19 Chapter 19 : I Level Up Alone

<Director's Office>

"He did what?!"

To say Yu Hansung was shocked would be an understatement. But no one could blame him for reacting like that. After all, it's not every day one hears the news that a regular on the test floor killed a high ranker.

He almost didn't believe it at first. That's how absurd the news was. But seeing that it was verified by Ha Jinsung himself, he knew it couldn't be a lie.

"I was surprised too, you know." Jinsung remarked, lighting a cigarette. "But then again, he is an irregular. When you take that into consideration, it doesn't sound as impossible as it seemed."

"I know, but still..." He let out a heavy sigh.

"Well, think of it as you like. I am going outside for a bit." Jinsung seemingly vanished from his spot in an instant, leaving Hansung behind to deal with the news.

'Was he hiding his strength this whole time?' Hansung began analysing the information he already had, trying to formulate a new plan to deal with this variable. 'No, that couldn't be it. But then...does that mean he got this strong within this short span of time?'

'Having someone of his caliber on our side...' He could already see it in his mind- The birth of a new Slayer. 'But for that, I will have to play my cards carefully.'

"Looks like you've got a lot on your mind right now, Hansung." He was startled when someone called him out. Turning around, he was surprised to see someone he was not expecting at the moment.

"Headon? What brings you here?"

"There is something important that I have to tell you about." Headon said in a serious tone.

"And its something that could potentially turn the entire tower upside down."

**********

Currently, all of the regulars who had taken the test were making their way towards the net dolphin queen. Their plan to make the striped earth pigs and the barnacle goblins fight each other had succeeded. Now, all that remained was for Bam and Rachel to exit out of the queen's body.

Since they were underground, it took the trio of Jinwoo, Endorsi and Anak a bit longer to reach the position of the queen. By the time they did, everyone else had already gathered at the spot.

"Hey! Looks like you guys made it." Shibisu greeted them upon their arrival. "Those two have been rearing to come and help you underground. I wasn't sure how much longer I could convince them to remain here." He pointed at Rak and Hatz who were resting near a rock.

"Wait. So you didn't tell them about..." Jinwoo trailed off.

"Of course not. It's -" He paused when he realised Anak and Endorsi were still there.

"Don't worry. They already know." Jinwoo realised his concern.

"Okay. As I was saying, it's already a big deal to have one irregular among us, let alone two. Plus, I think it would be better if they were to hear it directly from you."

"That being said..." Shibisu's gaze fell on the two Princesses who were looking rather zoned out. "What happened to those two?"

"Oh, them? They are just a little upset that the Green April and Black March got taken away by their sister."

"You literally gave one of them away." Endorsi deadpanned.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I guess I should have tested my luck by fighting a third ranker on the same day." Jinwoo scoffed.

"But you are an - Ughhh, fine. I guess I'm just being greedy." She loudly sighed. "Was there really no other way?"

"Hey." Jinwoo gave her a light headchop. "You can give it a shot once you've become a ranker. Or are you telling me the great Endorsi Zahard has chickened out already?"

"Who said anything about chickening out?" Endorsi shot back. "Just you wait. After I take back the Black March, I'll be coming for you next."

'Wow. He's leading her around by the nose.' Shibisu was amused seeing the two interact. 'Looks like he's got plenty of experience dealing with girls of her type...'

(A/N: And before you say anything, No. They won't be paired. Sorry about that, Endorsi simp squad)

'Hmm?' Jinwoo was the first to notice that the net dolphin queen had begun moving a little. Some of the other regulars picked up on it as well and moved closer to its body in anticipation.

'Come to think of it, if the queen were to swallow the shinsu bubble then the two of them should be coming out of its...'

And as if answering his question, one of the openings on its body stretched out wide as a large amount of green-slimy fluid gushed out of it.

'... That's what I thought.' Jinwoo pinched his nose in disgust, almost wanting to puke. 'Really wish I could lower my 'sense' stat right now...'

