more cowardly and vain than most. Normally, he would have lived and died an ordinary life.
But after the Towers appeared, he realized something. He possessed a god-given talent.
While others climbed the Tower at the risk of their lives, it was far too easy for him. A few casual swings of his sword were enough to fell monsters. Their attacks weren't threatening, and he could parry them with a light flick of his wrist.
Before he knew it, he had reached a floor that others couldn't even dream of. As his identity became known, people began to worship him. The media raved about him, calling him the pride of Korea and the world's top-tier player.
As a result, Yoo Jin-ha began to think: I am superior. I am someone destined to be respected by all.
His latent vanity and desire for recognition were fully awakened. He made the rounds in the media, appearing on talk shows and giving interviews. In his quest for even more adoration, he began to wear the mask of a virtuous, wise hero.
Consequently, he became the "Great Korean Player," Yoo Jin-ha.
He became intoxicated by the blind devotion of the masses. He acted solely to garner more attention, and at some point, climbing the Tower became an afterthought. As a result, he had stalled at the 46th Floor.
If he had been serious, he would have surpassed the 55th Floor long ago. He wouldn't have just been top-tier on Earth; he would have become the strongest player in existence. He had that much talent.
But he didn't do it. The reason was simple: there was no need to work hard.
He gained power just by climbing at a leisurely pace. Everyone adored and praised him regardless. So why should he put in any effort? He could just… enjoy it.
In truth, while he possessed god-given talent, he had the mental maturity of a child. And that child was now facing a wall for the very first time.
“Uaaaaah!”
Boom!
Finally, a monster appeared that Yoo Jin-ha could not handle. A red giant swung a massive club. Yoo Jin-ha hurriedly tried to protect himself with his sword.
Crunch.
“Gah!”
Forget parrying—he couldn't even block the weight of the blow. His body was sent tumbling across the ground.
“U-uaaaaaah!”
Writhing in pain, Yoo Jin-ha scrambled to flee. But in that moment, he froze.
Kang Jun-hyeok, who had finished off all the other monsters, was staring down at him.
“What’s wrong? Didn't you say you could defeat them? Didn't you say you could protect the Black Tower alone, and that I only needed to handle the small fry?”
Kang Jun-hyeok smiled as he grabbed Yoo Jin-ha’s shoulder and hauled him up.
“Go on. Forward. Come now. Fight with dignity—at the risk of your life.”
“Ugh, ah…”
[Grrrr….]
The giant let out a low growl as it slowly approached. Pushed forward, Yoo Jin-ha was filled with terror, looking like a piglet led to the slaughter.
[Kuaaaaaa!]
The giant reached him and brought its club down in a crushing arc. Yoo Jin-ha couldn't even think of counterattacking; he simply squeezed his eyes shut.
Boom!
A massive shockwave erupted. Yoo Jin-ha, who had been bracing for horrific pain, slowly opened his eyes when he felt nothing. His pupils dilated.
Kang Jun-hyeok was holding his greatsword, effortlessly blocking the club.
“…Huh?”
Before his bewildered gaze, Kang Jun-hyeok muttered, “You haven't changed a bit.”
Yoo Jin-ha was exactly the same as he had been in the past life. Kang Jun-hyeok applied strength to the hand gripping the greatsword.
[Shock.]
K-boom!
A powerful shockwave traveled up the club. The giant’s massive frame staggered. Moving with predatory grace, Kang Jun-hyeok plunged the greatsword into the giant’s heart.
Squelch.
[Kuaaaa!]
The giant let out a scream of agony and swung its club wildly.
[Rift Movement.]
Jun-hyeok’s body flickered through a rift, reappearing instantly behind the giant. He drove his sword into the punctured heart once more. The giant staggered and collapsed, dead before it hit the ground.
“…A-ah?”
Yoo Jin-ha’s mouth hung open. A monster he couldn't even face had been dismantled in just three exchanges.
Kang Jun-hyeok smiled brightly.
“Shall we have a little chat?”
* * *
Kang Jun-hyeok spoke calmly, and the panicked Yoo Jin-ha poured out everything about himself without a single lie. Realizing his true nature, the Master of All Weapons was disgusted.
[A mere infant with god-given talent? How disappointing. It would have been magnificent if given to someone worthy.]
“U-u-u…”
Yoo Jin-ha trembled like a leaf. Tears welled in his eyes.
“I don’t… I don’t want to die…”
Kang Jun-hyeok stared silently at him. A coward born with god-given talent. He feared death and was terrified of life-or-death battles, yet he craved the respect and recognition of others. A truly dull and foolish man—a waste of talent.
That would be the general assessment.
However, Kang Jun-hyeok had once felt sorry for Yoo Jin-ha. He had thought of him as an ordinary person shackled by talent—a victim of a world gone mad.
That was why he had helped him in the past. He hadn't revealed Yoo Jin-ha’s cowardly nature and had even yielded the Holy Sword so that Yoo Jin-ha could be called the Sword Saint. He had waited for Yoo Jin-ha to one day awaken on his own and develop a spirit worthy of his gift.
What a complete pushover I was.
As a result of yielding everything to help a coward, the coward had died a coward in the end. And Jun-hyeok himself hadn't enjoyed the things he rightfully deserved.
He forced back the hollow laugh that threatened to escape.
“What is it you want?”
“…C-can you help me?”
“Of course. You are Yoo Jin-ha. A great player. I can certainly help you.”
“Ah. Ah! Thank you! Truly!”
Yoo Jin-ha grabbed Kang Jun-hyeok’s hand, thanking him repeatedly.
Creeeak.
In that moment, space cracked open. Monsters poured out, letting out hideous shrieks. Among them was a spider-like monstrosity that radiated an overwhelming pressure.
“Hmm.”
It was strong. Strong enough that Yoo Jin-ha wouldn't be able to handle it. Terrified, the "hero" clenched his fists.
“Kang Jun-hyeok! I’m leaving it to you!”
“What do you mean, leaving it to me? You have to handle the rest of the trash.”
“Wh-what?”
“Didn't I tell you? I’m going to help you.”
Kang Jun-hyeok smiled brightly, though his eyes remained cold.
“The great player. South Korea’s strongest. A virtuous man and a hero who risks his life for everyone.”
That was the public’s assessment of Yoo Jin-ha.
“So, it’s time for you to become a person worthy of that assessment.”
“…Huh?”
“Either fight those things, or die by my hand. Choose.”