Return to Civilization
A towering spire rose high in the center of Gwanghwamun Square.
Checkpoints and high walls surrounded it to keep any hunters who conquered the Tower from escaping.
Forget the dangerous loot for a second—they all used guns as standard gear.
"Alpha Team, returning! You all okay?"
A swarm of staff in suits and uniforms rushed over.
Not for me, though—for Go Ji-ho Team Leader's Alpha Team.
Go Ji-ho handed over his guns and gear to them.
His one arm still gripped my wrist tight.
"Uh, who's this guy..."
"Picked him up on the way. Newbie hunter. Probably unregistered."
The team leader gave me a look that said hand over your gun.
I passed over the pistol, grenades, and ammo without a word.
Walking home with this stuff would've been weird anyway.
Now that I was out of the Tower, it was time to play by the world's rules again.
"Um... but I just got a weird notification."
"That's this guy. The world's first holder of an EX-rank basic skill."
"...Pardon? Really?"
"Oh, right—what's your name again?"
"Kang Hyun."
The other team members handed over their weapons without hesitation too, so it seemed like standard procedure.
I was just starting to relax when an Association staffer reached for my backpack.
Go Ji-ho blocked him.
"No way."
"Team Leader, unregistered hunters need inspection and interrogation."
"You guys suck at interrogations. I'll handle it."
"Ah, yes, sir..."
He clearly commanded a lot of respect.
At least it didn't look like they were gonna confiscate my stuff.
"Everyone, shower first?"
"Yeah, 3F reeks of rotting corpses."
"Regroup in one hour."
He led me and the team to the nearby Hunter Association building.
I'd heard they built a big one in Gwanghwamun, but this was my first time seeing it.
The Association even had baths and a gym for hunters.
He tossed his backpack into a locker in the changing room and locked it.
"Don't worry. Nobody touches hunter loot carelessly."
"...Really?"
"It's a life-risking job already. Who'd enter the Tower if we screwed them over?"
Fair point.
I scrubbed in the bath.
No matter how hard I scrubbed, the stench of rotting corpses wouldn't fade.
It was an intense smell that triggered pure survival instincts.
"Just rinse off and come in. That stink won't go away right away."
Soaking in the tub, my body shivered uncontrollably.
Not from the heat.
It finally hit me—I was safe.
Things I'd taken for granted my whole life felt precious now.
"Ugh..."
"...So how'd you end up on 7F?"
"You solo-escaped 7F from the start?"
"You don't look that tough—what do you do?"
"Saw him with an Eastern Bloc pistol earlier. Spy?"
The Alpha Team guys had a ton of questions for me, but...
Team Leader's glare kept them from asking outright.
Honestly, I appreciated the consideration.
Wounds don't heal just 'cause you're out of the Tower.
I thought as I checked the lingering scars from 3F.
But with my Regeneration Skill, they'd heal fast enough.
Oh yeah, I got a basic skill too.
Transcendence.
No clue what it did from the name alone.
Luckily, thanks to Perfect Sense and Shadow Walk, I had a rough idea how to activate skills.
I tried quietly triggering it...
Please select a skill to Transcend.
...Transcend a skill?
Looked like it temporarily super-boosted one of my skills.
Versatile, sure, but...
Was this really an EX-rank skill?
Even low-rank basic skills like space movement or decoys were insanely useful.
No, don't overthink it.
Who cares if it sucked.
I wasn't going back into the Tower anyway.
Honestly, just selling my loot would let me live easy forever, right?
Eternally Burning Heart and Hell's Hood were exclusive drops from the 7F boss.
Catching the boss wasn't the hard part—getting it out of the Tower was.
Subspace pockets were perennial bestsellers even in Tower Escape streams...
The instant-kill dagger was decent too.
Wouldn't fetch top dollar, though—too niche.
I'll test the basic skill later.
After a refreshing bath, we regrouped in the Association lobby.
One hour flew by.
They even had fresh clothes in the bathhouse.
"Yu-na's late again."
"She said it'd take a while. Let's go ahead."
"...Go where?"
I asked, and Go Ji-ho slung an arm over my shoulder.
"Work's done—time to fuel up. You like samgyeopsal?"
"Love it to death."
We headed straight to a grill house and grabbed a table.
Six of us including late Kim Yu-na, but he ordered three grills.
The server started to protest, but orders shut him up.
"Twelve servings samgyeopsal, six pork neck. Booze for those who want it."
"Four beers, two soju!"
"Newbie, you drinking?"
"Quit that shit."
Decided it back on 7F when I got blackout drunk going in.
No more booze in my life.
As the coals lit, Go Ji-ho sat across from me and grilled personally.
I'd worked grill joints before...
Even to my eyes, his skills were pro-level.
He sliced the samgyeopsal thick and asked.
"So, how'd you end up on 7F?"
