Chapter 5
Chapter 5
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 005
Chapter Title: Boss Monster
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⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ [Strengthening the target's gravity by 5 times.] The hand of the B-rank Awakener flying toward Lee Jong-su's cheek froze in midair.
The man soon glared at Han Jeong-woo, who was watching him with murderous eyes.
"...You?"
Han Jeong-woo wore an intrigued expression.
"Hmm. A B-rank Awakener is different, after all."
"Release this right now, or I'll kill you...!"
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ [Strengthening the target's gravity by 6 times.] Before the man's threat could finish, six times the gravity crushed down on him.
"Kugh...!"
In an instant, the man's knees buckled. His raised arm had long since dropped toward the floor. His entire body trembled as he began to collapse face-first onto the ground.
"What are you gonna do if I don't?"
Han Jeong-woo asked calmly.
"You bastard! Release me now! I swear I'll kill you!!"
Instead of replying, Han Jeong-woo slowly increased the gravitational force.
6.1 times... 6.2 times... And when it reached 6.3 times.
Crack. Accompanied by the sound of twisting bones, a scream burst from the man's mouth.
"...I-I lost! I lost! Please, just release me! Spare me, please!!"
Flat on the floor, the man begged for his life, all traces of his earlier bravado gone.
Han Jeong-woo looked down at him impassively, showing no intention of deactivating the skill despite the pleas.
"Apologize to Big Brother first."
No sooner had he spoken than words poured out of the man's mouth like rapid-fire rap.
"S-Sorry! My fault! I've been in a bad mood lately, so I picked a fight to vent my stress! Please, forgive me just this once!"
The commotion had drawn the eyes of the buffet staff and every other customer in the place. They couldn't afford any more attention.
"...Jeong-woo."
Lee Jong-su looked at him anxiously from the side.
Han Jeong-woo nodded slowly to reassure him.
"Big Brother, looks like we can't eat here today. Let's head out."
He cast the skill one last time toward the man cowering and shaking on the floor, then immediately released it.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ [Strengthening the target's gravity by 6.4 times.] ⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ [Restoring the target's gravity to normal.] "Kek!"
Crushed by 9.4 times gravity for a split second, the man couldn't withstand the shock and passed out cold.
The two men then slipped out of the now-rowdy restaurant.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ In the end, they ended up at a kimchi stew joint.
With bubbling stew before them, a heavy silence hung between Han Jeong-woo and Lee Jong-su.
"...You."
"...Big Brother."
They called out at the same time and awkwardly shut their mouths.
"You first, Big Brother."
"No, you ask first."
After more back-and-forth, Han Jeong-woo spoke up.
"As you can see... I awakened. I wasn't trying to hide it on purpose; I planned to tell you once things settled down."
Even as he spoke, Han Jeong-woo watched Lee Jong-su's expression closely. It remained dark.
'As expected... he's mad I hid my awakening.'
But contrary to Han Jeong-woo's worries, Lee Jong-su was feeling something entirely different.
"...Yeah, Jeong-woo. You awakened. Really... I'm so relieved! This is great!"
Lee Jong-su's stiff expression melted in an instant, his mouth curving up to his ears. His eyes began to redden.
"You idiot! No one said you had to die! I told you the sun would shine bright one day!"
Lee Jong-su roughly patted Han Jeong-woo's shoulder with an excited voice.
"I knew you'd make it big, you punk!"
"...Big Brother!"
"From how you handled that B-rank guy earlier, you're super high-rank, right?!"
"...Yeah, A-rank."
Even with Lee Jong-su, whom he relied on like a father, revealing the off-the-charts EX-rank felt too risky.
But A-rank was more than enough to shock him.
A-rank Awakener was practically a god to ordinary folk.
"Whoa... A-rank? That's insane! So that thing about 100 million a month—you can really do it?"
"Probably. I wanted to treat you to a fancy meal for it... but things got messed up."
Lee Jong-su just chuckled at Han Jeong-woo's regretful look.
His little brother, whom he cherished like his own son, was about to hit the jackpot. A pricey meal was nothing.
Scooping up some steaming kimchi stew, Lee Jong-su added,
"Forget it. You won't die missing one meal. Besides, I like this better."
"Then I'll cover it here. Order whatever you want, Big Brother."
"Nah. I'm paying today. My little bro made it big—eldest brother has to treat! Oh, can't have a day like this without booze, right?"
Lee Jong-su hollered cheerfully for the owner.
"Auntie! A bottle of soju here! Iseul brand!"
Han Jeong-woo watched him rejoice like it was his own triumph, his chest swelling with emotion.
And he vowed.
To succeed and repay this man who was like a father to him.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ 📰 Breaking News Isn't that guy the Mutant? 💬 Comments — Anonymous A movie? — Anonymous That's Drug War, dumbass. — Anonymous Saw it. Insanely good record. — Anonymous Full-floor clear time averaging 2-3 seconds. Wild. — Anonymous Mutant's identity still unknown, so probably hasn't registered as an Awakener? — Anonymous Maybe. At least S-rank confirmed. — Anonymous Management Agency's on high alert. TV ads, YouTube ads—all 'Searching for the Mutant' lol. — Anonymous Couldn't see cuz premium, but they hung banners on my street corner lmao. — Anonymous Kinda curious. Hope he climbs to the top floor soon. Only about a month left, right? Recently, Korea's online communities were abuzz daily over one Awakener.
The Awakener 'Mutant' had shot up like a comet, rewriting Korea's Tower rankings.
SSS-ranks had existed before, of course. But his overwhelming records crushed even veteran S-rank feats.
The public went wild over this supernova.
