Climbing the Mythic Tower as a Cheating Administrator - Chapter 68

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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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The Admin Who Uses Cheats Climbs the Mythic Tower (68)
Park Hyun-gu and everyone else sat slack-jawed.
Weren’t these the same people cheering in joy just moments ago?
“Moo-saeng, why are you saying such things while distributing Stats?”
“D-did you hear me, Director Kim?”
The source of the surprise was the Stat Points awarded for clearing Floor 25.
They’d already confirmed that upon clearing Floor 20, rewards were granted regardless of Contribution Rate.
Floor 25 was no different—and more than that, rather than a Skill that couldn’t be used outside the Tower or dungeons, they were receiving actual Stat Points.
They’d simply hoped to raise the nominal number of floors climbed, but now those who’d joined Moo-saeng had acquired a Skill from Floor 20, an exceptional reward from Floor 21, and additional Stats from Floor 25 this time—some of them were practically screaming with exhilaration.
“Heh heh, there’s no way I wouldn’t have heard. I just kept quiet in case it seemed awkward if I butted in. Ahem, but those of you who bet Under… I’m a little disappointed, you know?”
When Moo-saeng mentioned the bet and expressed his disappointment, everyone’s eyes inevitably shifted about uncomfortably.
And only three people had actually bet on exceeding Floor 25.
Most everyone had wagered Under, making the situation all the more awkward.
“W-well, that’s not quite it, Director Kim. What I mean is… um, how should I put it—”
“It’s just that Kim Moo-saeng is so exceptionally capable. It’s not that we don’t trust you—you understand what I mean, right?”
“Exactly! That’s it! There’s no way you could find anywhere in this world where someone climbs the Tower at such a pace! Isn’t that right, everyone!?”
Those who’d bet Under scrambled to chatter nervously, flashing awkward smiles lest Moo-saeng take offense.
At their fuss, Moo-saeng chuckled softly.
Of course, he hadn’t mentioned the bet out of any genuine disappointment or obsession with money.
After all, he’d wagered as a light, amusing pastime—the amount meant little to him.
And yet Moo-saeng had deliberately brought up the bet for a specific reason: the Withdrawal Effects.
Four hours remained until the deadline, but considering the achievement of hidden conditions on Floor 26, he judged it incomplete.
[Kyaa kyaa kyak, not a bad judgment, Kim Moo-saeng. The Eye isn’t examining this floor any longer, but… if it were watching Floor 26, then I wouldn’t need to chase after it.]
Above all, the Eye could be present.
‘Well, ideally I’d go up to Floor 26 and confirm the Eye. Tsk, as much as it pains me, I need to end this here.’
If the Eye were watching Floor 26? That itself would be good information for Moo-saeng.
The likelihood that he’d searched through from Floor 1 in order would increase.
However, even if he obtained such information, his current defensive preparations wouldn’t change.
The structure posed greater risk than confirmed information warranted, so Moo-saeng chose to withdraw for now.
‘And thanks to that, so to speak… heh heh.’
[Your understanding of poison has increased.]
[Poison Resistance (S) → Poison Resistance (SR)]
[Strength increased by 1.]
[Precision increased by 1.]
[Agility increased by 1.]
Moreover, to avoid suspicion.
Even if the ‘Eye’ observed Moo-saeng himself, he’d chosen a method to ensure it felt no discord—and hadn’t he even obtained minor rewards from doing so?
Though clearing Floor 25 had taken slightly longer than his original plan.
Measured against the overall Tower ascent, he’d missed climbing perhaps one or two additional floors, yet Moo-saeng harbored no deep regret.
“So when shall we make our next climb?”
“Next time, let’s take a full week off! What do you say? How does that sound, everyone!?”
“Don’t be too greedy, please. We must entrust everything to Kim Moo-saeng’s health and schedule…”
Those watching Moo-saeng’s smiling face, believing his ‘mood had improved,’ quickly began steering the conversation elsewhere.
