Chapter 64: Floor 5 (2)

“I’m Chloe.”

“I’m Hyeon.”

After introducing ourselves, Chloe and I exchanged the occasional bit of small talk as we waited.

Around thirty or forty people had gathered for the Zone 1 Boss Raid.

They carried all manner of weapons—swords, maces, axes, and more—but nearly everyone had chosen a shield for defense.

I didn’t particularly need a weapon, but showing up empty-handed would have drawn unnecessary attention, so I had brought one along.

A one-handed weapon and a shield really was the safest combination.

The ideal setup for a beginner.

No matter how much Climbers leveled up and surpassed ordinary human limits, that didn’t mean they suddenly knew how to wield a weapon properly.

Anyway.

As I surveyed the area, I noticed that the crowd had divided into two roughly equal groups, with a narrow space separating them.

The Climbers on the opposite side were probably members of the Chinese faction.

“Those people are from the Black Star Society, right?”

Chloe asked, glancing toward them.

“Looks that way.”

The Climbers who had rallied around the United States and the Climber Association belonged to the Security Corps.

Their opposing faction, centered around China, was an organization known as the Black Star Society.

Put simply, the power structure on Floor 5 amounted to the United States against China.

I already had a general understanding of how Boss Raids worked.

Naturally, everyone gathered here to defeat the boss had the same objective as I did: the First-time Clear Reward.

In other words, they were all low-level Climbers who had never defeated this boss before.

The highest among them was probably around level 20. Chloe herself had said she was level 15.

On Floor 5, leaving the Tower was only possible while within range of the Portal in Zone 0.

If the battle turned dangerous, there was no emergency escape from the Tower like there was during Repeat Clearing.

That naturally made Boss Clearing a life-or-death undertaking.

The Zone 1 boss, however, was said to be relatively manageable.

That was because high-level Climbers from both the Security Corps and the Black Star Society accompanied the raid to supervise it.

Before long, several people wearing armbands stepped forward.

They were members of the Security Corps.

“...?”

One of them caught me completely off guard.

It was a familiar face—the Section Chief from the Tower Climbing Special Agency.

...What is she doing here?

Then again, she was a government employee. It made perfect sense for her to be carrying out Security Corps duties on Floor 5.

Section Chief Shin Su-jin noticed me as well.

Her gaze settled on me, and I saw her eyes widen in surprise.

Damn it. She recognized me.

Pretending not to notice her would have been rude, so I gave her a slight nod.

Section Chief Shin Su-jin returned it before turning away.

One of the Security Corps members raised his voice so that everyone could hear.

“A warning before we begin! Any Climber below level 15 must withdraw! Boss Clearing is extremely dangerous, and we will not be held responsible for your life! One person died during the previous raid!

“If you haven’t reached level 15, you’ll struggle to meet the Contribution requirement for the reward anyway! Don’t even think about tagging along in hopes of getting a free ride!”

It was a clear warning intended to drive away anyone who wasn’t prepared for the raid.

Someone on the Black Star Society’s side was issuing a similar announcement.

Looking embarrassed, roughly a fifth of the gathered Climbers slipped away.

Chloe spoke in a slightly strained voice.

“It looks like the Security Corps doesn’t actually intervene during the battle, Hyeon. If someone died last time...”

I answered her.

“If they intervened, there wouldn’t be much point in us fighting. We’re the ones who need to earn Contribution.”

“R-right. I just thought they might step in if things became dangerous.”

“If it gets truly serious, they probably will.”

Still, no system of supervision could ever be perfect.

That was probably why people occasionally died despite the precautions.

“Move out!”

After a little more waiting, another command came from the front.

The raid party left Zone 0 and entered the forest of Zone 1.

***

Between the Security Corps and the Black Star Society, Climbers from the Republic of Korea naturally fell under the Security Corps.

As a civil servant of the Tower Climbing Special Agency, most of Shin Su-jin’s work in the Floor 5 Common Zone consisted of carrying out duties for the Security Corps.

The organization was composed of Climbers aligned with the Association—primarily those from the United States and other Western-bloc countries.

Some, like Shin Su-jin, were there on official assignments from their governments. Others had joined voluntarily, without representing any particular nation.

Whatever their reasons, they pooled their strength to preserve at least a minimum degree of order on Floor 5, where no meaningful system of law existed.

As a high-level Climber above level 30, Shin Su-jin held the equivalent of an officer’s position within the Security Corps.

She had been assigned to supervise the Zone 1 Boss Raid.

That supervision served two purposes.

The first was to protect the participating Climbers.

The supervisors did not interfere directly in the fight against the boss. Doing so would deprive the lower-level Climbers of their Contribution.

Their role was to intervene only when someone’s life was genuinely in danger.

The second purpose was to keep the Climbers of the Black Star Society in check, should they attempt anything suspicious.

Naturally, the Black Star Society had brought supervisors of its own for precisely the same reason.

Thus, the Zone 1 Boss Raid was conducted under a mutual agreement between the two factions.

The First Clear Reward for the boss had been claimed long ago, so neither side had anything to gain from starting a pointless conflict over it.

