Translation:
The reticent young man, Kangchan, came to his senses in an unfamiliar open space.
"Wh-where is this?"
"Is this some kind of hidden camera prank?"
Strangers everywhere. An unfamiliar place. It's a situation where anyone would be on edge, and Kangchan was no exception.
"... Why does that guy look so fierce?"
However, as Kangchan's face tended to harden when he was nervous, those around him simply misinterpreted it. Of course, his naturally stern appearance also played a part.
"Mom..."
"Shit, shit..."
As time passed, feelings of anxiety, unease, and fear gradually subsided.
"...So where is this?"
"The weather's quite warm..."
Around the time people began to wonder about their location, a man softly muttered,
"... Status window."
Many seemed to have missed the man's mumbled words amidst the murmurings, but Kangchan, who was sitting right next to him, heard it clearly.
"Wh-what?"
He then reacted with widened eyes and surprise.
"... Status window."
It was natural for Kangchan to mutter 'status window' in response.
It was mere curiosity. He had no intention of actively doing anything in this situation. Kangchan, with his intimidating looks, was often misunderstood by others, which made him believe in the saying, "doing nothing is doing half the work."
However, even Kangchan couldn't remain calm after seeing his own status window.
- Intimidation [S+]
- The weak should naturally look up to you. You emit an aura that instills fear in nearby entities.
Shocked, Kangchan jumped up from his seat. The letter 'S+' caught his eye, and he was so flustered that he didn't notice everyone's attention turning to him.
"... Intimidation?"
The moment he murmured that,
Roooaar!
It was like the gaze of a predator, the aura of murderers for whom killing had become second nature.
Anyone, any living being, would be terrified of such an aura, and as a result, every human in the vicinity instinctively looked down in fear.
After surveying the people around him, Kangchan finally realized what he had done. In a strange place, among strangers, he had attracted undue attention.
The best course of action would be to turn off his ability and sit down, pretending nothing happened, but...
The problem was, Kangchan, being unfamiliar with his ability, wasn't adept at using it. It felt as awkward as writing with his left hand, the control seemed possible but it was uncomfortably elusive.
Yet one thing was clear: he had to turn off his ability. The aura was so oppressive that someone was even wetting themselves in fear. Kangchan focused all his energy on trying to turn off 'Intimidation'.
Perhaps he was too focused on turning off his ability.
"Hello! Are you wasting your life... huh?"
Kangchan didn't notice the small, winged creature, the size of a child, approaching him.
"What are you doing?"
"!"
The moment the tutorial fairy got in his face, he was startled.
An unfamiliar environment. Unknown people. An uncontrollable ability. And now, a creature suddenly in his face.
Slap!
No one could blame Kangchan for instinctively swatting it away.
No matter how justified his action might have been, the person who committed it bears full responsibility.
The tutorial fairy, with eyes rolled back, lay on the ground like a broken doll. Immediately after, the 'Intimidation' ability deactivated.
- [Impossible Achievement Alert!]
- You're the first in human history to suppress an angel!
- One of your abilities can evolve!
- You will receive a random B-grade item!
The moment these messages appeared before his eyes,
Although he had just entered the tower and knew nothing, Kangchan was certain about one thing:
Things had gotten incredibly complicated.
It was a result of one coincidence after another.
Originally, the angel guiding the 0th floor was a low-ranking one, tasked with menial duties among the 9 hierarchies of angels. Naturally, its power was even weaker than a human's, and its status so low that it wasn't even permitted to have a halo, the symbol of angels. Translation:
Thus, there's no such thing as a tutorial fairy. It's just that the angel in charge of Korea's '0th floor' was well-versed in human culture, and due to its malicious nature, it merely played the role of a monster that would blow people's minds.
However, perception is based on others; its actuality is never crucial. The unfamiliar situation made people passive and led them to mistakenly believe that the low-ranking angel was the 'tutorial fairy'.
"...Hey, what's that? Something's lying on the ground?"
"Did anyone see what happened?"
"...Suddenly, my legs were shaking, so I was looking at the ground."
"Wait, look at it closely. Isn't that... the 'tutorial fairy'? Given our situation – suddenly being summoned here, then a small winged creature appears..."
"So, did that man just capture the tutorial fairy? Right after being summoned? Does that make any sense?"
Ironically, while perception is weightless, it carries weight. The false weight of the 'tutorial fairy' was transferred to Kangchan.
"Was it... a misunderstanding? That person was also just summoned..."