However, it didn't take them long to realise something had gone wrong. Of the two that were sent inside the underground lake, only Rachel had came out. Bam was nowhere to be seen.

"Hey, yellow turtle!" Rak shouted at Rachel who was lying on the ground. "Where's the black turtle?"

"The Bull...attacked us." She muttered weakly.

'No...' Jinwoo had a bad feeling about what she was going to say.

"Bam...he tried to protect me. But he...fell off."

'...'

A heavy silence fell on the entire group, as they tried to mentally process what they had just heard.

The naive, yet untainted young boy...

The one they were trying to help climb the tower...

The one for the sake of whom they took this test...

He was gone.

_________________________________________________

Almost all of the remaining regulars were now gathered inside a large hall - The very same hall where all the previous meetings had taken place. Only this time, the atmosphere was different.

Everyone was quiet. From the usually cheerful and upbeat Shibisu to the calm but confident Jinwoo, not one of them was in a good mood. Save for a few words spoken occasionally here and there by someone at random, no one talked.

After the test was completed earlier, Hansung had asked them to gather in the hall to announce the result. But it has almost been an hour since they've gathered, and so far there were no signs of the director.

Jinwoo and his team were seated in one of the middle rows alongside Khun. Rak didn't take the news of Bam's apparent demise that well and had stormed of elsewhere, leaving Khun as the sole member of his team in attendance.

"Hey, Khun." Ho decided to break the ice between him and the bluenette. "There has been something I've been meaning to ask you."

"...What is it?" Khun answered after a short pause.

"I can understand why you asked the director to give Rachel a second chance in climbing the tower. But why did you give me a chance to do so as well?" Ho asked him.

"I wasn't planning to." Khun replied casually.

"...What?"

"I only planned on asking the director to give Rachel a second chance. But Bam pestered me to find a way for you to pass as well, since you helped her during the position test. That's all there was to it."

"I...see."

Luckily enough, they didn't have to wait any longer as Lero Ro soon entered the room.

"I apologise for the delay, regulars. It took us a lot more time than expected to search the entire lake." He explained.

"Did you find anything?" Khun immediately asked in anticipation.

"...Unfortunately, no. We searched every corner after the wine glass emptied out. But we couldn't find anything. I am sorry to say this, but...he is most probably dead. I already informed Ms Rachel about this news. She...couldn't handle it and fell unconscious. "

Everything fell quiet once more, as the regulars were once again reminded of the grim reality. Some of them held hope. That against all odds, Bam would still survive. But now, that tiny fragment of hope had vanished. Without a trace.

"And that brings us to the next piece of news. You all have passed the test of the floor administrator, and are now eligible to climb further up in the tower."

"What?" Shibisu was the first to react. "But... I thought both Bam and Rachel had to return safely for us to pass the test."

"That was the initial condition." Lero Ro explained. "But Bam had made a deal with the administrator earlier. That if he were to somehow die during the test, he atleast wanted the rest of you to pass and move forward."

"Oh, and I almost forgot. Mr Sung Jinwoo, the Director had earlier asked for you to meet him in his office. I suggest you go there next."

'The coffee addict? What does he want from me?' Jinwoo was intrigued. 'Well, only one way to find out.'

But before he could take a step forward, Khun grabbed his shoulders and stopped him.

"Whatever happens, do not trust that Director." He whispered in Jinwoo's ears. "I know it's a lot coming from me, but that guy is a cunning fox."

After a short pause, Jinwoo simply gave a curt nod as a reply. Satisfied with the response, Khun left him and made his way towards the rest of regulars while Jinwoo went in the direction of the Director's Office.

_________________________________________________

<Director's Office>

Hansung was currently in his office, waiting for a very special guest. While he seemed calm on the outside, it was nothing but a facade masking his excitement and eagerness.

'Everything comes down to this.'

He stared at the cup of coffee that was in his hands, as its content began swirling.

'If he accepts my offer, this war is as good as won.'

'But if he doesn't...'

*KNOCK* *KNOCK*

He was shaken out of his thoughts when he heard someone knocking at the door.

