TSOT#1 Chapter 1.1: Prologue
by RenPrologue
【Welcome to the Tower!】
【The ‘Community for All’ channel has been activated due to gate occurrence.】
【Please show respect and consideration when writing posts or comments.】
<Free Bulletin Board> Is this the hunter who was active in the Tower yesterday? Saw someone who looked like them near the Association, snapped a pic lol (14)
(Photo)
<Comments>
– Oh wow, that really looks like them! You got so close!
– Yep, that’s definitely Hunter Seo Joo-ah lol. This is way better than what the admin posted—much clearer.
┗ 22
┗ The admin’s photos suck, seriously.
┗ 33
– Who is this? I only hang around the Free Bulletin Board so I don’t know.
┗ Didn’t you see yesterday? The community went wild because of Hunter Seo Joo-ah! She’s got a low level but defeated an SS-rank boss solo lol.
┗ Wait, she’s low-level? How did she take down an SS-level monster???
┗ Didn’t you see the post from the admin yesterday? It blew up immediately.
┗ Really? Gotta go check it out lol.
┗ “Happened” is wrong, it’s supposed to be “happened” (correcting a typo in Korean).
<Free Bulletin Board> Did you guys know? Hunter Seo Joo-ah’s backstory is totally like a novel plot (34)
Right now, Hunter Seo Joo-ah is C-rank, but when she first entered the training facility, her level was E-rank lol. So, she got a ton of disrespect from other hunters, but then her rank went up quickly lol. Bet the ones who looked down on her were salty af lol. I heard she was accidentally assigned to a top group for training too lol. Reality is stranger than fiction lol.
<Comments>
– Oh, that’s kind of interesting… tell us more.
– The team she’s in now is super famous too. Hunter Shin Jae-rim is my fave ㅠㅠㅠ
– I love stuff like this ㅠㅠㅠ
– So that’s why I was wondering how a C-rank hunter ended up in the same team as the top group?
┗ Rumor has it that the Association director saw her potential and matched her with a top team.
┗ No, she bribed the director with a ton of money to get into a higher team. My sister (a hunter) is a witness.
┗ Whoa, that’s disappointing.
┗ Didn’t they say her dad is a congressman?
┗ I think so? He’s on TV all the time.
┗ Her having a rich background is also like something out of a novel…
<Info> 6th Tower, Floor 350 Quest Cleared. (134)
- Hunter Information: Yoo Chan-hee (SS-rank), Shin Jae-rim (S-rank), Choi Yeon-joo (A-rank), Seo Joo-ah (C-rank)
- Time: 28 minutes
- Reward: Train ticket
- Notes: C-rank Hunter Seo Joo-ah’s knowledge of the monster was impressive and contributed greatly.
<Comments>
– Ugh, the admin’s photos are so bad! Get closer!!
┗ Lmao first comment cursing the adminㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ
┗ So funnyㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ
┗ Admin, you seeing this?ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ
– Oh, Seo Joo-ah’s team got called in this time?
– Whoa, that monster looks terrifying, but Seo Joo-ah’s expression is so calm lol.
┗ That’s what makes it coolerㅠㅠㅠ. She looks delicate but seems so mentally strongㅠㅠㅠㅠ. If it were me, I’d be crying and running away…
– When did this team become Seo Joo-ah’s?
– Wow, look at Yoo Chan-hee Hunter’s smileㅠㅠㅠ so handsomeㅠㅠㅠ. Smile moreㅠㅠㅠ
– This board’s about to blow up lololol. Seo Joo-ah Hunter’s presence is no joke.
┗ But B-Team’s posts are always a hot topic.
┗ True. Yoo Chan-hee and Shin Jae-rim have so many fans here, zz
┗ Why are we leaving out Hunter Choi Yeon-joo? All of B-Team’s popular.
“…Noisy.”
Joo-ah stared apathetically at the bustling community window that had been flashing nonstop and tapped ‘Hide.’ Only then did the blue system window go silent.
The only reason she’d looked at the community at all was because it reminded her of old memories she hadn’t revisited in a long time.
Back then, before she opened her eyes in this body, the community had always been flooded with stories about her.
Name: Kwon Eun-young (Elite)
Level: SSS-rank
Ranking: National 1st / Global 28th
Attribute: Darkness
Special Skill: Black Flame
That was who she had originally been.
The number one ranked hunter in Korea, Kwon Eun-young.
Now, she was merely a C-rank, a low-level hunter.
<Now, let’s begin the quest!>
A strange-looking rabbit perked up its long ears and shouted.
<Since we have two teams entering the 490th floor simultaneously, let’s play an interesting game.>
A white door appeared above the darkened space.
<Pass through that door and return here as quickly as possible! Only the first team to arrive will receive a train ticket!>
As the rabbit spoke, the opposing team began entering the door first.
There was no need to hesitate.
Once they entered the quest room, they would receive a more detailed explanation.
“Hunter Seo joo-ah, are you okay?”
Jae-rim looked back at Joo-ah and asked.
