Chapter 2
Chapter 2.
The Tower of Infinity tutorial mission.
This mission, which qualified players encounter first.
Was famous for making players experience 'death' definitively at the very beginning.
In front of players who had just awakened and weren't familiar with everything yet.
A boss monster would appear and unilaterally ravage them.
[In the Tower of Infinity, you can revive anytime even if you die.]
[Challengers, don't fear death and take on the challenge!]
Don't worry about dying since you'll come back to life anyway, just get used to death.
The mission's arrangement contained this meaning.
-Ah, I absolutely can't handle this, dying like this every day?
-I want to quit being a player... it hurts too much ㅠㅠ
-There's a reason adults tell you to study
A considerable number would give up being players due to the pain and mental shock they experienced when dying.
So the government measured the 'survival rate' based on how much players didn't give up and continued the game during tutorials.
For the survival rate to come out high, it was important which boss monster they encountered first.
Some bosses would kill players with a single strike.
While some bosses would maliciously torture and toy with players.
When bosses like the former appeared, players would continue the tutorial.
But when bosses like the latter appeared, many would give up the game.
And this month's tutorial mission boss monster was the 'Castrated Goblin Chief'.
-This month's tutorial boss mob is the castrated goblin
-Ah, the one with 3 horns attached to its crotch? That's extremely disgusting ㅡㅡ
-For real, it tortures you while peeling off flesh piece by piece
-And then licks the wounds with its tongue, it's really gross
-I also quit because of the chief...
Once it subdued a player, it would tear off flesh piece by piece.
Licking the blood of opponents dying from excessive bleeding with its long tongue.
The goblin chief, the worst boss for player survival rates.
Lee Ganghan, who was summoned into the tutorial mission.
"KIKIKIK......"
Faced that boss monster that was looking at him with a disgusting expression and laughing.
[You face the tutorial boss, 'Castrated Goblin Chief'.]
LICK. LICK.
The goblin chief licking its curved blade while baring its teeth.
Originally goblins were about the size of young children.
But the goblin chief, being a boss monster, had a height exceeding 2 meters with a massive build.
With such a boss wielding a blade and emanating killing intent.
How could people who had lived as ordinary citizens and entered the tutorial overcome this?
However,
"Hmm."
Rather than being intimidated by the chief's aura, Lee Ganghan.
"My body feels light?"
SWISH, SWISH.
Was jumping in place with a relaxed expression.
"KIKIKIK...... You're pretending to be composed."
"You speak Korean well? Is it auto-translation?"
"Even if I peel off your flesh piece by piece, I look forward to seeing if you'll remain so arrogant!"
THUMP! THUMP!
The goblin chief approached step by step.
The footsteps sound loud, befitting its massive frame.
A speed too fast for beginners to react to.
However.
THWACK!
"KEUK......?"
When Lee Ganghan lightly extended his fist. The goblin chief's face was crushed just like that.
A completely unexpected counterattack.
When the chief's movement faltered.
"Do I do it like this?"
THWACK! THWACK!
Lee Ganghan's fists continued to strike the increasingly crushed face faster and faster.
"EEK......!"
The goblin chief flailed its arms desperately trying to counterattack.
SWISH.
Lee Ganghan lightly dodged this and continued hitting the same spot he'd been hitting.
At this point, it was unclear who the boss monster was.
CRACK!
Soon, along with the sound of teeth breaking.
TRICKLE.......
Blood began flowing from the goblin chief's mouth.
[You have obtained the skill, 'Heavenly Demon Divine Fist'.]
A message appeared along with it.
'I just hit its face a bit and it gives me a skill.'
Aren't they just attaching Heavenly Demon to everything?
Lee Ganghan chuckled and extended his fist again.
Then.
FLASH!
The goblin chief's head was instantly torn apart and flew away entirely.
PSHHHH!!!
As blood poured from its neck like a fountain.
"Oh."
Lee Ganghan withdrew his fist.
Was this the Heavenly Demon Divine Fist activating?
Strong.
'But why am I good at fighting?'
Since becoming 190cm tall due to Tower Syndrome in his first year of middle school.
Lee Ganghan had never been picked on in all his life since then.
He'd never picked fights either, so he hadn't thrown a single punch in 10 years.
But when fighting the chief today.
Skillfully dodging attacks and counterattacking.
He wondered if he had really done that himself.
'It's also my first time seeing a head fly off, but I don't feel much about it.'
In his life, the only living things he'd killed were cockroaches and mosquitoes.
Even though he'd blown away the goblin chief's head, his body should have naturally shrunk back.
But he was surprisingly calm, even surprising himself.
'The fighting too...... is this because of the Heavenly Demon Divine Art? Interesting.'
Actually, when you become a player, your instinctive aversion to killing becomes dulled.
But cases as composed as Lee Ganghan were also uncommon.
As he tilted his head in wonder.
"That aside...... it had quite a build but was easier than I thought."
He looked at the chief with its neck blown away.
Originally, this boss monster should have overwhelmingly pushed back the player, who should have died.
'Heavenly Demon Constitution, is it a better ability than expected?'
