The Player Who Can't Level Up

“I’m Woo Tae-Hoon of the Big Boss Guild. I lead the team responsible for mid-level floors’ guardians,” Woo Tae-Hoon, a large scary-looking man, offered his hand.

“I-I’m Kim Gi-Gyu,” Gi-Gyu stammered softly before turning toward Sung-Hoon. When Sung-Hoon smiled, he shook his head in annoyance and added, “I’m Morningstar.”

“It’s a pleasure meeting the infamous Morningstar,” Woo Tae-Hoon replied. Right now, he didn’t seem the least bit angry about losing the zombie drake and that was all thanks to Sung-Hoon. While Gi-Gyu was busy battling the zombie drake, Sung-Hoon had made a deal with Woo Tae-Hoon. Sung-Hoon didn’t have to appease the Big Boss Guild because they had no legal right over the guardian, but this was a smart decision nonetheless. After all, making an unnecessary enemy was never a good thing.

‘And he might spread a bad rumor about Ranker Kim Gi-Gyu if he holds a grudge,’ Sung-Hoon thought in worry. Gi-Gyu was already the subject of many unsavory rumors, so if the Big Boss Guild added to it, his reputation would plummet.

‘But this could be a good chance for Ranker Kim Gi-Gyu. If a positive rumor starts about him, it will be very helpful.’ This was why Sung-Hoon negotiated with Woo Tae-Hoon.

‘And thanks to Ranker Kim Gi-Gyu’s amazing job, things worked out pretty well.’ Sung-Hoon was happy with the way Gi-Gyu dealt with the zombie drake. Had Woo Tae-Hoon acted stubbornly, the situation would’ve become complicated. However, after witnessing how easily Gi-Gyu had killed the guardian, Woo Tae-Hoon and his teammates had been only too happy to cooperate. Woo Tae-Hoon had even asked to be introduced to Gi-Gyu.

His eyes shining, Woo Tae-Hoon replied, “You aren’t an average ranker. Rumors say that Morningstar is still at the ranker level, but that’s obviously not true. The association must have chosen not to disclose your full power yet.”

“Ah, yes. I don’t like getting too much attention, so I asked them to keep it quiet.”

“Oh… Is that so?” Woo Tae-Hoon replied with a nod. There was an odd atmosphere between Woo Tae-Hoon and Gi-Gyu as they chatted. Gi-Gyu acted all nonchalant as Woo Tae-Hoon tried his best to learn more about Gi-Gyu.

Watching Hal and El, who maintained their positions, Woo Tae-Hoon commented, “So it’s true that you can summon the undead and the angels.”

Gi-Gyu replied with an apathetic nod. His attitude earned no points from Woo Tae-Hoon, but Tae-Hoon understood why he was acting this way.

‘He must be tired,’ thought Woo Tae-Hoon. Even a powerful player had to be exhausted after killing the 46th-floor guardian alone.

‘I’m tired,’ thought Gi-Gyu, proving that Woo Tae-Hoon’s assumption was correct.

However, the reason behind the weariness was different. He turned to look at Sung-Hoon and wondered, ‘How long do I have to talk to this man like this?’

Gi-Gyu needed to climb the Tower quickly, so he had no time for politics. He conveyed his frustration to Sung-Hoon with his eyes.

‘Just a little while longer. Please Ranker Kim Gi-Gyu.’ Sung-Hoon replied with his eyes as well. The Big Boss Guild had given up their prey, so making sure there were no hard feelings was the smart play here.

“By the way, Mr. Morningstar,” Woo Tae-Hoon addressed Gi-Gyu by the embarrassing code name. His eyes sparkled as if he wanted to ask something that interested him.

Woo Tae-Hoon continued, “What was that skill you used at the end of the battle? I didn’t see you do anything, yet the zombie drake disappeared suddenly.”

That question brought everyone’s attention to Gi-Gyu. Even the Big Boss Guild members who were grumbling nearby seemed interested in hearing the answer. Gi-Gyu’s last move that made the guardian disappear was indeed impressive.

