Chapter 33: Has the Key Figure Reached His Limit? (2)

After Choi Junseok cleared two floors in succession, 

The Player Management Office issued an official statement regarding allegations of preferential treatment for the Key Figure.

[Player Management Office: “We have never provided entry tickets to the Key Figure” (Comprehensive Report 1)]

[Player Management Office Official Response: “It is true we’ve supported the Key Figure’s climbs, and we will provide further support if needed, but only within the bounds of public sentiment.” Controversy]

[S-rank Player Supersonic Bunny Lee Jiyu: “The Player Management Office’s role is to treat the strong appropriately. I don’t know what nonsense people are talking about.”]

[Player Association President apologizes for controversy over derogatory remark calling the Key Figure “just a 13th-floor F-rank player”]

At the same time, the ripples naturally caused a stir in the player community.

Aside from a few players, most held no particular ill will toward the Key Figure.

<Key Figure, rise uppppp!>

Yo, is the Key Figure your buddy or something?

Bow down! Behold the steps of the one climbing two floors a day!

<If the Key Figure keeps this up, he’ll reach the top floors in less than a month! 😲>

Isn’t there a new religion worshiping the Key Figure near Suseo Magic Tower? 

I’m a follower there.

LOL, the Key Figure Cult? 

Sounds like a bridge name.

No, it’s real. They’ve got quite a few followers.

The Key Figure will save us all. Hammenn…

That wasn’t all.

The moment it was confirmed that the Key Figure had climbed “two floors” simultaneously in South Korea, 

The South Korean government went on high alert.

On North Korean news, an anchor clenched their fist in anger, spewing rage.

Our great leader, Comrade Kim Jongun, has declared that the anti-unification traitors and puppet remnants are selling out our national sovereignty, and he will resolutely retaliate and punish the servile puppets of foreign powers!

It meant they realized the Key Figure, whom they thought was theirs, was actually tied to South Korea or the U.S. behind the scenes.

Their anger wasn’t just words.

South Korea observed North Korean artillery and military supplies gathering near the Kaesong Magic Tower, close to the DMZ.

The frontline issued a “Jindo Dog Two” alert in response to these movements.

In the player community, “Player Inside” was abuzz with the news of the Key Figure clearing two floors consecutively.

At that moment, both South and North Korean governments were in a state of emergency.

Just before a national security meeting, which doubled as a state conference regarding the Key Figure’s two-floor clears, 

Director Moon Kwonsu and Team Leader Kang Jinsu had an extensive discussion.

It was about sharing updates on the Key Figure situation.

Since the Director didn’t pry into specifics about the Key Figure, he was surprised by much of what he heard.

“You don’t know how the Key Figure is climbing two floors?”

“Yes. This isn’t a one- or two-day issue. Including trips to the Kaesong Magic Tower, he’s spent at least 1 billion won on additional entry tickets alone.”

“1 billion.”

“Yes.”

“A player who hasn’t even reached the 20th floor earning 1 billion in ten days is impossible.”

“Exactly. Unless he stumbled into a magic stone mine in a hidden stage, that kind of profit is impossible.”

Director Moon Kwonsu wet his dry lips.

“Did the Key Figure say anything specific to you? About how he was able to climb two floors?”

“He didn’t say much, but on the day he entered the Kaesong Magic Tower, he mentioned getting an additional entry ticket as a reward, which allowed him to tackle Suseo Magic Tower as well.”

The reason for their concern was singular.

What if the Key Figure was in contact with external forces and receiving support from them?

Kang Jinsu understood what Moon Kwonsu was worried about.

“There’s no clear evidence of external forces contacting Choi Junseok. Here’s a list of people who’ve entered his building recently.”

Moon scanned the player list with Kang Jinsu’s comments.

“Lee Jiyu… and Park Suho, his cousin, an A-rank player. That aside.”

“Yes, regarding that, he was in debt to his cousin. He claimed he awakened as a player after paying off a lump sum. Of course, he hid the fact that he’s the Key Figure and an F-rank.”

Moon Kwonsu nodded as if he understood, but his curiosity lingered.

“Is there any speculation that the Key Figure is receiving additional entry tickets from external forces through ‘physical’ contact?”

“No. His call records are clean.”

That meant one thing.

If Choi Junseok was receiving support from external forces, it was likely through summons or transcendent items.

“According to Song Hana, he’s already evading tracking by summons from other countries, including America’s Oracle.”

“So… he obtained a special item?”

“It’s impossible for two reasons that he received a special item allowing two entries per day.”

“What are they?”

“First, no item of such high value, capable of fundamentally bypassing the tower’s rules, has ever been reported in Korea or abroad. Even if it dropped, it wouldn’t be from the 10th floor.”

“True. It’d have to be at least a Mythic-grade item, and Mythic items don’t drop on the 10th floor. What about the possibility of getting one as a hidden reward on the 1st floor of Kaesong Magic Tower?”

