The Player that Can’t Level Up

On a desolate land, several figures stood together.

“We’re on the fourth floor—the last tutorial floor. You’ll have to clear a test once you enter the fifth floor. And you will stop being newbies after clearing that test,” a tall, handsome young man announced as he looked at the group.

As soon as the man finished, one girl raised her hand. “Mr. Guide! Mr. Guide!”

“Go ahead.”

“My mom said we could die on the test floor if we made a mistake there. Is that true?” asked the girl, who looked pretty young.

The man grinned and replied, “Of course. That’s why you must be cautious.”

“Come on!” The rest of the group laughed. “You’re lying! It may be a test floor, but Eden controls it! Why would Eden kill anyone?”

“What?! Mr. Guide, were you teasing me just now? But my mom said I need to be careful on the test floor…” the young girl murmured, looking confused.

The group booed the guide teasingly. The guide replied, “Haha, you’re correct. It may be a test floor, but since Eden maintains it, you don’t have to worry about casualties. I can’t believe you didn’t know such a basic fact. You might have to go through the course all over again!”

“If you’re teaching the course, I’m in!”

“Me too!”

The group’s reaction indicated that the guide had a good reputation.

The guide replied, “I’m just kidding. You guys are all excellent, so I am not worried about sending you to the test floor. But you might lack basic information, so shall we go over a few things again?”

“Okay!”

The group sat around the guide. The group of ten, consisting of both males and females of diverse ages, had not only humans but also beings with unique physical attributes. Two had white wings, one had a horn on their forehead, and one appeared monstrous. Despite their differences, they all seemed to have a harmonious relationship.

“Now, if you answer these three questions correctly, we’ll go to dinner together after you pass the test floor. How would you like that?” the guide suggested.

“All right! But can we each also ask you a question?” one group member asked. The guide smiled, enjoying the students' enthusiasm.

“Of course. I’ll ask the first question.” The guide seemed very experienced because he led the group professionally. The other groups watching quietly began talking among themselves again.

The guide asked, “What do we call people with special powers and the ability to climb the Tower?”

“Come on! That’s too easy!”

“Players! They’re called the players!”

One of them with glasses added, “Players are born with this power. They have a status screen and a special power. A few even have something called a unique ability.”

“That’s correct.” The guide nodded.

“Then it’s our turn to ask a question, right? What level are you, Mr. Guide?” someone asked in excitement.

The guide flinched and then replied, “I’m level 1.”

“Huh? Only level 1? But you saved us from danger so many times! We thought you must be at least level 30!”

“Because I only stay on the tutorial floors, I know their monsters very well. If you know their weaknesses and how to kill them, you can hunt the monsters easily, even if your level is low,” the guide explained.

The player with glasses asked, “Does that mean… that one can become powerful even if their level is low?”

The guide calmly answered, “It depends on the situation, but… It differs based on how hard you work. Your efforts matter the most.”

The guide was momentarily deep in thought before he shook his head and said, “Let’s move on to the second question. What are the monsters?”

“Ah! I think I know the answer…!” Some students whispered, but this appeared to be a difficult question because none offered to answer.

"They're composed of malice," the student with glasses said confidently. "I've heard the malice from the people and destroyed dimensions gathered to form these monsters. That's why we must keep climbing the Tower, killing the monsters, and closing the gates that keep appearing."

“...!”

“Wow… He’s so smart!”

The other students seemed impressed.

“Excellent answer.” The guide nodded. “They are simply the manifestation of negative emotions, and that’s why they appear in various forms. But they have no consciousness and act purely on their malicious intent. This is why we must hunt them and maintain the balance in this world.”

“Our turn now! You must have an important title in Eden, Mr. Guide. So, who are you?” Every newbie here wanted an answer to that question. Eden maintained all the guides, and this guide was the most famous of them all. He had been a guide for a very long time and seemingly held a high position inside Eden. All newbies considered him a legendary figure. Everyone here was curious about him.

‘We’ll find out the answer today!’ The students were determined to solve this mystery. Whoever found his identity would ultimately conquer the Tower, or at least that was what the rumor said.

The guide cautiously said, “I am… a guide. I don’t know how this rumor started, but Eden just takes good care of me, that’s all.”

“Come on…!”

“Please tell us the truth! Please!”

The students begged, but the guide smiled and replied, “This is the truth.”

