NOVEL NEXT Chapter 30 - Tower of Trials 1st Floor (3)
Chapter 30 Tower of Trials 1st Floor (3)
A week later.
The promised dungeon date with Poryong had ended.
In hindsight, Baek Jin-woo’s decision was correct.
On the last day of their outing, in the evening.
– Um… Jin-woo Nim.
“Hm?”
– There’s something I need to tell you.
“What is it?”
– Actually, I could have learned the skill last time, but I didn’t on purpose. I’m really sorry.
Poryong confessed the truth.
She had realized it herself, and knowing she might be scolded, she must have braced herself before coming clean.
Having been rewarded and even taken out for a date, she probably felt guilty.
– It was selfish of me. I’m sure the other summons also want to spend time with you, Jin-woo Nim.
“No, Poryong.”
Baek Jin-woo smiled warmly.
Even though he was young, he thought this must be what it felt like to raise a child.
“Rather, I’m grateful you had the courage to tell me first.”
– …
“You don’t have to blame yourself so much. Right now, you’re the one I need most. Spending time with you is only natural.”
– Really?
This wasn’t just empty words.
The summons for the weekly dungeon grind?
Of course, they were important, too.
But they weren’t on the same level as Poryong, Hun-gyo, or Lamba.
Baek Jin-woo had always favored strong summons over treating them all equally.
“You’ve improved your mastery of ‘Linked Strike’ by now, right?”
– Yes! I think I’ve got it down, with no mistakes.
“Good. Then that’s all for today.”
Tomorrow.
The tower trial would begin.
***
The next day.
At the Player Zone, in front of Jamsil Tower.
A staff member in a black suit stood at the entrance.
As Baek Jin-woo approached,
“Oh!”
“Player Baek Jin-woo?”
The two staff members immediately recognized him.
By now, Baek Jin-woo was quite famous.
Although he wasn’t officially a ranker yet, he was more well-known than most rankers.
“Could it be… you’re attempting the Tower of Trials?”
Yes.
Why else would he be here?
“Can I go in?”
“Uh… may I see your registration card? We know who you are, but it’s part of the procedure.”
“Here it is.”
The process was simple.
They just needed to log his entry into the system.
If someone didn’t emerge within a week, they were marked as missing.
If they didn’t return within a month, they were presumed dead.
Even the timelines reflected how grueling the tower was.
“The media won’t be notified, right?”
Access to the Tower of Trials, even for journalists, was strictly prohibited.
Additionally, players could request complete privacy.
“Yes! We’ll make sure there’s no media exposure!”
At the very least, he didn’t want his family to know.
He had heard that his younger siblings and Yoo Ji-ah had told their parents about him.
But the Tower of Trials was a different matter.
“They’d worry too much.”
He decided to clear it quickly on his own and disclose it afterward.
“All set?”
“Yes, you may enter!”
“Wishing you a safe and successful run!”
With the staff members’ greetings behind him, Baek Jin-woo stepped into the gate at the tower’s entrance, where a black aurora shimmered ominously.
***
[Entering the Tower of Trials.]
[The Tower of Trials is extremely challenging.]
[Proceed with caution.]
The surroundings turned pitch black.
After a brief warning message,
[You can deploy up to three parties in the Tower of Trials.]
[Please configure your settings.]
The settings were already prepared.
In the first party, Baek Jin-woo included Lamba, Hun-gyo, Poryong, Wind Falcon, and Horned Fairy.
In the second party, he deployed Sky Dolphin, Sky Wyvern, and three Lava Drakes.
For the third party, he selected the Combat Sheriff, Priest of Radiance, Striped Komodo, Titanium Golem, and Frost Cat.
A perfect lineup of 15 summons.
He had also equipped them with the best lower-tier runes available.
[You may now challenge the 1st floor.]
[Do you wish to proceed?]
[Y/N]
Was there even a choice?
He clicked “Yes.”
