Chapter 5
Chapter 5
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 5
Chapter Title: Extreme Concept Zealot
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┕ What the hell is this guy? He disappears for a couple days and suddenly starts Challenge Tower climbs? Is this an impersonator?
┕ Whoa, but what's with the F-rank?? What did he do to get F-rank on floor 1 lololol
The comments poured in the moment I posted.
Stuff like why he'd skipped posting daily for two days, or how they'd thought he was dead.
Or what sudden change of heart made him start Challenge Tower climbs.
Or that they'd never seen an F-rank on floor 1 before.
The reactions were explosive.
Half the comments asked what change of heart prompted this, while the other half demanded to know what kind of screw-up gets you F-rank on floor 1.
Well, yeah. In this day and age, no hunter gets F-rank on Challenge Tower floor 1.
My clear time and attempt count weren't shown in the screenshot, so to everyone else, it must've looked like some inexplicable record.
┕ But isn't this guy planning to camp out on Challenge Tower floor 1 this time? Like how he grinded Tutorial Tower floor 1 forever.
Hmm. How'd they figure that out?
Though to be fair, I wasn't planning to hole up for 1,000 days this time.
Once I leveled Thunder up enough to snag S-rank on the next floor, I'd call it quits.
┕ Iron Fist: Welcome back! I was worried something happened. Looks like you've started Challenge Tower climbs. If you need any help, feel free to leave a note on my guestbook anytime.
"This guy's commenting again... Help, huh?"
The offer tempted me for a second, but I shook my head.
Why trust some random stranger? What if they're dangerous?
The old me might've grabbed onto any lifeline like that without knowing if it was rotten or not, but not anymore.
I've got a sure path now.
I appreciated the thought but didn't reply.
Not to Iron Fist, not to anyone.
I'd never replied before, and I wasn't about to start now.
Gotta stick to the concept.
By evening, when I checked back, my proof post had hit the featured section.
Lots of shocked reactions wondering how anyone scores F-rank on Challenge Tower floor 1.
It spread, and other galleries dug up my old posts, writing about how I was the mad concept zealot who'd grinded Trial Tower for 1,000 days straight.
Not just the Tower Climbing Gallery for hunters—my story hit general public communities too.
I had too much to do to pay it much mind.
And it wasn't exactly positive fame.
Back then, it was mostly "what's with this crazy bastard?" reactions.
At least until then.
Among all the towers, the Trial Tower—the very first one—is special.
Unlimited daily entries, infinite monster respawns, and above all, it's the only tower normal non-awakened people can enter.
It's the only tower with a physical door.
A plain automatic door even non-awakened civilians can use.
But it only leads to floor 0.
Floor 0 is called the tower's 'office,' and for good reason—it's literally an office space.
Dozens of computers and desks, a break room, bathrooms, water cooler—the works for getting work done.
The computers display real-time Korean records of thousands of Korean hunters' tower climbs.
No electrical connections, yet the tower's computers sync with global networks.
Detailed logs of when hunters entered which tower floor and their clear times.
Get the picture? This mysterious tower oddly provides convenience to humans.
"Curious about your country's tower progress? Too hard to track down every hunter? Use this computer."
That's the vibe.
Figuring out its intent, most countries set up Hunter Departments and stationed civil servants on Trial Tower floor 0.
Korea was no exception.
Civil servants work inside the Trial Tower.
"—Hmm?"
A woman in a suit tilted her head at her monitor. Park Min-ah was a fresh-faced civil servant, newly assigned to the Hunter Department after passing last year's grade 7 exam.
Tasked with checking newbie hunter records, she was reviewing Challenge Tower floor 1 clears.
Then she spotted a bizarre one.
"F-rank on floor 1? People still do that?"
In the modern hunter era, Challenge Tower strategies are common knowledge, skills are categorized and well-documented.
No F-ranks on floor 10 or below for years now.
Lowest was D-rank, and only for the ultra-cautious scaredy-cats.
Most prep thoroughly for max first-clear rewards, aiming for B- to C-rank.
Yet Hunter #3026 got F-rank on floor 1.
The recent Challenge Tower floor 1 clearer.
No floor 2 attempts yet.
"What? What's up?"
"Oh, sunbae."
As Min-ah dug into #3026's record, her mentor approached.
Peering at the screen, his eyes widened.
"Whoa, F-rank? Did some 80-year-old grandpa wander in?"
"Nah, no way. Towers don't pick elders to begin with."
"True... Still, wild. F-rank on floor 1 these days."
To be chosen by the tower—to awaken—requires certain conditions.
Similar to military service physicals.
First: healthy body and age.
No cases over 60. First-gen hunters topped out at 40s.
Recent awakenings mostly early 20s.
Frail bodies, terminal illnesses? Out.
