Chapter 12
Chapter 12.
'Heavenly Demon Reign Step?'
Heavenly Demon Reign Step was on the skill list that could be acquired as a bonus after obtaining the Heavenly Demon Constitution.
When I looked into the Heavenly Demon later, I learned that this was a movement technique.
'It's nice to gain something every time I wake up.'
Yesterday, the minimum grade of my Heavenly Demon Constitution trait increased.
Today, I acquired Heavenly Demon Reign Step.
Looking at just these results, gaining skills while sleeping was completely beneficial.
'But I keep getting hurt, which really bothers me.'
When I woke up yesterday, there were still some wounds remaining.
Today, there were no wounds themselves, but Kim Juyeong's recording vividly captured the process of scars appearing and healing.
So far, it's been fortunate that I got hurt and then healed.
If I had suffered a fatal wound, I might have died in my sleep.
"This... I think I need to record myself sleeping every day for a while."
"Yeah. Buy a cam or something. I think you absolutely need to record it."
Kim Juyeong yawned as he said this.
"Haaaam... I'm going home for now. I need to edit your video too."
"Alright. Get home safely."
"Oh, right. Are you going to the Tower today too?"
"Status check? If I stay awake, I'm planning to enter."
"Ah... you might get sleepy."
Lee Ganghan nodded.
The Tower of Infinity that could be entered once every 24 hours.
But the time he cleared the Tower yesterday overlapped with his usual sleeping time of 8 PM.
So today, it seemed like he wouldn't be able to enter due to sleep.
'It would be better to set the Tower entry time to morning hours.'
Otherwise, the timing would be pushed back ambiguously like this, and he might lose a day.
As Lee Ganghan decided to change his entry time to morning starting Monday.
"Oh. Then why don't you just go to the Management Office and register as a Player? Exchange TP too."
"It's Sunday though?"
"It's open on Sundays too, that place."
The TP he currently possessed was 40,000.
If he exchanged all of this, he wouldn't need to worry about living expenses for a while.
"I should do that."
Thinking that he should handle miscellaneous tasks today.
Lee Ganghan left the house with Kim Juyeong.
"But how much TP are you planning to exchange?"
"I'm thinking of exchanging all 40,000."
"40,000? You're exchanging that much?"
"Yeah."
"Hmm... Then it's a bit of a waste not to join a Guild?"
TP that Guilds give roughly 10% more for.
10% of 40,000 TP was 4,000 dollars, which was 5.2 million won in Korean currency.
It was a considerable difference.
"If you exchange through our company, we'd probably give you a bit more... Oh. But you shouldn't get involved with this place. Other Guilds would be better."
"Is it that bad?"
"Yeah. Last time, some parachute old-timers treated players like company employees with power harassment. Even after Players massively fled to other Guilds, he's still keeping his position."
Kim Juyeong said this, then spoke again with conviction.
"Hmm. This place definitely isn't it."
"Got it, got it. I won't get involved with that place."
"Good. I'll listen around about other Guilds and let you know of decent ones."
Kim Juyeong, who had zero company loyalty.
He who was telling Lee Ganghan he'd recommend other places instead of his own company.
"Oh, but I heard the government is giving benefits to new players these days. Someone of your level would receive top-tier treatment, so register first."
"But don't you need to register to exchange anyway?"
"Oh. That's right. If the rate stays the same, just exchange later. 500 is huge, you know."
Lee Ganghan nodded.
Living expenses weren't urgently needed.
Today, he'd just register, and if the exchange rate stayed the same, he'd have to change TP through another Guild later.
"Then handle your business well. I'll send the edited video to your email."
"Yeah. See you next time."
Thus, Lee Ganghan parted with Kim Juyeong and entered the new building next to City Hall.
The Tower Management Office.
Despite being Sunday, the lobby was bustling with people.
"The player registration line is here!"
"Come this way!"
There was a long line at the Player registration counter.
'Friday was the awakening period... Saturday and Sunday must be the busiest times.'
While Lee Ganghan had quickly cleared the Beginner's Tower on Friday.
Other beginners died once to the tutorial boss.
Got ambushed and killed by Goblin hordes, revived and challenged again repeatedly.