"Did you call for me, Director?" A familiar voice sounded from the other side.

"Indeed I have. Please come in, Mr Sung Jinwoo." Hansung quickly ushered him in and gave him a seat across the table. "Would you like something to drink?"

"...I don't mind." Jinwoo accepted the offer. Hansung nodded and served him a hot cup of coffee he had prepared beforehand.

"So, what was it that you wished to talk about?" He asked him, taking a sip.

"Right to the point, huh?" Hansung mused. "Very well then. For starters, I already know that you are an irregular, Mr Jinwoo."

"Figured as much..." He sighed. "So, are you the one who sent the two rankers against me?"

"Absolutely not." Hansung shook his head. "And that's the main reason I called for you. To tell you about the reason you were hunted."

"As you might have already heard, the tower is ruled by the Zahard Empire lead by King Zahard himself, who also happens to be an irregular like you." He explained. "He was once a heroic figure. A living legend. The tower was once a lawless and chaotic region. It was his presence that bought stability to it. The journey made by him and his companions, who are now known as the ten great family leaders, is something akin to folklore in the tower. "

"Unfortunately, Zahard changed. He went from being a heroic legend to a ruthless tyrant who ruled his empire with an iron fist. The two rankers you faced are part of R.E.D - The enforcers of the empire. They seek to eliminate any and all who may end up being threats to their king. This was the reason they targeted you and The Twenty-fifth Bam."

"Since we were both irregulars." Jinwoo realised.

"Precisely." Hansung confirmed. "And now that they have set their eyes on you, you are in grave danger Mr Jinwoo."

"Do you mean to say they will send more rankers after me?" He asked him.

"There are other ways as well. For instance, they could ask the rulers of the other floors to purposefully alter the test against your favour. They could hire other regulars to act as your teammates only to stab you in the back later on. The possibilities are endless. "

"And this why I wanted to meet with you. I personally know of an organisation - One that can support you from the shadows in your journey up the tower, if you are to join them of course. It's made up of a group of people who have set themselves against the Zahard Empire."

"So, what will your answer be?" Hansung offered him a choice. "I know it's a difficult decision to make. So you can give me the answer later on if you wish to."

Jinwoo pondered for a few minutes on what he should do. On one hand, there was the warning from Khun on the Director being untrustworthy. He himself could tell that Hansung had omitted many details during his short speech about the Zahard Empire. But at the same time Jinwoo could also tell that the details which were revealed to him were true, in the very least.

'Everything he said lines up perfectly with what I already know. Right now, I'm nowhere near strong enough to fight against an empire all alone.' Jinwoo noted. 'But there is no guarantee the organisation he mentioned is better off, either. Khun was right...this guy is a fox.'

"There won't be a need to wait, Director. I already have my answer." Jinwoo finally told him.

"I've decided to..."

_________________________________________________

It was almost midnight. Jinwoo had gathered most of the regulars who had taken the test with him, or at least the ones he was confident enough to have his back. And the reason?

It was time to reveal the truth.

"Jinwoo, you were an irregular?!" Ho was quite shocked on hearing the news. "So... What you told me regarding your past that day..."

"Yes. That's something that happened to me outside the tower." He confirmed.

"Well, thinking back on how you could easily handle the tests... I suppose it's not that much of a stretch." Hatz nodded.

"But then, why did you decide to reveal it now?" Lauroe asked him.

"Tomorrow, I will be leaving the group to climb the tower separately."

"WHAT?!" Nearly everyone shouted at the same time.

"The two rankers that attacked us during the test - They both knew that I was an irregular. So it's more than likely that the information was passed on to the higher-ups that a new irregular is in the tower. If I stay along with you guys, it will only bring us trouble." Jinwoo explained.

"Since we already have Anak and Endorsi both travelling in our group, that alone would attract trouble. So imagine if they get wind of the news that there is also an irregular in the same group. What do you think they will try and do?"

