Chapter 6 only 12 floors away
Lee Hwan stepped out of the boss chamber, the dust of the fallen Flamehorn still clinging to the air. His footsteps echoed through the wide stone halls, and a heavy silence followed in his wake.
He had done it.
Alone.
While guild teams struggled for weeks, he had soloed the boss of Floor 1 in less than an hour.
But his expression wasn't proud—it was calm. Focused.
He walked past the stunned crowd without looking at them. A few dared to whisper.
"Who is he?"
"He soloed Flamehorn. Not even a scratch…"
"He must be one of those Monarch Vessels…"
Lee Hwan stopped for a moment, staring up at the ceiling.
The Tower loomed endlessly above.
One hundred floors.
And only twelve had been cleared in the last ten years.
Just twelve.
He clenched his fists, his voice low, meant only for himself.
(I'm not behind them.)
He had no guild. No support. No legacy until the day fate threw him into that hidden cave. But now—he was a Monarch's vessel. And not just any monarch…
The Dragon Monarch.
The strongest of all.
He thought of the International Players. Seven names carved into the top of the world. Seven chosen by other Monarchs—Death, Flame, Beast, Ice, Shadows, War, and Thunder.
Each had cleared up to the 13th Floor, some taking months, even half a year, to conquer just one floor. The pressure, the danger, the complexity—it only grew more brutal with every step upward.
Lee Hwan gritted his teeth.
(They've been stuck on the 13th Floor for months… and I only need to clear 12 floors to stand beside them.)
But he wasn't delusional.
He knew it wouldn't be easy.
In fact, it would be…
hell.
He had cleared Floor 1 faster than anyone ever had, but the challenges from here on would multiply in strength, intelligence, and cruelty. The Tower wasn't fair. It was a world of its own—designed to crush even the most gifted.
He had no illusions about that.
But then his hand rose unconsciously to his chest—the place where the Dragon Monarch's heart had merged with his own.
And he felt it again.
That ancient, roaring strength sleeping deep inside him. Like a sleeping god, waiting to be awakened.
He wasn't climbing the Tower alone anymore.
He was carrying the will of a monarch.
He exhaled slowly, then turned to a checkpoint terminal and pressed his hand against it.
[Player Registered – Lee Hwan]
[Boss Defeated: Flamehorn]
[Reward Claimed: Advancement to Floor 2 Available]
The teleport gate to Floor 2 activated in front of him, glowing with golden runes.
He stared at it.
Beyond this gate lay an entirely new layer of the Tower. Stronger monsters. Smarter traps. Puzzling mechanics. Maybe even other Monarch Vessels.
But he wasn't afraid.
No—he welcomed it.
Because from now on, every step he took… was a step closer to the top.
A step closer to proving…
That Korea could have an eighth International Player.
That he—Lee Hwan—could stand beside the strongest in the world.
He looked at the gate and smiled.
"Main aaraha hoon."
(I'm coming.)
He stepped through the gate.
The light swallowed him whole.
End of Chapter 6