How many times does a modern person in the 21st century actually have to climb a wall?

In reality, never. It was safe to say it just didn't happen. So, I figured even if I tried to climb one, how good could I possibly be?

I was good. Ridiculously good.

Swish, tak!

It wasn't just climbing; it was practically acrobatics.

'Holy crap.'

I had never gone rock climbing in my life, but the moment the skill activated, the ability felt as natural as if I’d practiced it since birth. Grabbing onto jagged rock crevices and corners, I scaled five meters in an instant.

'…Skills really are something else.'

No matter how much aptitude I supposedly had, it had turned an ordinary person into a master climber in a heartbeat.

Hovering five meters up, I looked at the weathered door on the opposite cliff. It was a single door hanging on a precipice with absolutely no foothold. To get there, one would normally have to climb the right wall and take a long, circular route.

'I think I can just cross over like this.'

It wasn't empty bravado. Even though I was clinging to a sheer drop, it felt no different than walking on safe, level ground. Climbing the cliff felt as easy as breathing.

'I guess I really do have the aptitude for a Rogue.'

There was no need to hesitate. No one is afraid of walking on flat ground, after all. I began to move across the cliffside. I moved so skillfully that my previous fear of falling to my death seemed laughable.

Tap, tat.

Whenever I reached for the rock face, I instinctively knew exactly how to hang on. There were sections that required somewhat strained movements, but...

'If I just put my foot there and move, I should be fine.'

I traversed the cliff with incredibly light movements.

Crumble.

"Whoops."

Occasionally, weak sections of the rock crumbled unexpectedly, but it wasn't a problem. Now, I could hang from the cliff easily with just one hand. The very sensation of "falling" had vanished. Granted, looking down still offered a dizzying view.

'Let's not get careless.'

In truth, it wasn't an easy course. Even with the Master of Wall-Climbing skill, I had to climb for nearly an hour. Fortunately, there were places to rest in between, allowing me to catch my breath.

Finally, I reached the weathered door.

'Phew.'

I carefully retrieved the red necklace hanging from the doorknob. It was an item left behind by the Eternal Monarch.

---

---

My eyes widened as I read the description.

'Wait… what is this?'

I had just obtained an incredible item. It wasn't even something I had to equip; just having it in my inventory boosted all my stats by 20%. Since I obtained it in HELL Mode, its value was doubled.

'Does this mean ringing the bell was actually a good idea?'

The thought crossed my mind for a moment, but I quickly shook my head. "Good idea" my foot. I didn't want to do that a second time. If my luck had been just a little worse, I'd be dead.

I carefully tucked the necklace into my inventory.

'…Let’s head inside for now.'

I pushed open the old door on the cliff and stepped inside.

Step.

Feeling solid ground beneath my feet finally put my mind at ease. Humans really are meant to be on the ground. I decided to take a short break before heading up, giving my aching arms and hands a rest.

I sat in front of the stairs and opened the system Community.

'I need to look into the Eternal Monarch.'

I was curious if anyone else had experienced what I did, and I wanted to know if it was actually safe to face him now that I had the Token.

---

---

There weren't that many related posts. While the Monarchs were famous, they didn't reveal themselves to Players very often. I found one post that looked decent.

To summarize: the Eternal Monarch had cleared the stage on their behalf.

Strangely, it made sense. When the Eternal Monarch appeared for me, I thought it was some kind of natural disaster.

'But thinking back…'

As soon as the Eternal Monarch appeared, the Corrupted Souls on the bridge were cleared away. It looked like the souls fled on their own, but the result was the same.

What if that silver paper was meant for requesting help from the Eternal Monarch?

'If the reward increase was just a side effect, and the real effect was a distress signal…'

Then the post about the Monarch clearing the tower for them was understandable. And the Monarch’s words about "checking for qualifications" made a bit more sense too.

I re-examined the necklace I had just put in my inventory.

'If it says I’ve gained the right…'

Maybe if I have this Token, it’s actually okay to ask the Eternal Monarch for help? It was practically like getting a free floor clear.

'…That’s totally broken.'

