The Player that Can't Level Up

Gi-Gyu and Tae-Shik’s conversation continued for a long time. As Tae-Shik listened attentively, he frowned anxiously at times; at others, he looked at Gi-Gyu with obvious pride. When Gi-Gyu told him about what happened with Ironshield, Tae-Shik became furious.

Mentally replacing Gi-Gyu for himself, Tae-Shik felt as if he was tortured for days and swore, “Those bastards!”

Gi-Gyu smiled bitterly, feeling grateful for Tae-Shik’s empathy.

‘I’m so thankful hyung is here for me.’

Tae-Shik asked, “So Rogers Han did that? Toffee-nosed bastard! But, are you sure he’s really dead?”

“Well, I stabbed his neck, so I think so,” replied Gi-Gyu with a shrug.

“He’s a member of the Iron Guild, so you never know. There is still a chance he might be alive. I’ll look into it, so don’t worry too much about it. Anyway, about what happened…” Tae-Shik couldn’t finish his sentence as he hesitated. Gi-Gyu had just told him he killed a man. Now, any other normal human would’ve freaked out or even ran out straight away. Not Tae-Shik, though. He was actually more worried that the guy Gi-Gyu murdered, the Toffee-nosed bastard, could be alive. So, Gi-Gyu couldn’t help but find this conversation a little ironic.

When Tae-Shik stalled awkwardly, Gi-Gyu offered, “Please feel free to say whatever you want, Hyung.”

“I wanted to ask you if you’re okay. I mean, really, okay? That bastard deserved to die, of course. And if you hadn’t killed him, I certainly would have. But this is your first time killing someone, so…”

Gi-Gyu gave him another bitter smile and replied, “I actually feel perfectly fine, which is a little unsettling. But now that I think about it, I believe you might be right: He is probably still alive and kicking.”

Gi-Gyu’s eyes glowed at the prospect of killing his enemy again. Although Tae-Shik saw it, he didn’t say a word because this wasn’t his business to interfere. After a brief pause, Gi-Gyu continued to tell Tae-Shik about the rest of the story. When he was finally done, Tae-Shik's face wore an odd expression. He murmured, “So many unbelievable things happened to you.”

“Yeah, I know. It still feels like it was all just a dream,” said Gi-Gyu. His body still remembered the dreadful pain, so he knew it wasn’t just a dream.

Tae-Shik asked suddenly, “And what about the elixir you drank? Do you feel any different? Did you experience any miracles as your mother did?”

“I don’t know yet. Lucifer told me the elixir changes players slowly.”

“Hmm… I see.” Tae-Shik nodded.

“She explained that it’ll first improve my internals and then move on to the outside. She described it as my physical shell being reformed,” explained Gi-Gyu.

"I'm not familiar with the elixir, so I'm afraid I can't help you with that. Haa..." Tae-Shik mumbled, puzzled. "I can't believe you got yourself into such a precarious situation."

What Tae-Shik didn’t realize was that Gi-Gyu actually didn’t tell him everything. For example, Gi-Gyu didn’t tell him Lucifer’s true identity or his deal with her.

“But why did Lucifer help you? I mean, her personality is indeed unpredictable, but...” Tae-Shik murmured in confusion.

“You know Lucifer too, Hyung?” asked Gi-Gyu.

“I’ve seen her once from a distance. She was fighting at the time; let me tell you, she’s a completely different beast than the other high rankers. Lee Sun-Ho would’ve to get involved to bring her down.”

“Lee Sun-Ho?” Gi-Gyu jolted in surprise as he asked, “Is Lee Sun-Ho really that powerful? Enough to kill Lucifer?”

“Indeed. It wouldn’t be an overstatement to say Lee Sun-Ho is the strongest player in the world. I used to be a high ranker, so I know there are different levels even among the high rankers,” explained Tae-Shik.

In the past, Gi-Gyu only had a vague idea of what “strong” meant in this world. But now, things were very different for him because he had now seen high rankers battling with his own eyes. And although it was only once, he even exchanged blows with a high ranker. Just like Lucifer said, it was true that one could only see what one knew.

