I Conquered the Tower with the EX-Class Character That I Raised - Chapter 10

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

Chapter 10
The moment the man stepped into the room.
‘Ugh!’
My breath caught in my throat.
The weight of gravity crushing down on my entire body felt different—heavier.
Beyond the grotesque clown mask wearing that eerie smile, an absolutely staggering amount of mana was radiating outward.
Kang Hyo-jun was experiencing the sensation of every organ in his body being crushed simply by standing before this man.
‘Ugh… I can’t… I can’t breathe.’
Remote location or not, I was still the manager of the Black Market.
During my training period, I’d seen from a distance the EX-rank Hunter said to be the strongest on Earth—the God of War.
Even then, I hadn’t felt this primal, overwhelming terror.
‘On par with the God of War… no, even stronger than that…!’
Who on earth was this?
The question bloomed naturally in my mind.
A Hunter stronger than the God of War.
I’d never even heard of such a being.
Another EX-rank Hunter?
No, that couldn’t be it.
The other EX-rank Hunter besides the God of War was known to be non-combat oriented.
‘A being beyond EX-rank?’
Such a thing… didn’t exist!
‘I’m… dying…!’
Kang Hyo-jun desperately channeled his mana.
He forced mana into his compressed mana pathways.
He struggled with all his might.
“I came to sell some mana stones.”
The man tossed out his words in a voice devoid of all emotion.
After desperately channeling his mana, Kang Hyo-jun finally managed to respond.
He barely squeezed out an answer.
“…Yes.”
Once I stabilized myself, I felt considerably better.
‘Phew.’
Thud.
The man set down the massive object he’d been holding onto the floor.
‘!!!’
My eyes widened so far they nearly split.
Mana stones are classified into five total grades.
Similar to Hunter ranks, there are five: S, A, B, C, and D.
Among these, the Black Market only deals with the top three grades—S through B.
This is why B-grade mana stones are the most frequently traded grade at the Black Market.
When Kang Hyo-jun thought of “mana stones,” this was what came to mind.
But…
What that man had casually tossed down was far too large to be called a mana stone.
A B-rank mana stone was said to be the size of a child’s fist.
An A-rank was an adult man’s fist. An S-rank was a child’s head.
In an era where fruit was hard to find, even these comparisons had taken this form.
Yet this mana stone was the size of an adult man’s head.
It meant S-rank or higher in magnitude.
‘…At minimum, this means he hunted a boss monster from the 80th floor or beyond.’
Kang Hyo-jun’s eyes gleamed with sharp intensity.
And the purity of it—what was this?
There wasn’t a single blemish on its surface.
It was perfectly smooth.
‘…He took it down in one strike, with surgical precision and not a hair’s breadth of error.’
*Gulp.*
In this very moment.
Kang Hyo-jun cleanly erased his past treatment of the Alchemist as a “madman.”
This man was no madman.
‘He’s a monster.’
An unknown powerhouse that existed in no database whatsoever…!
“Is the appraisal complete?”
“…Pardon? Ah, yes.”
Kang Hyo-jun snapped back to attention.
“It’s at minimum S-rank.”
“I see.”
The man spoke without concern.
‘…S-rank, he says?’
At this level, it was enough wealth to purchase even that “Guardian” Han Seol-ah’s equipment—an astronomical value.
To casually toss such a treasure down like a pebble and remain so composed?
“…Would you like to exchange it for ‘Gold,’ the Hunter Association’s official currency? Since this isn’t through official channels, we do take a commission.”
“I don’t need Gold.”
‘…A hunter turning down Gold?’
A universal currency with which one could procure even the highest-tier artifact, the “National Treasure,” if one had enough?
“Then, perhaps cash…?”
“Not particularly interested in cash either.”
The man shook his head.
“It’s heavy.”
“…Pardon?”
“I’ll take goods instead.”
“What kind…?”
The man held up three fingers.
“There are three things I need immediately.”
“Yes.”
“First priority. An artifact that can conceal my identity. One with proven performance.”
Kang Hyo-jun’s mind raced rapidly.
There were many artifacts like that.
But he couldn’t casually suggest a low-value artifact to someone of this caliber.
‘Otherwise, my judgment as Market proprietor would be questioned.’
“It’s possible. We have an A-rank artifact called the ‘Shadow Mask’ in stock.”
The wearer can achieve complete concealment if they so choose, thanks to the supreme-tier concealment skill ‘Shadow Veil’, and
it’s inscribed with a face-changing ability, specifically the supreme-tier skill ‘Thousand Transformations’ that allows transformation into any desired visage.
It was once a Japanese national treasure and the equipment of a high-ranker.
That ranker died while climbing the Tower, and the artifact drifted within it before eventually reaching the Black Market—a supreme-tier artifact of the highest order.
A nod.
The man nodded with an expressionless face.
‘One down.’
