The Gray Temple was located on the 3rd floor.
At the entrance of this place stood a priest who managed the temple and was responsible for helping players with their job quests.
It could be said that this was the most active "exchange agency" within the Tower.
Most players received their first job quest from the priest here and completed it while traveling through the Tower.
But…
Entering the temple itself was a different matter. One of the most terrifying monsters of Greek mythology was sealed inside.
A place infamous for annihilating raid parties more than twenty times.
[Medusa's Lair]
That was the labyrinth the Fathers of Fighting and Jin-hyuk had decided to attack.
At that moment—
Woong!
A dazzling white light flashed from the sky and crashed down onto the ground.
Spatial movement had been activated.
"Phew. We're here."
The mage-type player spoke as they arrived at their destination.
"Thank you. That was very comfortable."
Jin-hyuk briefly expressed his gratitude. He was sincere.
It had taken only a few seconds to reach a location that would normally take twelve hours to travel on foot. Seeing this, he understood why so many players pursued mage-type jobs.
Of course, he had no intention of doing so.
'Well, I can just copy the skills.'
Since he could fuse skills and abilities, there was no reason to learn magic from scratch.
Why not simply copy them from the mage in front of him?
However, after checking the copy conditions, Jin-hyuk groaned.
[Copy Condition:
Height: 160 cm
Weight: 107 kg
Male with severe hair loss
Single for 38 years
Always accompanied by a female crucian carp in a fishbowl
Find him a life companion
If successful, you may copy one of his skills.]
Gulp.
Jin-hyuk swallowed.
"..."
Several candidates flashed through his mind, but none felt appropriate.
'It would be easier to fight an enemy.'
Or even survive a Dragon's Breath.
This was arguably the most difficult copy condition he had encountered so far.
Jin-hyuk rubbed his forehead.
Yoo Yeon-hwa… if he introduced her, would it work?
Her grandfather would probably become his enemy.
And he would definitely receive an uppercut from her.
Just imagining it sent a chill down his spine.
Teresa wasn't good at rejecting, so she might accept—but the guilt would haunt him for life.
Elise… no. He wasn't risking his life for a single skill.
Some things simply couldn't be done.
'Let's give up on this.'
Jin-hyuk abandoned the idea, and then—
"You're here."
Kim Gitae approached, accompanied by over a dozen men and women who had sensed the spatial movement. Powerful magic radiated from all of them.
They were the 2nd raid group of the guild.
'Indeed. It looks like they've brought out their best this time.'
There were eleven raid groups in total, and it was rare for the first and second groups—their main forces—to be deployed.
They weren't expendable resources.
"Haha. It's an honor to meet you, Player Kang Jin-hyuk. I'm Lee Young-kwon, captain of the 2nd raid group."
A brown-haired man stepped forward.
With a shield on his back and a massive axe at his side, he looked capable of both tanking and dealing damage.
Jin-hyuk narrowed his eyes.
Lee Young-kwon… he had heard that name before.
'He's the guy who appeared on TV when Elise and I grilled intestines.'
A player who had played a prominent role in the Gladiator Arena on the 5th floor.
He was among those from world-class guilds who achieved the Freedom Clear Condition by winning the championship.
Lee Young-kwon had climbed to the top.
He wasn't someone who could be pushed around.
From team battles to leadership and composure, he had risen from captain of the 5th raid team to one of the main raid teams in a single leap.
This was the first time Jin-hyuk could properly evaluate him.
"I'm Kang Jin-hyuk. Please look after me."
"No, we should be the ones taking care of you. Personally, I watch every single ViewTube video of yours."
Lee Young-kwon smiled brightly.
The players behind him quickly joined in.
"I'm Ha Yeonsu, a sub-dealer. This labyrinth is tough, but with Player Kang here, it feels reassuring."
"With Player Kang in the raid, even a labyrinth feels easy."