The high rankers were beastly beings; now, Gi-Gyu had seen that firsthand. They couldn’t be humans; based on what he had seen, he believed Lucifer had to be the strongest of them all. But to hear Tae-Shik say Lee Sun-Ho was just as powerful, or even more… It was beyond shocking and made goosebumps rise on Gi-Gyu’s arms.

Returning to the subject of Gi-Gyu’s mother, Tae-Shik offered, “For now, I’ll look into an appropriate hospital for your mother’s examination. I know a few doctors who know how to keep their mouths shut. So examining your mother privately shouldn’t be a problem for them. Also, I think we should take this opportunity to get you tested as well.”

“Me?”

“I’m saying you should get tested as a player. We have no idea what effect the elixir will have on you, right? And who knows how it could affect your Egos? On top of that, you still don’t know what that eye gift from Lucifer is.”

“That’s true,” answered Gi-Gyu with a nod.

“Ignorance could be a ticking time bomb in this case. Even antivenin can poison you if it isn’t used correctly. Our priority should be learning as much as possible about your new abilities. We can think about the consequences of everything later,” Tae-Shik suggested logically.

“Thank you, Hyung.”

Gi-Gyu didn’t doubt that Ironshield was going to come after him. Before that, he had to become as strong as possible if he wanted any chance of survival. One consolation, at least, was the promise Lucifer made before they parted.

‘Ironshield won’t find you for a while. I will make sure of it, so don’t worry about it. Just focus on getting strong.’

Lucifer didn’t elaborate further, but it was enough to reassure Gi-Gyu. Now that they were done discussing his recent adventure, Gi-Gyu asked Tae-Shik again, “So you haven’t answered my question. Do you like my mother?”

“Khoff, koff.” Tae-Shik coughed awkwardly, making Gi-Gyu smile. Gi-Gyu continued, “I know you don’t like her for her new younger and prettier look. I know you’ve been taking care of her all this time. I also heard you nursed her often when I wasn’t around.”

Tae-Shik blushed as Gi-Gyu encouraged him, “I’m all for it. Mom shouldn’t have to be alone anymore. And if it’s you, I don’t think I’ll feel guilty toward my dad. I’m not saying you should go get her right now, but you should do something if you really like her. You must realize that the way my mom looks right now, it wouldn’t be strange if men became interested in her. Don’t you agree?”

Gi-Gyu couldn’t help chuckling when he saw Tae-Shik’s ears turn red. Deciding he had teased the older man enough, Gi-Gyu took out something from his pocket and handed it to him.

“And here.”

“Hmm?”

It was apparent the pouch contained a crystal. Based on its size, it had to be a big one. Tae-Shik asked, “What is that?”

“It’s the second reward I got from Heryond. Open it.”

When Tae-Shik opened the pouch and saw what was inside, his face became rigid. He muttered, “Huh… So this was one of the rewards?”

“Yes, as you can see, it’s a yellow crystal. Its size and clarity suggest it’s probably of a very high grade. Its price would be too high for me to dispose of it myself.”

“T-that’s true,” Tae-Shik stammered.

Crystal values varied depending on their colors. Yellow crystals were one of the highest grade crystals, and there were less than 100 of them in the world. The scientists claimed that this crystal could be the key to creating a new kind of ultimate weapon. Their prices varied depending on their size and quality, but most sold for tens of billions of won.

Gi-Gyu said to Tae-Shik, “When you sell it, please keep half of the profit and give me the rest. I owe you a lot, so I hope this will be enough.”

“B-but this is too much,” Tae-Shik protested, but Gi-Gyu was firm on his decision. Even with half of the money, he knew he could pay off his family debt plus what he owed Blacksmith Hwang. After paying for all that, he would still be left with enough money that his family wouldn’t have to ever worry about money.

Gi-Gyu explained, “Without you, I would’ve died a long time ago. If you don’t accept this, I’ll never see you again, Hyung.”

Realizing Gi-Gyu wouldn’t budge, Tae-Shik nodded. He promised, “I will try to sell it at the highest price possible.”

“Thank you, Hyung.”

