Chapter 13
Lucia was a special firearm that could use every type of bullet.
When I loaded a massive 20mm round, it instantly transformed into the shape of a giant sniper rifle I had only seen on the internet.
—So far, it’s perfect.
During the ten minutes given by the Administrator, I kept running in one direction and fired a special bullet according to Lucy’s strategy.
I had planted mana into it beforehand, so after flying a certain distance, it would turn exactly 180 degrees and fly back. Physically, it made no sense—but this was the Tower.
By making it return at a pre-designated point, luring the Administrator was easy.
—With this, we’ve secured double the time.
I ran about 3 km in ten minutes. The Administrator ran about 4 km after being fooled.
Since we moved in completely opposite directions, we gained almost twice the time, just as Lucy said.
‘It’s more surprising that sniping from here is even possible.’
When I was on Earth, I wasn’t interested in sniping, but I knew that hitting a target from 7 km away was absurd.
Without Lucy’s calculation ability and the mana-based propulsion boost, it would have been impossible.
Because of the distance, just maintaining the bullet’s speed with mana used five times more mana than a normal bullet.
‘It’s even stranger that she can endure this.’
As far as I knew, a 20mm bullet could penetrate light armor. Yet she was walking toward me after taking a direct hit to the face with a mana-filled round.
‘Lucy, didn’t you say her specs are five times mine? Even if I were five times stronger, I don’t think I could endure this.’
—That’s why the Administrator is being cautious.
Her posture had clearly changed.
Before, she casually covered herself with her arm while running. Now, she held her sword forward, trying to cut the incoming bullets.
—Boom!
When I pulled the trigger, a powerful recoil shook my entire body.
At a distance of 7 km, it was impossible to perfectly calculate wind speed, so I adjusted the bullet’s path using mana.
—Hit confirmed.
Because of the distance, I could confirm the hit about two seconds after pulling the trigger.
—If you land three more shots, we should win.
The new skill Lucy created during those ten minutes was clean and powerful, without flashy effects.
‘It’s easier than I thought.’
—This is the price she pays for giving us time and distance.
The Administrator ran at insane speed.
It took about five seconds to prepare each shot, and during that time she covered more than 500 meters.
‘Still enough.’
She ran in a zigzag pattern to avoid the sniper shots, but it was well within Lucy’s calculation range.
—Boom!
The third bullet struck her face again.
At over 5 km away, I shouldn’t have been able to see her at all. But thanks to Lucy’s correction, I clearly saw her stagger from the direct hit.
‘Too easy.’
Not truly easy—but for something called Hell difficulty, it was much easier than expected.
—Have confidence. You’re strong, Master.
—Boom!
I pulled the trigger again.
—Hit confirmed. She looks extremely shocked. Based on analysis, she’s likely wondering how it can be this precise.
From her perspective, it was understandable.
Even though she was zigzagging desperately to avoid the shots, every bullet hit perfectly.
After taking three shots, she grew more cautious. She no longer just moved left and right—her movements became far more complex.
At this distance, it took about two seconds for the bullet to reach her. If she moved unpredictably, I couldn’t hit her.
—I’ll adjust the timing.
Of course, Lucy had enough calculation power to predict even movements that looked random.
Since her complex movement reduced her speed, we had more than enough time to analyze.
—Boom!
Another perfect hit to the face.
—Her barrier is broken.
Just one more shot.
—She’s coming straight.
Did she realize she couldn’t dodge no matter what?
The Administrator stared directly at me and ran in a straight line.
‘She’s incredibly fast.’
—Approximately 150 meters per second.
If she reached me at that speed, even a simple collision would shatter my bones.
—She’s gathering mana in her eyes. It seems she plans to see and dodge the shot. If she avoids a direct hit, she might survive.
‘Can she dodge it?’
—We’ll make sure she can’t. I’ll design it now.
As Lucy spoke, I immediately infused mana.
‘A bullet that changes direction right before impact.’
I had never learned magic, but after hearing Lucy explain mana so many times, I could roughly understand what each flow would cause.
—Bang!
The final bullet was fired.
The Administrator, with insane reflexes, read the trajectory and ducked.
But my bullet slightly curved downward at the last moment and slammed directly into her face.
—She didn’t explode. But it must be a death judgment. She’s not moving.
When I blinked, the Administrator had disappeared.
“Congratulations. You have won.”
For some reason, her tone sounded slightly sulky.
—Of course she’s sulking. She wanted a much more intense battle, but instead she just got sniped in the face from far away. Of course she’s not happy.
“I will grant your reward immediately. Congratulations on clearing the 5th Floor.”
[You have cleared the 5th Floor.]
[The Tower searches for the trait that suits you best.]
[The Tower presents you with choices.]
