Thirty years ago, a black tower suddenly appeared in the heart of Gangnam, Seoul.
One hundred of these mysterious structures, beyond the understanding of humanity's current technology, appeared in cities around the world.
At the same time, Awakened began appearing among humanity.
With the emergence of the Awakened, humanity came to understand how to deal with the mystery known as the Tower.
The Tower was both a calamity and an opportunity for humanity to advance to the next stage.
That was why countries around the world sought to conquer the Tower despite the danger to human life.
.
.
.
That was the extent of my basic knowledge about the Tower.
Which meant I had plenty of questions for Director Yoon Tae-hyun.
“Um, there's something I'd like to ask.”
“Please, ask whatever you like.”
“Since I've awakened too, do I have something like a Skill?”
“……Pardon? Hahaha!”
Director Yoon Tae-hyun burst out laughing, apparently amused by my question.
Wiping the moisture from the corners of his eyes, he said,
“Some ordinary people who know little about Hunters have a misconception. They think awakening grants you Skills or lets you see a Status Window, as if this were a game or a novel.”
“Isn't that how it works?”
“No. Reality is not a game. There is only one supernatural power that the Awakened gain. And that is ‘Mana.’”
“Mana?”
“Yes. Mana is proof of awakening. If Mana is detected flowing through someone's body, that person is classified as Awakened. People often say that someone has awakened their Mana. And there are only two supernatural abilities that the Awakened can use through Mana.”
One was Physical Enhancement.
And the other was ‘Magic.’
“That is why Hunters are divided into two occupational categories: Swordsmen and Mages. I suspect the notion that awakening grants you Skills came from Mages. Their magic is certainly varied enough to be called Skills.”
“Uh…… But I'll be a Swordsman, right?”
“Yes. From what I can tell, Mr. Kim Ji-han, you seem suited to being a Swordsman.”
Even someone as ignorant about Hunters as I was had heard the rumors.
Hunters were divided into Swordsmen and Mages, and if you had no aptitude for magic, you were better off giving up on becoming a Hunter.
There was a saying that Mages were everything when it came to Hunters.
Destructive power, versatility, ranged damage.
When it came to usefulness while climbing the Tower, Mages weren't merely more advantageous. They were everything.
Swordsmen were Swordsmen in name only.
They wielded swords simply because they had no aptitude for magic.
In other words, Swordsmen were Awakened who had failed to become Mages.
After all, anyone with Mana could use Physical Enhancement, including Mages.
That was why people had a crude name for Swordsmen—
“Meat shields…….”
“Oh, dear. You mustn't say that at the Swordsmanship Institute, all right? It's taboo here.”
A Swordsman's job wasn't to climb the Tower.
More precisely, I'd heard that their job was to support the Mages who climbed it.
In other words, Swordsmen protected Mages.
They were Awakened who would sacrifice themselves in place of Mages.
Hence, meat shields.
I'd heard it was impossible for Swordsmen to conquer the Tower on their own.
“Can't I become a Mage?”
I asked just in case, but Yoon Tae-hyun shook his head.
“If you had an aptitude for magic, Mr. Kim Ji-han, the director of the Magic Institute would have come here instead of me.”
“Uh…… Can you tell someone's aptitude just by looking at them?”
“There is a definite way to know. When you awakened, did blue particles appear in the air around you?”
“No.”
“Then you don't have an aptitude for magic. More precisely, unless you possess talent of that caliber, the Magic Institute has no reason to take you in. Even if you were to study magic, there would be plenty of people with your level of talent at the Magic Institute.”
Well, that made sense. Without any exceptional talent, the Magic Institute had no reason to take in a criminal like me.
But apparently, that didn't matter when it came to Swordsmen.
It wasn't as though people became Swordsmen because they had talent with a sword.
SCREECH—
Just then, the vehicle stopped.
I looked at where we'd arrived.
It was a pure-white, three-story building wedged between other buildings downtown.
“We've arrived. Let's get out. We have a lot to discuss.”
I nodded and stepped out of the vehicle.
***
The building was rather modest.
If I had to compare it to something, it looked like a small office in the city. Or perhaps an old building that might house a private academy.