When Gi-Gyu didn’t reply, Woo Tae-Hoon smiled and continued, “Well, I understand why you wouldn’t want to answer that. You’re almost a high ranker, so I’m sure you don’t want to tell us about your secret weapon.”

Tae-Hoon shrugged. It was then that Gi-Gyu remembered something he wanted to ask.

“By the way,” Gi-Gyu whispered.

“Yes? Do you have a question?” Tae-Hoon was a little disappointed that Gi-Gyu didn’t answer his question. But he wanted to maintain a good relationship with Gi-Gyu, so he replied pleasantly.

“Your group specializes in hunting guardians, right? So have you been active lately?” asked Gi-Gyu.

“Yes. We killed a guardian just the day before yesterday on a different floor,” Woo Tae-Hoon bragged.

“So, have you noticed anything strange about the guardians recently?”

Tae-Hoon’s eyes widened. “...!”

***

“How did you know? Ah, could it be… You figured it out just by battling one zombie drake?!” Tae-Hoon couldn’t hide his shock as he continued, “It’s true that the guardians have become stronger and faster. We’ve noticed that they are harder to hunt now. We’ve been doing okay so far, but it feels like they are becoming more powerful by the day.”

Gi-Gyu closed his eyes and wondered, ‘Are the demons responsible for these changes? But why?’

Was it to kill players? No, this didn’t make sense. There had to be another reason for this.

***

“What are you thinking about, Ranker Kim Gi-Gyu?” Sung-Hoon asked when he saw Gi-Gyu looking troubled.

Gi-Gyu turned toward Sung-Hoon and asked, “Have you heard any report from the association about the changes in the guardians?”

“Hmm…” Sung-Hoon thought for a moment before replying, “I did, but the changes were subtle. So far, the changes haven’t been significant enough to be noted. Besides, with all those unratable gates outside the Tower, there aren’t any additional agents to investigate this.”

Gi-Gyu nodded in understanding. “I see.”

They were currently on the 47th floor. After the duo had killed the 46th-floor guardian, they didn’t take a break; instead, they continued on. They used the same strategy: El and the other summoned creatures cleared all possible paths.

Gi-Gyu commented, “It’s taking a little more time now.”

Since they were on a higher floor, clearing each path was becoming more time-consuming. Even El’s wide AoE attacks sometimes left an odd monster or two alive.

“It is what it is,” replied Sung-Hoon. This was an expected result since they were on a higher-level floor. While most players never even became powerful enough to reach the 50th floor, Gi-Gyu's unusual strength allowed him to climb the Tower this quickly.

“So what is on the 50th floor anyway?” Gi-Gyu asked the same question again. He had asked this before, but the 46th-floor guardian had abruptly appeared then. So he never heard Sung-Hoon’s answer.

Sung-Hoon scratched his cheek and murmured, “Hmm, the 50th floor?”

Sung-Hoon shrugged and replied, “To be honest, there was nothing special on that floor. The test wasn’t any different from the other tests on the lower floors. A test was given, and I passed it. The end.”

Gi-Gyu looked confused, so Sung-Hoon added, “But…”

After pausing for a moment, Sung-Hoon explained, “I have heard some special players experience something different on the 50th floor. Apparently, those people have to go through a crazy test, which is nothing like the one normal players take. That’s all I know. I haven’t seen anything myself since I only got the normal test.”

‘So obviously, I’ll get one of those special tests. But why?’ Gi-Gyu contemplated. He was certain that he would be given a special test. Why? Well, wasn’t it obvious? Thinking about the reason made Gi-Gyu burst into laughter.

“What’s so funny?” Sung-Hoon asked in confusion.

Gi-Gyu replied, “It’s nothing. I just thought of something ridiculous.”

Until now, Gi-Gyu had gone through many unusual events. He was the player who couldn’t level, an almost high ranker who still hadn’t cleared the 50th floor, Lucifer’s pupil, numerous Egos’ master, and someone who could control Life and Death.

So, how could anyone say he wasn’t special? It wasn’t necessarily a good thing, but it meant that he was different.

Sung-Hoon studied Gi-Gyu’s face before commenting, “I’m glad I could satisfy your curiosity at least a little.”

“Yes, thank you.”

