The transition from the Tutorial Lobby to the First Trial was instantaneous.
One moment, Kang Min and Park Woonhee were standing in a crowded hall; the next, they were standing in a large green open field.
High above them, the T1 drone hummed quietly, its red "Live" light blinking.
"Okay, everyone!"
Woonhee shouted, her voice echoing.
She gripped a small, serrated dagger in her right hand as it materialized from pixels.
"The First Trial of the Korean Abyssal Tower."
They both stepped into a large circle that had a barrier as it turned red signaling they can't leave until the timer goes down.
[Objective: Clear the Field of 50 Hob-Goblins and the Boss!]
[Chat Box]
* NoobSlayer: 50? PinkHee usually struggles with 10.
* GoldFarmer: Look at the guy in the mask. He hasn't even pulled out a weapon.
* MaskHater: He's probably just a meat shield.
* T1_Fanatic: Forget the guy, look at that drone quality! 4K resolution? T1 is king!
* Simp4Hee: Go PinkHee! Show them the slime power!
"Ku-kyu!"
With a soft pop, three slimes materialized around Woonhee.
One was her signature pink, another was a vibrant forest green, and the third was a translucent sky blue.
A group of five Hob-Goblins, green-skinned and snarling, spawned.
Woonhee didn't panic.
"Pinky, Greeny, Bluey! Go!"
The Pink Slime launched itself like a cannonball, hitting a goblin in the chest.
Instead of bouncing off, it expanded, its elastic body wrapping around the monster's head.
The goblin muffled a scream before being completely engulfed.
The Green Slime slid across the floor, leaving a sizzling trail of acid.
It collided with two goblins, climbing up their legs.
Within seconds, the monsters began to smoke, their flesh dissolving into green goo.
The Blue Slime was more tactical.
It shot out sticky, viscous threads that bound the remaining two goblins to the ground.
Woonhee stepped forward, her dagger flashing as she slit their throats with practiced, if slightly shaky, movements.
"Nice."
Min said, standing with his hands in his pockets.
[Chat Box]
* EliteRanker: Those slimes are surprisingly high-tier for a Tutorial player.
* ToxicGuy: Yeah, but look at 'Singularity.' He's literally doing nothing.
* CarryMe: Is he a paid escort? Why is he just walking?
* MaskHater: He's a fraud! Kick him!
Min ignored the chat.
He moved forward as another wave of ten goblins emerged.
This time, they were larger, carrying crude iron clubs.
As the first goblin swung its club, Min stepped into its guard.
A simple, short-range punch landed on the goblin's sternum.
*CRACK!
The sound of shattering bone was picked up perfectly by the T1 drone.
The goblin was sent flying backward, slamming into three of its comrades and turning them all into a mess of broken limbs.
Min moved like a blur with no flashy moves and just brutal, efficient strikes.
Every punch or kick resulted in a dead monster.
To the viewers, it looked like he was a high-level Augmentor hiding in the Tutorial.
As they paused between waves, Woonhee was panting, her mana looking depleted.
Min looked at her and then at the floating drone.
"Woonhee..."
"Do you know why you haven't been able to move up to Floor 1?
You're a Tamer, which is technically a sub-class of the Summoner type.
On paper, you're one of the most powerful types of players."
Woonhee wiped sweat from her forehead.
"I know... but I always run out of mana.
My slimes are hungry."
"That's because you don't understand your own categorization."
Kang Min said, speaking not just to her, but to the thousands of viewers now tuning in.
"Players are generally divided into Mages, Assassins, Warriors, and Supports.
But it goes deeper."
"Mages are split into Augmentors, who use mana to buff their internal physical stats, and Emitters, who throw mana outside their bodies as spells.
Assassins focus on Agility-based critical strikes.
As for you...you're a Contractual Summoner.
You use mana of course but are expected to 'fuel' a life force."
[Chat Box]
* TheoryCrafter: Wait... this guy actually knows his stuff.
* StudyHard: I pay 50k Won for academy classes that aren't this clear.
* NoobSlayer: He's still a masked weirdo, but he's a smart masked weirdo.
"The reason you're stuck..."
Min continued, looking Woonhee in the eyes.
"...is because of the Skill Card you chose after your first attempt at this trial.
Most players get blinded by the light.
What grade did you pick?"
