{Nightmare Room – Level 8 and the Administrator's Breakdown}
The Administrator practically vibrated with anticipation. "Yes? Finally feeling it?"
Jin-Seok's brow furrowed with the deep concentration of someone grappling with life's greatest mysteries.
"I forgot to lock my apartment door this morning. And... did I feed my dog breakfast?"
The silence that followed was so complete it had its own gravitational field.
The Administrator's face went through several interesting color changes—red, purple, a shade of green that probably didn't exist in nature.
"This is Nightmare Level 8!" he shrieked, his composure finally shattering like a dropped vase. "Even nobles and famous guild masters have collapsed at this stage! And you're worried about your house security and your dog's breakfast?!"
Aris: "Stop. You're going to kill him with frustration. I can actually see his blood pressure spiking from here."
Jin-Seok stood up, brushing imaginary dust off his clothes with the casual air of someone finishing a light workout.
"Two levels left, right? Might as well max it out. Go big or go home, as they say."
The Administrator's hands trembled as he reached for the controls.
"Fine," he whispered, his voice carrying the hollow quality of a broken man.
---
{Nightmare Level 9–10: The Collapse of Composure}
[System Alert: Level 9 Initiated.]
Jin-Seok stood with his hands in his pockets, swaying gently like a tree in a mild breeze.
"You know what? This feels like one of those expensive massage chairs. Very relaxing."
The Administrator's eye was now twitching in Morse code.
[System Alert: Level 10 Initiated – Maximum Difficulty.]
"Seriously," Jin-Seok continued conversationally, "I expected more. This isn't even a light workout. My morning stretches are more challenging than this."
Something in the Administrator snapped—not metaphorically, but with an almost audible crack. His composure, his patience, his adherence to protocol—all of it—crumbled in an instant.
With a wave of his hand that glowed with unauthorized power, he doubled the gravity pressure, illegally overriding system protocols in a fit of pure, unfiltered rage.
Aris: "Uh... he's cheating. Like, officially, illegally, career-endingly cheating."
Jin-Seok: "You sure I'm not supposed to feel anything yet?"
Aris: "Stop talking. Act. Now. Or he'll erase your existence if you push him over the edge completely."
Jin-Seok finally—finally—allowed himself to stumble. Just a little. He grimaced with the theatrical precision of a seasoned actor, letting a few artfully placed beads of sweat appear on his forehead.
Meanwhile, in every other chamber, climbers began screaming. The Administrator's leaked pressure overwhelmed the entire zone like a tidal wave of crushing force.
"What's happening?!" someone shrieked.
"Did the system break?!"
"Something's wrong with the trials themselves!"
The Administrator's eyes widened with the dawning horror of someone realizing they'd just set fire to their own career. He quickly withdrew his power, the unauthorized gravity surge dissipating like morning mist.
"The trial is over!" he announced, his voice cracking like a teenager's. "There seems to be... a technical disturbance in the gravity system. We'll investigate that later." He was already backing toward the exit portal, his movements jerky with panic.
"Since this trial is concluded, let's proceed immediately to your next challenge!"
---
{Nightmare Room – Victory Lap}
Jin-Seok remained in the Nightmare chamber, sitting casually as the system processed his results. Golden text materialized in the air before him:
---
[System Notification]
You have achieved an unprecedented feat.
Gravity Room Trial – Nightmare Difficulty Cleared (Level 10).
Previous Record: Level 8
Record Holder (Hidden): ???
Do you wish to leave your name in the Tower Records?
[Yes] / [No]
---
A second prompt appeared, this one edged in purple light that seemed to pulse with its own heartbeat:
---
[Legacy System Prompt]
Reveal Your Name and Make History — Gain 1x Advanced Spin Token
Hide Your Name — Gain +1000 Legacy Points
---
Jin-Seok stared at the options, his decision crystallizing instantly.
"I'll definitely reveal my name. There's no thinking required about this one." He paused, noting the changed rewards.
"Interesting. The system's adapting its offerings."
Aris: "Makes sense. Your first record got attention. Now it's trying to figure out what motivates you."
Jin-Seok: "What motivates me is watching that Administrator's face when he realizes I was acting the whole time."
Aris: "Speaking of our dear Administrator... he looks like his ego finally got the satisfaction it craved. Poor guy doesn't realize the performance isn't over."
Jin-Seok selected [Yes] with a decisive tap.
---
A chime rang across the Tower—not just through the trial chambers, but everywhere. In guildhalls and safe zones, amidst intense battles and quiet moments of rest, the same message appeared:
---
[Tower Broadcast – All Climbers, All Floors]
A new record has been set in the Gravity Room Trial (Nightmare Mode).
Challenger: Ryu Jin-Seok
Level Reached: 10 (Maximum)
Previous Record: Level 8
🏅 Title Gained: Unyielding Under Heaven
Effect: +10% physical resistance and +3% base Strength in pressure-based zones.
"While others were crushed, you stood unbent."
---
Aris: "You know what would be absolutely hilarious?"
Jin-Seok: "I'm listening."
Aris: "Go to him. Tell him exactly what I say."
Jin-Seok's grin could have powered a small city.
"Are you sure about that? He might actually combust."
Aris: "Just go and try it. What's the worst that could happen?"
---
{Administrator's Meltdown – The Final Blow}
The Administrator stood frozen, staring at the Tower broadcast with the expression of a man watching his own funeral. His lips quivered as he processed the implications.
"He... did it again," he whispered to himself.
The few climbers still conscious in the various chambers stared at Jin-Seok like he was a walking paradox wrapped in an enigma and dipped in impossibility.
One mumbled through swollen lips, "This guy isn't normal."
Another, trembling like a leaf in a hurricane, whispered, "He's not even trying."
Jin-Seok approached the Administrator with the casual stride of someone delivering perfectly ordinary news. He leaned in close, his voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper.
"You did something to my trial room, didn't you?"
The Administrator's face cycled through several shades of panic.
"What are you talking about?" he stammered, his voice climbing octaves like a broken elevator.
Jin-Seok's smile was gentle, understanding, and absolutely terrifying.
"Are you sure about that? Or should I file a complaint with the High Administrator about unauthorized modifications to official trials?"
The Administrator began shaking with the intensity of a paint mixer. His face went white, then green, then a color that probably required new names.
Jin-Seok's expression softened with magnanimous mercy.
"Don't worry. I won't say anything to anyone. It'll be between us." His pause was perfectly timed.
"But you owe me one."
The Administrator sagged with relief so profound he nearly collapsed.
"Thank you," he breathed, the words carrying the weight of a man granted unexpected salvation.
"I'm... I'm sorry for the disturbance in your newbie trials. The inconvenience was... unintentional."
Jin-Seok patted the Administrator's shoulder with the gentle understanding of a confessor absolving sins.
"No harm done. We all have our moments."
As he walked away, leaving the Administrator to contemplate the cosmic joke that was his existence, Jin-Seok couldn't help but smile.
Aris: "You realize you've probably traumatized him for life?"
Jin-Seok: "Hey, I was merciful. I could've told him about the dog breakfast thing being genuine concern."
---
And for the second time in one day, the impossible had been rewritten—this time with a side of psychological warfare that would be whispered about in Administrator circles for generations to come.
Two trials down, three to go. At this rate, I might actually have to try eventually. Emphasis on 'might'...
He walks into the portal.
_________________________________________________
{An Original Series by Celestial Raven}