Climbing the Mythic Tower as a Cheating Administrator - Chapter 54
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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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Admin with Cheat Powers Climbing the Mythical Tower (54)
Sand-laden wind and relentless sun.
In the middle of the Desert, where one would normally need to maintain considerable vigilance, stood a single enormous Tent.
A Tent large enough to accommodate ten people with room to stretch their legs out comfortably—and inside it, ten people were sipping cold drinks.
“I have to say, I’m not sure this is even allowed…… I mean, it’s the Tower, after all…….”
“Exactly. And Kim Moo-saeng set up the whole Tent by himself.”
Every Awakener except Moo-saeng was resting inside the Tent he had provided for them…….
The fact that Moo-saeng had taken it upon himself to set up the Tent, concerned that even that task might affect their Contribution Rate, spoke to a thoroughness that left them all astonished.
“Ha, now that you mention it—I’ve never seen anyone pack down a Tent that fast in my entire life. How in the world did you disassemble something this massive? I mean…… those silver bug-like things, or whatever—how did you manage that? Is that an Artifact?”
“Either way, he’s definitely delivering value. Heh, to be honest I had my doubts, but…… he really did carry us through on this ‘Bus’ run.”
Following the shocking Clear speed at Floor 14, Floor 15 had been almost pleasant?
How many Awakeners had lost their way and despaired when the Desert-type stage first appeared on Floor 15?
Given that Floor 15 was designed to teach you not just how to fight Monsters, but how to truly grasp and navigate the natural environment of each Floor itself, this situation was simply beyond reason.
“Speaking of which, wasn’t there something about a guild that went into Floor 15 and ended up connected to Floor 66 or something like that?”
“Oh yeah, yeah. There was even a broadcast about it, and everything was crazy. What happened with that anyway?”
“Right? I remember it being some big exclusive story or whatever…… but somehow it just disappeared without a trace.”
Pft.
Park Hyun-gu had to suppress laughter that burst from him unbidden.
The incident with Floor 66 that connected to Floor 15.
For all the commotion it had caused, the general public and low-tier Awakeners had retained only this level of impression.
“Hmm? Park Hyun-gu? Why are you laughing?”
“That was Moo-saeng.”
At Park Hyun-gu’s words, the eyes of everyone else went wide.
“What? Kim Moo-saeng was in a guild—wait, oh!?”
“That’s right! That sudden intrusion, throwing those punches! Now that I think about it, that was Kim Moo-saeng! Right?! Him and One-Way!”
“Wow. But what happened after? One-Way is supposed to be pretty famous, right? It doesn’t seem like they’d just leave it at that…….”
Here was fresh information, appearing at a moment when they could barely comprehend who Moo-saeng was or what level of skill he possessed!
At the way everyone’s interest turned toward Moo-saeng, Park Hyun-gu’s shoulders rose slightly with satisfaction.
“I’d rather not say. When Moo-saeng gets here later, try asking him. It’s quite the story.”
Yet Park Hyun-gu was not one to misspeak.
Never speak carelessly in the absence of the person in question.
And he understood that silence itself held increasing value.
“Ah, I see. So he must be that skilled.”
“He probably got all his Artifacts that way too.”
“I suppose so…….”
What Artifacts, how, and through what means?
They knew nothing of that incident at Floor 66, yet were drawing conclusions about his skill—what misunderstanding was this?
But from the moment Park Hyun-gu fell silent, they all began constructing their own imaginative narratives about Moo-saeng…….
[Congratulations!]
[You have achieved the Clear condition.]
[Time remaining: 34:50:11]
[Calculating Contribution Rate.]
[Kim Moo-saeng: Contribution Rate 100%]
[Others: Contribution Rate 0%]
“Already? In just one hour and ten minutes?”
“Usually it takes over twelve hours just to find the boss, doesn’t it?”
“Could it really be…… because of that old incident?”
And on top of that, proof of Moo-saeng Clearing Floor 15—to which thirty-six hours of time were allotted—in just one hour and ten minutes.
Park Hyun-gu found himself needing to suppress laughter once again.
* * *
Floor 16 involved Tracking and hunting multiple Monsters.
The moment they started, Moo-saeng began fiddling with his Goggles and dashed off somewhere, and for a while after he left, the rest of them stood frozen.
[Congratulations!]
[You have achieved the Clear condition.]
[Time remaining: 47:26:44]
[Calculating Contribution Rate.]
[Kim Moo-saeng: Contribution Rate 100%]
[Others: Contribution Rate 0%]
Cleared in roughly thirty-five minutes.
