Chapter 36
Chapter 36.
'S grade? I even killed the snake though?'
Lee Ganghan, who had mainly received SSS+ grades until now.
Since he had caught even the chasing snake, he expected to receive SSS+ this time too.
Unfortunately, the settlement showed an S grade.
'Was there some condition I failed to clear?'
Looking at the phrases that appear during grade settlement, those seem to be the conditions that make up the grade.
What came out was "cleared within 1 hour" and "defeated 80% of Lizardmen," that was all.
It seemed like there was some hidden clear condition.
'I thought killing the snake was that kind of condition... unexpected.'
Was there something else he could do in that tower besides killing the snake?
Lee Ganghan tilted his head in confusion.
Since the result had come out this way, there was nothing he could do about it.
[Clear rewards will be given in proportion to the evaluation score.]
[Opening clear rewards.]
[Level increases by 1.]
[Level has reached the current grade limit. Additional experience will be accumulated as the player's personal 'Score.']
[You gain 4,000 TP.]
He received the clear rewards.
'Instead of leveling up being blocked, they give more Score.'
Score.
The points that determine whether towers appear or don't appear in each country every month.
The Score accumulated by individual players each month was added to the Score of the country where the player was currently located.
This score varied depending on the grade earned.
For an Iron grade like Lee Ganghan, it wasn't enough to make a significant contribution.
Therefore,
'Even if the score accumulates, it doesn't seem very useful... disappointing.'
Until advancing to Bronze, the level limit was fixed at 25.
Until then, he would just be collecting meaningless scores.
Lee Ganghan clicked his tongue.
In the game, he received tremendous TP sponsorship through TowerTube.
He also had many achievements like testing Non-Face-to-Face Worship.
But the actual settlement was disappointing.
'Well, I gained a lot today, so I should be satisfied with this much.'
As he was thinking this.
Before he knew it, his body had returned home.
The first thing he checked after coming home was the TP displayed in the status window.
"Whoa... what the?"
The TP column showed a number exceeding 1 million.
Today's sponsorship did explode quite a bit.
But to exceed 1 million.
'This is over 1.3 billion won... crazy?'
Being the first player to destroy a tower.
Plus, scouts from various countries tried to make contact by providing huge sponsorships, so he thought a large amount would have accumulated.
Still, he didn't expect it to exceed the number 1 million.
Lee Ganghan blinked his eyes several times.
'Should I use this money to upgrade Ten Thousand Demon Battle?'
Soon his thoughts turned to the Ten Thousand Demon Battle.
Until now, he had been upgrading while barely scraping together enough TP.
Now that he was financially well-off, he looked into whether additional upgrades were possible.
However.
[To upgrade 'Goblin Black Market' to Lv.2, the following conditions must be met.]
[To upgrade 'Orc Shaman's Altar' to Lv.2, the following conditions must be met.]
Facilities with Lv attached in Ten Thousand Demon Battle.
Basically required the player to advance to Bronze or higher.
This was a situation where he couldn't spend TP even if he wanted to.
'But isn't it awkward to make an Elf Foundation right now?'
Even though he had a lot of TP.
The only being who would go in there and live was Karana, who firmly believed she was an Orc.
As long as she continued to stay at the Shaman's Altar.
The Elf Foundation would be empty land, so there was no need to build it right now.
'Plus, I don't know how much TP it will cost when I actually try to level up after meeting the upgrade conditions for the Black Market or Altar.'
The Black Market cost 60,000 TP.
The Orc Shaman's Altar cost 200,000 TP.
When these upgrade to level 2, he didn't know how much more it would cost.
Just because he had some extra money now, it was awkward to spend recklessly.
'Let's keep saving until I become Bronze.'
Lee Ganghan thought this way.
He considered his schedule until becoming Bronze.
Today's tower was stage 6.
Stages 7 through 10 would take 4 days.
'Ah. If I count the 2 unused Sky Treasure Vault tickets, that's 6 days.'
Sky Treasure Vault, which had considerable difficulty for a bonus map.
That map he had planned to challenge again later.
Now it seemed like he could enter it.
His level had reached 25, and his Heavenly Demon Constitution had become D grade, qualifying him to obtain Heavenly Demon Divine Sword.
