Chapter 5
The top community, Awakeners’ Playground, was in complete chaos.
The reason was obvious—the Tower 0th Floor quest that had recently been announced to all Awakeners.
Day n of praying for a power-level spike) This is insane. Since when did the 0th floor even have a quest? And it’s an Epic Quest? What the hell is that supposed to be?
└ Nobody knows anything about it. The person involved has to show up.
└ Yeah, and who is that person?
└ If we knew, do you think we’d be freaking out like this?
└ I heard the U.S. is secretly planning to invade the Polaris Kingdom. Is that true?
└ If you know about it, it’s not a secret, dumbass.
└ LOL here we go again—another guy believing internet rumors. How the hell would they invade the Polaris Kingdom anyway? lol
On a normal day, about 100 posts were uploaded to the Awakener community.
After news of the 0th Floor quest broke, that number jumped to 500 a day.
Most discussions revolved around the 0th Floor quest. Some tried to deduce its contents, while others anticipated that the long-unexplored mysteries of Floor 0 would finally be revealed.
Meanwhile, at the very center of this controversy…
“…What?”
Jonghyuk stared blankly at the exploding community posts about the Tower’s 0th Floor.
“Well, they did say I was the first one to get a system window.”
Realizing the gravity of the situation, Jonghyuk finally began looking up information about the 0th Floor—its origins, details about the Polaris Kingdom, and why the 0th Floor even existed in the first place.
As he scrolled, a nickname caught his eye.
Babylon.
This user posted several times a day, and every post was about Floor 0. Judging by the comments, they’d been at it for a long time—people unanimously called them a “0th Floor fanatic.”
“There really are all kinds of people in this world…”
Isn’t he going to get himself killed like that?
Setting aside his brief concern, Jonghyuk put his phone down and summoned his system window.
He wanted to check his Affinity skill.
When a skill level increases, either its existing effects are strengthened or additional abilities are unlocked. Unlike Awakener levels, which rise through experience, skill levels increase based on proficiency.
However, the most effective way to level up a skill is to produce the same effect as the skill without actually using it.
There was even a case where an Awakener with a mediocre “Swing” skill raised it to the extreme by repeatedly producing the same power just by swinging his sword normally.
Of course, since you had to replicate the exact effect of the skill, most Awakeners couldn’t even attempt such a method.
“Did the sword’s favorability go up without using the skill, and that caused the level-up?”
After finding related posts on the community, Jonghyuk scratched the back of his head.
— Thank you. You’ve restored this old man’s passion.
Remembering Kal’s final words, Jonghyuk thought that might actually be possible and opened his skill window.
“…What?”
He let out a dumbfounded voice.
Affinity (Lv. 2): You are loved unconditionally by others. The designated target’s abilities increase slightly. You may borrow part of the target’s abilities. However, this does not work on Awakeners.
Additional Ability: You may partially read the target’s thoughts.
“I can read thoughts?”
Jonghyuk let out a deep sigh and rested his chin on his hand.
“Is that even useful?”
The skill only worked on Tower residents and monsters. It was practically useless for climbing the Tower.
What was he supposed to do with a monster’s thoughts?
He’d just kill them anyway.
He had no intention of staying on Floor 0 forever. Eventually, he’d move to Floor 1 and continue climbing.
Staying on Floor 0 meant no magic stones. No magic stones meant no money.
The skill he was truly interested in was something else—Skill Copy, available after registering a Close Friend.
“If I could borrow an attack skill…”
Even one good offensive skill would let him climb solo. Obviously, climbing alone earned far more than working as a porter.
“…Emiel.”
He murmured her name.
If her favorability rose high enough, he could borrow her skill. Then climbing alone wouldn’t just be a dream. Even if it wasn’t quite enough, he could form a team.
To do that, raising her favorability came first.
Praying for tomorrow to come quickly, Jonghyuk went to sleep.
* * *
Emiel, having finished her dawn training, headed toward Kal’s house to retrieve her sword.
Pathetic fool.
To her, Jonghyuk was nothing more—and nothing less—than an arrogant, pitiful creature.
The reason was simple.
There was no way a mere demon could breathe a master craftsman’s soul into a blade.
At best, he was rebelling. At worst, he was deluded into thinking he could match a master.
It had to be one of those two.
To the Tower’s residents, Awakeners were idiots. Creatures who didn’t know the first letter of “magic” or “aura” could never be masters.
Handling mana was deeply connected to intelligence.
Failing to awaken to mana was proof of inferior intellect.
“Inferior beings.”
