The Second Apostle Candidate

I closed my eyes as a Constellation, then opened them to see the ceiling of a cramped one-room apartment.

"...Hah."

My body felt heavy. Come to think of it, I'd pushed through to the 5th floor in just twelve hours. My back and shoulders throbbed. Looking down at my thigh, I saw dried bloodstains clinging to my pants.

Jin So-yul pondered her options. She wanted to save it if she could, but leaving the wound untreated would only make it worse.

50 TP deducted from her balance, and a glass vial materialized in midair. Popping the cork released a bitter scent.

Gulp, gulp.

It tasted awful, but as she forced it down, her whole body began to itch. Fresh skin was regenerating in an instant.

Her assessment was simple: I really pushed too hard.

But there was no time for leisure. That's what the Tower was like.

Time for a shower...

Before the thought could settle, her body slid down the wall.

"Today... you really accomplished a lot. Floors 3, 4, and 5 in one day. The old me would've called it insane."

"...But Constellation, your messages... they're coming more frequently now. Has some kind of restriction been lifted?"

"Really? So now you can send messages without worry?"

"...That's a relief. Truly."

She shuffled to the bathroom and turned on the faucet. Splashing cold water on her face sharpened her foggy mind. Had her first day in the Tower felt like this, long ago? She couldn't quite remember.

After washing up and toweling off, she changed clothes and stepped outside. Seoul's night air brushed her skin. It was chaotic. Sirens wailed in the distance, and news tickers scrolled on building screens.

People stopped to stare at the screens or checked their smartphones.

"...They're quick."

That single message—the influence of the Constellation is reflected—would create massive ripples. She'd seen it once before, in the past.

"What the hell's a Constellation doing?"

"How should I know? Wanna see this? Someone who came out of the Tower said..."

"..."

Jin So-yul pulled up her hood and slipped through the crowd.

"Hey, something popped up in front of me earlier..."

"Huh? You too? I saw some blue text."

"Isn't that the Constellation thing?"

"Maybe?"

"..."

Snippets of conversation drifted by. Some people had already seen Constellation messages. For now, it was confusion over fear, but that would change soon.

When Constellations appeared, they began offering contracts. Randomly at first, then targeting Awakeners. Excitement for the chosen, refusals, doubts. And tragedies in between.

In the past, the chaos had lasted months.

Jin So-yul stopped at a convenience store, grabbing two triangle rice balls and a bottle of water. She bit into one—tuna mayo flavor.

Every time she emerged from the Tower, food tasted especially vivid. Maybe it was her body's way of confirming she was alive.

She turned into an alley and reached her one-room stairs. The rice balls were gone by then.

She unlocked the door, kicked off her shoes, and collapsed onto the bed. Staring at the ceiling.

Nine years. Nine years climbing alone.

There had been Constellations offering contracts, but she couldn't take their hands. She'd seen too many Apostles abandoned.

Now, Constellations would flood out, extending hands to people. Some sincere, perhaps. But in the end...

She closed her eyes.

Tomorrow, the world would truly change.

But Jin So-yul wasn't afraid. She had her Constellation from the start.

"Good night, Constellation."

"Good night, Constellation."

Confirming Jin So-yul had fallen asleep on the tablet, I leaned back against the wall.

That orange potion... a Recovery Potion, I guess. Watching her wounds heal was pretty fascinating.

Anyway, devouring two triangle rice balls meant she wasn't in immediate life-or-death danger.

"Good work."

I started to send an emotion message but stopped. No hobby of waking sleeping people.

"So, who to make my second Apostle."

Whether as a hunter or Apostle, or by my choices—Jin So-yul was S-rank. She needed a second Apostle worthy of her.

"Unlocks at 10th floor... so someone who can join from the 11th."

I opened the shop's info tab, but no helpful recommendations or candidate lists. Guess I have to find them myself.

I sighed and shook my head. Suddenly craving ramen. The kind I ate early on, cooped up in the bunker.

"Cheap. Should've bought it sooner."

4 CP had bugged me, but zero felt neat. And it came pre-cooked—flexible system.

Slurp.

The spicy ramen assaulted my taste buds. I slurped the broth dry before sighing.

"...Delicious."

Yeah, it was. Who knew a cup of instant ramen could make me feel alive.