As energy engulfed his body, his vision shifted.
***
When he opened his eyes again, they were in an unfamiliar space.
An abandoned city filled with elaborate Gothic stone buildings.
“Right, medieval setting.”
– Grrrr!
– Raaaaagh!
The main enemies here were Ghouls (Grade C).
The Tower of Trials was structured in cycles of ten floors.
Clearing the boss of the 10th floor, the Ghoul King “One-Eye” (Grade S), marked the end of one cycle.
“Let’s move, everyone.”
– Yes!
– Yes, my lord!
– Got it, Jin-woo Nim!
All 15 summons moved in perfect coordination.
The mission on the 1st floor was simple.
[Escape the abandoned city ‘Chrome,’ which is overrun by Ghouls.]
[Airborne summons are restricted in ‘Chrome’ due to a powerful curse.]
The objective was to avoid the ghouls and find a way out of the city!
“Click.”
Baek Jin-woo clicked his tongue.
It sounded easy, but it wasn’t.
He didn’t know much about Chrome, but the city was massive.
The larger the area, the more numerous the ghouls.
“Clear that alley first! Don’t try to fight everything—focus on the weakest points!”
The ghouls in the Tower of Trials were different from regular ghouls.
They were slower and less aggressive but had absurdly high defense and attack power.
Their claws were also laced with a potent poison that even healing couldn’t counter.
Trying to kill every ghoul here was a recipe for disaster.
“First…”
He temporarily de-summoned the Wyvern and Dolphin.
With air restrictions and no water, they were useless in the city.
Then.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
The Lava Drakes charged ahead, spewing fire breath.
– Graah!
– Graaaaagh!
The ghouls, shambling forward, twisted and writhed in pain from the flames.
“Move!”
Baek Jin-woo and his summons moved swiftly.
As they passed through alleys, the ghastly cries of ghouls filled the city.
“They’re gathering.”
Still, the 1st floor was manageable.
If you navigated correctly, finding the exit wasn’t too hard.
“Where’s the exit?”
Since the spawn location was random, memorization wasn’t possible.
However, maps were placed throughout the city.
These were the only clues to solving the 1st floor.
– My lord, I found it!
Hun-gyo, who had been moving nimbly through the ghouls, approached.
Their coordination was flawless from past experience.
– Here’s the map!
Rustle!
Hun-gyo brushed off the dirt from an old map, revealing a detailed layout.
“Use the tallest cathedral as a reference point.”
Baek Jin-woo estimated the distance from the towering cathedral spire.
Climbing the tower in the past had taught him orienteering, making it easy to determine their position with just a glance.
“Here.”
Baek Jin-woo tapped a spot on the map with his finger.
This was their current location.
– Good. The exit isn’t too far.
“Yeah, but we’ll have to pass a Giant Ghoul (Grade B) to get there.”
Midway through the city were sub-bosses like the Giant Ghoul.
Much larger and stronger than regular ghouls, they posed a significant threat.
– I’ll handle it. Lamba’s been buffing me continuously.
Whoosh! Whoosh!
Lamba waved her staff, steadily stacking Hun-gyo’s attack speed buffs.
“Normally.”
The typical strategy was to sacrifice two parties to distract the sub-boss while sprinting to the exit.
Most rankers probably cleared it this way.
But?
With three EX-grade summons, Baek Jin-woo didn’t need to.
“Poryong.”
– Yes.
“You’re still stacking?”
– I’m at five now.
Poryong had been using Explosive Dragon Technique Linked Strike to accumulate explosive power.
As time passed, her damage output only grew stronger.
And Hun-gyo, too.
“Okay, let’s move. Keep stacking as we go.”
– Yes, Jin-woo Nim!
Exactly.
Why avoid the Giant Ghoul when you can just overpower it?
***
Before long.
– Graaaaaaagh!
The party encountered the roaring
Giant Ghoul.
It was massive.