"I-I'm the main healer. Could I take a picture with you? My friends didn't believe me when I said you were joining this raid…"
"Wow! The real one…"
"Can I take a picture while holding your arm?"
It felt more like a fan meeting than a raid.
Jin-hyuk wore a troubled expression at the excessive attention.
He had expected prideful elites, considering they belonged to the 2nd raid team of the second-largest guild in Korea.
Instead, they seemed willing to cast aside everything to connect with a top-ranking player.
Just then, Kim Gitae stepped in.
"Lee Young-kwon is the nominal captain, but all decisions will be yours. Any by-products obtained inside will also belong to you. Just one thing—please succeed in clearing the labyrinth."
In short: take everything, but give us the clear record.
For them, raising the guild's name mattered more than pride or profit.
The weight of being second in Korea was heavy.
'I was ready to smack them if they got greedy.'
But this changed everything.
"Alright. On that condition."
Jin-hyuk nodded.
"Once preparations are complete, we'll enter immediately. If you have anything to do, Player Kang Jin-hyuk, please finish it now."
"How much time do I have?"
"About thirty minutes."
Thirty minutes was more than enough.
Another reason Jin-hyuk had come here was for his first job quest.
Inside the stone temple, priests in white robes stood quietly.
Jin-hyuk approached them.
"Welcome, stranger. You're someone I haven't seen before."
An elderly priest addressed him.
"I'm here for my first job change. I heard job-related quests can be received here."
"Then you've come to the right place. To become stronger, one must choose a job that suits them. Now tell me—what path do you seek? A swordsman? A mage? A tank or healer who protects allies?"
The priest lightly flicked his finger.
[Occupations are being displayed.]
An enormous list unfolded.
'The scale of this world is insane.'
The Tower held countless occupations. What the priest mentioned was only a fraction of the available choices.
Hidden and unpopular jobs were also present—though each required special conditions.
But—
"Hmm… these jobs all seem boring."
Jin-hyuk muttered.
Swordsman. Mage. Healer. Archer.
He had already fought countless players and monsters who had completed their first job quests.
Choosing an occupation required understanding one's abilities, strengths, and weaknesses.
'Climbing the Tower is important.'
Humanity's future depended on conquering the 50th floor.
That much was obvious.
But equally important—perhaps even more so—was fun.
'If everything's the same, it gets boring.'
A veteran's instincts demanded novelty.
In that sense, Jin-hyuk wanted something different.
"Sort by popularity in reverse order."
The list rearranged itself.
Artist.
Angler.
Novelist.
Barrier User.
Engraver.
Jobs unsuitable for combat or notoriously difficult to grow.
Naturally unpopular.
'Hmm…'
Jin-hyuk stroked his chin.
'All but two are art-related.'
Artists and novelists weren't bad, but they required years of investment.
Before that, humanity might be destroyed—or the Tower cleared by someone else.
As for Engraver, he had several reasons to avoid it. He even had a hunch that a truly great one would appear soon.
His deliberation didn't last long.
"Barrier User. I'll choose this."
Jin-hyuk made his decision.
"B-Barrier User as your first job? Are you serious?"
The priest stared at him in disbelief.
Many players had begged him for hidden job conditions, but this was the first time someone had willingly chosen such an unpopular path.
Jin-hyuk nodded again.
"Yes. Unpopular and difficult to handle. That's exactly what I want."
Barrier arts were complex and intricate.
'For someone studying ancient runes and the elven language, this is a perfect challenge.'
More importantly—
It would be fun to mess with Chun Yuseong.
Playing barriers against his sword.
'That guy's well-versed in it too.'
That was the real reason.
"…Very well. The choice is yours."
Reluctantly, the priest handed him a black scroll.
The moment Jin-hyuk took it—
Swish!
A loud noise erupted from the side of the temple.
A powerful magical clash.
The participants were clearly strong.
'What is that?'
Jin-hyuk turned toward the disturbance—
And there, he saw people who were not from the Fathers of Fighting guild.
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