The cafeteria at the White Stars Guild was a sprawling, modern space filled with the smell of expensive coffee and fresh food.
Kang Min sat in a quiet corner, away from the groups of laughing players.
In front of him was a simple tray with a roll of kimbap.
He picked up a piece with his chopsticks, admiring the way the light hit the glistening sesame oil on the seaweed.
He popped it into his mouth and chewed slowly.
'The crunch of the pickled radish... the savory beef... the softness of the rice...'
Min closed his eyes, savoring the flavor as if it were a high-end delicacy.
'I still can't get over finally tasting real food again.'
'After thirteen years of nothingness, this is better...'
He looked down at the remaining pieces of kimbap with a look of genuine regret.
"I'm sorry."
He whispered under his breath.
"The younger me didn't know how to be appreciative.
I was missing out on so much.
I won't take you for granted ever again."
He finished the first roll and stood up, walking over to a shelf in the corner that looked like a segment from a high-end convenience store.
He grabbed another roll and sat back down, picking up his phone.
He opened the Bnet app and started scrolling through the [Trending] section.
"It's that streamer again..."
Min recognized the face instantly. It was the player he had seen at the internet cafe that at the time was setting records for the 19th floor.
The stream title today was: [LIVE] Ascending to Floor 21 today? Clearing the 3rd Trial of Floor 20!
The view count was staggering.
Over 100,000 people were watching live.
[Chat Box]
* SpearGod: He's actually doing it! The 3rd trial!
* CoinKing: I bet 1,000 coins he fails at the gate. No one has cleared this solo yet.
* T1_Lover: Look at his spear technique. It's perfect!
* BigBoss: If he clears this, he's definitely getting an S-Rank scout offer.
On the screen, the streamer was standing in a massive hall made of white marble.
At the end of the hall was a colossal silver gate.
"That must be the exit."
The streamer said.
But standing between him and the gate were twenty giant stone golems.
They were ten times his size, looking like moving mountains of granite.
The streamer didn't hesitate.
He lunged forward, his spear glowing with golden mana.
He was fast.
He moved like a whirlwind, striking the golems' joints and chest plates.
*CRASH! CRACK!
He managed to take down ten of them, the heavy stone bodies shattering into pieces on the floor.
He was almost at the gate when the ground began to vibrate.
The shattered pieces of the golems began to fly through the air, reconstructing themselves in seconds.
The golems he had just killed stood back up, blocking his path and pushing him all the way back to the start of the hall.
The chat went crazy.
[Chat Box]
* NoobWatcher: WHAT?! They just revived?!
* GamerGirl: Is there even a way to clear this? It's a loop!
* ProAnalyst: This is the first time anyone has reached this specific trial. There are no guides online. This might be a dead end for solo players.
Min watched the screen, a piece of kimbap still in his mouth.
"Back of the head."
He muttered.
'I remember doing this trial...'
'Though at the time, the one with the golems was the fourth trial, not the third.
Then there was a final fifth one after it... did they change the order over the years?'
He leaned back in his chair, his mind drifting to the mechanics of the Tower.
'In the Abyssal Tower, whenever a floor level ends in a zero...like Floor 10, 20, or 30...it's a milestone.
Floors 1 to 9 only have a single challenge to pass.
But once you hit Floor 10, you face five separate trials.
You have to clear all five before you're allowed to enter Floor 11.
It stays that way for every ten floors.
It's only when you reach Floor 100 that the whole structure switches up again.'
On the screen, the streamer was panting, dodging a massive stone fist.
He was looking at the golems with a sharp, calculating gaze.
"...Wait."
The streamer said, his eyes narrowing.
"There are runes at the back of their heads.
If I destroy those... I believe they won't come back to life."
Min nodded slightly.
"Oh, wow.
He figured it out."
'I guess that's why he's climbing at such a fast pace.'
'Solo, at that...He's got good instincts.'
Suddenly, the chair next to him was pulled out.
Park Woonhee sat down, a tray of coffee in her hand.
She noticed him staring intensely at his phone.
"You're into streams?"
She asked, a playful smile on her face.
"Just watching the climb."
Min said, not looking up.
"That guy is amazing, right?"
Woonhee said, nodding toward the screen.
"He's the biggest rising star right now. Everyone is talking about him."
She watched Min for a second.
She remembered the way he had handled himself in the tutorial and how easily he had crushed the loan sharks.
'With strength like his... he would definitely do well as a streamer.'
'He has that vibe that viewers go crazy for.'
"Hey."
Woonhee said, leaning in.
"Would you ever want to broadcast?
You know, stream your own raids?"
Min paused.
He looked at her, his expression unreadable.
"Yes."
"It seems interesting.
And the fact that you can earn big money from it... that's the best part."
Woonhee's eyes lit up.
She looked overjoyed, as if she had just found a new project.
"Really?! Oh, you totally should!
But... are you familiar with how to do it?
The settings, the overlays, the Bnet algorithm?
It can be pretty complicated for a beginner."
Min thought to himself.
'Of course I'm familiar with streaming.
...it was a dream of mine to make it as a game streamer.
And since I got this phone, I've been glued to Bnet, learning how it all works.'
But he looked at Woonhee's eager eyes.
She wanted to help.
And more importantly, she was his bridge to a normal debut that wouldn't raise suspicion at the Guild.
'This is how I'll debut.'
'Through her.'
"No."
Min lied, his voice sounding perfectly convincing.
"I don't know the first thing about it."
"I knew it!"
Woonhee clapped her hands together.
"Don't worry, I can help you!
I can show you how to start a channel, how to get your first viewers, and how to handle the donations.
I've been doing this for a while, so you can trust me!"
Min nodded slowly.
"That's okay then.
You can meet me at my apartment later tonight.
You can set it all up for me there."
Woonhee paused.
"Your... your apartment? Tonight?"
She hesitated for a second, then gave a firm nod.
"Right! Professional help! I'll be there.
We'll make you the next big thing!"
"Cool."
Min said, standing up and clearing his tray.
"I'll text you the address."