***

Gi-Gyu was once again impressed by Tae-Shik’s authority. Less than two days after they had dinner together, Tae-Shik was back with the names of the doctors and the hospital that could examine Gi-Gyu’s mother. He even figured out how to measure Gi-Gyu’s current abilities in private.

Currently, Gi-Gyu, Tae-Shik, and Su-Jin were waiting in a small building near Chuncheon city. Yoo-Jung couldn’t make it because she had to go to school. Unfortunately, she would also have to stay alone for a few days, as Gi-Gyu and Su-Jin had to undergo some tests. Gi-Gyu knew Yoo-Jung would be comfortable staying home alone while attending school regularly. After all, most of their family worries were resolved now.

A female doctor, who seemed well acquainted with Tae-Shik, approached Su-Jin and announced, “Mrs. Lee, please come this way.”

After Su-Jin walked away for her exam, Tae-Shik told Gi-Gyu, “Su-Jin’s examination will probably take less than a day, so don’t worry. It’s you we need to worry about.”

“So you’re calling her by her first name now?” Gi-Gyu joked.

“...”

“I’m just kidding, so don’t make that scary face at me, Hyung.”

“Haa…” Tae-Shik sighed deeply.

It had only been two days since Gi-Gyu drank the elixir, yet he was already noticing a difference. In the past, Gi-Gyu always had a hard time building muscle. When he worked as a guide, there was a time when Gi-Gyu worked out like a madman. He hoped to become stronger with exercise, which would’ve made it easier for him to hunt goblins. Unfortunately, Gi-Gyu’s body refused to bulk up, and his muscle strength never improved. He never discovered the reason behind this peculiarity; even if he did, he could've done nothing back then.

But since yesterday, Gi-Gyu could feel something was different about his body. He could feel his body bulking up slowly. His hair became a little darker, and he suspected he was a bit taller too.

Tae-Shik offered, “If the doctor gives you a clean bill of health, we can go to the Tower to see if you can level up now.”

“All right.”

Gi-Gyu was in no hurry to find out if he could level up. First things first, he had to confirm his basic abilities were okay. He had gone through this same test when he first became a player, so comparing the results could give him the changes easily. Testing his reflexes and magic functioning were next in line. The last thing to assess was going to be his player grade.

“I feel nervous,” Gi-Gyu said while his body was being examined for the tests.

“Even if nothing changed in your body, you will still have your Egos, right? We’re doing these tests just out of curiosity and nothing more,” comforted Tae-Shik.

“Yeah, I know. I guess I shouldn’t worry at all,” Gi-Gyu replied with a smile.

Soon after their conversation, Gi-Gyu’s tests began.

***

Heo Sung-Hoon from the association was the one who came to help with Gi-Gyu’s test. Sung-Hoon murmured, “Umm…”

“Are the test results that bad?” Gi-Gyu asked.

Gi-Gyu wasn’t sure if Tae-Shik brought Sung-Hoon because Gi-Gyu was acquainted with him already. Or perhaps there was more to Tae-Shik and Sung-Hoon’s relationship. But either way, Sung-Hoon put his best effort into Gi-Gyu’s tests.

Sung-Hoon replied, “No, they aren’t bad… They are vague.”

‘What is he talking about? ‘

When Gi-Gyu gave him a curious look, Sung-Hoon continued, “Your basic abilities are extremely high. They are actually beyond the normal human levels.”

“So, what’s wrong?” asked Gi-Gyu.

“They are high for a normal human, not for a player.”

“...”

Gi-Gyu wanted to smack Sung-Hoon just about now. It seemed Sung-Hoon hadn’t noticed Gi-Gyu’s annoyance because he continued, “Your reflex level is extremely high as well.”

“For an average non-player, that is?”

“Exactly. If you enter the Olympics right now, you’ll win all the gold medals. But as a player, I would say you’re at Level 10, at most.”

“...”

“The results for the other tests are about the same,” Sung-Hoon said, trying to explain the poor results without hurting Gi-Gyu. Gi-Gyu wasn’t too upset, though. In fact, this was what he expected since he was still only at Level 1 with essentially zero abilities. In addition, Gi-Gyu took these tests without any help from his Egos. So, these results were actually almost better than his expectations. After all, wasn’t it a good thing that he had a Level 10 player's might despite being a Level 1?

