I'd Awakened.
I'd become a Divine Shaman and gained the ability to serve my family's Ancestral God.
It was rather amusing that I'd achieved this through Awakening rather than receiving a god through a traditional shamanic initiation. Regardless, hadn't I now fulfilled the qualifications to become the head of the Divine Shaman Cheon Family?
─ Tsk. The family is in a sorry state.
The Ancestral God's divine power truly was remarkable. He'd discerned the family's circumstances with nothing more than a quick glance around.
"I'm sorry."
I lowered my head.
After all, wasn't he the Ancestral God who had protected our family for generations?
Whether or not it was my fault, the fact remained that the family built with his help had fallen into complete ruin.
─ This is not something you need to apologize for. I know perfectly well that it is not your fault. Still, you have kept the shrine in good condition. Thank you.
"Ah, yes......"
Thank goodness I'd at least cleaned the place.
It was already shameful enough that the family had fallen into ruin. If I'd shown him a shrine covered in dust, I really wouldn't have been able to face him.
─ I heard roughly what happened from Bong-seok. You have worked hard.
"Pardon?"
─ I mean your grandfather.
"......Ah."
Cheon Bong-seok.
The last Divine Shaman of our family.
That was the name of my late grandfather.
He'd spent his entire life searching for the Ancestral God, so I was glad he'd apparently managed to meet him, even if it was only after entering his eternal rest.
─ So this is all because of that fucking thing, is it?
I followed the Ancestral God's gaze.
There stood the Labyrinth Tower, either the cause of the Great Cataclysm or its consequence.
***
The Labyrinth Towers that appeared during the Great Cataclysm were incomprehensible entities.
Even setting aside humanity's inability to identify the materials they were made of or understand the mechanisms operating within them, the Labyrinth Towers themselves existed in a manner that transcended human perception.
There was one Labyrinth Tower in each country.
Naturally, the Korean Tower was in Korea.
However, nobody knew where in Korea the Korean Tower's actual structure was located.
Nobody knew its location, yet everyone knew it was in Korea.
Even as I said it, it sounded like complete nonsense, but every word was true.
That was because, whenever someone turned their head toward the direction where the Tower existed, the image of a tower rising majestically like a skyscraper appeared in their vision.
That's right.
No matter where you were in Korea, you could see the Korean Labyrinth Tower.
According to scientists, it supposedly proved the existence of something that could always be perceived by human senses without being fixed to a horizontal coordinate system, or something along those lines.
I remembered watching a documentary that explained how this provided a basis for proving the existence of ghosts.
Not that it mattered.
After all, wasn't one of those ghosts—no, the Ancestral God—standing right beside me?
─ Tsk. What an unholy thing.
According to the Ancestral God, the dimensional barrier created by the Labyrinth Tower had pushed away his existence, preventing him from manifesting all this time.
My Awakening had restored his connection to the Cheon Family's bloodline, allowing him to finally break through the dimensional barrier.
In any case, the Ancestral God silently examined the Labyrinth Tower for a long time, as though he were looking at an enemy he couldn't bear to share the same sky with.
─ Tsk. This is not good.
"Yes, it's not good."
Some people argued that the world had prospered thanks to the byproducts obtained from the Towers.
After all, Magic Crystals had sparked an energy revolution with their entirely new properties, while the various other byproducts were worthy of being called revolutionary materials. Items possessing all sorts of supernatural abilities had also advanced human civilization.
But the Towers weren't a good thing.
Weren't they ultimately entities that would bring about the world's destruction?
─ Those fucking bastards have done something goddamn awful.
For a moment, I found myself thinking that the Ancestral God's language was considerably rougher than I'd expected.
But that thought didn't last long.
─ That Tower. It will collapse within three years.
"......Pardon?"
It seemed I'd just learned something terribly unpleasant.
***
What happened when a Tower collapsed?
We already knew the answer from experience.
[If the highest floor reached in a Tower isn't updated within one year, the country in that Tower's designated territory will perish.]
Several countries that lacked sufficiently capable Awakened had already disappeared from the map.
But I couldn't understand it.
After all, South Korea was home to Ji Seo-yeon, one of the world's most outstanding Awakened.
It had only been a month since Ji Seo-yeon successfully cleared Floor 27.
Twenty years to reach Floor 27.
That wasn't slow.
I'd heard that she was deliberately controlling her pace to ensure maximum safety and make the most efficient use of the available time.
After all, clearing the Tower wasn't a speedrunning game.
And it wasn't just Ji Seo-yeon.
Korea's capable Awakened, along with outstanding Awakened from countries across the world, were challenging the Towers even today.
The world remained stable because of the unwavering faith people placed in them.
Humanity had entered an era of stability.
The fact that most Tower collapses had occurred during the first ten years following the Great Cataclysm was proof of that.
"Are you saying the Korean Tower will collapse?"
─ Yes. There are about three years left.
And yet, I had no choice but to believe the Ancestral God.
