Impossible One.
Recently, that was the rookie attracting the most attention on the Republic of Korea’s PlayerNet.
Neither their name nor face was known, yet they were climbing one floor of the Tower every day and receiving SSS evaluations in succession.
People had even begun estimating when the next record would appear and waiting in front of the public record board.
Today, it was the 5th Floor’s turn.
As the expected time for the record drew near, the messages in the chat window thinned out.
Everyone was watching only the public record board when it happened.
[Korea/Lv.42] Soju in Rice Soup : The 5th Floor is up.
[Korea/Lv.37] Tower Climbing Starts Tomorrow : SSS again?
[Korea/Lv.42] Soju in Rice Soup : No. This time it’s the Hidden Hall of Fame!
Soon, someone captured the Hall of Fame screen and posted it in the chat.
[5th Floor Hall of Fame]
[Trial: <Contaminated Spirit Vein Corridor>]
[Classification: Hidden Trial]
[Achieved Record: First Complete Clear]
[Clear Evaluation: SSS]
[Achiever Public Name: Private]
[Affiliated Nation: Republic of Korea]
Until now, no one had known that a Hidden Trial even existed on the 5th Floor.
The private player had discovered it and immediately achieved both the first complete clear and an SSS evaluation.
[United States/Lv.61] IronJack : There was a Hidden Trial on the 5th Floor?
[Korea/Lv.29] Miracle on the Han River : Contaminated Spirit Vein Corridor? Anyone ever seen it in a guide?
[Japan/Lv.55] Tsukikage : No. The regular trials on the 5th Floor are only Defeat, Guard, and Survival.
[Korea/Lv.37] Tower Climbing Starts Tomorrow : Why does this person find something nobody else knows about on every floor they enter? Damn.
[United States/Lv.61] IronJack : Finding it isn’t even the whole story. They got the First Complete Clear too.
While questions about the Hidden Trial poured in, someone gathered every record the Impossible One had set so far onto a single screen and uploaded it.
It listed the two Impossible Achievements from the tutorial, the 1st Floor Hidden Battlefield, the consecutive SSS evaluations from the 2nd Floor onward, and the newly updated 5th Floor Hidden Trial in order.
[Korea/Lv.29] Miracle on the Han River : Two tutorial Impossible Achievements, the 1st Floor Hidden Battlefield, and now the 5th Floor Hidden Trial too.
[China/Lv.68] Beijing Swordsman : They leave a record that never existed before on every floor they enter.
[United States/Lv.61] IronJack : And they’re still keeping the pace of one floor a day.
[Korea/Lv.37] Tower Climbing Starts Tomorrow : The Impossible One did it again. Damn.
[Japan/Lv.55] Tsukikage : Impossible One, huh. Now that I look at it, the nickname fits perfectly.
At first, it had been a nickname low-floor Korean players attached as a joke.
Now even foreign players had begun calling the unknown player the Impossible One.
At that moment, the Republic of Korea’s national status updated as well.
[Hall of Fame Record Reward]
[Republic of Korea achievement points +500]
The Korean players reacted even faster than they had when the Hidden Trial was revealed.
[Korea/Lv.42] Soju in Rice Soup : 500 points came in!
[Korea/Lv.51] Gangnam Fire Fist : 500 points from one low-floor Hidden Trial? Seriously? That’s insane.
[Korea/Lv.55] Blue Moon : It’s a First Complete Clear. Of course it won’t give the same points as a normal 5th Floor clear.
[Korea/Lv.33] Newbie Guardian Squad : The Impossible One reduced the deficit by another 500 points alone. Seriously, thank you. ㅠㅠ
[Korea/Lv.29] Miracle on the Han River : At this level, foreign countries are going to start rushing to find out who they are.
[Korea/Lv.51] Gangnam Fire Fist : Which is why the Association needs to find and protect them first. We can’t let an overseas guild take them.
Every time Sang-hyeok climbed a floor, the Republic of Korea’s achievement points rose together with his personal records.
The country’s estimated deficit points for the current quarter decreased by the same amount.
Posts cheering for his next clear flooded the Korean boards.
Analysis boards in Japan and China also filled with posts compiling his records from the tutorial through the 5th Floor.
The public-name field was still blank.
Even so, there was already a name for the owner of that blank space.
Impossible One.
