A Beast Enters
Réveil Grande École was not an institution just anyone could enter. Sheer potential alone was far from sufficient.
"Who is that guy?"
"Sports goggles? Those don't look like... an artifact, do they?"
"He's definitely not a domestic ranker. No one who looks like that is on the top one hundred list."
Admission demanded that a candidate prove themselves while still possessing a dazzling future. Latent talent was taken for granted, but one of the academy's most critical criteria was age.
"Wait, wasn't the dean just being strict about age a moment ago? That guy looks like he's well into his thirties."
Awakeners who began distinguishing themselves in their teens were the standard, and even the oldest student ever admitted had been in his mid-twenties at most.
...Damn it, I'm twenty-nine. Who the hell just said that?
When someone who looked thirty-ish received an offer like that out of nowhere, the crowd's attention naturally zeroed in on him. Regardless, Kim Mu-saeng had no time to spare for the murmuring spectators.
Enroll in Réveil Grande École.
What was his answer to the offer from the Blue-Eyed Buddha? Naturally, there was only one.
"I'm sorry, but I'm a bit too busy climbing the Tower these days."
An awkward smile accompanied the firm refusal.
As a veteran dungeon sherpa, Mu-saeng was well acquainted with Réveil Grande École. It was an institution awakeners from across the globe practically begged to attend. Those who studied there grew undeniably stronger; of that there was no question.
However, it demanded years. At worst, over a decade cooped up within its walls. A mandatory minimum period of study was non-negotiable.
Mu-saeng couldn't afford that kind of time.
"Kkyakyakyakyat! Naturally! What does an insolent fool clinging desperately to avoid becoming a corpse know? The nerve!" Wahsh cackled gleefully in his ear.
Besides, with Wahsh at his side, what need did he have for school?
Mu-saeng's refusal was entirely justified, but to the onlookers, it was madness.
"Wh-What in the world is happening...?"
"Wait, who is that guy?"
"Is that even really the Blue-Eyed Buddha? Isn't it just a lookalike?"
Turning down a personal invitation from the Dean of Réveil Grande École? To the spectators, the scene bordered on absurdity. Some even began questioning whether Jean-François Hugo was really who he claimed to be.
Hugo, however, acted as though he couldn't hear the commotion at all. His calm, heavy gaze rested first on Mu-saeng, and then on Wahsh.
"Sometimes a detour is the quickest path, Monsieur Kim. All the more so when what one seeks is clear."
The subtle nuance in his voice made Mu-saeng pause in his tracks. A tone that implied he knew something. That alone brought Mu-saeng to a halt.
"...What do you know?"
"I know, at the very least, that Monsieur Kim is not climbing the Tower merely to grow stronger," Hugo answered with a serene smile.
Several questions instantly flared in Mu-saeng's mind.
First: why was Hugo waiting in front of Dungeon 12 in the first place? Even Geumseong didn't know Mu-saeng had cleared the 11th Floor yet. Though he was staying at a hotel arranged by Geumseong, he hadn't dropped a single hint that his next destination would be Dungeon 12.
Second: Not merely to grow stronger—meaning he had an ulterior purpose? Had Hugo noticed something about Joo Yerin? He hadn't told Geum Byeong-cheol, and he had only confided in Park Hyun-gu just two days ago. That was impossible.
"The turbulence in one's spirit... It speaks of affection. Longing. The kind of trembling that stirs only when one is searching for someone."
As if reading the exact flow of Mu-saeng's thoughts, Hugo spoke with gentle precision.
Mu-saeng gave away nothing, keeping his expression neutral.
Hugo continued smoothly. "You must realize the true essence of your ability. Once you reach the fundamental truth, your problems will resolve themselves naturally. Entirely. You will unleash power unbound by limits. When that time comes, ranks, grades—all of it will become trivial. Whatever purpose you seek to achieve, Monsieur Kim, you will accomplish it without hindrance."
It was impossible to brush off entirely. The strange, hypnotic eloquence of a man whose lived years were difficult to fathom carried an undeniable enchantment. Even Mu-saeng felt the sudden urge to ask:
Can you find her, then?
Can you tell where she is, what happened to her?
Do you know anything about the spatial tangle within the Tower?
What about the anomalies of the 39th and 58th Floors?
