Climbing the Mythic Tower as a Cheating Administrator - Chapter 40

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Using Cheats as an Administrator to Climb the Mythic Tower (40)
Reveil Grandes Écoles is not a place anyone can simply walk into.
Mere potential alone is not enough.
“Who is that?”
“Sports goggles? They don’t seem to be an artifact either.”
“Definitely not a domestic ranker. There’s no one on the top 100 list who looks like that.”
Those who have proven themselves. And yet still have their whole future ahead of them.
Such potential is one thing, but one particular characteristic stands out above all—their age.
“Wait, didn’t we just say we’re not going to nitpick about age? That person clearly looks like they’re in their thirties.”
Awakeners who began to distinguish themselves in their teens.
Until now, the oldest new student admitted had been around mid-twenties at the latest.
‘… Damn it, I’m twenty-nine. Who are they talking about?’
The fact that Moo Saeng, who looked almost like he was in his thirties, had received such an offer meant all eyes naturally turned his way.
In any case, Moo Saeng had no room to react to the murmuring around him.
Admit yourself to Reveil Grandes Écoles.
To the proposal from the blue-eyed Buddha—his answer could only be one.
“I apologize. I’ve been quite busy climbing the tower lately.”
An awkward smile, yet a definitive rejection.
It would be impossible for Moo Saeng, a Dungeon Sherpa, not to know about Reveil Grandes Écoles.
An academy that Awakeners across the world dream of attending.
You certainly grow stronger. That much is certain.
But it takes years.
Or, at most, over a decade.
You have to spend that time locked within those walls.
A certain minimum period must necessarily be invested.
Moo Saeng did not have such luxury.
[Kekekeke! Of course. How dare this arrogant worm, clinging to life to avoid becoming a corpse, presume to know anything!]
When he had Wash, why would he need anything more?
Moo Saeng’s refusal was logical enough.
“W-what on earth is happening……?”
“Who is this man?”
“Is that really the blue-eyed Buddha? Could it be someone who looks similar?”
He had just ignored the invitation from the dean of Reveil Grandes Écoles?
For those around him, the situation itself was utterly absurd.
To the point where some even began to question whether Wigo was who he claimed to be.
Of course, Wigo, as though deaf to such commotion, observed Moo Saeng with calm eyes, then looked at Wash.
“Sometimes the long way around is the faster path. Especially when one knows clearly what they are seeking.”
At that subtle tone, Moo Saeng hesitated.
A voice that suggested he knew something.
That was what stopped Moo Saeng in his tracks.
“……What do you know?”
“At least I can tell that Musch Kim is not climbing the tower merely to grow stronger.”
Wigo smiled faintly and answered.
Several questions had already surfaced in his mind.
1. Why Wigo was standing in front of the 12th Floor Dungeon in the first place.
The fact that Moo Saeng had cleared the 11th Floor—Geum-seong did not know that.
He had stayed at the hotel provided by Geum-seong, but he had left no hint whatsoever that he would be heading to the 12th Floor Dungeon.
2. And then there was that part about not merely wanting to grow stronger—meaning he had another purpose?
Had Wigo picked up on something about Joo Ye Rin?
He had only told Park Hyun Gu and Geum Byung Chul just two days ago.
That couldn’t be it.
“A turbulence of heart… That is likely affection. Longing. The kind of wavering one feels when searching for someone.”
As if reading even that thread of Moo Saeng’s thought, Wigo spoke gently.
Moo Saeng still did not respond.
Wigo continued his words.
“You must awaken to the true nature of your own ability. When you touch the truth, problems resolve of their own accord. Purely. You will be able to wield power unbound by limits. When that time comes, Rank and all else will become trivial. The purpose that Musch Kim seeks will be achieved without any hindrance.”
A manner of speech that made it impossible to ignore even if one tried.
The mysterious eloquence of one whose years lived were difficult to fathom.
There was no doubt that it held a certain fascination for the listener.
Even Moo Saeng found himself wanting to ask more.
Then can you find it?
Can you determine where the subject I’m looking for is, and in what condition?
Do you know anything about the Tower’s twisting phenomena?
What about the peculiarities of the 39th Floor or the 58th Floor?
Moo Saeng felt the pull of temptation.
