Chapter 16
Chapter 16
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 16
Chapter Title: Tower of Challenge
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Chapter 16
Tower of Challenge.
It was one of the public gates managed by the country, a place commonly called a 'hunting ground' where players level 20 and below could grow freely.
Su-ho had come here for a couple of reasons. One was to conquer the tower, as he had mentioned to Jo Jin-hwi earlier, but the more primal reason was, of course, rapid growth.
After all, his current self was essentially back to level zero.
And on top of that...
'I'll definitely get my hands on it here.'
The hidden piece unique to Pangyo's Tower of Challenge.
That was one of the main reasons Su-ho had come.
Next, Su-ho checked his status window.
[ An Su-ho ]
- Lv: 10
- Class: Healer
- Strength: 20
- Vitality: 20
- Mana: 20
- Sense: 10
- Bonus Stats: 0
He had deliberately not put any points into Sense.
Stats like Sense, which activated dynamic vision or mana detection, weren't immediately necessary compared to the others.
Once prepared, Su-ho headed to the Tower of Challenge entrance, holding his brand-new hunter license that was still practically wet with ink.
"Tank wanted!"
"Melee DPS, one spot open!"
"Looking for a supporter!"
As he approached the Tower of Challenge entrance, he saw a crowd of people.
They were all there to form parties for group hunts.
Hunting in parties was far more efficient than soloing in the Tower of Challenge.
'Of course, more people means less experience per person... but in the long run, it's still better to team up.'
Naturally, Su-ho planned to climb alone, just as he had told Jo Jin-hwi.
He knew plenty about the Tower of Challenge.
Su-ho went to the entrance and handed his license to the staff member, requesting entry.
The staff member alternated between looking at the license and Su-ho before asking,
"Solo?"
"Yes."
"Your license number shows you passed yesterday... If it's your first time, wouldn't it be better to form a party and challenge it together?"
Since the Tower of Challenge was a public gate, all the staff were civil servants.
In simple terms, they were part of the National Hunter Association.
That's why they gave such advice.
Even in a beginner hunting ground like the Tower of Challenge, where only those level 20 and below could enter, accidents still happened.
"I'm fine. I prefer going alone."
"Alright... I understand."
Still, they couldn't force someone who insisted on going solo to stop.
There was no law against it.
After paying a small entry fee, Su-ho stepped through the door the staff member opened.
A portal appeared behind the door, and Su-ho stepped inside without hesitation.
[ Entering the Tower of Challenge. ]
[ The Tower of Challenge allows mid-challenge withdrawal... ]
Upon entering the tower, the relevant notices popped up.
He remembered them all.
So he quickly skipped through.
There wasn't much to watch out for in the Tower of Challenge.
You could give up anytime during the challenge.
'Shouting the surrender declaration sends you straight back to the 1st floor entrance.'
That's why, as long as you didn't overdo it, you rarely died in the Tower of Challenge—and that was the decisive reason beginner hunters flocked here.
Soon, he entered the 1st floor, where a field about the size of a small athletic field unfolded.
[ You have entered the 1st floor. ]
[ Starting the 1st floor challenge. ]
The tower's notification.
At the same time, slimes began popping into his view.
'Right, the 1st floor is slimes.'
Su-ho pulled a sword from his inventory.
It was the beginner's sword he had received from the system upon class selection.
He had bought other weapons at Dongdaemun Market, but for now, he used the beginner's sword.
It was more than enough at this stage.
Su-ho began swinging his sword in earnest to start his climb.
***
'Is this guy insane?'
After the call ended, Jo Jin-hwi stared at Su-ho's number for a while.
At first, he thought it was crazy.
But between the top scorer thing and the way he talked, nothing seemed like a lie no matter how he looked at it.
'What the hell is he after?'
Moreover, even after hearing such an absurd proposal, his instincts still pointed to Su-ho.
That bothered him the most.
After much deliberation, he finally decided.
"Screw it. If it works, great; if not, whatever."
Jo Jin-hwi began writing an article about An Su-ho.
***
According to Su-ho's memory, the official highest record in the Tower of Challenge was 49 floors.
Of course, that was from his past life, and the current known record was 29 floors.
Even that had been set by a party.
'They had no choice but to go with a party.'
The Tower of Challenge scaled monster levels proportionally with each floor.
For example, the 19th floor had level 19 monsters.
That's why those challenging the record formed parties of level 20 hunters—the max entry limit—and attempted the climb.
It was the most efficient method.
