Chapter 9: Tutorial (9)

Sometimes, you see abilities in novels like “Eyes of Truth” or “Gaze of Discernment.”

And these abilities are often granted to the “transmigrated” among the holy trinity of regression, transmigration, and reincarnation in modern webnovels.

Why? Because the transmigrated are often the most clueless.

What can a couch potato, who spent their days scratching their balls and reading webnovels, do when dropped into a fictional world?

Find hidden pieces using knowledge from the novel? Or meet the protagonist and ride their coattails to success? Please. They’d be lucky to even find their next meal.

Therefore, all-knowing authors provide these clueless transmigrators with a generous helping of cheat abilities, like the ones mentioned above.

Eyes of Truth, Gaze of Discernment. Different names, same function. These abilities allow you to peer into the secrets of almost anyone.

Untapped potential, hidden status windows, even personality traits.

Armed with this information, transmigrators can build relationships and gain advantages.

“But that’s not for me.”

However, not all transmigrators are granted such convenient abilities. Especially not for someone like me, who got dragged into this
world after arguing with the author.

So, what do you do? Simple. If you can’t find a new method, use the analog approach.

“Physiognomy is science.”

You might ask, “Analog approach? Physiognomy? What are you, a quack?”

Yes, physiognomy is considered a pseudoscience. Judging people based on their appearance is wrong in modern society.

[TL Note: Physiognomy refers to the old belief that you can judge a person’s character or personality based on their facial features or appearance.

Pseudoscience means a belief or practice that claims to be scientific but isn’t backed by real scientific evidence or methods.]

But this is a fictional world. A world where superficiality has permeated not just society, but the very core of the planet.

Old, fat, or acne-scarred characters are quickly eliminated, while tanned guys with weird hairstyles and characters with slitted eyes have all sorts of bizarre fetishes as passive skills.

Bald, muscular guys and sexy, busty women over 30 can never be main characters; they’re destined to be the protagonist’s footstool until the very end.

That’s just how this world works. A world designed to sideline the unattractive for the reader’s amusement.

So, for early game builds in these fictional worlds, partying up with handsome and beautiful people gets you halfway there.

Therefore, tonight, our task was to verify the other half of the equation.

“H-Hyun-joon… o-oppa…”

Oh, speak of the devil. Hearing a timid voice, I turned around. There stood Yoo Ha-na, dressed in a frilly petit maid outfit, her embarrassment levels maxed out.

“H-how do I look? D-does it suit me?”

“Hmm… Perfect. You pass!”

“Haa…!”

Passersby couldn’t tear their eyes away from the S-rank ice queen beauty in a maid costume. Maximum aggro.

Now, you might be wondering, what was I planning to do with the heroine dressed like this?

Prepare yourselves…

I was going to have her wait tables at the Gukbap restaurant.

If Yoo Ha-na had to describe the feeling in her mouth, it would be the taste of death.

‘This is so… embarrassing!’

She had never cosplayed before in her life. And she had never intended to. Yet, here she was, dressed in a maid outfit, thankfully without any revealing parts, but with an abundance of frills.

‘This… is all… oppa’s fault…’

Yoo Ha-na glared at Go Hyun-joon. It was all his fault. He had lured her in with sweet words and seductive gazes, clouding her judgment.

“A-are you sure this is okay?”

“I told you, I don’t lie. You look amazing, more striking than anyone else here. Don’t worry.”

See? Even now. His unwavering gaze, fixed solely on her, and his confident voice sent shivers down her spine.

“So, let me explain what we’re going to do. We’ll observe the people who come into this restaurant and approach the suitable ones with party invitations. Your role is to be our point of contact, disguised as a waitress.”

“…But why are we recruiting here?”

“Good question. The reason is simple. This restaurant has the highest prices in town. Being able to afford a meal here means they’re earning well, and earnings translate to skill. In other words, the climbers who eat here are likely to be skilled.”

Despite the overwhelming embarrassment, Yoo Ha-na was convinced by his reasoning. He never did anything without a reason.

He was always meticulous in his planning and thorough in his preparation. So, Yoo Ha-na firmly believed there was a purpose behind the maid outfit.

“But not everyone who eats here is a skilled climber. Sometimes, we splurge on a fancy meal too, right? So, we need to do some further vetting.”

“What should I look for?”

“First, identify the climbers who spend the most lavishly.”

“Lavishly?”

“Yes, lavishly. Lavishness is often a demonstration of capability. Especially in the Tower of Proof, where everyone starts with nothing. So, observe what the customers order, what clothes they wear, how they groom themselves, and discreetly approach them.”