[What is this brat saying? Rank is absolute! Do you know how hard I worked to distribute the grades according to the rating system? How dare you challenge my work…….]
The sound of that certainty shattering.
The squeaky-squeaky noise of the rubber duck jolted Moo Saeng awake.
The blue-eyed Buddha? What of it?
A kind voice, a sweet proposal.
“Come to Reveil Grandes Écoles, Moo Saeng. It will surely benefit you as well. You’ll be freed from constraints, released from oaths, and able to wield your power without being bound by any covenant…….”
And what of the words offered while looking at Wash, then at Moo Saeng?
Words that suggested he already had suspicions about the relationship between Moo Saeng and Wash.
‘As if he knows about the contract…….’
He was claiming to help Moo Saeng with some kind of certainty.
Even if it wasn’t for his sake but for Wash’s—for the Tower Administrator’s—practical help was still help.
But……even if his intentions were genuinely good.
There was only one answer Moo Saeng could give at this moment.
“Ahem, I’m grateful for the offer……. But I’m afraid I don’t have the luxury. Still, if you would offer me some advice, I’ll certainly heed the words of such an accomplished teacher.”
The life as a Dungeon Sherpa that had made Moo Saeng who he was today.
Thirteen years of rolling in the field had given him a sharp instinct.
The principle of not rushing into suspicious contracts.
Too poor terms are a problem, but too good terms are equally dangerous.
There’s a proper range to any market rate, and taking on an offer that’s far too attractive, that abnormally generous amount—what problems had emerged from that?
What had happened because of Park Hyun Gu’s careless acceptance without proper background checks? Hadn’t the Lee Eun Woo incident mere weeks ago verified this lesson once more?
“Moo Saeng? It seems you may have misunderstood what I was saying-.”
The blue-eyed Buddha’s smile wavered briefly.
But Moo Saeng refused his proposal once more by bowing his head deeply.
“I understand perfectly. If you could perhaps share some meditation techniques that can be practiced at home, or something of that sort…… I would gratefully accept the hidden teachings of Reveil Grandes Écoles, but as things stand, the timing simply isn’t right. My apologies.”
Two refusals.
Wigo was Wigo. The elderly man with the full silver beard didn’t press Moo Saeng any further.
No—he no longer had the time to do so.
“In my heart, I’d like to persuade you further, Moo Saeng……. But releasing you now seems the right choice.”
A sudden shift in attitude, compared to his persistence moments before?
Moo Saeng soon understood the reason.
The commotion near the 12th Floor Dungeon, where people had begun to gather because of Wigo’s appearance.
A tremendous roar began to sound from somewhere, instantly drowning it all out.
Vrooooooom-!
A blonde man driving a red convertible sports car recklessly.
His mouth was gaping open—he appeared to be shouting, but seemed unaware that his voice was being swallowed by the engine’s roar.
Hearing nothing, he grows angrier and shouts louder.
His excited body pushes the throttle harder. The engine grows louder…….
The more worked up he became, the harder it was to convey his words—a foolish cycle he’d trapped himself in.
“It’s, it’s Steve King!”
“Windbloom’s representative, Steve King!”
Another member of Eight Seconds.
Compared to Wigo, he was the type desperately seeking recognition for his own presence.
But regardless of his personality, even Wash had to acknowledge that his ability was genuine.
[……Even fools have their gifts.]
Moo Saeng knew this as well.
Awakener ability: Red Falcon (SSR).
Some called it the Phoenix, others the Vermillion Sparrow.
An Awakener ability on par with Geum Byung Chul’s Thunder Tiger (SSR)—what some called the White Tiger ability.
“Wait! Hey! Wait-.”
Only when Steve King’s urgent voice became audible did Moo Saeng dimly understand.
The conversation he’d just had with Wigo.
And Steve King’s sudden arrival.
It couldn’t have been coincidence.
‘Okay…… I see what’s happening.’
Then his choice had been the right one.
They say to stop a fight and start a negotiation.
The only difference now was that he himself had become the subject of negotiation.
‘I feel like a championship prize,’ Moo Saeng thought.
Geum Byung Chul was stunned, Steve King was jealous, Wigo was envious—and already Moo Saeng’s mind was churning through possibilities for how to play this situation to his advantage.
They all wanted to recruit him, each in his own way.
So then?
There was no reason to indulge them in conversation right now.
