NOVEL NEXT Chapter 36 - Tower of Trials – 10th Floor
Chapter 36 Tower of Trials – 10th Floor
The power of the Light Speed Rune was astounding.
According to Hun-gyo, it even made tackling the 10th floor of the Tower of Trials achievable sooner than anticipated.
‘Honestly, if Hun-gyo fully develops… even the 20th floor wouldn’t be out of reach.’
However, there wasn’t enough capacity to outfit Hun-gyo with graduation-tier runes just yet.
‘I’ll settle for the 10th floor for now.’
Even as things stood, the progress was extraordinary.
No, it was downright ridiculous how quickly everything had advanced.
‘If I get any greedier, that would just be shameless.’
And so, two weeks passed.
During this time, Yoo Ji-ah stayed true to her word, coming to the training grounds every morning.
She diligently worked out for an hour before heading to the office.
“Doesn’t this tire you out every day?”
“Not at all.”
When Baek Jin-woo asked once, she replied with a content smile, saying she wished she’d started sooner.
“You know, that summon, Hun-gyo?”
“Yes.”
“It’s unbelievable. I’ve trained with some of the best trainers in the country, but none of them come close to being as precise and efficient as him. No one—or no summon—teaches this cleanly and effectively.”
His gestures alone conveyed everything clearly.
“After just an hour of training, my whole body feels refreshed. It’s like my muscles are snapping into place.”
“Haha, is that so?”
Of course, that’s how it would feel.
Hun-gyo was literally designed for training.
Even Baek Jin-woo himself had seen immense benefits.
But today was different.
“Today, I’m aiming for the 10th floor.”
“The 10th floor? Of the Tower of Trials? Already…?”
“Yes.”
The preparations were complete.
In truth, Baek Jin-woo could have attempted the climb right after equipping Lamba with the Light Speed Runes. Still, he chose to perfect his setup first.
“This will end quickly. Maybe around 10 minutes?”
“T-ten minutes?”
Was such a thing even possible?
Two years ago, even the world’s number-one player, Rachel, had taken over 30 minutes to defeat the boss.
‘Then again…’
Who was standing before her now?
This was JinuGod—a man even Rachel deeply admired and respected.
‘I keep forgetting.’
“Have I ever lied to you?”
“Well, no. You definitely could pull it off. Um, then!”
That’s when Yoo Ji-ah’s eyes sparkled.
“This time, can I ask you to wear recording equipment?”
“Recording equipment? I’m not planning to sell Tower-related information, though.”
“I know.”
Yoo Ji-ah nodded earnestly.
Then she pointed to Lamba, Hun-gyo, and Poryong in turn.
“You want to keep information about those summons hidden for now, don’t you?”
Baek Jin-woo stiffened.
‘How did she know?’
Then again…
“Don’t look at me like that. It’s obvious. Those three—none of them show up in any records. They’re not in the system or any database. Besides, in every dungeon run you’ve sold data on, those summons were mentioned.”
Indeed, Yoo Ji-ah was sharp.
She had deduced that the reason Baek Jin-woo had opened so many low-tier summoning scrolls early on was likely tied to those summons.
“Hmm.”
Baek Jin-woo cleared his throat awkwardly.
“I’m not trying to sell your information. My plan is to save it for when you become even more prominent—when you can proudly reveal everything about yourself. At that point, these recordings can be used for promotion.”
“For promotion?”
Well, having a record could come in handy.
Even if not for promotional purposes, visual data could provide valuable insights when objectively analyzing oneself.
“Don’t worry about any potential information leaks. We’ll tie everything up with airtight contracts. What do you think? If you’re uncomfortable, we won’t do it.”
“Hm. Is that so?”
Baek Jin-woo studied her intently.
Could Yoo Ji-ah be trusted?
Could she be someone worth letting closer?
Judging by her actions so far…
‘Yes.’
That was the answer.
She had treated his family well, always put in her best effort for him, and consistently provided invaluable support.
‘Just look at the Light Speed Runes.’
Could he have obtained those on his own?
A globally limited rune?
Even if he had, he might have had to pay far more than they were worth.
But Yoo Ji-ah?
Her connections to Daeseong and her expertise in negotiations had made it possible.
“….”
After a moment of thought, Baek Jin-woo nodded.
“Alright. Come over here for a moment.”
“Huh?”
He gestured for her to come closer.
“I’ll share a secret with you.”
“A secret?”
Yoo Ji-ah’s eyes widened.
‘Could it be…?’
Her heart started racing.
Was he about to reveal that he was JinuGod?