While the chat window boiled over, captured screens of his records spread rapidly outside PlayerNet.
The Korean Player Association and major guilds from various countries immediately began analyzing the 5th Floor record.
While they could only examine what had been made public, Ilseong finished preparing to inspect items brought directly by the owner of those records.
***
That afternoon.
The chairman-direct security area in the underground research wing of Ilseong Headquarters.
The thick door closed after the final researcher left.
Kim Do-hyun sat at the head of the table, while Kim Sang-jun leaned against the opposite wall.
Kim Seo-yoon stood in front of an empty test stand, her gaze fixed on the metal case Sang-hyeok had brought.
“You sent every researcher out just to show us this?”
Sang-hyeok nodded and released the case’s lock.
Click.
Two objects lay on the black cushioning material.
One was a sharply split black fragment.
The other was a crystal holding a dark-red glow.
Sang-hyeok took out the black fragment first.
“This is called a <Collapse Core Fragment>.”
Kim Seo-yoon’s eyebrows moved slightly.
Sang-hyeok placed the dark-red crystal beside it.
“And this is a <Contaminated Spirit Vein Crystal>.”
“Wait.”
Kim Seo-yoon’s gaze moved between the two materials.
Both names were directly connected to Hidden records that had recently become major topics on PlayerNet.
“The <Battlefield of Collapse> is the place the Impossible One completely cleared on the 1st Floor.”
“That’s right.”
“And the <Contaminated Spirit Vein Corridor> was just added to the 5th Floor Hall of Fame.”
“That’s right too.”
Kim Seo-yoon looked directly at Sang-hyeok.
“Then why do you have items from those places?”
Kim Sang-jun’s gaze also turned toward him.
Instead of answering, Sang-hyeok looked at Kim Do-hyun.
Before coming here, the two of them had already decided how much they would reveal.
“I will explain.”
Kim Do-hyun spoke.
“That private player has agreed to cooperate with Ilseong.”
“You mean the Impossible One?”
Kim Sang-jun pushed away from the wall as he asked.
“Yes.”
“When did you make contact?”
“I cannot reveal the contact route.”
Kim Do-hyun’s answer was firm.
“One condition of the cooperation is that we do not ask for that player’s identity.”
Kim Seo-yoon looked down at the two materials on the test stand.
“What kind of cooperation is it?”
“They will provide Ilseong with materials and research data obtained from the Tower. Ilseong will research ways to reproduce that power through real-world technology and equipment.”
“What do they get in return?”
“We agreed to transfer a portion of Ilseong’s shares. Prototypes developed through the research will be provided to that player first, and Ilseong will also support the equipment and resources needed for climbing.”
Kim Seo-yoon’s expression grew serious.
“So this isn’t a relationship where we simply buy and sell a few materials.”
“No. Ilseong grows through what that player brings back, and that player climbs higher with Ilseong’s support.”
It was a cooperation in which both sides exchanged what they needed.
The Impossible One would have the materials and records obtained from the Tower turned into equipment useful to them.
Ilseong would gain first access to research data no other corporation could secure.
Kim Sang-jun looked at Sang-hyeok again.
“Even so, why are you the one bringing the items?”
“Sang-hyeok is the dedicated liaison.”
Once again, Kim Do-hyun answered in his place.
“That player personally designated him.”
“Our youngest?”
“They said they need Sang-hyeok’s eyes and Record Stone. Sang-hyeok will examine whatever the Impossible One hands over first. He will select what is worth researching at Ilseong and leave the effects he confirms on the Record Stone so the researchers can view them.”
The two of them already knew about Sang-hyeok’s ability to find the defect in Ilseong’s equipment.
There was nothing strange about the Impossible One choosing Sang-hyeok as a liaison because of that ability.
“So you’ll keep bringing things like this from now on?”
Kim Seo-yoon asked.
“If they obtain something worth researching.”
“And you meet that person directly?”
“No. We don’t meet face-to-face. The items are delivered separately, and we only communicate through a set method.”
Sang-hyeok stopped there.
It was not because he did not trust his brother and sister.
Until Sang-hyeok became strong enough to stop overseas powers on his own, not knowing his identity was a way of protecting them.
Kim Seo-yoon watched him for a moment, then nodded.
“Fine. I won’t ask who they are.”
She put on a pair of gloves and pulled the two materials closer.
“Then tell me what these can do.”
