A New Standard
“Regarding the astonishing feats of the newly emerged Awakener in the Republic of Korea, the analysis team at the Department of Awakened Affairs has engaged in exhaustive deliberations.”
So began the televised press conference of Marcus Hale, Director of the United States DAA.
The core of his address centered on the Awakener hailed across South Korea as ‘EX-jwa’—the enigmatic figure cataloged only as ‘???’ in the global database. His track record was nothing short of miraculous: conquering the Tower of Despair up to the fifteenth floor without ever letting a single run exceed thirty seconds, followed by the solo subjugation of an A-rank dungeon—a catastrophic rift virtually on par with an S-rank—at a mere level 16.
The sudden, unilateral decree from the United States DAA sent shockwaves reverberating across the globe.
“Huh?! An EX-rank? That never even existed before, did it?!”
“Out of nowhere?!”
“Wait… isn't that a massive overstatement?!”
The incredulity of Awakeners and ordinary citizens alike was only the tip of the iceberg. Almost immediately, diplomatic backlash erupted from world powers, spearheaded by China and Japan.
Within hours, an international firestorm was blazing. The question on everyone's mind was how Washington would respond to the fury of its global rivals.
“A new era demands new standards. The Department of Awakened Affairs places unwavering trust in our analytical findings, and we state unequivocally that our decision remains immutable.”
It was an uncharacteristically combative posture from the Americans, leaving observers everywhere thoroughly bewildered. South Korean online communities, naturally, exploded in real time.
Presently, the nation wielding the greatest geopolitical clout in the awakened sphere was China, home to the Heavenly Emperor, Luo Qin. While the United States had never formally bowed its head to Beijing, anyone paying attention to international negotiations and subtle diplomatic posturing could see the truth: America was lagging behind. The reason for that deficit was singularly personified in Luo Qin.
1st: Luo Qin (China) / Challenging Floor 67
2nd: Cedric Wainwright (United Kingdom) / Challenging Floor 63
3rd: Ethan Caine (United States) / Challenging Floor 62
· · ·
On paper, the gap between China and the United States was a mere two ranks. In reality, experts widely acknowledged that combining the second through fifth rankers in the world wouldn't equal Luo Qin's individual combat efficacy. For years, every major nation had tiptoed around Beijing's whims. Yet now, the Americans were openly throwing down the gauntlet.
An S-rank Awakener was a strategic weapon capable of single-handedly deterring military conflicts. But an EX-rank standing above even the S-rank threshold? While technically still an unverified assertion pushed by the DAA, the majority of the public knew in their bones that the claim was far from baseless.
Honestly speaking, they're not wrong fr. Leaving everything else aside, look at the speedrun records EX-jwa has broken. That's definitely not S-rank territory lmao. Even Luo Qin was crowned 'transcending S-rank,' and this guy is tearing Luo Qin's speed records to shreds.
The US is laying the groundwork ahead of time. Everyone knows China despises EX-jwa, so there's zero chance he defects to Beijing. So America is basically waving a giant neon sign saying, 'We acknowledge your true worth, bro, come to us' lolol
Within mere hours of the DAA's announcement, the global community had been turned completely upside down. And sitting in his modest room, the man at the center of the storm was watching it all unfold in real time.
Kim Haun had heard snippets of the news during his shift at the convenience store, and after clocking out, he had spent the evening glued to his phone, browsing the forums with mild disbelief.
“Uh… wow. Am I really that big of a deal? It doesn't quite feel real…”
Kim Haun, twenty-three years old. Until very recently, he had been just another ordinary convenience store clerk dreaming of awakening. Now, he was an anomalous EX-rank Awakener pursued by the wrath of China and courted with open reverence by the United States.
“Damn… this is insane. Absolutely insane.”
He leaned back in his chair with a grin. But then a sudden, practical thought crossed his mind.
Wait a second. Those Americans… they don't even know who I am.
Has EX-jwa's identity even leaked once? Everyone knows the rumors: China has been scouring the earth looking for him, but they haven't caught so much as his shadow.
Haun chuckled as he read the comments. The internet commentators were spot on. The Americans had put on a grand public spectacle, but they had no tangible way of actually establishing contact with him.
Or so he thought, right until a crystalline chime rang out in the air before him.
Auction Concluded.
A message has arrived from the winning bidder.
