Chapter 5

Chapter 5

I clutched my chest, which was pounding like mad, and checked the message.

[Contract proposal from Murim Public Enemy Guild.]

Hello. This is the recruitment manager of Murim Public Enemy Guild. We are contacting you after witnessing Pingkkyu Gyongdyu’s performance.

If you would please join our Guild, we will spare no facilities or support for your activities…. Furthermore, in order to guarantee Pingkkyu Gyongdyu’s autonomy, we will devote every effort…. (omitted.)

“Huh?”

It was completely unexpected.

A contract proposal?

Thinking that perhaps this was not the only one, I checked the other messages too.

Good heavens.

All 82 messages were contract proposals.

Every single one praised my performance at length.

It went beyond admiration and reached the level of awe. They had not even watched me fight in person, yet they wrote line after line as if they had seen it with their own eyes.

At this point, it was practically a whole web novel.

It did not feel bad.

After all, praise could make even a whale dance.

It was in the middle of that.

As I swiftly skimmed past the messages, one sentence caught my eye.

[Contract proposal from the Republic of Korea Crisis Response Committee.]

We will pay 1 billion upfront as a signing bonus. Please reply.

-Administrative Officer Han-sol -

A single sentence.

Compared to the other contract proposals, the length seemed lacking.

But in terms of impact, it was stronger than any other proposal.

‘Holy shit, 1 billion?’

On top of that,

among the countless contract proposals, it was the very first message that had arrived.

Looking at the time log, they had sent it as soon as I cleared the Dungeon. Without the slightest delay.

Perhaps that was why I liked it even more.

Surely it was not a scam, right?

[Accept] [Hold] [Reject]

-Upon acceptance, the proposed signing bonus will be deposited.

Apparently, it was not a scam.

The moment I realized that, my heart did not just pound. My fingertips began to tremble.

If I received this, not only could I wipe out my debt in one go, but I would also have a lump sum of 500 million left in my hands.

Should I go for it? Should I just go for it right now?

All I had to do was click one button.

A 1-billion button with no risk whatsoever.

Dopamine flooded my head for a moment, but at the same time, a question arose.

Wait. What happens if I accept this?

Naturally, I would proceed with a contract with the Republic of Korea Crisis Response Committee, right?

Then how would the contract be handled?

By common sense, contracts were handled face-to-face.

We would meet, sign documents, and maybe even press thumbprints.

That would be the same as advertising the dark history known as Pingkkyu Gyongdyu to the whole world.

‘I absolutely can’t endure that.’

The prejudiced looks people would give me, that is.

For now, the amount was tempting.

But once I seriously began climbing the Tower, it was money I could gather quickly.

There was no need to decide hastily.

[Hold]

I pressed hold on all 82 messages.

I did not reject them.

In other words, it meant I could consider them whenever necessary.

It was such a shame that my hands trembled, but for this time, I decided to let it pass.

That aside.

[Would you like to enter the 1st floor of the Tower?]

This was the system window that had been floating in front of me since earlier.

A message asking if I wanted to enter the Tower.

If it were an ordinary person, they would need a lot of time before making a decision.

To set foot inside the unknown space called the Tower, they would have to prepare arms and steel their heart.

I had played this game.

Across the entire global server, I was the veteran among veterans with the highest understanding of the game.

Hesitation was a luxury.

[Blink’s cooldown has ended.]

[Remaining Blink Uses (3/3)]

As it happened, Blink’s cooldown had ended too.

There was no particular reason to delay.

“To the 1st floor.”

I do not stake my life on battles I am not confident in.

***

[Currently climbing the 1st floor.]

“Phew.”

I exhaled and gripped the wand tightly.

Among the wands piled like a mountain in my room, I had brought the only one with magic stocked inside it.

For reference, the magic stored in the wand was the 1st-grade magic Lightning.

With high versatility and the ability to inflict the status effect [Paralysis], it was a self-defense magic widely favored by porters.

It was the same thing I had used when facing the hydra in the Dungeon.

For the 1st floor, this was enough.

[Eliminate all enemies.]

The conditions for climbing the Tower differed from floor to floor.

Unlike the difficulty, which became exponentially more complicated the higher one climbed, the clear condition for the 1st floor was relatively simple.

“Keeek!”

“Pshriiik!”

“Keeek, keeek!”

Just then, goblins holding daggers appeared.

‘Three of them.’

It was exactly the same as the game.

To clear the 1st floor, I had to kill them.

However, something was a little strange.

It went without saying, but the difficulty of the Tower changed according to the game mode.

For example, in Normal, they used fists; in Hard, clubs; and in Challenge Mode, daggers.

Those were the goblins’ armaments according to each mode.

The number of goblins was the same too, and even their armaments looked no different from Challenge Mode at a glance.

“Well, I’ll know once I fight them myself.”

Hesitation was a luxury.

