The Player Who Can't Level Up

“Don’t be so nervous,” Gi-Gyu told the players. After their early morning goblin hunt, the group now stood in front of the second floor entrance. The players were rigid due to the fear of the unknown. 

“The second floor isn’t going to be much different. You’ll see orcs, but they will be wielding wooden clubs this time, not glaives. So as long as you can block their attacks, you’ll be able to kill them easily,” Gi-Gyu said calmly.

“Please take care of us on the second floor as well, Guide.”

“We trust you, Guide.” 

It seemed Sun-Pil’s group had complete faith in Gi-Gyu. Feeling grateful, Gi-Gyu opened the door and announced, “Let’s go inside. Please don’t get scared when you are inside.”

“Alright,” the group replied. 

Gi-Gyu led the way, followed by the players, who exclaimed, “Wow!”

“So amazing...”

And just like that, the group arrived at the second floor of the Tower.

***

“Block the club!” 

Gi-Gyu kept his eyes on the battle and gave instructions from time to time. 

Thud!

“Aim for its neck. Orcs are resilient, so they won’t die unless you hit their vital spots!”

Slash!

Success was guaranteed as long as the players followed Gi-Gyu’s instructions. 

“Chweek!” screeched an orc as it collapsed.

“Wow! We killed an orc!” one of the players yelled excitedly.

“You’re all learning so fast!” Gi-Gyu complimented the group.

“It’s all thanks to you, Guide. Your instructions have a way of increasing my focus and decreasing my nervousness!” Gi-Gyu couldn’t help but smile after listening to Sung-Woo’s flattery. He was finding this job gratifying in many ways. 

“I really think we’re making effortless progress thanks to you, Guide. This course was a bit pricey, but it was well worth it.”

“I’m thankful that you feel that way,” Gi-Gyu replied, and the group nodded in agreement. Gi-Gyu continued, “Remember, from now on, you can’t let your guard down on this floor. There are some orcs with higher intelligence on this floor, so look out for any surprise attacks.”

“Ah! Got it,” the players replied and immediately began surveying the perimeter. This made Gi-Gyu burst into laughter. 

“For now, I’ll stand guard, so please don’t worry and rest. Also, I think we can ascend to the third floor today.”

“Wow, that’s so fast!” the players exclaimed.

“Well, we’re in the tutorial phase after all,” Gi-Gyu explained.

“Please take good care of us, Guide.”

***

The group reached the third floor. As Gi-Gyu expected, the players advanced at a surprising speed. Their minds were like sponges; they instantly absorbed every piece of trivia and knowledge Gi-Gyu gave them. Also, they grew accustomed to the battles at a frightening pace.  

They camped out for the day on the third floor before resuming their journey the following day. This was where they needed to be more alert, so Gi-Gyu warned them, “The goblins and the orcs will roam around in groups from this floor on.”

“Then…”

Gi-Gyu added, “But as long as you’re well informed, it’ll actually be easier to hunt here as compared to the second floor.” 

“Pardon?”

“The orcs and the goblins pairing together can be helpful to a player. After all, they are only monsters—they are always looking for an opportunity to fight among themselves,” Gi-Gyu explained.

“I see.”

“So you can get them to fight among themselves by throwing a rock at them or secretly killing a member of any camp. Once their mutual destruction ends, you can easily pick up the loot after killing the injured and exhausted survivors.” The group nodded in understanding after hearing Gi-Gyu's explanation.  

Now, the group had blind trust in Gi-Gyu and began following him without question. 

‘Suk-Woo hyung was right.’

Sun-Pil felt that he made the right choice by following Suk-Woo’s recommendation. He was hesitant at first due to the high price, but now there was no doubt that Gi-Gyu was a talented guide. It was impressive how Gi-Gyu only guided them toward the easy-to-kill monsters. Before long, it became apparent Gi-Gyu was leading them into situations they could just barely handle—neither too safe nor too dangerous. This allowed the group to get used to the battles and gain experiences quickly.

“Let’s wait here for now,” Gi-Gyu announced. 

“Is something wrong?” one of the players asked.

“The third floor’s guardian was caught a few days ago, and it respawns today,” Gi-Gyu replied.

“A guardian?”

“I’m referring to the boss monster of this floor. Some guilds only hunt the guardians because they reward better items and higher experience points compared to the regular monsters,” Gi-Gyu explained. 