Of course, it assumed I could find the silver paper, but still. Mad Dog… that bastard. He wasn't lying. That just made me even angrier.

'I’d love to just block him.'

But that would be my loss. The information Mad Dog possesses is essential to me. At the very least, I needed to pry out what he knows.

'I won't forget this, Mad Dog…'

When I go back, I’ll use the fact that I almost died as leverage to get more information out of him.

'Oh, right.'

Since I was already on the Community, I decided to see how the "Master of Wall-Climbing" skill was being rated. Honestly, I liked it. After all, it was the skill that saved my life.

---

---

Unfortunately, it was nothing but posts of lamentation.

'This too, huh…'

The perception that Rogues were trash didn't come from nowhere. The biggest issue was that useless utility skills were hidden like traps. A Rogue who learned "Master of Wall-Climbing" versus a Warrior who learned "Tireless Body"—it was obvious who would be stronger.

In a Tower where monster slaying is the priority, the Rogue's standing was bound to be precarious. If I could find any consolation...

The idea that Rogues are bad only applied to Hard difficulty and below. Maybe it was different in HELL Difficulty. Just looking at this incident, Wall-Climbing was incredibly useful. At least for me.

Through the old door, I looked at the massive castle on the other side. That was where the Eternal Monarch had headed.

'…If it’s now, I might be able to climb it.'

Was that the castle where the Eternal Monarch lived? I didn't know, but something definitely existed inside. Maybe some great item was hidden there.

I soon shook my head. Excessive curiosity is poison. I should only focus on clearing the 2nd Floor.

I stood up from the stairs.

'Shall I go up?'

Outside, the trial of the 1st Floor hadn't ended yet. The moment I left the Hidden Place, the Goblins would start moving again, so I couldn't let my guard down. After double-checking my Stealth status, I began to climb the stairs.

Creeeeak—

As I pushed open the old attic door at the end of the spiral staircase, the sweltering heat of the HELL Difficulty field rushed in.

As I fully emerged from the hole, the Goblins—which had been frozen like gray statues—began to move again, just as I expected.

Time began to flow once more.

Kiek, kieeek!

The Goblins were scurrying around searching for me, just as they were when I first entered.

'I should stay in a quiet corner so I don't get caught.'

I figured I’d be fine as long as I watched out for the Goblin Leader.

Kiruk, kiruk.

With a deep scowl, the Goblin Leader was scanning the surroundings with a serious expression. The blue magic power burning on its blade was still threatening.

However… I didn't feel the same sense of intimidation as before. My heart wasn't pounding, and I wasn't trembling.

'Is it because I just met the Eternal Monarch?'

I suppose you could say my courage had grown.

'…'

I checked the dagger in my hand. Only then did I realize.

'I don't actually need to run away, do I?'

The Stealth skill I possessed was an ability that even a Monarch who ruled the Tower couldn't detect.

Kirruk.

The Goblin Leader let out a cry, looking bothered. It was likely pondering the anomaly of the Player suddenly vanishing.

'Thinking coldly, I have the overwhelming advantage.'

Stealth and Ambush. I had already confirmed what kind of effect the combination of these two skills could produce.

Step, step.

I made up my mind. I started walking toward the Goblin Leader. Even when I was only a few paces away, the creature had no clue I was nearby. I slipped behind it and raised my dagger.

'The goal of the 1st Floor is survival, but… if I can achieve more than that.'

Vrooom—

Gray smoke began to rise over the blade.

'The Tower might give a corresponding reward. Just like the Eternal Monarch left the necklace.'

One thing was certain. Now that I was wearing armor and the red necklace that boosted my stats, I no longer needed to hide.

Thwack!

The dagger, thrust in a straight line, pierced the Goblin Leader's neck.

Kieeeeek?!

I felt the resistance against the blade. The creature shrieked. Its defense must have been high, as it didn't die instantly. But now that I’d come this far, I couldn't stop.

Squelch. I drove the blade deeper into its nape.

At that exact moment—

Boom!

The Goblin Leader shattered and scattered into the air. Drip. Only the red blood that hadn't been absorbed into the smoke soaked the ground.

