Nottet Tower Has Become a Magic Tower
A story I heard from my parents when I was little. They said South Korea had become the home base of one of the world's seven great Magic Towers, and people were terrified, calling it the harbinger of disaster. My parents became devout believers from that day on, saying unbelievable things were happening in the world. Back then, I really thought the world was ending.
But fifteen years later? Shockingly, that Magic Tower had turned South Korea into a superpower. About five years ago, superhumans called awakeners started appearing all over Seoul, boosting the nation's power to absurd levels. We called them hunters. Sure, other countries had hunters too, but their numbers were negligible compared to Korea's. Scientists figured it had something to do with population density near the Magic Tower.
Hunters were exported overseas, raking in insane foreign currency, and hunters from other countries flocked to Korea to see the world's best. Korea became the center of global exchange. History books say Korea survived sandwiched between great powers by freeloading off them. Yeah... it was a damn good turn of events.
Of course, it would've been even better if my life had skyrocketed along with the country's power. But nothing dramatic happened to me, Kang Deok-su.
Did I fail to awaken? Hell no. Shockingly, I beat the odds—3.7% in Korea, 0.4% worldwide—and awakened. I still remember that day clearly. It was a year ago.
⋯
"Whoa!!"
The telltale sign of awakening, they say. You lie in bed for days with a high fever, then suddenly feel power surging through your recovered body. Spot on.
Crack!
After days of being bedridden, I got up that morning to head to work and accidentally shattered the bathroom door handle. And this euphoric rush in my body.
"F-fuck! Did I just awaken?"
People call awakeners blessed. They gain superhuman powers beyond normal humans, enter the Magic Tower, hunt monsters, sell mana stones to get rich, or live lives of luxury with their skills.
"St-status window!"
The easiest way to check if you've awakened? Open your status window. A small, translucent holographic screen popped up in front of my eyes.
Name: Kang Deok-su | Level: 1
"Whoaaa!"
A real status window! "Inventory!"
Inventory
Empty
An inventory for storing and retrieving items in subspace! But more important than inventory or status were skills. Your starting skill determines a hunter's value.
"Skill window!"
Half-excited, half-nervous, I shouted. A screen appeared.
0/1
"Huh?"
"No skills?"
The skill slots were empty. Rumors said you get one skill right away upon awakening. Its rank determines your hunter rank—a crucial ability.
"Is there a delay or something?"
At first, I thought it was a glitch. Systems bug out sometimes, right? Anxious, I checked a community forum I frequented.
A bit later, replies poured in.
'What the hell?'
"It'll probably show up later."
Anxiety hit hard, but I chalked it up to a bug and went to work. After a few days, certainty set in.
"Fuck..."
It was a bug. A permanent one. I toggled the skill window obsessively like a maniac.
0/1
On...
"..."
Off. But it stayed 0/1.
If you're gonna do this, don't awaken me at all...
Good days and bad. No info on cases like mine anywhere. I was the world's only skill-less awakener.
A year later, I was too embarrassed to tell anyone I awakened. The first question was always, "Oh! What's your skill rank?"
Normal folks register at the Hunter Association, get certified, and enter the tower. But me, skill-less? I'd probably invent the F-rank. Better to stay a half-assed awakener, ignored by real hunters, than that. Or so I judged.
Sigh... I'd accepted it. Though I still had the tic of toggling the skill window.
Bottom line: my life didn't change. Same old routine at the company. And the asshole boss.
"Hey, you little shit! You gonna keep fucking up these reports?"
He stood there, veins bulging, pissed at my morning planning report.
"Because of punks like you, the whole team's suffering!"
I work at a hunter management firm. A little data error, and he flips. How the hell am I supposed to log constantly changing data perfectly every day?
"Sigh..."
"You just sighed, didn't you?"
The deputy manager stared like I was insane.
"No, sir. Sorry. I'll revise the report and submit by end of day."
Yeah, whatever. If he says revise, I revise. What else can I do? Quitting hurts only me when I got no other skills.
All I could do: endure like a cockroach to the bitter end. My one strength.
Whoosh...
The company doors slid open, and a muscular guy with an intimidating aura walked in.
"Mr. Tae-su! Good morning!"
The asshole who'd been yelling at me moments ago wagged his tail and scurried over.
"The usual."
The musclehead replied curtly and headed to his office.
S-rank hunter Joo Tae-su. The hunter our team manages. Out of 1.5 million awakeners in Korea, only 14 S-ranks. Half work abroad, making them rarer than celebrities. National icons of envy and respect.
What if I awakened, opened my skill window, and it was S-rank? Wake up one day as the world's revered S-rank hunter? I'd slap that asshole's face first thing.
I eyed the boss approaching me, thinking, What'd I do now? Too lazy to come over himself, he beckoned.
"Kang Deok-su! Come here."
I'm not your dog.
"Yes, Deputy!"
I bellowed back and followed him to the break room.
⋯
"Do me a favor."
He wanted me to tag along tomorrow for Joo Tae-su's Korean Magic Tower 50th-floor raid. Normally, mining and data teams follow for new floors. One data spot opened up, so fill in.
"Isn't it dangerous?"
