The Intruder's First Step

Kim Uju, an ordinary high school graduate, had one dream: to get hired by a leading domestic car manufacturer.

Not as an office worker who would break his head over paperwork, but as a production worker who only had to use his body.

A steel rice bowl guaranteed by a strong labor union!

A salary higher than a civil servant’s, despite it being a steel rice bowl!

Ample benefits!

That was it! A stable, high-income job!

If you are born an orphan and live a life full of deficiencies in an orphanage, you eventually learn one thing.

Just how amazing and wonderful it is to go out into society and land a stable, high-income job.

Of course, the threshold was high. A steel rice bowl wouldn't be a steel rice bowl if it were easy to get.

But after enduring a long period of patience and effort, the fruit finally ripened.

“Look at this! It was worth all the hard work I put in since I was a kid in the orphanage!”

The screen of his phone displayed the word ‘ACCEPTED’ in large, bold letters.

Uju kissed the screen and beamed with a smile that couldn't have been any wider.

He felt like he had just won the lottery.

On his first day of work, which he had anticipated so much:

Uju didn't have parents to light candles on a cake to celebrate his employment.

Perhaps to compensate for that fact,

The world celebrated his first day by sticking candles called ‘Towers’ all over the globe.

‘Is this for real?’

Without any warning, towers rose up tall all across the world.

And a small number of people, known as ‘Awakened’, began to appear, capable of climbing them.

They entered the towers, brought out things called ‘Tower Crystals’, and raked in the money.

But few people envy a lottery winner for long, and Uju was no different.

He was content with the present, living a sufficiently happy and ordinary life.

Then, exactly one year later.

A tower located deep in northern Canada suddenly exploded.

Half of Canada, which boasted the second-largest landmass after Russia, was blown away.

And the tiny country of Liechtenstein disappeared into the annals of history without leaving a trace.

“What on earth is happening….”

The leaders of various countries held a meeting.

And they discovered a common trait among the exploded towers.

They were all towers that had failed to surpass the 10th floor within a year.

Only then did humanity realize the truth.

The towers, which had brought prosperity to humanity through the resource of Tower Crystals, turned into disasters if they weren't cleared past the 10th floor within a year.

But it was a story that had nothing to do with Uju.

He wasn't an Awakened, and the towers were being climbed by those who were.

Uju was living a happy, ordinary life, resting when he needed to, working when he had to, and receiving his paycheck right on time.

But they say ruin approaches slowly.

Two years later, cracks began to form in Uju’s happiness.

Around the time several African nations were exploding one after another following Canada,

The situation escalated, and the global market began to freeze.

Canada. Its presence might have felt faint in the shadow of the world’s number one, the United States, but it still possessed the second-largest landmass in the world.

Fertile, vast plains and natural minerals buried everywhere.

These were the driving forces that helped Canada grow into one of the world’s top 10 economies.

But half of that driving force was blown away in an instant.

All because of a single tower explosion.

In the aftermath, the prices of wheat, timber, and seafood skyrocketed like crazy.

These were goods that Canada was heavily relied upon for.

Prices across the globe began to soar uncontrollably.

If that were the only problem, it would have been fortunate.

The United States, which had invested heavily in Canada, also suffered massive damage.

Naturally, so did countless other countries deeply connected to the U.S.

From that point on, people began to call the current situation the ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠‘Canadian Great Depression’.

The first disaster, completely unprepared for: Tower explosions.

The second disaster, completely unprepared for: The Great Economic Depression.

A massive wave that swept across the world.

Uju, as an individual, was not safe either.

The restructuring of the large corporation he had fought so hard to enter, just for the sake of that steel rice bowl.

Uju was kicked back out past the threshold he had barely managed to cross.

He tried to get back in, but the threshold had become much higher than before.

“Sigh…. How is it that there’s no work even for manual labor?”

A semi-basement room where not a single ray of light could properly enter.

Uju, who was scrolling through a daily labor job site on his phone, began to scratch the back of his head in frustration.

“…Is the answer really just a fried chicken shop?”

A last resort flashed through his mind.

Isn't there a saying that everyone, whether they studied liberal arts or sciences, ends up as a chicken shop owner after retirement?

‘I’m going to end up as an owner anyway. Should I just do it now?’

However, Uju soon shook his head with a small sigh.

Of course, it wasn't realistically impossible.

Between the money he had saved frugally for years and the severance pay he received from the forced resignation, he could scrape together about 50 million won in liquid cash right now.

But starting a business in this climate?

In this day and age, when everyone is getting laid off and no one has money?

Prices had skyrocketed due to the Canadian Great Depression.

Chicken had been elevated to a snack for the bourgeoisie.

It had been a long time since he could even afford to eat it because the price was too burdensome.

So how could he possibly sell that to others?

“Ugh. What a mess this is because of the towers.”

Was there no clever trick?

