The vibration of the phone resounded.

A terse summon had been issued, devoid of any context or backstory.

Damn it, Im in the middle of something important, why a sudden emergency call?

Dont even start. I was right in the middle of a raid.

*Spit* Sure, if they say jump, we ask how high, but isnt it getting a bit too frequent these days?

Players belonging to the Black Crow Guild grumbled but still gathered at the high-rise building.

The silence inside.

Small fragments of glass remained on the floor.

Something was different than usual.

Everyone tilted their heads in confusion.

Whats going on today?

This is our building, right?

An intense sense of dissonance arose.

Instinctively, they all felt something was terribly amiss.

With a loud noise, they opened the door and stepped inside.

The ominous premonition turned into certainty.

What in the world happened here?

Guild Master!

Healer Heal him, quick!

The person sprawled on the floor, bathed in blood, was none other than the guild master, Sin Geon-su.

Its too late. Hes been dead for at least a few hours

A healer who had been examining Sin Geon-su shook his head.

While healing injuries might be within a healers capabilities, bringing the dead back to life was not.

The guild leader was dead.

So, who called for this urgent assembly?

All eyes turned to another person in the room.

It was the guilds secretary, Kim Hee-woong.

With an anxious face, he readjusted his glasses amid the rising tide of anger.

Kim Hee-woong!

One of the players pulled out a weapon.

Whoosh!

From an interdimensional inventory, a spear over two meters long was drawn.

Its sharp blade was aimed straight at Kim Hee-woongs throat.

Explain exactly what happened without missing a single detail! Right now!

Ha Ha About that

Kim Hee-woong glanced to the side, awkwardly.

More accurately, he looked under the table.

Was there someone else there? As everyone had that thought

Footsteps.

A silver-haired girl with strikingly red eyes emerged from beneath the table, her youthful appearance contrasting with the tense atmosphere.

Haa.

She scratched her head as if annoyed.

Though surrounded by various weapons and palpable murderous intent, she seemed utterly unconcerned.

Was this imperturbable demeanor the reason for their astonishment?

This is ridiculous. Were trusting a kid with these matters now?

The spear-wielder clicked his tongue.

Just then, a vein popped on the forehead of the girl named Ellis.

Kid? Did you call me a kid?

A red aura began to flood the room.

[Lv?? Blood Domain is activated!]

The murderous aura that had pervasively filled the room vanished in an instant.

A chill so intense it felt as if every blood vessel in ones body might freeze on the spot.

There were players present who had participated in the first-floor boss raid

but this was incomparable.

A different dimension entirely.

Good heavens

What kind of power is this?

Its a monster.

The players were trembling, frozen in place, incapable of even contemplating escape.

Wah! Y-you need to calm down. The the president said, if possible, not to kill!

Kim Hee-woong was equally flustered.

For the guilds operations, core members were essential.

Jinhyuk had instructed to preserve the rankers whenever possible.

However

What do I care? Didnt you just hear what they said to me?

Ellis had long lost her composure.

As if venting the stress built up over time

A massive wave of power erupted.

Boom!

The windows of the building shattered all at once.

***

At the Awakeners Association in Seocho-gu.

To prove that he had passed the second test, Jinhyuk first went there.

1 PM.

Right on the agreed time.

Checking his smartphone, Jinhyuk looked around.

Its about time

Just as he was thinking that

Brother!

Oppa! Over here! Here!

Two people approached from beside the entrance, waving their hands.

It was Lee Tae-min and Yu Yeon-hwa.

It hadnt been that long since theyd last met, but for some reason

Jinhyuk was genuinely happy to see them.

Right on time. How have you been?

Weve been good. We even successfully conquered a B-rank labyrinth on the second floor!

Lee Tae-min puffed out his chest in pride.

Ive leveled up a lot too. We hunted day and night without sleep.

Yu Yeon-hwas expression seemed to seek applause.

Indeed, the aura of magic around them had changed.

It was not only about the overall increase but the density of their mana had intensified as well.

Youve been keeping yourselves impressively busy.

Ah, but nothing compared to you, Oppa.

Eh?

Dont pretend you dont know. The video uploaded to the Hall of Honor yesterday, thats you, right?

Yu Yeon-hwa nudged Jinhyuks side with her elbow.

Lee Tae-min added his own bit.

Hyung, why did you wear a mask though? Dont tell me, youre having a bout of adolescence again Right?

That was due to personal circumstances. But was it that obvious?

To infer it all from a mere mask

Or was it because they associated his identity with the signs of a so-called second adolescence?

Sure, he had those tendencies once, but it felt somewhat sad.

Because youre the only high-level loner around, Oppa. I caught on immediately.

The minute I saw the news, I knew it was you, Hyung.

Oh! Is that so?

Jinhyuks expression brightened, a mixture of relief for several reasons.

