Tick-tock—.

“Hmm.”
“What on earth should I choose…?”

Time passed, and one by one, they chose their skills.
Everyone opted for defensive skills.

No one disclosed what they had chosen.

“Why should I tell you?”

Jin Cheol-hwan’s sharp response created an awkward atmosphere where no one wanted to speak.
From my standpoint, it wasn't a bad situation.

【Skills Owned - (1/1)】
【Strong Blow (F)】

I had acquired the most practical-looking skill among the numerous options: Strong Blow.

There were two reasons I chose Strong Blow.

‘If everyone’s attributes are the same, defense will always have the advantage.’

But what if I could showcase overwhelming destructive power that sets me apart from others?

‘…Then offense becomes advantageous.’

The other reason was the skill conditions.

‘Park Ji-hoon mentioned it felt like a game. Therefore, skills are likely to follow a similar approach.’

I skipped over actions that required applying poison or wrapping bandages, just in case.

After eliminating those options, Strong Blow remained as the final candidate.

Strong Blow.
A cheap F-rank skill that inflicts physical damage by delivering a powerful strike.

‘It fits me perfectly.’

Strong Blow has no conditions.
You just need to strike.

While others might consider this simplicity a drawback, I saw it differently.
Its simplicity was what made it attractive.

‘That means it can be used in any situation.’

Finally, Park Ji-hoon completed his skill acquisition.

Dae-eng—. Dae-eng—.

The clock chimed.

[We will now begin the tutorial. Please move through the stone gate to the next room.]
“……”

No one was eager to step forward.
Eyes darted around, as everyone silently observed one another.
They felt pressured about taking the lead.

It was understandable.
Who would dare to take initiative when they didn’t know what might happen?

‘Unless they’re really bold…’

At that moment, a message appeared.

[Players who move first will receive rewards. After all, this is the Tower of “Struggle.”]

As soon as the message was confirmed, Park Ji-hoon bolted forward.
He was incredibly fast.

‘He’s quick!’

His footwork was more agile than I expected.
It surpassed the realm of simply “running fast.”

Jin Cheol-hwan, who followed behind late, sighed and asked.
“Did you use a skill?”
“Yes. It’s a skill called Light Steps.”
“…What was that again? I can’t quite remember.”

With 10,000 F-rank skills available, it was normal not to recall all of them.

Even if I disliked Jin Cheol-hwan, it would be unreasonable to point fingers at him for forgetting.

“It’s a skill that increases movement speed by 10% for 10 seconds.”

Park Ji-hoon explained.

Hearing this made me remember.
There were no conditions, but since the coefficient was fixed at 10%, I had ruled out that skill.

For me, it was the least useful type of skill.

“It seems significant for a 10% boost.”
“Right? I was surprised too.”

Despite having chosen Light Steps, he didn’t expect it to be this effective.

“So what reward did you receive?”

The middle-aged woman, Im Su-jin, interjected with a question.
At her inquiry, Park Ji-hoon stared into the air as he answered.

“I received 1 point in attributes. It’s a point I can distribute freely.”
“…1 point in attributes?”
“Yes.”

A more intense reaction erupted than when he confirmed the skill effects.

“Whoa…”

I tried to hide my emotions as best as I could, but I failed.
I couldn’t conceal the genuine sigh that escaped me.

“1 point? Just for passing through the stone gate first?”
“Exactly. I didn’t expect such a reward either. I thought I’d only get some basic gear or money usable in the Tower of Struggle. What a windfall.”

Desire surged in the eyes of the others, including Park Ji-hoon.

[Now you understand what the Tower of Struggle is like? A place where those who seek to prove themselves and those who have proven themselves can seize what they desire—this is the Tower of Struggle.]
“……”

My focus sharpened significantly.

[We will now begin the tutorial.]

Kugugugung—.

With the message, the sound of the stone gate opening resonated.

“…This is probably.”
“It seems we each have to handle one area.”

There were six stone gates in this room.

Including the forcibly eliminated man, six players had been summoned.
No one in the room was unaware of what that meant.

Ding—!

[0th Floor, Prove Yourself]
Being invited to the Tower of Struggle doesn’t mean it’s the end.
You must prove that you are qualified to challenge the throne.

Park Ji-hoon spoke.

“This doesn’t seem like the assistant’s message. The tone is different.”
[That’s right. It’s a message conveyed by the Tower of Struggle.]

Jin Cheol-hwan abruptly interjected, turning to the assistant.
“What do we do now?”

As soon as Park Ji-hoon learned of the reward, he seemed to grow more eager.
[It’s simple. Enter each passage and overcome the trials.]
“Trials?”
[They’re not difficult trials. They’re designed to match your levels.]
“So, if we clear quickly, will there be a reward again?”

