Jin Bora's Season of Trials

Once again, I found myself seated on the office sofa, deep in conversation.

All because of the two women who'd come from a brand-new guild. We barely had enough members to scrape together coin income as it was, and now my guild members were falling over themselves to jump ship.

Feeling sorry for Celebrity was nothing more than a natural biological response.

I studied Jin Bora, who sat across from me with perfect posture and a practiced smile. She swept her purple bangs to one side. Elegant, polished — you could tell at a glance she'd never wanted for anything growing up. So what exactly did she need that made her want to join Slave?

Knowing her circumstances was one thing. Getting her signature on the contract was another matter entirely.

I deliberately stalled, letting the silence stretch until she started to fidget. She clearly wanted into Celebrity not tomorrow, but right now.

"So, what do you think of my proposal?"

Jin Bora declared it with total confidence. Anyone walking in would have assumed I was the one applying to her guild. From start to finish she'd taken an equal footing with me — no, if anything, one rung above. Which probably explained why her proposal looked the way it did.

"To summarize Jin Bora's position: you'll film an equipment promotional video, but no livestreams. No durability testing either. You will never disclose any identifying details about yourself. In exchange, you join the guild. Is that correct?"

"Yes."

Jin Bora answered simply.

Aside from finding it absurd, I couldn't help but be impressed by how boldly she carried herself. ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠What did she think she had going for her, to act like this? It had to be the same 'disgusting misconception' about slaves that Lee Haerin had. Birds of a feather, huh.

"I appreciate the offer to participate in the promotional video first. However, I cannot accept Jin Bora's terms. Our primary revenue stream comes from livestream donations."

I held her gaze for a moment. By now she'd gone so far as to sit with her legs crossed. I let out a small sigh and spoke.

"Hmm. Our Slave guild isn't exactly starving for members — not desperate enough to accept a proposal like this. Even right now, there are plenty of climbers who want to join my guild."

Jin Bora, having apparently anticipated this too, pressed on without missing a beat.

"As I understand it, Slave is aiming for the number one ranking."

"That's correct."

"And you think you can manage that with nothing but 3-Star climbers?"

I nodded as if to say, exactly.

"Most of the current 3-Star and 4-Star climbers already belong to the top guilds. The ones sending join requests to you, Shin Gaon, would be newly awakened climbers without a guild yet, or lone partymembers without one. Am I wrong?"

"Correct. Honestly, yes — that's what I said, but there are only a handful of parties. Enough to climb the rankings, sure, but we won't break into the top ten."

Every existing solo party and rookie climber out there was already being funneled into my guild. But even so, the numbers paled next to the major guilds.

Below the top ten, it's all small and mid-sized guilds riding on raw combat power, and above that line the elite climbers cluster together, which makes it brutally difficult. 5-Stars anchoring the core doesn't hurt either. Still, aside from the Church and Hwaryeon, none of it really mattered to me.

"If you'd looked at my equipment, you'd know. A 3-Star with a full set becomes nearly equal to a 5-Star climber."

"That's true."

"And as my guild grows, people will come on their own. To a 6-Star blacksmith. They're gambling their lives on every climb — shouldn't they at least wear the best gear they can get? Star rating alone has a ceiling."

Even Jin Bora nodded reluctantly at that. She was, after all, the one proposing negotiations because she needed my equipment herself.

"Therefore, I cannot accept your proposal. Let's meet again next week. Hopefully by then we can keep things civil."

I ended the conversation as though it weren't worth another minute of my time. But she wasn't the type to fold this easily. She had to have something prepared.

"No matter how meager a 3-Star's abilities are, their raw combat power isn't something you can ignore."

Jin Bora said.

"Yes, I'm well aware. Which is why I'm grateful a climber like Lee Haerin came along."

"Aiming for rank one — that means clearing the scenario, as I hear it."

"Correct."

I extended a hand, inviting her to get to the point.

"By my understanding, no amount of full sets on 3-Star climbers gets you through the 10th floor scenario. Even the 6-Star climber Saintess and the Flame failed it, and they've been sitting on their hands ever since. Even if more 4-Stars joined us besides... Lee Haerin, it would still be a struggle."

Guild rankings depend not just on total combat power, but on ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠guild achievements, which carry even more weight. Scenarios are written by all climbers together, a story composed in unison. That's why Enigma — a guild built primarily of 3-Stars — sits at rank seven. It means they came closest to the true ending of the 10th floor scenario.

"And that still sounds very different from accepting your proposal."

"Yes. But I have something. If you hear this, you'll have to grant my proposal. No conditions."

"And that is?"

Jin Bora leaned back against her chair with a triumphant air.

"I know the ending of the 10th floor scenario."

