The rooftop of a luxurious mansion.

"Excellent. At this rate, clearing the 24th Floor of HELL Difficulty should be smooth sailing. I just need to set the date for the Clear."

A red-haired man, holding a lit Cigar, burst into laughter. He was a man characterized by a gaze full of Madness and sharp teeth. He was draped in all sorts of accessories—not only a hyper-expensive watch worth tens of billions of won but also gold bracelets and necklaces so heavy they seemed excessive.

Leo Goodman, the "Mad Dog."

He was a HELL Player from the United States. Sitting on a sunbed on the rooftop, he tossed the Tablet he was holding into the distance. Crunch. The Tablet shattered as it hit the ground floor.

"Hmm."

As Leo picked up another Cigar from the table and flicked his fingers, a Butler dressed in a suit approached him.

"What happened with the investigation I asked for?"

At Leo's question, the Butler bowed his head and replied.

"Information regarding the whereabouts of Player Cheonha is still shrouded in mystery."

"What? How is that possible?"

"I attempted to locate him through Players specializing in Prophecy and Information, but they all repeatedly claimed he was impossible to find."

"They can't find a Player who just cleared the 1st Floor?"

"Yes, that is correct."

It was highly improbable that a Player who had only just cleared the 1st Floor possessed the Ability to block Information on their own. A smile formed on Leo's lips.

"It must be an incredibly impressive Class."

There was only one explanation for this. A top-tier Class. Specifically, one with Information-blocking capabilities. Furthermore, there was a high probability it was a Class that hadn't been discovered yet.

"Now I'm even more excited."

It was common knowledge that to Clear HELL Difficulty, one’s Class had to be substantial. Leo, known as the Mad Dog, possessed the Class 'Berserker of Red Blood.' Like the Saintess of Salvation, it was a top-tier Class treated as Tier 0.

In HELL Difficulty, you couldn't even make a name for yourself without a Class of that caliber. So, what could Cheonha’s Class be? It was certainly something to look forward to. It would surely be a Class that transcended common sense.

"Were you successful in contacting Cheonha?"

"Oh, absolutely."

Leo shrugged, the Cigar between his lips as he answered the Butler.

"Even though that noble Saintess likely tried to interfere, he had the guts to send me a message. I like that about him."

Leo exhaled smoke, his gaze sinking slightly.

"I ended up telling him the location where the Silver Bell of Oaths is hidden without even realizing it."

The Butler’s face darkened at those words.

"......Isn't that the bell used to summon the Monarch?"

"Yeah, exactly."

Within the Tower, there are NPCs known as the Four Monarchs. NPC stands for Non-Player Character, a term borrowed from games. They are neither Players nor Monsters, yet they possess intelligence and operate within the Tower.

Among them, the Four Monarchs were those at the absolute peak who had reached the top of the Tower in the distant past and held everything within it in their grasp. Though they were eventually enslaved by the Tower as a result, their majesty and Ability made them nothing short of living legends.

Leo's smile widened.

"If Cheonha has any backbone, he’ll meet the Eternal Monarch soon. Or perhaps he's meeting him already."

The silver bell was an Item used to summon the Eternal Monarch anytime, anywhere. However, if an unworthy person rings the bell, they are killed by the Eternal Monarch.

So, what constitutes worthiness? It was Aptitude. Aptitude as a Player.

The Butler swallowed hard at Leo's remark.

"Quite a few HELL Players have died that way... haven't they?"

If one lacks the Aptitude to satisfy the Eternal Monarch, they die. That was all there was to it. Leo snorted and twirled his Cigar.

"I didn't lie. It was their choice to make. Besides, nothing is free in the Tower."

If you survive after ringing the bell, you can obtain even better rewards. In exchange, the souls that hear the sound of the bell become corrupted. They rush at any human they discover, and the moment they touch a soul, the person's mind becomes severely contaminated.

"An ordinary Player would lose their mind and fall. Even if they survive, they wouldn't be able to face the Monarch in their right mind."

In such a situation, one had to meet the Monarch and have their Aptitude tested. In essence, the Player had to prove both their mental strength and their Aptitude before the Monarch.

"But you see," Leo laughed, baring his sharp teeth. "If you can't even overcome a test of that level, you have no right to climb HELL Difficulty. There's no need for it, and even if you do climb up, it won't matter."

He knew this well because he had experienced it firsthand.

"Brats with nothing but flashy Classes only end up dragging others down once they get up here."

