The Uninvited Guest
We share the same goal.
And yet, we have no reason to step on each other’s toes.
So, why wouldn't we join forces?
That was how the second TF team was formed.
My Tick exchange rate increased by 1%, and I also obtained a Dedicated Megaphone.
A few days after I used Team Leader Oh Wontaek as an anonymous megaphone(?), I found myself in the dark.
The air was damp and sweltering, clinging to my skin. The smell of mold and rot stung my nose.
"Ah, you’ve got to be kidding me."
Floor 30. The Den of the Resilient Cockroaches.
I squeezed my eyes shut and gave up on clearing the Tower for the day.
The sight of tiger-sized cockroaches swarming and crawling around, their shells glistening... it was too much to bear.
"Wow. How am I supposed to clear the 30th floor?"
Back home, I stared into the void with a hollow expression. My energy was completely drained after being so thoroughly disgusted by those creepy-crawlies.
The reason my Tower climbing had slowed down lately was simple: there were too many floors featuring giant insects.
I’m great at dealing with bugs in the real world. I was even called the "Human Pest Control" once. But when they grew larger than a human, I was helpless.
The moment I saw them, extreme revulsion would surge up, and my legs would freeze.
I had to clear the 30th floor to move on to the 31st. My level was high enough, my damage output was sufficient—it was a floor I could definitely clear. But the fact that I couldn't move forward because of my weak nerves was a disaster.
I was gulping down cold water to soothe my frustration when the doorbell rang.
"Who is it?"
I peeked at the intercom screen. I recognized the faces, but I couldn't just open the door. It wasn't just any combination—it was Seo Ian and Hong Jehun.
An absurd duo.
'Is it a disguise?'
I harbored reasonable doubts and picked up the intercom without letting my guard down.
"Who is this?"
It seemed they were the real deal. For the record, during our team dinner a few days ago, we couldn't agree on a title to call me by. Each of them had insisted on their own, and in the end, they forced me to choose. Since any choice I made would please one and annoy the other, I simply gave up on choosing. I told them to just call me whatever they were comfortable with, since it was my fault for bringing it up.
Still...
Just in case, I asked one last time.
"...But why are you two together?"
Seo Ian raised her voice, and Hong Jehun replied calmly with a smile.
That was definitely Seo Ian and Hong Jehun.
"...Come on in."
I opened the door.
"Would you like something to drink?"
"Do you think I'd let our Benefactor suffer? Of course, I bought some!"
Seo Ian grinned and held up a coffee carrier and a bag of snacks.
"That's great. Just sit down for now."
The day before yesterday, I received two calls. One from Seo Ian, one from Hong Jehun. Both were requests for help clearing the 49th floor. The result was that both succeeded in climbing the 49th floor on the same day. In the record rankings, Hong Jehun had set the #1 record. It was because his compatibility was good, and the 1% increase in Intelligence stat from the special floor reward, combined with a 5% cooldown reduction that lasted for a month, created incredible synergy for him.
Naturally, this was the perfect time for the jealous Seo Ian to keep him in check and act petty. Yet, here they were, visiting me together. This might be a bigger deal than I thought.
"So. What’s the matter that you had to come all the way here instead of just talking over the phone?"
"Benefactor, you can't clear the 50th floor alone."
I blinked at Seo Ian’s assertion. Why was she so sure?
"Why can't I?"
At my question, as if they had planned it, Seo Ian and Hong Jehun started rattling off their reasons.
"Because of those damn platforms."
"There are multiple platforms, and you have to step on all of them to open the door to the boss."
"So, we want you to come with us."
"I agree."
"Wait. Then you two can just clear it together. Why do you need me?"
At my question, they both shook their heads and spoke at the same time.
"We can't do it without you, Benefactor."
"It’s impossible without you, Master."
...Wow, what was with that timing? Did they really plan this? Even the content was the same, just with different phrasing!
"Then you should just take Im Hyunjin with you. He’s a buffer."
The two of them could deal damage after getting buffed, and Im Hyunjin could safely provide buffs from the back. Wasn't that ideal?
At my words, the two exchanged glances. Seo Ian stepped up first.
"The thing is, the notification that pops up as soon as you enter the 50th floor says you can only form a party with people who are eligible to enter the 50th floor or higher."
"We think it would be faster for you to just climb up quickly than for us to go find someone else."
