Chapter 10: To the 2nd Floor
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 10: To the 2nd Floor
"Hoo..."
A wave of emptiness washed over me as the stream ended.
"Ahem..."
The men nearby must have been watching my situation, as they slipped their phones into their back pockets and turned their heads, pretending they hadn't seen a thing.
‘Haaa... How can something like this be S-rank...’
I could guarantee that even if the details of this skill were made public, no one would want it. Of course, it was already bound to me, so they couldn't take it even if they killed me.
"Haha... If a useful secret manual for women comes my way, I'll be sure to recommend it. Don't be too disappointed..."
"Ughhhhhhhh!"
Unable to contain the rage boiling inside me, I let out a loud shout and sprinted home.
"Haha..."
* * *
Around the time Lee Do-hee was running home, posts related to Choi Tae-soo began appearing on an internet community.
[Tower Climbing Support Gallery]
---
★Title: Was Choi Tae-soo really a sex offender?
Content: Total of 15 trials.
All five women dragged it out all the way to the Supreme Court, and every single time, he was found 'not guilty.'
Just looking at that, you might think Choi Tae-soo pulled some dirty tricks...
But let's be real, even high-ranking politicians and corporate chairmen get nervous in court. How could a mere Awakener have judges wrapped around his finger? Where the hell did this conspiracy theory even come from? lol
And for some reason, he only used public defenders with little experience... Usually, to overturn a trial with power, wouldn't you hire an elite ex-judge lawyer?
And if you read the Supreme Court ruling from three months ago:
{Regarding the defendant's act of physical contact, it was carried out with the plaintiff's consent. It is difficult to conclude that the defendant had sexual intent. Immediately after the physical contact, the plaintiff did not express immediate refusal or displeasure; rather, she exhibited behavior that seemed to encourage the contact. Considering all these points, the charges in this case lack sufficient proof of a crime. Therefore, in accordance with Article 325 of the Criminal Procedure Act, the defendant is acquitted.}
That's what it says.
The funny thing is, the rulings for the other four women are exactly the same. lolololol
They all consented and rubbed up against him, then reported him...
Some people still won't believe it, but... well, judge for yourselves...
---
Comments:
- Whoa, is this for real?
- Fucking hell, he suffered just for being a man.
- Why didn't the media report a single thing from Choi Tae-soo's side...?
- What? I didn't even know he was acquitted in court.
└ OP: I thought he was guilty of everything until today too lol
└ For real, everyone thought that. Everyone probably thought he was found guilty, right?
- Lee Do-hee saved a man's life...
└ Watching her stream increases your lifespan, so she's probably saved tens of thousands of lives by now lololol
- Wow... I only saw the CCTV footage released by the media, and he was stroking her thigh. I thought it was a done deal;;
- What's the point? Everyone's already left Choi Tae-soo's training center... T_T
- It's a sin to be born a man, goddammit!!
- Seriously, this is so fucked up.
- This is some next-level cyberbullying;;
- This country hates men.
- Yeah, this is the kind of stuff that should go viral lol
- Tae-soo, I'm sorry... I doubted you too;;
└ But back then, everyone was 100% sure it was a slam dunk case lol
- Wow... How did the media manage to spin this?
└ You think it was the media? It was women's groups and the politicians who suck up to them...
- This completely buried the news about Lee Do-hee's S-rank training manual lololol
└ S-rank? The fuck? What is it?
└ A secret manual exclusively for whores that can only be used during sex... lol
└ LMAO
└ Who the fuck would use that;;
└ Holy shit, how does a manual like that even exist? lol
---
*
Nothing much happened from the third day on.
I'd chug the 300 million won worth of elixirs that arrived in a single day, show off my status window, get bombarded with sexual compliments from pissed-off viewers until I surrendered, then head back to the training center to work out like a madwoman until evening. After that, I'd go home, whip up a simple meal, and end the stream.
Nothing particularly newsworthy occurred. Since it was just a calm stream of training and chatting, the number of viewers, which had exploded, dropped significantly. However, many people watched her every move, felt the sincerity of her ambition for the Tower, and began to cheer her on.
She didn't know it, but Lee Do-hee was building her own solid foundation of supporters.
This was the moment when true, genuine fans—who sincerely wished for her to climb the Tower successfully and receive plenty of donations—began to emerge.
* * *
A week later.
Lee Do-hee had just returned from another grueling day at the training center.
"Haaa... I feel exhausted, but this energetic body feels so strange."
- lolololol
- So what are you gonna do?
- You really were going at it hard lol
The viewer count was around 5,000.
Honestly, for someone who did nothing but train like a brute, having this many people watching was impressive.
Of course, it helped that her usual outfit was inspired by sexy female streamers, which helped maintain a baseline viewership no matter what she did.
And today was a rather important day.
"With these stats, it should be enough. I'm going to the 2nd floor tomorrow."
The stats gained through exercise were nearly limitless, but it was a matter of efficiency.
My enemies wouldn't wait for 10 or 100 years. If I was really unlucky, they could all die while trying to conquer a higher floor before I even got my revenge.