But Hyung, is it true you quit Tower of Trials around the same time we did?

The patterns in the video werent just memorized; it was like you made a mockery of the Tower of Trials creators

The two cast a mixture of suspicion and awe at Jinhyuk.

It was an almost oppressive level of scrutiny.

But it made sense.

The Tower of Trials community was exploding over the video uploaded the previous day.

The failures of the third-floor boss and the conquering of an impenetrable relic.

These two incidents had caught the attention of countless people, fixated on the masked player.

Who he was.

How high he had ascended the tower.

Which guild he belonged to.

From favorite foods and hobbies to even the color of underwear he wore that day.

Reactions are quite intense.

Jinhyuk smirked slightly.

Although he had some expectation, this was beyond it.

Good.

With such conditions set, acting going forward should be much easier.

Himself with a mask.

And himself without one.

To lead two lives

Lets rank both at the top.

World ranking number one and two.

At first glance, they might seem like different people, but in reality, both were him.

Ill use those two statuses to reap every possible benefit.

His heart began to pound at the thought of numerous plans he had in mind.

Thats when

Hyung? Can you answer me? How high did you really go?

Hey, thats not how you ask. Be honest. Oppa, are you one of the games administrators?

Noona, isnt that stretching it too far?

No, it isnt. If thats not the case, then how do you explain these godlike movements?

Now that you mention it, it does make sense.

How did the conversation drift here?

While it might be entertaining to watch them let their imaginations run wild

Sorry.

Jinhyuk smiled slightly.

At the same time, he showed them the screen of his smartphone.

[Please come by 1:15 PM to collect your confirmation of passing the second test.]

***

The day was free from awakening tests, so the association was relatively quiet.

Arriving at the reception desk, Jinhyuk pulled out his ID.

Ive come to collect my verification of passing the second test.

Yes, one moment, please.

The receptionist took Jinhyuks ID.

But then

Uh Kang Jinhyuk-ssi?

With a startled expression like a rabbit caught in headlights, the receptionist alternated looks between the ID and Jinhyuk, then suddenly stood up.

Could you please wait a moment?

Yes?

Just wait here. Please dont go anywhere.

She hurried off somewhere after leaving that instruction, so swiftly that Jinhyuk couldnt get a word in.

Shortly after, she returned with a middle-aged man with a sharp countenance.

This is rather unexpected.

Jinhyuks eyes narrowed.

How could he not recognize him?

Awakeners Association Chairman, Han Sangjin.

The figure head overseeing all players within Korea.

[Lv2 Eye of Truth has been activated.]

The Eye of Truth penetrated the status window of the person before him.

Ding!

Name: Han Sangjin

Gender: Male

Age: 45

Level: 15

Strength: 19 Agility: 17 Stamina: 15 Magic: 15

Available Stat Points: 0

Coins: 0

Occupation: Administrator

Unique Ability: Mass Command

Skills: Lv4 Bureaucracy, Lv4 Solidarity, Lv3 Mediation, Lv3 Thought Screening

[Copy Conditions: Error prevents the update of copy conditions.]

Jinhyuk had just finished reading the status window and copy conditions when

We have been waiting for your arrival, player Kang Jinhyuk.

Han Sangjin approached and offered a handshake.

Damn.

That irritating feeling accepting that hand seemed like it would only complicate things.

But refusing it might mark him as the notorious ill-mannered in the very mannered East.

Sigh.

There was no choice, but as Jinhyuk was about to extend his hand, he hesitated.

He mulled over Han Sangjins words.

Something felt off.

There was a strange disparity in the conversation

Hold on.

Wait a minute.

He was waiting for me to come?

Only one examiner knew the true measurement from the first test.

To everyone else, he was just an F-rank player, a common sight on the streets.

Why would the chairman personally attend to the lowest-level player?

It made no sense.

Nor was there any chance the examiner would divulge anything, with Soul Branding burning them to ash if they spilled the truth.

Interesting.

So, this time someone prepared to deceive even the eyes?

Jinhyuk smiled faintly.

Hey.

Yes? Why do you suddenly?

Han Sangjins face was painted with bewilderment.

Bluntly switching to informal speech caught him off guard.

But Jinhyuks expression remained icy.

Cut the crappy act and drop the barrier. Now.

Barrier? What on earth

Player Kang Jinhyuk. What are you doing to the chairman?

Are you going to pretend you dont understand even if I put it this way?

Jinhyuks smirk grew even more pronounced.

If they wanted to pick the embarrassing path rather than the easy one

Quickly drawing a dagger, Jinhyuk pulled back his shoulder and hurled it upwards.

Shing!

The dagger cut through the air and lodged into the ceiling.

Or rather, what appeared to be the ceiling.

That instant

Fzzzt!

The space distorted, and ripples spread across a transparent barrier.