“Let’s go,” he said.
“Moo Saeng! F***, where is parking lot!?”
Ignoring Steve King’s barely audible shout, Moo Saeng threw himself into the dungeon.
* * *
[You know the Tower’s rules, don’t you, Kim Moo Saeng?]
“Of course.”
On the 11th Floor, the time limit had been a full fifteen days.
The 12th Floor was the exact opposite.
Thirty minutes.
And from wherever you dropped randomly, the basic condition was to find and eliminate a single Cyclops.
“Finding it isn’t really the problem…”
Boom, boom-boom….
The enormous footfalls echoing around him made Moo Saeng’s face darken.
The time limit was short, but spotting the target wasn’t especially difficult.
The Cyclops’s heavy footsteps carried clearly through the air.
But that, precisely, was the problem for Moo Saeng now.
“Wash, if my party members just hear that sound, does Contribution get divided? Or do I need them to hear it and speak about it before Contribution is assigned?”
[The Contribution assignment algorithm—even I don’t understand it completely, as I’ve told you before, Kim Moo Saeng.]
Park Hyun Gu and the others would hear that sound and—if they simply said “The Cyclops is over there”—they’d claim a share of the Contribution.
“Ideally I find it first and ping the location myself…”
But to prevent that?
Moo Saeng would have to move like lightning, getting there first?
“I’ll need to get some noise-canceling headsets. There goes real money, real money gone.”
But Moo Saeng was the type to prepare for one-in-a-million contingencies.
Earplugs alone felt insufficient, so he’d need something that could block ambient sound completely—plus an eye mask and similar gear.
‘And to keep them from moving unnecessarily, since that might attract the Cyclops’s attention—’
Additional preparations on top of that.
As soon as he entered the 12th Floor, how would he move?
He had to guarantee Park Hyun Gu and the others’ safety while simultaneously ensuring they contributed nothing to clearing the condition.
As Moo Saeng gathered his thoughts, a shadow fell across him.
“A human. It’s been so long since I’ve tasted tender meat.”
Hearing that bass rumble—the kind that seemed to echo from inside a cavern—Moo Saeng looked up.
A giant seven meters tall loomed over him.
The moment he met the gaze of an eye larger than a person was tall, even a courageous Awakener would typically freeze—but…
“Right. This is a problem too. The Cyclops finding me without me doing anything.”
Moo Saeng simply exhaled a soft sigh.
He’d have to account for this variable too to keep Contribution from scattering.
“You could’ve mentioned this, Wash.”
[Kwack, me? To you?]
Wash adjusted his black-framed glasses as though questioning what Moo Saeng could possibly mean.
Moo Saeng let out a soft laugh.
“Never mind. Forget I said anything—”
“Kwaaaaaa-!”
Whooooom──────…!
In that instant, the Cyclops swung its arm.
An overwhelming force that obliterated the trees and everything else around it.
The sheer power was enough to make his spine tingle, and Moo Saeng’s expression turned serious.
‘The standard recommendation for clearing the 12th Floor is a five-person party. Up to five, it’s one Cyclops; at six or more, there are two—’
In other words, a single Cyclops possessed strength equivalent to five Awakeners of 12th Floor caliber. Clearly, it couldn’t be dismissed lightly.
[Kim Moo Saeng.]
“What is it?! Unless it’s urgent, I need to deal with the Cyclops first—wait, what?”
Moo Saeng had been preparing to engage the Cyclops seriously when he suddenly had to adjust his stance.
The Cyclops was beginning to kneel.
‘A pattern I’ve never seen before.’
Even Moo Saeng, who had memorized every standard attack pattern the Cyclops employed, every type of magic that appeared when the party grew larger—even he had never witnessed behavior like this.
But it wasn’t just kneeling.
The Cyclops planted its hands on the ground and bowed its head low.
As Moo Saeng watched that reverent gesture—as though the creature were performing a ritual before a god—Wash spoke.
[A beast has entered.]
“A beast—wait?”
Only then did Moo Saeng understand.
The Cyclops wasn’t bowing directly at him.
It was angled slightly off—toward the direction where Wash was looking.
Moo Saeng turned his head.
“What’s up, Bro.”
There stood an Awakener who had bent the Cyclops to obedience through sheer presence alone.
Steve King had arrived.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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