Becoming bait to lure and kill the Alpha was part of the original plan.
I didn’t expect those idiots to throw themselves into the fray and die so easily, though.
Thanks to them, killing the Alpha became a little easier.
“Stop struggling and die already.”
The Alpha charging at me was suddenly blocked by the hands of rotting corpses emerging from the ground, leaving it startled.
This was the result of the black magic spell “Resurrection of the Wraiths”, fueled by the corpses and magical energy of the four who had just died.
Four fully resurrected wraiths grabbed hold of the Alpha’s body and began stabbing it relentlessly with their weapons.
The Alpha swung its scythe, letting out a wail that was more of a scream, but killing wraiths like this was pointless.
I could simply summon them again.
While it was distracted, I cast another offensive black magic spell, “Black Flame Orb”, which struck the Alpha squarely on the head.
With a loud bang, its head exploded into fragments, and the Alpha’s body tilted and collapsed to the ground.
“Was that all it took?”
At the same time, I stumbled, dropping to one knee as I gasped for breath.
Despite casting just a few spells, my body and magical energy had already reached their limits.
My heart pounded as if it were about to burst, and cold sweat ran down my face.
I had completely forgotten how weak the body of a beginner who had just entered the Tower really was.
‘I should’ve done this from the start.’
After catching my breath and slowly regaining some stamina, I wiped the sweat off my face and stood up again.
The reason I went out of my way to kill the patrol Alpha—a monster that the standard strategy advises avoiding at all costs—was simple: to strengthen this feeble body.
One of the hallmarks of black magic, the reason people fear it the most, and the easiest means for black magic to overcome its limitations—”Drain.”
The black energy, resembling dark tentacles, extended from my hand and coiled around the fallen Alpha’s corpse, immediately beginning to absorb its remaining magical energy.
The strongest patrol monster on the first floor, the Alpha, had all its magical energy drained and made mine.
Ten years ago, this creature was a nightmare that symbolized pure terror for me.
Now, it served as nothing more than a battery.
The efficiency of Drain depends on the user’s skill and proficiency.
And the efficiency of the Drain I just used? I could confidently say it was over 90%.
“Ahh…”
As the massive amount of magical energy, several times greater than what I originally had, surged into my body, the overwhelming power made me tremble.
A sense of euphoria washed over me.
In the past, I found this transformation shameful beyond words, but even now, I struggled to remain composed.
My stats, which had been scraping the bottom, were now skyrocketing, making it hard to hold back my excitement.
‘This is the perfect time to head straight for the Hidden Dungeon.’
Cooling my overheated body by partially unbuttoning my jacket, I surveyed the area and decided on a direction.
With the Alpha dead and an enormous boost to my power, I was now unmatched on this floor.
While it might be trivial compared to the strength of a top-ranking player above, on the first floor, this power was unparalleled.
After killing the mighty patrol Alpha, I could now freely explore this area as I pleased.
“Sixty-seven.”
But just as I reached the rough forest path near the Hidden Dungeon I remembered, I heard a scream—human—mixed with a cry similar to that of a patrol monster.
‘What’s going on?’
I looked up at the sky.
The dense forest made it dark, but it was clearly midday with the sun high above.
The Patrollers are supposed to return to their base to sleep at this time.
There’s no way they’d be active outdoors right now.
“No way…”
Curious about what had happened,
I approached the scene, only to find a chaotic mess of patroller corpses mixed with human remains scattered on the ground.
There were only two survivors—a young man and a young woman.
My eyes widened slightly as I saw them gasping for breath, despair written all over their faces.
The man, panting with a sword in his hand, his body covered in scratches, was unmistakably Han Sunghoon.
I couldn’t figure out why the patrollers were rampaging in broad daylight, but it was clear that these two had barely survived a brutal battle against them.
“Jia?”
He noticed me approaching and, startled, his eyes grew wide.
What followed was even more unexpected.
“Are… are you okay? Are you hurt?! The monsters suddenly went berserk and attacked everyone!”
He rushed over, grabbed my arm, and bombarded me with questions.
His voice was trembling, and his demeanor screamed inexperience, the typical panic of a novice still high on the adrenaline of battle.
“Those creatures aren’t supposed to be active during the day. But they suddenly poured out from a nearby cave and attacked us while we were searching for a hidden reward.”
