Chapter 5 - Yuuki

"I am Namgoong Yun, by the way. So, what are your thoughts? Would you like to accompany me on the ascent of the tower?"

"Samurai_HeroHero, I would be honored to join you," Yuuki replied, extending his hand for a shake, which Namgoong promptly and eagerly reciprocated.

"Wierd name, but why not? From this moment forward, let's establish ourselves as Sol Levante."

"Sure!"

[Main Plotline Quest Activated!

Quest Name: Sol Levante

Difficulty: Legendary

Description: Alongside with Namgoong Yun, Establish the Sol Levante party.

Current Objectives:

Find and recruit as many protagonist-class NPCs as possible and climb the tower. Current Numbers of Floors Climbed: 0/200

Time Limit: None

Failure Condition: Death of all Party Members

Rewards: ???

Accept/Decline?]

Wow, he's a protagonist NPC ? This is goddamn lucky! Accept! Yuuki thought to himself.

The hooded man bid farewell and vanished into thin air, saying, "Master Yun, I shall go and process your order. Please excuse me."

"By the way, who was that guy?" Yuuki inquired.

"He is affiliated with an organization called Dealers. It's not necessary for you to know about them, but I can tell you they are secretive merchants," Yun responded, turning around and resuming his walk. "Let's go. I heard some commotion in town, and I'm curious to find out what's happening."

"Samurai, what do you know about the tower?" Yun asked, filled with curiosity.

"To be honest, I know nothing about this tower yet. Like many others in that town, we are completely unaware of this world."

"So, you guys are outsiders?"

"Yes, you could say that."

"I see... Well, I should inform you that today is a special day, as we are about to begin the climbers' ascent of the tower."

"Climbers?"

"Yes, climbers like me, who will become one shortly. They are individuals who ascend this tower for various reasons, such as wealth, power, or fame. There are countless motivations for people to climb."

"How does one become a climber then? What is your goal?"

"As for my goal... hmm, I must admit it's not yet clear. But to become a climber, you simply wait here on Floor 1. The administrators will arrive at different locations, and anyone who wishes to become a climber will be granted the opportunity to ascend the tower, starting from the bottom, which is right here on Floor 1."

"So... where are these administrators?"

"One of them will arrive here later."

"Isn't it unusual for someone who's just starting out to possess this knowledge? How did you come by all this information?" Yuuki asked, perplexed. However, the man simply shrugged in response.

As they continued walking through the forest, a person with a bloodied shirt and a noticeable limp emerged. The shirt had a large hole in the stomach area.

Without hesitation, Namgoong Yun's hand conjured a double-edged Jian sword from his [Inventory], pointing it at the person without unsheathing it. "Who are you?!"

"I-I mean no harm! I'm just trying to find my brother... Have you seen a gray-haired person around my age?" The blonde young man was visibly exhausted, evident from his heavy breathing.

"No, I haven't seen anyone like that," Yun promptly replied. But Yuuki interjected with valuable information. "I actually saw him."

The limping teenager swiftly shifted his gaze toward Yuuki and asked, "Where?"

"He was in the town. He seemed in a rush, though, so I'm not sure if he's still there."

"Got it. Thank you." Despite his recent injury, the young man hastened his movements towards the nearby small town, his limp barely slowing him down.

"Let's go, Hero. We should follow and see what's happening there," Yun said, and they both immediately rushed toward the town. As they ran, Yuuki spoke up, "Just call me Hero. 'Samurai' feels... a little bit..."

"Wait, what's beyond the Gray Zone, by the way? I was supposed to find what's beyond it."

"It's the Black Zone, a land teeming with beasts and monsters. That's all that lies beyond."

"I see. How dangerous is it out there?"

"This is Floor 1, so the monsters here aren't overly powerful. There's no need to worry."

"I trust your judgment, then."

As they arrived in the town, the young man they encountered earlier, especially the gray-haired individual, was nowhere to be found.

"Damn, he's fast," Yuuki exclaimed.

"Do you need money?" Yun asked abruptly.

"Huh?" Yuuki was taken aback by the sudden question.

"Besides the sword you're holding, you don't seem to have any other gear on you," Yun pointed out. "Would you like me to lend you some?"

"Uh... There's really no need." While it's true that other than the sword, Yuuki have no other equipment besides his clothing that offer no protection nor stats, only comprising of a long black long pants and white neat shirt, just like all male players. For female players though, they also have white shirt but instead of black pants, they have black shorts.

"Very well, let me just purchase a few potions, and then we can set off."

"To where?"

As large pillars of light began appearing all across the sky, pointing towards the earth, Yun gestured towards the nearest one and said, "That's where we're headed."

The sight of these enormous pillars of light evoked awe and amazement from numerous NPCs.

"The Climbers Selection is commencing once again."

After purchasing a few vials of red liquid resembling blood, Yun tossed three of them to Yuuki. "Drink it or apply it as you see fit. Since you seem to know how to utilize your [Inventory], you can keep them there. Watch closely." As Yun stowed away his potions, they appeared to disintegrate into blue pixels.

"Let's go." They embarked toward the nearest pillar of light at a rapid pace. Although Yun was clearly faster, Yuuki exerted his utmost effort to keep up.

"This guy's footwork is incredible. He must be using Qinggong, right? I'll try to match him."

[Tenth Form: Shadow Step]

Suddenly, the sound of Yuuki's footsteps vanished, and his speed surged to match that of Yun's Qinggong.

Filled with intrigue, Yun spoke softly, "Interesting... You possess a skill that rivals the Lightness Technique of my clan."

"I'm just keeping up with your speed," Yuuki replied with a smile.

Upon their arrival at the site of the light pillars, Yuuki noticed that he was the only player present among a crowd of NPCs. This prompted him to open the [Forum], where he found an abundance of threads discussing these pillar lights. One thread with the highest number of upvotes caught his attention:

[Quickly Head to the Light Pillars to Become Climbers!!! Hurry up!]

He briefly skimmed through the contents of the post as he waited.

[Gather near these lights! An Admin will arrive later and grant Climbing Blessings, allowing you to undertake trials and ascend the floors!]

True to the information, one of the admins was now approaching. A colossal, cloud-covered whale descended from the skies, casting its shadow over the surrounding landscape for miles.

The air quivered as it spoke with its deep, majestic voice.

"You are all courageous souls who aspire to climb this tower, and I commend each and every one of you... In order for you to gain the ability to ascend the tower, I, Minarex, shall bestow upon you Climbing Blessings.

This blessing will grant you power as you progress through the floors, and it shall remove your non-climber immunities. Now, venture forth and prove your worth!"