Hong Jehun immediately followed up. They were perfectly in sync only at times like this, weren't they?
"No, you two can just do it yourselves. Why are you suddenly trying to drag me along?"
"I told you, it’s because of the platforms!"
"There are three platforms... someone has to step on them for us to move to the next stage."
Oh. I expected some petty excuse like, 'Because I don't want to clear it with *him*!', but the answer was more normal than I thought.
"Ha. Then, in return, help me with my 30th floor tomorrow, anyone."
The 30th-floor record? I guess I’d have to give up on one floor. Even if I climbed one floor a day from now on, it would take 21 days, and I didn't want to keep them waiting too long.
"I'll help you!"
"Please let me join you."
Again, the answers popped out almost simultaneously.
"Only one person needs to follow me. You'd be wasting your Tower entry count."
I could enter and leave the Tower multiple times a day through Intrusion. But others couldn't. I had casually asked for help with the 30th floor, but underneath that lay the meaning: 'Give up a full day of Tower entry to help me.' I felt bad asking even one person, let alone two. I had a conscience, after all.
"You should have at least one day off!"
"If I can be of help to you, Master, what does it matter if I skip a day of climbing?"
"So, just one person... I don't want my guild members to lose out on experience!"
"That's why I—"
"That's why I—"
No, why are they like this today? Why are they so in sync? And more importantly, why are they so curious about my 30th floor?
I scanned their faces. Neither of them looked like they were going to back down. Seo Ian didn't have the concept of 'concession' when it came to Hong Jehun, and once Hong Jehun was stubborn, there was no changing his mind.
'What do I do...'
If I picked just one person, it was obvious that the other would be upset, no matter what excuse I gave.
"...Then, I'll leave it to both of you."
If neither of them looked like they were backing down, I could just back down myself. Yes, I could afford to rest for a day. Just like how I shut my eyes and fled the 30th floor today because the monsters were too gross.
Only then did they change the subject.
"By the way, those guys from the awakened powerhouse nations knew that party play was mandatory from the 50th floor, yet they kept their mouths shut, right?"
"They probably needed time to reach the average number of awakened individuals above the 50th floor, so they hoped other countries would spend just as much time. They wouldn't want the gap to close quickly."
"True. Unless it's a special floor, there's no chance of bodycam footage leaking, so if the parties involved keep their mouths shut, no one would know. And in the midst of all that, they suddenly start forming guilds."
I felt like I had discovered a loophole in that conversation.
"But didn't you two try to form a guild while climbing the 40s?"
The two turned to look at me.
"Well, there's a reason why things are trendy in awakened powerhouse nations."
"High-floor climbers have no choice but to pursue extreme efficiency when it comes to climbing the Tower. Naturally, if they all say the same thing, there's a reason for it, even if they don't say it out loud."
"I see."
"But Benefactor. Why the 30th floor? Is it a bit hard to do alone?"
Seo Ian leaned forward, her eyes shining with interest. Hong Jehun also turned his head to look at me.
"Ah, that? You'll know when you go."
I omitted the details, fearing they might change their minds if I told them about the cockroaches.
After sending them off, I was tidying up the house when I picked up a phone that wasn't mine.
"Are they leaving it here to charge again?"
It was a brand-new phone without even a case. It was Seo Ian's. I decided to keep it for now. Just as I started to tidy up again, the doorbell rang.
"They realized it pretty quickly."
It seemed Seo Ian had noticed and come back for her phone. But contrary to my expectations, the face on the intercom was...
"Who is it...?"
An unfamiliar face. Someone I was seeing for the first time. I remembered Seo Ian once saying she couldn't forget the student council president and vice president because they were so pretty and handsome. This was the moment I understood her feelings.
The man, boasting brilliant blonde hair, had such flashy features that his face was bound to be burned into one's memory the moment they saw him.
Rian Carter. A name I had heard before. The #2 ranker in the US. He was famous as "America's National Second Son." (For the record, the eldest son was Hudson.) Anyway, since his face wasn't widely known, I couldn't rule out the possibility of an impersonator.
"Why would someone like you come to see me? And Rian Carter is American, so why is your Korean so good?"
I continued to question him without letting my guard down. He smiled brightly in front of the door.
He smiled slyly and raised his hand. In his palm was his American Awakened Association ID. But there was something more concerning than that.
'Who on earth did he learn Korean from?'
