Chapter 8
Chapter 8.
The Tower of Infinity that appeared in each country's capital.
When the tower first appeared, people didn't particularly feel the need to become players.
Or feel the necessity to climb the tower.
They didn't feel a reason to fight while enduring the pain of death.
[Notice: Become active as players and earn scores.]
[Notice: If score quotas are not met, the Tower of Infinity in each country will multiply.]
So even though a message appeared telling them to earn scores.
Not a single country met this requirement at first.
But after a month passed since the tower appeared.
[Notice: Monthly scores have not reached the quota.]
[Notice: The Tower of Infinity will multiply.]
As announced, one more Tower of Infinity began appearing in each country.
And it appeared directly in the residences where each country's leaders stayed, as if giving a direct warning.
And then.
[Notice: If monthly scores are not met, the next multiplication will exceed the existing tower multiplication amount.]
[Notice: In countries where more than 100 Towers of Infinity are created, a Tower of Light will be generated.]
[Notice: In countries where more than 1,000 Towers of Infinity are created, the Tower of Light will explode.]
When these messages appeared to all of humanity afterward.
People realized this wasn't simply a problem they could overlook.
Creating towers was just like having one more building built.
But the announcements about 100 and 1,000 towers were ominous.
Each country tried to deal with the tower situation.
But despite their efforts, towers were quickly created up to 100.
Then.
Kururururu!
One of the 100 towers suddenly grew rapidly.
It rose alone to enormous heights while destroying all surrounding buildings.
Its size was higher than any building humanity had constructed.
It gave people a great sense of intimidation.
'If that explodes, what on earth will happen?'
'We must prevent 1,000 from being created!'
But not all countries could meet the 'score' mentioned in the announcements.
Countries in civil war.
Countries that couldn't function as proper nations existed in considerable numbers worldwide.
Eventually, an incident occurred in an African country.
=Currently, we are at the tower in Somalia.
=In this country where civil war is extreme, they say the Tower of Infinity score has never been met once.
When more than 1,000 towers appeared, the Tower of Light became completely engulfed in light.
=Shall we take a look?
Somalia, where the system had collapsed due to extreme civil war.
There, towers had already surpassed 1,000.
The 'Tower of Light' mentioned in the announcements became completely engulfed in pure white light.
When journalists from around the world mobilized to film this from afar.
[Notice: A tower will explode for the first time.]
This message appeared to all humanity.
Ppeoppeoppung……!
Somalia's capital, Mogadishu, became completely engulfed in light.
Soon a disaster occurred.
Even the journalists who were filming from afar in preparation for the explosion.
The tower explosion boasted tremendous power that swept them away in one go.
Humanity was shocked watching the first explosion.
=Mogadishu has been completely incinerated…….
=It's as if the city was erased from the map.
=Survivors…… there isn't a single one!
Realizing the seriousness of the problem, international society quickly responded.
The International Player Federation FIPA (Fédération Internationale de Player Association) was organized.
Countries worldwide declared they would jointly respond to the Tower of Infinity.
First, the most important thing was meeting the score.
For this, many players had to be trained.
Countries encouraged becoming players and supported them at a national level.
Korea was like that until a few years ago too.
But.
'The score, you know. Isn't this level stable?'
'How long do we have to keep filling the bellies of well-earning players?'
'This seems like a complete waste of taxes!'
'We should collect taxes from them equally too!'
After the initial chaos settled.
As Korea managed scores stably for several years.
Envious gazes toward players receiving massive tax support began to increase.
And the political circles, following public sentiment, quickly jumped on this bandwagon.
"Tax benefit abolition, reduction of management office support allowances... our country's benefits for players have rapidly worsened over several years."
"Really?"
"Yeah. So everyone left."
Korea, where treatment of players rapidly worsened over several years.
Neighboring countries used this situation.
To scout large numbers of Korean players.
So in recent player statistics, Korea was listed as the country with the most emigration abroad.
"But since they all left like that, the required score suddenly increased dramatically starting a year ago?"