As a descendant of the Divine Shaman Cheon Family, I'd grown up hearing countless stories of his miracles.
One of our family's ancestral teachings was to trust the Ancestral God's words unconditionally when it came to predicting the future.
"Does that mean the attempt to clear the Tower will fail?"
─ Perhaps. Perhaps not. Regardless, it is certain that the Tower will collapse.
"......"
What am I supposed to do?
I'd gone from being a young man just starting out in life, worrying about two billion won in debt, to someone who had Awakened.
But my happiness had been short-lived. Now I found myself worrying about the downfall of a country with only a few years left to live.
The ancient sages certainly hadn't been wrong when they said that misfortune often followed good fortune.
"Ah!"
A good idea occurred to me.
I'd remembered that the Ancestral God of the Divine Shaman Cheon Family was a magnificent being who could solve any problem through his miraculous divine power.
Surely the Ancestral God would be able to offer an excellent solution.
"Ancestral God, what should I do?"
I asked him directly.
If I needed to inform the president about the Tower's impending collapse to prevent it, the Ancestral God would arrange a way for me to reach the president.
If South Korea's greatest Awakened, Ji Seo-yeon, needed assistance, the Ancestral God would show me how to reach her.
That was precisely the miraculous ability of the Ancestral God that had made the Divine Shaman Cheon Family so great!
─ You must climb the Tower with me.
"Pardon?"
─ That is the best solution.
"Isn't there another way?"
─ No. Do you think changing a predetermined future is so easy?
"Hmm."
I think I've come to the wrong fortune-teller.
***
Climbing the Tower meant putting your life on the line.
Countless Awakened had actually lost their lives while climbing it.
It wasn't something I could simply agree to do without hesitation.
Surely the Ancestral God understood what I was thinking.
─ Descendant of the Cheon Family.
The Ancestral God called to me solemnly.
"Yes, Ancestral God."
I didn't have the courage to suddenly become the one hero capable of saving the world.
Hoping he might offer another answer, I responded to his call as respectfully as possible.
─ The family owes two billion won in debt, correct?
"......Yes."
The Ancestral God's divine power was truly impressive. He'd correctly identified the exact amount of debt burdening our family.
─ If you cannot repay that debt, the Divine Shaman Cheon Family will disappear completely, and even the shrine will be taken away, will it not?
"That's correct."
─ How unfortunate. Do you have any solution?
"......"
Of course I didn't.
Seeing my silence, the Ancestral God apparently decided to share a secret method with me.
─ Surely you know that climbing the Tower is the easiest way to make money?
"Th-That's true, isn't it?"
Climbing the Tower required risking your life.
But it could also earn you an enormous amount of money.
Hadn't I already mentioned it?
Humanity had entered a new age of prosperity thanks to the byproducts obtained from the Towers.
That was why so many people compared Awakening to winning the lottery.
In any case, I learned two things.
The first was that the Ancestral God truly knew everything.
─ You need to make money, do you not?
The second was that he was quite materialistic.
"......Yes."
His advice was far more persuasive than any grand declaration about saving the world.
Perhaps this was the seasoned expertise of an Ancestral God who had demonstrated his miraculous abilities for countless generations.
"Is there really no other way?"
─ None.
"......All right."
It seemed I was destined to climb the Tower.
And since I was going to climb it anyway, I decided that I'd be doing it to save the world.
***
─ Do not worry. With me by your side, there will be absolutely nothing difficult about it.
The Ancestral God promised to provide his full support while I climbed the Tower.
In truth, that was only natural.
[Status Window]
Name: Cheon Yeong-hwan
Class: Divine Shaman
Level: 1
Trait: Spirit Command
─ First Spirit: Ancestral God
Trait Skills: Lending / Spirit Communion (Inactive) / Divine Descent (Inactive)
Common Skills: Subspace Inventory / Tower Entry Ticket (Available)
My class was Divine Shaman.
My trait was Spirit Command.
And the first spirit under my command through that trait was none other than the Ancestral God.
That's right.
Despite the interference of the dimensional barrier, the Ancestral God was able to exist here because of my skill.
He said that he would automatically enter the Tower alongside me.
It felt somewhat disrespectful to put it this way, but the Ancestral God was currently a being under my command.
─ Shall we go immediately?
"Today?"
─ Why? Do you have an appointment? That cannot be the case, can it?
"......"
The Ancestral God had struck a sore spot.
How could I have any appointments when I didn't even have friends?
"Let's go."
Entering the Tower wasn't difficult.
All I had to do was use the Tower Entry Ticket, a Common Skill I'd received upon Awakening.
The system worked by automatically teleporting an Awakened into the Tower when they shouted "Enter!" while intending to use their Tower Entry Ticket.
That was how the Awakened could enter a Tower despite nobody knowing its exact location.
"Shall we go right now?"
Awakening was an extremely rare occurrence.
That meant only a chosen few could climb the Tower.
To tell the truth, I was starting to feel a little excited about climbing it myself.
