Invitations from the Shadows
The morning after I'd hit Namgung Jinhwa with an hour-long ban followed by a full-day ban, the majority of the blocks logged under Auto-Moderation Mode came, as expected, from countless martial families affiliated with the Murim Alliance. To be more precise, the Five Great Clans and the Nine Great Sects accounted for roughly nine-tenths of them. Whatever the case, their desperate attempts to curse at Padak even once made for decent reading. While casually skimming through the posts one by one, I came across a single thread that had somehow survived for nearly an hour and looked genuinely interesting.
"Hmm… I can roughly guess why the ban was delayed."
They'd been relatively lenient with the China and North Korea bait, so Auto-Moderation Mode had probably followed my own tendencies. It only got banned at the very end when the post went beyond criticizing Murim people and Chinese people to outright attacking the elderly. In any case, there wasn't much else worth touching after that, so I tucked away the usual high-elf lewd images into my collection folder and prepared to start the day properly.
After a quick lunch and banning a few villainous alt accounts, I glanced at the clock. 1:20 p.m. The devil's eleven minutes when the Integrated Community was at its quietest, the window between 1:20 and 1:31. Following the plan I'd set after yesterday's clear, I entered the second floor of the Tower of Ruin the moment the clock hit twenty past.
Whoosh—!
Once again my vision flashed white, and the familiar gray arena with its slightly cool air unfolded before me.
You have entered the 2nd floor of the Tower of Ruin.
Due to the climber's overwhelming rank, the difficulty has been significantly adjusted.
Current Difficulty: Easy → Extreme.
The same message as yesterday filled my vision. The moment the system's merciless adjustment ended, the ten green slimes crawling on the opposite side of the arena began merging violently into one spot.
Squelch— Squelch!
Gurururuk—!
With a disgusting wet sound, several colors mixed together before splitting into two massive Elemental Slimes that radiated killing intent toward me.
"Hah, figured as much."
I'd already expected it. Unless I deliberately lowered my rank or stats, the tower's balance patch would continue. That was exactly why I could afford to look far more relaxed than yesterday. I'd spent the entire night at home running countless mental simulations and perfectly preparing the technique I'd seen in a pirate manga—Dual Wave X.
5 seconds until the climber's protective barrier disappears.
3, 2, 1…
The barrier has disappeared. Begin combat!
Clang—!
The moment the barrier shattered, I infused mana into my feet and kicked off the ground hard, leaping into the air.
Crackle, crackle—!
Snow Shadow Ice Flower Steps activated, and luminous ice lotuses bloomed like stairs in the air along my trajectory. I stepped on the highest blooming ice flower, twisted my body, and drove my right foot—packed with compressed mana—toward one of the Elemental Slimes.
Shuaaaak—!
A crescent-shaped, razor-sharp ice slash surged forward at high speed. Before I could even confirm its trajectory, I used the remaining rotational force to spin once more in midair.
"Alright~ Buy-one-get-one sale is on!"
This time I gathered the leftover mana into my left foot and launched a second slash.
Kwaaaang—!
Kuung—!
Two consecutive explosions shook the arena. Landing lightly, I looked up to see both Elemental Slimes frozen solid just like yesterday, shattered into pieces and scattered across the floor.
Staring at the sweet reward notifications filling my vision, I hummed a little tune.
'Hmm, maybe skip the verification screenshot today.'
Spamming these kinds of deceptive clears might draw too much aggro. Besides, the precious eleven minutes of rest time were slipping away. A true powerhouse doesn't boast themselves—others acknowledge them. I lightly dismissed the system window asking about taking a photo with my gaze.
"Let's just get out and eat."
After that, I walked without hesitation toward the exit gate that had appeared in the air.
"Everyone should mind their own business. Why is everyone so interested in other people's affairs?"
Was it because I bragged? I tilted my head for a moment before deciding it probably didn't matter. I moved the community screen to the corner of my vision and focused on the steaming bowl of soup in front of me. This was the regular gukbap place near my house. I took a big spoonful of the milky ox-head gukbap broth bubbling in the earthenware pot, and the rich, savory meat aroma filled my mouth. I bit into some properly chilled kimchi and scooped up the tender ox-head meat with chives before stuffing it all in.