I’ll show them what happens when they turn their eyes away from the Tower’s revelation.
For daring to mock the Royal Guard that protected the palace, she intended to hang him in the streets as an example.
As she arrived at Kal’s house, the bright clang of hammering echoed from behind.
Heading to the forge, she found Kal drenched in sweat, hammering away.
“You’re here?”
Wiping sweat from his brow, Kal welcomed her warmly.
“What are you making?”
Her eyes widened.
As far as she knew, Kal no longer forged weapons. After being expelled from the royal palace, he survived by selling farming tools.
But the object he was forging now was a long sword.
“It’s embarrassing to say, but I’m making a sword.”
Smiling modestly, Kal examined the blade and handed it to her.
“What do you think of this old man’s skill?”
“This is…”
She inspected the longsword carefully and exclaimed.
“It’s well-crafted. But… are you taking up the hammer again?”
“…There’s someone I wish to follow. It seems my passion has returned.”
She blinked in confusion.
“Someone you wish to follow… Don’t tell me it’s that demon?”
“That’s exactly who it is.”
“How could someone with the intelligence of a goblin do a blacksmith’s work?”
Her question was sincere.
Kal gave a bitter smile.
“That’s what I thought too. Until I saw that.”
He sighed and turned his head.
Following his gaze, she slowly turned as well.
There, hanging proudly, was a sword radiating a brilliant blue light.
“…!!”
Ascent.
Her sword. The once-dim legendary blade.
Now it shone in its original blue brilliance.
“Don’t tell me you repaired it, Master?”
“It was entirely his work.”
“….”
She was speechless.
She had assumed it was impossible.
“What’s so surprising?”
A voice sounded behind her.
Turning slowly, she saw Jonghyuk standing there, speaking indifferently.
“Been fooled your whole life?”
“Oh! You’re here!”
Kal beamed.
“You look good holding a hammer again.”
Jonghyuk offered the greeting casually as he approached.
“It’s all thanks to you.”
Kal looked at the hammer with affection.
“My heart was pounding so hard last night I couldn’t sleep. Foolish for an old man!”
Jonghyuk chuckled lightly.
“That’s good to hear.”
Then he turned to Emiel.
“The sword’s properly fixed. Why don’t you check?”
“There’s no need. That blue light says everything.”
Suddenly using honorifics?
She’d been talking down to him just yesterday.
Before he could comment, she picked up the sword.
As if responding to her, it blazed brightly.
After sheathed it, she bowed deeply toward him.
“Please forgive my previous rudeness.”
Jonghyuk stared blankly at her.
She raised her head slowly.
“Master.”
Ding!
[Emiel Lycan’s favorability has increased by 10.]
[Emiel Lycan is not currently under the influence of a skill.]
[Skill level increases significantly.]
[Rewards have been granted.]
[You have become an Honorary Citizen of the Polaris Kingdom.]
[Awakener-exclusive debuff: Hatred has been removed.]
[You have obtained a Tower Climbing Companion Ticket and a Skill Enhancement Scroll.]
[You are the first Awakener to gain the goodwill of a Polaris Kingdom resident.]
[Exchange with the Polaris Kingdom has begun.]
Countless system windows filled Jonghyuk’s vision.
What? Debuff removed? What is that?
“Uh…?”
Emiel blinked in surprise as she looked at him.
“I don’t feel anything anymore.”
“Pardon?”
Kal answered instead.
“Oh? Vice Captain, you felt it too? This one’s different. I feel disgust from other demons, but it fades quickly with him.”
Disgust?
“W–Wait. What do you mean? You felt disgust?”
Kal explained further.
“When I face other Awakeners, it’s like seeing something revolting—my skin crawls. But not with you.”
So the hatred toward Awakeners… was it a debuff?
That was the only explanation.
There’s too much to process right now. I’ll investigate later.
Next, he examined the black and white tickets in his hand.
In the center, unknown characters were printed. Though unreadable, the system window clarified.
Tower Climbing Companion Ticket: A rune fragment once used by Tower residents when climbing. Over time, its mysterious power settled into parchment. You may bring one Tower resident as a companion.
Skill Enhancement Scroll: Enhances a subordinate Awakening skill once.
Enhanceable Skill: Master’s Conviction.
I can climb the Tower with a resident?
“That’s quite remarkable. Anyway, thank you. If not for you, Master, I might never have repaired it.”
After pondering for a moment while looking at Emiel, Jonghyuk finally spoke.
“If you’re that grateful… would you grant me one more favor?”
