Newbies' Reckless Tower Run
The living situations of the newbies who'd just emerged from the tower varied wildly depending on their talents.
Those who'd shown promise inside got scooped up by major guilds. Guys with connections landed in mid-sized guilds with great views. The smart ones headed straight to the association. And if you hit the reward lottery, someone would quietly swoop in and whisk you away.
Clearing the tower was important, but your rewards depended on how much you'd contributed—so the ones who'd played it safe, just watching and chipping in minimally, didn't get much.
Guys with no connections, no standout skills, who'd just clung on to clear the tower... well, unfortunately, they had to hustle on foot to scrape together a living.
The association offered humanitarian aid, but they weren't that nice—they wouldn't feed useless climbers forever.
You had to register your own party, scrounge your own gear, climb a few towers, snag some rewards, and prove your worth somehow.
Some made a living off their improved physiques after becoming climbers, but with a tower right there and the pride of clearing the Tutorial Tower, most newbies craved climbing it.
Especially after getting a taste of climbers' fat paychecks.
So even tower-clearing-only guys often dove back in.
If they scored good skills or gear, maybe a guild scout would notice.
...
"Hyun-su, this tower's basically freebies!"
"Min-su, fucking hell, you treat climbing like a joke?"
Hyun-su and Min-su.
Both surnamed Kim, strapping young adults and comrades from the 37th gen.
Unfortunately, they hadn't stood out in the Tutorial Tower, so they'd exited with mediocre rewards—classic tower-clearing-only newbies.
Not great with connections or brains, they'd ended up like orphaned ducklings on the Nakdong River, no options left. So they partied up and decided to climb a tower.
"Min-su, look at our gear. The association grudgingly gave us these stinky leather armors, and since they wouldn't cough up a proper sword, all we got was this 15cm dagger."
"Hyun-su, this tower's seriously a pushover."
"So where'd you get that info?"
"Tower Gallery."
Hyun-su slapped his forehead at the words.
Meant the source was sketchy as hell.
"Didn't you learn to take Gallery info with a grain of salt?"
"Nah, this one's legit."
"Sigh... fine, spit it out at least."
Hyun-su figured he'd hear him out.
"First off, this tower's only a month old."
Tsk.
Strike one.
Fresh towers had limited info—not for inexperienced newbies.
"And raid teams have cleared up to floor 10! It's 30 floors total, and they're regearing quick before pushing on! Not just that—they posted guides on the Gallery."
guides?
That changed everything.
Towers were climber-friendly spaces.
They provided all the info you needed for climbs.
But piecing it together? Processing it? Whole other ballgame.
If it were easy, the association wouldn't have analysts.
They formalized quest patterns, factored in variables, crunched clear probabilities—elite of the elite.
Association was basically the answer key.
"For real?"
"Totally."
"Sigh... fine, one last shot believing you."
"Just trust me once!"
Min-su's ears perked up at Hyun-su's words.
That was why these two got along, despite everything.
"Alright. So where's this tower?"
"Outskirts of Gyeonggi Province."
"Cool. Prep thoroughly then."
"Yeah."
Hyun-su and Min-su fist-bumped.
Newbies duoing a tower.
Any other climber would've yelled to pay for a guild bus or association shuttle.
But these two couldn't afford it.
Worst choice for newbies watching peers surge ahead.
And it predictably went to shit.
"Kim Min-su, you fucking bastard!!!"
"Sorry, for real!!!"
Min-su and Hyun-su bolted, feet a blur.
"Grurr! Kurk!"
Green-skinned giant.
Orc.
They'd seen 'em in the Tutorial Tower, but never fought solo.
Always in 5-man parties where mages dazed 'em first, then they'd just wail on.
No tank pulling aggro, no mage backup—this was their first real face-off.
One smack each, and they snapped to.
If knowing the answer cleared it, they'd have aced the Tutorial.
They hadn't, hence this mess—realized mid-beating.
"Hey! Got potions?!"
"You think?!"
"Gallery said we both had 'em?"
"Fuck off with the Gallery ban!"
"Why?!"
"Shut it!"
Hyun-su regretted hearing Min-su out, bone-deep.
Armor shattered from one hit.
No helmet? Dead for sure.
Legs going numb.
Internal injuries plus sprinting—exhaustion inevitable.
They slowed.
Orc, pissed, swung its club wildly.
"Wait... I'll hit the Gallery emergency tab for backup!"
"You prick! Even if they come, it's over an hour!"
"Sent!"
