Testing Transcendence
The day after escaping the Tower.
I woke up in a hotel room.
Of course, it wasn't paid for with my own money.
There were still some procedures left, so the Association wouldn't let me go home yet.
"Ugh..."
It had been a while since I'd overeaten, and I felt satisfied but on the verge of death.
Even as I groaned on the bed,
I instinctively checked my backpack first.
'Everything's here.'
Come to think of it, how was I supposed to sell all this stuff?
I had no intention of ever entering the Tower again.
I knew hunters had shops they could use outside the Tower too...
But those places probably traded in gold, not cash.
After risking my life to escape the Tower,
my bank account was hurting even more from over a week without streams.
'Ah, gotta post a notice.'
I checked my video channel on my fully charged smartphone.
The live stream side had definitely lost some subscribers.
There were more than a few comments worrying if something had happened.
I checked belatedly...
Escape Life's channel, the one who'd entered the Tower with me, was predictably ghosting too.
The other streamers we'd drank with had given a rough explanation.
They seemed to think he'd just run off on a trip after breaking up with his girlfriend.
I washed up and got ready to head out when calls started coming in from the guys we'd drank with the night before.
"Hello?"
They knew nothing, as expected.
Anger surged up suddenly, but...
We were all adults; drinking too much was our fault.
I couldn't blame them for not dragging us home.
"I'll explain on stream later."
Try going into 7F yourself once.
See if you don't come out colder.
I left the hotel and headed straight to the Hunter Association.
Go Ji-ho was already waiting.
"Our team's new recruit is here?"
"No hangover for you, Captain? You drank a ton yesterday."
"You think I'd be laid up from that? Come this way."
He led me down to the underground training ground.
His enthusiasm for making me a team member had been intense since yesterday.
It was almost burdensome.
"Alpha Team is Korea's top hunter team. Since I became leader, we've held the annual gold revenue #1 spot for three years straight."
So they rank teams by gold haul.
Just like Tower Escape.
"But I have no plans to enter the Tower again..."
I blurted it out quick, figuring better early than late.
Go Ji-ho stared at me like he wanted to devour me whole.
"What? Why?"
"Why...? You die if you're not careful."
"Everyone dies eventually."
He tried to persuade me with some line I'd heard somewhere before.
"You escaped 7F solo. You're a genius at escaping. You gonna waste that talent?"
"Couldn't I just sell the items I got this time and live off that forever?"
"Items? Yeah, items. But the real reward you got isn't that."
"...Huh?"
He slung an arm around my shoulder.
"You escaped 7F solo and got an EX-rank basic skill. You gotta make proper use of it."
"Ah..."
He had a point.
The biggest reward from the Tower was my TranscendenceEX-rank basic skill.
I wouldn't get much chance to use it streaming games.
Seeing me hesitate, Go Ji-ho said,
"I won't push anymore. You've got at least a month before you can re-enter anyway. Learn about being a hunter and think it over seriously."
"Huh? What's that about?"
"You didn't know? After escaping once, you can't re-enter for at least a month. Otherwise, everyone would just loop 3F forever."
Made sense.
So there was a cooldown like that.
Go Ji-ho took me to a special room in the training ground.
It had cameras, blast walls, and a massive punching machine.
"Test your basic skill here. You're curious too, right?"
"Obviously."
Just how strong was an EX-rank basic skill?
"Medical team's outside, and there are emergency recovery potions here. No safer spot to test."
His gaze was a bit intense, but...
He'd been looking out for me.
Showing him this much was fine.
Normally I'd keep more distance.
But after craving human warmth in the Tower, I couldn't.
If the skill turned out lame, he might drop recruitment.
"My basic skill is Transcendence."
"Transcendence?"
"It enhances one of my skills temporarily."
You could pick a different one each time.
Not locked to permanent enhancement of one.
"Oh yeah? More versatile than I thought. High growth potential."
"Should I test it on my highest-level skill?"
"No."
He got serious and stopped me.
"High-power skills have strong recoil. What's your lowest-level skill?"
Like a gun, huh.
I checked my skill list and said,
"Martial Arts at level 4."
"What? 4 is your lowest?"
"Regeneration's 6, Dexterity's 6 too."
"...Unbelievable. Hunters who've escaped three-plus times barely hit level 4 on mains... Fine, Martial Arts it is."
First, I punched the machine without Transcendence.
383
Boom!
My fist flew out way harder than expected.
One hit like that would kill a person easy.
Another reason not to drink.
"Hmm."
I didn't know what the number meant, but...
Go Ji-ho looked a bit surprised.
"Now with the basic skill."
"Got it."
Transcendence activated on Martial Arts Skill
Inhuman Strength Skill activated
My heart pounded wildly, flooding my body with vitality.
My fist moved faster and more precisely than I intended.
1475
BOOM!
"Whoa..."