For Jin Cheol-hwan, the reward was of utmost importance.
After being normalized, it was understandable he’d feel impatient compared to others.

[That’s uncertain.]
“Uncertain?”
[Don’t take rewards for granted. Rewards are a bonus.]
“……”
[You must ascend the Tower of Struggle to avoid elimination. It’s best to keep that in mind. Otherwise, it will be incredibly difficult.]

Elimination.
That meant death.

Jin Cheol-hwan swallowed hard.
He then glanced at Park Ji-hoon.

It seemed he envied the 1 point he had earned effortlessly.

“I think it’s best to take one area each.”

Park Ji-hoon stepped up to speak.
With his attributes increased by 1 point, his authority to speak naturally grew.

Jin Cheol-hwan frowned and replied.
“Why don’t you take two areas?”
“Me?”
“Yeah. Aren’t you the strongest?”

Jin Cheol-hwan looked around for agreement.

Im Su-jin seemed to send a glance of partial agreement.
Lee Minji looked to me for cues, and I remained silent.

Unable to bear it, Park Ji-hoon contorted his expression in displeasure.
“I think we can talk about that later.”
“You’re still young and don’t understand, but planning is important when doing this kind of thing. How you draw the blueprint at the start can change a lot.”
“Exactly. Let’s just take one area each.”
“Right. Let’s do that. But you, being the strongest, should also pass through the remaining area.”

Jin Cheol-hwan refused to bend his opinion.

“We’re not saying we won’t do it. It’s just something someone has to do, and we’re asking you. Is that too hard?”
“……”
“Then who do you think should take the remaining area? Someone like me whose attributes have been lowered? Or perhaps Miss Su-jin here? A female student of your age?”

Jin Cheol-hwan’s gaze landed on me.
A faint click of the tongue could be heard.

“I know that guy doesn’t have attributes significantly different from yours. It wouldn’t be a bad idea to decide after discussing it together. What do you think?”

Suddenly, Jin Cheol-hwan was trying to pull me into the mix.

‘This changes things.’

I didn’t want to be at a disadvantage by remaining silent.

“Let’s decide later? We don’t even know who will come back alive.”
“What?”

A wise saying goes, "Words are fair if they are kind."
Perhaps due to everything Jin Cheol-hwan had said so far, my tone toward him was less than polite.

‘Why should I have to bow down?’

The Strong Blow skill instilled courage in me.

“If by any chance, I can’t return, I’ll handle your share then.”
“…Are you telling me I’m going to die here? You little brat!”

Jin Cheol-hwan stepped forward, trying to throw a punch.

[Players, please do not fight among yourselves.]

It was a brief warning.
Its effect was certain.

Jin Cheol-hwan, who seemed uncontainable, was the first to retreat.

[Though I didn’t say it, cooperation among players is crucial in the Tower of Struggle. The tutorial is a process to practice that.]
“……”
[So please unite and pass the tutorial together.]

The message ended.

“Let’s take one area each for now.”

Park Ji-hoon suggested the same idea he had earlier.
No one voiced a disagreement.

The players each chose their preferred stone gate.
They all looked identical on the outside, so it seemed like there wouldn’t be any difference in the content of the trials no matter which they chose.

Jin Cheol-hwan also quietly settled into position.
Though he had been glaring at us earlier, he didn’t refuse his share.
He seemed to have a surprisingly conformist nature.

I also took my place.

Beyond the stone gate, a dark passage extended.
It exuded a completely different atmosphere from the previous rooms.

My feet wouldn’t move.

“……”

It seemed everyone shared a similar sentiment, hesitating at the entrance and exchanging glances.

At that moment, Jin Cheol-hwan stepped into the passage.
From the way he strode forward, it was clear he was filled with rage.

Sss-.

Darkness enveloped him.
In an instant, Jin Cheol-hwan vanished from view.

The passage before me seemed to connect to an unknown space.

I could no longer hesitate.
I worried that if Jin Cheol-hwan was the first to clear and receive rewards, it would be a disadvantage for me.

“Tch!”

Park Ji-hoon seemed to be thinking the same thing as me and hurried into the passage.

A vast void.

In the center stood someone.
A blonde knight.

“…Why are you here alone?”

Muttering something, the knight shook her head.

“Enough. I don’t need to care about what choices new players make.”
“……”
“I’ll ask. Are you my opponent?”
“Uh…”

This was entirely different from what I had anticipated.

‘I thought a monster would appear.’

I never dreamed I would find a human being capable of conversation waiting for me.
So I awkwardly replied.

“…It seems that way?”
“Hmm.”
Swish—!

In an instant, the knight drew her sword and charged at me.