Player Training: The Instructor's Test
Saturday afternoon, player education.
Kim Min-su returned to the Player Support Agency, where he had registered as a player the previous week.
He was there to receive training before starting his full activities as a player.
Climbing the Tower wasn't an issue with the two goddesses by his side, but to cash in the rewards from there, he needed to complete the training and raise his rank to D.
There was originally no rush to convert Tower rewards to cash.
He wasn't drowning in debt or in need of money for anything.
But now he had two mooching goddesses freeloading at his house.
The authority of [Darkness] couldn't produce food due to its master's nature.
So Min-su had to foot the bill for both goddesses' meals entirely.
If this keeps up, all my savings will be wiped out.
These goddesses, with their slender frames, devoured more food than Min-su himself.
He had been forced into a situation where he needed to enter the Tower and earn money as soon as possible.
There had been a small mishap when Rijette insisted on coming along as he prepared for training, clinging tightly to him, but he couldn't very well attend with her hanging off him. He barely managed to shake her off with a promise to buy her new ramen.
"This... is the place?"
Min-su took the elevator up, signed the roster at the entrance, and entered a room that resembled a university lecture hall.
Several people had already arrived in the quiet classroom.
Probably new players like me.
From a young woman who looked just barely of age to a middle-aged man who seemed quite seasoned, there was a diverse range of ages.
Min-su cautiously entered and sat in a suitable seat toward the back.
He had heard that in the outer dungeons created by the Tower's punishments or on certain Tower floors, players sometimes cooperated.
But otherwise, players operated solo on their personal floors.
For that reason, it was rare to see players teaming up.
Even his senior apostle, the player Idaine, hadn't had many close player friends.
So, the chances of meeting these people here again were practically zero.
As Min-su killed time reading the training materials he'd received at the entrance,
"Hello, everyone~. I'm player Kim Myeong-suk, in charge of your training."
A middle-aged woman with a friendly smile and squinted eyes entered through the front door of the lecture hall.
"Player Kim Myeong-suk? A-rank?"
"No wonder she hasn't been around lately—she must've retired to become an instructor!"
A few players seemed to recognize her.
"Oh ho, now I'm just an instructor."
A-rank? That frail-looking lady?
Min-su veiled his eyes with the authority of [Darkness].
Through his vision, now darkened like wearing sunglasses, he could see the flow of mana coursing through her body.
Judging by the volume of mana flow alone, it was equal to or greater than the knights he created.
It seemed no exaggeration.
"Thank you all for taking time out of your busy schedules. As you all know, even though player mortality has dropped below traffic accidents lately, accidents still happen."
The Tower's monsters harbored intense hostility toward players.
Of course, it would be stranger if they were friendly to humans who periodically hunted them for resources and loot, but regardless, monsters attacked players ferociously upon sight.
On most floors, players had to defeat those monsters with their own power, without help from others.
If they challenged floors too high for their skill or made mistakes fighting monsters, death could follow swiftly.
In the Tower's early days, with no proper manuals and no established ranking system for strength and upper-floor conquest potential, many players had died chasing money or fame by attempting floors beyond their ability, causing massive casualties.
But as information about the Tower spread and systematized, player deaths plummeted.
"That's why I'd appreciate it if you all focus on this training."
The instructor began explaining players' duties and privileges, as well as Tower information.
Due to the Tower's punishments creating uncontrollable dungeons in Korea, players had to challenge the Tower periodically to prevent proliferation.
They didn't need to climb high—just visit at least once a month, even if only the 1st floor, within their ability limits.
Illness, injury, family events, old age, and such were taken into account.
The government provided various benefits to players climbing the Tower for Korea.
All stuff I've heard before.
It was all information his former S-rank senior apostle, player Idaine, had explained.
I wanna go home. Just end it quick.
Min-su propped his chin on his hand with a bored expression.
Even with training, his top-tier teacher—a former S-rank player—was at home playing games.
Plus, with his summoning ability, he could invoke the [Dark Lord]'s power and enter the Tower as a trio.
Maybe that's why.
It was hard to focus on the training.
When does this end?
Idaine had said the training was mostly formality—just theoretical explanations—so it would wrap up quickly.
As Min-su kept checking his watch, waiting for it to end,
"Now, shall we move on to verifying your abilities?"
...?
Something new.
"As you know, even newly awakened players have different unique abilities, and their proficiency varies, so at this stage where you don't know the Tower well, it's hard to gauge your appropriate floor. So! I'll verify your abilities myself. Let's move~?"
...Senior didn't mention this.
A new procedure added in the 10 years she was gone?
Makes sense—she's from 10 years ago, so she couldn't know everything.
Min-su followed the instructor with the other newbie players in a line.
They arrived at a player training room resembling a school gymnasium but far larger.
"Alright, show me your abilities. Hmm... We'll go one by one? First... Player Kang In-gu? Please step forward."
A man in his 40s stepped out at the instructor's call from the roster.
"How should I demonstrate?"
"Use your full power on me."
"...My ability is fire, though?"
"It's fine. I'm retired, but I was A-rank."
"Understood. ...Here goes?"
"Yes, come at me."
Soccer-ball-sized fireball erupts from the man's hand!
The fireball flying toward the instructor explodes against an invisible wall!
Min-su could tell through mana flow that the man had used a weakened version of his ability.
The instructor had boasted, but he must've hesitated to go full power against a frail-looking middle-aged woman.
"...Didn't I say full power?"
The instructor still smiled with squinted eyes.
But an oppressive pressure emanated from her.
"S-Sorry! I'll do it again!"
Sweating profusely under her aura, the man prepared once more.
This time, the fireball in his hand was about 2 meters in diameter.
BOOM!
This fireball caused a massive explosion with a roar, unlike before.
But the blast and heat didn't reach the watching players.
"Oho. Quite a powerful flame ability?"
The instructor's invisible wall had swallowed the explosion whole.
She dismissed it casually without even dropping her roster.
"This puts you at around C-rank for now. But destructive power reaches B-rank. I recommend up to the 10th floor. Maybe 17th if you push, but forcing it is the worst thing in the Tower."
So this is A-rank...
Nothing compared to Rijette's black lightning, but still a formidable explosion.
And she blocked it effortlessly.
Stronger than she looks.
Impressive, even retired.
"Next... Player Kim Min-su. Please step forward."
Ah, already me?
Better than first, but second in line.
The plight of the Kims.
Min-su walked to the spot the man had stood.
His awakened ability was summoning, but he couldn't reveal the target was a god.
No problem, though.
He'd trained in handling [Darkness] for situations like this.
Min-su extended one hand forward, and [Darkness] gathered, manifesting a knight.
Recycling Duty Unit No. 3.
"Whoa, cool."
"Summoning a knight?"
The players marveled at the impressive heavy-armored knight.
Min-su's shoulders rose a bit.
They recognize it. Took so much effort to make this. The cape behind the armor was the hardest.
"Summoning ability?"
"Yes."
"Same as before. Attack with full power."
"Got it."
Full power.
Min-su ordered the knight to swing its sword at full strength.
Better not to hold back and get scolded.
He figured she'd block the knight's attack as easily as the fireball.
But
Rending the air!
The sword qi erupting from the knight's blade easily tore through the instructor's transparent wall.
"...Huh?"
The sword qi didn't stop, surging toward the instructor.
Artifact activates from her bosom, deploying a shield!
The shield protected the startled instructor from the incoming black sword qi.
The sword qi's momentum weakens and fades.
The remnants shatter into pieces.
As the sword qi vanished, the remaining shield shattered, plunging the surroundings into silence.
The girl watching the scene removed her headset.
"That's him, right."