“Just like the floors below…… how is it even possible for Monster Tracking to be this fast?”
“You’re a Dungeon Sherpa by background, aren’t you?”
“Ah~ So what?”
No.
That wasn’t the reason.
Park Hyun-gu had to suppress another laugh.
* * *
Floor 17 was a Doppelgänger hunt.
Among countless clones identical to yourself, you had to find and destroy the one true Doppelgänger—the original that carried the core.
With eleven party members, that meant eleven original Doppelgängers to find.
The fortunate part: they didn’t attack first.
But kill even a single fake, and everything changed.
You’d find yourself surrounded by hundreds of copies attacking simultaneously—which meant Floor 17 typically became a grueling exercise in patience, painstakingly distinguishing the genuine from the false.
“One, two, three, four…… five.”
Moo-saeng darted between the wandering hundreds of Doppelgängers, stabbing as he went.
It happened so suddenly there was no time to be shocked—if even one of those he was hitting happened to be a fake, the swarm surrounding him would descend into absolute chaos!
“……They’re all genuine? You’re not just stabbing at random, are you?”
“How is he even—?”
Why were the other Doppelgängers just walking around aimlessly?
Weren’t they fighting back?
Everyone stared in bewilderment.
“Six, seven, okay, eight…… and the ninth is—. There.”
Floor 17, like crowded public transit during rush hour.
Moo-saeng cutting through it all, methodically eliminating each genuine Doppelgänger one by one.
How could anyone explain this?
Someone muttered aloud.
“No wonder he’s a Dungeon Sherpa—he’s just different.”
[Congratulations!]
[You have achieved the Clear condition.]
[Calculating Contribution Rate.]
[Kim Moo-saeng: Contribution Rate 100%]
[Others: Contribution Rate 0%]
Park Hyun-gu simply burst out laughing.
* * *
[Floor 18]
[Collapsed Exit, Abandoned Mine]
[Escape before the mine collapses completely.]
[Time Remaining: 168:00:00]
[Multi-person Climbing adjustment applied.]
[Contribution Rate calculation initiated.]
Floor 18 was an Abandoned Mine escape.
They had a full week—a mine twisted into labyrinthine passages had to be traversed and exited before it collapsed entirely.
Similar to a maze stage, but the mine being formed from natural passages with varying elevations made navigating its depths demand far more effort and expertise.
Starting in the pitch darkness of the mine interior itself was terrifying enough, but—
Click-click, click-click, click-click, click-click—!
“Wait, is it actually… allowed to do this?”
Hwang Jun-seo, who had been following Moo-saeng, finally had to ask.
Moo-saeng turned his head back. “What?”
“What?”
That expression of casual indifference was precisely what left Hwang Jun-seo flustered.
Hwang Jun-seo asked again.
The standard strategy for Floor 18 was to find one unblocked exit and make your way out.
Of the five to ten mine entrances commonly documented, success or failure typically hinged on how quickly you could locate one.
But right now?
Click-click, click-click, click-click, click-click—!
“Is it really… okay to dig through the wall like this…?”
Four silver-gray beetles were tearing through stone at an astonishing pace.
And behind them, Moo-saeng strolled along as though he were out for a casual neighborhood walk!
“Of course. As long as we escape the mine, it counts as a Clear. The condition didn’t say we had to use the ‘designated exits.'”
Moo-saeng said matter-of-factly.
He’d already gotten confirmation that clearing it this way was permissible.
[Anyway, Kim Moo-saeng, there aren’t many people as good as you at finding loopholes in a process. To think you’d exploit the cracks like this.]
Ignoring Wash’s muttering as best he could, Moo-saeng added a comment.
“There’s an old saying, isn’t there? All roads lead to the destination.”
The Clear condition for Floor 18 was escape from the Abandoned Mine.
Then as long as they escaped by any means necessary, wasn’t that enough?
“But, well, what if, just in case, the direction—. Or it collapses—.”
“Ha, it’s fine. I’ve confirmed this is the thinnest section. There’s no risk of collapse.”
The investigation and calculations for which direction to dig and how to proceed through this ore-bearing mountain were already complete.
Through Maia’s Goggles and the knowledge and experience from her time as a Dungeon Sherpa.
Since the Scarab Guardians made it safe to tunnel through, there was no need to waste time, so Moo-saeng moved immediately.
“……This is exactly because you were a Dungeon Sherpa.”
“Huh? What did you say?”
“Nothing, nothing.”
Park Hyun-gu, who was following behind, muttered something, but only Moo-saeng heard it.