Suddenly, a strange aura enveloped the group.

“...?” This odd energy forced all the students to become quiet. A strange silence fell, and it was the guide who broke it.

“Last question. Why must the players climb the Tower?”

“Ah!” The students exclaimed and answered simultaneously, “Because we must kill the monsters and conquer the Tower to become strong!”

“And why is that?”

“That’s…” The students looked at each other in confusion. “To prepare for the unexpected…? Huh? Why can’t we remember…?”

The students were stumped. They knew climbing the Tower was crucial, but they couldn't remember why. Then, the student with the glasses simply stated, "We must become stronger. That's reason enough."

The guide only laughed, and another silence fell. After a few minutes, the guide asked, “If you don’t have any more questions, can we wrap this up for the day?”

“Ah!” The students jolted. They indeed had one last question. “Mr. Guide… Do you have a girlfriend?”

The guide grinned.

***

A figure walked along the well-lit hallway. He walked confidently, seemingly familiar with the place. The figure was the guide from earlier, and perhaps because of the bright light, he looked even more striking.

He stopped in front of a door and knocked.

“Come in,” Someone inside answered. With a click, the door opened.

The guide walked in and reported, “The lesson went well today. The student named Kim Nam-Hyun is good.”

“You mean the one with the glasses?” the man, seemingly in charge, asked.

“Yes. That one has great potential and likely a unique unawakened ability. I think we should keep our eyes on him.” The guide bowed before turning around.

They were inside the President of Eden’s room. The headquarters of Eden, the organization that had united the world, was located here. And that man ran the entire place. He was an important figure, yet the guide acted familiarly toward him.

“Wait!” The president yelled. The nameplate on his desk shined, displaying his name.

[Heo Sung-Hoon]

President Heo Sung-Hoon respectfully asked the guide, “Are you going there today?”

The guide looked down and replied, “I guess I should. After all, this doesn’t occur often.”

The guide’s tone indicated that he held a position higher than the president, which didn't make sense. Nevertheless, the two appeared to be at ease with this dynamic.

Sung-Hoon muttered, “I’m almost done for the day too. I knew being the president would be hard, but I had no idea how busy I would be.”

“But wasn’t this your choice?” The guide smirked.

Sung-Hoon nodded and answered, “Indeed… That’s why I know I have to work even harder. The car is ready, and I’ll be leaving soon. Will you go with me?”

“Sure.” Sung-Hoon quickly finished up his duties and stood up. The two men walked to the headquarters’ entrance together. They were well-known figures, yet no one recognized or greeted them on the way, thanks to the cognitive impairment barrier.

“Every time you do this, I can’t help but be impressed,” Sung-Hoon said with awe.

“But you can do it too, can't you?” The guide smiled.

“Even I can’t put a cognitive impairment barrier over an entire district.”

“Hmph. Stop grumbling.”

It seemed that the guide and Sung-Hoon were fairly close. Soon, they arrived in front of a big car. It was the rarest and most expensive car in the world and belonged to Eden's president.

Sung-Hoon opened the door for the guide. “Please, go ahead.”

“Thanks.”

Sung-Hoon quickly got in the driver’s seat.

***

“We’re here,” Sung-Hoon announced. They had arrived at a giant riverside mansion. Sung-Hoon parked, and they both exited the car.

Watching the many cars parked around him, Sung-Hoon murmured, “I guess many people came.”

"It seems like everyone is present today," the guide noted as he sensed the different energies within the mansion. The mansion had many shut doors, but they never once had to stop to knock or ring the bell. The gates automatically opened, recognizing their presence.

When they finally arrived at the front door, Sung-Hoon called out, “We’re here.”

“Everyone has been waiting for you! You are late!” A little girl suddenly appeared on Sung-Hoon’s shoulder.

“How have you been, Brun?” asked Sung-Hoon.

“Fine! Everyone’s waiting! You two are the last ones to arrive!” Brun glanced at the guide.

The front door, which looked a little too small and shabby for the size of the mansion, opened. However, the space it revealed was unexpectedly huge.

“Yay!”

“You’re finally here!”

“Now we can eat!”

“I’m starving!”

Several figures burst out happily when they saw Sung-Hoon and the guide. The mansion's interior was much bigger than it looked from the outside, and it was filled with guests of various species. Many stared at the guide and yelled, “Wow, he’s here too?!”