"Kah, nothing beats a hearty bowl of gukbap after a hard day's gallery work!"
Feeling my stomach warm up from the hot broth, I kept one eye fixed on the gallery screen and continued monitoring. While enjoying a peaceful mukbang and scanning the rapidly rising posts with hawk eyes, I suddenly cursed.
"Ah, fuck, that crazy bastard."
A grotesque, eye-searing hate image had appeared right in the middle of a newly posted thread—an unimaginable abyss of filth involving tentacle monsters, goblins, and orcs tangled together in some kind of rage-filled… scene. It was the kind of visual garbage that made you question whether human imagination even existed.
'Haa… At times like this, my overwhelming visual processing ability is seriously a curse.'
Suppressing my gag reflex at the floating visual terrorism, I quickly activated administrator authority.
Post permanently deleted.
I immediately added the poster's alt account nickname to the renewal-type ban list, also known as the renewal ban roster. But the horrific afterimage burned into my brain refused to fade.
"Damn it, my appetite's ruined."
I slammed the spoon down on the table. The sudden noise startled the restaurant owner at the counter, who looked over at me. Realizing my mistake, I scratched the back of my head awkwardly and stood up.
"Ah, it's not the food. Something unpleasant just happened. Sorry about that."
After a half-hearted apology, I pulled two 50,000-won bills from my wallet and placed them on the table.
"Keep the change. Thanks for the meal."
"Wait, customer…!"
I hurried out of the restaurant, leaving the flustered owner behind. Only after breathing in the cool outside air did my twisted stomach finally begin to settle.
"Agh, seriously… How the hell does someone even come up with that kind of hate image? Makes you wonder about the poster's brain structure."
Still feeling unsettled, I trudged down the alley. The day was still young, and with my appetite gone, I was at a loss for how to spend the rest of this cursed gallery moderation shift. While walking blankly, staring at the system window floating in the air, three unusually high-pitched notification chimes rang in succession.
Ding—! Ding—! Ding—!
Three golden-bordered envelopes, so dazzling they hurt the eyes, filled my vision.
"Huh? What now? More money-flinging high-rank users…?"
With a puzzled expression, I checked the sender list one by one.
[Sender: Heavenly Demon Cult Leader, Heavenly Demon Sword]
[Sender: North Sea Peng Clan Head, Peng Cheonwi]
[Sender: Black Curtain Valley Lord, Dokgo Hyeol]
"…Wow."
The lineup alone was breathtaking. The leader standing at the apex of the Heavenly Demon Cult, the North Sea Peng Clan representing the orthodox faction among the Five Great Clans, and the Valley Lord who ruled the unorthodox faction. The heads of three factions that could never coexist had sent messages simultaneously, as if by prior agreement. Swallowing unconsciously, I carefully tapped the first message.
Administrator. I witnessed your martial prowess in conquering the Extreme difficulty. You will soon clear the 10th floor of the tower. When the "Faction Selection" option appears, choose our Heavenly Demon Cult. In return, I shall impart our cult's secret demonic arts and grant you unrestricted access to all martial manuals stored in the Ten Thousand Great Mountains' Martial Pavilion.
Quest Proposal: Walk the Path of the Heavenly Demon Cult.
The North Sea Peng Clan's message came next.
Padak. Become affiliated with our Murim Alliance—particularly the North Sea Peng Clan—during the 10th floor faction selection. If you elevate your martial prowess under the Peng Clan name, I promise you free access to the clan symbol, the Tyrant Sword Art, and the alliance's archives.
Quest Proposal: Become a Pillar of the Orthodox Faction.
The Black Curtain Valley Lord's message was perfectly identical in content. A request to choose the unorthodox faction upon reaching the 10th floor, with rewards consisting of a permanent trait-level martial art that formed the foundation of each faction, plus the immense privilege of unrestricted access to and training in countless martial arts of that faction.
After reading all three messages, I stopped walking.
'…Hmm. I didn't see this development coming.'