NPC (4) - How to Handle Anomalies
When something anomalous happens, close your eyes and casually turn around, fleeing back the way you came as if nothing occurred.
It was a solution straight out of a Neapolitan ghost story I'd read on the gallery.
Thanks to that, I didn't panic. I shut the shop door and bolted.
"Choi Kang-hyuk wouldn't give thanks like that."
That had to be some kind of ghost story. Or something like it.
The gallery was clear: Choi Kang-hyuk saw NPCs as objects and had never thanked one once.
Not only that. They said talking to NPCs was a luxury—climbers just exchanged glances, and you figured it out.
The gallery couldn't be wrong.
What just happened was definitely some ghost story phenomenon.
"Yeah, no doubt."
Like those urban legends from back in the day.
"Phew."
Calming my racing heart, I headed back to Uncle Hans' shop once more.
Stepping into Uncle Hans' shop again, I saw it immediately.
He was chatting casually with Uncle Hans.
"Ah."
Choi Kang-hyuk and I locked eyes again.
"Tsk..."
Maybe the gallery overhyped how weird Choi Kang-hyuk is?
He looks pretty normal.
...Come to think of it, this was only the second time I'd seen him in person.
Excluding the gallery, what did I even know about him?
I stared at Choi Kang-hyuk for a moment.
Choi Kang-hyuk.
Who the hell are you, really?
...
Choi Kang-hyuk.
The undisputed strongest climber in Korea.
A 1st-gen climber who cleared the Tutorial Tower first, conquering countless towers since.
Lately, he'd paused climbing for various reasons, but he'd come to the Climber Association at the president's summons.
"Good to see you, Choi Kang-hyuk!"
"It's been a while."
Choi Kang-hyuk gave a light nod, showing proper respect.
The Climber Association president was a fellow 1st-gen climber with Choi Kang-hyuk.
The oldest one alive: Park Jung-chan.
Park Jung-chan was 68. Before the towers, he'd been a retired soldier living a quiet life tending his garden like any ordinary citizen. But as a climber, his innate talent for leadership and connections led him to found the Climber Association and guide its members.
One of the few who could call Choi Kang-hyuk on a whim—and one of the last 1st-gens left.
"What brings you to summon me?"
"Still so impatient. Have some tea first."
"Yes, sir."
Choi Kang-hyuk sat across from Park Jung-chan naturally.
"How've you been?"
As the secretary brought tea, Park Jung-chan asked about recent events.
S-rank climbers' movements impacted the nation and beyond.
They had to be monitored constantly, but S-ranks were too individualistic for that.
So Park Jung-chan handled it personally, calling them in for casual chats.
This was only possible because he was an S-rank 1st-gen who'd cleared the Tutorial Tower first.
"Just keeping a low profile."
"Why?"
"If I climb them all, there won't be towers left for the juniors."
"Pfft. Fair point."
Park Jung-chan chuckled.
Only Choi Kang-hyuk could get away with an excuse like that.
Clink.
Hot tea arrived, pausing the conversation.
"Why'd you call me?"
Choi Kang-hyuk asked again after a sip.
"Tch. I wanted to chat, but nothing comes to mind."
Park Jung-chan threw up his hands.
Small talk with the stoic Choi Kang-hyuk was worse than talking to himself.
"Why else? You're no fun to talk to anyway."
"The tower?"
"Yeah, the tower."
Park Jung-chan quietly set documents on the desk.
"A tower popped up in the DMZ. Right on our line."
"Our jurisdiction?"
"Yep. Ours."
Park Jung-chan scratched his head.
The DMZ had changed a lot since the old days.
Once a demilitarized zone bristling with guns pointed at each other.
Now, just a buffer—and a headache generator.
"No chance of northern climbers eyeing it?"
"Nah. They notified us to handle it."
"Interesting."
"Right? Those tower-munching demons acting civil."
Park Jung-chan narrowed his eyes.
The northern headache worried him, but with official jurisdiction handed over, they wouldn't interfere.
Both knew it well.
"Why me?"
Choi Kang-hyuk's questions didn't stop.
There were other S-ranks besides them.
Most still active, some not climbing currently.
"'Cause you're the strongest."
Choi Kang-hyuk. Strongest, as his name implied.
"I see."
"Heh, no argument?"
Park Jung-chan chuckled again.
Sending the strongest to the DMZ for that reason alone was justification enough.
"What's the issue?"
"Quick on the uptake, few words, gets the job done. You should've served under me in the military."
"...I'd rather die."
Seeing Choi Kang-hyuk show emotion was rare.
His face darkened at any military mention—it was funny, but with the talk started, no more jokes.