“Hmm… so, I should focus on those who are well-dressed, well-groomed, and order expensive dishes?”

“Exactly. And prioritize those who are dining alone. It’s easier to approach solo diners than those in groups.”

With a mission assigned, Yoo Ha-na completely forgot about the embarrassment of the maid outfit.

“Hey, Go! It’s almost opening time! Hurry up!”

“Alright, alright, coming. Let’s go.”

“You too, missy! Focus!”

“Y-yes!”

She simply memorized and rehearsed the instructions, unconsciously driven to do her best in the task assigned by Go Hyun-joon.

All men are trash.

That was the mantra of the comrade I climbed with up to the 99th floor in my past life.

Revenant, Yoo Ha-na. As her mantra suggested, she was a fervent misandrist in my past life.

She hadn’t always been that way. The horrific tragedies she experienced in the Tower of Proof had warped her personality.

Laws and regulations were only established after multiple dimensional mergers, starting from the 20th floor.

Margaret, the Iron-Blooded Lord of Curse Hill, reigned supreme over all guilds, establishing an iron-fisted rule that brought an end to the lawless era.

Yes, the lawless era. Yoo Ha-na was a victim of that chaotic period.

From the tutorial onwards, until the iron rule was established, the absence of laws and the constant threat of death eroded people’s morals, resulting in rampant crime.

Murder, robbery, r@pe, arson… Horrific acts were committed without a second thought, and some even reveled in them.

Yang Yong-hyun, the sociopath. Yoon Jae-ho, the thrill killer. Shin Yu-geon, the r@pist.

These three, who would later become the leaders of the criminal alliance Cerberus, treated Yoo Ha-na like a plaything during the tutorial stages.

From the 1st floor to the 7th floor, for 237 days, she lived through hell before finally escaping and rising to become a powerful figure.

Her obsession with power was coupled with a deep distrust of humanity and an unshakeable misandry.

“But it won’t happen this time.”

As I faced death on the 99th floor, I swore I wouldn’t let history repeat itself. And that included saving Yoo Ha-na.

To that end, I had collected every hidden piece available on the 1st floor.

I completed quests that led to fortuitous encounters and acquired skills with great potential. I used my memories to locate and conquer hidden dungeons, obtaining valuable artifacts.

One of the most brutal lessons I learned while climbing the tower was that you couldn’t save everyone. Good people died young, and evil people lived long, wreaking havoc on the world.

So, I hoarded everything. It was better to hoard power for myself and use it to protect my friends and allies than to let it be wasted or fall into the wrong hands.

“Tomorrow… I should start hunting those b@stards.”

I had acquired all the hidden pieces on the 1st floor and was almost done with the quest. All preparations were complete; all that remained was to track down the three criminals.

“Time for dinner…”

Lost in thought, I hadn’t noticed the sun setting. I had plenty of money, so I decided to splurge.

Instead of eating near the inn, I headed towards the more upscale part of town.

The scenery was unchanged from my first life. The sights and smells were the same, even after regression.

“Hmm? A familiar scent…”

As I passed the largest tavern in the upscale district, a familiar aroma wafted towards me. The savory scent of broth, the unmistakable scent of Korean food, impossible to find in the Tower of Proof.

“What is this?”

Had I encountered this smell in my previous life? A moment of doubt. But I quickly dismissed it.

My memories of the 1st floor were vivid, especially the time I saved up enough money to visit this very tavern.

So, I was certain. I had never encountered this scent, this scent of Korean food, before. This discrepancy meant only one thing.

Something had changed. A new variable had been introduced.

Perhaps it was just Korean food appearing in the Tower of Proof, a trivial matter. But any deviation from my previous life warranted investigation.

“It’s crowded. A line out the door… This tavern wasn’t this popular before.”

In my first life, this was just the largest tavern in town. It served food, but that was it. It wasn’t a popular restaurant with lines forming outside.

My suspicion grew. Who had intervened and altered the present? Lost in thought, my turn in line finally came.

“Let’s see… Dwaeji Gukbap, Seolleongtang, Samgyetang… Premium rice…”

The menu was filled with familiar dishes I had longed for. Gukbap. A taste of home I hadn’t experienced during my climb to the 99th floor, reunited with me after regression.

And that wasn’t all.

“May I take your order?”

I looked up at the familiar voice and was stunned.

“Pfft! Cough, cough!”

The Revenant, Yoo Ha-na, back from h*ll. She was wearing a maid outfit, something she had never worn in her previous life.