HELL Difficulty is different from a standard Clear. A teammate's stupidity leads to total annihilation. A single moment's mistake becomes irreversible ruin. Those without Aptitude should never be let in from the start.

"Anyway, if Cheonha makes it back alive, we're recruiting him. Get ready."

"Won't he feel deceived?"

"If he's an idiot, sure. But if he's got a brain in his head, he'll realize it."

Leo's gaze was full of confidence.

"That we are superior in Information, capital, and Ability."

Grind. Leo harshly crushed his Cigar on the ground. He tilted his head toward the Butler.

"Where would you go if you were him?"

***

The Mad Dog, that crazy bastard... I seriously want to kill him.

[ You rang the bell, yet there is no one who rang it. How strange. ]

The Eternal Monarch, clad in black armor, slowly scanned the surroundings. The red eyes inside the Helmet flashed eerily.

It wasn't a joke; my body was actually trembling. I finally understood what it meant for the air to change just by someone's presence. Even though he was far away, the air felt like it was stinging my skin.

The Monarch’s gaze turned toward me once again.

'......'

Even though I knew he couldn't find me, cold sweat poured down my back.

[ There is no need to hide. If you lack Aptitude, I shall simply kill you. If you prove your Aptitude, there will be no problem. ]

The Monarch was looking toward the area where the chest was located. Since I was a Player, where I would be was probably obvious.

......I'm seriously torn. Should I just reveal myself? No, that’s dangerous. The risk was too high. If I didn't have the worthiness he demanded, I was a dead man.

'As if I'd have something like "worthiness" in the first place.'

I had only just started climbing the Tower. There was no way I could be prepared with worthiness or anything of the sort. Staying hidden wouldn't solve the problem either, but...

'Let's just stay put for now.'

I was still using Stealth. It was definitely working. The question was how far it would hold up. Regardless, it was better than just dying a dog's death.

[ Where are you hiding? Come out. ]

Clank, clank.

The Eternal Monarch began walking across the bridge toward me. With every step he took, a faint vibration was felt through the ground. I moved behind the chest.

The Eternal Monarch is an NPC. He wouldn't destroy a chest that provides a reward. Because that is the rule of the Tower. Please, let it be so.

[ ...... ]

My heart was thumping like crazy. Should I reveal myself now, or stay still? In the midst of my serious agony—

[ I thought you would be here. ]

The Eternal Monarch stopped exactly in front of the wooden chest. For a split second, I had the illusion that those red eyes inside the Helmet met mine.

Is he looking this way? No, I can't be sure. He was just standing there, but the energy radiating from him made me grimace involuntarily. It felt like a sharp blade scraping against my skin.

Given the performance of Stealth, it should have been fine even if I made a sound, but I held my breath as much as possible and endured the pain. I felt like I shouldn't give him even the slightest opening.

A mere five seconds felt like hours to me.

[ ......I cannot find you. ]

Fortunately, the Eternal Monarch turned around first.

'S-Saved.'

I found myself once again grateful for the incredible performance of Stealth. Stealth that even a Monarch couldn't detect. It was at that very moment of relief.

[ However, you must be somewhere here. Is that not so? ]

Standing before the bridge, the Monarch raised a black sword. Whooooosh—. A dark energy began to instantly converge toward the sword, and then—

BOOOOOOM—!

An explosion that seemed to shake the entire space occurred. Thick dust rose up like a heavy fog.

'......What did he just do?'

Swish! The Monarch’s sword instantly cleared the thick dust. The scene revealed was... a collapsed bridge and the ground on the other side completely shattered. It was a scene of pure destruction.

'This is insane.'

My way back to where I came from had vanished. The old door remained attached to the opposite cliff, but the very ground to step on was gone. The gaze of the Monarch, who had drifted into the air, turned toward me.

It wasn't that my Stealth was caught... he was likely just guessing. Since the ground I was standing on was perfectly intact, I could tell he had gone easy on me.

The Monarch spoke in a cold voice. It was a powerful voice that seemed to pierce through my mind.

[ Survive on your own and prove your Aptitude. ]

Whatever that damn Aptitude is.

The Monarch took off a necklace he was wearing around his neck and tossed it into the air.

[ I shall substitute the test of Aptitude with a Token. ]

Slide—. The necklace flying through the air caught onto the handle of the old door on the opposite cliff. The place I had come from. Did he mean that if I get my hands on that, my Aptitude would be recognized?