Expectations that he might become Korea's top Awakener, and desperate hopes he'd break the 55th-floor stall plaguing the nation's climb.
All eyes in Korea were on him—'Mutant'.
Meanwhile, as his stock soared, one place was in panic mode.
"...Officer Baek, still no contact?"
"None, sir. You know we've thrown every ad out there. Even banners. But not a single call."
It was the Korea Awakener Management Agency's Strategic Talent Management Team.
"Haa... This is driving me insane!"
Team Leader Choi Jin-il slammed his fist on the desk. Dark circles hung to his chin, making him look like a walking corpse.
"They're pressuring us from above to find the Mutant ASAP, but how the hell am I supposed to track him down?!"
"Just tell them we can't find him unless he shows up himself..."
"Officer Baek... Think I haven't said that? I have! It doesn't work! They just say find him by any means necessary!"
Baek Yoon-seok winced at Choi Jin-il's wail.
He'd always dreamed of promotion, but seeing the team leader like this... he seriously questioned if it was worth it.
"Any good ideas...?"
Choi Jin-il groaned, pressing his throbbing temples.
Then Baek Yoon-seok cautiously spoke up.
"Team Leader, everyone loves money, right?"
"...True."
"Why not go bolder? Guarantee top industry treatment—slap it right in the ads."
Top industry treatment.
That meant S-rank perks: base salary 30 billion won, tax breaks galore, luxury housing on demand.
"But that's obvious."
"Exactly. Point is, etch concrete numbers into the Mutant's head."
Baek Yoon-seok tapped his temple with a finger.
"Then while climbing the Tower, it'll pop into his mind: 'If I just registered, I could rake in billions without this hassle.'"
"But won't the Mutant already know that?"
Choi Jin-il eyed him skeptically.
"He knows how amazing he is. Knows it translates to cash."
"Team Leader, nothing to lose. Let's try something. Who knows—he might bite."
"Hm... Fair point. No downside, like you said."
Choi Jin-il's dull eyes sparked.
"Alright, we'll go with it. Officer Baek, you'll handle it today."
"...Me?"
"Who else? Can't you see I'm swamped?"
'I'm dying here too...'
Baek Yoon-seok swallowed his retort.
Promotion... Promotion was definitely good.
He vowed to one day sit in that chair and say the same, reigniting his ambition.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ ⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ [Entering 10th floor of the Korean Tower.] ⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ [Mission: Defeat the Swamp Ruler, Lizardman King.] Having SSS-cleared floors 7, 8, and 9, Han Jeong-woo finally stepped into the 10th.
The 10th floor swamp was far gloomier and more sinister than the previous ones.
Fishy water stench thick in the air, eerie swaying reeds, distant monstrous cries—all sharpening his nerves.
Han Jeong-woo scanned his surroundings warily, face tense from the strain.
The mission text was different this time.
Ruler.
King.
One meaning.
Boss monster.
The 10th floor mission was to slay a boss monster.
Right then, a message appeared before his eyes.
📜 DAILY QUEST 📜 [Defeat the Lizardman King within 1 minute.]
🎁 Success: 1 Skill Enhancement Ticket
💥 Failure: Exhaustion from mana depletion
"...Skill Enhancement Ticket?"
Han Jeong-woo's eyes widened. Those were rare Tower-exclusive rewards.
But joy was short-lived—his gaze locked on the quest details.
"Within 1 minute...?"
Previous monsters hadn't lasted even a second against his skills.
A 1-minute limit meant this Lizardman King might survive 10x gravity.
As he tensed up again, the still lake surface bubbled.
Something massive slowly emerged from the depths, head first.
"...Here it comes."
The fully revealed Lizardman King was overwhelming.
Three times a normal Lizardman's size—uncomparable.
But what seized Han Jeong-woo's attention wasn't the bulk.
It was the weapon in its hand.
No crude, rusted trident like lesser ones.
A majestic silver trident gleaming with embedded jewels.
Sell that, and it'd cover way more than a studio deposit.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ [Strengthening the target's gravity by 10 times.] The Lizardman King's massive body staggered. Unable to resist, it toppled onto the muddy ground.
But that was it.
True to its 'Ruler' name, it gritted its teeth and endured 10x gravity.
"...As expected."
Admiration escaped Han Jeong-woo's lips.
Its size meant far greater load than average monsters. Surviving proved it was on another level.
Time ticked on.
Still margin before the 1-minute limit, but gravity alone wouldn't kill it.
Worse, failure meant mana exhaustion—leaving him vulnerable.
Han Jeong-woo racked his brain.
Gravity wasn't enough. Needed a weapon.
His eyes shifted from the fallen king to a nearby trident.
He rushed over and gripped the handle—huge as his torso—with both hands.
"...Ngh! How many kilos is this thing?"
Then, astonishingly,
Shrrk—
The trident glowed on its own, shrinking to fit his hand perfectly.
As if it had always been his.
Grinning in satisfaction, Han Jeong-woo raised it high overhead.
Then slammed it down without hesitation at the Lizardman King still writhing under 10x gravity.
Krunch! The three sharp prongs pierced its skull precisely, flooding his vision with system messages.
⚔ ACHIEVEMENT ⚔ [Achieved SSS-rank clear on 10th floor.] [Reward: Acquired 300g Mana Stone.] [Reward: Acquired 'Ruler's Silver Trident.'] [10th floor reward: Acquired new skill, Gravitational Pull.] 📜 QUEST COMPLETE 📜 [Daily Quest Success!]
[Acquired 1 Skill Enhancement Ticket.]
Among them, two caught Han Jeong-woo's eye.
The new skill Gravitational Pull and the Skill Enhancement Ticket.