tryingnomad

Kang Joon-ho was the first and only person to ever conquer the Tower, defeating the Floor Guardians, clearing every challenge, and reaching the top—only to find himself alone. The world was gone. Every player, every country, every life… erased.

At the summit, the enigmatic Tower Owner gave him a final choice.

“What do you wish for?”

Joon-ho’s answer was simple. “I want to climb the Tower again.”

And so, his wish was granted—but with a cruel twist. Instead of restarting at the base of the Tower, he was thrown back years before it even appeared—back to his ordinary room in Korea, stripped of all his strength, skills, and achievements. Everything he had suffered for was gone.

But Joon-ho is no ordinary regressor. He remembers every boss pattern, hidden quest, broken exploit, and ultimate skill. And when the Tower inevitably descends, forcing humanity into its brutal trials, he won’t just survive—he will dominate.

This time, he’s not climbing just to win. He’s climbing to break the system, destroy the Tower Owner, and prevent the end of the world.

With his past knowledge, overwhelming tactics, and the cold resolve of a man who has already lost everything once before—Kang Joon-ho will carve his own path to the top.

The Tower’s Final Regressor

The moment Joon-ho stepped through the portal, the world shifted.

The lush greenery of the forest disappeared, replaced by a barren wasteland of jagged rocks and crimson skies.

A towering obsidian fortress loomed in the distance, surrounded by countless grotesque creatures. Their warped bodies twitched unnaturally, glowing red eyes fixed on the newcomers.

The First Gate's Trial Zone.

And this time, he would be the one hunting.

[Trial of the First Gate]Objective: Survive Until the Gate Opens.Time Limit: 6 Hours.Failure Condition: Death.

Ha-ri stumbled forward, eyes darting around.

Other players poured in behind her, some breathing heavily, others frozen in fear at the sight of the nightmarish landscape.

Then, the notification everyone dreaded arrived.

[Monsters Detected!]

Threat Level: Medium-HighNumber of Enemies: 1,500+

The moment the message appeared, a chorus of shrieks erupted.

The monsters charged.

The First Bloodbath

The creatures were a twisted fusion of human and beast. Elongated limbs, jagged teeth, blackened claws.

They moved in erratic bursts of speed, their distorted forms flickering between tangible and shadow.

Players screamed.

Some tried to run. Others froze.

And then—the slaughter began.

The monsters tore through the weak like paper.

One player—**a man wielding a club—**swung desperately at a charging creature.

His weapon passed through it like smoke.

Before he could react, a claw ripped through his throat.

Blood sprayed across the cracked earth.

He collapsed, gurgling.

A second later, his body disintegrated into blue particles.

Death in the Tower was absolute.

His knife flashed.

One of the creatures lunged at him—he sidestepped smoothly, burying his blade into its temple.

Black blood gushed, and the monster shrieked before collapsing.

He twisted his body, slamming his elbow into its jaw. The creature reeled—just in time for him to stab it straight through the heart.

[Enemy Defeated!]

EXP Gained: 1,200

Ha-ri, still shaken, barely managed to swing her sword at a monster.

The blade bounced off its toughened skin.

It snarled—preparing to lunge at her.

Joon-ho's knife cut it down before it could move.

He glanced at her, expression unreadable.

Then, gritting her teeth, she nodded.

She couldn't afford to be weak here.

The Strategy of Survival

Joon-ho knew how this Trial worked.

Six hours of endless monster waves.

Those who ran and hid? Died within the first two.

The only way to survive was to kill.

And the only way to win?

Control the battlefield.

Joon-ho's eyes flickered to the obsidian fortress in the distance.

That was the key.

The players who reached the fortress gained a strategic advantage.

The creatures would get stronger the closer they got.

Let's cull the weak first.

Ha-ri, biting back fear, followed.

Other players saw their movement and **moved as well—**some trying to join them, others trying to get ahead.

The monsters noticed.

Shrieks filled the air.

More crawled from the shadows, their grotesque forms twitching unnaturally.

Joon-ho's grip on his knife tightened.

This was where the real carnage began.

Chapter 9 – The Trial Begins