<Tower of the Han Man Strategy 15>
I've always been introverted.
Even in daycare, it was the same.
Daycare felt like a wild jungle - a survival-of-the-fittest world.
When a stronger kid snatched the toy I was playing with, I just watched silently.
I could always play with another toy.
Elementary school was no different.
It got worse.
Poverty was the problem.
Faded clothes, worn-out shoes, a frayed backpack... and rumors that I lived in the neighborhood's most dilapidated villa.
Back then, terms like "villa beggar" and "rental beggar" were trending among elementary schoolers.
Few wanted to partner with me.
In middle school, I remained isolated.
Puberty amplified my timid nature.
Not that it bothered me much.
I never really wanted friends anyway.
This continued through high school.
I ate lunch alone.
Social exclusion came standard.
The quintessential outsider's life.
The mere thought of change terrified me.
"If I just endure... it's enough."
I chose the path of least resistance.
Uneventful, trouble-free, thin but enduring.
Then came the awakening.
A crisis struck Juhyuk's life.
Facing those horrifying tower monsters head-on?
Fighting them?
Me, who couldn't even look school bullies in the eye?
Unthinkable.
An earthshaking shift in life's trajectory.
Who knew this day would come?
Monsters aren't human.
Can't even speak.
No social anxiety here.
They're just game-like quest mobs.
Crush them, claim rewards.
Swatt! Swatt-swatt!
Now, Juhyuk dominated the 20th-floor battlefield.
Crack!
His adamant mace shattered goblins like pottery.
Only drawback? No weapon skill for instant kills.
No matter.
If one hit doesn't work, hit again.
Crack! Swatt! Crunch!
Kossack was right:
"Brave summoners die fast."
True enough.
That saying about protruding stones getting hammered first?
I wanted to stop.
Return to cautious living.
Safety first, absolute self-preservation.
But how could I, after surviving this way?
Change overnight?
Yet I couldn't halt now.
The satisfaction of perfect skill execution.
The electric thrill of crushing goblin skulls.
Kill count skyrocketed.
Kossack barked orders:
"Gobang! Guard the Summoner. Hobgoblin appears? Priority target."
"Understood. Protect Summoner. Kill Hobgoblin."
He pressed close to Juhyuk.
Chaos reigned.
Blind attacks from everywhere.
Shadow Step helped, but couldn't evade all.
Without the energy shield, poison darts would've struck.
Ting-ting! Ting!
The shield thinned under relentless assault.
'20th floor's manageable.'
Real threat: shaman curses.
Kossack eliminated any entering his sight.
'Still not 100?'
Then—
"Kraaaagh!"
A battlefield-shaking roar.
The goblin chieftain.
'Here.'
The short-legged tribe's towering idol - final evolution.
Hobgoblin revealed itself.
"Gobang!!!"
The barbarian responded:
"Grooouuulk!"
Thudthudthudthudthud—
Gobang charged madly. Kossack spammed Shadow Step.
Crash!
Gobang's fist bombed the hobgoblin's skull.
Squelch!
Kossack's dagger scrambled its brain.
[Goblins: 100/100][Hobgoblin: 1/1]
[20F Clear]
[Level Up]
[Reward: 2kg Magic Stone]
[Reward: Tower Healing Potion x5]
'Damn, too slow.'
Kossack grinned:
"Heheh, good work."
Annoying, but...
"Thank you all. Your protection means everything."
"Chung!"
"Protect. Summoner."
[Notice: Korean Black Tower 20F S++ Clear]
[Reward: Platinum Badge x20]
Another S++.
What special reward awaits?
"Hope it's another trait enhancement."
"Really?"
"Yeah! Random SSR summons x3? Safer tower runs. Just imagine!"
"Hmm."
Could anything top that?
[21F Challenge Available]
[Exiting Korean Black Tower]
※ ※ ※
Breaking news tickers flooded TV screens:
<S++ Clear: Korean Black Tower 20F>
The alert spread globally within minutes.
Park Kyung-soo, Management Director, sighed:
"Twenty consecutive S++ clears? Dangerous attention."
"Can't suppress the reports, sir."
"Worse if they realize we track the record-holder."
Recent item theft incidents compounded worries.
"Any progress on the Bong family?"
"Discreetly investigated." Team Leader Jeon laid out files.
"Father: Bong Cheol-su. Hip fracture from icy fall. Post-op rehab."
"Elderly bones heal slow."
