The Player Who Can't Level Up

When Gi-Gyu finally regained sight, he found himself a little distance away from a Tower landmark. Looking around, he discovered he wasn’t in the pure-white space or the candle-lit hallway. He was actually in a familiar place.

He was in the Tower.

“I guess this is the 51st-floor landmark?” Gi-Gyu looked around to see other players. They were real people as opposed to data-constructs the Tower had shown him. Because this was the 51st floor, there weren’t many players around him, but there were a fair number of them. Gi-Gyu watched them with interest.

“I guess not much has changed.” Contrary to his expectations, it appeared not a lot of time had passed. This was a huge relief. He was secretly worried that the difference in the axis of time would result in a few decades passing by the time he returned.

“Haa…” Gi-Gyu sighed in relief. However, that didn’t mean that the time axis was no longer askew. But, what made it askew? He opened Brunheart’s gate, asked Old Man Hwang to check on his family, and then began walking. With the mercenary ring resting snugly on his finger, he looked for the association office inside the landmark, sure they would take care of everything for him.

Just then, someone called out his name, “Ranker Kim Gi-Gyu.”

***

Gi-Gyu had hoped it was Sung-Hoon, but it was someone unfamiliar.

“Who are you…?” Gi-Gyu asked.

The man raised a photo of Gi-Gyu and asked, “I’m from the association. You’re Ranker Kim Gi-Gyu, right?”

Gi-Gyu looked at the man with suspicion. If this were indeed an association agent, he would have to be a powerful player, at least a ranker, since he was dispatched to the 51st floor.

Gi-Gyu nodded and replied, “Yes, that’s correct.”

The agent turned serious. He looked around as he asked, “Could you follow me?”

“I don’t know who you are, so why would I follow you?” Gi-Gyu asked in turn.

The man slowly walked toward Gi-Gyu while looking around. Gi-Gyu felt no hostility from the agent, so he didn’t react. When he was close enough, the man whispered, “General Manager Oh Tae-Shik asked me to bring you to him if I find you, Ranker Kim Gi-Gyu.”

Gi-Gyu became confused. Why did this man sound so cautious and nervous about Oh Tae-Shik looking for him?

Gi-Gyu asked, “Did something happen?”

When the man nodded slowly, Gi-Gyu became even more anxious. He yelled, “What happened?! Is my family okay? Is everyone okay?”

Before Gi-Gyu asked his question, he surrounded the two of them with his magic like a barrier so no one could hear them. Sensing the foreign energy around them, the agent’s eyes widened in surprise.

“Everyone’s safe.” The agent seemed to be in a hurry as he ushered Gi-Gyu.

“Then why—” Gi-Gyu was about to ask a question when he heard Old Man Hwang’s voice.

-We have a problem! I heard that the KPA has collapsed!

The agent simultaneously explained, “The Korean Players Association has collapsed.”

It was shocking news.

***

“What do you mean the KPA collapsed?” Gi-Gyu hot-footed it out of the Tower. He didn’t really care where the agent was taking him. The news was so shocking that he still hadn’t come to terms with it.

“Can you tell me how much time has passed?” Gi-Gyu asked in alarm. Could it be that he had spent several decades taking the 50th-floor test? Did Andras succeed in destroying the KPA in the meanwhile?

Gi-Gyu couldn’t hide his panic. Suddenly, the agent stopped and stared at him. He asked, “Do you really not know?”

The man seemed shocked as he continued, “Everyone thought you were dead, Ranker Kim Gi-Gyu.”

Gi-Gyu gasped in shock, and his heart fell in terror.

‘No, please…’ He begged silently, praying that his suspicion wasn’t true. Did he really spend years in the Tower taking the test? Gi-Gyu felt furious at Gaia and Kronos.

The agent replied, “Three months.”

“Pardon?”

“It has been three months since you went inside to take the test, Ranker Kim Gi-Gyu,” the agent explained dryly.

“Three months…?” Was he supposed to feel relieved? Thankfully, it wasn’t as bad as he had thought. Years haven’t passed, but three months was still a very long time.

“Yes, three months have passed,” the agent confirmed.

Gi-Gyu gulped and said, “Then…” He quickly controlled his panic. Perhaps his stabilized shell was why he found calming down his emotions easier.

Gi-Gyu asked, “Are you saying the KPA collapsed in three months? Is that even possible?”

The Korean Players Association was a powerful organization. It was an integral part of the Global Players Association. As one of the first high rankers and the president of KPA, Oh Tae-Gu, aka Asura, wasn’t someone to be underestimated. KPA was an influential and capable group, so it was hard to believe such a place would collapse in only three months.

“Everyone found it difficult to believe it, but it’s all true. The Korean Players Association collapsed, and… The association president, Asura, is now…” The agent sounded distressed as he continued, “He’s imprisoned in Gehenna.”

“Oh my god!” Gi-Gyu exclaimed in shock. This made zero sense. This had to be a dream.

Gi-Gyu asked, “Where are we going now?”

“We’re leaving the Tower. Since we are wanted, we will have to escape through a secret pathway we have created.” The agent put his hand on Gi-Gyu’s shoulder and added, “You’re the most wanted of them all, Ranker Kim Gi-Gyu.”

“Pardon?”

“You’ll find out what happened when you meet General Manager Oh Tae-Shik, so please follow me this way.”