So, picking up the pace was also important. Within a reasonably safe range, of course.
- Hell, yeah
- Finally going up
- Good good
- The timing is just right
"So~ today, I'm going to study."
In truth, I didn't need to study. The data on most monsters was already stored in my head, in my very body. For certain monsters, I could predict their next attack just by observing the slightest muscle movement.
But wouldn't it be suspicious if someone who was just now starting to climb the Tower knew everything so perfectly?
Of course, I could just take a 'what are you gonna do about it?' attitude, but you never know what might happen.
The boyfriend controversy that followed female streamers like a curse. If I acted like I had experienced everything, a baseless rumor could spread that I had a secret high-ranking Awakener boyfriend.
I remembered a MyuTube video with over 10 million views titled '33 Things Female Streamers Must Do to Keep Donations Flowing,' which said that female streamers had to stay clear of boyfriend controversies. There was no need to choose the hard path when an easy one was available.
Besides, new information could have emerged in the last five years, and I might have forgotten about monsters I hadn't seen often. It wouldn't hurt to review.
- Studying is important, yeah
- For real, good thinking
- I was worried no one would tell you this
- Good good
- You're not that smart, you think you can cram it all in one day?
See? The viewer response is grea...t. My conscience pricked me a little, but I decided to read through it with the mindset of a review, giving it my best effort.
"I am smart! Ahem... Okay, you can find everything on the Awakener Association's website. If I search for monsters that can appear during combat on the 2nd floor..."
Information on low-level monsters had been shared long ago. This system didn't even exist originally; I was the one who suggested it.
Information on higher-level monsters was still monopolized by some guilds, but data on most monsters was now public.
"Hmm... should I skip the ecology part and just read the combat precautions?"
The first thing I saw was a slime.
"The strategy is to just destroy the core with a sharp weapon. If you lose your weapon, the slime's core is weak enough to be broken by grabbing it with both hands and pressing down with your thumbnail... This one looks easy."
- Slimes are a piece of cake lol
- Just don't panic
- Do slimes have sex?
- Make sure to read the warnings
- Can we ban the sex pest?
"Hey... weird jokes will get you banned. The precautions say to watch out for individuals that climb on your head to induce suffocation, and since they're slow, if you feel like you're getting surrounded, just run away and fight... Mmm, okay."
I knew all of this.
After that, various monsters like Ratmen, Skeletons, Kobolds, and Imps appeared, but I knew all about them. In fact, some of the information had been written by me and my former comrades.
"Next up is... a famous one. Goblins."
- Ah, goblins lol
- You gotta be careful with goblins for real
- If a goblin catches you, you're seriously fucked
"It says that only Cave Goblins appear on the 2nd floor. Precautions... they use traps and poison darts... The Cave Goblin's poison dart causes slight, localized paralysis for a short time, and you gain complete immunity after being hit once, so it's not a major threat."
"However, getting caught in a trap can often be fatal, and you have to watch out for the occasional Hobgoblin... Mmm..."
On higher floors, you could encounter Goblin Kings, Goblin Swordmasters, and Goblin Archmages. Compared to them, Cave Goblins felt like a truly primitive tribe.
Getting hit by a civilized goblin's poison arrow wouldn't just cause temporary paralysis; the flesh would rot, forcing you to either purify it or cut that part off.
- The difficulty definitely goes up when goblins show up.
- Do-hee, you be careful too.
- The traps are the biggest problem with goblins.
- Nah, the Hobgoblins that sometimes appear are the real pain in the ass.
- For real, goblin caves have too many variables, so the difficulty is super high. But I heard the rewards are great.
Just then,
[Ding~]
[Dotamuk has donated 10,000 won]
Do-hee, I'll give you some really important information. The Cave Goblin's poison dart is actually only truly effective on women. If you get hit by it, you'll be paralyzed for about 2 hours. You have to be really careful.
"Hmm?"
What was that all of a sudden?
The poison of some shabby, primitive goblin tribe was actually a deadly toxin? And only for women?
"Is that for real?"
Honestly, I didn't really believe it, but it was possible that new information had been updated during the five years I was gone, so I decided to ask...
- What kind of bullshit is that?
- No no no, probably just a troll lying.
- Is it true?
- Don't believe it lol
- Ah lololol
- Ugh, that dumbass is just trying to get attention.
- You think? lol
"Hmm... Everyone, please don't be too harsh. Uh... Do...tamuk-nim? Ugh, that username... Anyway, is there any proof for what you're saying?"
In truth, I knew better than anyone that it was bullshit. But I'd been reading this strategy guide for over an hour and was getting bored and drowsy. For a villain to appear on their own like this, how could it not be fun?
"Do you have any proof?"
I gave him temporary moderator privileges and froze the chat.
Dotamuk: Goblins don't have females. Instead, they use females of other species as a means of reproduction.
"I know that much."
Dotamuk: That's why their poison darts have that effect. Once they evolve beyond primitive tribe goblins, they no longer need to rely on it, but for primitive goblins, the poison dart—made by mixing their excrement and semen on the tip—is a weapon that can incapacitate a female just once. They need to reproduce, you see. Once they catch and tie one up, they can breed with her continuously, so it doesn't need to work a second time.