Woonhee looked down.
"I... I got lucky.
I was presented with an A-Grade Skill Card called [Queen's Appetite].
It makes my slimes stronger the more they eat."
Min sighed.
"I thought so.
Hate to break it to ya...but you fell for the trap."
The field suddenly shimmered as something big spawned in.
The Boss, a Giant Hob-Goblin King lay dead at Min's feet (he had punched it once while talking).
The trial was over.
Suddenly, alot of holographic cards began to float in the air around them.
They glowed with different colors: Grey, Green, and a blinding Gold.
----
[SYSTEM: SKILL CARD EVALUATION INTERFACE]
『NOTICE: THE PATH OF DEFINITION』
「Congratulations, Walker. You have cleared the Trial. Before you lie the manifestations of your potential. These cards will define your essence within the Abyssal Tower. Choose with absolute caution.」
[THE HIERARCHY OF RESONANCE]
「GRADE C」 — [Color: Grey] — [Designation: Common]
「PENALTY」: [NONE]
「PROS」: Standard growth; zero strain on the soul vessel.
「GRADE B」 — [Color: Green] — [Designation: Uncommon/Growth]
「PENALTY」: [NONE]
「PROS」: Optimized efficiency; high ceiling for evolution.
「GRADE A」 — [Color: Blue] — [Designation: High-Tier]
「PENALTY」: [HEAVY RESTRICTION]
「PROS」: Immediate power spike; world-class abilities.
「GRADE S」 — [Color: Gold] — [Designation: Epic/Calamity]
「PENALTY」: [SEVERE SACRIFICE]
「PROS」: God-like authority; conceptual-level interference.
『SOUL-BOUND CONSTRAINTS: THE RULE OF THREE』
[SLOT LIMITATION]: You possess exactly [3] Soul Slots.
[SELECTION LOGIC]:
「COMPATIBILITY RATIO」:
* [S-Grade] + [S-Grade] = [ERROR: SOUL COLLAPSE]
* [A-Grade] + [A-Grade] = [ERROR: SOUL COLLAPSE]
* [S-Grade] + [A-Grade] = [ERROR: COMPATIBILITY FAILURE]
「PROTOCOL」:
A player may only select [1] card from the High-Tier Bracket {S, A}. The remaining [2] slots must be filled by {B, C} grades to ensure vessel stability.
[CURRENT SELECTION STATUS]
「SLOT 1」: [EMPTY]
「SLOT 2」: [EMPTY]
「SLOT 3」: [EMPTY]
[SYSTEM MESSAGE]: 「Touch a card to begin the binding process. Once selected, skills cannot be unequipped.」
------
"Look..."
Min said, pointing to the gold card in his selection.
"This is what every player dreams of.
An S-Grade Skill Card."
The chat went absolutely nuclear.
[Chat Box]
* JACKPOT: S-GRADE?! IN THE TUTORIAL?!
* RichKid: TAKE IT! TAKE IT NOW! YOU'LL BE A GOD!
* Gambler: If he doesn't take the S-Grade, I'm unsubscribing.
Min reached out and tapped the S-Grade card, but he didn't "Accept" it.
Instead, he clicked an 'Expand Info' button that most players ignored.
A sub-window appeared, visible to everyone on the stream.
[Skill: Heaven's Wrath (S-Grade)]
[Type: Active / Destruction]
[Restriction: Upon activation, the user will permanently lose 10% of their maximum HP and suffer 'Complete Blindness' for 24 hours.]
The chat went silent.
Then, a flurry of hesitant messages appeared.
[Chat Box]
* ScaredyCat: Permanent HP loss?!
* ProAnalyst: That's a suicide skill...
* HornyGamer: Shii, when can I get a card that has a restriction of losing my virginity? lol.
* BallsOfSteel: I'd still take it. I'd lose a limb to be that strong.
"You see?"
"The Tower is not a charity.
High-grade cards like A and S have 'Flashy' effects, but they come with restrictions that ruin a player's long-term growth.
Woonhee, your A-Grade card [Queen's Appetite] has a hidden restriction...
it increases your mana consumption by 400% for every summon active.
That's why you can't clear the floor.
You're trying to drive a truck with a lawnmower's gas tank."
He turned back to his own cards.
He ignored the S-Grade and the A-Grade. Instead, he picked one B-Grade and two C-Grades.