"Housebound currently."
"Arrange top rehab center. Full subsidy."
"Brother: Bong Min-hyuk. Freshman. Enlisting soon."
"Scholarship support should suffice."
"Mother: Hong Geum-ja."
"And her situation?"
"He used to work as a coordinator at a water purifier company but is currently unemployed."
"Hmm, did he quit voluntarily? Or..."
"It seems he had a conflict with an abusive client and was forced into contract termination by the company."
"Oh no!"
Jeon Gwang-il murmured in a hushed tone.
"The person we need to focus on most is Mrs. Hong Geum-ja."
"Huh? Why?"
"She holds the most influence in her family. Her fiery personality leaves even her husband and sons walking on eggshells."
"Wow! Really?"
"But there's a catch."
If she's that strong-willed...
"Pushing too hard could backfire spectacularly."
"I'm fully aware. We'll tread carefully."
"Do you have a strategy?"
"Yes."
"Then execute it. We'll provide whatever support you need."
The Awakening Management Bureau handles players.
Their authority surpasses other government agencies,
particularly regarding elite players.
When direct intervention fails, they work around it.
Thus securing elite contracts.
※ ※ ※
Knock knock knock
The sound echoed from Joo-hyuk's front door.
Kossak and Gobang perked up instantly.
"Foo-food's here! Smells strong!"
"Delivery."
"Shh! Hide where they can't see you!"
Joo-hyuk stepped out to receive the order.
He'd called the neighborhood Chinese restaurant directly this time,
the quantity too large for delivery apps.
"Twelve sweet & sour porks, twelve jajangmyeons. Correct?"
"Y-yes."
"That's quite the feast! Special occasion?"
"Uh, yeah."
"Thought so! Threw in one free order of fried dumplings."
One measly dumpling? Seriously?
"...You shouldn't have."
"Ha! Enjoy! Remember—Xin Xin Lou's the best Chinese around here!"
Since when?
No coupons.
Not a single one.
What the hell?
But confronting them was unthinkable.
Years of swallowing complaints made sure of that.
Truthfully, coupons were pointless anyway.
My drawer overflowed with unused vouchers.
How hard is saying "I'll use a coupon"?
Apparently, mountain-hard.
The irony wasn't lost on me.
Tower me: monster-slaying badass.
Real-world me: anxiety-ridden pushover.
Sniff! "Jajangmyeon smells insane! Never tried it, right Gobang?"
Sluurp!
Saliva cascaded from the beastman's mouth.
"Dig in. I need to check something."
The duo attacked the containers like starved wolves.
Now. The moment.
[20 Platinum Badges accumulated. Special reward granted.]
Finally.
[Special Reward: Random Box x1]
...A box?
Contains 3 random Tower items: Magic Stones, Tower herbs (10+ types), Tower metals (3 types), monster hides (50+ types)... Potions, elixirs, weapons, armor, accessories... Combat skills, Level-up Runes (max LV5), Tower Jump Tickets (5 floors/LV5), Cooldown Reset Tickets, Enhancement Runes, Summon Rank-Up Runes, Multinational Access Tickets, Guaranteed Summon Tickets (SR/SSR/LSSR)...
Why so many options?
Level-up Runes > Jump Tickets.
Multinational Access sounded useful.
But the real prize—
Guaranteed LSSR Summon Ticket?
I'd climb towers in my sleep.
[10kg Magic Stones obtained.]
...Crap. Still worth ₩5 million.
[Skill Learned: Hunyuan Thunder Rod (混元霹靂棍)]
Yes! A growth-type combat skill!
[Summon Rank-Up Rune obtained.]
Jackpot.
Kossak or Gobang?
Shared meals = Kossak.
...Wait, Gobang eats triple portions...
The skill's name screamed wuxia:
Hunyuan Thunder Rod
Channel lightning through blunt weapons.
Three evolving forms.
[1st Form Unlocked: Falling Thunder Soulstrike (落雷追魂)]
Muscle memory flooded in.
Let's test—
Swish!
No lightning. No sound.
Reality's rules blocked Tower powers.
Good. Imagine Choi Ho-seok types wreaking havoc here.
Kossak stared wide-eyed at my sudden mace swings.
"Summoner! Why practice here?"
"New offensive skill. Growth-type."
"Oh no..."
His face said it all—
I'd be recklessly charging monsters now.
Should've given me a shield skill...
Kossak's despair deepened.