“...?”

As Shin Su-jin looked over the Climbers gathered for the raid, her eyes suddenly stopped on one man.

She tilted her head.

Something about him seemed familiar.

Where had she seen him before?

Their eyes met.

In that instant, intuition pieced together his identity, and Shin Su-jin’s eyes widened.

‘...Person123!’

There was no mistake.

He glanced in her direction and gave her a small nod.

Without thinking, Shin Su-jin nodded back before hurriedly looking away.

‘So he’s already reached Floor 5...’

This was the first time she had gotten a proper look at his face.

She immediately understood why Person123 had come here.

He was obviously capable of defeating the Zone 1 boss by himself.

Yet he must have chosen not to, out of consideration for the others who also needed the reward.

He probably intended to blend into the raid party and contribute only enough to qualify, leaving the rest for everyone else.

He really was a kind person, Shin Su-jin thought.

If she revealed that she knew who he was, she would probably make him uncomfortable.

With that in mind, she did her best not to look in Person123’s direction.

Unfortunately, she couldn’t stop herself from listening.

Person123 was making casual conversation with the person beside him, someone he appeared to have only just met.

For some reason, Shin Su-jin felt a faint twinge of envy.

...I’d like to speak with him face-to-face as well, rather than only through the Communication Channel.

At least she had learned one new thing.

Person123’s name was Hyeon.

***

The raid party followed a path through the forest, heading toward the place where the Zone 1 boss had spawned.

Monsters emerged sporadically along the way.

First came Goblins, followed by Orcs, Horned Deer, packs of Wolves, and several other creatures.

The ordinary monsters of Zone 1 were no higher than approximately level 10.

The raid party dispatched them with ease and continued steadily toward the boss.

“We’re almost there. Prepare yourselves.”

The Zone 1 boss was known as the Forest Giant.

That wasn’t a name given by the system. It was simply what the Climbers had decided to call it.

As for why they had chosen the name Forest Giant...

The moment I saw the creature for myself, I understood.

The name suited it perfectly.

Grooooo...

A colossal tree-like creature moved sluggishly through the heart of the forest.

Its elongated, segmented form also bore a vague resemblance to an inchworm.

That was the Forest Giant, the boss of Zone 1.

‘It’s bigger than I expected.’

Judging by the tension settling over the others’ faces, they were thinking the same thing.

Section Chief Shin Su-jin stepped forward and addressed the raid party.

“I’m sure all of you have reviewed the information already, but I’ll explain it one more time.

“The Forest Giant’s primary attack is a sweeping strike from its arms. It has four arms and can attack in any direction, so remain alert. A Climber of level 15 or higher should be able to absorb the impact completely with a shield. Make full use of them.

“Dividing your roles will make the battle easier. One group should focus on blocking the arms, while the other attacks. Choose whichever role best suits your abilities.”

With that, Section Chief Shin Su-jin concluded her brief explanation.

The supervisors from both the Security Corps and the Black Star Society withdrew to the side.

The remaining Climbers exchanged glances and cautiously began advancing toward the boss.

The moment we crossed a certain boundary, the Forest Giant reacted.

It turned and began lumbering toward us.

Graaaah...

At that moment, several Climbers from the Black Star Society let out fierce battle cries and charged at the Forest Giant.

Taking that as their signal, the rest of the raid party surged forward as well.

In the end, anyone who failed to earn Contribution would receive no reward.

Each Climber had to secure their own share.

I followed at an unhurried pace, gradually closing the distance to the Forest Giant.

“Hngh...!”

“N-now! Attack!”

The Climbers were holding their own surprisingly well.

Whenever several people blocked one of the Forest Giant’s sweeping arms with their shields, the others either struck the restrained limb or rushed closer to hack at its legs.

Wham!

I intercepted one of the arms with my own shield.

The impact was almost weightless.

It felt as though I had blocked a piece of Styrofoam.

I continued defending at a steady pace, creating openings for the Climbers around me to attack.

Chloe had positioned herself beside one of the boss’s legs and was swinging her mace with everything she had.

Farther away, several other Climbers spent what felt like an eternity maintaining Mental Concentration before finally unleashing a magic skill.

Wow...

Seen from this perspective, Magic Type skills really were complete garbage.

The battle proceeded smoothly.

Zone bosses were apparently known for possessing endurance that far exceeded their actual combat strength.

In simple terms, they had enormous HP pools.

Just like bosses in a real video game.

True to that reputation, the Climbers struck the Forest Giant over and over, even burning through their skills, yet the creature stubbornly refused to fall.

‘Should I attack as well?’

My original plan had been to focus entirely on defense.

Blocking attacks also counted toward Contribution, so I hadn’t seen any need to do anything else.

Now, however, I was beginning to worry that I might not reach the Contribution threshold required to receive the reward.

After all, Contribution wasn’t displayed as a real-time numerical value.

Just a light tap, I told myself as I moved toward one of the boss’s legs.

Regulating my strength to this degree was always the most difficult part.

Striking with the strength of an ordinary person—weakly enough to pose no danger—was easy.

I did that every day.