Kang Hyo-jun wiped his clammy palms on his trousers and swallowed dryly.
“Second. Darknet access credentials. Highest grade.”
“I’ll issue them immediately. A highest-grade account—no, an ‘Administrator-grade’ account, which is even higher.”
Kang Hyo-jun swung hard again this time.
Administrator grade!
It was a super account that only the branch managers of Market could possess.
A grade capable of deleting posts and banning users—one that should never be granted to a regular user.
‘It’s an overreach, but… if I say I gave it up to satisfy the Alchemist, the higher-ups will understand.’
A nod.
The grotesque mask moved slowly up and down.
‘Good. Now only one remains.’
“Consumables needed for Tower climbing. Potions, food, miscellaneous tools. All premium grade.”
“….”
Tower climbing?
The unexpected proposal made Kang Hyo-jun’s thoughts pause for a moment.
‘Which Tower?’
With someone this powerful, they could clear any Tower if they set their mind to it.
Except for South Korea’s Tower.
‘Surely not South Korea’s Tower?’
…That place was a living hell that no one, no matter how strong, could ever clear alone.
‘It can’t be. Unless they’re going to commit suicide.’
Naturally, Korea’s 94th floor was out of the question. The next most difficult would be….
“Is there a problem?”
“Oh, no. It’s fine. Yes. I’ll prepare everything in premium grade. Including an airfare ticket to India, everything needed for climbing Tower floor 74….”
“The 74th floor?”
“…?”
‘…No way. Please tell me it’s not. Please.’
“Then where…?”
“The 94th floor.”
“…”
‘It really is the South Korea Tower. Insane.’
Kang Hyo-jun found himself momentarily speechless.
‘Is climbing to your death a hobby of yours?’ he wanted to ask…
“Ah, understood. I’ll prepare everything.”
A customer. And not just any customer, but a VIP with seemingly bottomless wealth. I couldn’t possibly refuse.
‘F-fuck. What do I even need to prepare for a 94th floor climb…?’
A nod.
Whether the man knew or didn’t know how frantically my mind was working.
He simply nodded without expression.
“About the remaining balance…?”
Even after accommodating all these demands.
There was still a substantial amount left.
I could have pretended not to notice and pocketed it.
But honestly, I was afraid of the consequences.
“Keep it.”
‘Does he think this is a bank?’
There’s no way a function like “keep the remaining balance” would exist.
“Yes. I’ll manage it carefully for you.”
But I simply nodded in response.
Now it exists.
Because I’ll create it.
A nod.
‘Phew. It’s over.’
Just as the man was about to leave after that final nod.
“Oh.”
At that single brief exclamation, my heart plummeted.
“…Sigh.”
“One last thing.”
The man turned back to face me.
“I need a forged identity.”
“…”
‘You should have mentioned this first!’
Even I couldn’t answer this one easily.
Creating a forged identity in South Korea?
It’s not difficult.
The difficult part is creating an identity that won’t be traced.
It’s because of Min Ji-hee, the Vice-Chairman of the South Korea Hunter Association—the “Iron-Blooded” one.
‘That lunatic has the complete personal information of every single Hunter in South Korea crammed inside her head.’
The moment I operate with forged credentials and show up on Min Ji-hee’s radar, I’m 100% exposed.
‘…What if I combine it with the Shadow Mask and assume the identity of a dead Hunter?’
Even that isn’t simple.
The “complete personal information of every Hunter” stored in Min Ji-hee’s mind includes even the dead ones.
The instant I’m caught masquerading as a dead Hunter, the moment her eyes fall upon me?
—You should have died 2 years, 3 months, and 14 days ago. That’s 836 days ago, during the 96th Break Defense Battle on the Namyangju Front.
…She would absolutely see through it.
“…I need time. I’ll find a way to make this work.”
For now, it’s impossible.
After reaching that conclusion, my thoughts naturally continued.
A normal Hunter would register with the Association and climb the Tower with full confidence and support.
Moreover, someone of this caliber would have every Hunter Association in the world scrambling to shower them with every benefit imaginable.
Yet here they are, deliberately coming to the Black Market.
Creating forged identification just to enter the Tower?
There was only one conclusion.
‘Infiltration.’
This monster must have something—something that requires covert execution while evading the surveillance of the Association and the state.
And that ‘something’…
…is certainly no trivial matter.
The hidden underbelly of the system, revealed for the first time since the Hunter era began.
That thrilling sensation of glimpsing such a clandestine secret.
Kang Hyo-jun’s heart pounded wildly.
“J-Just wait 30 seconds, please.”
Kang Hyo-jun moved without hesitation.
No questions asked.
Simply provide the ‘merchandise’ the customer desires and be done with it.
Thump-thump!
Kang Hyo-jun hurried downstairs.
The small transmission portal connected to the Black Market headquarters hummed.