Master interrogator for sure.
No dodging that one.
"I stream Tower Escape games?"
I spilled the whole story.
Go Ji-ho listened while piling meat on my side.
"Eat while you talk. The guy you went in with—suicided?"
"It was 7F."
"So how'd you solo it?"
"Ah, check my walkthrough video—you'll see."
"Your video?"
Perfect chance to boost views.
Buy some eating time too.
I borrowed his smartphone and played my walkthrough footage.
"7F barehanded? Damn, they nailed the game likeness."
Perfectly grilled samgyeopsal.
Real food after so long—pure bliss.
Best in the Tower was combat rations, cup ramen, or chocolate bars.
Kim Yu-na joined midway and sat beside me.
"Hold up—you really took down the Hell Dog Handler?"
I skipped the long explanation and pulled loot from my backpack.
Eternally Burning Heart.
Staff across the room freaked.
Famous item—hunters knew it on sight.
"Eternally Burning Heart... Used that for 6F, huh?"
"What'd you kill him with?"
"Picked up grenades, boom. Hunters swarmed like dogs right after."
"6F's surface section... but how solo?"
I explained the snow trench, and six more samgyeopsal arrived.
They ate like champs.
Go Ji-ho never stopped, and even Kim Yu-na kept going.
She wasn't super skinny despite her height, but still—impressive appetite.
Then 4F came up.
Wonder if Yuki made it out.
Thinking of the Japanese girl from 4F, news hit right then.
She escaped.
Direct exit from 4F opened right after I left, probably.
I asked something that'd bugged me.
"Team Leader, why hunt? Weren't you military?"
"Yeah. Still got that vibe?"
"Totally. What branch?"
"Not famous—you won't know it. CCT."
"CCT?"
"First time hearing it? Air Force. Air traffic controller."
Go Ji-ho smirked just a bit.
Controller, huh? Thought he'd be special forces like UDT.
"What about you, Yu-na?"
"Tried travel vlogging, but it costs a fortune. Next thing I know, I'm doing Tower travel vlogs."
"Haha..."
Extreme job version of off-road travel YouTuber.
Another streamer type.
Gotta stay friendly—probably way more subs than me!
Franchise cafe model gigs? At least 500k easy.
Go Ji-ho kept grilling and asked.
"Your skills?"
"Yeah, let's see that EX-rank basic skill."
"Not here—too much chaos. Show it in the Association lab later."
Good, no grilling me right now. I pressed my luck.
"Team Leader, what's your hunter rank?"
"B-rank. But 7F clear vet."
"Ah, gotcha. Kinda confusing."
Hunter rank and basic skill rank were separate.
Escape 4F first time? B-rank basic.
Clear 7F later? Basic skill doesn't upgrade.
Go Ji-ho's basic was B-rank enhancement.
Temporarily boosted anything he touched...
Perfect synergy with his gear.
He summed it up.
"Just call me 7F conquering vet. Plenty of guys with good skills who suck. Team carry for basic skill? Happens."
"Yu-na?"
"6F vet. A-rank hunter."
Short-range teleport party-capable was A-rank.
S or EX must be insane.
Hunter talk meant skill talk.
"Kang Hyun, normal skills? Anything weird?"
"Detection kept leveling, unlocked upper skill."
"What? You knew advanced skills exist? This guy's legit..."
Kim Yu-na freaked.
They call 'em advanced skills here. Same diff.
Then the masked idiot from earlier snorted.
"C'mon, starting with advanced skills? Bull—heard it somewhere."
"...Dude, I see you flipping me off under the table."
"Huh?"
Perfect Sense made that easy.
Kim Yu-na, bug-eyed beside me: "You see in my bag too?"
"That one?"
Designer bag for sure.
I nailed the contents easy.
"Makeup, camera, perfume, handkerchief, keys... Why a flashlight?"
"All right!"
Go Ji-ho was dead serious now.
Hadn't touched his drink.
"Near X-ray level? Outside the shop too?"
"Across the street if I focus. Five customers, two staff."
He bolted up!
Ran across, came back, then stared Gwanghwamun-ward, trembling.
"King Sejong, Admiral Yi... thank you."
"Whoa, c'mon, Leader!"
The idiot sighed like it was overkill.
I felt the same.
But Go Ji-ho was dead serious.
"Info on tap without moving."
In FPS, info—intel—was god-tier.
Basically cheating.
"Still..."
Idiot kept yapping, Go Ji-ho scowled hard.
Could've soloed the table right there.
"How many times I stress intel in ops... Never mind."
Go Ji-ho beckoned him.
"You're off the team."
"...Pardon?"
"Your screw-up on 3F nearly killed us. Kang Hyun replaces you."
"F-for real? You're kicking me out?"
He looked around...
Not one ally.
Burned those bridges hard, huh.
...I'm not going back in the Tower, though?