“None. I saw the Mythic item he got there with my own eyes, and it’s not that kind of item.”

Kang Jinsu didn’t specify what the Mythic item was, 

But Moon Kwonsu nodded, assuming there was a reason for the omission.

He knew the best way to keep a secret was to limit the number of people who knew it.

“Yes. The other reason is that Choi Junseok’s climbing records are inconsistent.”

“Inconsistent.”

Moon Kwonsu nodded, as if it made sense. If it were a stable item allowing two floors a day, the pattern wouldn’t add up.

“On the day his cousin visited, the Key Figure likely cleared the 11th floor with Player Park Suho.”

“Correct.”

“But the next day, he cleared the 12th and 13th floors with record times.”

“So, why did he only climb one floor on the day his cousin came?”

“Exactly. If he could climb twice a day, there’d be no need to take a break. Knowing the Key Figure’s personality, especially.”

Director Moon Kwonsu pursed his lips, nodding as if nothing sat right with him.

“Just ask the Key Figure directly why he’s climbing two floors. So, what’s your take on his personality?”

“From what I’ve seen, the Key Figure hates the tower more than anyone. At the same time, he’s a pragmatic citizen driven by a desire to squeeze everything out of it.”

“His family was destroyed by the tower, so that makes sense.”

“He’s climbing with a kind of vengeance. His dreams and ambitions are big. He aims to be recognized as a force equivalent to the top five guilds on his own.”

“With two S-rank subordinates, that’s reasonable. With two S-ranks, he’s already surpassing the power of mid-tier guilds, isn’t he?”

Moon Kwonsu, while talking about S-ranks, added as if it just came to mind.

“And another thing I’m curious about is Lee Jiyu. She visited Choi Junseok’s house? You knew and didn’t report it to me?”

“I thought it was better to first understand her intentions. My apologies.”

“…No, it’s fine. I left the scope of reporting to your discretion. So, what did you find?”

“It seems Lee Jiyu wants to use the Key Figure’s summons as models for her brand.”

“She’s not normal either. No S-rank player is, though.”

It was an unexpected reaction.

Knowing she was furious enough to kill the Key Figure for taking her summon rights, 

This was an unthinkable development.

“An unexpected turn. Given his personality, he probably refused, right?”

“I heard he agreed.”

“Neither of them is normal.”

“Alright, I understand.”

At the state conference and national security meeting that followed, 

The government wasn’t particularly concerned about whether the Key Figure cleared two floors or whether the Player Management Office provided additional entry tickets.

How much could it reduce the economic value of the Kaesong Magic Tower?

The main focus was on how to address North Korea’s openly hostile stance toward the Kaesong Magic Tower.

“These are the protective facilities around the Kaesong Magic Tower. Moats, trenches, and concrete walls are already being constructed…”

Satellite images taken hours apart showed significant progress in the protective facilities over a few days.

“Before those facilities are completed, can’t we send covert operatives to blow up the pillars?!”

“If it were that easy to destroy a Magic Tower, would the world be struggling to climb them?”

“Next, intelligence on the underground tunnels and internal facilities of the Magic Tower. First, North Korean players store their bound items in a central storage floor, surrounded by…”

As the security meeting continued without a clear resolution, 

Choi Junseok was praying with a glass of water.

In his view was:

[Would you like to use the ‘Special Reward Random Draw Box’? (Y/N)]

“Hana-ssi!”

“Please, please, let something good come out! Yap! Done!”

“Is it done?”

“Of course! It’ll give us the item we need most right now!”

Song Hana put her hands on her hips, proudly puffing air through her nose and nodding.

“Come on… a skill breakthrough ticket! Something to retrieve the holy sword!”

As he pressed the button on the notification, a small box was summoned into Choi Junseok’s hand.

The box shook wildly, and with a POP, the lid flew off.

[You have acquired a ‘Rank Upgrade Ticket (Legendary)’!]

An unbound item, with no binding notification.

The box’s walls folded open, revealing a small ticket on top.

“R-R-Rank Upgrade Ticket?!”

“Ehet! Looks like my blessing didn’t work!”

Unlike Song Hana and Lee Nayeon, who showed little reaction, 

Choi Junseok’s eyes widened and trembled.

“A Rank Upgrade Ticket dropped…?”

Item Name: Rank Upgrade Ticket (Legendary)

Category: Consumable

Description: Upgrades the target’s rank by one level.

A straightforward description.

But Choi Junseok knew its value well.

It was an item that could upgrade an A-rank to S-rank or an S-rank to SS-rank.

He immediately searched for the Rank Upgrade Ticket on Player Inside’s auction window.

As expected, not a single one was listed.

There were no recent transaction records either.

Of course.

This wasn’t the kind of item that would show up in an online auction.

If it were sold at auction, wouldn’t it easily fetch hundreds of billions?

Stunned, Choi Junseok quickly moved the ticket to his inventory and plopped onto the floor.

It felt like holding a winning U.S. Powerball ticket.