Still, I was told it had everything it needed.
Living quarters, training grounds, classrooms, and so on.
I followed Director Yoon Tae-hyun toward the basement.
Apparently, the basement was the largest facility in the building.
“Do you happen to know why there are so few Hunters?”
“Isn't it because the chances of awakening are low?”
“Currently, more than a thousand people awaken in South Korea every year. Well, considering the country's population, that certainly is a small number.”
My eyes widened before I knew it.
A thousand?
Isn't that quite a lot?
“And yet, there are fewer than three hundred Hunters in South Korea at present. Do you know why?”
“No.”
“Because the initial hurdle to becoming a Hunter is very high.”
A hurdle?
What does he mean?
Everyone in the world knew that being a Hunter was dangerous, so even among those who awakened, there probably weren't many who chose to make it their profession.
But that didn't seem to be what he meant.
“To begin climbing the Tower in earnest, you must pass a test imposed by the Tower itself.”
“Uh…… There's a test?”
“Yes. And it's quite a dangerous one.”
Before I knew it, we'd reached an iron door at the bottom of the stairs.
Director Yoon Tae-hyun opened it, and I followed him inside.
The space beyond the iron door was truly vast.
It was roughly the size of a school gymnasium.
Two people stood in the middle.
One was a muscular man with a crew cut, and the other was a woman with light-brown hair tied in a ponytail.
“Allow me to introduce you. These are Instructor Jeong Seok-jung and Instructor Baek Ha-yeon.”
“Hello.”
Apparently, the man was Jeong Seok-jung and the woman was Baek Ha-yeon.
But the instructors only looked at me with discomfort.
Instructor Baek Ha-yeon and Instructor Jeong Seok-jung each had something to say as they looked at me.
“Wait, you actually brought him here?”
“Well, I'll be damned. Just because you make an offer doesn't mean I expect the bastard to actually accept it.”
Their words left me puzzled for a moment, but I quickly understood.
It was probably because of my current status.
Sure enough, Instructor Jeong Seok-jung glared at me and asked Director Yoon Tae-hyun,
“Is this really the guy? The bastard who cut off his friend's head and then his friend's father's head too?”
“Uh…… He wasn't my friend.”
Instructor Jeong Seok-jung ignored me and kept looking at Director Yoon Tae-hyun.
Even in this situation, Director Yoon Tae-hyun maintained his smile.
He nodded and said,
“Yes. That's right.”
“Hah…… What on earth were you thinking, bringing him here?”
Instructor Baek Ha-yeon sighed and shot me a sidelong glance.
It certainly wasn't a welcoming expression.
Director Yoon Tae-hyun spoke.
“I made an offer, and Mr. Kim Ji-han accepted it. Hmm…… That's what I'd normally say, but…….”
He glanced at his wristwatch.
After checking the time, Yoon Tae-hyun continued,
“Let's discuss the rest after we've taken care of what needs to be done.”
“Are you seriously going to send him into the Tower like this?”
“We have no choice. We're out of time.”
Having finished speaking with them, Director Yoon Tae-hyun turned to me.
“Mr. Kim Ji-han.”
“Yes?”
“You are about to enter Floor 0 of the Tower and take a test.”
“Right now?”
Isn't that a little too soon, no matter how you look at it?
I haven't even learned anything yet…….
“Remember what I said earlier? The first hurdle to becoming a Hunter is very high.”
“Yes.”
“It's all because of the test on Floor 0 of the Tower.”
Director Yoon Tae-hyun continued his explanation.
“An Awakened must undertake the trial on Floor 0 within one week. If they fail to pass the trial within that week, the Mana contained in their body disappears, and they become an ordinary person again. Do not ask why. Those are the rules set by the Tower.”
“Uh, then…….”
“If we assume you awakened a week ago, on the day of the incident, Mr. Kim Ji-han…… you have one hour left.”
In other words, there wasn't even time to prepare.
I remained silent for a moment before speaking.
“……What kind of test is it?”
“…….”
Was there something strange about my question?
Director Yoon Tae-hyun looked surprised for a moment, then the corners of his mouth curled into a broad grin.