The players nodded and replied, “We’ve heard about that before.”

“When the guardian hunters kill their target, there will be a completion firework. We’ll resume then, so please rest for now,” Gi-Gyu announced to the group.

“Are the guardians very strong?” Jae-Won asked curiously. Jae-Won was the most aggressive player in the group. Gi-Gyu had met many players like Jae-Won in his career as a tutorial floor guide. After speedy level-ups and facing only the easy monsters, these players tend to feel overly confident about their skills.  

‘Teaching these players modesty is also part of being a guide.’

With this thought, Gi-Gyu turned toward Jae-Won and answered, “You can’t underestimate the guardians. Even the guardians of the tutorial floors are overwhelmingly strong. Besides, we don’t have enough players in our group to face it.”

“So it’s that strong?” Jae-Won asked again.

“Most guardians require a guild or a group of at least 15 players to hunt. They’re extreme and persistent. They say that you should try fighting a guardian if you want to see the full extent of the Tower’s horror,” Gi-Gyu answered. 

“So is a guardian like a gatekeeper?”

“Yes.”

A gatekeeper was a monster that needed to be killed to close a gate. There wasn’t much difference between a gatekeeper and a guardian in terms of strength; if they lived on the same Tower floor, the guardian would be just a bit stronger. The group finally began to tense up after Gi-Gyu’s severe warning. 

Gi-Gyu added, “Please don’t underestimate the guardians. Even a ranker won’t attempt to hunt a guardian alone except on the lower floors.”

“That sounds scary.” The players shivered; it seemed they finally understood the danger. Gi-Gyu smiled quietly. ‘That ranker warning always works.’ 

Boom!

Suddenly, they heard firecrackers from far away. Gi-Gyu looked at the sky, stood up, and announced, “It looks like they took care of the guardian.”

“Already?” the players’ eyes widened as they asked in surprise. Gi-Gyu had just explained how strong the guardians were, so they didn’t expect that the hunt would end so soon. . 

“Most guilds that specialize in guardian hunting have high-level players. They tour the Tower at specific times when the guardians are known to appear. Usually, their goal’s to get the items as soon as possible,” Gi-Gyu explained.

“Ah.”

“They either sell these items or expend them to level up their newbie members,” Gi-Gyu added. Suddenly feeling curious, Gi-Gyu asked Suk-Pil, “By the way, why didn’t you choose the guide from Suk-Woo’s Cain Guild?”

Although not as powerful as the Angela Guild, Cain Guild, led by Suk-Woo, was still a recognizable name in Korea. If Suk-Woo was his cousin, it would’ve benefited Suk-Pil financially and in many other ways to use the guide from the Cain Guild. Gi-Gyu couldn’t understand Sul-Pil’s choice in picking him.

With a smile, Suk-Pil replied, “Because I didn’t want to be too dependent on my cousin. Oh, and don’t count getting your name from him as being dependent. Getting advice and getting help are two very different things.”

Gi-Gyu quickly understood Sun-Pil’s intention. 

‘He plans on forming his own guild.’

It was clear Suk-Pil was developing his career with hopes of creating a new guild. Gi-Gyu nodded in understanding and didn’t prod further. Asking more questions at this point would have been considered rude. 

After the brief conversation, the group resumed their hunt. All the players had to reach similar levels before ascending to the fourth floor. After several more hours of battles, Gi-Gyu led the group to a safe zone. 

“We’re leveling up so fast. Maybe we’ll become rankers too?!” Jae-Won chatted excitedly. Gi-Gyu was listening to the players’ conversation without a word when suddenly, Sun-Pil asked, “Guide, do you think we’ll be able to become rankers? I’ve heard some of the players you guided, including Suk-Woo, became rankers. I think you’re a pretty good judge of these things.”

“Umm…,” Gi-Gyu hesitated.

“Oh, I’m sorry if it was an inappropriate question,” Sun-Pil apologized hurriedly. 

“No, that’s not it. I was just lost in my thoughts. So, a ranker… huh?” 

All the players now looked at Gi-Gyu expectantly. Gi-Gyu continued, “Based on your skills and the growth speed, I think it’s very possible. But there is something else more important.”

“You mean the player’s job?” Sun-Pil asked.