Kang Hyo-jun typed rapidly on the keyboard linked to it.
Shadow Mask (Grade A).
Administrator-Tier Account Key (Newly Issued)
Premium Recovery Potion Set.
And then…
‘Let me throw in a little service.’
Spatial Expansion Bag (Grade S)
An artifact equal in price to the Shadow Mask, or even more expensive!
But now wasn’t the time to start calculating.
[What’s the price?]
“Administrator privileges. Please send the items first.”
[Confirmed]
Immediately after, sparks crackled and sizzled across the ordinary wall.
Pop!
A pitch-black Gate opened.
From beyond the Gate, the items Kang Hyo-jun had requested tumbled down in a cascade.
This was the secret the Black Market had been hiding.
The power to conduct ‘transactions’ across all space and time.
An ‘exchange’.
Kang Hyo-jun hastily stuffed the items into a spatial expansion bag and climbed back up.
“Here it is.”
Kang Hyo-jun placed the black bag on the table.
“For items that will help with Tower climbing… I’ve prepared a potion set for now. I’ll gather more information about what’s needed for climbing to the 94th floor and have everything ready.”
“I’ll come back tomorrow.”
“…Yes. I’ll have everything prepared by tomorrow.”
A bow.
Kang Hyo-jun lowered his head deeply in apology.
And the moment he raised his head again.
‘Huh?’
Where the man had been standing just moments before, there was no one.
Only the faintest trace of cold remained.
* * *
‘That was dangerous.’
Synchronization nearly deactivated on the way home.
‘The timing was so tight that I couldn’t even properly greet the manager before leaving.’
Fortunately, my time calculations were accurate.
I landed exactly where I intended, at my target location.
Right after, as Synchronization deactivated, my body reverted to that of an Unawakened.
“Phew.”
Muscle soreness rippled through my entire body.
It was an inevitable price for having drawn mana to heavily reinforce my entire physique.
“Let me check the items.”
The reason I returned to this place instead of home was simple.
The Appraisal Center—where artifacts could be appraised—was located here.
Whirr—
I opened the door to the Appraisal Center and stepped inside.
I passed through the empty lobby.
I pulled a plain mask with no markings from my bag and placed it on the appraisal device.
Ding!
[Shadow Mask]
[Grade A]
[Shadow Concealment] (Supreme)
[Thousand Transformations] (Supreme)
“Excellent.”
Exactly as the staff member had described.
An artifact to conceal my identity was my highest priority acquisition.
As I ascend the Tower, my identity will inevitably be exposed.
…But ‘I’ don’t exist in South Korea’s national database that was reorganized after the Hunter era began.
However.
If someone digs into the records from before the Hunter era, my identity will be revealed.
And naturally, they’ll discover I’m a mutation that shouldn’t exist in this age.
Then I won’t be seen as ‘humanity’s strongest savior Hunter,’ but as a ‘mysterious monster.’
A human without mana cannot exist.
The only lifeform without mana is a Demonic Beast.
‘Time for a performance test.’
As I placed the mask on my face, it adhered perfectly and comfortably.
It felt like wearing an extremely thin mask over my skin.
“Hah—huh.”
Breathing was completely unobstructed.
No moisture accumulated, no odors lingered.
And the moment of truth—the disguise performance.
I looked at my reflection in the mirror inside the Appraisal Center.
“Perfect.”
An utterly ordinary man’s face stared back at me—forgettable, with indistinct features.
“Mm. A satisfying purchase.”
I’d need to spend the remaining coins from selling the mana stones wisely.
‘I can always shop from home anyway.’
For the first time in ages… maybe I’d order some instant ramen?
“Heh.”
In that moment of hopeful anticipation.
Whirrr—
The sound of a door opening echoed.
“?”
My nape prickled with unease.
‘…Who could possibly be left in Incheon? That shouldn’t be possible.’
Everyone was conscripted or evacuated.
Incheon was an environment where no humans existed at all.
Yet the fact that someone had entered could only mean one thing.
‘…A monster.’
A guerrilla Gate had opened somewhere.
And a monster that emerged from that Gate had just entered the Appraisal Center.
‘….’
This was bad.
With Synchronization deactivated, I was nothing but a pathetic ordinary human without a shred of mana.
To activate Synchronization, I’d need to return home—a five-minute walk from here.
Moreover, the Appraisal Center was an open space with only backless benches and an appraisal device, and there was only a single entrance.
I couldn’t escape or hide…!
I felt cold sweat suddenly prickling the nape of my neck.
I turned around slowly.
And what I saw was.
‘People?’
Three people.
People I knew very well.
And one of them cried out loudly.
“Yes, Nebula!”
That trivial voice I had grown quite fond of.
And… she was calling out the nickname of my character—something I never imagined I’d hear in reality.
‘…Han Seol-ah?’
What are you doing here?

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