Their eyes, which were previously looking at Kangchan with a hint of fear, changed.
"Hey, hey! Pull yourself together! Sigh... Humans, can you wait for a moment?"
Another angel appeared, took care of the unconscious one, explained about the tower, and then left.
"...Was that really the tutorial fairy?"
"...How many people has he killed?"
Their looks transformed to pure fear. Nobody had seen Kangchan use any power, but their imaginations ran wild.
"Brother!"
However, not everyone was paralyzed by fear.
"I want to follow you, Brother! In this space called the tower, I believe you're the only one I can trust!"
"Me too! Please let me serve you, Brother!"
While most people only felt fear from Kangchan's aura, some felt admiration upon confronting it.
In short, these were peculiar individuals who wanted to be with someone who seemed to have killed thousands.
Kangchan didn't have the slightest desire to be with these odd fellows.
"I just checked my status window, and it seems my ability is A+ grade! Of course, I'm nowhere near you..."
"I'm S grade! Please let me serve you!"
The problem was, these guys seemed far stronger than Kangchan. Right now, they're misunderstanding things, but once they realize Kangchan's true nature, there's no telling what they might do.
Kangchan was fully aware of the situation he was in.
People perceived Kangchan as some unimaginable monster. The only ability Kangchan possessed was 'Intimidation', an ability specialized in bluffing. Meaning, he had no real combat power.
He had two choices:
First, admit that his intimidating presence was merely the effect of his 'Intimidation' ability. But, as mentioned earlier, there's no telling what the crazies attached to him might do once they know the truth.
Second, exploit people's misconceptions to reap benefits.
He could threaten others to take their valuables or play the role of 'Brother' that these crazies want. As long as people believed Kangchan was overwhelmingly powerful, his 'Intimidation' ability would be akin to a master key.
However, the downside of this choice was clear. The moment his bluff was called, things wouldn't end well. It was obviously a tightrope walk.
After much contemplation, Kangchan finally spoke.
"...Do as you please."
If this tower was similar to the tower in the stories Kangchan knew, life here would always be on the line.
If there were risks... he would choose the path that offered benefits.
"My name is Kangchan."
He deliberately roughened his voice, kept a completely expressionless face, and stared distantly into the void.
From now on, Kangchan decided to play the role of the overwhelming powerhouse they desired.
"...I'll kill anyone who gets in my way."
To survive in this tower.
"...That's how it is."
After the lengthy explanation, Kangchan closed his mouth. Translation:
I get it. Due to misunderstandings, he was forced into playing the role of a strongman. I probably would've acted the same way in his shoes.
"...Is this because we entered the 3-5th floors?"
"Yes."
Kangchan replied with a smirk.
"I just wanted to catch a bus. The guys following me are strange in the head, but their abilities are exceptional."
"...Where are they now?"
"They're probably progressing through other parts of the 3-5th floors. Since I was the last to enter, I got separated from my group."
So, it wasn't just me who was deceived. I too had failed to catch the Ji-won bus.
"But your explanation is lacking."
"...What part of the explanation?"
When Kangchan had intended to progress through the 3-5th floors, he was separated from his group because the 3rd floor grouped people in fours.
"Your fist. In the story you just told, there was no mention of that fist."
"...After catching the fairy, I received a message that I was the first to subdue an angel."
"Ah."
"I evolved the 'Intimidation' trait. That should explain it."
Indeed.
I'm not entirely sure what 'Trait Evolution' given as a reward entails...
But just as he exudes an aura, the evolution seems fitting for playing the role of an 'overwhelming powerhouse.'
"As I mentioned earlier, your assumption is correct. This fist... I shouldn't use it recklessly. It's a high-risk ability."
Kangchan, with a self-mocking tone, then looked up and stared at me directly.
"I've shown all my cards. Now, it's your turn."
"...My turn?"
"If you're a regressor, you'd know more about the 3rd floor than I do."
Although his aura had disappeared, Kangchan's eyes were still sharp.
"Do you have a plan? A plan to clear the 3rd floor?"
Kangchan's abilities: Reflective shock, crazy golem, wolf, mirror, trauma, arrows, traps, natives, spear, poison Suhee, enchantment.
All the experiences I've faced until now floated fragmented in my mind.
"Um, um... Isn't anyone coming?"
When the exhausted An Kyung-jun, hesitating in his steps, came to see what was happening,
"There is."
The answer popped into my head.
Just one.
A solution as narrow as the eye of a needle.