'Still, I should enter regular towers for about 3 days. After that much time passes, interest should die down a bit.'
Sky Treasure Vault, which was more difficult compared to other maps.
He wanted to challenge this when interest had calmed down a bit, not when it was exploding like now.
'Then I should investigate how people conquered other Iron maps.'
After receiving an S grade in today's map.
Lee Ganghan felt the need to investigate the clear conditions of other Iron Towers.
Up to S grade, it seemed like defeating enemies quickly and climbing the tower within a fast time would work.
'I need to find out the hidden conditions to get SSS+.'
As Lee Ganghan was thinking about future plans.
Brrrrr...
His phone vibrated.
Shin Yuri: Heavenly Demon!
Shin Yuri: You did really well with today's broadcast. Proposals are already coming in to us.
Shin Yuri: I'll try to draw out the best conditions possible, so please don't give a definitive answer anywhere first and wait patiently.
Waiting was easy enough.
-Yes. I understand. Please take care of it.
Shin Yuri: Yes! I'll work hard to coordinate and create the best result! Ah.
I'll also have a tug-of-war with our country's Management Office, so even if they contact you separately, please tell them you left it to me. They might appeal to patriotism and sentiment.
Patriotism.
Of course, Lee Ganghan wasn't without this feeling either.
But getting ripped off in a contract was clearly a different matter.
-Yes. I'll do that.
Lee Ganghan ended the conversation with Shin Yuri like that.
"Having an agent is nice."
He thought anew that he had done well to contract with her.
Having a representative definitely made things convenient.
'Then let me do what I need to do.'
Lee Ganghan recited the true manual of Heavenly Demon Divine Art, sent today's streaming video to Kim Juyeong.
And even investigated the clear conditions of Iron Towers.
'There are hardly any cases where clear conditions are known.'
Even after handling all these various tasks.
The time was still only 9 PM.
Of course, in the past, this would have been bedtime already.
'Now that the sleeping sickness is cured, this time is completely free too.'
Now his mind was just perfectly clear.
So what should he do now? As he was thinking carefully.
He remembered the contact he had sent to his father.
He had sent a message after coming out of the First Tower.
The number 1 that still hadn't disappeared.
'I should send it once more.'
Lee Ganghan sent another message through messenger and waited for a reply.
But for 3 days.
No reply came.
***
[Settling Iron Tower No.33 performance...]
[You cleared the tower within 1 hour.]
[You defeated 80% or more of the Slimes.]
[Clear Evaluation - S]
Third day of tower climbing.
Lee Ganghan frowned upon seeing the S grade.
'In 3 days, I got S twice and SSS+ once.'
Since he had received more SSS+ grades until now, he didn't know.
This was harder than expected.
'Even when I look up information, there's no one who properly knows about evaluation conditions.'
How many enemies you defeated.
How long it took to clear.
These were the two most important axes for measuring performance.
All players did their best to somehow raise only these measurements.
Players with enough leeway to look for hidden conditions aiming for SSS+ like Lee Ganghan were extremely few.
Perhaps that's why.
-How did you get SSS+?
-Could you upload a strategy video?
-ㅋㅋㅋㅋ What strategy, can you even follow the Heavenly Demon?
-Still, it would be good to know the clear conditions at least...
The information Lee Ganghan was looking for hardly came out.
Instead, most people were asking him in reverse how exactly he had received SSS+.
He would continue to look into SSS+ clear conditions.
But thinking he shouldn't have high expectations, Lee Ganghan returned home.
'That aside... now the viewer count has dropped significantly to below 100,000.'
In the streaming he turned on after the tower was destroyed.
Eyes from all over the world were focused, so viewers exploded.
But after the outline became somewhat clear, the number of viewers had dropped significantly.
'With interest having died down this much, it should be okay to challenge Sky Treasure Vault.'
Actually, the viewer count was still high even now.
But for Lee Ganghan, who had experienced the million-viewer era, it was a number he couldn't get used to.
Now he would get the skill Heavenly Demon Divine Sword from Sky Treasure Vault.
And clear the 10th stage tower to advance to Bronze.
As Lee Ganghan was thinking about the route to Bronze.
Trililing...
A call came from Shin Yuri.
[Heavenly Demon!]
"Yes."