He seemed to have learned the grammar and vocabulary well, but he seemed to have learned the tone of voice very, *very* poorly! Like me, he just added 'yo' to the end of his sentences to make it formal, tsk tsk.
Yeah~ but I don't believe you~. I blinked my eyes.
Go, Hawk's Eye!
'...Why is this real?'
My surprise at the unexpected situation lasted only a moment. Once I realized it was the truth, my heart began to beat a little faster. Why would a world-class ranker go out of his way to find me? ...And how did he even know my home address?
"...What did you come here for? A scout?"
I picked up my phone while continuing the conversation. In times like this, I had to call the Association. The Association was the most effective at protecting awakened individuals outside the Tower.
"Then why?"
He smiled brightly.
"So, why?"
Rian, who had playfully raised his voice, took his phone out of his pocket. After tapping on the screen for a moment, he pushed the phone toward the intercom camera. On it was the headline of today's main article on a Korean portal site.
[Korean Guild 'Outlaw', First to Clear Special Floor!]
[Kim Uju, the Mysterious Core Dealer?]
And in the article, a photo of my back taken during the battle.
So, how did he know that? I couldn't bring myself to confirm or deny it, so I just stood there, frozen for a moment. And just then, a text message arrived. It was Team Leader Oh Wontaek. The content was that he had sent security personnel and they would arrive soon. With someone to rely on, my fear vanished.
Rian continued to speak naturally, waving his hand.
His eyes sparkled. For a moment, a sharp pressure flashed from him.
I suppose I could be. I would have been curious too. But...
"But I'm not curious about you?"
"I might have been if you were Hudson."
-Click.
I hung up the intercom without hesitation. It didn't matter if he stood in front of the door for a hundred days now. The security guards who would arrive soon would chase him away.
A little while later, *ding-dong, ding-dong*. The doorbell started ringing impatiently again.
"He hasn't left yet?! Where are the security guards?!"
My panic lasted only a moment. I shouted into the intercom with a sharp voice.
"Ah! If you keep doing that, I'm calling the police!"
Then, a sharper, shriller voice erupted from the other side of the intercom.
Seo Ian?!
I called Team Leader Oh Wontaek and asked him to release Seo Ian immediately. But Seo Ian wasn't alone. Hong Jehun was behind her. So I asked him to release him as well.
"Benefactor! What are those black-clad guys outside?"
"My security personnel. But why are you here, Hong Jehun?"
Only Ian had left her phone behind.
Hong Jehun’s gaze was directed at Seo Ian.
Seo Ian, feeling his gaze, retorted coldly for a moment before looking at me.
"But, why the sudden security personnel? Did you get a threatening letter or something?"
Seo Ian, who had received her phone back, asked. Both of their gazes were focused on me.
"It's not that, someone followed me home."
"Ah, that handsome foreigner who was in front of the house?"
"Yeah."
"Who is it?"
"Rian Carter. America's second son."
"Ah~. That American national second son?"
I nodded.
"Was it a scout?"
"Are you trying to make me emigrate?"
"Why would I emigrate? You're not there, and neither is Hong Jehun."
"Anyway! When you're alone, just pretend you're not there if someone knocks on the door. Got it?"
She threatened me, and Hong Jehun added,
"Right! Benefactor, in this world, we're the only ones you can trust. You know that, right?"
...No, these people? Is today really some kind of special day? They were always bickering, but today they were perfectly in sync from earlier?
"I know, I know!"
Inside a darkly tinted van in the underground parking lot of Uju's residence, Dylan, who had an impressive scar on his face, said, looking down at Rian Carter.
Rian said with a sly smile. But it was a sound that wouldn't work on Dylan, his handler.
Dylan's cold, sharp gaze turned toward him. Rian's shining blue eyes and Dylan's coldly frozen green eyes tangled with each other without a moment's hesitation.
Instead of an answer, a faint wrinkle formed on Dylan's brow. Rian Carter turned his head to avoid his sharp gaze, and then—
"Oh?"
He spotted a familiar figure outside the window.
Rian wasn't changing the subject; he just wasn't listening. Then, *click!* At the same time the car's lock released, *bang!* the car door opened.
Dylan didn't grab him, telling him not to go. Instead, he got out of the car and followed him. It was annoying that Rian Carter didn't listen to him and acted on his own. But the idea of someone who was thought to be the key to clearing the special floor falling into the hands of another country? That was even less to his liking.