But the secret Baek Jin-woo was about to share wasn’t quite that grand.
“Hun-gyo, come here for a second.”
– …!
Hun-gyo, who had been silently training, approached without a word.
“From now on, you can speak in front of Yoo Ji-ah.”
“Pardon?”
Yoo Ji-ah looked utterly baffled.
Speaking?
The summon?
As someone deeply interested in both players and summons, Yoo Ji-ah couldn’t believe her ears.
A talking summon?
Even globally, she had never heard of such a thing.
“Jin-woo, what are you saying—”
– “Understood, my lord.”
Hun-gyo bowed his head and answered succinctly.
– “It was frustrating to remain silent during training every morning, but now that won’t be necessary.”
“……?”
Yoo Ji-ah’s eyes widened slightly before she let out an involuntary gasp.
“H-huh?”
She was so startled she nearly fell backward.
This wasn’t just talking—it was eloquence!
– “Jin-woo! Does this mean I can talk now too?”
Lamba flitted over, excited.
“Yes, Lamba, you can talk now. Your mouth must have been itching.”
– “You bet it was! Hey, rich lady! Stop showing up empty-handed! Bring cream buns next time! Seriously, coming empty-handed every time is too much!”
“……!”
Lamba’s cheeky comment nearly made Yoo Ji-ah faint.
And then—
– “Nice to meet you, Yoo Ji-ah. Thank you for always supporting Jin-woo. I truly appreciate it.”
Even Poryong chimed in.
Yoo Ji-ah gaped at them, mouth hanging open.
Was this what it felt like when a beloved pet suddenly started talking?
“Actually.”
Seeing her reaction, Baek Jin-woo chuckled.
“This is why I don’t want to share information about my summons. They can talk.”
Ah.
That made sense.
It was perfectly reasonable.
‘Or not!’
How on earth was this even possible?
*
Samsung-dong Player Zone
In front of the Jamsil Tower, four figures gathered.
Baek Jin-woo and three members of YooBaek.
“Please clear the floor safely!”
“The bosses on every 10th floor have the highest player mortality rate. Be cautious and more cautious!”
Kim Byung-jin and Hwang Tae-seop took turns offering encouragement.
The recording equipment was ready.
Even Yoo Ji-ah looked tense, along with the others.
It was only natural.
Three years ago, most of the nation’s rankers had lost their lives here.
The Ghoul King, One-Eye (S-grade).
Globally, even now, countless players were being torn apart by it.
But—
“Don’t worry. I’ll be back soon. How about galbitang for lunch?”
Stretching leisurely, Baek Jin-woo looked utterly relaxed.
“If you want, I can treat you to premium hanwoo omakase instead. Just please, come back alive,” Yoo Ji-ah said, her voice filled with concern.
It was no surprise.
If Baek Jin-woo died, YooBaek would collapse overnight.
“Don’t worry.”
Suddenly, Baek Jin-woo’s eyes turned ice-cold.
Though his expression remained calm, his resolve was evident.
Even with his experience clearing 100 floors, the Tower of Trials required unwavering focus on every floor.
But still—
“I won’t die on the 10th floor.”
Absolutely not.
***
[Entering the Tower of Trials.]
[You can now challenge the 10th floor.]
[Do you wish to proceed?]
[Y/N]
“Yes.”
Baek Jin-woo had already positioned himself in front of One-Eye (S-grade) on the 9th floor.
This meant the battle would begin immediately upon entry.
Flash!
The scenery
shifted, and a concise mission notification appeared.
[Welcome to the 10th Floor of the Tower of Trials.]
[Eliminate the 10th-floor boss, ‘One-Eye’ (S-grade).]
– Grrrrraaaaaaaaahhhhh!
A monstrous roar shook the heavens and earth.
The sight of One-Eye towering over 10 meters tall was overwhelming.
Its grotesque body, dripping saliva, and massive claws painted a terrifying image.
‘Phew.’
Baek Jin-woo took a deep breath to refocus.
“Lamba!”
– “On it!”
Whoosh-whoosh-whoosh!
Wielding her staff with blazing speed, Lamba stacked buffs on Hun-gyo.
Meanwhile, Poryong began preparing her magic.
All the other summons charged forward.
Their sole job was to buy time while Hun-gyo stacked his power.
***
The ensuing battle was fierce and chaotic.
But by the end, One-Eye was brought to its knees, unable to withstand the relentless attacks.
The battle was over in less than 10 minutes.
Once again, the power of EX-grade summons and graduation-tier runes was proven undeniable.