A streak of lightning raced up the mountainside as Namgoong Yun pushed himself to his limits to reach Minarex. "I need to be even faster," he thought to himself, urging himself on.

Finally, he reached the mountaintop and wasted no time sprinting toward the cliff where a massive cloud concealed the Admin, Minarex.

"The Administrator..." He took a deep breath, readying himself mentally, Your Highness! I've come seeking an audience. Please hear my plea!" he called out, but Minarex remained hidden within the cloud.

Undeterred, Yun tightened his grip on his sword, drawing it and channeling lightning to its tip. With determination in his eyes, he assumed a stabbing stance, but before he could strike, the lightning dissipated, and an unseen force compelled him to kneel.

"So heavy...!"

With a commanding voice of the unseen Administrator reverberated through the surroundings. "You dare draw your weapon against me and even attack?!"

Struggling against the overwhelming force, Yun pleaded, "I'm sorry, Your Highness...! Please forgive me!" The force kept him down, becoming even stronger.

Surprisingly, despite the immense pressure, the ground beneath him remained solid, defying any damage it should have sustained.

Eventually, the force subsided, and Minarex revealed himself, calmly gliding among the clouds. "Speak, and tell me why you disturbed my slumber."

Yun whispered under his breath, "The all-knowing Admin already knows why I'm here, but here it is." He then raised his voice and declared, "I wish to establish a contract with you!"

"Intriguing..." Minarex responded, "But you know that forming a contract requires an exchange. What would I gain if I accept your offer?"

"I will become the first High-Ranker of the Namgoong Clan. That's my promise."

"Hmm... So, you claim to break the shameful curse of your clan?" The statement angered Yun inwardly, but he refrained from showing it, knowing the consequences could be severe, since the Admin could decide to erase him from reality on a whim.

Gathering his courage, he swallowed hard and replied, "Please allow me to gain proper control over the Albino Kirin!"

The Admin's tone turned hostile, "Control? Do you truly believe that the likes of you can claim control over one of the Heavenly Beasts?!"

This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

With his heart racing, Yun quickly rephrased his words, "I apologize! I didn't mean 'control.' What I meant is that I wish to strengthen my soul to better harness the spirit's powers...!"

"Your soul struggles to handle such powers?"

"Yes."

"Hmm... You've displayed valor even in previous lifetimes. This time, I'll make an exception. There is no need for a contract... Do not disappoint me." Suddenly, the surrounding mana was absorbed into Yun's body. Although no physical changes occurred, he felt the effects within his soul. It grew stronger and more resilient than ever before.

"I swear upon my name and my clan's that I will fulfill my promise. Thank you, great Admin."

"Hm... Now go and stop disturbing my sleep."

"Yes!" In an instant, Yun disappeared. His lightning powers had significantly amplified due to the newfound strength of his soul. Now, he could wield the Albino Kirin's power with greater output and fewer restrictions.

"I better hurry to floor 2," he mumbled to himself.

With impressive speed, he made his way to a Green Zone, reaching a nearby town in just over a minute, able to go down out of the mountain in just mere few seconds.

"I'm at level 2, it's just right that I advance to a higher floor," he thought. "And with my soul stronger than ever, I'll make the most of this improvement."

As Yun approached the gate with impressive speed, the guard called out in fear, "Stop! Hey!" However, Yun easily halted his rapid movement, thanks to his enhanced control over the lightning. "Wow, I can't believe how incredible this power boost is," he remarked. Such excitement was a rare sight for Yun, who tended to be serious and reserved, but the immense increase in power, courtesy of one of the Admins, had understandably left him thrilled. Anyone would be excited to receive such a massive boost.

While Yun pondered his newfound abilities, the guard, still frightened, called out again, "Hey... Your ID..."

Yun simply smiled, which unnerved the guard even more. "Hey! Your ID—!"

In an instant, Yun disintegrated into blue pixels, waving casually to the guard. "Oh... He just stepped into the Green Zone and went to another floor, I guess..." The guard resumed his duties as if nothing unusual had happened, though he couldn't shake off the fear caused by witnessing such incredible speed from a climber on the lower floor.

Meanwhile, in a Black Zone on Floor 2, a grey-haired young man in a red poncho strolled through the forest when blue pixels suddenly appeared, and Yun materialized before him.

Upon locking eyes, Yun quipped, "I never expected someone to be here before me, amusing..." Still with a thrilled expression written on his face. He really was curious about this guy, since even him he knows the in and out of many floors had just arrived here at the moment as fast as he could while fulfilling his planned objectives, yet this guy seemed to be faster than him.

However, the young man responded with a string of harsh words, "Fuck off, I have no business with you," and continued walking.

What an aggressive guy, Yun thought to himself. For now, his plan was to swiftly reach Floor 3, receive his orders from the Dealers, and wait for Yuuki to join him there.

With that encounter behind them, they parted ways. Yun decided to clear a Dungeon a few times first to level up before heading to a trial site, but there's not yet many climbers in the floor, and since the trial of floor 2 is team battle, it's just impossible for him to advance higher as of the moment, so he'll just try to get accustomed to the increased power granted to him and find out its weaknesses and limits that he can cover, he have all the time in the world as of now, after all.