Even as they did, one or two crept closer, attempting to appeal to him.
“S-so the thing is, by the way, Director Kim. If you wouldn’t mind… could you share your home address? We have some wonderful mushrooms from the countryside, and we’d like to send them along as a wellness gift—”
“Pfft, now, now, don’t get ahead of yourselves! For now, I’ll be contacting you the way I have been! If you’re satisfied, then maintain absolute confidentiality!”
Moo-saeng stepped back from them, speaking gravely.
Above all, what mattered most was discretion.
Though he’d formed a degree of trust through this climb, people were unpredictable.
“Now, bringing others is fine, but understand that you bear responsibility for any incidents or accidents that person causes—it means immediate expulsion from the party. Think it through carefully before we meet next.”
Don’t do anything foolish over Bus Fare rebates.
If you bring someone, they come under your guarantee and responsibility—only trustworthy people.
At Moo-saeng’s warning, several people swallowed hard.
At this point, after clearing Floor 25, there was no way they didn’t understand.
“Of course! There’s no one here foolish enough to kick away their own fortune.”
Moo-saeng—their lifeline.
If they lost this, they’d never taste even the crumbs that fell from the Tower.
“Alright then, we’ll be heading out. Let’s come back next time fully prepared!”
And Moo-saeng himself knew it well.
That’s why his words, casually thrown, were emphasized.
Because he understood what those gazes meant as they poured down upon him.
Kim Moo-saeng could leave the Tower in fine spirits.
* * *
Park Hyun-gu volunteered to drive, settling Kim Moo-saeng into the passenger seat.
“I’m telling you I can do it.”
“Ah, but our representative—I’ve got to see you properly. Hehehehe, you’ve earned your rest, Moo-saeng.”
Though he’d taken adequate time to recover, he’d still labored harder than anyone from Floor 14 through Floor 25, and Park Hyun-gu meant to shoulder some of that burden, however slightly.
Kim Moo-saeng laughed softly at Park Hyun-gu’s jest.
“There’s nothing to have earned—we’re all just hoping things go well. Say, Driver, you know where the hotel is, yes?”
“Yes, yes, I’ll see you there safely. Why don’t you get some proper rest?”
Hearing Park Hyun-gu’s oddly smooth tone, Kim Moo-saeng smiled and leaned back in his seat.
And in that moment.
Buzz-buzz-buzz.
His smartphone vibrated.
Kim Moo-saeng shook his head and answered the call.
“It’s uncanny, absolutely uncanny. How many Geumseong people do you have planted in the Tower Common Lobby that you find out everything this fast?”
The caller was Geum Su-ah.
Kim Moo-saeng asked her half-jokingly, half-seriously.
―Oh? I was calling because I had something to tell you, Kim Moo-saeng. If you’re busy, I can call back later?
But Geum Su-ah replied without a hint of concern.
She had information to relay.
She’d known the call would go through once he left the Tower.
So she’d called him right away—what was the problem?
“No, no, I just came out of the Tower—what could I possibly be busy with? What is it?”
Faced with her efficiency-focused, pragmatic way of thinking, even Kim Moo-saeng had to concede defeat.
Geum Su-ah paused for a moment as if collecting her thoughts, then spoke.
―It’s One-Way. Once we suppressed Lee Jeong-gi’s side, the situation essentially ended.
“Ah, right. Now that you mention it…….”
Kim Moo-saeng had checked his phone the moment he’d exited the Tower, so he already knew.
[Geumseong’s counterattack has effectively concluded the situation. Lee Eun-woo recovery failed, Lee Jeong-gi whereabouts unknown.]
[I have also resigned from One-Way Group. Please refrain from contacting me henceforth. I wish peace upon your household.]
Jang Ha-guk had left that text message.
This was after they’d captured Lee Eun-woo and turned him over to Geumseong anyway.
Through Jang Ha-guk, they’d already extracted all the information about Floor 58 of the Southeast Asia One-Way Group.
