Tswan Castle and the Instant Dungeon's Call
Namgung Seojun's party roamed the 3rd floor's Instant Dungeon. Unlike the 1st floor, this floor was a vast plain without even a single hill, offering perfect visibility in every direction. The group walked along a well-maintained road.
"Hello!"
"Nice to meet you."
They exchanged greetings with a patrol squad they happened to run into. Traveling along the road meant they frequently crossed paths with other parties, especially those made up of holy knights and soldiers. From the 1st to the 5th floors—goddess territory—patrols roamed the fields constantly to minimize deaths as much as possible.
As they walked, Namgung Seojun glanced at his party members with satisfaction. They'd started from Starting Village and climbed together for a week, fighting through countless battles that had honed their teamwork. Yuki was still a bit awkward with everyone except Lee Guho, but she took combat seriously, so there were no issues there. Thanks to Super Sense, every monster fight started on favorable terms, and everyone performed their roles perfectly. Mistakes were dwindling, and the party's overall combat power was visibly rising.
The only downside was how grimy everyone looked—Seojun had pushed straight from the 3rd floor entrance toward the central city, Tswan Castle, without detours.
After a long trek, Gisohee called out.
"Seojun! The city's in sight."
At the end of the road loomed Tswan Castle, the massive city at the heart of the 3rd floor. The party passed through the gates without issue and headed straight for the temple.
"My, you've taken down quite a few monsters."
The priest smiled kindly as he examined the monster noses the group presented. Even if they were monsters, smiling at severed body parts felt off to Seojun, but he smiled back and asked,
"How many Merit Points will that be?"
"Let me calculate. That's 237 Merit Points—I'll round it up to 240. Distribute evenly among the party members?"
"Yes."
Each member received 40 Merit Points. Seojun knew they'd amassed over 300 from the 1st to 3rd floors combined, so he said,
"Everyone, buy basic skills."
Following his orders, the party members visited the skill-selling priests and purchased what they needed. Seojun himself spent 300 Merit Points on Soldier Charge (A).
Soldier Charge (A)
Grade: Normal | MP Cost: 100
Shoulder-charge forward to shove enemies hard. A basic attack skill useful for combos, or in a pinch without a weapon.
The others finished their purchases with their 300 Merit Points too. Gisohee got Concentrate (P), which slightly boosted archery accuracy and power. Lee Guho picked up the mage essential Health (P). Guards Jo Jaehun and Kim Hoon both grabbed the handy Steadfastness (P).
But Yuki hesitated.
300 isn't enough for anything but combat skills...
Aiming to become a priest, she wanted buffs, but those cost over 1,000 Merit Points. She wanted to save up.
"Yuki, you must get Shield Technique."
Seojun, who'd been waiting patiently, read her thoughts with God's Eye and specified the skill.
"Y... yes..."
Unhappy but mindful of the optics, Yuki bought Shield Technique (A).
With everyone but her having added a skill, faces brightened. The spec boost felt great.
After shopping, they left the temple, sold loot at the certified shop next door, split the coin, and headed to an inn.
En route from temple to inn district, touts swarmed the party.
"Great inn over here! Cheap with top facilities—follow me!"
"Golden Inn has the best setup, restaurant, and finest women. Come to Golden Inn!"
"Oppa, wanna have some fun with me?"
"Just 10 silver for premium service. Take a quick break!"
"Meals at Cheonwon Restaurant! Hearty meal for 1 silver. Beer's 1 silver too!"
The inn district wasn't just lodging—it had eateries, taverns, brothels, and more, so hawkers pitched hard. But Seojun didn't flinch. He beelined for a temple-certified inn. Uncertified spots risked scams, so better safe and a bit pricier.
They booked individual rooms.
"Unpack, then dinner. Restaurant's on the 1st floor—eat here."
All agreed.
Twenty minutes later, the men gathered downstairs.
"This place is killer. Great vibe!"
Kim Hoon was right—the waitresses' outfits were skimpy.
"Guess they sell more than drinks here too."
Lee Guho said it casually now, like it was normal. And it was.
Kim Hoon groped a passing waitress's ass. She responded with a coquettish lilt:
"Ah! Sir, that's naughty—1 bronze per grope. Pay up quick!"
She held out her hand, smiling—not annoyed.
"Heh! For 1 bronze? Might as well fuck ya."
Kim Hoon handed her 10 bronze, stood, and said,
"Be right back!"
He was quick about this stuff. He whisked her to a curtained side room in the corner.
