The Player that Can’t Level Up

Noticing the awkward expression on Tae-Shik’s face, Gi-Gyu asked with concern, “Is there a problem?”

“A problem… I guess you can call it that,” replied Tae-Shik.

“Why? What’s wrong?”

“The 4th-floor guardian’s behavior is filled with anomalies. For starters, no guardian had ever left its habitat before it. And just recently, we discovered a troubling fact: the guardian is becoming stronger,” explained Tae-Shik.

“What?!” Gi-Gyu seemed dazed.

‘Becoming stronger? What does Tae-Shik hyung mean by that?’

Tae-Shik continued, “So far, hundreds of players have fallen victim to that guardian. Several high-level hunting parties went out to kill it, but they haven’t returned yet. Those groups were more than strong enough to take care of a single guardian on the 4th floor. Now… We can only assume that the guardian is becoming stronger. It is as if it’s eating the players to level up.”

“...”

A grave expression appeared on Gi-Gyu’s face as he murmured, “I was wondering why I haven’t heard anything about it. It turns out something like this was happening...”

“I think these changes began with the exceptional gates. I’ve seen guardians that were born strong, but I’ve never seen one that could get stronger by killing players,” Tae-Shik pondered out loud.

Gi-Gyu had an old grudge against the 4th-floor guardian. Ever since their first encounter, he had been craving a rematch. But he always thought it was never going to happen. After all, it was only a 4th-floor guardian; the guardian-hunting guilds could hunt it easily. So, Gi-Gyu gave up on killing it a long time ago.

He only asked Tae-Shik about it out of curiosity, so this was not the answer he was expecting.

Tae-Shik continued, “The last hunting party that went after it was a C-grade subjugation squad. You can guess how strong they must’ve been, right?”

“Yes.”

“Yet, no one from that group survived.”

“...”

Gi-Gyu couldn’t believe what he had just heard. Usually, a C-grade hunting group had over 30 players, 60% of which were grade C. A grade C player referred to someone between levels 80 to 100. These players were strong enough to reach the Tower’s 40th floor. In other words, they could even hunt the 30th-floor guardian.

Tae-Shik continued, “That’s why we are preparing to send a B-grade subjugation squad this time.”

“Really?” Catching the sparkles in Gi-Gyu’s eyes, Tae-Shik asked as his lips curled up, “Why? Are you interested?”

“Of course,” replied Gi-Gyu with a bright smile.

***

Tae-Shik told Gi-Gyu before returning to the association, “This new subjugation squad will be formed within a week. Since it’s a B-grade group, it’ll take a while to organize everyone. None of the guilds are willing to go in because it’s not worth their time. I should’ve known that until the association offers a significant reward, that guardian will stay alive.”

After Tae-Shik left, Gi-Gyu murmured to himself, “I get that it isn’t worth their time, but how can they just sit back and relax while other players are dying like this?”

But unfortunately, this was how the world worked. The guardian-hunting guilds profit by killing guardians and selling the drop items. Usually, these guardian-hunting guilds hunted guardians that lived on floors lower than their levels to minimize risk.

But the 4th-floor guardian was a different story. The monster was located on such a low level that the items it might drop wouldn’t be worth their time. It had eradicated a C-grade hunting party atop that, which meant the risk involved was too great.

The risk-to-benefit ratio wasn’t pleasing to the guilds.

One might argue that the guardian might possess high-priced items since it had gotten much stronger. But this wasn’t a chance any guild was willing to take. These guilds were essentially a business, and going after this 4th-floor guardian wasn’t a wise decision.

The best-case scenario was that a guild successfully killed this guardian and obtained some expensive items. But there was no guarantee that this would happen. Most likely, they would lose some of their guild members, and if they managed to kill the guardian, the drop items might only be 4th-floor level. This was a formula for great loss, not profit.

So, the association assembled a subjugation squad when a particular guardian couldn’t be destroyed for various reasons. In this case, it was because the guardian was too strong. The association even offered a prize for killing this kind of monster to entice players. This technique attracted many players who wanted the title of being the “First” to kill a unique type of guardian.

Lou asked Gi-Gyu bluntly.

-So you’re gonna join this subjugation squad?

“Yes. I’ve wanted to test out my new body anyway. El has absorbed Calleon’s power, so I want to test her and all the weapons I bought from Old Man Hwang. I was planning on doing all these tests in the Tower, but I think this might be a better way. Don’t you agree?

-You’re so stubborn.

Gi-Gyu could hear the disapproval in Lou’s voice, but he was surprised at what Lou said next.

-But I think it’s a good idea.

“Me too,” replied Gi-Gyu.

-But my reason is different from yours.

“Huh? What is it?” asked Gi-Gyu in confusion.