Temptation pulled at him, but—
"What is this fledgling blabbering about?!" Wahsh sputtered furiously. "Ranks are absolute! Do you have any idea how much grueling work went into balancing grade distribution according to ratings?! How dare he demean my craft?!"
That indignant quacking shattered the spell.
The noisy squawking of the rubber duck jolted Mu-saeng back to reality. The Blue-Eyed Buddha? So what? A benevolent voice, a sweet offer.
"Come to Réveil Grande École, Monsieur Kim. It will certainly serve you well. You will cast off your constraints, untangle your oaths, and wield your power without remaining subservient to any covenant..."
Hugo shifted his gaze between Wahsh and Mu-saeng as he spoke. His words clearly implied an understanding of their dynamic.
Almost as if he knows about the contract...
Hugo seemed convinced he could aid Mu-saeng. Even if his interest stemmed from Wahsh, a former Tower Administrator, rather than Mu-saeng himself, practical help was still help. Yet, even if Hugo's intentions were purely benevolent, there was only one answer Mu-saeng could give at this juncture.
"Ahem. I appreciate the invitation, but... I simply don't have that kind of leeway. If you're willing to offer some advice anyway, I'd certainly take the words of such an eminent master to heart."
The sherpa career that shaped Mu-saeng into the man he was today had honed his instincts over thirteen grueling years in the field. Never bite immediately at a suspicious contract. Terms that were too harsh spelled trouble, but terms that seemed too good were just as dangerous. Fair market value existed for a reason. Mu-saeng had seen firsthand what happened when someone took an absurdly enticing offer without thinking twice. Hadn't the recent incident with Lee Eunwoo proven that exact point after Park Hyun-gu took a lucrative job without doing a thorough background check?
"Monsieur Kim? I fear you may not have fully understood my words—"
The smile faltered on the Blue-Eyed Buddha's face.
Mu-saeng, however, bowed his head politely, reaffirming his refusal.
"I understood completely. If you have some meditation technique I can practice at home, or something along those lines... I'd gladly take a taste of Réveil Grande École's secret arts. But given my current timing, I'm afraid I must decline. My apologies."
Two refusals.
Yet Hugo was still Hugo. The elder with the luxuriant silver beard didn't push further. In fact, he no longer had the time to do so.
"In my heart, I would like to persuade you further, Monsieur Kim... but it seems it would be best to let you go for now."
A sudden change in attitude compared to his persistent prodding moments ago? Mu-saeng quickly realized why.
The commotion around Dungeon 12, drawn by Hugo's appearance, was abruptly drowned out by a deafening roar from the distance.
VROOOOM—!
A blonde man was tearing down the road behind the wheel of a red convertible sports car. Judging by how his mouth flapped open and shut, he was screaming at the top of his lungs, though he seemed completely oblivious to the fact that his voice was being drowned out by the thunderous roar of his own exhaust. Because no one could hear him, he got frustrated and shouted louder. In his agitation, he slammed his foot harder onto the accelerator, which only made the exhaust roar louder still...
It was an absurd, self-defeating loop where the more worked up he became, the less capable he was of conveying a single word.
"I-It's Steve King!"
"The head of Windbloom, Steve King!"
Another member of the Eight Seconds.
Unlike Hugo, King was a man desperate to flaunt his presence wherever he went. Yet regardless of his abrasive personality, even Wahsh acknowledged the absolute caliber of his power.
"Hmph... What a waste of good talent on an idiot."
Mu-saeng knew it well. King's innate awakening ability was Red Falcon, an SSR-grade power. Some called it the Phoenix; others called it the Vermilion Bird. It was an ability on par with Geum Byeong-cheol's Thunder Tiger, often likened to the White Tiger.
"Wait! Hey! Hold up—!"
By the time Steve King's frantic shouting carried over, Mu-saeng had pieced the puzzle together. The conversation with Hugo just now. And Steve King's sudden appearance. There was no way this was a coincidence.
Alright... so that's how it is.
His decision had been the right one. There was an old saying: break up a fight, but fan the flames of a bidding war. And right now, he was the prize on the auction block.
I feel like some grand championship trophy.
His mind was already spinning with ideas on how to play this situation—how to leverage Geum Byeong-cheol's astonishment, Steve King's jealousy, and Hugo's covetous eye. Each of them was trying to recruit him in their own way.
