AECS 30

Chapter 30

Trial Tower, Floor 1 (3)

One week later.

The promised dungeon date with the Flame Dragon had ended.

In the end, Baek Jin-woo’s judgment had been correct.

On the last day, keeping all his promises, in the evening…

• “Um… Jin-woo-nim.”

“Hmm?”

• “I need to tell you something.”

“What is it?”

• “Actually, I could have learned a skill last time, but I didn’t… I left it incomplete because of my hesitation. I’m really sorry.”

The Flame Dragon confessed honestly.

She was perceptive, and she probably knew she could be scolded, yet she did it anyway.

Baek Jin-woo, instead of reprimanding her, was rewarding her and even going on a separate ‘date’ with her, so she must have felt conflicted.

• “It was selfish of me. Surely the other summons also want to be with you, Jin-woo-nim.”

“No, Flame Dragon.”

Baek Jin-woo smiled brightly.

Even at his young age, he had the feeling of raising a child—when the most important person is right in front of you, you naturally devote your attention.

“I’m actually grateful you had the courage to tell me first.”

• “….”

“You don’t have to blame yourself so much. In this situation, the one I need most is you. Spending time on you is only natural.”

• “Really?”

He wasn’t lying.

Other weekday dungeon farm grunts? Sure, they were important too, but they were no Lamba-, Hoon-gyo-, or Flame Dragon-class summons.

Baek Jin-woo had always preferred giving special attention to summons with strong performance rather than being “fair” across the board.

“Yeon (聯), your proficiency has improved enough, right?”

• “Yes. I think this is sufficient! No more mistakes either.”

“Good. Then, that’s it for today.”

The next day.

It was time for the Tower Try.

Player Zone, in front of Jamsil Tower

At the main entrance, two headquarters staff in black suits were standing.

As Baek Jin-woo approached…

“Eh.”

“Player Baek Jin-woo?”

They immediately recognized him.

He was already quite famous—not yet a ranked player in the system, but more well-known than most rankers.

“Could it be that you’re attempting the Trial Tower?”

Yes. That was why he was here.

“May I enter?”

“Well… we need your registration certificate. Your identity is confirmed, but the procedure still requires it.”

“Here it is.”

The procedure was simple: it only recorded entry in the system.

If someone failed to come out within a week, they were treated as missing. Within a month, they were treated as dead.

The time limits alone spoke volumes about how difficult the Tower was.

“Will the media be restricted?”

Access to the Trial Tower was strictly prohibited for reporters and the public.

Players could also request full privacy.

“Yes, we’ll make sure there’s no media exposure!”

One thing Baek Jin-woo did not want anyone knowing was his family.

His younger sister and Yu-jia had told their parents about him, but the Trial Tower was different.

‘They’d worry too much.’

Better to clear it quickly alone and reveal it later.

“All set?”

“Yes, you may enter!”

“Good luck clearing it safely!”

With the two staff seeing him off, Baek Jin-woo entered the Tower gate, a black aura undulating around it.

[Entering the Trial Tower]

[The difficulty of the Trial Tower is extremely high.]

[Caution is advised.]

A dark background filled the screen. After a warning message flashed…

[Up to 3 parties can be deployed in the Trial Tower.]
[Please configure your parties.]

He had pre-configured them.

• Party 1: Lamba, Hoon-gyo, Flame Dragon, Wind Falcon, Horned Fairy.
• Party 2: Sky Dolphin, Sky Wyvern, 3 Lava Drakes.
• Party 3: Combat Warden, Radiant Priest, Spotted Komodo, Titanium Golem, Frost Miao.

A total of 15 summons, each equipped with the best possible low-to-mid grade runes.

[You may now attempt Floor 1.]
[Do you wish to proceed?]
[Y/N]

No need to think. Yes.

He clicked Y, and a surge of energy enveloped his body. His vision changed instantly.

The Tower Interior

When he opened his eyes again, they were in an unfamiliar place.

A ruined city filled with ornate Gothic stone buildings.

‘Right, a medieval-era backdrop.’

• “Uwaaaah!”
• “Gwaaah!”

The primary enemies were C-rank ghouls.

The Trial Tower was structured in cycles of 10 floors.

• Defeating the floor-10 boss, the one-eyed ghoul king (‘One-Eye’, S-rank), completes a cycle.

“Everyone, move out.”

• “Yes!”
• “Understood, Master Jin-woo!”
• “Roger that, Jin-woo-nim.”

The 15 summons moved in perfect synchronization.

Floor 1’s mission was simple:

[Escape the ghoul-occupied ruined city, ‘Chrome’.]
[Airborne summons are restricted in ‘Chrome’ due to a powerful curse.]

Avoid the ghouls and exit the city.

“Tch.”

It sounded easy in theory, but it was extremely difficult.

Chrome was a huge city, and ghouls were everywhere.

“Break through that alley first! Don’t try to take them all on; focus on the weaker side!”

The Tower ghouls differed from normal ones:

• Slower movement and attack speed
• Extremely high defense and attack
• Poison on their claws that even healing cannot fix instantly

Trying to fight all ghouls head-on would be disastrous.