Only then did the regulars realise the gravity of the situation. While travelling with Anak, who was an official thorn in the side for the Zahard's family, would be difficult, it would still be manageable.

But if the higher-ups were to realise an irregular was also within the same group?

That would be a recipe for disaster.

'So this is also why he didn't call the gator.' Khun calmly noted. 'He would throw a tantrum if he learned of this.'

"But just because you climb alone doesn't mean they won't target you. So what good will that do for you?" Shibisu asked him.

"I've...got some plans on my mind. If everything goes well, I should be able to avoid them long enough." Jinwoo explained. "I can't spare you any more details regarding the plan, though. It has a higher chance of success the lesser number of people know about it."

"... Are you absolutely sure about this?" Khun was still not entirely convinced. "We could try and find a different way too, you know? I could use some of my connections to do something about this."

"It's too risky, Khun." He shook his head. "It hasn't even been that long since we've met each other, but you guys are already a lot better than most people I've known in my life. If you were to lose your lives simply because I did something risky... I'm not sure what I will end up doing."

"Besides..." He continued. "Who said anything about this being goodbye forever?"

"Wait. Do you mean... " Endorsi trailed off.

"Yes. It's exactly as it sounds." Jinwoo revealed. "If my plan works, that should allow us to meet each other in the future, on a higher floor. It might...no, it WILL take some time. But it's better to be late than be never."

This bought a sense of relief across the entire group. Like Jinwoo said, it has only been a little while since they've known each other. But due to a serious of events, they had come closely knitted together as a group. Losing one of them was already a painful ordeal. None of them wished to lose another one.

"Well, if you are that determined in your decision, who are we to stop you?" Ho chuckled. "Just... Don't go dying out there, man."

"I won't." Jinwoo smiled, giving him a fist-bump. "And neither should you."

After exchanging a few more words with each of them, Jinwoo eventually retired to his room to turn in for the night. He did feel a pang of sadness in leaving the group, but it was for the better.

'Looks like that's one thing that holds true both here and back on earth.' He thought to himself as he laid sprawled on the bed.

'Strength...defines everything.'

_________________________________________________

It was almost noon. All the regulars that had passed the test, minus Jinwoo, were now gathered in a group, preparing to leave for the next floor. The Director was giving them a few words of advice, as this would probably be the last time he would be seeing some of them.

'I guess he already left.' Khun deduced on noticing the absence of Jinwoo. 'But I doubt there would be a need to worry about him.'

'And that brings me to...this b**ch.' His eyes fell on the blonde female who was right infront of him, seated on a wheel chair.

The previous night, Lero Ro had contacted Khun to give him some valuable information. This happened after the meeting with Jinwoo.

Lero Ro had contacted a highly skilled doctor to try and fix Rachel's injured leg. Only then did they find out that her injury was nothing serious. It was something that didn't need any treatment and would fix by itself given a few days.

Upon learning this, it didn't take Khun long to put two and two together. He had an idea of what actually transpired inside the wine glass.

The implications this had were too severe. If this news were to be revealed, it could potentially lead to the collapse of the entire team. And that was something Khun didn't wish for.

'I will make sure of it, Rachel.' He cursed her in his mind. 'I will make sure that you pay for what you did. Just wait.'

"Well then regulars, I believe this is it. Goodbye, and let's hopefully meet at a higher floor." Hansung bid them farewell.

Soon enough, a blue light slowly enveloped the group and they got teleported to the next floor. Hansung merely looked on at the sky, as a gentle breeze blew past him.

**********

At the same time, a figure stood in the distance atop a cliff, overlooking the Director's building. The person was observing the group of regulars that had just been teleported away from the test floor.

'Looks like they've left. Now then...'

A familiar screen appeared infront of him, showing him a message he hadn't opened yet.

[You have cleared the Main Quest : 'The Submerged Fish Hunt']

[Rewards: 1 x C-rank Equipment Box, 1 x Nightshroud robe]

"Accept Rewards" He spoke.