What Lee Ganghan had been interested in throughout his life was the connection with 'Tower Syndrome' rather than the 'Tower' missions themselves.
Still, he knew the fact that players generally died once during tutorials before starting.
But after easily smashing what seemed like a fairly powerful boss.
He felt that the trait he'd obtained this time was quite useful.
Then.
HISSSS.......
One of the three horns hanging on the goblin chief's lower body disappeared.
GURGLE, GURGLE......!
The head began regenerating from the neck area.
And soon.
"YOU BASTARD......! How dare you!"
The revived goblin chief shouted triumphantly.
"So what."
BANG!
The head flew off again from Lee Ganghan's single strike.
HISSSS.......
Then another horn disappeared.
'I guess it dies when all the horns disappear.'
Those 3 horns seemed to be connected to this goblin chief's lifeline.
"Wait...... what are you? Are you really a newbie?"
The revived chief spoke with a perplexed expression.
"Yeah. That's right."
BANG!
Lee Ganghan answered lightly and blew away the regenerated head again.
HISSSS.......
Then the last remaining horn disappeared too.
GURGLE, GURGLE.......
The goblin chief's head regenerated again.
'This should be the last time.'
When Lee Ganghan was preparing to blow away the head again.
"W-wait! Wait!"
The goblin chief, whose lower body horn stack had completely disappeared.
"EEK! P-Player! Just a moment!"
With an attitude 180 degrees different from its earlier high-handed behavior.
Began groveling to Lee Ganghan.
"I-if you just pass by, the mission will be complete. You don't need to kill me......"
"Really? But killing you would be better, right?"
"Th-that's right. Items! I'll give you all the items I have!"
"I can take them all if I kill you, right?"
Is this what a newbie who just entered the tutorial should be saying?
When the goblin chief was speechless and couldn't make a sound.
Lee Ganghan suddenly recalled the skill he'd received earlier.
'It definitely said to receive bows, right?'
-Receive worship from all people. The more bows you receive, the stronger you become.
The 'Heavenly Demon Eternal, Ten Thousand Demons Prostrate' that presented unusual conditions.
Lee Ganghan decided to test it here.
"Good. I'll give you a chance."
"A chance?"
"Yeah."
POINT.
He pointed at the ground with his finger.
"Bow."
***
"B-bow......?"
"You don't know what a bow is, do you?"
"I-I don't know......"
When the goblin chief spoke while rolling its eyes.
Lee Ganghan raised his fist again.
Then.
"I know! I know!"
THUD!
The goblin chief quickly planted its head on the ground to avoid death.
Then.
[A boss monster prostrates before you.]
[The Heavenly Demon Constitution trait is enhanced.]
[Heavenly Demon Divine Art duration is extended.]
FLASH......!
A dark red light flickered from Lee Ganghan's body.
His body became even lighter.
'Oh...... so this was it?'
Though he couldn't clearly feel how much stronger he'd become.
He definitely felt his body had improved.
As Lee Ganghan clenched and unclenched his fist.
[When a worshipper chants 'Heavenly Demon Eternal, Ten Thousand Demons Prostrate', you can receive stronger effects.]
The system provided a tip.
How considerate.
"Hey, while bowing, try saying 'Heavenly Demon Eternal, Ten Thousand Demons Prostrate'."
"Heavenly Demon Eternal? What's that?"
"I don't really know either."
"......What?"
"But if I tell you to do it, you have to do it, right?"
When Lee Ganghan showed his fist while saying this.
The goblin chief had no choice but to do as instructed.
"Heavenly Demon Eternal, Ten Thousand Demons......"
"Ten Thousand Demons Prostrate."
"Ah, yes...... Heavenly Demon Eternal, Ten Thousand Demons Prostrate!"
THUD!
As the goblin chief planted its head again.
FLASH......!
An even stronger light than before flowed from Lee Ganghan's body.
And.
[You have completely subjugated a boss monster.]
[Heavenly Demon Divine Art duration is greatly extended.]
[You can register an opponent in the Ten Thousand Demon Battle.]
[Will you register 'Castrated Goblin Chief' in the Ten Thousand Demon Battle? (0/10,000)]
'Ten Thousand Demon Battle? What's this now?'
Seeing it show 0/10,000.
Can I put in 10,000 of them?
Lee Ganghan tilted his head.
'There's lots of empty space, so let's test it.'
He pressed yes for now.
Then.
WHOOOOSH......!
"AH, AHHHHH......!"
The goblin chief's forehead burst into flames.
Soon, the Chinese character for demon 魔 was carved there.
[You have registered 'Castrated Goblin Chief' in the Ten Thousand Demon Battle.]
[The Ten Thousand Demon Battle function can be used from level 5.]
After registering it.
It was a function available from level 5.
"What......? Ten Thousand Demon Battle members? What the hell does this mean!"
The goblin chief expressed confusion as if some message had appeared to it too.
FLASH!
When light flickered from the Chinese character carved on its forehead.
"AHHHHH......!"
Its body was sucked into the character.
'Is it related to the Ten Thousand Demon Battle function?'
That guy.
I was going to make him bow and then kill him, what a waste.