Uju fell into deep thought.

‘They say even if the sky falls, there’s a hole to crawl out of. Where on earth is my hole?’

His thoughts naturally drifted toward something akin to gambling.

‘Is it really just the lottery? Or stocks? Coins?’

Just as Uju was agonizing over whether he should jump in and aim for a big hit like everyone else,

Following that, yellow holographic letters appeared before his eyes.

Awakened?

Uju’s eyes widened as he dropped the phone he had been holding.

“Huuuh….”

A trembling sigh.

“They really say there’s no law that says a person must die…!”

A faint smile mixed with expectation appeared on his gaunt face.

Awakening is also called a ‘Lottery without a ceiling’.

Because if you don't die after doing it once, you can accumulate immense wealth that ordinary people couldn't even imagine through the Tower Crystals obtainable in the tower.

“Please, A-Grade or higher…!”

The ability you awaken is just as important as the fact that you awakened.

If awakening is like getting your hands on a 100% winning lottery ticket that others can’t easily obtain,

The awakening ability is the scale that tells you what rank that winning ticket is.

A-Grade or higher is considered 2nd place, and S-Grade or higher is considered 1st place.

In his current situation, he would be grateful for even 2nd place.

Uju, who prayed more desperately than anyone else in his heart, scrolled down the holographic window that had appeared before him.

“Intrusion…?”

The traits of the Awakened are intuitive.

For example, if your trait is Flame? Whether you use a sword or a bow, fire ignites.

Physical Enhancement? You can clear the tower with your bare body without even using a weapon.

But Intrusion?

“What does this even do…?”

Uju’s face twisted strangely.

It was a bizarre expression, as if he liked it but felt a certain emotional distance from ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠it.

The trait ‘Intrusion’, which he had never heard of in his life.

Seeing is believing.

When he clicked on ‘View Details’:

‘No, it’s not like a meeting plaza, why would such a trait be necessary?’

Thinking suspiciously, he clicked it one more time.

Hmm… looking at it, it seems he can even enter overseas towers.

“But what do I do when I go there?”

Right. That was the biggest question.

Let’s say he intrudes into the highest floor.

Then what?

My trait isn't a combat trait like fire or physical enhancement, is it?

Wouldn't I, with my fragile body, die first just by brushing against a monster?

“Is this really an EX-Grade?”

The heavy expectation evaporated in an instant.

In its place, only emptiness and doubt filled the void.

“No. Let’s look into it a bit more. Who knows? Maybe it’s much better than a combat trait?”

He sincerely hoped so.

Still, it was an EX-Grade trait. It couldn't possibly be useless!

I picked up my phone and accessed the Awakened community.

A space where you couldn't post unless you were verified as an Awakened, but you could at least browse.

Information, I needed information.

Whether it was a hit or a miss, I had awakened today.

I’d lost my job, re-employment was difficult, and I’d just given up on the chicken shop idea.

Therefore, from now on, I had to enter the tower and earn money.

A hole to crawl out of even if the sky falls?

I found it today.

But walk past it pretending I didn't see it?

That was impossible.

The post pinned to the very top of the Awakened community.

It was a concept post for beginner Awakened.

Naturally, I had never read it until now.

Anyway, since the media had been blathering about it so much, even non-Awakened people had general knowledge about the towers.

Like the fact that you can enter the tower once a day, or that a Tower Merchant appears when you clear it.

“Forget that, please give me some information on Intrusion, brothers.”

Muttering to myself with no one to listen, I first entered ‘Intrusion’ into the search filter.

However.

“Nothing?”

The Awakened community.

A space that had been operating since the towers appeared, containing all sorts of information.

But nothing?

But that’s how the human heart works.

It should work, but it doesn't? It should show up, but it doesn't?

It stimulates one’s competitive spirit, creating not ‘resignation’ but ‘stubbornness’.

Two hours of continuous web searching.

Not just the Awakened community, but Naver, Google, YouTube, and even the smart AI. I searched everything thoroughly.

Did it show up?

If it had, would I be this distressed right now?

“There’s a problem here, right? How is there not even a trace of ‘Intrusion’?”

I tilted my head.

I couldn't find it at all.

Still, I did learn a few facts.

I thought Intrusion was a difficult enough trait, but there existed other bizarre unique traits like ‘Madness’ or ‘TS’.

And the fact that there hadn't been a single case of an EX-Grade appearing worldwide until now.

“To summarize, I’m the only EX-Grade Awakened. And I’m the only person with the Intrusion trait.”

I was able to reach the conclusion above.

“But that’s not the important part; no matter how much I think about it, I don't know how to use this trait…….”

Traits are largely divided into physical attack types, magic attack types, and the ‘Enchanter’ type that focuses on crafting.

But ‘Intrusion’ didn't seem to belong to any of those three.

EX-Grade or not, what is this?

‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠

Is it like a loafer? Something like, go into the tower and try to make friends with them?

