Chapter 5
Chapter 5
The top guild in Korea, Gloria.
It was an office where the Tower rising through the city outside the window stood in clear view.
The second-in-command, an Awakener known by the nickname “Mumu,” placed a thick report down on the desk.
“Did you confirm the Awakener’s nickname?”
“Yes. Nickname: Scar. Today, he cleared consecutive Towers from 4th to 7th grade. Total time: 27 minutes 55 seconds.”
The guild staff’s typing speed increased.
“A world record… confirmed.”
“What kind of trait did he awaken to pull that off? He didn’t even use Ascension, right?”
“Yes. He is confirmed to have been a 4th-grade Awakened when he entered the Tower, so he did not possess Ascension at the time.”
Inside the Tower, Ascension was impossible.
That was common knowledge in the Awakener industry.
Mumu stayed silent for a moment.
An 8th-grade Awakener without Ascension.
An incomplete Awakener had shattered a world record.
“Guild Leader, what do you think?”
Mumu spoke to the man leaning back on the sofa, looking out the window, but got no answer.
“King!”
The man turned his head.
The strongest Awakener in Korea.
King, Ryu Minhyuk.
“A monster has appeared.”
“I hope he’s one of ours.”
“Is he using Molek? Or is he just an exceptionally strong Awakener?”
“We have to hope it’s not the former. If he’s under Black Fang’s plan, things will get complicated.”
“Hm.”
King picked up the report again.
“Contaminated item ‘Molek user, Kwon Gi-jeong’ at A-dong.”
Photos of the Peace Apartment construction site and a sketch of the item Molek were attached.
“The ‘Lighter’ Awakener has no connection to Black Fang.”
Still monitoring whether Black Fang will retrieve the contaminated item Molek.
“…This is completely unclear.”
King’s eyebrows lifted slightly.
“If he’s truly controlling Molek with some unknown power, I’d like him under our guild’s control.”
At that moment, a video call request appeared on the wall screen.
Caller: Awakener Administration Bureau Director Oh Jae-il
“Answer it.”
The director’s face appeared.
A man with severe burn scars and a torn face.
“King, doing well?”
“Thanks to you.”
“I’m calling about the record set by Scar today.”
“Go on.”
“The administration is considering granting him unrestricted authority.”
“And if he’s using contaminated items like Black Fang?”
“Still on that again? That’s just your guild’s speculation.”
The director’s tone sharpened.
“We exist to strengthen Korea. Do you know why we became the world’s 3rd highest in mana stone reserves?”
“Cheaper accounting tricks, probably.”
Mumu muttered.
“Quiet. That’s not the point.”
The director continued.
“This Scar is different. We believe he’ll bring in far more value than you, King. Even if you’re a genius, what good is it? You’ve produced zero mana stones in the last seven months. Zero. Four years ago you were number one in the world. Are you on strike or something?”
King turned his gaze back out the window.
“We’ll soon summon the major guilds and inform them of our decision. Your authority will also be transferred to Scar. You’re done.”
The screen shut off.
“That damn old man.”
King said calmly, hiding his irritation.
But he knew.
A new existence might be emerging.
One who collects cursed items, uses them, and spreads corruption.
Maybe even another one besides Black Fang.
King quietly hoped.
“Scar… please don’t be another uncontrollable monster.”
The strongest Awakener in Korea’s hand trembled.
Meanwhile, the internet was already boiling.
└ Holy shit, a new record just dropped in Korea
Awakeners’ identities were protected, but rank and clear records were always public.
You couldn’t hide achievements like this.
└ lol isn’t this the guy who took down Kwon Gi-jeong?
How did they know that?
Some guesses were surprisingly accurate.
Title: New top-tier record just posted
Author: TopTower
Scar’s record is insane.
Cleared 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th grade Towers consecutively.
27-minute run.
New world record.
“Scar” was my Awakener nickname.
It came from the scar stretching from my eyebrow to my hairline.
To climb Towers, your nickname had to be publicly registered.
└ minimum King or Black Fang level
└ lol Scar guy is overrated
└ King? That inactive GOAT?
└ trash tier lol
└ cope harder
Classic internet warzone.
└ what’s the point of climbing Towers anyway lol
└ weak Awakeners malding
Even insults were pouring in.
Then a message appeared.
Contact: Awakener Administration Bureau Recruitment Division
More DMs followed.
Japanese, Chinese guilds, random offers, even the director himself.
I shut everything down.
The moment they found out I was carrying S-class cursed items, I’d be kicked off the planet.
(You’re popular… imja…)
“Thanks to you, Shati.”
Shati slipped into my arms in her incorporeal form.
(Hehe…)
“You’re the best, Shati.”
(She… A… me… S…)
Her left ear, burned away during the run, was gone. The other was blackened like charcoal.
But the damage from Molek didn’t heal even after she ate mana stones.
Luckily, once she returned to a non-physical form, she was fine.
Still, she endured nearly 30 minutes of pain.
I kept patting her endlessly.
(Hmph. Such a cruel woman.)
Molek muttered from my inventory.
“Shut up, Molek.”
I whispered quietly so Shati wouldn’t hear.
Without my strength, today’s results wouldn’t have been possible.
Even reduced, Molek’s “Banquet Day” skill still shredded monsters.
But I still didn’t thank it.
“Whatever. We would’ve cleared it anyway.”
Molek stopped talking.
We reached Rank 8.
The term “Ascension” appeared.
Ascension.
The moment when a being is possessed by something beyond human.
It marks the true beginning of becoming a real Awakener.
Most people needed a specific item to trigger it.
Some spent years just finding the right one.
Most awakeners used mana stones.
Perfect timing.
Shati had mountains of them.
I picked up a 7th-grade mana stone.
(Imja… relic…)
“Relic?”
(Strong energy… Ascension…)
“You mean my father’s relic?”
That old man had left everything to me.
Except one thing.
“Oh, that old notebook?”
(That… energy… strong…)
I pulled out the worn, unreadable book.
Ancient scribbles covered it.
I never could read it.
Then—
“Those who are truly happy to be with me.”
“I shall grant anything you desire.”
“…Huh?”
It was readable.
Awakener Im Jin-hyeok.
Will you undergo Ascension?
If accepted, your growth structure will be reorganized and new skills will be acquired.