[ However, there is no next time. Be sure to show yourself when you ring the bell. ]

With those final words, the Monarch flew through the air toward the massive Castle. How long did I wait until he completely disappeared?

"Haa......"

I collapsed onto the ground, exhaling the breath I had been holding. Sweat was pouring down like rain from the tension.

'I thought I was going to die.'

I wasn't joking; I really could have died. It was the first time I truly felt what "killing intent" was. I looked at the collapsed bridge and the land on the other side.

'I survived, but...'

It wasn't a distance I could reach by jumping. The ground on the other side had simply been obliterated. It looked like the door was just hanging precariously from the cliff. The red-glowing Token hanging from the doorknob sparkled.

How on earth am I supposed to get there?

'Should I have just shown myself?'

The thought crossed my mind for a moment, but I pulled myself together. No, this was for the best. I wouldn't know the answer anyway, since I didn't know what kind of Aptitude the Monarch wanted. Obtaining a chance was better than dying a dog's death.

I’d have to figure out how to cross over from now on, but in many ways, it was too early to despair.

'Let's Check the chest first.'

I placed my hand on the chest surrounded by a silver current. If I was lucky, I might get a useful Item from here.

The Items inside revealed themselves.

Boots and a Robe. And a Skill Acquisition Ticket. Both the boots and the Robe were Rare+ grade. The faint glow made them feel like they were made of the highest quality fabric.

They even had quite good options attached. They felt perfect for a Rogue Class. I put on the boots and the Robe. Since Items adjusted to my body size, they weren't uncomfortable.

'The rewards aren't bad. They aren't bad, but...'

Rare+ grade Items easily cost tens of millions of won each. Their value was even higher in HELL Difficulty, where you couldn't bring in other Items. Moreover, I heard this level of defense could block most blades.

There was no doubt they were high-performance. Yet, why did it feel lacking?

'I almost died meeting a Monarch, and this is it?'

I searched all the way to the bottom of the chest, but nothing else came out.

'Tch.'

Actually, considering the Difficulty of a Hidden Place, it was only natural. All I had to do was cross a bridge where vengeful spirits were wailing. If I hadn't rung the bell, the reward would have been worse than this.

'Right, this is plenty.'

Anyway, I had acquired all the rewards. Now it was time to turn my eyes back to reality.

'The problem is how to get out of here.'

I looked back and forth between the broken bridge and where I was. Should I say it was fortunate? There was a way to get to the other side. A few methods came to mind.

First. It seemed possible to reach the old door by circling around if I climbed the cliff to the left. In short, rock climbing.

'......Could I even hold on?'

I've never done anything like climbing. I've only seen it on TV. The probability of falling and dying is 99.99%.

'Am I crazy enough to go kill myself?'

The second method seemed more plausible.

'Just waiting.'

Wait for the Penalty time limit. If I wait here for 20 hours, I'll be dragged to the 2nd Floor of HELL Difficulty. Then I might naturally escape this place.

'The problem is......'

I wondered if things would really go as I thought. I couldn't rule out the possibility of something else crazy happening due to the system. This was a Hidden Place inside the Tower, after all. There was a chance the system might malfunction like before. I wanted to avoid receiving a double Penalty.

The last option was entering the Castle seen on the right.

'That's a no-go.'

The Castle on the right was tall and sturdy. Its outer wall was smooth, without a single handhold. I might find an entrance if I circled the perimeter, but... the Eternal Monarch had gone that way. So, it was out of the question.

'......'

I checked the ticket in my hand.

It gives a Skill ranging from Normal to Rare grade. It can't be helped. I'll decide after seeing the Skill.

Rip!

I tore the ticket without hesitation. Flash! A faint radiance spread out.

"......"

Was it a prank of fate? It came out immediately. The Wall-Climbing Skill.

"Haa."

Even just a Rare grade was considered quite good within the Tower. If I were a Mage, I would have been able to use something like lightning magic. Yet, to get only Wall-Climbing with such a Rare Skill.

In any other situation, I would have been angry, but the problem was that given the current circumstances, it felt okay.

'Dammit.'

I wanted it, but I'm not happy. I stared at the dizzying cliff. One mistake and I fall into the abyss—life over. It was a crazy gamble with MAX risk.

Should I trust the Skill and climb the rock? Or wait out the time and leave it to the system?

"Haa."

I let out a sigh and placed my hand on the wall. Let's just do a quick Check. To see how well I can climb. I can decide after that.

No matter how much talent I have as a Rogue... surely I wouldn't be that good at climbing walls.