But adjusting my strength so that I could land a respectable blow on a boss somewhere around level 20?

Hmm...

That was far harder to judge.

Once I had reached the Forest Giant’s leg, I swung my sword with what seemed like a reasonable amount of force.

‘This should be enough.’

Crack!

Apparently, it was more than enough.

The instant my blade struck the leg, the Forest Giant’s entire body lurched violently.

“Oh! It’s falling!”

“Focus on the legs! Hit the legs harder!”

Encouraged by the sudden opening, the Climbers attacked the boss with renewed enthusiasm.

Sweating inwardly, I quietly retreated from the Forest Giant.

I mean, what was I supposed to do if it couldn’t even withstand that much?

I had nearly shattered its leg outright.

In any case, the other Climbers gleefully swarmed the unbalanced boss.

Thud.

Before long, it collapsed.

[The Zone 1 boss has been defeated.]

The message appeared the instant the Forest Giant fell.

[You have acquired the Zone 1 boss kill reward.]

Having accumulated enough Contribution, I naturally received the reward.

Judging by the cheerful expressions around me, most of the other Climbers had received theirs as well.

Only a handful stood there looking as though they had just bitten into an insect.

They must have failed to qualify.

“Yes! Thank God!”

Chloe was practically glowing with delight.

She had successfully earned her reward.

“Hyeon! What about you?”

“I got mine too.”

“Congratulations! I’m so glad we both got it.”

As delighted as though the news were her own, Chloe grabbed me by the shoulder and bounced excitedly in place.

Still bothered by what had happened earlier, I stole a glance toward the supervisors.

No one appeared to be paying any particular attention to me.

I hadn’t been the only person attacking the legs, and the battle had been chaotic.

Surely no one had noticed.

In any case, the Zone 1 Boss Raid had ended without serious incident.

A few people appeared to have suffered injuries, but no one had died.

“Ah, I wonder what reward I got.”

“Please, let it be anything but Magic Type...!”

With the boss defeated, the raid party began dispersing on the spot.

As with floor-clearing rewards, the contents of the reward could only be checked inside the Reward Room.

On Floor 5, the Reward Room was accessed through the Portal.

I watched as the Climbers hurried back toward Zone 0.

“Hyeon!”

Just as I was about to return to Zone 0 myself, Chloe caught hold of my arm.

“Why don’t we go back and have a drink together at Drake’s Restaurant? We can celebrate defeating the boss!”

Hmm...

I turned her down, feeling slightly apologetic.

“Sorry. I need to leave right away.”

“Oh... really? That’s a shame.”

Chloe didn’t press the matter.

We hadn’t known each other for long, but she seemed like a good person.

Even so, forming close relationships with people on Floor 5 wasn’t something I wanted.

If it ever reached the point where we started exchanging Communication Channel handles...

Ugh.

The best approach on Floor 5 was to keep my head down and focus on what I had come here to accomplish.

I waved goodbye as Chloe left ahead of me, then glanced around.

My eyes met Section Chief Shin Su-jin’s.

We exchanged another pair of awkward little nods before I started walking as well.

Right...

What reward had I received?

Normal+ was probably the highest grade I could expect, so I wasn’t especially hopeful.

Still, I had to check.

After returning to Zone 0, I used the Portal to enter the Reward Room.

[Skill: Low-Tier Frost Resistance (Normal+)]

Grants slight resistance to freezing.

Classification: Physical Type (Passive)

Willpower Cost: None

Cooldown: None

“Oh.”

All things considered, it wasn’t a bad reward.

A Frost Resistance Skill Stone had dropped, and I learned the skill immediately.

That brought the number of Low-Tier resistance skills I possessed to three: Poison, Burn, and now Frost.

They were minor abilities, certainly.

But there was no telling when something so small might prove useful.

[Zone 1 (0%)]

[Zone 2 (10.5%)]

[Zone 3 (90.9%)]

I checked the boss gauges.

The Zone 1 boss reward had been claimed.

That left Zones 2 and 3.

The Zone 2 gauge still had a long way to go, while Zone 3’s was nearly full.

That suited me just fine.

Zone 3 was the main course, after all.

The Zone 3 boss had never been defeated.

Once the gauge filled and the boss spawned, it would be making its first-ever appearance.

And just like the rewards for clearing a floor, the bosses of Floor 5 were also said to have First Clear Rewards.

Such a reward was granted only to the first person to defeat the boss.

If several people participated in the kill, it went exclusively to the person who had earned the highest Contribution.

Naturally, First Clear Rewards were in an entirely different league from the individual First-time Clear Rewards.

In other words, it was the greatest prize available on Floor 5 before challenging Floor 6.

“That one is mine.”

Naturally, I had no intention of surrendering it to anyone else.

***

“The Zone 3 boss should be appearing soon, correct?”

After receiving a report from an officer of the Black Star Society, Wang Kai made a small flicking gesture with his fingers.

“Pick up the pace of the hunt. Don’t concern yourselves with those Security Corps bastards.”

“Understood.”

“I suppose it’s about time I went in myself.”

A thin, predatory smile curled at the corner of Wang Kai’s mouth.