[Skill: Shadow Merchant] / [Listing: Fire Dragon's Breath]
“Oh?”
The skill Shadow Merchant allowed its user to conduct completely anonymous transactions on the global Arcana Market. Its primary feature, as stated explicitly in the skill description, was the absolute guarantee of the seller's privacy. To put its defensive caliber into perspective:
Skill: 'Shadow Merchant' has preemptively intercepted and neutralized a tracking attempt.
Target Origin: Liu Wei (China)
Even China's premier S-rank detection specialist had failed to pierce its veil. However, that didn't mean two-way communication was entirely impossible. An anonymous merchant wasn't a swindler; the system permitted a single private inquiry channel between the seller and the final winning bidder of an auction.
Curious, Haun tapped the interface and opened the attached message.
“Huh…” Haun muttered, his eyes narrowing slightly. “It's America.”
They had spotted his listing on the auction house, deduced the timing, and bought it out just to open a direct line of communication. And the price tag they paid to do it?
Haun stared at the number on his screen. Then he blinked, leaned in, and started counting the zeroes with his index finger.
“Holy crap.”
One, two, three… nine zeroes. One point five billion won. Thirty thousand mana stones.
“They burned that much money on a single skillbook?”
Sure, Fire Dragon's Breath was a potent tier-1 flame skill, but market price for something like that hovered around two or three hundred million won at most. Selling it for 1.5 billion was utterly absurd.
Well, thank you very much, Uncle Sam.
He wasn't foolish enough to think they actually cared about the skillbook. Just like the Red Stream Spear auction where various international syndicates, Korean guilds, and Chinese factions had bid frantically against each other, the high price here was purely a bribe—an expensive envelope used solely to deliver a letter.
“The empire of capital really hits different…”
Dropping 1.5 billion won on a whim just to say hello. If he actually accepted the offer and flew over, what kind of numbers would they put on the table? It was an intriguing thought, but Haun discarded it almost immediately.
There's really no reason for me to tie myself down to any organization.
He was already living comfortably, reaping immense benefits from simultaneously scaling two different towers on his own schedule. Why trade that freedom away? And to go all the way to the United States, of all places? That sounded like a colossal headache.
Kim Haun was born and raised in Korea. While he didn't consider himself a blind patriot, there was simply no motive to pack his bags and relocate to a foreign nation. He had no grand ambitions for political influence, and most crucially of all…
“English? Ugh… just thinking about it gives me a migraine.”
His English vocabulary topped out at ‘A is for Apple.’ He had zero confidence in his ability to study a new language, and navigating daily life in America under those conditions sounded like a nightmare. Thus, his conclusion was simple.
“I'll make very good use of these thirty thousand mana stones. Much obliged.”
He filed the DAA's offer away in the back of his mind. Perhaps somewhere down the road their paths might cross under different circumstances, but certainly not today.
“Right now, the only thing on my mind is climbing the towers.”
His sole drive was scaling both the Tower of Despair and the Tower of Transcendence. To do that, he needed raw stats and enhanced capabilities. Clearing the Tower of Despair was currently progressing smoothly, but he wanted to maintain his perfect EX-grade clear record all the way to the top.
“And the Americans just gave me a massive sponsorship package.”
Thirty thousand mana stones resting inside his inventory made his pockets feel extraordinarily heavy. Was this how the ultra-wealthy felt every day? If he converted this fortune into high-grade elixirs and skill scrolls to bolster his foundations, breezing through the lower floors of the Tower of Despair would be child's play. Floor 20 would fall in no time.
Though right now, I'm far more curious about the Tower of Transcendence.
He recalled what Senior Merlin had told him about the fifth floor. While Floor 4 had tempered the physical vessel, Floor 5 was designed to refine one's internal reserves—specifically mana and internal force. Becoming sturdier both inside and out was an irresistible prospect. Furthermore, a lingering question from the community forums bugged him.
Every standard Awakener apparently received intrinsic skills at regular milestone intervals. Yet Haun had already cleared Floor 15 of the Tower of Despair and hadn't received a single intrinsic skill notification.
That realization had sparked an intuition.
If I'm not getting them from the Tower of Despair, could it be that my skills are unlocked through the Tower of Transcendence instead?
He would have his answer today. Taking a deep, steadying breath, Haun rose from his seat and spoke the command.
“Let's head in.”
Skill Activated: To the Tower
Destination: Tower of Transcendence