The instant the goblins charged with their red eyes shining, I moved my feet.

Perhaps because this was the 1st floor, the entrance section of the Tower, their movements followed a fixed pattern.

A goblin leapt and tried to stab downward with the dagger it held in a reverse grip.

I timed it and rolled to the side.

I thought I had timed it perfectly, but the dagger lightly grazed my side.

Fortunately amid the misfortune, only my clothes were torn, and I had no wound.

I had already experienced it personally in the Dungeon, but my body did not move as well as I thought.

Thanks to that, I had dodged by a hair’s breadth.

I almost got stabbed.

“Keeek!! Chwik! Chwik!”

The goblins whose daggers had lodged in the ground shrieked grotesquely as they struggled to pull them out with both hands.

It was the same pattern I had seen in the game.

The first strike of the goblins that appeared on the 1st floor inflicted a fatal wound.

However, as long as you dodged that attack, they entered a stunned state.

‘On the monitor, it only showed the word stun, but in reality, it’s implemented like this.’

It was quite an interesting sight, but I had no time to be leisurely.

The duration of the stun was 2.25 seconds.

Thud!

I kicked off the ground and drove my foot with all my strength into the head of the goblin in front of me.

CRACK— With a sound like a gourd breaking, the goblin tumbled away.

“One.”

Along with my count, their expressions twisted like evil spirits.

Hey, what are you going to do by glaring?

I loosened my body lightly and clenched both fists.

Then the goblins cackled and burst into laughter.

It was obvious even without looking.

For reference, I had never thrown a punch in my life, let alone boxed.

They must have burst into laughter after seeing my awkward stance.

That only lasted a moment.

The bastards gripped their daggers and charged at me again.

They looked unbearably triumphant.

But it would be troublesome if they let their guard down.

“Blink.”

I quickly snatched the wand hanging at my waist and adjusted the direction.

Then I immediately activated Blink.

My vision shifted, and I saw the backs of the heads of the bastards who had let their guard down.

The bastards belatedly sensed my presence and hurriedly twisted their bodies around.

They looked as if they had been betrayed.

I learned something for the first time.

Even mere monsters could reveal emotions through their expressions. Perhaps this gap was the difference between a game and reality.

Even so, I did not pity them.

When did I ever say I would fight with my fists?

I do not fight unfavorable battles.

Tap. When I extended the wand straight ahead, it touched a goblin’s forehead.

It was an exquisitely perfect distance, as if calculated.

Of course it was. I had used Blink after calculating that too, so this result was only natural.

“Lightning.”

Crackle.

When I operated the wand, condensed electric current burst out and pierced through the goblins’ heads in succession.

The goblins struck by Lightning rolled their eyes back and convulsed.

At the same time, smoke rose, and the smell of sizzling roasted flesh spread.

The 1st-grade magic Lightning was a self-defense magic that normally only caused the status effect [Paralysis], but this was the power it could produce because I had activated it at point-blank range.

Normally, it would have been impossible.

If I tried to get close enough to maximize the effect of Lightning, the enemy would already have noticed and moved away.

But Blink made that possible.

As long as I could control it exquisitely, I could take an enemy’s back without even a 0.1-second gap.

I believed in you, Blink!

The moment I reached out to retrieve the dagger that had fallen on the floor,

Rustle!

I heard the sound of the bushes swaying.

When I turned my gaze in that direction, I saw a figure moving swiftly.

My hesitation was short.

“Blink.”

Flash!

Because I used Blink without delay, I ended up falling through the air in an ugly manner.

The judgment I made in that brief instant was correct.

After all, several arrows were stuck in the place where I had been standing just moments ago.

My alertness spiked.

“There are still more?”

An archer?

No, arrows had flown at me, so of course it was an archer.

Somehow, I had thought it did not seem any different from Challenge Mode. So this was it after all.

‘Putting that aside.’

If it was going to appear, it should have appeared from the start. Was it really trying to hit me from behind?

If I had not used Blink, I really might have died.

Whoosh, thud-thud-thud!

Even during that time, arrows flew from beyond the bushes.

“Is it just one?”

No, it was too early to decide that.

It would be better to stay on guard.

[Using Blink.]

[Remaining Blink Uses (■□□)]

I had one Blink left.

I did not intend to use it right away.

If the situation became truly urgent, I would use it, but it was still too early.

Instead, I lifted the corpse of the goblin lying on the floor.

It smelled like something somewhere between burnt flesh and nicely roasted meat.

With the goblin’s corpse in front of me, I advanced toward the bushes.

No matter how savage that bastard was, surely it would not shoot its own kind.

Whizz, thud-thud-thud!

Two or so arrows lodged in the goblin’s head.

Apparently not.

As expected of a goblin, the bastard had neither blood nor tears.

Even if they were barbarians, they should not desecrate corpses.

“Tch.”

Clicking my tongue, I threw aside the goblin I had been holding.