[You have selected: B-Grade Skill - Singularity (Level 1: Focus)]
[You have selected: C-Grade Skill - (Hidden)]
[You have selected: C-Grade Skill - (Hidden)]
"I'm picking these because B and C Grades have no restrictions."
Min explained.
"They are pure growth skills."
He activated the B-Grade skill.
[Singularity - Level 1: Focus].
"The description says I can shift the center of gravity of an object."
Min told the chat.
He pointed his hand at a pile of dead goblin corpses.
They slowly lifted into the air, hovering a few feet off the ground.
[Chat Box]
* CasualGamer: Oh, so it's just fancy Telekinesis.
* MaskHater: Lame. He passed up an S-Grade for gravity-moving trash?
* OnlyPlayerNotRetarded: Actually, shifting the center of gravity is pretty solid for a B-rank.
Min looked at his hands.
'I got this skill again... even in this time.'
"...."
'Back then I hadn't gotten a single skill card in the Tutorial.
MY performance had been so pathetic that the system didn't even deem me worthy of a C-rank.
I had only reached Floor 1 because I was carried by the group of five players I had met.
I only acquired [Singularity] and the skill I was able carry-over skill [Exchange] as well both at Floor 100.
Floor 100 was where players are given a second chance to change their destiny.
I don't think most of the current players and the world know this.
But just like the tutorial, at Floor 100 you're presented with the same Skill Cards.
Only good thing is while one also gets the chance to change their Jobs and Class, the skill cards chosen are added to the other 3.'
'While others were flaunting and getting 6 Cards...I climbed 100 floors with nothing but my bare hands and sheer desperation...only to choose my first 3 at floor 100.'
Hee thought, clenching his fist.
'This time... things will be different.'
!!!
A massive, booming voice echoed through the cavern.
[Trial Cleared!]
[Clear Time: 04:12]
[New Record Established! Previous Record: 12:45]
[Rewards:]
* 10,000 Tower Coins granted to Player Singularity.
* 5,000 Tower Coins granted to Player Pink_hee.
* Access to Floor 1 is now OPEN.]
[!!!]
[!!!]
[Due to the high clearance the players will receive additional rewards after further evaluation from the Abyssal Tower!]
The field began to dissolve into white light.
Woonhee and Min were teleported vertically, feeling the rush of wind before sticking the landing back in the center of the Tutorial Lobby.
The lobby was dead quiet.
Hundreds of players were staring at the massive leaderboard on the wall.
At the very top, the names [Singularity] & [Pink_hee] were glowing in gold.
'What the...I didn't know they announce widely of fast clears and new records...'
'It really has turned into entertainment.'
Kang Min thought looking at the large screen.
Woonhee immediately ended her stream, her hands shaking with excitement.
"We... we did it!
We cleared it!
Look at my viewer count!"
She screamed, jumping up and down.
"It peaked at 15,000! And I'm finally going to Floor 1!"
She turned to Min, her eyes filled with tears of gratitude.
"Because of you...I have a future as a streamer, and I'm finally a real player.
Thank you... really...again."
Min, still wearing his mask, just crossed his arms.
"Gratitude doesn't fill my stomach."
"Huh?"
"You owe me."
"I want ten servings of premium Samgyeopsal, five bottles of aged Soju, two bowls of spicy Jjamppong, and three orders of fried chicken with the honey-soy glaze."
Woonhee's jaw dropped.
"Are you a black hole?!
Do you have any idea how much that costs?!
My paycheck from White Stars won't even cover half of that!"
"You said you were grateful."
Min said, his voice tilting with a hint of amusement.
"Better start saving."
"Ugh! You're so annoying!"
Woonhee stomped her foot, her pink slime mimicking her angry expression.
"Fine! Fine! I'll treat you once my next paycheck hits.
I'll spend every last Won on your bottomless pit of a stomach!"
She huffed and turned to leave.
"Oh, by the way... once the coins from the Constellation Stream hit my account tonight, I'll make sure to send you your cut.
You earned it...Singularity."
She waved goodbye, walking off into the crowd of stunned players.
Min watched her go.
"She reminds me of..."
He went quiet, the name of a friend from thirteen years ago catching in his throat.
He shook his head and looked at his phone.
His bank account was about to look a lot healthier.