After all, practically everyone my age had dreamed of becoming Awakened and climbing the Tower at least once during childhood.
─ Wait a moment.
"Pardon?"
─ Let us break off that branch and take it with us.
"Understood."
I wasn't particularly knowledgeable about plants, so I couldn't tell what kind of tree it was.
Still, I figured it would be better than going empty-handed, so I snapped off a branch about the length of a staff and held it in my hand.
Having something to hold made me feel a little more secure.
─ Descendant.
"Yes?"
─ Remember this. A Divine Shaman is one who foresees the future and prepares for it in advance.
"Ah, yes."
I didn't fully understand what he meant, but I answered anyway.
The Ancestral God didn't seem particularly concerned.
─ Let us go.
Although I'd only just Awakened, I somehow felt I knew how to use my skills.
In other words, I probably could have entered the Tower even if I hadn't already learned how to do so.
"Enter!"
The Tower Entry Ticket was activated, and my vision went black.
........
[You have entered Floor 1 of ‘Labyrinth Tower - Korea’, ‘Road to the Dead’.]
[Physical abilities are readjusted according to your level.]
[Mission: Defeat 7 Dead Ones]
[Time Limit: 24 Hours]
[Success Condition: Complete the mission within the time limit]
[Failure Conditions: Time limit expires, death, escape]
"Oh."
It was astonishing.
The forests of Gangwon Province, painted in autumn colors, had vanished. In their place stretched a desolate, eerie cavern.
But my fascination didn't last long.
A sense of helplessness soon washed over me.
"......Which way am I supposed to go?"
I couldn't help muttering like the blind monk from a game I used to enjoy playing.
There was a reason this place was called the Labyrinth Tower.
The system informed you of that fact, but the moment you entered, you understood its true nature.
A labyrinth.
True to its name, countless branching paths greeted me.
Even at a rough estimate, there were twenty different paths ahead.
"There are way too many paths."
For the first time, I understood that having countless choices was practically the same as having none.
But my helplessness didn't last long.
─ The fourth path is the best.
"Do you mean that one?"
─ Yes. That path is the most auspicious.
I had an answer key called the Ancestral God.
........
Step. Step.
Only the sound of my footsteps echoed through the cavern.
─ Go right.
─ This time, go left.
─ Take the third fork.
I walked endlessly, following the Ancestral God's directions.
I had a general understanding of how to clear the Tower.
You had to navigate the labyrinthine paths, encounter the Dead Ones, and defeat them.
Once you'd defeated the required seven, you could shout "Mission Complete!" to finish clearing the floor.
However, I hadn't encountered a single Dead One.
─ You bastard, do not doubt me. A directional fortune reading would normally fetch a fee of at least a hundred thousand won each time.
Considering that a fortune reading along the lines of "Head east and you will meet someone who will bring you good fortune" normally cost a hundred thousand won, the Ancestral God wasn't wrong.
After he'd given me directions about fifteen times, an unusually spacious cavern opened up before me.
"GRAAAAGH!"
And then the Dead Ones appeared.
Not just one.
All seven were gathered in the same place.
"Oh, dear......"
Dead Ones.
They looked somewhat like zombies, and their appearances were truly grotesque.
The labyrinth's bewildering terrain and the Dead Ones' grotesque appearances.
I'd heard that these were the reasons so many people abandoned their attempts to climb the Tower on the very first floor.
Even I, someone who wasn't afraid of ghosts, felt like shouting "Escape!" the moment I saw them.
─ Poor souls. They have died, yet cannot truly die.
Perhaps the Ancestral God's words had served as a signal.
"GRAAAGH! GRRAAAAGH!"
As though they'd spotted a delicious meal, the seven Dead Ones staggered toward me in a charge.
They looked like zombies, but their running speed was no different from that of an ordinary human.
"Eek!"
I screamed and instinctively swung whatever I was holding.
"AAARGH!"
That wasn't a sound I'd made.
The Dead Ones, which had been charging blindly toward me as though they possessed no reason, suddenly recoiled with strange cries.
"......"
"......"
Silence settled over the cavern for a moment.
The bastards kept casting furtive glances at the object in my hand.
"This?"
Whoosh—.
I swung the branch again.
"GRAAAAGH!"
The Dead Ones went into convulsions.
As though their bodies had completely seized up, they were unable to move.
─ Try touching one of them lightly.
Poke.
I gently prodded one of the Dead Ones with the tip of the branch.
It wasn't difficult, since my opponent couldn't move.
Thud.
The Dead One collapsed.
"......?"
Poke. Poke. Poke. Poke. Poke. Poke.
I gave each of the remaining ones a poke as well.
Thud.
Every last Dead One collapsed helplessly.
─ Ahem. I infused that peach blossom branch with my spell power.
The Ancestral God's smug voice reached my ears.
At the same moment...
[Mission Complete.]
A system notification rang out.
"......This is the Tower?"
This was ridiculously easy.