“Uwah! I guess we’re going to have a party tonight!”

Suddenly, everyone stopped what they were doing. Even those happily calling out to the guide quieted down. All because of one man who tapped the guide’s shoulder and greeted, “Hey. You came.”

“Yeah,” the guide answered nonchalantly.

The atmosphere turned a little tense as everyone watched them. Next, they all heard an abrupt thud as a man with a giant halberd on his back knelt on the floor and shouted, “Grandmaster!”

A figure made of bones also knelt. Many others also followed suit and greeted, “Greetings to our god!”

“Gosh, must we do this every time?! Just stand up already!” ordered the man, supposedly the god and grandmaster.

Hal wiped his nose and rose. The eyes of Hal and the other loyal Egos were clear and filled with adoration.

Beside their master stood a man and a woman. These three were powerful enough to change the world if they wished.

“Lou, El. Go ahead and eat. I’ll join you soon,” Gi-Gyu suggested.

“Hmph.” Lou seemed unimpressed.

“Of course.” El bowed respectfully.

Turning toward the guide, Gi-Gyu asked, “Can we talk for a moment?”

Sung-Hoon smiled at them and offered, “I’ll give you some privacy.”

Gi-Gyu escorted the guide out of the banquet hall and to the terrace. From here, they could still see everyone and began chatting.

Gi-Gyu asked, “I guess you’ve adapted well.”

“Yeah, it was easier than I thought.”

“I’m glad.”

“What about you? Are you still at the same level?” asked the guide.

Gi-Gyu smiled and didn’t answer. After some time, he replied, “I know that’s not what you really want to ask me.”

The guide nodded and asked, “Are you happy with your new life? Everyone forgot what you did for them. You saved the world and continue to improve it. You’re still doing it, yet…”

The guide frowned and continued, “They have completely forgotten about you. They forgot your accomplishments and sacrifices. Are you content with that?”

Gi-Gyu smiled faintly and answered, “But people remember the others.”

He watched those enjoying the banquet and continued, “Sung-Hoon is the head of Eden. Old Man Hwang and his family are settled now. Hal, Hart, Paimon, and Botis… All the species somehow now live peacefully with each other. People might not remember me, but they remember them. And you… You remember me, right? I’m thankful you’re finding your place in this world.”

The guide sniggered and asked, “And what about Soo-Jung?”

“...?” Gi-Gyu couldn’t hide his confusion. Suddenly, he whispered, “So it’s true… I thought something must be going on between you two.”

“W-what the hell are you talking about?! I was just asking because I didn’t see her there,” the guide stammered.

When everything was about to end, Gi-Gyu had synced with her. And syncing with him had separated her from the world. Gi-Gyu had to use his god powers to make that possible.

Even after syncing with Gi-Gyu, Soo-Jung couldn’t stop feeling guilty. Ultimately, she had left, claiming she wanted to travel the new world and help others.

“She’s here. You can go see her later if you want.”

At Gi-Gyu’s reply, the guide flinched and turned away.

Gi-Gyu suggested, “Jupiter, I’m happy you’re doing well. Good luck with Soo-Jung.”

Soo-Jung often asked him about Jupiter, which he had found odd. Now, it was clear that something was going on between the two. Gi-Gyu grinned and looked at Jupiter, who was now working as a guide.

After becoming god, Gi-Gyu had given a new body and life to Jupiter. Jupiter wanted to experience things freely, which was why Gi-Gyu had helped him.

“Boys! Aren’t you coming? It’s dinner time. Food is getting cold!” a female voice yelled.

“Mother hasn’t changed, has she?” Jupiter smiled when he saw Su-Jin waving at him.

“Oppa! Hurry! Jupi oppa, you too!” Yoo-Jung yelled as well. The two women’s voices rang in the banquet hall.

“How could you make your mother wait like this?! Hurry up, boys!” a male voice roared.

“Fine! Please stop yelling, Tae-Shik hyung!” Gi-Gyu turned red and yelled. He became even more embarrassed when his mother scolded him loudly, “I told you to stop calling him Tae-Shik hyung! Call him Father!”

Now looking like a ripe tomato, Gi-Gyu turned to look at Jupiter. They needed to return to the banquet. But just then, Jupiter asked with a naughty grin, “By the way, when are you marrying El?”