Chapter 332 - 330

[Live TV Broadcast - "Tower of Trials: What is the Truth?"]

"Viewers! Today, we have a very special guest. He is none other than Director Lim Dogyoon of Ajin Soft, and Vice President of the Woojin Guild!"

The camera focused on Lim Dogyoon, dressed in a suit. He still looked a little awkward, but he sat with confidence.

"Director Lim! Can you tell us more about the 'Solo Leveling: Ragnarok,' which the entire world is curious about? In particular, many people are curious about the 'Tower of Trials' that has appeared all over the globe."

Lim Dogyoon cleared his throat.

"Ahem. Yes, 'Tutorial: Tower of Trials' is, simply put, a training ground where all of humanity can develop their potential. By combining Ajin Soft's developed virtual reality technology and a special avatar system, it's a hyperreal space where even non-Awakened individuals can grow through virtual combat."

Lim Dogyoon's explanation continued, and the numerous reporters watching it felt a chill down their spines as they scrambled to write their articles.

"The abilities the avatar gains in the Tower of Trials... can they really be used by the real... physical body?"

"Hm... Not perfectly. The physical abilities gained through the avatar are irrelevant to the actual body. However, 'skills' and 'mana' are carried over to the real body intact."

"That's... truly amazing. I understand that runes to learn skills are extremely expensive, but you're saying that such skills can be obtained just by playing the game?"

"Yes. But one shouldn't focus solely on acquiring skills. Even real Hunters with similar mana levels and skills show significant differences in proficiency, depending on how well they handle them. Ultimately, even after acquiring skills, constant training is required to use them freely."

"That's very interesting... I suppose it will give a remarkable opportunity to the numerous unawakened people who are dreaming of becoming hunters. Furthermore, if one can both increase mana capacity and obtain skills, I have a feeling those already Awakened will become obsessed with the Tower of Trials as well." It was exactly as she said. Mana was a fixed value that never changed after a Hunter's initial awakening. The fact that the amount of mana could be increased was nothing short of an earth-shattering revelation that would shake the entire Hunter industry.

"On that note, I have one more question. There are many ways to train physical abilities in reality, but how can mana be increased?"

"You've asked a good question. And in fact, that's the very reason I'm here today."

"Really!? I believe that's what people watching today's broadcast are most curious about. What is the principle and method by which mana can be increased?" As the conversation continued, the announcer's reactions became increasingly impatient. The announcer herself had dreamed of becoming an Awakened individual. But the expression on Lim Dogyoon's face as he answered was a little strange.

"Umm."

As if he were dredging up a very painful trauma, he murmured, staring into the void with a hollow look.

"You have to... suffer to the point of death."

"...Excuse me?"

"No, actually past that... suffer through deaths. The avatar can revive any number of times..."

"...Pardon? What exactly do you mean by that?" The announcer still couldn't understand. She hurriedly searched and read the materials that the broadcast writer had prepared in advance.

"Looking at cases of re-Awakened individuals, many have experienced a phenomenon similar to death, called the Eternal Slumber. And before they woke up, all of them were using life support devices inside the game capsules developed by Ajin Soft. Could... this be related?"

"I don't know about the complicated operating principles or systems. But I can say one thing for sure." Lim Dogyoon looked directly at the camera and said.

"Being close to death. That's the key."

"...Pardon?"

"In my experience... when humans cross the boundary between life and death, an opportunity to increase mana arises."

"...?"

Lim Dogyoon's expression after delivering that statement was utterly resolute. But at the same time, his eyes looked infinitely weary. Like a survivor who had endured countless near-death experiences and barely managed to return... The announcer, watching that expression blankly from the side, suddenly came to her senses and read the prepared questionnaire.

"Ahem. It seems we'll only truly understand by experiencing the Tower of Trials first hand. So, what do people need to do to enter the Tower of Trials?"

"Starting today, we are accepting pre-registrations on the official Ajin Soft website. Currently, several S-rank Hunters, including staff members of Hunter Associations from various countries, are conducting a trial beta test. While we have completed various verifications, once they confirm its safety, we plan to gradually increase the number of users."

"Thank you, Director Lim. We ask for the viewers' great interest."

As soon as the broadcast ended, Ajin Soft's server went down due to an overload of users.

The internet was also on fire.

– This is crazy. It's truly insane!

– So, he's saying they made a game that mass-produces re-Awakened individuals?!

– Wait, for real? You can become Awakened just by playing a game?

– That's possible now??

– That's it. I'm quitting my job as soon as the server opens and I will just play this game.

Considering the vast amounts of money Hunters earned, this was no longer just a game. It was a far more direct and realistic opportunity for a life turnaround than any lottery. Especially Lim Dogyoon's last statement began to circulate in countless screenshots.

– But what does that even mean? To always be close to death?

– Mana increases the more you die?

– Then can't you just keep committing suicide as soon as you connect to the game?

– No, you can't. The terms and conditions say that such inhumane actions are systematically blocked.

– Yeah, I saw that too. So how exactly are you supposed to die?

– Isn't he just saying to play the game diligently, even if it means dying?

– Hey, don't overthink it. It's possible to die a few times while playing a game.