But then a player broke that conventional wisdom: Jang Pyeong-ho, once called the 'Fortress King.'
[ You have cleared the 18th floor. ]
[ Moving to the 19th floor. ]
After hunting all monsters on the 18th floor, a portal to the upper floor appeared.
Su-ho entered without pause, and the challenge began the moment he did.
[ You have entered the 19th floor. ]
[ Starting the 19th floor challenge. ]
The 19th floor had just one monster.
Its name was Red Gain—a red-skinned creature with white hair and a single horn on its head, better known by its nickname, Red Dokkaebi.
Su-ho unleashed his sword like a gunshot toward the creature charging at him the moment it spotted him.
Slash!
The blade shot from his waist carved a massive gash into Red Gain's neck, still out of striking range.
A huge fountain of blood erupted from its neck, and it collapsed dead before even reaching Su-ho.
[ You have defeated Red Gain. ]
[ You have cleared the 19th floor. ]
[ Moving to the 20th floor. ]
After defeating Red Gain, a portal to the 20th floor appeared.
But Su-ho ignored it and approached the corpse, flipping it over.
Normally, tower monsters faded away slowly upon death, but Red Gain was an exception.
And that was because the hidden piece Su-ho sought was on this guy.
Su-ho yanked off the necklace around its neck.
A typical bone necklace made from various beast fangs.
Of course, he couldn't equip it.
It wasn't an item obtained through the system.
What Su-ho wanted wasn't the necklace itself, but the 'small key' hidden among the bone ornaments.
'Here it is.'
The key was made of bone and resembled the other decorations, making it hard to distinguish without close inspection.
But Su-ho knew it was a key.
After all, this was the alpha and omega that had rocked the world in the past—belonging to Fortress King Jang Pyeong-ho.
With the key in hand, Su-ho activated Mana Detection to scan the surroundings.
He soon found an incongruous groove nearby, which he knew was the keyhole Jang Pyeong-ho had mentioned.
The key fit perfectly into the groove.
Turning it produced a click! as it sank inside.
[ You have discovered Red Gain's hidden lair. ]
Rumble rumble rumble!
The system notification.
It meant he had found Red Gain's den.
At the same time, a new rectangular portal shimmered into existence.
'So this is the entrance to the Fortress King's fortress.'
Fortress King Jang Pyeong-ho.
He had been your average, run-of-the-mill hunter player.
Then one day, he found the key on Red Gain in the Tower of Challenge and acquired a special skill: Subspace House.
Subspace skills weren't all that rare.
There were plenty of items with subspace functions too, not just skills.
But Jang Pyeong-ho became the Fortress King because his Subspace House had a crucial difference from ordinary ones.
'His Subspace House could hold living beings.'
Normal inventories or subspaces couldn't hold living creatures.
Like people or animals.
But Jang Pyeong-ho's Subspace House could accommodate all living beings, including people.
That's how he became the world-famous Fortress King.
No one could drag him out if he holed up inside.
He had other nicknames too, like Submarine King or Perseverance King.
As Su-ho stepped into the Subspace House, the scenery shifted again, revealing the interior.
'This is the Subspace House...'
It was Su-ho's first time seeing inside one.
Only those permitted by Jang Pyeong-ho could enter.
Unlike empty standard subspaces, the interior was decorated like a real home.
Though currently styled to Red Gain's tastes—but Su-ho could redecorate it.
That's when it happened.
[ The owner of the Subspace House has died. ]
[ The Subspace House requires a new owner. ]
[ Would you like to become the new owner of the Subspace House? ]
The system's question.
Just as expected.
Subspace House was a skill bound to its user.
With the owner dead, it was first-come, first-served.
Su-ho nodded without hesitation.
[ You have become the new owner of the Subspace House. ]
[ Congratulations! You have learned Subspace House (S). ]
[ The Subspace House is now bound to you. ]
[ The Subspace House is influenced by your mana. ]
The S-rank mark next to Subspace House.
The clear sign of an S-rank skill.
However, no bonus stats were awarded this time.
It was just a discovery, not an achievement earned through his own efforts.
As soon as the skill bound to Su-ho, changes began in the house interior.
Rumble—
With a faint vibration, the structure shifted, and the space expanded.
Su-ho's mana was higher than Red Gain's.
And not only that—the interior, decorated to Red Gain's tastes, soon transformed into a clean design matching Su-ho's preferences.
It looked just like a typical Korean apartment living room.
'It really is influenced by the user's mana.'
At that moment, the small key Su-ho had taken crumbled away and vanished.