If he could level up at all, then his current condition was more than what he could ever hope for.

Sung-Hoon continued, “But your magic functioning level is through the roof.”

“How so?”

“In this category, you have tested higher than the ranker level,” replied Sung-Hoon. The magic functioning level measured how quickly and accurately a player could utilize their magic. Having a high level/score meant a player could activate and strengthen their skills faster.

Although Gi-Gyu didn’t have any active skills at the moment, he could get them someday in the future. So, this was certainly good news for him.

And the last thing to test was his grade. Sung-Hoon explained, “I brought an older machine today. It’s not the newest version, but it works fine. It will measure your approximate grade by estimating the amount of magic you hold.”

“I am aware of what it does,” Gi-Gyu replied.

“If a player’s level is high, then his magic level would naturally be high as well. Players at a low level with a high magic score usually have great potential. This is why the magical level is measured with the player’s current level in mind.”

“Alright.”

Gi-Gyu already knew how the machine worked, but he didn’t interrupt Sung-Hoon.

“Kim Gi-Gyu, you’re Level 1, correct?” Sung-Hoon asked.

“Yes, I am.”

Gi-Gyu had already told Sung-Hoon the gist of his situation. Tae-Shik highly recommended Sung-Hoon, and based on their past history, Gi-Gyu felt confident Sung-Hoon could be trusted. So, Gi-Gyu told him a few of his secrets and narrated a bit of what happened in the maze. Sung-Hoon was now aware of Gi-Gyu’s Egos and what happened with Lucifer.

Telling Sung-Hoon the truth was also essential after Gi-Gyu survived the Maze of Heryond. Sung-Hoon had been suspicious of how Gi-Gyu left the gate alive, so Gi-Gyu felt it was necessary to explain what had happened.

Sung-Hoon ordered, “Please take off all of your clothes and enter that capsule. You can’t wear any accessories either.”

“Of course,” answered Gi-Gyu.

The capsule was secretly airlifted to this place by Tae-Shik; thus, the test machine’s older version stood in front of them. Gi-Gyu slowly got undressed and entered it.

Ba-dum, Ba-dum…

Gi-Gyu’s heart pounded loudly as he waited. Although he knew he shouldn’t have high expectations, he couldn’t help hoping for a good result. So many things had happened recently, so perhaps he would receive a grade higher than an F.

Sung-Hoon instructed, “Now, hold your breath…”

Hup.

“Exhale now.”

Haa…

Bzzz…

Before long, white steam wafted from the capsule as its door opened.

“It’s done,” Sung-Hoon announced. It was such a simple test that Gi-Gyu felt pathetic for feeling so nervous. Then again, any player who went through this test was bound to feel anxious like Gi-Gyu.

Just then, Tae-Shik walked in and asked, “What? All done already?”

Sung-Hoon greeted Tae-Shik briefly and began to analyze Gi-Gyu’s magic functioning level. Tae-Shik walked up to Gi-Gyu and asked, “So, how were the test results?”

“Well, he said it was a little confusing and vague,” Gi-Gyu replied.

“Really? Well, that’s what I expected. I glanced at your results, and it looked like your basic abilities were pretty good. If you can level up, your growth potential is huge. And with your ability…” Tae-Shik contemplated for a moment before making a statement. Then, he said to Gi-Gyu, “I think you could become the next beast.”

The term “Beast” was what Tae-Shik and Gi-Gyu used to refer to an especially strong high ranker. Just then, Sung-Hoon walked up to Tae-Shik and Gi-Gyu. It appeared that he was done with his calculations.

When Sung-Hoon’s face looked tense, Gi-Gyu asked nervously, “Is the result awful?”

“N-no, that’s not it.” After taking a deep breath, Sung-Hoon replied, “Your grade has been measured to be SS.”

“Pardon?”

“That means you have the potential to become a high ranker.” When Sung-Hoon explained, Gi-Gyu gaped widely in shock.