– True.

Indeed, dying in games was a common occurrence. Back when virtual reality games first came out, it could even traumatize some users. But nowadays, there were hardly any people who claimed to have developed actual trauma from their avatars dying in virtual reality. The current consensus was that such a person simply had no mental strength to begin with. In fact, Ajin Soft had also developed various safety measures for just this, and many related papers had been published in academic journals. Therefore, everyone was thinking lightly of it.

Even while looking at Lim Dogyoon's weary eyes.

Even while looking at the screenshot of him mentioning 'death'.

No one took the meaning of those words seriously.

Not even the top-tier S-rank Hunters from various countries who had actually entered the Tower of Trials as beta testers.

* * *

Of course... Thomas Andre was no exception.

[Tutorial: Tower of Trials]

"...Time flies."

Thomas Andre let out a low sigh.

"It's already been four years..."

Surprisingly, he had been living in the Tower of Trials for over four years. As a result, his avatar's face in the mirror was still featureless, but it looked a little older. Still, thanks to consistent weight training, he had gained a little muscle compared to before. But it was still unsatisfactory. From the start, this body wasn't built for gaining muscle. He realized anew how blessed he, strong from birth, had been. No matter how experienced he was in physical training, there were clear limits to such a pathetic body.

...But a game was a game. It felt like four years had passed in his mind. But that didn't mean Thomas Andre had actually experienced all that time. As if the game's story was being delivered directly through brainwaves, trivial things passed by as mere fragments of memory, and only major events were actually 'played.'

So, it had already been 'four years'. But he was still here... As Sung Jinah's one and only older brother. Of course, Thomas Andre knew it in his head.

This was a game.

He could log out whenever he wanted.

But...

He couldn't bring himself to leave, because doing so would leave his 'sister' truly alone, their father missing in a dungeon and their mother collapsed from the Eternal Slumber.

'If I disappear from here too, that kid will be truly alone. Then she'll cry again.' Thomas Andre's mouth felt bitter as he thought of his younger sister. Still, there was one silver lining.

'At least she's good at studying.' Thinking of the report card he had just received, Thomas Andre felt a surge of pride. Unlike himself, lacking higher education, Sung Jinah was a good student. She boasted that she was smart, but he already knew what kind of person his sister was.

'...It's effort.' She was a terribly hard worker... And as a result of that effort, Sung Jinah's grades had been steadily rising over the past four years. To the point where she could even aim for medical school.

'...Studying also requires some talent, but if you work that hard, your grades are bound to go up.' Therefore, Thomas Andre gave up on attending university and entered the workforce.

To earn money for his mother's enormous hospital bills and living expenses...

To make his sister's dream of becoming a doctor come true...

Sung Jinah was acutely aware of the sacrifices her brother was making, his own life dedicated to supporting her. This understanding fueled her decision to dedicate herself to studying, as, in Sung Jinah's mind, studying was the only contribution she could currently make.

"Honestly, a foolish kid... growing up too fast."

Thomas Andre smiled bitterly, thinking of Sung Jinah. He suddenly remembered the image of his younger sister collapsing in tears before him four years ago, her small, fragile form heaving as if she would disappear if he let go. Even now, she still locked herself in her room every night, stifling sobs under a blanket to prevent the sound from escaping, but Thomas Andre's enhanced hearing could not miss the faint, heartbreaking sound.

'You idiot. Even if I'm an 'E-rank Hunter'... I can still hear that much.'

Yes.

𝒻𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝘯𝘰𝑣ℯ𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝘮

Thomas Andre, or rather, Thomas Andre's avatar, had awakened as an E-rank Hunter. An E-rank Awakened's abilities were not much different from those of an ordinary person. Their physique and senses were only slightly more developed than others. Hunters were said to earn a lot of money, but that didn't apply to E-ranks. In fact, reckless actions could lead to very high medical expenses. But even that level of ability was enough to pick up the sound of his sister crying every night. Therefore...

"Yes, Jinah. If you've dedicated your life to studying, I'll gladly do the same. What's a life worth, anyway."

Therefore, today too, Thomas Andre... No, Sung Jinah's older brother went out to earn money.

For his younger sister.

For his mother.

To earn money the E-rank Hunter decided to enter a dungeon, again, today. And inside, he experienced death, time and time again.

Dying over and over...

Even a goblin, which the usual Thomas Andre could kill with a flick of his finger, could take his life. Even in a low-level dungeon, every moment was a life-or-death situation for an E-rank Hunter's physical abilities and mana. But the good thing was, his avatar revived when he died in the dungeon. Dying was painful and agonizing. No matter how many times he experienced it, he hated dying. But despite that, he rose again and again, fighting against the magical beasts.

The strange thing was that even though he was struggling so hard, risking his life, no one in this world knew Thomas Andre's name. This was, after all, a tutorial. He hadn't even actually named his avatar yet, so it was natural, in a way. Besides, who would care about the name of a mere E-rank Hunter? But even though the entire world didn't remember his name... He was famous in another sense, he had become quite well-known among Hunters.

'The weakest hunter of all mankind.'

This was the nickname that Hunters had given Thomas Andre these days.

It was... utterly humiliating.