Sang-hyeok pointed to the <Collapse Core Fragment>.
“This one has the property of weakening barriers and wards.”
“If we can use it, we might be able to make equipment that breaks barriers or wards.”
“Right. That’s what the Impossible One expects from it.”
“Good. Then I’ll start by analyzing the fragment and see if we can reproduce that property in Ilseong equipment.”
Kim Seo-yoon placed the fragment in a transparent storage container and locked it.
Then she examined the <Contaminated Spirit Vein Crystal>.
“What about this?”
“The item information only says it’s a crafting material made from condensed contaminated mana. I don’t know its exact use yet.”
“Then I’ll start by checking how its mana contaminates the surroundings. We have to understand how the contamination spreads before we can figure out how to use it.”
“Yeah. That’s what the Impossible One asked us to find out too.”
The power held by each material was different, but Kim Seo-yoon’s task was the same.
Reveal the nature of that power and reproduce it through Ilseong’s technology.
As she turned the crystal beneath the light, her gaze shifted to Sang-hyeok’s left wrist.
A silver ring was visible beneath his rolled-up sleeve.
Clear blue light flowed faintly through the patterns engraved along the inside.
“Sang-hyeok. Show me your wrist.”
Sang-hyeok held out his left arm.
Kim Seo-yoon pulled the silver ring closer for a look.
“This is Taeseong’s <Spirit Vein Ring>, isn’t it?”
“That’s right.”
“The artifact nobody could use because of its curse.”
“Not anymore.”
Kim Seo-yoon immediately raised her head.
“Did the Impossible One remove the curse?”
“Yeah. They even strengthened it by one stage in the 5th Floor Hidden Trial before returning it to me.”
“Why would they take your item that far?”
“Payment for handling contact and analysis.”
Kim Seo-yoon still looked surprised as she examined the <Spirit Vein Ring>.
“Did you record it on the Record Stone?”
“Only the way it operates.”
Sang-hyeok took the <Demon Eye Record Stone> from his inventory.
He placed his hand over the closed-eye pattern and called up the record he had saved.
Ssssk.
The eye engraved on the slab opened, and the <Spirit Vein Ring> appeared in clear blue light.
Faint mana from the surroundings gathered into the silver ring and then seeped into the wearer exactly as Sang-hyeok had observed it.
[Absorbs surrounding mana]
[Restores wearer’s mana]
Kim Seo-yoon silently replayed the same record several times.
The more she watched it, the brighter her calm eyes became.
“If we study this properly, we might be able to recover mana that normally disperses after equipment operates.”
Without looking away from the Record Stone, Kim Seo-yoon asked.
“Sang-hyeok. Can you make this record available to the research team too?”
“Yeah. I’ll leave it so you can show them whenever you need it.”
“Good.”
She immediately opened a new document on her tablet.
Three research subjects appeared in order beneath her rapidly moving fingers.
[Mana Recovery]
[Contaminated Mana Analysis]
[Barrier Dismantling]
“We’ll start with the <Spirit Vein Ring>. I want to see whether its mana-attraction principle can be used in other equipment.”
Kim Seo-yoon pointed to the other two entries one after another.
“For the crystal, we’ll first study how contaminated mana spreads. For the fragment, we’ll see whether we can reproduce its barrier-weakening property.”
“You’re already thinking about what equipment to make?”
“Not yet.”
Kim Seo-yoon smiled while looking over the three entries on her tablet.
“But I know where to start.”
Watching her, Sang-hyeok smiled without realizing it.
It felt as though the sister from his old memories had returned before his eyes.
‘Right. This is what Noona was like.’
She was happiest when she discovered the possibility of new equipment.
Whenever Kim Seo-yoon immersed herself in research, she seemed to shine brighter than anyone.
Before his regression, he had not been able to see that side of her for long.
As Ilseong declined, research funding and personnel had been the first things cut.
Kim Seo-yoon had been forced to focus not on the research she wanted to do, but on cleaning up immediate failures and holding together what remained of the business.
Even then, she had never given up on Sang-hyeok’s manifestation condition, even after Sang-hyeok himself had stopped trying.
She had visited research institutes and searched through records, then apologized because she had ultimately failed to find the answer.
This time, it was Sang-hyeok’s turn to help her.
He could personally bring the records and materials she needed from the Tower.