Even after death, it had fulfilled its duty as a shield.

And now, I was almost there.

Tap, tap, tap!

After sprinting at full speed, I leapt with all my strength.

When I dropped my head downward,

‘I found you.’

I saw a goblin archer with tree branches stuck beside both ears in a clumsy attempt at camouflage.

Perhaps it was quite flustered, because the bastard was awkwardly nocking an arrow onto the bowstring.

There was something it had overlooked.

Magic was faster than a bow.

A bow required the entire process of placing an arrow on the string and aiming, but magic did not.

“Lightning!”

I operated the wand and activated the stocked magic.

The electric shock that shot out in a straight line merely separated the bow from the archer.

It did not have the same power as before.

Of course it would not.

Just now, I had used magic at point-blank range.

That was why it had been able to produce that level of power.

There was nothing to regret.

This was its original power.

In the meantime, the goblin archer hurriedly bent down to pick up the bow.

Unfortunately, it was too late.

Squish!

I drove the dagger I had recovered from the goblins into its neck.

The goblin archer collapsed and went limp.

Was it dead?

Just in case, I tapped it with my foot a few times, but there was no particular reaction.

Only after stabbing its vital points a couple more times did I reach a conclusion.

It was dead. Since it did not react even after I confirmed the kill, that was certain.

Now, what might this bastard have?

With my heart pounding, I searched through its belongings.

A few arrows with missing tips and a piece of jerky of unknown origin.

Sniff, sniff. When I smelled it, a sour stench stabbed my nose.

I shook off my lingering attachment and threw it away immediately.

I should not have smelled it. It only ruined my nose.

That did not mean there were no gains at all.

Jingle.

A rusty key came out from the bastard’s waist.

“What is this?”

It was an item I had never seen before, even though I knew [Again Origin] from A to Z.

It was not particularly strange.

After all, a goblin archer itself had never appeared on the 1st floor I had cleared until now.

For now, I decided to take it.

‘There’s no harm in taking it.’

Since there was a key, could there perhaps be a treasure chest?

It was around the time I was harboring that expectation.

A system window appeared before me.

[You have cleared the 1st floor.]

Phew, so the 1st floor is over too.

Apparently, that bastard had been the only hidden enemy.

As if proving it, system windows appeared one after another.

[Reading total subjugation score.]

[Clear Time: 1st Place]

[Monster Kill Score: 1st Place]

[Agility: 1st Place]

[Crisis Response Reaction Speed: 1st Place]

…….

….

..

[You have been selected as MVP.]

[1st floor clear rewards are being calculated. Please wait.]

“Huh?”

Among the system windows that filled my vision, one sentence in the middle caught my eye.

[Pingkkyu Gyongdyu, congratulations! Your name will be registered in the Hall of Fame.]

The Hall of Fame? Did the game have something like this too?

No, more importantly, it would not loudly announce my name like when I cleared the Dungeon, right?

No way… If it was true, there would be no humiliation like that humiliation.

Who would read the name Pingkkyu Gyongdyu and think I was a normal person?

Even I would look at someone like a lunatic if they appeared at an important place, like a job interview or a blind date, and suddenly introduced themselves as Pingkkyu Gyongdyu.

I shook my head and erased the thoughts.

Now was not the time to care about such trivial things.

Because something else was more important.

[Would you like to enter the 2nd floor?]

A question asking whether I would go to the 2nd floor.

I had already been waiting for it.

It came at the perfect timing.

“To the 2nd floor.”

I had only just cleared the 1st floor.

Considering the floors that remained, I had no time to hesitate on this lower floor of the Tower.

***

Tower Disaster Response Department.

Hiss.

As usual, Kang Han-seok’s hand, which had been opening an energy drink today as well, stopped in midair.

“Han-sol.”

“Yes, Team Leader?”

“Let me ask you one thing. Normally, in the Tower, you can’t go back to a floor you’ve already cleared, right?”

“That’s right. Why are you suddenly asking something so obvious? You’ve been working overtime nonstop lately… Have you finally gone senile?”

“Yeah, maybe. Maybe my eyes have gone senile. If not, this wouldn’t be happening.”

At his voice, which was close to a lament, Han-sol asked back with a puzzled face.

“Pardon? What are you suddenly talking about?”

“The system window.”

“Ah, you mean that? It pops up several times a day, so I got annoyed and set it so I can’t see it. But why…?”

“Check it right now.”

[The Hall of Fame has been updated.]

[Hall of Fame (1st Floor)]

1st Place: Pingkkyu Gyongdyu

2nd Place: Kiina Karin

3rd Place: Robert Hans

4th Place: Kwon Hyeok-jin

…….

….

..

“This is driving me insane. Why is Pingkkyu Gyongdyu on the 1st floor?”

Kang Han-seok muttered with a deep sigh.

Thanks to the system window that had appeared once again, South Korea was thrown into an uproar.