Tutorial Tower
Dust-caked clothes.
A face worn down by exhaustion.
I slumped into my usual seat at the restaurant, my body sagging like dead weight.
“Hoo……”
Today was killer, too.
It’s been 25 years since mana—this new resource that puts superconductors to shame—first appeared, so why the hell is the Earth still heating up?
I wiped the sweat from my brow and sank deep into the restaurant chair, melting into a puddle under the cool blast of the air conditioner.
Once I’d cooled off a bit, I stared blankly at the blaring TV.
The anchors were spitting as they bantered back and forth.
All of them yelling at the red-haired guy in a sports headband on the screen.
That’s when a metal cup clunked down in front of me.
“That punk Taesung’s really made it big, huh?”
“Hyung-nim.”
“If I told the neighborhood folks that just a few months ago he was slinging concrete bags with you, no one’d believe it.”
Kuh-kuk.
The scruffy-bearded ajusshi chuckled, his throat rumbling.
I gulped down the water he handed me and nodded.
“Yeah, I think so too.”
In the day-labor world, trust is everything.
From that angle, Kim Taesung never once broke his word.
The guy was my age but always called me “Sunbae!” and cozied up like a little bro.
Then suddenly, radio silence.
Ghosting was normal in our line, but not for him.
Went to his place—no dice. Filed a missing person report, and boom: a week later, he clears the Tutorial Tower, becomes a super rookie, and shoots up beyond reach.
I scratched the back of my head awkwardly, muttering as I watched his interview.
“Ah. I wanna be a hunter too.”
“Quit dreaming. Awakening’s pure luck. Guys like us with shit luck? No shot.”
“……Hyung-nim, didn’t you kick your own luck to the curb?”
“You little shit?”
“Who told you to mess with coins again?”
“This time it was a sure thing, I swear!?”
I shrugged nonchalantly and glanced at the clock.
“12:30……”
Not much time till afternoon shift.
Just thinking about it made my chest tight.
How long do I have to keep living like this?
My life’s boring as hell, even by my own standards.
Grew up in an orphanage as a kid.
Middle and high school? No hagwons or PC bangs—just part-time gigs.
Now 25, still hauling bags on construction sites.
Not that I hate the grind.
Pays damn well.
To buy that 50-pyeong Han River-view apartment—my dream—I need cash.
Uneducated me? Only way to stack paper is manual labor. So I jumped in right after turning legal.
Shallow? Hey, you need goals to survive this barren world.
Problem is, I’m getting sick of it.
Not the work itself.
Just this hamster-wheel life feeling brutally monotonous.
Always felt that way, but lately it’s worse.
Probably ‘cause Kim Taesung awakened and became a global super rookie.
Guy starts from the same spot as me and skyrockets just ‘cause he got lucky.
Pathetic, I know—but I’m human.
“Han Mir. If you awaken, don’t pull a Taesung and ghost us.”
I scowled at hyung-nim’s words.
Brings back bad memories.
Taesung.
Soon as I heard he cleared the Tutorial Tower in two weeks, I texted congrats.
Reply? “Don’t text me.”
Too hard to say thanks?
Asshole ate his manners for breakfast.
I’d never turn out like that, even if I awakened.
“As if. If I awaken and make bank, first thing I’ll do is bring meat and visit. Don’t worry.”
“Kuk-kuk. Keep that promise. Lemme taste free meat for once.”
Same old convo today.
How many times we had this?
Dunno, but I always end it the same way.
“Ah, I really wanna awaken.”
Awakening means easy money over grunt work.
Awakening means escaping this dull life.
But deep down, I know it’s hopeless.
Awakening’s pure RNG, and I’m the unluckiest bastard around.
If I had luck, I wouldn’t be an orphan.
I let out a small sigh and mechanically shoveled food into my mouth.
The midsummer noon sun blazed relentlessly.
Hot.
Today’s freakishly hot.
Sweat pouring like rain under my helmet, I hoisted the cement bag onto my back and climbed the stairs.
“Kuhk……”
A groan escaped my lips.
Insane.
Vision blurring.
Finally hauled the last bag, and I collapsed flat.
“Hahk, hahk.”
