The Noblest Sword Under the Sky

Two days had passed since I cleared the 2nd floor. In that time, I had pushed through to the 4th floor, and my abilities had become even more spectacular.

Just looking at that status window made me feel satisfied.

The new special abilities I obtained on the 3rd and 4th floors weren't bad, either.

But the best part was something else.

"Inventory."

Magic crystals popped out of thin air. I had collected four F-rank crystals from the 1st and 2nd floors, and another four from the 3rd and 4th, totaling eight. If I sold them all, that would be... eight million won?

I briefly wondered which character I should fully upgrade, but I was blocked by the cold wall of reality. There were no more games left to spend money on. After that day, all the games I used to play had vanished. The game companies couldn't find the source of the problem and eventually went bankrupt, causing the entire gaming market to collapse in an instant. There were rumors of new companies appearing to fill the void, but nothing had been officially released yet.

...I guess I should just save my money for now. In case a decent game comes out, I'll need to be ready to max it out immediately.

Anyway, today is an important day. It's the day I clear the 5th floor of the Black Tower. I checked on MewTube, and it said there's a mini-boss every five floors and a boss monster every ten, so I need to be fully prepared. To do that, I need this first.

"How about some hearty beef soup?"

"Chicken? My stomach feels uncomfortable if I eat fried food in the morning."

"Then let's have chicken for dinner."

Is there anything more important than filling your stomach before entering the tower? They say a well-fed ghost looks good, don't they? ...Well, that shouldn't happen to me, right?

Ah, but if I had just leveled up one more time, I would have gained a new 'Unique Ability.' ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Is there no way to do that?

"Is there any way to level up just once?"

"R-right..."

I got up and headed to the soup place in front of my house. The owner greeted me warmly. "Our Suhyun is here?" "Hello." "Come on, sit down. What can I get you today?" "One beef soup, please." "Sure thing."

She went into the kitchen, and as I sat there pouring water into a cup, a news report caught my attention.

"A major anomaly has occurred in the South Korean Hall of Fame. The protagonist of the day is an anonymous Awakened who is shattering world records with a one-minute clear time. Does the Awakened Association have any announcements?" "Unfortunately, the Association is maintaining silence. This is an infringement on the public's right to know. We have invited an expert to discuss this..."

I stared blankly at the news. That's me, isn't it? Is it really worth talking about on the news? I'm only on the 4th floor!

Hmm, is it really that big of a deal?

"Our Suhyun, did something good happen? Got a girlfriend?" "What? No." "Don't lie, the corners of your mouth are twitching."

The owner smiled as she set the beef soup in front of me. If there had been a mirror nearby, I would have seen my own face, but luckily, there wasn't.

...Is that a compliment? I was dumbfounded by the backhanded remark, but the beef soup came first. I had to eat quickly and get into the tower to meet my daughters! Wait for me, my daughters! Daddy's coming!!!

Director Lee Naeun was reading a report with a complex expression.

"So, they've broken the Hall of Fame records up to the 4th floor."

There was only one thing to note here: the clear time. While the clear times for 2nd place Han Yerin and 3rd place Kim Haneul were getting slower, the anonymous 1st place Awakened was maintaining a consistent pace. It meant they were wiping out monsters with overwhelming power, but there was no way to find them.

If they just showed up at the Association and said, "I'm the anonymous Awakened, give me the treatment I deserve," we could communicate so well. Why do Awakened these days like playing the "hidden powerhouse" game? The Association was ready to scout them with the best possible conditions, so why! Why! Won't they show up!

"Any news from the new Awakened?" "There were a few imposters, but we proved they were fake during the verification process." "I really hope they show up soon."

They couldn't possibly be an illegal Awakened... No, why on earth won't they show up? Director Lee Naeun put down the report with a look of disbelief.

"Sigh... I'll check the Awakened list again today." "Understood, Director."

‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠

The secretary bowed and left. Director Lee Naeun checked the personal records of the Awakened one by one, but none of them triggered her unique ability... 'Sensitive Senses.'

However, there wasn't much left. Today... by tomorrow at the latest, I'll be able to check everyone. ...Just wait a little longer. I will find you and recruit you with the best conditions possible.

"Achoo!"

"It's not that. My ear is itching, so someone must be talking behind my back."

No, what on earth did they pull out that it got censored...?

"I'm fine. I'm ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠going in now."

"Yes!"

Floors with boss monsters have restricted equipment and protocols. Sometimes, a mage might be unlucky enough to be unable to use magic, in which case they have no choice but to grit their teeth and retry. And there was a giant golem in front of me. It was engulfed in flames, spewing acrid smoke... how on earth did other Awakened manage to beat this?

"Help me."

The ring began to glow, and a black window appeared.

One thing had changed while climbing the tower. Perhaps because my level had risen, I could now check the 'epithets' of the Transcendents. ...Though I couldn't say their names.

A crack appeared in the air, and a black-haired woman wearing an old firefighter's uniform emerged. A character designed with a firefighter motif. She shook her black hair, descended to the ground, and smiled brightly the moment she met my eyes.

"I have been looking forward to our meeting." "Me too..." My daughter, you've grown up so well. "Thanks to you, I've been able to save more lives, so I must repay the favor."

She raised one hand high, and a blue sword appeared in her hand. It emitted a blue light as she took a step toward the Burning Golem.

She swung her sword into the air, and a massive 'ocean' was created in the sky. "We call them 'Firefighters'." She swung her sword once more, and the ocean split in two. "There is no reason needed to save a life." The split ocean didn't fall to the ground; instead, it turned into a blue stream of water and engulfed the Burning Golem. "Where there is a fire demon, we are there; where there is danger, there is hope."

The moment her final words resonated, the steam created by the meeting of water and fire swirled like a storm. The golem's flames were extinguished in an instant, turning into a handful of black ash that scattered in the wind. At the same time, a message appeared.