The party members who stayed silent when they actually should have spoken—only Park Hyun-gu managed a quiet laugh at the situation.
How long had the sound of digging and shuffling footsteps been going on?
Moo-saeng turned to the party members with a somewhat serious expression.
“About Floor 19.”
Floor 18 was fine.
They were acquiring rewards for a perfect 100% Contribution Rate.
But Floor 19 was different entirely.
“I know this is awkward to say, but once we step onto Floor 19, would everyone be able to close their eyes and stay low?”
Floor 19 threw you directly into the battlefield.
Screams, shouts, blood and steel—it began immediately in the chaos.
In other words, what Moo-saeng was worried about was the distribution of Contribution Rate.
If someone shouted there even once. Or warned about another monster attacking.
Even just looking at it, there’s no telling what would happen.
Let alone if they fought back?
‘Even dodging instead of attacking would be the same. It would mean I bore the danger and provided the opportunity. The Contribution Rate gets divided.’
Even just dodging instead of counterattacking would cause problems with Contribution Rate distribution.
To overcome this, Moo-saeng had considered various ideas, but in the end there was only one.
“Close your eyes and stay low the moment we go up? All of us?”
Park Hyun-gu asked, as if confirming Moo-saeng’s instructions.
Moo-saeng nodded.
“I can finish it quickly. You won’t suffer any harm. Thanks to the Artifact, it won’t be fatal wounds either.”
Moo-saeng spoke to the party members again.
How was he supposed to convince them?
To close their eyes and crouch down the moment they stepped into the middle of a battlefield?
Not to attack, dodge, or counterattack?
To just stay still as if saying ‘Please kill me’?
“……Everyone?”
They’d naturally object.
Moo-saeng, who had even prepared words like “I’ll give you a reward if you follow along well,” found himself momentarily confused.
“Everyone? Can’t you hear me?”
No one said anything?
Was his proposal so absurd that they were just ignoring it?
“Yes? I can hear you.”
“Floor 19 is to close your eyes and stay low once we go up……. Is there something I missed?”
Kim Ji-yoon and Yoon Jeong-il answered Moo-saeng’s question.
Their surprisingly calm attitude left Moo-saeng bewildered.
“Ah, no. I heard you fine—. It’s just…….”
Shouldn’t there be more questions to ask?
Like, just in case something goes wrong, how are you going to take responsibility, that sort of thing…….
Moo-saeng couldn’t bring himself to say it.
“Director Kim, we’re supposed to do this for three days, right?”
Then Shin Hyun-dong, finally understanding what Moo-saeng was worried about, spoke up.
“Yes.”
“But it’s already past lunch on the first day, and we’ve basically already Cleared Floor 18, haven’t we?”
“That’s how it seems.”
“We started on Floor 14, and……. Unless I’m mistaken, it should take at least a week even with a quick Clear to get this far, right?”
“Well, if we combine the information available online, that’s about what you’d get.”
Moo-saeng came to understand it too, conversing with Shin Hyun-dong.
Why had no one refuted his words?
Why had no one pressed him on it?
“When someone of your caliber tells us to close our eyes and bow our heads, why wouldn’t we listen?”
It was because Moo-saeng had already proven himself through abilities and speed so incredible, so impossible, that there was no room for doubt.
The other members, aside from Shin Hyun-dong, all chimed in as if Moo-saeng’s concern was laughable.
“Exactly, right! I kept wondering why you kept asking us.”
“Me too. I thought we were supposed to go up without the Artifact.”
“Ah— you were asking just now because you were worried we wouldn’t listen, weren’t you, boss? Ha ha ha!”
“This kind of ‘Bus’ arrangement? I’ve never heard of one in my life. When the bus driver says go, you go. That’s what passengers do.”
The atmosphere, now considerably lighter, erupted as Shin Hyun-dong shouted.
“Let’s give our boss Kim a round of applause!”
“Oh, no, ah? Yes, no, thank you. Thank you all.”
This much?
Caught in a sudden tide of cheers and applause, Moo-saeng bowed awkwardly.
Even as Park Hyun-gu’s gaze met his — the man clearly struggling to contain his laughter — Moo-saeng felt his embarrassment deepen.
[Congratulations!]
[Clear condition achieved.]
[Time remaining: 162:11:57]
[Calculating Contribution Rate.]
[Kim Moo-saeng: Contribution Rate 100%]
[Others: Contribution Rate 0%]
Floor 18 cleared.
The moment they stepped into Floor 19, everyone except Moo-saeng closed their eyes and crouched down.
Perfect synchronization.
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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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