"The score?"
"Yeah. Even America, the world's number one, had more towers created because they couldn't meet the score."
Korea, which mistreated players when there was score leeway, causing them all to leave.
Then after the score requirement increased significantly a year ago.
They belatedly realized the seriousness of the situation and are now treating players well again.
"It's literally locking the barn after losing the cow."
"Right. But seeing the Phoenix Guild defecting, our country's treatment must still be poor. It's quite a big guild after all."
Well.
Other countries also had fires under their feet due to increased score requirements.
As treatment improved here, foreign countries probably improved theirs even more.
Slush…….
Kim Juyeong poured alcohol into his glass.
"Haah. I'm anxious that it might explode at this rate."
"The Tower of Light?"
"Yeah. Our house was completely ruined because of that damn tower. Our family leveraged everything to buy a Gangnam apartment, but a tower appeared there……."
"That's what happened."
"No, damn it, look, if just a tower had appeared, I wouldn't say anything, because it would just be like an ugly building appeared. But the tower that appeared in front of our house started glowing and swelling up???"
The Tower of Light that appears when more than 100 towers are created.
Towers of Light have been created from a minimum of 1 to a maximum of 4 depending on the country's size or population so far.
In Korea's case, there was 1 due to the narrow territory.
And that happened to be the tower that appeared in Kim Juyeong's apartment complex.
"Well, it's not completely glowing like the tower in Mogadishu, right?"
"That's true, but……."
The Tower of Light that appeared in the leveraged Gangnam apartment complex.
It wasn't completely dyed in light like the tower that triggered the Mogadishu incident.
In terms of range, about half of the tower was sparkling.
"But doesn't that ultimately mean this is the starting point of the explosion?"
"Well, that's true."
"Haah…… damn it really……. Anyway, our family went completely bankrupt. The park in the apartment complex suddenly became a Tower of Light. Even when we put the apartment on the market for half of half price, it wouldn't sell."
Kim Juyeong drinking alcohol while sighing.
Was dropping out of the university he was attending well because of that?
There was a reason why he's been swearing more lately.
"Anyway, it's good that you became a player now. Our country is fixing the barn, so the treatment should be good? Or you could just go abroad. Foreign countries will pay more money."
"Hmm."
"Ah. If you had gotten a guild contract, tremendous offers would have poured in for you……. Still, naturalization offers might come at a national level. When that happens, look at the conditions and negotiate hard."
"You're telling me to naturalize to another country?"
Lee Ganghan chuckled at those words.
"No thanks. I have to protect the house here."
"……Ah. Because of your mother?"
"Yeah."
Lee Ganghan lifted his glass.
And recalled his family.
***
10 years ago.
After contracting Tower Syndrome.
Even when Lee Ganghan screamed every time he slept and they eventually moved to a detached house.
The family's relationship was still strong.
Because everyone joined forces to treat their son's illness.
But.
'Other Tower Syndrome patients have all recovered already…….'
'Why is only our son taking this long?'
As Lee Ganghan's symptoms continued.
His parents' worry intensified.
And.
'Son, this is something mom got from a very effective place…….'
'Try eating this. They say you'll get better if you eat this.'
Especially his mother.
Perhaps because her worry about her son who wouldn't recover intensified.
She started visiting everywhere that was said to be effective.
And began feeding Lee Ganghan mysterious medicines.
Lee Ganghan ate all such things considering his mother's sincerity, but, 'Ganghan, mom found a really effective place.'
'Mom will go for a few days. If I go there and come back, our son will definitely get better!'
When her son didn't recover no matter how much medicine he took.
His mother, who left home saying she found a truly effective place, never returned after that day.
And.
'……I filed a missing person report for mom.'
'If the police station contacts us, please let me know.'
His father, who quit his job and spent years searching for his mother.
'Son…… dad borrowed a little money looking for mom.'
'I think I have to go abroad to work to pay off the debt. Can you stay alone for a while?'
