Everyone's introductions blended with the soft clinking of ice swirling in their coffee.
MrBaldHuman's real name was Lee Taemin.
A mechanical engineering student at Korea University.
'Wait. Hold up.How did he get into a top university after playing games like a maniac in high school?'
A place where even people who studied ten hours a day struggled to enter.
Amazing.
In more ways than one.
'Now then, let's check his abilities.'
Jin-hyuk clicked his tongue and activated Eye of Truth.
[Player Information: Lee Taemin]
Name: Lee TaeminGender: MaleAge: 23Level: 11
Strength: 12Agility: 15Stamina: 16Magic: 21
Stat Points: 0Coins Held: 2,500
Occupation: NoneUnique Ability:Machine KingSkills: Lv2 Sandbox Mode, Lv2 Command, Lv2 Hacking
'As expected. He has it.'
Jin-hyuk narrowed his eyes.
Machine King.
A unique ability specialized for controlling large machinery.
In the past, Taemin used it to wipe out mobs over a wide area.Balanced, practical—but extremely mana-hungry.
Next…
He turned toward the woman.
Her name was Yoo Yeon-hwa.
A name he didn't recognize at first—but familiar somehow.
Which family?
Her introduction solved it immediately.
Yoo Cheon-young.
A living legend in the world of martial arts.A taekwondo master famous worldwide.
And Yoo Yeon-hwa was his granddaughter.
'Ah. The granddaughter who supposedly doesn't hurt people.'
Though in the Tower of Trials, she punched seven-meter giants with her bare hands.
Seeing her now… it made sense.It was in the blood.
He activated Eye of Truth again.
[Player Information: Yoo Yeon-hwa]
Name: Yoo Yeon-hwaGender: FemaleAge: 25Level: 12
Strength: 25Agility: 22Stamina: 17Magic: 5
Stat Points: 0Coins Held: 4,775
Occupation: NoneUnique Ability:Supreme Shock TaekwondoSkills: Lv3 Heavenly Flower Cultivation, Lv2 Never Back Down, Lv2 Magic Enhancement
A monstrous build.
A hybrid between a close-range nuker and a semi-tanker.
Their levels were similar—they must have been hunting together.
Just like old times.
A new notification appeared.
[Copy Condition]
Both players are long-time companions.When all three players reach the 20th floor, you may copy Lee Taemin and Yoo Yeon-hwa's unique abilities.
Jin-hyuk nodded quietly.
Of course abilities belonging to veterans wouldn't be easy to copy.
'It'll take effort.'
But he wasn't worried.
He'd get them later.
"Hyung, what are you doing? Isn't it your turn?"
Taemin tilted his head.
To everyone else, Jin-hyuk must have looked like he was staring blankly into space—the Eye of Truth was invisible.
"I'm Kang Jin-hyuk. Twenty-seven years old. Used to be a BJ on Paprika TV."
"Oh! You were a BJ? I watch Paprika TV sometimes! Did you do games? Mukbang? Hyung looks handsome—your viewers must have been decent."
Taemin beamed.
Despite playing together for years in-game, this was their first real-life meeting.
Yet Taemin treated him comfortably, without hesitation.
"Yes. But I quit."
"Ehh, hyung, relax. It's not like we only played together twice. Be comfortable."
"Right. You don't have to be stiff."
Jin-hyuk felt something loosen inside.
These two were good people.
'I thought being a BJ would damage the relationship…'
He'd been around too many snakes.Always calculating.Always betraying.
A month living with a knife at his throat…kindness felt unfamiliar.
'Companions… it's been a long time since I thought of that.'
He smiled.
"Yes."
The awkwardness slowly faded as the three talked.
The smell of freshly brewed coffee wasn't bad either…
But the food—
Ah, the food.
Restaurants filled with glistening pork belly, golden stew, thick cuts of tofu—he nearly cried tasting it again.
'Moss and mushrooms are NOTHING like this.'
Those webnovel scenes where protagonists cry upon eating Korean food after years away?
Not exaggerated.
Humans would sell their souls for a single Choco Pie after living on grass for a month.
His military memories surfaced.The church snacks on Sundays.