Lee Ganghan clicked his tongue.
'He said just passing by would complete the mission.'
Beyond where the goblin chief had been.
He walked toward the portal sparkling with pure white light.
FLASH......!
As he entered the world beyond the portal.
[Welcome to the Tower of Infinity.]
[You have subdued the tutorial boss.]
[You can skip the tutorial. Will you climb the tower immediately?]
A system message appeared before Lee Ganghan's eyes.
It had already been 10 years since the tower appeared.
Perhaps because so much information about the Tower of Infinity had been released.
Most beginners would skip the tutorial.
However,
'I need to take this.'
Lee Ganghan personally needed to take the tutorial.
When he pressed 'No'.
[Tutorial will proceed.]
[1 - Try opening your status window.]
The system began teaching from the basics.
***
'It's really for complete beginners.'
The tutorial conducted by system messages.
What it taught were basics of basics like opening status windows and inventory windows.
Now, 10 years after the tower appeared.
System operation methods that even children knew.
But the reason Lee Ganghan patiently endured and listened to it all was.
[The tutorial has ended.]
[Do you have any related questions?]
There was a reason for everything.
'Questions...... finally it comes.'
The opportunity to ask questions given when you faithfully complete the tutorial.
Of course, the system only answered matters related to the tutorial.
"I'm currently suffering from sleeping sickness, commonly called 'Tower Syndrome'...... is this disease related to the tower?"
Lee Ganghan wanted to ask the system directly about this if given the chance.
Of course, he already knew that most responses would be.
-This is a question unrelated to the tutorial.
He was grasping at straws.
However,
[It is related.]
Unexpectedly.
The system readily admitted it was related.
"Really? How is it related?"
Having asked without much expectation and hearing that answer.
Lee Ganghan's eyes flashed as he immediately asked a follow-up question.
[The tutorial has ended.]
[You will now ascend to the 1st stage of the Tower of Infinity, 'Beginner's Tower'.]
The system didn't answer this.
And proceeded with the tower climbing.
'......Ha. It just proceeds directly.'
Well, just admitting it's related is already a gain.
But it's disappointing I can't ask more questions.
'For now...... I'll have to find out for myself while climbing.'
Lee Ganghan thought this as he entered the Beginner's Tower.
[Among 10,000 beginners, 1,812 have given up.]
[You compete with 8,188 people.]
[Climb the tower faster than your competitors.]
[Player Lee Ganghan's rank is 1,524th.]
Then.
CRACKLE......!
Sparks flew in the air.
Pure white letters floated up.
What appeared there was the number 1,524th place.
'Are they telling me to always be conscious of my current rank?'
1,524th place.
I defeated the tutorial boss quickly.
Did my rank come out like this because I didn't skip the tutorial?
Lee Ganghan looked around.
The 1st floor of 'Beginner's Tower'.
The starting point was an armory.
Various weapons, armor, and shields were lined up.
What would be better to choose? As Lee Ganghan was looking at these.
[You are a player who subdued the tutorial boss.]
[The armory will disappear.]
HISSSS.......
The weapons displayed in the armory suddenly.
Gradually became transparent and disappeared.
"They won't even give me weapons for subduing the boss?"
The weapons in the armory were for real beginners.
Was it that those strong enough to defeat the tutorial boss should proceed on their own?
Lee Ganghan chuckled bitterly and looked ahead.
There.
"KIKIK......"
"KIKIKIK!"
Monsters with green skin.
Goblins were baring their teeth at Lee Ganghan while holding crude weapons.
More than half the size of the goblin chief he'd subdued earlier, like young children.
Compared to the Castrated Goblin Chief that was a boss monster, they were clearly weaker opponents.
It seemed he could easily subdue them.
However.
[The duration of Heavenly Demon Divine Art is ending.]
[Enhancement effects will disappear.]
With that message.
PSHHHH.......
Black smoke rose from Lee Ganghan's body, and the strength throughout his body clearly diminished.
'There was a time limit.'
So this was the source of the monstrous strength that defeated the goblin chief.
As Lee Ganghan stood still looking at the message.
RUSTLE......!
Two goblins spread out to both sides.
Cautiously closing the distance.
Then, Lee Ganghan continued not moving.
"KIIIEK!"
Screaming, both attacked simultaneously.
Spears and swords stabbing out agilely.
Though the weapons were crude.
For Lee Ganghan, who was barehanded in a t-shirt, it was a threatening attack.
However,
"Hm?"
GRAB!
Lee Ganghan caught the sword and spear with his bare hands.
And tilted his head.
"Even after Heavenly Demon Divine Art ended......"
And when he put strength into his fists.
SNAP!
The sword and spear broke instantly.
"KIIT......?"
When the goblins widened their eyes seeing this.
Lee Ganghan lightly extended his fist.
BANG! BANG!
The goblins' heads exploded simultaneously.
"I didn't get much weaker, did I?"
No.
Are these guys weak?
TAP, TAP.
He brushed the blood off his fists.
'The rank is still 1,524th...... It doesn't update just from catching monsters.'
Does it change when I climb up?
After checking the rank floating in the air once, Lee Ganghan continued moving forward.