“Yes,” Gi-Gyu nodded and explained, “As you must already know, once a player passes the fifth-floor test, their job gets decided. Some say the decision is random, while others claim it’s based on the player’s talent. I’ve even heard that it’s fate, but no one knows the truth yet.”

“I see.”

“But most rankers have jobs that suit them, or they have a hidden or a specialized job,” Gi-Gyu added.

One by one, the players began stating what they wished for. 

“I want a hidden job!”

“I would love a unique ability!”

Gi-Gyu told them encouragingly, “Any player can become a ranker if they work hard enough.”

“Thank you, Guide.”

But of course, some would require more work than others. Suddenly, Gi-Gyu wondered what job he would receive if he passed the fifth-floor test. In the past, he used to contemplate this question often. But once he decided against taking the test, he stopped fantasizing about the future. 

‘A job.’

If he passed the test and received a good job, would he be able to level up? This thought made Gi-Gyu smile.

***

The group entered the fourth floor. Gi-Gyu continued to give the players instructions, “Same logic applies to the fourth floor. The orcs and the goblins here are a little faster and stronger, but just remember the same basic pattern and strategy.”

“Yes, Sir!” the players answered enthusiastically. Gi-Gyu smiled and announced, “Then we’ll get right to the hunt.”

“Okay.”

It had been a long time since Gi-Gyu met a bunch like this. Drunk on their new found power, the players nowadays were more selfish and sneakier. It was easy for the players to become domineering. Of course, there was no telling when this group of players might change. But for now, they were the most innocent players Gi-Gyu had seen in a long time.

“Chweek!”

“Squeeeakk!”

While Gi-Gyu was deep in his thoughts, the orcs and the goblins fell like dominoes nearby. 

‘They have great coordination.’

Gi-Gyu was told the players in this group were long-time friends. Perhaps this was why their coordination improved so quickly. The players returned to Gi-Gyu after another successful hunt. They exclaimed, “Guide, it was so easy!”

“Excellent. I think you should all be able to pass the test now. Let’s level up a bit more today, and you can take the fifth-floor test tomorrow,” Gi-Gyu announced. 

“Haa… But that test still sounds so scary.”

“I hate all tests!”

Listening to the players’ sighs and complaints, Gi-Gyu encouraged them, “You don't have to worry so much. The test on the fifth floor isn’t that hard. Any Level 3 or above player can clear it easily. As long as you remember my instructions and remain vigilant, you’ll be fine.” 

“Do you really think so?”

“Just do what you’ve been doing so far. Now, you all know that the fifth-floor test is done individually, right?” Gi-Gyu asked.

“Yes!”

“So from now on, we’ll do some individual hunts to prepare for the test. When we meet a group of monsters, please don’t count on your coordination too much. Instead, I want each of you to pick a monster and fight on your own,” Gi-Gyu explained, and the players followed his instruction. Next, they didn’t all attack a monster; instead, they each picked one and went to town on it. The group battles were over; It was time for solo fights. 

‘Good.’

Gi-Gyu watched with satisfaction. Everyone was doing very well so far. They seemed to have a good understanding of the battle patterns, and their ability to block the clubs was improving rapidly. 

Just then, Gi-Gyu spotted a dust storm faraway. “Huh?”

This was not a good sign. Gi-Gyu checked his watch.

‘This isn’t the right date for the fourth-floor guardian to appear. What is that dust storm?’

The storm's size was far too big to be just a monster horde. However, now wasn’t the time to play detective; Gi-Gyu yelled hurriedly, “We need to run! Hurry and finish up!”

That distraction was enough for an orc to strike Jae-Won’s leg; it broke. “Ack!!!”

Sun-Pil ran toward Jae-Won to help. Two of the four members were distracted, and nothing could be said about the other two—their group was in chaos. Gi-Gyu muttered, “Dammit!”

The dust storm was getting closer. It was obvious they couldn’t escape it at this rate. Ignoring the screaming players, Gi-Gyu began to quickly consider his options. There had to be a way for all of them to survive this situation. Even as he contemplated, the dust storm kept on approaching. The ground began to shake as well.

‘The guardian!’

This had to be a guardian. Gi-Gyu still hasn’t come up with a solution when suddenly, Ha-Neul became wounded and fell to the ground. “Kyaa!!!”