Which meant...
He had no obligation to stand here and entertain them right now.
"Well, time to get to work."
"Musaeng! Fuck, where is parking lot?!"
Ignoring Steve King's faintly audible screech, Mu-saeng threw himself through the dungeon gate.
"You know the conditions in the Tower, don't you, Kim Mu-saeng?" Wahsh asked.
"Of course."
The 11th Floor had granted a generous fifteen days. The 12th Floor was the exact opposite: a time limit of thirty minutes. On top of that, climbers were dropped into a randomized starting point and tasked with tracking down and eliminating a Cyclops. That was the basic condition of Floor 12.
"Well, finding it isn't the problem..."
Thud. Thuuud...
The booming footsteps reverberating through the surrounding forest made Mu-saeng grimace.
The time limit was tight, but locating the target was simple enough. A Cyclops's heavy footfalls echoed clearly across the terrain. Yet that very fact was a headache for Mu-saeng.
"Wahsh, if my party members simply hear that sound, does contribution get distributed to them? Or do they only get credit if they hear it and say something?"
"I've told you already, Kim Mu-saeng: even I don't know the full contribution algorithm down to the decimal."
If Park Hyun-gu and the other party members heard the footsteps and so much as blurted out, 'The Cyclops is over there,' the system might award them contribution.
"It'd be best if I spot it first and drop a ping right on it, but..."
How could he prevent that entirely? Move like lightning and take care of it before anyone else noticed?
"Guess I need to buy some noise-canceling headsets. There goes my hard-earned cash..."
A man who prepared for one chance in a million wasn't going to leave things to luck. Earplugs alone felt risky, so he would need gear capable of completely blocking environmental noise, plus blindfolds.
And letting them move around pointlessly might draw the Cyclops's aggro...
He needed additional precautions. The moment they ascended to Floor 12, how should they act? What else did he need to do to guarantee the safety of Park Hyun-gu and the party while ensuring they didn't contribute a single percentage point to the clear condition?
As Mu-saeng organized his thoughts, a massive shadow fell over him.
"A human. It has been a long time since I tasted tender meat."
A cavernous bass rattled the air, prompting Mu-saeng to lift his head.
A seven-meter-tall giant stood towering over him. Meeting the gaze of that single eye—larger than an average human's entire body—was enough to freeze even seasoned awakeners in their tracks.
"...Right, this is also a problem. Cases where the Cyclops comes looking for you even if you stand completely still."
Mu-saeng merely let out a soft sigh. To think he'd have to account for this variable too just to prevent contribution from bleeding away.
"You could've given me a heads-up, Wahsh."
"Kkwak! Me? To you?" Wahsh adjusted his horn-rimmed glasses with an affronted look.
Mu-saeng smirked faintly.
"Never mind. Forget I said—"
"ROOOAAAR!"
WHOOOOSH—!
In an instant, the Cyclops swung its massive arm. Overwhelming force pulverized the surrounding trees into splinters. The raw destructive power was enough to send a chill down Mu-saeng's spine, sobering his expression.
The standard recommendation for Floor 12 is a five-person party. Up to five members, only one Cyclops spawns; from six members onward, two spawn...
In other words, a single Cyclops possessed power equivalent to five 12th-floor awakeners. It was certainly nothing to take lightly.
"Kim Mu-saeng."
"What?! Unless it's urgent, let me take down the Cyclops first and we can—huh?"
Mu-saeng had braced himself to clash with the monster, but he was forced to check his stance. The Cyclops was dropping to its knees.
I've never seen this pattern before.
Even Mu-saeng, who knew every standard attack pattern and the extra spells unlocked when party size increased, had never witnessed such behavior. And it didn't stop at kneeling. The Cyclops planted both palms flat on the ground and lowered its massive head, bowing deferentially as if conducting a solemn rite before a god.
As Mu-saeng stared in disbelief at the reverent display, Wahsh spoke.
"A beast has entered."
"A beast...? Ah."
Only then did Mu-saeng realize: the Cyclops wasn't bowing toward him. It was prostrating toward a point slightly off to the side—right where Wahsh was staring.
Mu-saeng turned his head.
"What's up, bro."
There stood the awakener who had subjugated a Cyclops through sheer, unbridled intimidation alone. Steve King grinned.