Park Jung-chan got back to business.
"The problem's tower break. It's been over a year since it appeared."
"Max six months, then."
"Yeah. Gotta clear it within half a year. No break precursors yet, but it's only a matter of time."
Towers collapsed after exactly two years.
Monsters spilled out, eroding the surroundings.
Monsters could be killed, but erosion? No fix.
It turned land uninhabitable and boosted tower spawn rates nearby.
Just clear within two years?
No. Not even one year.
After 1.5 years, difficulty spiked.
Elite mobs in normal quests, or worst-case, bosses.
That was the tower break precursor.
No info on this tower.
Six-month timer.
Choi Kang-hyuk stared at Park Jung-chan unflinchingly.
"Where is it?"
"See? You were meant for the military."
And so, Choi Kang-hyuk entered the DMZ Tower.
...
A quiet climb.
Rumors spread by word of mouth, and by the time Choi Kang-hyuk posted his report on the gallery, it was already accepted fact there.
In the tower, he'd gathered all needed info.
The gallery was flooded with Choi Kang-hyuk talk, but he ignored the buzz and posted.
Just entered the tower. Quest is simple: Prep defenses for the upcoming monster wave by repairing the walls. Carry stone or fix walls. Sub-quests suggest it's not solo-clearable. Officially requesting Climber Association support.
It was a concise summary of findings, but Choi Kang-hyuk paused, thinking back.
'Ahaha... Forgot to mention I got this...'
The sudden NPC.
Not just that—she'd given flowers and a potion.
The flowers went straight to the trash, but the potion sat in his inventory.
"...Weird."
You wouldn't get this many potions from clearing a single tower.
Yet this NPC handed one over, no strings.
Trap? Couldn't tell.
Choi Kang-hyuk eyed the gallery, then added to the post.
He'd been recording everything since entering—for later submission.
Choi Kang-hyuk played the footage.
Skipping his initial scouting, he jumped to the mystery NPC's appearance.
He hadn't noticed at first from caution, but she was kinda cute.
'Ahaha... Forgot to mention I got this...'
The NPC who'd said that and fled.
Funnier on rewatch.
A mischievous glint in his eye, Choi Kang-hyuk clipped her flustered moment and attached it.
Suddenly, the drab post felt brighter.
"That should do."
The Association had top tower analysts.
People who could crack quests from the tiniest clues.
For them, he'd added the photo to his report.
The post went public on the Tower Gallery, stirring more waves than expected.
Especially from an unexpected source.
"That's today's quota. Stone and wood are over there."
"...Be back soon."
Mid-quest, Choi Kang-hyuk excused himself from the NPC and stepped away.
He usually ignored contacts during quests, but one exception: fellow S-rank climbers via call bell.
S-ranks shared call bells for emergencies—leveraging the gallery's comment notification feature.
He'd set alerts for call bells only, so any ping meant one thing: a comment on his bell.
Choi Kang-hyuk's fingers twitched.
Climber retirement.
Retiring alive was a blessing. Most "retired" dead.
Choi Kang-hyuk had seen plenty.
Usually from the sidelines.
Refuse here, and that climber likely wouldn't retire alive.
"...Don't know if it works yet."
Choi Kang-hyuk pulled the potion from inventory.
It shimmered beautifully.
Looked legit, but Association appraisal pending—still unknown.
If real, it'd make Choi Mi-na owe him big.
Owe an S-rank.
"What debt between us?"
They'd saved each other dozens of times.
Tutorial Tower was that brutal without info.
Giving a potion to fellow 1st-gen Choi Mi-na? No big deal.
Choi Kang-hyuk decided without hesitation.
One handy Tower Gallery feature: trade system.
He initiated trade with Choi Mi-na.
Trade request sent to StrongestBeautyChoiMiNa.
Opponent has accepted the trade request.
Choi Mi-na accepted instantly, no second thought.
Choi Kang-hyuk hit trade.
Opponent added nothing to trade. Proceed?
He accepted fast.
Now the mystery item was in Choi Mi-na's hands.
"Ha... Draining."
Sudden calls mid-quest sapped his energy.
Tower life was constant tension.
Death anywhere, anytime—extreme stress. A ping wrecked his focus.
Even on "safe" floors, it hit hard.
After seeing climbers die on "safe" floors too often, your body reacted on autopilot.
A deep breath steadied him. He returned to the NPC counting stone.
Real quest time. Gather max info till support arrived.
Info was life.
He planned an all-nighter scraping data.
Plans crumbled to unexpected variables, as always.
Another call from Choi Mi-na. Choi Kang-hyuk clicked his tongue.