Even healthy bodies with mental disabilities or low IQ? Out too.
Brain health counts as physical health.
Towers select based on physical fitness.
Second: no criminal record.
In over 20 years since towers appeared, zero convicts awakened.
Even lawless zone folks—even hardcore murderers without records—couldn't awaken.
'Prevent those with powers from sowing chaos.'
Seemed like the towers judged it that way.
Like the military rejecting convicts for discipline risks, towers don't pick troublemakers.
Just like Korea's draft exams.
Unlike military, towers take women too... but they don't invite just anyone.
These findings changed humanity.
For the better.
Parents prioritized sports and manners over cram schools, fearing kids wouldn't awaken.
Global crime rates plummeted—don't risk it for a shot at hunter status.
Selfish motives for the top job, sure... but undeniable progress.
The civil servants checking #3026's history had questions.
"Hmm, this #3026... challenged floor 1 years ago too?"
"Yeah. Three years back, dozens of fails before finally clearing recently."
"That's why the first record just popped up. Huh."
Tower computers only log after Challenge Tower floor 1 clear.
Towers consider that the true start.
Trial Tower climbs leave no records.
Tutorials don't count as real climbs.
Only post-floor 1 do you get a hunter number and logs.
"F-rank on floor 1 hasn't happened in Korea for like 10 years, right? Heard that before joining."
"Yeah, officially... but."
Mentor Jo Jin-su hesitated.
Min-ah knew that look—he was itching to spill.
"What? Someone else?"
"Hmm... Should I say?"
"Spill it. Office is empty except us."
"Aigoo, tricky. Promise not to tell?"
Saying that, Jin-su couldn't hide his grin.
Min-ah knew he turned one tidbit into three—she'd heard enough.
He glanced around dramatically, then whispered.
"Han Su-ho got F-rank on floor 1."
"What? The Han Su-ho I know?"
"Yup. Korea's rank 1."
"No way... Never heard that."
"His records are top-secret. Even hunter communities just rumored it."
Top-rankers' logs are private, even in Hunter Department—only top brass access.
Vital national assets.
Especially rank 1 Han Su-ho—all his climbs classified.
"He's rank 1 but only started climbing recently, right? Rose fast. When I was new, he was too. Managed his records back then."
Han Su-ho failed floor 1 dozens of times over months before clearing.
Then rocketed up the next day to rank 1.
For someone who'd hesitated to talk, Jin-su was yapping excitedly.
"But why? Didn't he get S-grade first skill? How F-rank..."
"Dunno. Not his manager."
"Hmm. Wild that rank 1 struggled on floor 1."
"Right? Would sell big as news... but brass said zip."
Loving Min-ah's shock, Jin-su smirked over his coffee.
Intrigued by Han Su-ho's secret, Min-ah refocused on screen.
"So is #3026 like him? Future rank 1 material?"
"Nah. Han Su-ho's unique worldwide. Look—#3026's clear time. Decent, not blazing. Han's was world record."
"True..."
"Don't overthink a newbie. Weird, sure, but that's it."
Jin-su shrugged back to his desk, but Min-ah kept eyeing #3026.
Not expecting much—just satisfying curiosity.
What was #3026 doing now?
Checking recent week... Huh? She turned.
"What the? Why keep repeating floor 1?"
Post-clear, #3026 looped floor 1 endlessly.
Pointless. No repeat rewards on floor 1.
"Why no floor 2? Should be leveled enough to try... Huh?"
If you're awakening just to grind like that, give it to me instead.
Grumbling inwardly, more weird data popped in details.
'Clear times keep dropping?'
First clear levels you up, sure.
But #3026's kept shortening after day 1.
Despite no more EXP from floor 1.
Level static.
Times plummeting visibly.
'And yesterday's...'
Shorter than Han Su-ho's world-record first clear.
No repeat records count, but...
"...Might watch a bit longer."
Min-ah decided to monitor weird hunter #3026.
"Chit-chit-chiiiik!"
Ramju Thunder's Tail Strike!
Ramju Thunder defeated 10 Grunt Goblins, gaining 100 EXP.
Another Challenge Tower floor 1 clear with Thunder today.
How many repeats now?
Goblin packs down in under 2 minutes.
Enter, whoosh-crash! Done.
Ramju Thunder hit level 8, stats up accordingly.
Goblins one-shot, tanks ten in a row no sweat.
Hunting wasn't the issue anymore.
Days since Thunder last leveled.
Flew to 5 fast, then EXP needs exploded.
7 to 8 took over a week.
9'll take ages.
Floor 1 grinding too inefficient now.
Stuck in starter village forever means no real gains.
I knew, but grinded for sure S-rank next floor... time to move.
Overdue, even.
"Thunder, tomorrow we hit floor 2."
"Chit!"