*DING*

[Obtained Item: Nightshroud Robe]

[Nightshroud Robe

Type: Cloak

Rarity: C

A special type of robe used by famed assassins. Blends well with the darkness of the night.

-Effect: Agility +10]

[Obtained Item: C-rank Equipment Box]

[Open the box to obtain a random C-rank Equipment? (Yes/No) ]

"Yes."

[Obtained Item: Phantom Bow]

[Phantom Bow

Type: Bow

Rarity: C

Attack Power: +30

A longbow carved from black wood. One of the most difficult bows to master.]

'A bow, huh?' Jinwoo was a bit surprised by the reward. 'It's been a while since I've worked with one.' He fondly remembered his time in the archery club while he was in highschool.

'Now, for the final piece of the puzzle.'

He opened the inbuilt shop of the system and began browsing the wares for an item. A particular item he had set his eyes on for a while.

**********

"This is rather unlike you." Jinsung remarked as he slowly made way towards his associate.

"What do you mean?" Yu Hansung asked him.

"You are someone who follows the philosophy 'If I can't have it, then no one else will'. Kinda surprising you didn't try to kill off the kid even after he rejected your offer to join FUG. Is there a reason?"

"... There is." Hansung said in a serious tone.

"And what might that be?" Jinsung pressed the matter.

"... Yesterday after you had left my office, I was visited by Headon. And he had some information for me. Apparently, when Sung Jinwoo entered the tower, he did not take the test on the first floor."

"What? But isn't that breaking the rules of the tower? Even for an irregular, shouldn't that be impossible?" Jinsung was baffled.

"Let me finish. Later on, Headon personally visited him in his room to enquire about how he managed to do that. But Mr Jinwoo himself had no idea how that happened. Headon used one of his abilities to find out exactly what had happened... And the outcome was something he never would have expected. "

Taking a deep breath, he continued.

"The irregular Sung Jinwoo was brought into the tower by none other than Phantaminum - The irregular ranked #1 in the entire tower."

**********

'And there it is...' Jinwoo finally found the item he was looking for.

[Item bought : Darkwood Mask]

[Darkwood Mask

Type: Mask

A featureless mask that was carved from the wood of the Darkwood ebony tree. It is enchanted to alter the voice of the user.]

'With this, my preparations are complete.'

**********

"I might have been unable to recruit him. But in the very least, I managed to implant in him a favourable impression of us." Hansung clarified.

"It's not the best outcome. But it's not the worst outcome either."

"...Just make sure none of the elders or slayers catch wind of him." Jinsung told him. "You know how greedy some of them can be."

"Dont worry. I can handle that much." Hansung assured him. "We've already got one irregular in our hands. Let's worry about him first."

**********

After having worn his new equipment, Jinwoo stood still as a blue light gradually enveloped him, signalling that he was about to be teleported into the next floor.

The previous day, he had already made for such an arrangement with the help of the Test Director. While the other regulars were teleported to a predetermined spot on the third floor, Jinwoo on the other hand was to be teleported to a separate location.

'Climbing the tower alongside them... It's not such a bad idea. But let's save that for a time in the future.' He thought to himself, as he was starting to get teleported away. 'Until that time comes...'

"I'll Level Up Alone."

_________________________________________________

Annnd that's a wrap.

This brings us to the conclusion of the events of season one. Speaking of which...

I won't be posting the chapters for a while now. The reason being, I want to stock up enough chapters to guarantee a stable update schedule. Till now, I've been posting each chapter as soon as I finish it, and I start working on the next chap only afterwards. It worked when the word count was less than 2k. But its a huge pain when the count crosses 3k (This chap was only a few words short of 4k).

Also, I don't want to burn myself out by only working on this fic (Already starting to see some of the effects, so there's that too) . So I'm going to start working on a new fic (Pure Solo Leveling, if you were wondering) Like I mentioned earlier, chapters will be stockpiled and released later on.

If you have any questions regarding the fic, you can post them here. I'll post a separate Q&A chapter in one or two weeks, depending on the amount of questions.

That will be all. See you next time.

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