-You went through way too much inside the Maze of Heryond. All the secrets you learned and the tortu- bad things that happened to you…

“Lou, I’m fine. You can talk freely since I share all my thoughts with you guys anyway,” Gi-Gyu reassured Lou. It seemed even his bratty Ego was concerned about how the Iron Guild tortured Gi-Gyu. Usually, Lou acted rude and cold, so Gi-Gyu felt touched by his unspoken concern.

-Fine. Anyway, what I was trying to say is that you need to let it out every once in a while.

“Let it out? What do you mean?”

-Well, the elixir completely healed your physique, but what about your psyche? The stress, anger, and resentment you must’ve gathered in that maze… You need to let it all out on something, and I believe that the fourth-floor guardian is a perfect target.

“That’s true. I wanted to get back at it for some time now. The only reason why I didn’t act on it was that I thought it was already dead.” Gi-Gyu agreed with Lou. This guardian drove Gi-Gyu into taking the fifth-floor test, which awakened his unique ability.

Gi-Gyu leaned back on the chair and asked Lou, “But do you think I can kill it?”

Gi-Gyu was much stronger than before, so he wasn’t afraid. Also, he would have a subjugation squad to rely on and wouldn’t have to face the monster alone. But this guardian supposedly destroyed a C-grade hunting group, so it had to be a tremendous monster.

-Umm… I have no idea how strong that guardian is, so it’s hard to say.

-But I think you can take it down, Master.

El, who had been quiet all this time, suddenly chimed in.

“El?”

-The changes you experienced recently are remarkable, Master. I think you can feel confident about yourself.

-Don’t encourage him like that. What if he gets killed from being too cocky? If he dies, we’ll die too, El.

As usual, Lou was realistic, while El was optimistic. It looked like their argument would get out of hand, so Gi-Gyu stopped them.

“That’s enough, you two.”

-Hmm…

-Of course, Master.

Lou seemed unhappy about something, while El replied obediently like she always did. To appease Lou, Gi-Gyu announced, “Even if something happens, I like to think I’m strong enough to escape a dangerous situation. Think about what happened in the Maze of Heryond. After what I had to go through there, do you think I can’t handle a difficulty or two?”

-Talk is cheap.

“I’m not going on this hunt to die. This isn’t a suicide mission by any means. After what happened in the maze, I thought about many things. I decided that helping others is good, but not at the cost of my life. When I’m inside the Tower or a gate, my survival is above everything. I’ll protect myself at all costs.”

Gi-Gyu realized this while he was being tortured. He decided then that this was how he would live from now on, even before he learned Soo-Jung was Lucifer. Saving others was a noble deed, but Gi-Gyu didn’t plan on sacrificing himself to be a hero.

Gi-Gyu was resting with closed eyes when Yoo-Jung yelled, “Oppa! Dinner’s ready! And when are you going to buy me a puppy?”

“Stop thinking about bringing in even more change to this family for now. Let’s just wait until we adapt to our new situation first, Yoo-Jung,” Gi-Gyu advised his sister.

“Hmph… Fine! Just hurry up and come out to eat dinner! Mom made bulgogi[1] today! I'll eat your portion if you don’t hurry up!” She burst into Gi-Gyu’s room without knocking and left with narrowed eyes and a cunning grin. Gi-Gyu was getting hungry anyway, so he decided to stop pondering about his situation.

“I’m just glad she looks much happier now,” Gi-Gyu murmured. Yoo-Jung had been quieter before, always worried about him and their mother. But now, his sister seemed much more relaxed. Gi-Gyu was relieved to see such a positive change in his sister.

***

Gi-Gyu spent a few more days with his family at home. He wanted the elixir’s modifications to take effect completely before making any move. And today, El announced she had finished absorbing Calleon’s power; it seemed the elixir was also done modifying his body.

Admiring the outward changes to Gi-Gyu’s appearance, Yoo-Jung exclaimed, “Uwaah, Oppa… You should quit being a player and become a celebrity. I usually don’t like to compliment you, but you look so… dreamy.”

Gi-Gyu had always been tall and fairly good-looking. But thanks to the elixir, Gi-Gyu’s appearance has improved dramatically. He was already 180 cm before; now, he was close to 190 cm. His lean body, which never bulked up no matter how hard Gi-Gyu tried, was now hard with muscles. Gi-Gyu’s skin used to look dry and wrinkled from stress and lack of sleep; now, his skin looked rejuvenated. Tae-Shik was a giant, so Gi-Gyu looked fragile when he stood before Tae-Shik. But now, they seemed equals.

Feeling embarrassed, Gi-Gyu protested, “Don’t be silly. You’re talking nonsense.”

“What are you talking about?! With that face, you could be a successful celebrity, making just as much money as a player!” Yoo-Jung argued. She seemed quite serious about her suggestion, but Gi-Gyu had no plans to quit being a player. He knew his appearance had improved, but good looks were never enough to make it in the entertainment industry. Besides, if he quit being a player, he would face many problems. The biggest of all would probably be guaranteeing his family’s safety. Unless he remained a player and became stronger, he and his family would never survive the inevitable future danger.