“By the way…” Sung-Hoon asked, “I have a question for you as well, Ranker Kim Gi-Gyu. It’s about that last skill you used to delete the zombie drake.”

Delete. It was a perfect word to describe what Gi-Gyu did to the guardian. When Gi-Gyu used his newest skill, the zombie drake was “deleted.” It didn’t even leave a crystal.

Sung-Hoon continued, “I’ve never seen a skill like that before. Well, I suppose everything you do is unprecedented. But, this particular skill was especially amazing.”

Sung-Hoon wasn’t asking to hear about the secret behind this powerful skill. He was just curious because…

‘It didn’t look like a human skill.’ Sung-Hoon thought in concern. He felt that the skill Gi-Gyu showed off earlier wasn’t something a human could use. Sung-Hoon remembered what President Oh Tae-Gu had told him.

“You must help him remain human.”

Remain human… Did that mean that Gi-Gyu could become something other than human?

“Well, about that…” Gi-Gyu thought for a moment. He trusted Sung-Hoon enough to tell him about it. Gi-Gyu replied, “To be honest, I don’t really know what it is. It just felt like I could do it, so I tried it. There isn’t a name for it yet.”

Sung-Hoon was nonplussed.

“But I have an idea for a name.” Gi-Gyu looked down at Lou in his ring form with a smile. He continued, “This guy told me that this skill is…”

Swish.

El suddenly flew toward them and announced, “Master, I’ve cleared the way. You can proceed now.”

“Okay.” Gi-Gyu smiled at El. Turning toward Sung-Hoon, Gi-Gyu added, “He said this skill feels like chaos. So I’m thinking about calling it that.”

What Gi-Gyu had done was slam Death and Life together, which created abundant energy. More accurately, this combination erased the space that Gi-Gyu had designated.

‘Delete.’ Gi-Gyu realized Sung-Hoon’s choice of words aptly described the process.

***

Gi-Gyu and Sung-Hoon now stood on the 49th floor. Nothing significant had occurred on the 48th floor. They used the same strategy to quickly pass through the 49th floor as well.

“There are definitely fewer people here.” Gi-Gyu looked around in surprise.

Sung-Hoon explained, “Not many players manage to cross the 50th floor. A fair number makes it up to the 49th floor, but you’ll notice a huge difference starting on the 50th floor. You know the famous saying, right?”

Sung-Hoon smiled and continued, “They say that if you pass the 50th floor, you’re basically a ranker.”

Gi-Gyu nodded as he had heard this saying before. Even if a player wasn’t officially a ranker, if they could clear the 50th floor and hunt on the 51st floor, they were immediately considered a ranker. It was no wonder the 50th floor was meaningful to every player.

‘And it’s even more special to me,’ Gi-Gyu thought with determination. All his limitations, including the penalty, would be lifted after crossing the 50th floor. Lim Hye-Sook even claimed his condition could improve greatly after clearing the 50th-floor test. He would get the answers to all the questions he had.

“I feel nervous,” Gi-Gyu muttered. Now that he was so close to the finish line, he could feel his heart pounding. He would finally be free of the penalty.

Well, as long as he passed the 50th-floor test, of course.

He would be given a special test, and if he didn’t pass it…

‘I’ll die, so it will be the end for me.’ Gi-Gyu smiled bitterly. Perhaps preparing himself further would have been better, but there was no time.

Sung-Hoon said encouragingly, “You’ll do just fine, Ranker Kim Gi-Gyu. After all, you’re already powerful enough to hunt on higher floors. You might indeed be given a special test, but I have no doubt you’ll pass it. Please don’t worry.”

Gi-Gyu could tell Sung-Hoon wasn’t flattering him with empty words. He could feel how sincere Sung-Hoon was, so he smiled.

Gi-Gyu murmured, “I guess we’ll part ways soon.”

He had to take the 50th-floor test alone. Sung-Hoon had already passed his test, and the 50th-floor test had to be taken by a single player.

El announced in Gi-Gyu’s head.

-I found the entrance, Master.

“So I’m finally entering the 50th floor,” Gi-Gyu whispered. His heart began to beat even faster.