manhwa+manhua: no romance tag

i had to change my entire review after 105 chapters, cuz boy was i wrong. the political intrigue is there, there are several factors to the politics and mc's progress so it may feel slowburn, but it feels fairly grounded and realistic. mc is hella op, def not the most. he is charismatic, a natural leader who gains the loyalty of many with his skills and intellect; the art style makes it a bit too edgy sometimes, but tis not a big deal. spoilers: there's no romance for mc

good action-adventure shounen manhwa. mc climbs the tower originally to find his only friend but gains some real friends along the way. great worldbuilding with lots of characters with depth- some you would love and some you'll detest. there's plenty of backstabbing. mc is strong (except for 1st arc) and a loyal boy w/o any evil intentions. still, he's flawed. the arcs get longer as the story progresses (like the hell train arc, bc of the multiple subplots within it). no romance s

great art

according to reviews, it raised existential questions, like a mind dump (the 'doubt' and 'understanding' skill concept was pretty unique). the exposition and worldbuilding aren't just shoved into your face, and there is a range of the charas' personalities. edit: it lacks the nuance in scenes/dialogue which does make this rather tension-less and un-thrilling. fast-paced as well. mc resolves fights quickly since he's op, but wth he's hella hot :/. the art i

pacing is decent, but execution is mid. timid-type mc could be good, but this mc is bland with little depth. his luck is similar to finding then successfully obtaining a legendary pokemon. and while one can argue there are so many other stories with lucky mcs, he is boring as an mc- no charisma, smarts, or anything admirable. oh, and yeah, there is definitely romance. and maybe a harem route. like all of his friends are female. no male friend, not even a guy to serve as comic relief and foil.

potential romance with the lady with the "beauty of an angel and unfathomable talent"