‘I am certain that there will be many big changes in my life. I’ve to be strong enough to protect my family through them.’

Gi-Gyu thought about all the things that could impact his life in the future. The exceptional gates, the changes in the Tower, the guardian who could level up, Lucifer, and Ironshield. These factors, if you will, would affect not only the players but also everyone else in the world. Gi-Gyu needed strength to protect his family in a future like that, and he could only do that as a player.

“We just got our lives back, so I can’t…” Gi-Gyu murmured.

“What, Oppa?”

“Nothing. I don’t plan on quitting being a player, so don’t mention it again.”

“But… I don’t want you to be in danger anymore. Then you should get me a bottle of elixir too! If you don’t wanna be a celebrity, I will drink it and do it myself!” Yoo-Jung insisted.

“What?” When Gi-Gyu mockingly glared at his sister, Yoo-Jung covered her ears playfully and ran toward their mother.

When she was out of sight, Gi-Gyu muttered, “If I can, I do have to get her the elixir as well.”

The elixir had significantly extended Gi-Gyu and their mother’s lives. Since Yoo-Jung wasn’t a player, her lifespan was bound to be shorter compared to a player.

‘I can’t let that happen to Yoo-Jung.’

Gi-Gyu felt determined to find another elixir if he ever got the chance.

‘El, are you sure your power is fully stabilized now?’

-Yes, Master. I’m ready.

-I’m the one in trouble now! My growth has been so slow! Go! Hunt monsters! Go! Hunt the damned monsters! I don’t want to be weaker than stupid El!

‘Fine, fine, Lou. I’m going back to the Tower.’

***

“Hyung, what happened to that subjugation squad?” asked Gi-Gyu as he walked into Tae-Shik’s office.

“Oh my. Do we have a celebrity in our midst? I hardly recognize you, Gi-Gyu,” Tae-Shik, who was doing some paperwork, greeted him with excitement.

“Don’t say that. You’re embarrassing me.”

“But I’m not the only one noticing your looks. Don’t you see those people over there?” asked Tae-Shik as he pointed outside: Some female employees were working there. Gi-Gyu saw that some female employees were staring at him and whispering. Gi-Gyu blushed and muttered, “I better start wearing a hat and a mask.”

“Uwaah… It’s no wonder you’re Su-Jin’s son.”

“Stop it already. Just tell me about the new subjugation squad,” Gi-Gyu insisted as he sat on the sofa. When Tae-Shik lowered the blinds to his office, the female workers all returned to their work.

“So you’re going to join the subjugation squad?” Tae-Shik asked as he made some instant coffee.

“Yes, I think it’s a good idea in more than one way,” replied Gi-Gyu.

“That’s true.”

Gi-Gyu wasn’t participating in the upcoming hunt just for his revenge, mental health, and testing out his newly improved body. He also wanted to study the other players’ skills and abilities with his own eyes. When he worked as a guide, he guided many players who were now considered high-level players. However, the problem was, Gi-Gyu had never seen these high-level players at work. He never had the chance to witness how these strong players hunted inside the Tower. After watching what the high rankers could do in the Maze of Heryond, Gi-Gyu realized he didn’t know much about other players. He understood the basics, but he had to really see them in action to comprehend their might. In other words, this was going to be his chance to learn about the other players. He knew he could estimate his own level in comparison by doing so.

“Hmm…” Tae-Shik sat down in front of Gi-Gyu with a cup of coffee in his hand. He replied, “I have no problem with you joining the subjugation squad. After all, I have a pretty good idea of how strong you are.”

During his recent break, Gi-Gyu occasionally sparred with Tae-Shik to see how strong he was becoming with each passing day due to the elixir. This was why Tae-Shik was aware of Gi-Gyu’s improved strength.

“But there is a problem, Gi-Gyu.”

“What problem?” Gi-Gyu asked as he rose from the sofa.

“You… won’t be able to hunt even if you join the group. You’ll probably have to go as a porter.”

“Pardon?”

“What is Tae-Shik hyung talking about?’

“Unofficially, we know that you’ve SS level potential, but… you don’t even have an official player credential,” Tae-Shik explained.

‘Ah…’

Gi-Gyu understood the issue immediately. Unofficially, he was an SS-grade player. This meant he could become a high ranker, making him a fairly strong player.

But Gi-Gyu never received a proper player credential. The easiest way for a subjugation squad to calculate a player’s strength was to look at their grade, level, potential, unique ability, and skills.

Since this was a B-grade group, there was no way an ungraded player like Gi-Gyu would get a chance to participate in the actual battle. Unless, of course, in the unlikely event that every other member in the party died, and he was the only one left.

Gi-Gyu pressed his temples in frustration and asked Tae-Shik, “Then what should I do?”

1. Bulgogi, literally meaning “fire meat” in Korean, are thin marinated slices of beef or pork grilled on a barbecue or a stove top. ☜