The Tower consisted of floors one through one hundred.
You could enter the Tower through portals scattered across major cities in every nation.
As long as it wasn't some backwater countryside, you could enter just about anywhere.
There was one such portal at Gwanghwamun Square, too.
Today, Training Team 4 from the Milky Way Guild had gathered there.
"Is everyone here?"
Choi Da-eun showed up in her usual semi-formal attire.
Casual black pants paired with a blazer—elegant without being overdone.
Her weapon was the Thorn Whip.
It wasn't purely for long-range attacks; she could strike monsters from mid-range or boost allied morale.
It forced a partial berserk state, but...
"Looks like everyone's here."
Choi Da-eun swept her gaze over Training Team 4.
When her eyes passed over me, her blank expression crumpled instantly.
She was making no effort to hide her disgust.
'It's not just dislike...'
It felt more like deep-seated loathing.
Had anyone ever hated me this much before?
No.
Fine.
Whether Choi Da-eun hated or loathed me, all I had to do was play my role perfectly.
I wouldn't give her any excuse to bitch at me.
"We're heading to the third floor again today. Same dungeon as last time, 'Orc Village.' As long as you don't fuck up like an idiot... it's a straightforward clear. So please."
Choi Da-eun finished with a glare my way.
She put heavy emphasis on "please."
'This time's different.'
I'd raised my stats by seven points.
Plus, I'd picked up a new skill.
No comparing to two days ago.
That version of me and this one were completely different people.
"Let's go. Keep up."
Crack!
Choi Da-eun snapped her whip straight and took the lead.
The portal eagerly swallowed five F-Rank Hunters and one C-Rank Hunter.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
When entering the Tower, you could select any floor you wanted.
You could skip straight up to any floor you'd already cleared before.
Like a save point, sort of.
Training Team 4 arrived on the third floor in no time.
The third floor was set on a mountain around 1,000 meters above sea level.
Orcs who built villages deep in the mountains were the main inhabitants.
Hunters raided each Orc Village and looted the spoils.
Among them, the most useful was the "Orc Great Warrior's Ring," which boosted Strength and Stamina by 1 each.
Perfect gear for F-Rank Hunters.
'...But you have to take down an Orc Great Warrior to get it.'
Choi Da-eun assessed the strength of Training Team 4 following behind her.
Could these guys clean out an 'Orc Village'?
No matter how she looked at it, it felt fucking precarious.
Especially Park Sun-woo was the problem.
'Fuck up again, and I'll just kill you myself.'
She recalled the humiliation she'd suffered at the Milky Way Guild offices.
Those worthless punks strutting around without any skill—she couldn't stand watching it with her own two eyes.
Acting like they'd hit the jackpot just because they lucked into some decent recruits...
Choi Da-eun ground her teeth.
Grind grind—her molars scraped menacingly.
Seeing her shoulders heave with rage, Training Team 4 shrank back.
One wrong move, and they'd get swept up in that fiery temper.
They had to minimize mistakes and stay out of her way.
And in the midst of it all, oblivious Park Sun-woo.
As they climbed the mountain path, he was muttering something from the back.
"This is seriously tough already? If it's this rough from the start..."
The F-Rank Hunters of Training Team 4 couldn't bring themselves to tell him to shut up.
They swallowed their words.
This wasn't their place to speak up.
"Shut your fucking mouth and follow, you piece of shit."
"..."
The muttering stopped the second Choi Da-eun growled.
Park Sun-woo jutted out his lips and kept walking.
His eyes weren't normal.
He had that look like he was about to cause trouble again.
"Whew."
F-Rank Hunter Lee Cheol-hwan, an Army Corporal dischargee, let out a sigh.
His fellow team member was making the same face as the nightmare rookies back in his company...
The situation was frustrating, no two ways about it.
'Hope we get through today unscathed.'
The entire Training Team 4 shared that thought.
They desperately hoped that worthless Hunter up front would hold the orcs properly...
"Here."
They'd found the hidden Orc Village.
The orcs' nest, tucked beneath a cliff.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙[Dungeon: 'Orc Karak's Village' discovered!]
This was a dungeon the Milky Way Guild side had pre-reported as cleared.
Prepared specifically for Training Team 4.
It was an investment in the F-Rank Hunters themselves.
But one of those F-Rank Hunters was royally screwing up that investment.
Every time Choi Da-eun looked at Park Sun-woo, a thousand boils of rage bubbled inside her.
Being ignored by worthless D-Rank Hunters, putting up with sexual harassment from the Guild Master—all because of Park Sun-woo.
How could she not be pissed?
"Clear the outer orcs one by one. If there are too many, fall back in a line."
"Yes, ma'am!"
"Take it slow. If you think aggro's slipping, don't chase. You listening, you fucking moron?"
"Yeah."
Park Sun-woo's half-assed reply nearly made Choi Da-eun's eyes roll back.
'Hold it in. Just hold it. I can beat him to death later.'
Choi Da-eun was convinced Park Sun-woo would fuck up for sure.