I chuckled, digesting as I finished.

"Gotta do what needs doing."

Today's workout wasn't easy either.

How long did I sleep? A rustling from the tablet woke me.

"...Constellation, you up?"

Jin So-yul asked the ceiling. Habit, since she didn't know where I was.

"Good morning, Constellation. Oh! Do you sleep too?"

"Fascinating..."

Other Constellations? Who knows. But I'm basically human. No need to spill that red pill, though—I just chuckled softly.

She headed out, breathing morning air, stretching lightly. Grabbed a lunchbox from the convenience store and sat on a bench.

"The mood's a bit chaotic, as expected. It'll stay like this for three or four days."

"Government needs time to set policies. Once people start contracting, that's when it gets real."

She spoke calmly while opening the lunchbox.

"But for now, more importantly..."

Her gaze locked on someone across the street, shoulders shaking.

"Huh... that guy?"

I shifted the view along with her line of sight. Across the road, a plain-looking young man waited at the crosswalk.

"Kim Woo-jin. A future S-rank. Died on the 70th floor..."

"...I'll never forget his face. He died protecting his comrades in the 70th-floor boss fight."

Her voice trailed off. She steadied her expression.

"Kim Woo-jin has a little sister with an unknown illness. Modern medicine couldn't cure it... To buy an Elixir from the shop, he had to climb ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠the Tower. By the time he got back to her room, it was too late."

My heart grew heavy; I clicked my tongue. A classic webnovel backstory. But this was real life.

"Good candidate for second Apostle."

With proper support, things could change. S-rank potential plus Constellation backing—he'd make a solid party with Jin So-yul.

"This is an investment. No regrets."

Jin So-yul halted. She blinked, then nodded.

"Ah...! I'm fine, Constellation. Go ahead. I'll be repeating the 5th floor for about two days."

"Ah...! Sorry, Constellation."

She glanced around on the tablet, then sat on stairs in a quiet alley.

"Cleared floors can be re-entered anytime. Difficulty eases too."

"Clear reward is mana stones. Used for weapon enhancement, artifact crafting... and sellable at the shop."

"Ah, familiar setup."

"Prep for 6th floor plenty, then challenge to 10th. Boss only once..."

Only once?

"Constellation?"

"Ah, bosses only need defeating once?"

"No big deal. Bosses are placed per Tower—per country—every 10 floors, and one kill clears it for all?"

"Sorry... I should've mentioned it sooner."

No need to apologize. Communication limits affected us both equally.

"Anyway, Constellation."

"Are you thinking of making that guy—Kim Woo-jin—your Apostle?"

Sharp as ever. If my first Apostle had been someone else... No point dwelling. Communication issues would've caused problems by now, probably.

"Then... sounds like a good choice. His sister's everything to him. He climbs for the Elixir."

Rephrased: Help him get the Elixir, and he'll follow through anything.

"Huh?"

"...Don't worry?"

"Yeah, I trust you, Constellation."

"Still... don't push yourself. Don't you need rest too?"

An Apostle telling her Constellation to rest? It fit... sort of. But it felt off somehow.

The free observation icon blinked on one side of the tablet.

"See you, Constellation."

I shifted from Jin So-yul's view. Activating free observation switched the tablet screen.

Name: Kim Woo-jin. Confirmed Jin So-yul's info.

He entered a large hospital, plastic bag in one hand, smartphone in the other. Search history visible on the screen.

Passed the lobby, took the elevator to the 6th floor. His steps through the ward corridor looked familiar. Not his first or second visit.

He stopped at a room door. No hesitation opening it.

"Oppa!"

A girl's voice from inside. Around eleven or twelve. Pale face, IV in her arm.

Kim Woo-jin pulled jelly from the bag.

"Not hurting today?"

"Nope, feeling okay. But oppa, you look awful."

"Didn't sleep."

"Liar! You worked all night, didn't you...?"

"Busted."

"So stop worrying about me and sleep."

"Got it, got it."

Utterly ordinary sibling banter. But her occasional coughs made his hands tremble.

"...For now, just watch."

Free observation lasted 24 hours. Plenty of time to decide.

Second Apostle. Potential vouched by Jin So-yul, desperate drive to save his sister.

Different from impulsively aiding Jin So-yul. That was instinct. This was choice.