'…'

I got him. It was absurdly simple. He wasn't nearly as strong as I had imagined.

Kieek?

Kiruk…?

At the leader's death, every Goblin on the field turned toward where I stood. They stared at the spot where their leader had died with expressions of disbelief.

I flicked the blood off my dagger.

The Tower responded.

'Since I’ve come this far, I might as well see it through to the end…'

I turned my gaze toward the other Goblins. I planned to hunt every last one of them.

Dash. I kicked off the ground and sprinted. I tore across the field, swinging my dagger at the Goblins.

Stab, splash—!

It wasn't difficult. All I had to do was run and plunge my dagger into them.

Kieek! Kieeeek!

Whether they were frozen in panic or running away in terror, I killed them all without exception. An invisible horror overtook them. With their leader—their focal point—dead and gone, the remaining Goblins began to flee in total chaos.

As I dashed across the ground, I suddenly realized something.

'…I’ve become much faster than the Goblins.'

When I first entered HELL Difficulty, the Goblins were definitely faster than me. This was the result of the stats I’d gained clearing the 1st Floor and the new items I’d acquired.

Shhh-pow!

Because of that, it didn't take long to catch them all. I slaughtered every single Goblin on the 1st Floor. Not a single one remained.

"Haah, haah…"

Before I knew it, I was covered in blood. I had been sprinting at full speed to beat the clock, and my breath was ragged. But there were no more monsters left on the field.

'I did it.'

I felt refreshed. Instead of barely surviving by hiding, it felt like I had truly fought and won this time.

Ting—!

I tossed my dagger aside and collapsed onto the ground. The searing heat soaked into my body, but thanks to my armor, I was fine.

"Haaa…"

I panted as I read through the messages.

'A Legend-grade clear, huh.'

The corners of my mouth curled up. Surviving HELL Difficulty was an achievement in itself. But to have wiped out every single monster... I could certainly look forward to the reward.

That was when it happened.

"Huh?"

An unexpected message appeared. Suddenly, in the center of the field, a black chess piece appeared accompanied by a brilliant white light.

A Knight. A piece with the head of a horse.

'What is this? Reward Enhancement?'

Before I could even examine it closely, the piece dissolved into the air with an intense burst of black light.

Flash—

Wait. Something just happened.

So… it was saying that in exchange for raising the difficulty, it would increase the rewards.

I blinked. I couldn't believe it.

…Was this for real?

***

The message appeared before the eyes of every Player across the world.

"…What?"

The Saintess of Salvation, Shin Ah-rin, saw the message as well. Her eyes shook as if an earthquake were happening inside them.

"HELL+? For real?"

At the moment, the highest known difficulty of the Tower was HELL. That was as far as public knowledge went. However, the Hell Players knew—they knew that a difficulty above HELL existed.

Yet, even the Hell Players, who were rumored to be insane, hadn't dared to challenge that higher difficulty. The reason was simple: it was impossible.

The condition to unlock the higher tier of HELL Difficulty was to kill every single monster on the 1st Floor. It was an absurd requirement. It was virtually impossible for a Player who had just finished Awakening to slay 22 Goblins and one Knight-class Goblin.

Even with a powerful Class, it was a daunting challenge. This was especially true in this world. Until the Tower arrived, this was a world where supernatural powers, magic, and miracles didn't exist.

And yet, Cheonha had done it. Not even half a day after he started clearing the 1st Floor.

'He really killed them all…?'

Saintess Shin Ah-rin’s hands began to tremble. She couldn't believe it.

Cheonha’s Class was Rogue. Not a Warrior, not a Mage, but a Rogue. A Trash job that barely had any combat skills. This meant Cheonha had wiped out all the 1st Floor monsters with a class like that.

'Just what kind of monster is he…?'

She couldn't even imagine it. HELL Difficulty was a place where even the most renowned special forces operatives were chewed up and spat out. She began to doubt if he was even the same species.

With trembling hands, Shin Ah-rin began to compose a message. The recipient, of course, was Player Cheonha.