Its sheer presence screamed danger.
Even a graze from those sharp, enormous claws could mean instant death.
But Baek Jin-woo was unfazed.
“Hun-gyo.”
– Yes, my lord!
“You can handle it, right?”
– Easily.
Hearing Hun-gyo’s confident response, Baek Jin-woo wasn’t too tense either.
It was just the 1st floor, after all.
Whoosh!
Hun-gyo moved swiftly.
– Hyah!
Lamba followed closely, waving her staff furiously.
Swoosh!
The Giant Ghoul’s massive arm cleaved through the air, but,
– Too slow.
To Hun-gyo, it appeared in slow motion.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
Climbing the ghoul’s body, Hun-gyo unleashed a flurry of slashes.
– Grah! Graaaaaagh!
The panicked ghoul swiped its claws in every direction.
But Hun-gyo evaded every attack.
And then.
“Poryong!”
With a leap, Hun-gyo launched himself off the ghoul’s head.
– On my way!
At that moment.
Poryong’s staff ignited, releasing searing red flames.
Explosive Dragon Technique.
Ultimate Skill.
Linked Strike.
Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!
A barrage of flaming dragons erupted from her staff, overwhelming the Giant Ghoul.
Its formidable defense?
Useless against such overwhelming firepower.
And.
Hun-gyo, flipping midair, came down with a decisive strike.
Thunk!
His blade plunged into the ghoul’s scorched neck.
A clean finish.
– Graaaaaagh!
With a final, horrific cry,
Thud!
The massive creature collapsed.
“Nice. Keep moving.”
With the Giant Ghoul defeated, the end was near.
“How long has it been? Ten minutes?”
It would have been great if the Tower of Trials had a time attack system.
Unfortunately, it didn’t.
The only goal was clearing it.
Baek Jin-woo and his summons moved steadily toward the map’s indicated exit, taking down ghouls along the way.
After some time, they reached an open side gate of the city.
[You have escaped the abandoned city ‘Chrome.’]
[Congratulations!]
[You have cleared the 1st floor of the Tower of Trials!]
He had cleared the 1st floor cleanly.
[Your rewards have arrived.]
[You have obtained ‘Random Synthesis Blueprint Box’ (Grade B)!]
After receiving the reward with satisfaction,
***
Baek Jin-woo’s actions that day became yet another legend.
“P-Player Baek Jin-woo?”
The staff guarding the Tower of Trials were stunned.
They watched as Baek Jin-woo exited the gate with a refreshed expression.
“How long has it been since he went in?”
The fact that he had emerged alive meant only one thing.
“He cleared the 1st floor.”
This would now be recorded in the headquarters’ system.
“He’s insane.”
“Is that even possible?”
The staff couldn’t comprehend it.
“Has anyone ever cleared the Tower of Trials and come out in under 20 minutes?”
No one.
Not in Korea, and likely not anywhere else.
“What is he?”
A man who effortlessly swept through weekly dungeons and cleared the Tower of Trials with ease.
Yet, the staff couldn’t divulge this information.
Having applied for privacy, Baek Jin-woo was protected by strict confidentiality agreements.
“H-how did you… come out so quickly?”
Unable to contain their curiosity, they asked.
“Is there a problem?”
“N-No! No problem at all!”
“Well then, see you tomorrow.”
With a faint smile, Baek Jin-woo nodded and left.
“…Hey.”
The two staff members exchanged glances.
“What did I just witness?”
“…I can’t believe it either.”
“He said he’s coming back tomorrow? Straight to the 2nd floor?”
“This is insane. I have a feeling…”
One of the staff squinted and murmured.
“That guy’s about to make some serious waves soon.”
“Waves?”
“Yeah, like he’s about to explode in popularity and go way beyond where he is now.”
The staff member stared at Baek Jin-woo’s retreating figure.
Perhaps,
They were witnessing the beginning of a legendary hero’s story.