His voice quivered as he explained what had happened, barely able to contain his fear.
The sudden rampage of monsters that were thought to have disappeared.
I bit my lip, a sinking suspicion forming in my mind.
From what he described, the patrollers’ frenzy began right after I killed their leader, the Alpha.
No matter how I looked at it, that was the only explanation.
Until now, no one had ever killed the first-floor boss, the patroller Alpha, so no one knew this could happen.
“Y-yes. The monsters suddenly appeared and attacked us. I barely survived…”
“I see… Still, it’s a relief that you’re alive.”
I quickly fabricated a plausible response, spinning the words to calm him.
Seeing him breathe a sigh of relief, completely believing my words, left me feeling strangely conflicted.
If I had followed through with my initial cold-hearted plan, I might have killed not only the monsters but also the people here to absorb their magical energy.
Just like the black mage this world feared and despised.
But before I could even make up my mind, his desperate words and trembling voice had thrown my plan into disarray from the very beginning.
“Let’s go back to the base for now. Forget about the reward—staying alive comes first.”
“Oh, this is Kim Sooyeon. She’s 25 and used to be a public servant.”
At that moment, the woman, who had been nervously observing the conversation, interrupted with an uneasy voice.
As Han Sunghoon regained some composure, he began explaining about her.
She was Kim Sooyeon, the sole survivor among the companions who had been with him since the morning.
Like him, she was also gripped by extreme fear.
‘This woman has some talent, too.’
Using the Insightful Evil Eye, I examined Kim Sooyeon’s body and smirked faintly.
Whether it was mere coincidence or a reflection of her abilities, the fact that she survived proved her worth.
“Did the monsters come out from over there?”
Before Han Sunghoon could suggest leaving, I pointed toward a distant dark cave to shift their focus.
What they didn’t realize was that this very cave was the Hidden Dungeon of the first floor.
If possible, I intended to take them inside.
‘Let’s call it a gift and an investment.’
While the special reward—available only to one person—would be mine, the shared rewards could be distributed to all of us.
This was my way of rewarding their pure goodwill and paving a new path toward my ultimate goal.
‘Who knows what they might become if nurtured properly?’
Originally, I had planned to grow stronger as quickly as possible and eliminate everyone before they had a chance to turn against me.
But realizing this world could be more forgiving than I thought, there was no need for such brute-force methods.
What if these new allies growing alongside me pushed out those loathsome individuals and confidently took their place?
Just imagining it was an oddly satisfying scenario.
“You’re right. That must be their nesting ground where they sleep.”
“Then there might be something valuable inside.”
One of the defining features of this tower’s trials was that danger often concealed great rewards.
The more dangerous the location, the higher the likelihood of valuable treasures being hidden there.
The widely known strategies also involved taking on the lowest risks possible while securing those rewards.
“No way! That’s far too dangerous!”
“Exactly, there could still be monsters lurking inside!”
Kim Sooyeon and Han Sunghoon both shook their heads, visibly alarmed at my suggestion.
It was a typical reaction.
Most wouldn’t risk their lives for adventure when they could just stay safely hidden at the base.
Especially after narrowly escaping death moments ago.
“Then I’ll go alone.”
Understanding their fear, I didn’t intend to force them.
I had planned to go solo from the start anyway.
Having killed the Alpha and absorbed its magical energy, I was confident I could handle the dungeon alone and claim the rewards without issue.
“W-what?!”
Both of them were stunned, their mouths agape in shock.
“Uncharted paths offer rewards not found in standard strategies,” I added, reinforcing my decision.
“No matter what… it’s too dangerous!”
“This is something I need to do for myself.”
Without hesitation, I turned and began walking away.
What I said to them was also a form of advice.
Following rigid, well-known strategies would only turn them into disposable tools for those at the top.
‘They probably won’t follow.’
Why would they trust me enough to tag along?
As I caught sight of them hesitating and simply watching my back, I chuckled bitterly.
“W-we’re coming with you!”
But then, after some deliberation, Han Sunghoon made up his mind and ran after me.
Even Kim Sooyeon, who had shut her eyes tightly in hesitation, followed suit.
With no other option than being left alone, they had no choice but to join me.