He would use them to rebuild Ilseong and let his sister pursue every piece of research she wanted.
‘This time, I’ll make sure you can research everything you want, Noona.’
Kim Do-hyun examined the three research entries on the tablet.
“Starting today, those three subjects will be separated from the existing development teams and run as independent projects.”
Kim Seo-yoon looked up in surprise.
“Father, we’ve only confirmed the possibility so far.”
“Which is why we need to confirm it properly from now on. You will oversee the projects. I will assign the necessary personnel and equipment separately.”
Kim Do-hyun turned toward Kim Sang-jun.
“Designate the research area as chairman-direct security. Without Sang-hyeok’s authorization, no one is to view or remove the data and materials provided by the Impossible One.”
“Yes, sir.”
“Proceed with the promised equity transfer immediately as well. Once prototypes are completed, the Impossible One receives them first.”
As each point regarding personnel, equipment, and security was decided, the surprise gradually left Kim Seo-yoon’s face.
When the final instruction ended, she smiled and nodded.
“Then I’ll do this properly.”
“Good. Don’t put too much pressure on yourself.”
“It doesn’t feel like pressure. I’m looking forward to it.”
Kim Seo-yoon pulled the tablet toward herself and immediately began listing the personnel and equipment she would need.
Sang-hyeok watched the list grow rapidly across the screen.
For now, all he had brought were one record and two materials.
As he brought back more records and materials from the Tower, Ilseong would gain just as many new research possibilities.
There was no guarantee every project would succeed.
But if even a few of them could be turned into actual equipment, people might eventually begin wondering whether Ilseong had somehow hidden alien technology.
As Sang-hyeok imagined that future, Kim Seo-yoon entered the last item and moved to press save.
Ding.
Before her finger reached the screen, the tablet lit up on its own.
Kim Sang-jun’s mobile phone lit up at the same time, and the same announcement appeared before Sang-hyeok’s eyes.
「Channel League season-end schedule notice.」
[Current Season Ends In: D-36]
Once a player reached Lv.20 and obtained an entry pass to the 20th Floor of the Infinite Tower, the Channel League opened automatically.
Players from Lv.20 to Lv.30 were assigned to the Iron Tier and competed in the Rookie League.
At Lv.31, they moved to the regular Channel League.
A player could participate once per day.
Those who entered alone were randomly grouped with players from the same country, while players who had trained together in advance could participate as a fixed party.
Points earned in both the Rookie and regular leagues were added to the same national season score.
Kim Seo-yoon immediately opened the detailed status.
[Iron Rookie League Automatic Unlock Conditions]
[Reach Lv.20]
[Possess Infinite Tower 20th Floor Entry Pass]
[Republic of Korea Channel League National Season Rank: 64th / 64 Nations]
[Republic of Korea Iron Rookie Fixed Parties: None]
“We don’t have a prepared team this time either.”
Sang-hyeok’s gaze remained on the automatic unlock conditions.
He had currently cleared through the 5th Floor.
To obtain a 20th Floor entry pass, he needed to climb fourteen more floors.
If he maintained his goal of one floor a day, there was more than enough time to join this season.
However, every day he was delayed would also reduce the number of matches he could play this season by one.
Kim Sang-jun checked the season-end date.
“The Impossible One is on the 5th Floor now, right?”
“That’s right.”
Kim Seo-yoon calculated the remaining days.
“If they keep the current pace, they can enter the Rookie League with twenty-two days left before the season ends.”
“As long as they don’t get stuck along the way.”
Kim Sang-jun looked at Sang-hyeok.
“Did that player say they can maintain this pace?”
“They said they can. The goal of one floor a day hasn’t changed.”
Kim Seo-yoon looked back and forth between the remaining season period and the research plan she had just made.
“Then I need to hurry too.”
“The research?”
“Yeah. While that person climbs the Tower, I’ll push this research forward as much as possible.”
Sang-hyeok checked the Rookie League status again.
The opponents waiting there would not be ordinary rookies alone.
Promising players directly sponsored by the Sixteen Heavenly Seats were already gathering on that stage one after another.
THUD.
The Heart of the Apocalyptic Demon Dragon beat heavily inside Sang-hyeok’s chest.
Sang-hyeok fixed the remaining time in his mind.
[Current Season Ends In: D-36]
‘Before I enter the Rookie League, I’ll draw out at least one more authority from this heart.’