"Fast as fuck!!"
Hyun-su thought: Emergency tab used? Hell if we live, hell if we die.
Association investigators grilling from why they hit it to why newbies rushed a tower.
Everything dragged out.
Dozens of hours of probes. Maybe sanctions.
Cold sweat dripped down his neck anew.
But no climber ignored an emergency tab.
Live or die, hell either way—might as well taste it alive.
"Hey! I'll tank! You DPS!"
"What?"
"Quit yapping!"
Hyun-su pulled a battered shield from inventory.
Floor 1 drop. Handy in Tutorial.
"Ready!"
He thrust the shield forward.
Orc mercilessly swung at the stationary target.
Club soaked in countless lives—harder than iron.
No wooden shield stopping that.
Hyun-su gritted teeth.
Block once, and if Min-su exploits the gap...!
"Hyun-su!"
Orc's massive overhead swing.
Huge opening—but Min-su didn't charge.
Instead, shoved Hyun-su out of range, fleeing together.
"You idiot! That was our last shot!"
"Die together then!"
They tumbled tangled on the ground.
Legs unresponsive.
Couldn't rise even if they wanted.
"Ha... fuck... should've just grinded."
"...Sorry."
"Guess we die in a girl's arms after all."
Hyun-su went limp. Resistance pointless.
"...Sorry."
Min-su closed eyes.
They gave up.
Now they'd die together.
Tang-
Dull, modern sound.
Min-su and Hyun-su looked up.
"Kids these days party hard in towers, huh..."
A woman in a mysterious white mask muttered at them. Orc's head gone. Layer quest cleared. But a tiny misunderstanding arose. With the headless orc behind, Min-su and Hyun-su yelled to clear it up. After brief chat, they stood before their savior.
"Th-thank you!"
"How can we ever repay this?!"
Hyun-su and Min-su bowed repeatedly to their rescuer.
"Eh, whatever. Any other climbers come in here?"
"No! No others! Just us two!"
"Yeah?"
"Yessir!"
Min-su barked energetically.
He'd scoured the Gallery—no one else entered.
"Then you two, c'mere."
"Yessir!"
They stepped forward.
"Don't tell a soul you saw me here."
Chilling voice.
Subtle pressure; they held breath.
"Got it?"
"Y-yes, got it!"
"Good. Gift for good listeners."
The masked woman pulled potions from her bosom.
"You look banged up. One each."
"Po-potions...!"
Hyun-su's eyes bulged at the sight.
Legendary potions C-grade and below couldn't even glimpse!
Even with stocks flooding, newbies rarely saw 'em.
Hyun-su thought: If I could smuggle this out...?
"No smuggling. Drink here."
"Yessir."
They gulped theirs down.
Achy bodies, foul mouths—clean in a flash.
"This... is a potion..."
Instantly got why everyone chased 'em.
"Seriously, never breathe a word you saw me."
"Yessir! Lips sealed forever!"
Hyun-su replied vigorously.
Free potion? Snitching would be scum.
"Then I'm out."
"Take care!"
Hyun-su bowed deep.
"One question!"
Min-su shot up a hand.
"...What?"
"What gen are you?!"
"My gen?"
The masked mystery climber pondered, then shrugged casually.
"1st."
"Ooooh!"
Min-su shivered in awe.
"No more Qs? I'm gone. Don't blab."
She waved and left.
Hyun-su exhaled held breath.
"Min-su... you sane? Asking a godlike senior her gen?"
"Why not? Had to ask."
"Ugh... whatever."
Hyun-su shook his head.
No more drama today.
Instead, eyed elsewhere.
You have cleared the layer quest.
"Quest cleared."
"Yep."
"Wonder what rewards."
Hyun-su smacked lips.
First post-Tutorial reward.
"Uh... Hyun-su?"
"Yeah?"
"Not the time for rewards, think."
"Huh? Then what?"
Hyun-su peeled from system window.
"Th-that... association staff who saw the emergency tab."
Min-su introduced the nearby figure.
"Nice to meet you. Investigator Park Ji-young."
"Aha... n-nice to meet you."
"Looks like you cleared the layer safely... so why the emergency tab?"
A faint killing intent in Investigator Park Ji-young's eyes.
Pondering how to punish reckless newbies.
Hyun-su's neck sweat resumed.
"Well..."
"Investigator! I can explain everything!"
Min-su jumped in.
"We met a masked climber!"
Betrayal faster than light.
Min-su ratted out the masked climber.