He said,
“You really are unusual, Mr. Kim Ji-han.”
“Huh? In what way?”
“Shall we say you're quick to accept things? Most people wouldn't ask that question in this situation.”
“I just think becoming a Hunter is better than spending forty years in prison.”
“A fine resolution. Then I shall explain the Floor 0 test right away.”
Yoon Tae-hyun looked around the spacious training facility where they stood and continued.
“When you enter Floor 0, you'll arrive in an open area about the size of this training facility.”
While Director Yoon Tae-hyun continued explaining, the instructors handed me some equipment.
A helmet fitted with a small camera, a long sword, and a black bulletproof vest.
“Someone will be standing ten meters in front of you. Not someone from Earth, but a person from another world. That person will be standing there in the same situation as you, Mr. Kim Ji-han.”
I put on all the equipment as I listened.
Director Yoon Tae-hyun continued.
“You must defeat that opponent, Mr. Kim Ji-han.”
“Uh, um…… Does that mean I have to kill them?”
“If your opponent does not surrender and withdraw, yes. Of course, you can also withdraw. But since you would be abandoning the Tower's trial, you would become an ordinary person again.”
“I see.”
I nodded calmly.
I was so untroubled that even I found it strange.
Suddenly, sensing something odd, I raised my right hand.
There was a sword in my hand.
I think I'd been feeling this sense of ease ever since I gripped it.
I'd definitely never held one before, yet the grip felt incredibly familiar.
“I think that covers the explanation.”
DING—
As if on cue, something appeared in my field of vision.
[Enter Floor 0 of the Tower?] [Yes/No]
“Has a message from the Tower appeared in your field of vision?”
“Huh? Yes, it has. How did you know?”
“The Tower sends a message when there are thirty minutes left on the time limit.”
I checked the message again and asked Director Yoon Tae-hyun,
“Should I enter right away?”
His smile disappeared, and he looked at me with a serious expression.
So this man can look serious too, I thought.
“I'm sorry that we have so little time and that I haven't been able to do anything for you, but I'd like to make a rather shameless request.”
“What is it?”
“I sincerely hope you'll pass the test, Mr. Kim Ji-han.”
I looked at Director Yoon Tae-hyun without saying anything.
His gaze put an enormous amount of pressure on me.
Even if he asked me like that, my life came first.
If it looked as though I couldn't win, I intended to give up immediately.
“I hesitate to call it compensation, but if you pass, I will grant you one request within the limits of my authority.”
“A reduced sentence—”
“That I cannot do.”
“Then I'd like a game console.”
“……A game console?”
“Yes. A NintenXo, a Y-box, or a PlayXStation.”
“You have a remarkably modest dream, don't you?”
“I've wanted one ever since I was little.”
“Hehe, very well. I shall have one prepared for you right away.”
I raised my hand.
I was about to select ‘Yes’ on the notification floating before my eyes.
“Mr. Kim Ji-han.”
Just before I pressed ‘Yes,’ Director Yoon Tae-hyun called out to me.
“I wish you good fortune in battle.”
I nodded and selected ‘Yes.’
***
Kim Ji-han vanished from where he stood.
That meant he had entered the Tower.
As soon as Kim Ji-han disappeared, Jeong Seok-jung prepared a laptop.
He intended to watch what happened through the small camera attached to Kim Ji-han's helmet.
“Why didn't you tell him?”
At that moment, Baek Ha-yeon asked Yoon Tae-hyun reproachfully.
“Tell him what?”
“There are several things he needs to watch out for. Especially the Tarntar Tribe and the Mages of Hailen.”
If his opponent was a member of the Tarntar Tribe or a Mage of Hailen, victory would be impossible.
In the worst case, he could even lose his life.
Yoon Tae-hyun answered,
“Because telling him would have been meaningless.”
“What do you mean by that?”
“Even if I told Mr. Kim Ji-han those things, do you think someone sentenced to forty years in prison would give up so easily?”
“What!? Forty years? You're telling me he was sentenced to forty years when he's only seventeen?”