Gulp, gulp.
Lukewarm water tasted like nectar.
Downed 500ml in one go, ditched the helmet, wiped my face.
Crawled to the shade, exhaled thinly, stared ahead.
“Kuhk……”
Hyung-nim, hauling cement just like me, face twisted in agony.
He dropped his load and flopped down too.
“Fuck, weather’s off today, right?”
“Heat advisory was out.”
“Not this bad.”
True.
Catching our breath in the shade, I sensed something off and frowned.
“……Hm?”
What’s this.
Some inexplicable weirdness.
Feels wrong, but can’t pinpoint.
“What’re you staring at?”
“Just… feels weird, y’know.”
I pointed that way.
Hyung-nim looked, shook his head.
“Weird my ass. Looks normal.”
“……Yeah?”
“C’mon, up. Foreman catches us, we’re toast.”
I nodded and stood.
That’s when the unease hit again.
Squinted, turned to ask hyung-nim.
And saw it.
“……Hyung-nim.”
“What.”
“Was this building always off-level?”
“Huh? What’re you……”
Creeeak.
Hyung-nim turned toward where I was looking.
His water bucket tilted hard to one side.
“Get down NOW, Mir!”
Thud, thud, thud!
Rumbling from everywhere, the whole building.
Something’s seriously wrong.
I spun and bolted for the stairs.
Not collapsed yet.
I can make it.
That’s when—
“Agh!”
Hyung-nim’s scream from behind.
Turned—too frantic, he’d slipped on the stairs. Eyes met.
He’s fine.
Railing’s there, won’t fall……
“Ha.”
Who the fuck installed that railing.
A little shake and it’s shattered? Bullshit.
The railing that should’ve held gave way completely.
Hyung-nim’s body tipped outward.
I reached out instinctively.
Hands clasped.
Pulled him—and got shoved out instead.
“Mi, Mir!”
Whoosh.
Falling body.
Ground rushing up.
Right before impact.
I closed my eyes.
Welcome to the Tutorial Tower, Han Mir.
Fanfare blared as I opened my eyes.
Opened my eyes to a vast white space.
Thought heaven at first, but that window floating beside me said otherwise.
“Hope hyung-nim’s okay.”
Eh, he made it down fine.
I vanished before hitting ground, so no need to worry about me.
People only disappear like that for the Tutorial Tower anyway.
Plopped cross-legged, poked the weird window with my index finger.
Searching for unique skill suited to Han Mir……
Unique skill.
Every player gets one upon awakening.
Get a dud, you’re stuck with basic skills.
Internet says it assigns instantly, but mine’s been searching for 30 minutes.
“What’s wrong with this.”
Busted?
Tilting my head seriously—system started glitching wildly.
Search complete.
Unique skill Black Dragon generated.
Finally got my unique skill.
Eyes wide, I stared at it.
Black Dragon.
Sounds badass.
Am I gonna be S-rank?
Heart pounding, tapped Black Dragon.
Black Dragon
Liberates the power of the Black Dragon, twisted master of the netherworld who watches over you, into your body.
Short and sweet description.
No clue what it does.
Stroked my chin—noticed more below.
“……?”
Blink.
I blinked at the details.
Growth-type skill.
Heard of it.
Starts weak, grows with practice—late bloomer type.
Guilds scout ‘em for potential.
Issue is……
“Heard some growth-types take over a year to clear the Tutorial Tower.”
They have trash matchups for tower clears.
Manly name had me hyped—turns out growth-type.
Never judge by name.
“Anyway, I really awakened.”
Thrilling.
Skill assigned—feels real now.
No more hamster wheel.
Stack cash faster, reach that Han River-view dream apartment.
“Gotta clear the Tutorial Tower first.”
Like Taesung in two weeks, my life’s a bed of roses.
But growth-type means tough.
Still, fine.
Rare growth-types appeal to guilds.
Before that, test Black Dragon……
Entering Floor 1.
System popped up right on cue.
Blinding light from below swallowed me.
“Wait, hold o—”
No time to speak—engulfed in light.
Floating sensation, eyes open.
Floor 1
Defeat 50 goblins.
0/50
I stood in a dark forest.