"Uh... no, what are you talking about? It makes no sense that such important information wouldn't have been known until now... What's your source?"
I couldn't tell if he was joking or serious. His words were a jumbled mess, and I couldn't even understand him. Was he a little slow?
'The person who wrote that the poison dart only causes localized paralysis was a woman...'
Of course, she was one of the people who betrayed me, but in my past life, she was one of the people I edited monster information with. If what he said was true, it would mean she was brutally gang-raped by goblins, came back alive, pretended to be a pure virgin, omitted the information about the goblin poison, and got married...
'Nah, no way.'
Dotamuk: I'm conducting my own independent research on the 19th floor. Also, a goblin's dick is big and huge enough to impregnate a human female, so Do-hee, you should be care... so you don't get forcibly knocked up by getting cummed in...
[Dotamuk has been banned]
"Agh... Get out, you bastard!"
Independent research, my ass. At first, it sounded plausible, so I listened, but the moment he started talking about pregnancy and getting cummed in, I banned him immediately.
After banning the troll, I unfroze the chat.
- So satisfying~~
- What a retard for real
- Get out, you bastard~~
- It's been 15 years since the Tower appeared, you think we wouldn't know that?
- Fun fact: The information about Cave Goblin poison darts was written by a woman. She was fine even after getting hit.
- For real, that bastard's trolling skills are on another level.
- Assholes like him need to get hit by one themselves.
- You think such important info wouldn't have spread by now? Ugh.
- Did he really do that whole build-up just to sexually harass her?
- You can tell he's a troll just from his username lololol
"Hey... please refrain from excessive swearing. Even if what he said is true, I'll just dodge or block the poison darts anyway. So it doesn't matter whether it's true or not."
Still, thanks to that guy, the drowsiness I was feeling was completely gone.
"Alright! Then~ I'll continue reading about the next monster~"
I lightly brushed off the troll's nonsense and moved on to the next monster.
After that, I read through the information on Orcs, Lizardmen, and other monsters I already knew everything about before ending the stream.
* * *
The main gate of the Seoul Tower.
It had been almost ten days since I'd last come to the Tower.
"Status Window."
<Final Stats>
Strength: 10.5
Agility: 7
Defense: 16
Mana: 60
The time had finally come. I invested all my remaining stat points into Agility to shore up my only weakness, and my other stats had been significantly boosted by training and elixirs.
A Strength of 10 was about the level of a middle to heavyweight professional fighter among men. In human terms, it was basically peak level.
[Lee Do-hee is now streaming: Going to the 2nd floor today]
As soon as I started the stream, viewers flooded in, likely because I had announced I'd be tackling the 2nd floor.
About 30,000 people were watching in anticipation of my climb.
'Right, I have 30,000 people behind me now.'
"Let's go, to the 2nd floor!"
I confidently pushed open the Tower's main gate and walked in.
I strode forward proudly in short, pink dolphin shorts and a tank top that exposed my navel.
The gazes of countless people were fixed on me, but I didn't flinch. I pushed my chest out and marched forward.
"Whoa... her chest..."
No, I'll pull my chest in a little as I walk!
I had only cleared the 1st floor, but I'd somehow become a celebrity. Until I stepped onto the platform, many people cheered me on and saw me off.
"Thank you. I'll be sure to clear it and come back!"
- Swoosh~!
As I disappeared, the people who had been watching me began to whisper quietly among themselves.
"But why does she dress like that? Is she some kind of exhibitionist pervert?"
"Ah, she mentioned it on stream. What did she say again?"
"She said she watched a MyuTube video called '33 Things Female Streamers Must Do to Keep Donations Flowing.' The viewers played along and told her it was right, so she just believed them."
"Well, that's good for us, isn't it?"
"But it seems certain that she doesn't read community forums and doesn't have a boyfriend."
"Hehehe... she has a surprisingly naive side to her!"
Unbeknownst to her, she had just been issued a certificate of authenticity(?) by the men.
* * *
『Welcome to the Tower』
『Please select a weapon before beginning the 2nd-floor trial』
That calming voice.
I looked around. In a white space, racks holding all sorts of weapons rose up around me.
There were nearly 40 different types. They had everything.
Greatswords, sword and shield, two-handed swords, spears, bows, scythes, staffs, axes—they had gathered every weapon you could find on Earth.
- Ooh... first time seeing this place.
- But why didn't you do any weapon training?
- Sword and shield, no question.
- 2nd floor is sword and shield.
- You can just use a sword and shield for the 2nd floor and find a weapon that suits you later.
The chat was mostly recommending a sword and shield.
'Hmm... a sword and shield, huh...'
The weapon I would choose is...
『Would you like to confirm your selection?』
A staff.
- ?????
- This bitch isn't listening again.
- lolololololol
- Crazy bitch lol
- Ugh...
- I told you to pick the sword and shield.
- So fucking stubborn.
A solid, heavy, black wooden staff, about 1.5 meters long, fit snugly in my hands.
"Feels good in my grip. Let's go."