“This quest will likely have you compete one-on-one with the other team members.”
He was concerned for Joo-ah, who had a significantly lower rank than the others on the team.
Joo-ah nodded in response.
“I’m fine. I’ll do my best to fight.”
“Yes, you’ll probably be matched with someone of a similar rank anyway. No need to worry.”
Yeon-joo, who was standing beside her, patted Joo-ah on the shoulder.
When two or more teams met on the same floor, the Tower’s quests were usually structured as team-versus-team competitions.
Since they had met another top group, it was likely that hunters with similar levels would be paired up.
The lowest-ranking member on the opposing team was B-rank, a level Joo-ah could handle.
“If you get even a little hurt, you have to withdraw immediately.”
Chan-hee, standing behind her, brushed Joo-ah’s dark brown hair with his hand and muttered.
“I won’t get hurt.”
She met his gaze and gave a calm smile.
“Let’s go in now.”
After finishing her inventory check, Yeon-joo spoke.
Only then did the team move toward the door.
Jae-rim placed his hand on the doorknob. The door, which led to the quest space, opened slowly.
<I sincerely wish you an enjoyable match.>
The rabbit’s voice was the last thing they heard as the door closed behind them.
Click.
“What the hell? I was expecting Yoo Chan-hee to come in, but it’s just some little fish instead?”
As Joo-ah stepped into the quest space, she spotted an opponent from the other team standing in the middle of a wide clearing.
Name: Kang Ho
Rank: S-rank
Ranking: Korea 19th / International 136th
Attribute: Fire
Special Skill: Flame Vortex
Special Note: The intense flames are not easily extinguished by normal water-based techniques.
A hint of surprise crossed Joo-ah’s face. It was an unexpected opponent.
She had naturally assumed she would face someone of a similar rank, but the opponent she was matched against was the highest-ranked member on the opposing team.
【Quest: ‘Who Can Make It Back the Fastest?’】
【Engage in a one-on-one match with a randomly assigned opponent within 30 minutes. When the opposing team member is in a state of incapacitation, an exit door will appear!】
【Quest Success: Train Ticket】
【Quest Failure: Fall】
A timer floating in the air began counting down.
Kang Ho smirked at Joo-ah with an arrogant expression.
“Well, if they’re going to make it this easy for me, I’m not complaining.”
He suddenly lunged at her, his hand streaming with intense flames.
Joo-ah tried to dodge, but the speed was so great that the flames caught her uniform. She patted the flames off and cast a strengthening spell on herself.
A golden light shimmered around her body, temporarily enhancing her defense.
Seeing this, Kang Ho sneered.
“Ah, this is insulting. They matched me with a support-type hunter.”
He pulled a longsword from his inventory.
Swish—
The sharp sound of the blade cutting through the air felt menacing.
Kang Ho flashed a grin at her.
“I’ll end this as quickly as I can.”
He rushed at Joo-ah with great speed, swinging his sword. He moved so swiftly that Joo-ah had no time to draw a weapon from her inventory.
The blade narrowly missed her, slicing through the air beside her. Her dark brown hair, which had been tied up, unraveled and fell over her shoulders.
Her health was depleting rapidly.
He ignited the sword in his hand with a red flame. The scorching heat dried out the surrounding clearing.
Watching him approach, Joo-ah quickly swallowed a Mid-level Mana Restoration Potion.
Kang Ho let out a mocking laugh.
“You really think boosting your mana is going to make a difference?”
Joo-ah responded calmly.
“It will make a difference.”
She drew a taser gun from her inventory. Kang Ho raised his lip in a smirk.
“Don’t tell me you think you can beat me with that pathetic little gun.”
Anyone would find this scene absurd.
A mere C-rank hunter daring to face off against one of Korea’s few S-rank hunters.
“We’ll see,” she replied with an unaffected expression.
“I don’t see why I shouldn’t be able to win.”
Her confident response made Kang Ho’s eyes flash. Flames erupted from his hand.
“Fine. Let’s see you try.”
He rushed at her, his entire body igniting in a blaze, creating a swirling vortex of flames as he advanced.
Wherever he passed, the ground shattered.
Joo-ah extended her hand. The barrel of her gun was aimed directly at the center of Kang Ho’s vortex of flames.
The chaotic surroundings suddenly grew silent.
Her finger pulled the trigger.
Bang!!!
The mana-imbued shot burst from her gun, erupting with an enormous sound.
【Quest ‘Who Can Make It Back the Fastest?’ Achieved!】
【Reward: Train Ticket】
【Due to ‘Team Quest’ activation, a ‘Special Privilege’ has been added to the reward.】
Joo-ah tucked the taser gun back into her inventory and began to walk.
A black circle formed around the fallen Kang Ho in the center of the clearing.
Without a sound, he was pulled down to the depths below.
Joo-ah opened the door.
Her teammates were waiting with relaxed smiles, having completed the quest.
This was the beginning of Seo Joo-ah’s story, to be revealed after a long time.