“Oh, my eyes.”

My eyes were blurry from staring at the phone for so long.

Taking a breather, I leaned my back against the wall, put the phone down on the floor, and turned on the status window once again.

Of course, this was correct.

‘…If I press it one more time, the tower intrusion window activated, right?’

Some time had passed.

Thinking the list might have changed, I reached out my hand once more.

Then.

Wait, let me correct myself.

A single ‘tap’ brings up the tower intrusion window.

A single ‘long press’ brings up the trait’s detailed information.

First of all, leaving is free. Since it meant safety was guaranteed, I was pleased.

But ‘Hidden Party Member’.

This seemed to have some room for trouble.

The reason people climb the tower.

To prevent the collapse of the tower and protect world peace?

No.

They’re all doing it to earn money.

T.C.

Abbreviation for Tower Crystal.

With that, you can buy useful items inside the tower from the Tower Merchant who appears when you clear a floor.

You can also request an Enchanter belonging to the Association to convert it into the necessary goods.

And you could use it to strengthen yourself as you climb the tower.

Representative examples included purchasing stats and skills, or strengthening weapons.

And the last way to use it.

Selling it to the Association.

They say the transaction ratio between the Awakened and the Association varies depending on the tower contribution, and you can only sell it after signing a contract that includes confidentiality clauses.

However, according to rumors that have spread publicly, if the floor is low, you can make a few million won a day.

If it’s high, they say you can pull in anywhere from tens of millions to hundreds of millions of won a day.

Of course, this is based on ‘Solo Play’.

If you form a party, rewards are paid differentially according to contribution.

Because of this, all Awakened naturally insisted on solo play.

But ‘Hidden Party Member’?

‘Hmm…. Isn't that a position that’s hard to be welcomed in?’

Now that I think about it, if I’m not careful, it’s not the monsters that are scary, but the Awakened.

Anyway, this made it certain.

The Intrusion trait is at least not for socializing.

Socializing with someone who came to steal your rice bowl (contribution)?

That couldn't possibly be possible.

Then how on earth do I use it? They say it’s an EX-Grade trait!

I picked up my phone again to crave an answer.

But.

An interesting question caught my eye.

I’ll just look at this and then search again.

So that’s how it is.

It was good to learn one more thing I didn't know, but this wasn't what I needed to find out urgently right now.

Shaking my head to pull myself together, I continued to scroll up and down.

Then, suddenly, a post with unusually high views caught my eye.

What is this?

When I clicked it lightly, the content was nothing special.

She was in a difficult situation because she had run out of low-grade recovery potions that she had naturally assumed would be there.

“Seo Ian, huh.”

Now that I think about it, she was climbing the tower when I turned on the intrusion window earlier.

I remembered her because her name was at the very top. She even had the highest floor count.

Currently, the highest floor in South Korea is the 41st. But Seo Ian is on the 40th.

‘She’s a ranker at the very least, she should have packed more carefully before entering. Tsk tsk.’

If she’s a ranker, she must be swimming in money, so it just looked like she brought it on herself.

Jealousy blooming subtly from within.

They say obsession is a deficiency.

In the end, my consciousness drifted back to money.

Then, suddenly.

‘It must be a huge waste to leave the tower.’

I felt a sense of pity.

It’s understandable. In the case of my trait, ‘Intrusion’, they say entry and exit are free when intruding into a tower, but that’s not the case for ordinary Awakened.

First of all, entry is only possible once a day, and leaving the tower other than by clearing it means the total evaporation of the contribution (T.C) earned on that floor.

Because of this, ordinary Awakened are extremely cautious when they decide to leave the tower.

And that is why the majority of Awakened choose to repeatedly clear one floor below their highest floor as a safety net.

That way, they can extract the maximum efficiency and the highest contribution.

Anyway, it seems Seo Ian either thought she could clear the highest floor herself today, or she’s been banging her head against the wall to move up to the floor above….

“Ugh. Since she’s a high-floor ranker, the contribution amount must be huge too. Still, good luck.”

It’s someone else’s ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠business, but imagining it made my chest ache as if it were my own.

Just as I was about to press the back button while offering her a small condolence in my heart,

“Oh, wait?”

A sentence I saw earlier while investigating the tower flashed through my mind.

‘[Anonymous12] The Tower Merchant is an NPC concept. Not only do attacks not work, but the moment you try, you get a one-month tower entry ban.’

It was an instant.

As if puzzle pieces were fitting together, the scattered, empty fragments in my head were filled, and it began to create a single picture.

“Thank you! Anonymous12!”

I expressed my gratitude out loud to Anonymous12, whose name and face I didn't know.

I felt like I had finally found it.

The way to instantly change from a position that is ‘hard to be welcomed in’ to a position that ‘can be welcomed’.

And the perfect way to utilize my trait, ‘Intrusion’.