"Oh..."

It was certainly tempting bait. Information that the Church and Hwaryeon alike would have to welcome her like royalty to get their hands on. But I'd played the Great Tower Law for over ten thousand hours. I didn't know Jin Bora's backstory for nothing — the character who only exists in the early game.

"Not needed."

"...I'm sorry?"

For the first time since she'd walked in, Jin Bora's eyes went wide with shock.

"I don't need that information. The 10th floor scenario ending? The route to reach it? I know all of it. And I know the 20th floor scenario too."

Jin Bora blinked, her brain apparently still processing what she'd just heard.

"If that's the extent of your information, I can't put you in my guild. Ah — well, not necessarily. All you'd have to do is sign the contract promising to fulfill the same obligations as my guild members."

Contracts notarized by the Tower carry binding supernatural force. Break one, and you're dragged straight down to the Tower's underlevels that very instant.

And the information Jin Bora possessed, she'd heard from a member of Enigma. From her boyfriend, no doubt — the one whose sentences were endlessly prefaced with "I" this and "I" that.

Jin Bora was pretty, yes, among 4-Star climbers. But 5-Star tier or above? That was a stretch.

Stars only consort with their own kind — that saying runs through the very marrow of climber society.

In any case, negotiating with me using information was practically suicide.

"Don't lie to me."

Jin Bora's eyes flashed. Scary, honestly. Her hands were balled into fists. I couldn't even gauge how furious she was.

"Why is that so hard to believe?"

I asked, playing it breezy.

Jin Bora let out a hollow laugh, recrossed her legs the other way, and folded her arms.

"Shin Gaon. How long has it been since you awakened?"

"Hmm... about three days, I'd say."

"Three days. And in three days, how exactly does one come to know scenario information? None of this has ever been revealed on climber broadcasts or videos."

From the 10th floor onward, you could call it a war of information. Climb-gall users — ordinary civilians — know only a sliver of each floor's scenario. The prologue, essentially. And the big guilds rob their viewers of entertainment under the flimsy excuse that they can't share intel with rival guilds. Truly disgusting behavior.

Our Slave would never do such a thing.

"But here's the thing. Jin Bora — does it actually matter to you whether I know it or not?"

"Excuse me?"

Jin Bora faltered.

I ignored her and kept going.

"Why do you want into our guild so badly? Setting aside everything you proposed — did you really have to bring up the 10th floor scenario ending on top of it? For all your showing off, it looks to me like you're desperate to get into Slave by any ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠means necessary."

"Th... that's..."

Jin Bora bounced her leg and bit her lip.

Celebrity had served its purpose — time to cut it loose. If she was going to climb under our guild's name anyway, it made sense to actually belong to it. But coming out swinging this shamelessly was something new. Had watching Lee Haerin succeed really rankled her that much?

I was just rising from my seat to show her out when—

"Fine! Then show me proof."

"Proof of what?"

Jin Bora shot back.

"That you know the 10th floor scenario ending. If you do, you can tell me. I know it too, so we could cross-reference and see whether yours checks out."

"Is that really necessary?"

"Ha. Unbelievable. Turns out you were just a con artist all along."

She'd graduated to outright calling me a fraud now.

I shook my head and answered, resigned.

"If you're that curious about my information, I'll show you."

"...Show me what?"

Jin Bora glared at me fiercely.

"Open Lee Haerin's stream right now. She should be climbing the 2nd floor about now."

The instant I said it, Jin Bora's face curdled. She really couldn't stand Lee Haerin. I gestured for her to open it already.

"I'll show you something fascinating — that the tutorial section is still stuffed to the brim with hidden information."

Jin Bora licked her lips, and in the end, opened Lee Haerin's stream.

Lee Haerin turned on the stream and nodded to herself, ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠satisfied with her settings. It was nothing elaborate. She'd raised the chat coin cap to two hundred thousand won, expanded the adult broadcast and mosaic options — so that if her gear's durability ran out and something tore, that spot would get mosaic-censored automatically.

Apparently showing her face fully and everything down below was still too embarrassing for her.

"Hi."

Lee Haerin gave a single flat wave, her expression as stoic as ever.

"Dance? I've never danced once in my life. What are you on about."

Lee Haerin brushed it off awkwardly. The viewers let it slide with a chorus of 'yeah yeah.' Squinting at the chat window through half-lidded eyes, she got straight into it.

"Finishing the tutorial today, then meeting the Tower Gatekeeper."

"Quiet."

Lee Haerin hushed them. Truthfully, she hadn't even read that last message.

"Our guild master taught me something amazing today, you see."

"Watch and see."

With that, Lee Haerin drew her dagger and stepped into the cave on the 2nd floor.