Though he had said once that she could speak more casually.
Shin Yuri, who kept calling him Heavenly Demon saying Heavenly Demon is Heavenly Demon.
She continued speaking in a bright voice.
[They're sending a private jet from FIPA on Friday, telling you to come to the awards ceremony this Saturday!]
"A private jet?"
[Yes. Really shows the difference from our country, doesn't it? They had media play with 100 million won prize money and got backlash instead.]
For the achievement of being the first in the world to destroy a tower.
Korea's Tower Management Office had announced they would give Lee Ganghan a certificate of commendation and prize money.
This time they specifically raised the prize money from 10 million won to 100 million won and made it into an article.
-100 million is one thing, but why are they bragging about raising it from 10 million? ㅋㅋ
-ㄹㅇ Is this like 'we paid special attention'? ㄷㄷ
-I think the donations Heavenly Demon received in one day back then exceeded 1 billion ㅋㅋㅋ
-Hurry up and put him as Special Management Target to hold onto him ㅡㅡ
-Will Special do it? Need to add +++ to Special
-That's right, at this rate Heavenly Demon's immigration consideration keeps rising...
They only got criticized asking if that was something to brag about.
Meanwhile, FIPA.
[FIPA, promises to give 'Heavenly Demon Lee Ganghan' a special item.]
[FIPA Chairman Blatter, interviews 'The player who destroyed a tower first deserves a special award.']
They had announced in a big way that they would give Lee Ganghan a special item.
'I wonder what the special item will be.'
They hadn't specifically said what they would give.
But seeing them make it into an article like this, they must be giving something decent.
[Ah. Heavenly Demon, I'm asking just in case, but you have a passport, right?]
"Passport... I made one in high school, let me look for it."
He had made it because they were going abroad for a school trip.
But in the end, he couldn't go due to Tower Syndrome.
[Yes. Since you're departing Friday, look for it slowly.]
"I'll look for it right now."
Lee Ganghan hung up the phone.
He thought about the whereabouts of his passport.
'I don't think I saw it when I searched the master bedroom last time.'
When he had thoroughly searched to get information related to his mother.
He definitely hadn't seen anything like a passport.
'Then is it in my room after all?'
Lee Ganghan thought this way and went to his room.
Drrrrrk.
As he rummaged through the desk drawers here and there.
"It's here."
The passport was found deep inside the bottom drawer.
As Lee Ganghan was about to take it out.
Srrk.
His hand brushed against the rough wooden bottom of the drawer.
Then.
Flash...!
"Huh?"
A red light flashed from the bottom of the drawer.
[The blessing of %&$&$ is activated.]
A message appeared saying that the nameless blessing that had been dominating Lee Ganghan was activated.
What.
The blessing suddenly activated just from touching the drawer bottom?
It was definitely just a wooden bottom.
'Don't tell me that Tower Syndrome is acting up again...?'
Lee Ganghan had that thought first upon seeing the message.
[You are in an awakened state.]
[The blessing cannot dominate you.]
Fortunately, his 'awakening' was maintained.
He could avoid being dominated by the nameless blessing again.
However.
Paaaaat...!
Just like in the video he had recorded before.
The phenomenon of a red portal opening was reproduced this time too.
"..."
If he enters this, does it go to the First Tower?
"Inventory."
He opened his inventory and checked the 'First Tower's Seal' that could enter the First Tower.
It was still in reuse cooldown.
Then this portal opened separately from the seal.
"Wow... this opens just from touching the drawer bottom?"
He had searched the master bedroom trying to find if his mother was connected to this.
But it turns out.
My room was the problem?
Lee Ganghan laughed bitterly as he looked at the portal.
The portal that opened large at first but was gradually getting smaller.
If he stayed without entering like this, it seemed like it would disappear soon.
'Well, now that it's come to this... should I get some guidance on Heavenly Demon Divine Art from the Divine Maiden?'
The seal's 2-week cooldown was a bit long.
Lee Ganghan decided to enter the First Tower with his own feet.
Swish!
He threw his body into the portal that was about to disappear.
Then.
[Wow! Heavenly Demon...! You've finally come!]
In the world beyond the portal.
The Divine Maiden ghost with disheveled hair welcomed him enthusiastically.