Saturday they collapsed from exhaustion.
Most Players came out to register on Sunday.
'I need to get in line.'
Swoosh.
As Lee Ganghan got in line at the Player registration counter.
Even in the long line, his tall stature made him stand out.
And soon.
Murmur, Murmur.
"Huh?"
"That person..."
"Isn't that the Heavenly Demon?"
"Wow, his physique is no joke."
Quite a few people among the crowd began to recognize him.
"Heavenly Demon? What Heavenly Demon all of a sudden?"
"Don't you know? He's the player who broke the tutorial record."
"Ah... the record was broken? I barely cleared the tutorial and just woke up a while ago."
"The community is in an uproar about it."
"He just punched through the maze map with his fists..."
Even though he had only entered the Tower twice.
Whether it was because only Players were gathered here, or because Lee Ganghan's videos were spreading so widely through the community.
Many people knew him as the 'Heavenly Demon.'
And.
"Ah. Excuse me for a moment. Please step aside~."
A staff member ran through the crowd and stood in front of Lee Ganghan.
"Are you Lee Ganghan, who got 1st place in the tutorial?"
"Yes."
"Please come this way."
The counter he led him to was completely empty.
"Oh what, isn't this special treatment?"
"Discrimination from the start. We're Players too..."
Some people complained that it wasn't fair treatment.
"It says over there that only Players with S-grade or higher traits can enter that counter."
"I heard S-grade gets precision testing and stuff, maybe that's why."
"Ah... right, if he's 1st place, he'd be S-grade anyway."
Once it was known that it was a counter that only handled Players with S-grade or higher traits.
Such complaints gradually subsided.
'But wasn't I E~SSS?'
It says only Players with S-grade or higher traits can enter this counter.
Is it okay for me to enter?
As Lee Ganghan sat at the counter with such doubts.
"Then... Lee Ganghan, we'll measure you with the precision testing equipment."
The Management Office staff member looked at Lee Ganghan with interested eyes.
And took out testing equipment that sparkled with golden light.
A machine with a camera lens attached to the top.
Where you could put your palm, with a screen above it.
'Is this the precision testing equipment?'
It looks interesting.
Swoosh.
Following the instruction to put in his right hand, as Lee Ganghan inserted his hand.
Beep! Beep!
An alarm sounded from the testing equipment.
[Trait Grade: E]
[Not subject to precision testing.]
Such a message appeared on the testing equipment's screen.
And the staff member who was helping with the test.
"...Huh? E?"
With a surprised face, unconsciously muttered this.
***
What grade other Players received was a matter that ordinary people would all be curious about.
And especially.
If it was the trait of a player like Lee Ganghan who set a new record, even more so.
It was a subject that people would naturally be curious about.
So the people who were pricking up their ears toward the counter where Lee Ganghan was sitting.
"E?"
"Huh? Wasn't it measured wrong?"
"How could E come out?"
After hearing the staff member's words, doubted their own ears.
E.
The Heavenly Demon who had just subjugated the Goblin Chief and destroyed maze map walls barely exceeded the lowest grade.
Does that make sense?
"Ah, oh... I'm sorry. I unconsciously said the test results..."
Meanwhile, the staff member bowed to Lee Ganghan with a tearful face.
Trait results and such should be kept confidential.
But the results were so surprising that he spoke without thinking.
He didn't know it would already become a rumor.
However,
"Oh. It's fine. You could be surprised."
Lee Ganghan didn't mind much.
'It said E~SSS, but I guess the latter part isn't reflected.'
Seeing that it grew from F to E initially.
The current grade level must be what's shown in front.
Of course, given the strong power shown in the Tower, he wondered if E was right.
'If E is this much, what kind of monster would I become at SSS?'
Lee Ganghan thought this as he stood up from his seat.
Anyway, the current measurement result was E.
Then instead of this counter, he should go to where people were lining up.
"Then should I go line up over there again?"
"Oh, no, I... excuse me, but is your trait really E? I think the measurement result might be wrong..."
Compared to the calm Lee Ganghan.
Rather, the staff member stepped forward and couldn't believe the measurement result.