‘First…’

He temporarily recalled the Wyvern and the Dolphin. Air restrictions and lack of water made the Dolphin useless.

Then…

Boom! Boom! Boom!

The Lava Drakes charged forward, spewing flames.

• “Gwaaah!”
• “Gwaaahhhh!”

The ghouls writhed and staggered in pain.

“Move out!”

Baek Jin-woo and his summons advanced quickly. The city was filled with ghoul screams as they progressed through alleyways.

‘They’re gathering more now.’

Floor 1 was manageable, though. If you picked the path correctly, escaping wasn’t hard.

‘Where’s the exit?’

The spawn area was random, so memorizing it was impossible.

However, maps were scattered across the city. The only clue to navigate.

• “Master, found it!”

Hoon-gyo, moving nimbly between ghouls, handed over the map. They were already experienced in working together.

• “Here’s the map!”

With dust brushed off, a detailed layout appeared.

‘Use the tallest cathedral as a reference.’

Baek Jin-woo gauged distances using the cross atop the cathedral tower.

‘Here it is.’

He nodded and marked their current position on the map.

• “Good. The exit isn’t too far.”

“Yes, but we have to pass a giant ghoul (B-rank) in the middle of the city.”

Mid-city had mid-boss type enemies: the giant ghouls.

• “I’ll handle it. Lamba is continuously stacking buffs anyway.”

Fwoom! Fwoom! Fwoom!

Lamba had already started stacking Hoon-gyo’s attack speed.

‘Normally…’

Most rankers would throw two parties at the high-rank ghouls and dash past them to the exit.

But Baek Jin-woo, with three EX-rank summons, didn’t need to.

“Flame Dragon.”

• “Yes?”

“Keep stacking, right?”

• “We’re at five stacks now.”

Flame Dragon also accumulated stacks using Flame Dragon Art, Yeon (聯).

The longer they waited, the stronger their damage became. Hoon-gyo too.

“Okay, let’s move. Keep stacking.”

• “Yes, Jin-woo-nim!”

Yeah. A giant ghoul? Just smash it with sheer power.

Giant Ghoul Battle

Soon, they faced a massive ghoul roaring fiercely.

Huge. Dangerous. One swipe of its claws could mean instant death.

But Baek Jin-woo was bold.

“Hoon-gyo.”

• “Yes, Master!”

“You can handle this?”

• “Easy.”

He even said “easy.” Baek Jin-woo wasn’t particularly tense—it was Floor 1, after all.

Bang!

Hoon-gyo moved with lightning speed.

• “Hiyahhh!”

Lamba followed closely, waving her staff furiously.

Shaaack!

The giant ghoul swung its massive arm, but… too slow.

Hoon-gyo jumped on its back, slicing with unmatched attack speed.

• “Gwaaah! Gwaaahhh!”

The ghoul clawed wildly, but not a single attack landed.

At the same time…

• “Flame Dragon!”

Ta-da!

Flame Dragon unleashed crimson flames from her staff.

Flame Dragon Art – Secret Skill – Yeon (聯).

Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!

Six consecutive dragon strikes stunned the giant ghoul.

High defense? Useless against overwhelming damage.

Then, Hoon-gyo completed an aerial spin and plunged his sword cleanly into the ghoul’s neck.

A perfect finish.

• “Gwaaahhh!”

The ghoul collapsed, unable to support its massive body.

“Nice. Keep moving.”

With the giant ghoul down, they were almost done.

‘Been about 10 minutes since entry?’

It would’ve been nice if the Tower had a time attack. Sadly, it only recorded whether the floor was cleared.

Baek Jin-woo slowly cleared ghouls while following the map. Eventually, they reached an open city side gate.

[You have exited the ghoul-occupied ruined city, ‘Chrome’.]
[Congratulations!]
[You have conquered Floor 1 of the Trial Tower!]

Floor 1 was cleared flawlessly.

[Rewards delivered.]
[‘Random Synthesis Blueprint Box’ (B-rank) acquired!]

Aftermath

That day, Baek Jin-woo’s actions would be recorded as legend once again.

“P-Player Baek Jin-woo?”

The staff guarding the Tower were shocked.

They had just seen him come out, looking relaxed.

‘He’s already out? How fast…’

Being alive meant one thing: Floor 1 cleared.

The record would now show him as a Floor 1 conqueror.

‘Crazy.’

‘Is this even possible?’

No player had ever exited Floor 1 in under 20 minutes—not in Korea, nor overseas.

The staff couldn’t reveal this information due to the privacy contract.

“How… already out?”

“Is this a problem?”

“No! No problem at all!”

“Then, see you tomorrow.”

Baek Jin-woo gave a faint smile and bowed.

• “…Hey.”

The two staff looked at each other.

“What did we just witness?”

“Unbelievable…”

“Tomorrow? Is he going straight to Floor 2?”

“Crazy. I have a feeling… this guy is going to make a huge impact soon.”

“Impact?”

“Yeah, something that will make him skyrocket in fame.”

They watched Baek Jin-woo’s retreating figure.

Perhaps… they were witnessing the early days of a great hero.