That was the kind of guy he'd been every time she'd seen him.
A moron who screwed up at crucial moments and put the team in danger.
"Move out."
Choi Da-eun gave the order to Training Team 4.
The five F-Rank Hunters slowly advanced toward the Orc Village.
In practice, only Training Team 4's five F-Rank Hunters were tackling the dungeon.
Choi Da-eun would only step in if the team was in real danger.
Intervene too soon, and the clear failed—they'd be the laughingstock of the Milky Way Guild.
Everything was recorded on the F-Rank Hunters' body cams, so no tricks would fly.
All she could do was pray they pulled it off.
Park Sun-woo took point.
Shield at the ready, he strode forward confidently.
"L-Let's take it slow, yeah? Why the rush?"
Training Team 4's supporter, Lee Eun-seo, grabbed Park Sun-woo.
Last hunt, she'd gotten reamed big time because of him.
The orcs had rampaged and gone after the backline ranged dealers and supporters.
If it hadn't been Choi Da-eun—if it'd been a real raid—they'd have wiped.
That trauma made Lee Eun-seo instinctively wary of Park Sun-woo's sudden moves.
'Why's he so cocky? After getting his ass kicked like that, no fear?'
She couldn't understand it.
He'd gotten his leg broken by an orc kick, beaten black and blue all over.
Optimistic?
Didn't seem like his personality.
He was way too nonchalant.
For a situation that called for max tension.
Orc Village outskirts.
Three orcs on patrol.
Like scripted monsters, they looped the same route.
Bang bang!
Park Sun-woo stood before the orcs and banged his shield.
He pulled the aggro of the three on guard duty.
Kuooo!
The orcs charged straight at Park Sun-woo.
Just the third floor—a small dungeon, weak monsters.
Park Sun-woo swung his shield with courage.
Thanks to the "Shield Proficiency" skill, his movements were smooth.
Clang!
'That's it!'
He smashed the orc's body hard.
Not some clumsy shield bash, but a skilled strike.
Kuuk?!
The orc tumbled across the dirt.
It showed signs of panic, unable to predict Park Sun-woo's strength.
But it quickly got up and raised its club.
Kuooo!
Block and parry with the shield.
Thrust the sword into openings.
Ranged support fire from behind.
"Huh...?"
Training Team 4 showed real team coordination.
Even Choi Da-eun watched their hunt in surprise.
"Wh-what's going on?"
"Why's this working?"
"Feels super stable..."
No anxiety even while fighting three orcs.
They just trusted the tank standing firm and unleashed their firepower.
Kuooo...!
The orcs fell one by one.
Drained of life, they dissolved into dirt, dropping coins and materials in their place.
Coins were used to buy stuff at base town hubs on each floor.
The more, the better.
Of course, all coins earned by Training Team 4 went straight to the Milky Way Guild.
F-Rank Hunters had to be grateful just for the chance to hunt dungeons.
Choi Da-eun picked up the coins and items the orcs dropped.
She snuck a glance at Park Sun-woo's back.
'Finally pulling your weight, you fucking retard? Finally...!'
He'd grown.
The guy who'd stagnated for three months of grinding was now doing a full share.
Last hunt's tonsil-beating session had paid off.
If he kept this up, she could even land a solid hit on Hwang Deok-su.
But their hopes didn't last.
Park Sun-woo, unable to control his growth, overpulled aggro and crossed the line.
He woke the Orc Great Warrior sleeping in the village.
"Fucking knew it."
"Wait. Let me handle it."
As Choi Da-eun gripped her Thorn Whip to head for the Orc Great Warrior...
Park Sun-woo blocked her.
He insisted on taking it himself, brimming with misplaced confidence.
Choi Da-eun glared at him and let out a hollow laugh.
"Go ahead, give it a shot."
Planning to make excuses that it wasn't a fuck-up?
If he could just get past this crisis, he might dodge responsibility?
Pathetic.
His petty tricks were laughable.
Choi Da-eun started loosening her wrist.
To beat Park Sun-woo to death.
Kuoooo!
The Orc Great Warrior crawled out of its hut, greatsword in hand.
Spotting the intruder, it closed the distance in a flash and swung its arm.
The greatsword smashed into Park Sun-woo's shield.
Boom!
Park Sun-woo flew far off.
He didn't get up after.
Looked straight-up dead.
"Hah, you fucking bastard. Go drag that shithead here."
With that, Choi Da-eun whipped down.
A vicious whoosh ripped through the air.
Chunks of orc flesh scattered with it.
Ku! Ooo!
The Orc Great Warrior bellowed.
Shredded by the Thorn Whip, it shed bloody tears.
And Park Sun-woo got trampled under Choi Da-eun's feet.
"Ack! Gah! M-mercy...!"
"You goddamn fuck, I told you not to fuck up! Is that so hard? Just do what you're told—why can't you?!"
"Aaaagh...!"
Today, it felt like his leg would snap not from the orcs, but from Choi Da-eun.