Even for a boss's order, ask the important stuff. How many hunters die climbing the tower?
"Nah~ From what I heard, the hunter handles all monsters. Just wait in the lobby, measure mana after clear, done. Easy, right?"
The deputy flashed a rare kind smile.
"What if it fails?"
He scowled at "fail."
"Fail? Cleared 49 floors smooth. No way. Don't jinx it."
Then go yourself, baldy.
Fail means trapped till dungeon closes—you vanish too. Or shredded by monsters. They even write wills beforehand.
"Still, you'll pocket hundreds of thousands easy?"
He made an OK sign temptingly.
Hmm...
Any idiot risking life for cash?
"I'll go."
Here he was. Loans left to pay.
With Joo Tae-su, what could go wrong?
Next day, I skipped work and headed to the Magic Tower—formerly Nottet Tower. Awakeners swarmed it. Mostly entering floor 1. They repeat it, mining mana stones for a living. Insanely, that nets eight-figure salaries.
Should've been me...
Fast clear, mine mana—max 3 hours. Insane work-life balance.
Early arrival, mining team and data team showed up one by one.
"What's with all the baggage?"
A friendly-looking uncle with a pickaxe eyed my stuffed backpack. Everyone else had just pickaxes.
"Snacks, drinks... Heard raids take time."
"There's a separate provisions team. Didn't you know?"
"Oh, really?"
Deputy gave zero info. Fucking prick.
"First time at the tower?"
"Yeah... Not too dangerous, right?"
I said worriedly. His lip curled.
"Monsters pop sometimes, but dodge 'em fine."
"Monsters appear?!"
"Hahaha! Kidding. Done this two years, never seen one. Hunter clears 'em all—what's the risk?"
"Haha... Right."
This uncle jokes with lives...
"Name?"
"Deok-su. Kang Deok-su."
"Our neighbor dog's named Deok-su too! Cute name."
Cute for a dog...
"I'm Yong Du-cheol! Nice to meetcha!"
Chatting with the subtly annoying uncle, Joo Tae-su strode from afar.
"It's Joo Tae-su!"
Waiting reporters mobbed him.
"Hunter Joo Tae-su! First in the world to challenge Korea's Magic Tower floor 50—your thoughts?"
"China and Middle East watching closely—what's your success odds?"
"..."
Joo Tae-su ignored them stone-faced.
S-rank's full celeb mode.
He brushed off flashes, planted his thick legs at the gate, stared silently, then slipped in alone. So cool.
Teams scrambled after. I dawdled; Yong Du-cheol called.
"What're you doing? Hurry in!"
"Huh? Oh!"
Time limit maybe... Gotta see once.
Hummm...
Entering the gate, a vibration hummed in my ears.
You have entered the Magic Tower's 50th floor.
Time Limit: 2 hours 59 minutes
'3 hours...'
We entered a cavern. Eerie wind and chill prickled my skin as my body adjusted.
"Uh... Uncle Du-cheol?"
So dark.
"Du-cheol. What's up?"
"What now? No monsters for real, right?"
"Haha, kid's all nerves... See that wavy door over there?"
He pointed. A faint ripple shimmered.
"Y-yeah."
"Stay this side, no monsters. Sit a few hours; he'll be back soon."
"Already started?"
"Right away. Raid has time limit."
"Ah..."
An hour in, I got antsy.
Time Limit: 1 hour 59 minutes
"Uncle... we good?"
"Only an hour passed—why panic? If no return in another hour, I'll drag him out!"
Another hour...
Time Limit: 59 minutes 52 seconds
"We're fucked, right?"
"Hm. Rare, but maybe 5-hour limit. Wait easy."
Sorry, I'm tracking it. Status showed real-time countdown. Bad vibes.
Time ticked...
Time Limit: 29 minutes 48 seconds
Wait...
Time Limit: 9 minutes 11 seconds
"We're fucked!"
I yelled. A guy nearby said,
"Wait a bit more. 50th floor must have longer limit."
"W-wait!"
About 20 people stared.
"If limit's 3 hours and 9 minutes left—what happens?"
"What're you..."
The guy trailed off; a woman answered,
"Everyone dies, duh."
"Fuck!"
I bolted through the pulsing portal into the cavern.
Deputy... that fucking baldy... Knew it. My short life's ending because of him.
"Huff... huff."
Had to see what happened inside. I sprinted.
Maze-like, rooms with four doors— one open per Joo Tae-su's path: east, north, north, west. Five minutes in, a massive door loomed, five times my height.
Boss room!
Ajar—someone entered.
"Joo Tae-su!!"
I squeezed through.
First sight: bull-headed boss monster.
Minotaur?
Fucking huge! 3 meters tall, muscles bursting.
"Grrr! Another lowly human enters!"
Joo Tae-su... where?
No sign of him—just chunks of flesh that might've been him.
"N-no way?"
"Hahaha! His comrade? He charged boldly, ended like that. Strong one, though."
"Wh-what..."
Whatever happened, Joo Tae-su was mangled beyond recognition. But something off. From the chunks—a faint glow.
What's that?
I approached. Up close, a notification popped.
Transfer the skill?
What?