Roughly four times stronger.
Go Ji-ho jotted something down and asked,
"You okay? Wrist not broken?"
"Feels fine."
"On a whole other level... Sit and rest for now."
As I sipped water, voices drifted in from outside the training ground.
My Perfect Sense picked them up crystal clear, even if I didn't mean to.
"Who's using the measurement room? Saw Alpha's Go Ji-ho Captain."
"Dunno, some new guy's in there. Escaped yesterday."
"What? Then he's EX-rank newbie?"
"Pfft, an EX-rank from Korea?"
"But Alpha just got Choi Il-hyeok. What about him?"
Choi Il-hyeok, the guy whose mask broke.
The one fired yesterday.
I'd thought he was too much even for a dinner party screw-up.
But from the talk, not so much.
"Choi Il-hyeok? A-rank hotshot acting big, caused a huge mess in the Tower. Seniors busted ass to drag him out of 5F, and he thought he was hot shit."
"So he got booted?"
"You think Go Ji-ho lets that slide? No way."
"Ah, so the newbie's filling his spot. Everyone freaked when Choi joined Alpha. Wonder what now."
"Still A-rank basic skill, some team'll take him. Gamma or Bravo maybe?"
Gossip about others really is the world's best entertainment.
Got hooked on that thrill, drank, and ended up in 7F.
But...
Thump, thump.
My heartbeat started slowing.
Strength drained from my body.
Was Transcendence's boost still lingering?
Longer duration than expected.
But the aftereffects hit hard too.
"Ugh..."
"You good? Knew there'd be recoil. Can't use it casually."
Good thing I tested on low-level Martial Arts.
Perfect Sense or Shadow Walk would've been rough.
"Wanna test Dexterity later?"
"Nah. Rest up fully today. The skill's performance is insane anyway."
Really? Felt a bit underwhelming compared to hype.
Probably 'cause Martial Arts is straightforward.
Definitely not something to spam casually.
"Hey, that basic skill the hunter used in the 3F abandoned hospital basement? Luring zombies upstairs. What was that?"
"Lure skill. Around C-rank."
"Huh? C-rank?"
"Only good for baiting monsters. Smart ones don't fall for it much."
Basic skills are way stronger than I thought.
That ambush guy's attack skill at the 6F descent exit.
One wrong hit and I'd be dead.
"Why'd you have Soviet guns? Into that stuff?"
"Nah, only ones available."
Obviously didn't mention killing the 6F hunter.
Not something to brag about.
But Go Ji-ho seemed to have figured it out.
"Relax. Can't punish Tower stuff."
"Heard there's wanted hunters."
"What, witnesses alive?"
"Nope."
"Clean work. Liking you more by the minute?"
Far from dropping recruitment; things were worsening.
Might as well ask all my questions.
"That gun you used, Captain..."
"My gun? The Rattler?"
"Wasn't it MCX?"
"You know guns?"
Tower Escape used them openly.
No licenses or copyrights in that game.
"Ah, you saw gen 1. Mine's the latest gen 3 MCX Rattler LT."
"Oh... latest model."
"Gen 1's long discontinued, but the game used it fine."
They even supply cutting-edge guns.
Hunter support was solid.
Then Kim Yu-na strolled in, scolding him.
Unlike in the Tower, her flashy outfit drew eyes.
"Day off, and you're tormenting the newbie in training? Leave him be."
Go Ji-ho pulled her aside.
"Leave him? Guy's a monster newbie, but says no more Tower. Gotta recruit hard."
"...You're terrible at persuading."
Go Ji-ho shut up at her jab.
Was this the same guy Association staff roasted for bad interrogations yesterday?
'They know their weaknesses well. Perfect division of labor.'
Kim Yu-na said,
"He does internet streams, leave him to me."
"Ah, streamer bond?"
"Yep. Seen the EX-rank skill?"
"Yeah. Versatile. Lowest skill's Martial Arts level 4."
"What?"
She zipped over to me.
Sorry, but I'd overheard it all.
No dice.
I braced mentally, but...
"Kang Hyun, streaming comeback today, right?"
"Yeah, of course."
I'd been pondering my evening stream anyway.
How to do it?
Regular games or talk wouldn't prove my feat.
Did the Association give hunter certs or something?
Kim Yu-na nailed it.
"Got special content planned?"
"Maybe show Tower items."
"Eh, weak impact. Wanna collab?"
"...Huh?"
She was a streamer and ad model; her rates weren't cheap.
Collab with a big name?
"For free?"
"Duh. Team member."
My mental defenses crumbled instantly.
This much, I'd fall for knowingly.
Decision in a month anyway.
"Please take care of me."
"Sweet. Lunch at a great spot first."
"...What's on the menu?"
"Crab today. We know all the local spots, don't worry."
Crab for lunch?
These people were nuts.
I jumped up and followed them out.