"Slurp... guh... thwack... huff... pant! Thwack! Ah! Thwack... ah! Huff!"
Moans echoed through the place. But Seojun's group and other patrons, staff included, ignored it.
Ten minutes later, Kim Hoon emerged, pants fixed, looking refreshed, and sat back down.
"Feels great!"
He downed a beer with a different kind of refreshment in mind. Moments later, the waitress stumbled out—no pants to avoid stains, semen dripping down her thighs as she dashed to the women's restroom for cleanup.
"Heh heh."
Jo Jaehun chuckled awkwardly, still adjusting. This was daily life in the Tower World.
"I'm here."
Gisohee arrived right on cue, followed soon by Yuki. The full party ordered and ate.
Over the meal, Seojun chatted.
"Good work out in the field for three days. Rest tomorrow, leave the day after."
Rest perked everyone up. But no slacking.
"Still, prep to depart. Kim Hoon, stock herbs."
"Got it."
He pocketed the 5 silver Seojun gave him. To Lee Guho:
"Guho, make potions with Pharmaceuticals."
"Yes, hyungnim."
They'd agreed on casual "hyung" as they bonded.
"Gisohee, check camping gear and buy food with the others."
He handed her 10 silver for expenses. She took it and asked,
"How much food?"
"Five days' worth."
Plenty for the trip to the next city.
Late lunch ended; they scattered to tasks. As leader and guide, Seojun hit the guild by the temple for intel.
"Welcome."
A middle-aged man greeted him. Seojun cut to it:
"Info to the next city."
Standard request—veteran adventurers always got route details here.
Seojun had learned on the 2nd floor: even Super Sense wasn't foolproof in vast plains; parties got lost. Now he bought guild maps religiously.
He sat at the counter. Soon the man returned with papers.
"Your info. Read here for 20 silver; take copies for 50."
"I'll read here."
Paid 20 silver and scanned. The guild bustled. Then a conversation caught his ear:
"Any parties with top-notch fighters under level 20? Inviters preferred."
Unusual request. The guild man clocked it:
"Instant Dungeon, right? Level 20 cap!"
Super Sense pinged hard.
This one's a must.
Seojun eavesdropped. The client had an Instant Dungeon at his estate—entry limited to level 20 or below. Unpredictable difficulty meant they wanted max firepower, ideally inviters. The catch: Instant Dungeons were wildcards from old demon invasions. Gods sealed them, but rifts lingered, spawning random dungeons of unknown traps, size, and monsters.
"Would an inviter party even touch an Instant Dungeon?"
"Risky, but this pay?"
The client plunked down a coin pouch.
"Hm? 20 gold? That'll do."
High reward for the risk. Seojun gleaned basics, read his 3rd-floor info, and pondered Super Sense's vibe.
Dangerous for us? Nah, we're good.
He war-gamed it. Client left. Seojun approached the guild man.
"Done? Here's the papers."
He handed them over, then casually:
"That guy earlier wanted inviters?"
"Yeah. Pay's fair, but good luck finding level 20 inviters. I'll post it, but it'll linger."
He was jotting the board notice: basics and 20-gold reward.
Seojun said,
"We'll take it."
The man looked up, thought, then:
"Wait—you're that Namgung Seojun party? Fresh academy grads with two inviters?"
Seojun nodded.
Back at the inn, he urgently gathered everyone in his room.
"Seojun, what's the sudden call?"
"Hyungnim? What's up?"
Curious faces. He grinned.
"Got a quest. Instant Dungeon clear."
Shocked gasps. Academy-trained, sure, but elite parties only tackled those—unknown internals meant high risk.
Worried looks. Seojun persuaded:
"Level 20 cap. Those are usually easy mode."
"Pay's huge—20 gold."
"Our power outstrips same-level parties by 5-10. We're set."
Gisohee and Jo Jaehun relented uneasily.
"If you say so, Seojun."
"I'll follow the leader."
Lee Guho fretted:
"Even for you, hyungnim, those are dangerous. Can't we just rest and climb?"
Yuki nodded agreement.
Seojun couldn't say "Super Sense says go," so he pivoted:
"Majority vote then."
Contract had a clause: "Ambiguous cases decided by party majority."
"Who for the Instant Dungeon?"
Gisohee and Jo Jaehun raised hands. Kim Hoon eyed Seojun and Lee Guho, then raised his.
"Gotta trust Seojun more. Haha!"
Tie broken. Seojun abstained.
"Three of six—majority with my pass. We're doing the Instant Dungeon."
And so, the party committed to the quest.