After going abroad saying he had to pay off debts.
Contact became difficult.
"I should have cut it off from the beginning, telling her not to bring effective medicines and such, but to take care of her health."
"……How can a person do that?"
"Anyway…… until I hear news about my mother, I plan to stay in Korea."
Lee Ganghan smiled bitterly and lifted his glass.
Whether she's doing well or not.
Or…… whether she's dead.
Any information at all.
Only after hearing news about his mother.
He felt he could finally leave this house.
"……Right. If you don't go abroad, I'm happy, well~ since my drinking buddy remains."
Kim Juyeong lifted his glass and poured it all into his mouth.
Then he poured alcohol for himself again.
"Hey…… right! I had a really good idea."
He suggested an idea.
"What?"
"How about becoming a super celebrity?"
"……Super celebrity?"
"Yeah! You saw you hit 50,000 viewers this time, right? Your potential is limitless. This time, become a super celebrity on TowerTube. After that, wouldn't it be easier to find your mother when you look for her?"
You're telling me to gain fame.
That's not a bad idea.
"Good. Should I use channel creation right away?"
"Ah, yeah. Right now? Wouldn't it be better to do it before we get more drunk?"
"Huh? Drunk? From drinking this?"
Seeing Lee Ganghan whose complexion hadn't changed at all, Kim Juyeong clicked his tongue.
"No, how is someone who drank whiskey like that so fine? Don't you even get drunk when you become Heavenly Demon?"
"I am more fine than usual."
"Ha. So envious……. I want to crush that bastard boss with alcohol too……."
While casting the most sincere 'envious' among all the 'envious' he said today.
Kim Juyeong lent a hand in Lee Ganghan's channel creation.
"It would be good to make use of the Heavenly Demon identity. You also revealed the name Lee Ganghan to 50,000 people last time, so you must use it."
"So you're saying to go with Heavenly Demon Lee Ganghan?"
"Well…… that would be best. With your ability, everyone will pay attention without needing to cause controversy. Rather than creating a tacky channel name, let's go with that simply."
"Okay."
They created the channel with the name 'Heavenly Demon Lee Ganghan'.
Regarding what videos to upload here, Kim Juyeong stepped forward to think more about it.
"Hmm. But we created the channel, but the content is lacking. Didn't you record the last climb?"
"Can you even record?"
"Ah…… right. That time was broadcast on the official channel because you were one of the 10 promising players, not something you recorded separately. Then we can't get highlight videos and such. Record full content from tomorrow."
They made the 'Heavenly Demon Lee Ganghan' channel.
But there are no videos to upload.
Lee Ganghan looked at his channel situation for a moment.
Then calmly opened his mouth.
"When can I enter the tower?"
"Uh…… it should be 24 hours after the last game ended? It'll show up in the system window. Why?"
"Then I can enter at 7. I'm going to make content in a bit."
"Huh? After drinking?"
Tower climbing while drinking.
That's something unheard of.
"Yeah. I'm bothered by not having content. I'll finish quickly and come back, so want to eat chicken here?"
"Uh…… then half and half with lots of pickled radish for me."
"Okay."
Tuk, Tuk.
Lee Ganghan ordered chicken.
Before the chicken even arrived at home.
"Ah. It's time. I'm going first."
Lee Ganghan entered the tower, saying he was going to make content.
"Ha. Leaving a friend alone at home to climb the tower. This guy is also secretly crazy……."
Beok, Beok.
Scratching his head.
Kim Juyeong, who received the chicken on behalf of the homeowner.
Turned on his phone and entered tower.zz.
Then there was the 'Heavenly Demon Lee Ganghan' channel.
Already approaching 124 subscribers.
'……What the hell, these guys?'
I thought it would at least enter the top 10.
Kim Juyeong, who became the 125th subscriber.
Watched Lee Ganghan's 'content creation' while tearing into chicken.
At first, he just watched without much thought.
But soon.
"Wow, this guy is completely crazy……?"
Extreme praise began bursting from his mouth.