“His crimes were far too serious. I didn't tell him because I thought it would only dampen his motivation.”
“Hah…… Even so…….”
Baek Ha-yeon continued, her face full of discontent.
“Do you know what the other training institutes call you these days, Director?”
“What do they call me?”
“The Grim Reaper. They say you bring criminals here, give them false hope, and send them to their deaths.”
“I would like to call that a misunderstanding. They made their own choices, after all. More importantly, not all of them died, did they?”
Anyone who wanted to give up on the test could simply leave the Tower.
But not many criminals made that choice.
Especially those sentenced to twenty years or more, or to life imprisonment.
“Besides, you do know Kim Ji-han is the youngest criminal you've ever brought here, don't you? Hah…… I don't even know if this is ethically right.”
“And of all the bastards the director has brought here, he's committed the most heinous crimes. He didn't just cut off his classmate's head. He killed the kid's father too, didn't he?”
It was Instructor Jeong Seok-jung who answered.
“And he's only seventeen. I've never seen a brat that young do something so insane in my life.”
“No, that's exactly why it'll be a problem even if he passes. Is it right to bring someone like that here?”
Jeong Seok-jung and Baek Ha-yeon looked at Yoon Tae-hyun as though seeking to understand his intentions.
Yoon Tae-hyun merely gave them an enigmatic smile.
Then he said,
“You instructors seem to be mistaken about something.”
“Mistaken? What, was he falsely accused?”
“Or did he not really cut their heads off?”
“No, he did cut their heads off, and he wasn't falsely accused. But I think you've misunderstood how Mr. Kim Ji-han cut them off.”
Yoon Tae-hyun took a ballpoint pen from the inside pocket of his suit.
“The weapons Mr. Kim Ji-han used were about one and a half times the length of this pen.”
“What was it again? I heard he used a utility knife and a shard of glass.”
“Yes. But he didn't cut their heads off in the gruesome way you're imagining, as though he were sawing through them.”
He gripped the ballpoint pen and swung it horizontally.
Just as though he were swinging a sword.
“Like this. Rather than saying he cut them off, it would be more accurate to say he severed them with a slash.”
“…….”
“…….”
The instructors stared at him blankly.
They were at a loss for words.
“Wait, it's not like a shard of glass or a utility knife is a lightsaber. You're saying he severed their heads with a single swing?”
“Does that even make sense?”
“No, it doesn't. Which is why we're going to find out.”
Yoon Tae-hyun turned his gaze toward the laptop screen.
“What secret does Kim Ji-han possess? Perhaps he might even rewrite the history of Swordsmen.”
With those words, the instructors also turned their attention to the laptop screen.
The scene displayed on it was a colosseum.
And ten meters ahead stood a muscular man.
“My goodness…… He's from the Tarntar Tribe!”
He wore clothing reminiscent of a primitive tribe and had dark-brown skin.
His pectoral muscles were abnormally developed, and his shoulders were broad.
The Tarntar Tribe was the number-one tribe to beware of when climbing the Tower.
They were an extremely belligerent race, also known as Hunter Hunters.
Yet even with such an opponent before him, Kim Ji-han moved.
He stepped forward and approached the man.
GRIN—
Kim Ji-han's opponent, the Tarntar warrior, gave a nasty grin.
He clearly thought Kim Ji-han would be easy prey because of his smaller build and shorter stature.
WHOOSH!!
The warrior swung his enormous double-bladed axe toward Kim Ji-han's neck.
At that instant, the image on the screen shifted in the blink of an eye.
WHOOSH! SLASH—
Before anyone knew it, Kim Ji-han was standing with his back turned to the Tarntar warrior he had been facing.
That was all the screen showed.
But as veterans in the field of swordsmanship, the instructors could immediately tell what had just happened.
“He spun his body, swung his sword, and slashed.”
The problem was this.
Just where had he struck?
They learned the answer when Kim Ji-han turned around to face his opponent again.
THUMP— ROLL, ROLL, ROLL…….
The Tarntar warrior's head had fallen off and was rolling across the ground.
“Holy shit…….”
“My goodness…….”
The two instructors were speechless for a moment at the sight.