Then—
Ice cream.
"There's a convenience store downstairs. Want ice cream for dessert?"
"Ice cream!"
"Since hyung and noona paid for dinner, I'll buy. What flavor?"
Taemin stood up.
"Mint chocolate."
Jin-hyuk answered instantly.
Both frowned.
"Eugh, the toothpaste flavor?"
"Hyung… do you brush your teeth after meals with ice cream?"
These kids…
Mint chocolate was sacred.
"Don't insult mint chocolate again."
Its foundation was stainless steel and concrete compared to other flavors!
They ate, and the conversation drifted to the events of the past month.
Guild births.Resource monopolies.National policies.Coin valuations.
Not a single piece of important information was missed.
"As expected, most of the guilds from the game regrouped."
Taemin waved a finger.
Woong—
[Lv2 Sandbox Mode activated]
Seven holographic icons appeared:
America – TitanEurope – OlympusChina – People's RepublicJapan – SamuraiIndia – GandaraKorea – Dangun and Father of Fighting
Yoo Yeon-hwa nodded.
"Everyone knows. It's advantageous to keep information within the guild."
Of course.
No guild would give up their secrets.
"How about the BJs? Anyone earning big through broadcasts?"
Taemin's expression darkened.
"Yes. Former celebrities are trying to hoard viewers. And… there's a rumor a group called Demon is running Coin Factories like before. It's all over the news."
"…They're insane."
"Right. If caught, life imprisonment would be mercy."
Coin Factory.
Kidnapping people and forcing them to watch streams to farm coins.
In the game it didn't matter—NPCs did that job.
But in reality?
People did it.
A monstrous crime the government wouldn't ignore.
But Jin-hyuk was sure:Taemin wasn't exaggerating.
The world had changed.
Common sense meant nothing now.
Another warning flashed in his mind.
"If you two stick together you'll be fine, but listen anyway."
Jin-hyuk lowered his voice.
"A month ago, I met Knife-Man."
"…What!?"
"That parasite?!"
Both of them exploded loudly enough for the café to turn and stare.
Questions rained down mercilessly.
"W-where?"
"Oppa! Does he pull out a knife in real life too!?"
Completed Sword.
A ranker who fused swordsmanship with barriers.They clashed dozens of times in the game.
And Jin-hyuk beat him.Every. Single. Time.
Killed him over a hundred times.
Anyone else would've quit.
But not that lunatic.
He had a rivalry in his head—and stalked Jin-hyuk everywhere.
Sleeping.Eating.Bathroom.
'Right behind me. Always.'
A total menace.
"Not face-to-face. When I arrived, he had already stolen the Iron Sword of Qianlong."
"So he went for the replica too… but oppa, didn't they say it was hell? How did you go there?"
"You're insane, oppa. Why did you even think of going?"
"I had something to collect. But be careful. We can't recognize him by appearance, but we'll know when we see his skills."
Bringing game abilities into reality was a double-edged sword.
Useful—but revealing.
"Yes. Thanks for the warning."
"Ugh… seriously scary."
With that, the information sharing wrapped up.
"Should we call it a day?"
Jin-hyuk leaned back.
He had eaten, drunk, and learned plenty.
"Already?"
"It's 9."
He needed to climb the Tower tomorrow.And after a month of torture, he wanted a hot bath and a real bed.
The two reluctantly stood.
"But hyung. You said you were away for a month, right?"
"I was."
"Then you didn't take the test?"
"Test?"
He blinked.
Their expressions became identical: Ah, figures.
"As deaths increased from the 2nd floor onward, only those who passed the Awakened Association's test could enter."
"A sort of verification…"
Yoo Yeon-hwa pulled up her sleeve.
A barcode bracelet.
Ah…
So the Association wanted to keep idiots from dying.
Or—
Gather talented people efficiently.
'Han Sang-jin… the Association President, right?'
He remembered the fake sincerity in that broadcast.
"The testing place—where is it?"
It was the perfect chance to check his current power.
No.
'The ocean I've been craving.'
Ba-dump.
His heart thumped.
The system was built by the Awakened Association.
Which meant…
He could use it.
'To my advantage.'