The agent walked between the building in the landmark, and Gi-Gyu followed quietly.

Lou said encouragingly,

-Three months… Try to be positive here. Old Man Hwang is gathering as much information as he can, so don’t worry too much.

El consoled Gi-Gyu,

-He said your family is safe, didn’t he? So please control your emotions, Master.

Even Brunheart murmured,

-Master… Are you okay?

Could his Egos also feel his emotions now?

Suddenly, the agent stopped and whispered, “Could you wait for me here for a moment? I need to meet the broker.”

Gi-Gyu understood what was happening. Only one portal was located in the landmark, so they could only escape through it.

“All right,” Gi-Gyu replied.

The agent tapped Gi-Gyu’s shoulder twice as if to reassure him. Finally, Gi-Gyu thought aloud, “Just what could make the KPA collapse?”

It was an impossible question to answer; thankfully, Old Man Hwang spoke up.

-I’m looking into it. I, or any of us here in the gate, can’t show ourselves to the outside world easily right now. But I think your home looks intact, and I don’t sense any intruders.

Unfortunately, Old Man Hwang’s voice trembled as he continued,

-But I can’t find your family… And I can’t find Min-Su either.

“Pardon?”

-But. Since that agent just now said your family is safe… Let’s be patient. All I can tell you is that I can’t feel any presence in your home or mine. I also think no one has been there in a long time, given the dust build-up.

Gi-Gyu clenched his fists, unable to control his panic. He felt like something horrible was about to happen.

-Hey!

-Master…!

Lou and El abruptly called out to him.

“I know,” Gi-Gyu replied, his fists still clenched tightly. The veins in his hands twitched visibly.

Lou announced,

-I sense enemies nearby.

As Gi-Gyu sensed the numerous tense and hostile presences outside the building, eerie calmness filled Gi-Gyu’s eyes. He could tell they were here for him.

Gi-Gyu remained quiet and didn’t make the first move. He calmly prepared himself for the upcoming battle.

-I can see you’ve gotten more confident. This is good.

Lou commented.

Just as El had said, Gi-Gyu wasn’t worried about the upcoming fight. No matter who his enemy was, he felt certain he could handle himself.

Kaboom!

Suddenly, the building door exploded, filling the space with something that blurred Gi-Gyu’s vision. It wasn’t simple dust; it was some skill being used to block his sight.

“Kim Gi-Gyu is here!” a familiar voice yelled.

Gi-Gyu immediately realized that it was the voice of the man who had brought him here.

The man ordered, “Kim Gi-Gyu is estimated to be a high ranker! Proceed as planned!”

Even before the man could finish his order, countless skills had attacked Gi-Gyu.

***

“Hahaha! If we can capture Kim Gi-Gyu, our lives will change forever! We won’t have to risk our lives to work as players anymore! We’ll have all the riches in the world!” one of the attackers smirked in excitement. Gi-Gyu’s enemies chatted as if they had already captured Gi-Gyu. Their arrogance was understandable since they had been preparing for this for a long time. In fact, they had prepared themselves so well that they could easily kill a guardian or two right now. They were ready to show every one of their skills to their fullest potential.

Kaboom!

The ground shook and cracked as bombs exploded. Gi-Gyu could tell they were no ordinary bombs, as they were crafted using materials from the higher floors. These were normally used to raid a powerful guardian. It appeared that Gi-Gyu’s enemies had planted these bombs beforehand because they had exploded when he stepped on the ground.

Boom!

There was no way to escape. The explosions were immediately followed by the signature moves of the magic category players. Since they were all on the 51st floor, they had to be at least at rankers or higher. Moreover, since they had deemed Gi-Gyu a high ranker, they had prepared for this difficult battle accordingly. The enemy players didn’t give him any breathing room.

“Remember, we can’t completely pulverize him!” a player, who looked like the group leader, ordered.

“Do not let your guard down! Kim Gi-Gyu is a high ranker! Don’t let him make a single move!” another player shouted.

The enemy players moved quickly and efficiently. The way they fought as a unit told Gi-Gyu that these were professionals.

The group leader yelled, “The others will be here soon! Whoever heard these explosions would be coming here as we speak! We need to finish it before then! We can’t lose him when we’re so close!”

It seemed that the leader thought he was close to defeating Gi-Gyu.

-Pervert.

Through the loud noises, Gi-Gyu heard Lou smirk.

Lou muttered,

-Did you let them capture you on purpose? To get information quickly? I think it’s official that your brain is working well now. I guess I don’t have to worry anymore.

Instead of sounding worried, Lou seemed to be enjoying himself.

-So you knew that man wasn’t an association agent? You even acted suspiciously to make him believe you have fallen for his trick? I’m impressed. If I had hands, I would be applauding you right now. This way, you don’t have to try to find your enemies. They will find you and give you all the information, right? Excellent plan.

One of the enemy players asked, “Is it finally over? Did we get him?”

By now, the attackers had topped out. Their plan was well thought out and efficient. If they were after a guardian, it would have by now. All of them believed they had succeeded. They thought Gi-Gyu was either dead or fatally wounded.

But…

Whack.

Someone’s scream followed the blunt noise.

“Ackkkk…!”

The black and white smoke began to settle down. Before the enemy players could even say anything, Gi-Gyu asked, “Is that all you got?”