<An ordinarily powerful trait, but in your hands it would be average.>
<A trait that seems weak at first glance, but in your hands becomes highly efficient (excellent cost-effectiveness).>
I stared blankly at the window.
‘The Tower is giving me choices…’
I had never heard of such a thing—not in my Tower life, nor from other climbers.
‘The second one is obviously better, right?’
—I respect your decision, Master. But I also believe the second option is better.
Since it specifically mentioned cost-effectiveness, it probably wasn’t some cheap trait anyone could get, even if it had strong synergy with me.
“I choose the latter.”
[New trait has been unlocked.]
The moment I read the description, I knew this trait was especially good for me.
It didn’t increase stats or give flashy power, but this might be exactly what I needed right now.
—Let’s try it immediately!
Lucy sounded unusually excited.
‘Synchronization.’
The moment I activated it, the world changed.
‘So this is how Lucy sees the world.’
I was slightly worried that linking my thoughts with an AI might overwhelm my mind.
But instead, it felt like attaching a powerful calculation chip to my brain.
With just a little focus, information beyond human limits—target data, distance, weaknesses—flowed into my mind.
—Hummm.
Controlling mana became much easier.
Instead of creating virtual points one by one, I naturally understood Lucy’s intent. It was faster and far more efficient.
‘At this level, close combat might even be possible.’
—I tried to share as many calculations as possible, but the mana consumption is too high.
When I checked my mana, nearly half was gone in that short moment.
Startled, I cut off Synchronization. The overwhelming sense of omnipotence vanished instantly.
‘The downside is that I can’t use it long. But it’s powerful.’
Using it temporarily to maximize calculation power was strong. Even using it briefly to guide mana control would be useful.
—For others, it probably wouldn’t be an amazing trait. But for us, it’s definitely cost-effective.
Since I could directly use Lucy’s calculation power, this trait was definitely not low-tier.
[Would you like to challenge the 6th Floor immediately?]
[You may return to the 1st Floor and challenge the 6th Floor anytime.]
‘Of course I’ll challenge it now.’
Going back to the 1st Floor wouldn’t give me meaningful growth.
Lucy could research new skills, giving small improvements—but nothing compared to rewards from climbing.
And more importantly—
‘With my current specs, there’s no way I’ll fail the 6th Floor.’
I had just cleared Hell difficulty on the 5th Floor.
If I failed the 6th Floor now, that would mean the Tower itself was poorly designed.
[You have entered the 6th Floor.]
[The background of the 6th to 10th Floors is the Temple of Cultivation.]
‘Background…’
Now that I think about it, I heard about the backgrounds when I first entered the Tower.
‘It was fantasy.’
The 1st Floor was a fantasy-style castle.
The 2nd Floor was a fantasy forest.
The 3rd Floor was a ruined castle.
The 4th Floor had mostly fantasy-type monsters.
The 5th Floor was an exception because of me.
[The clear condition of the 6th Floor is to overcome one priest’s trial. The more difficult the trial, the greater the reward.]
[You may retry infinitely. However, once you clear one trial, you cannot challenge another.]
From the way it was explained, clearing itself didn’t seem difficult.
‘It’s better to choose the hardest trial possible.’
—Of course.
Looking around, I saw a large plaza filled with people walking around.
It wasn’t exactly martial-arts style, but it was the closest comparison.
‘First, I need information.’
Beyond the plaza were rows of buildings. It looked like it also functioned as a city, like the 1st Floor.
Three days passed since I arrived on the 6th Floor.
While gathering information about the hardest trial, I used Synchronization several times.
Not for combat—but to learn skills from Lucy.
If I learned them through physical experience a few times, I could use them later without verbal instructions.
According to Lucy, my combat power had increased at least three times in the past three days.
‘Still, I haven’t cleared the hardest trial.’
“What? You’re here to challenge again today? I told you, it’s impossible.”
The man lying lazily on a tree branch and looking down at me with sharp eyes was nicknamed the Rogue Priest.
For a priest of the Temple of Cultivation, he looked quite delinquent. But he was the strongest and smartest person on the 6th Floor.
‘If not for Lucy, I might never have known.’
He was hidden like a secret route—but he couldn’t escape Lucy’s sight.
“I’m not here to fight.”
“Then what?”
“Let’s play Jatu.”
Trials weren’t limited to combat.
Anything a priest could propose could become a trial—including games.
“Jatu? Fine.”
Jatu was like a board game created for mental stability and calculation training.
It was best described as a massive and extremely complex version of chess.
[ presents you with the trial of .]
[Difficulty: EX]
Difficulty EX also appeared if I chose to fight him.
The only difference was that I could never win in combat.
But in Jatu—
With Lucy’s power, there was a real chance of victory.