Whether his connection to Jang Ha-guk severed or not was no concern to Kim Moo-saeng anymore, so it was just information he’d filed away.
―But we didn’t manage to catch Lee Jeong-gi completely. He just ignored the Nevada Treaty and came at us…….
Geum Su-ah was relaying that detail to Kim Moo-saeng precisely.
If anything, Kim Moo-saeng barely cared at all.
Whether Korea One-Way Group fell apart or what became of Lee Eun-woo…….
“Really? If you and Yoon Pyo stepped in—”
―But he escaped from my father?
“—Huh? What? Really? H-how?”
Yet there was something that jolted the half-reclining Kim Moo-saeng upright.
“How did he fight? What skills? The Oni is a hybrid of illusion and physical type to begin with, but—”
His obsession with information.
Never missing a single rumor or whisper—the elite Dungeon Sherpa!
Geum Su-ah chuckled and cut him off.
―Don’t start talking like some ability-obsessed fanatic.
“—It’s not like I’m some fanatic, but really…… No, promise you’ll tell me about it later?”
Moreover, Kim Moo-saeng himself was now an Awakener actively climbing the Tower.
The combat patterns and skill applications of those known to be the strongest could serve as clues for him as well.
With personal curiosity added to the mix, Kim Moo-saeng pressed Geum Su-ah several times over.
Geum Su-ah laughed once, then offered her conclusion.
―Right, I understand that, but anyway! Lee Jeong-gi fled and is currently being searched for. The Korea One-Way Group will effectively begin its dissolution. Since that’s what we’re negotiating with Southeast Asia One-Way about. So Lee Eun-woo’s situation is ambiguous…… We’re still keeping him in custody for now. If Lee Jeong-gi had been caught, we’d have handed him to the police or done something about it, but the situation’s a bit delicate. You understand what I mean?
Through Jang Ha-guk and Geum Su-ah, Kim Moo-saeng understood the situation completely.
Yet a question remained for him.
“Hmm…… So I don’t really have anything to do in all this, do I?”
―No? That’s right.
“Then why call me at all…….”
Why tell him this over the phone?
And she’s using Geumseong’s intelligence network to do it, finding out your condition the moment you step out of the Tower?
Kim Moo-saeng’s question left Geum Su-ah flustered instead.
―W-well, naturally I’d wonder about you! You caught Lee Eun-woo and stopped the hotel fire and everything, and I— Obviously it’s my duty— Wait, didn’t you want to know? Didn’t you want to hear about it? Was I the only one going crazy? I couldn’t reach you for four days, so of course—
It was a kind of report offered as repayment for his kindness.
She’d taken the trouble deliberately.
So why was he asking why she’d called?
As if he didn’t want her contact, as if he found it bothersome!?
The indignation in her voice came through even across the phone.
“I— I was curious, but to call right away like that— No, ahem, thank you. I didn’t mean I didn’t want to hear from you……”
Kim Moo-saeng found himself offering thanks and making excuses almost without thinking.
Geum Su-ah, startled as she was, didn’t let it slide.
―I honestly can’t— Anyway, now that the conference is over and One-Way is basically settled, please start preparing for Dungeon 67.
“Right, of course.”
―Of course?
“No, I mean I’ll go. Yeah, I have to go. I promised, after all.”
―……Well, I’ll confirm the date with you within the next day or two. We’ve already set up your usual room at the hotel, so just use it comfortably like before. I’ll hang up now!
He wasn’t sure whether to appreciate how meticulously she thought of everything, or not.
It was clearly goodwill, yet she seemed so flustered about not doing more that it left Kim Moo-saeng somewhat bewildered.
With the phone call ended, he shook his head slowly, holding the device.
Just as he was reaching for a drink to wet his throat—
Park Hyun-gu spoke up.
“Moo-saeng. Look… I know this isn’t the right time to say it.”
“Hmm?”
“Isn’t Geum Su-ah interested in you?”
Pfft—Kim Moo-saeng spit out the coffee he’d just been drinking.

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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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