"Yes. It's E right now."
"That's impossible..."
The Heavenly Demon who defeated the Goblin Chief, subjugated monsters, and.
Broke through paths by destroying maze walls with his fists was E?
'I was D though???'
The staff member who received D-grade trait [Strength +2] during awakening and briefly challenged being a Player.
But gave up after feeling limits from continuous deaths, absolutely couldn't believe this.
If E was this strong, shouldn't he have been stronger?
"Then I'll be going."
"Oh. W-wait... c-could you measure just one more time?"
Lee Ganghan tried to go line up again.
But rather, the staff member held him back.
"I need to line up."
"E-even if the same result comes out, I'll process it here for you! You lined up earlier but had to line up again due to our mistake..."
"Well, if you put it that way."
Thud.
As Lee Ganghan sat down again.
The staff member examined the testing equipment thoroughly, unlike before, then said.
"P-please try again."
Swoosh.
Thus the test proceeded again.
[Trait Grade: E]
[Not subject to precision testing.]
The result came out the same.
"No way... it was real..."
"Yes. It's real. Can I register now?"
"Oh. Yes! Then please fill out the checked areas here..."
The staff member handed Lee Ganghan a paper.
At the top of the document was written.
[Special Management Target Player Registration Report]
"What is a Special Management Target?"
"Oh, that's... I'm sorry. It should be a general Player registration report, but I mistakenly prepared this earlier thinking... I'll change it for you!"
This staff member really makes a lot of mistakes.
Lee Ganghan nodded and briefly looked at the documents.
Free rental of new apartments, basic allowance of 300 or more per month. Plus allowances given even for entering the Tower.
'TP exchange rate is also basic 110%... Special Management Target sounds good.'
Well, there seemed to be various clauses in the precautions like '6-month travel ban abroad' and such.
Before Lee Ganghan could look at this further, the staff member quickly changed the documents.
"Please fill this out."
"Yes."
Scribble, Scribble.
Lee Ganghan wrote simple personal information and trait grade and handed the documents to the staff member.
"Here's your registration card."
Whether the photo was taken with the lens of the precision testing equipment earlier.
A Player registration card with Lee Ganghan's face perfectly printed on it.
He received this and stood up from his seat.
"General Players have 100% exchange rate, right?"
"Oh. Yes. That's correct."
"Understood."
As Lee Ganghan nodded and tried to leave.
"Oh. Um, that..."
"...?"
"Actually, I contacted the Management Office Director thinking Lee Ganghan would naturally become a Special Management Target Player..."
Tower Management Office Director Shin Gyeongcheol.
Lee Ganghan also knew about him.
'He was Korea's representative Player with SSS-grade traits.'
He didn't accept recruitment offers from the US, China, and others.
Stayed in Korea and even devoted himself as Management Office Director.
He was said to be the most respected person among Players.
"But I'm general, aren't I?"
"Still, since Lee Ganghan achieved a new record... you should be able to meet the Director. The Management Office said the Director has time from 7 PM. We'll prepare a car to the Management Office, may we escort you?"
"7 PM?"
Lee Ganghan shook his head after hearing the time.
"That won't work."
"...Pardon?"
"I have something I do every night, so evenings don't work. I'm just a general player anyway, so please tell him it's fine."
How could he go to Seoul at 7 PM and meet the Director when he collapses at 8 PM?
Rather than showing a disgraceful sight, it would be better not to meet at all.
Lee Ganghan said this and bowed politely to the staff member.
"Then thank you for your hard work."
Lee Ganghan left without looking back.
"What... he's refusing to meet the Director?"
"He really must be E."
"A person who sets a new record is a general player..."
"That doesn't make sense. Isn't there some error in the system?"
"System error. I've never heard of such a thing."
People's murmuring intensified as they watched him.
'Well, it's a bit noisy.'
Lee Ganghan left the Management Office with his usual expression.
Thinking he should go buy a cam to record while sleeping.
***
Meanwhile,
At the Tower Management Office headquarters located in Yongsan, Seoul.
"...Player Lee Ganghan is E-grade?"
Management Office Director Shin Gyeongcheol, who received the emergency report, was frowning.