Chapter 172
Chapter 172
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 172
Chapter Title: Ordinary Guy's Tower Conquest 172
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The Gigant wasn't the main body.
There was a separate core entity.
El, the magitech engineer, had fallen asleep after being caught in the dream realm Diamat unfurled from the Gigant's cockpit.
She wasn't large.
A height in the low 160s?
Her body was made of silver metal, just like the Gigant.
She wasn't wearing any clothes.
Bald, without a single strand of hair, with a slender face, thin lips, neat eyes, a straight nose—her overall appearance and build suggested she was feminine.
There was a nameplate attached to her.
Along with a descriptor: Soul damaged by profound loss.
Sure enough, he could see her background story too.
The Mad Demon raised his hand, crimson with Blood Jade Aura, seeking Joo-hyuk's permission.
"Summoner, let this old man handle it. It seems killing this one will trigger the conquest completion."
"..."
But Joo-hyuk didn't respond.
"If we don't kill it now, S+++ grade conquest might be impossible. Just give the order."
"..."
Haa.
How could he kill her?
Not after seeing her background.
His heart ached terribly.
El wasn't a monster.
She had been a summoned being from the start.
A pitiful existence, recycled as a copied soul without memories, reduced to a tower monster.
"...She was a summoned being."
"Pardon?"
"What?"
"..."
The summoned beings were startled.
Joo-hyuk explained Magitech Engineer El's background.
"So, this is the magitech engineer said to have existed in the Soul World long ago?"
"That's right."
"Haa, what a tragic life."
"No wonder I didn't want to kill her."
Indeed.
It was heartbreaking.
How could he kill her after learning her story?
He wanted to save her.
He wanted to free her from the shackles of being a tower monster.
Is there a way?
Magitech Engineer El was completely different from the other bound souls he'd encountered in the tower.
Gyeon Dal-rae's master, Haryeong, or Kosak's father, Hartmann—they had been selected as tower monsters from the beginning.
That's why they were freed through 'liberation.'
And what about Diamat beside him?
The Succubus Queen, Lord of Dream Demons, who had made a contract with the tower administrator based on her own free will and become a floor boss.
She was released through 'surrender,' accepting the grade penalty.
But El's essence was that of an original summoned being.
Later bound by the tower.
He wasn't sure if liberation or surrender would work.
Snore... snore...
El slept soundly, oblivious to everything.
The more he looked, the more pity he felt.
Joo-hyuk absentmindedly reached out and stroked the head of Magitech Engineer El's golem body, housing her soul.
Smooth...
His palm touched El's head.
"...It's so smooth."
Twitch!
El shuddered in her sleep.
And at that moment,
"...Huh?"
"Oh..."
"Eh?"
Five Platinum Badges was one thing,
Penalty?
What kind?
Pfft, that's nothing.
No big deal.
El was dreaming.
A happy dream, one she hadn't had in ages.
Come to think of it... had she dreamed before?
She didn't even know why she was here.
She remembered her days as a magitech engineer.
And when war broke out and she died,
Her current self was the Magnus Gigant pilot.
Her mission: pilot the Gigant and kill players climbing to the 85th floor. That was all she could recall.
There had been other memories, too.
One indelible scene and words.
A silhouette of a person whose face she didn't know, placing a hand on her head and stroking it.
Just thinking of the silhouette warmed her heart.
And the words spoken while stroking.
- It's so smooth. Feels nice.
This dream was that exact scene.
Even though she could wake, she didn't.
She just wanted to keep dreaming.
Who could it be?
Why did she miss that person so much?
Right then!
El felt it.
Someone stroking her head.
And...
...It's so smooth.
Aaah.
What is this?
This emotion that's both blissful and painful?
Her heart pounded.
But she could guess the situation.
Probably a player.
Someone who entered to conquer the 85th floor.
Meanwhile, she had the duty to kill the player.
But she had failed.
Right before killing the player, she blacked out.
She must have been subdued after that.
The cockpit hatch had opened.
Kill me quickly.
Perfect timing.
Even staying alive felt bothersome.
But?
...Huh?
Whoosh!
A warm energy seeped into her chest.
What, what is it?
Her mind cleared.
Aaah... yes, that's right.
Now she remembered.
Who she truly was.
I was a summoned being.
Forgotten memories flooded back.
At first jumbled, but slowly sorting themselves.
A summoner she met in dimension Earth No.442.
The years spent with him trying to save the world.
It had been joyful and happy.
And heartbreaking and tragic.
Two contradictory emotions.
Because he had ultimately died.
Yes.
Her summoner was gone.
His world perished, so his soul must have dissipated too.
As her sense of self sharpened, her mind cleared fully.
Time to wake.
El slowly opened her eyes.
A man stood before her.
...Who?
Not her old summoner.
The feeling was similar, but a completely different person.
Yet?
"Will you join us?"
"...Pardon?"
An abrupt invitation.
What do I do?
El hesitated to answer.
She knew who this man was and what he wanted.
Just looking at the people standing around him told her.
All summoned beings.
They all looked happy.
Should she take the summoner's hand?
Could she protect this one until the end?
Would it wash away even a bit of the regret and pain etched into her soul?
El made her decision.
And slowly opened her mouth.
"I..."
Joo-hyuk willingly accepted the penalty.
A soul who had gone from summoned being to tower monster—it was heartbreaking.
As a summoner, he had a duty to restore her qualifications.
In exchange, random summoning halted for 100 days.
Nothing at all.
100 days was three months and ten days.
It would pass in a flash.
First, the Platinum Badges.
Her entire body was metal, no place to attach them.
So he carefully placed the five badges on her body.
Whoosh!
The five badges melted like they were seeping in and disappeared into El's body.
Joo-hyuk paused before answering.
He should ask her will first.
Of course, if he recruited her, the system would make her catalog-affiliated immediately.
But he'd first wait until she woke.
Soon enough,
She opened her eyes.
Joo-hyuk met Magitech Engineer El's gaze.
She seemed to understand the situation.
Her soul restored, summoned being status recovered.
"Will you join us?"
"...Pardon?"
El fell silent for a moment,
"I... yes, I want to join you."
"Great! Wise choice."
Done.
Recruit her.
She's heading back to the Soul World for now.
"See you soon."
"...Yes."
Fade!
Magitech Engineer El vanished.
And simultaneously,
Autonomous Magnus Ego Gigant, huh.
Should be a bit easier now?
He hoped so.
Oh right! The mission conquest?
+ All Stats +1
Conquest success message too.
But no S+++ grade conquest judgment.
Probably because he took too much time.
Whatever, was that important?
He'd returned a misplaced summoned being to her rightful place.
Not a shred of regret was felt.
Right then!
Hmm.
With White Tower 17th floor, it was a reward they barely needed...
But still, time in the real world mattered.
Anyway, time to prepare.
In 3 hours, there'd be a welcome party.
Permanent residency was ready too.
Black Tower Management Room.
The administrators were silent.
No one spoke.
In the end, it happened.
The realization of the Mage-Alchemist-Magitech Trinity.
Insane.
He could only sigh in disbelief.
It was force majeure.
What kind of guy was this summoner from Earth No.1001?
Was there any way to stop him?
He understood the previous administrator's feelings now.
Being in the same position made it all the more urgent.
He wanted to defy causality to stop him.
After some time.
The Engineer asked the Designer.
To raise conquest difficulty, the 85th floor massive monsters were switched to piloted types.
It had worked.
They were much harder.
Of course, it led to the worst outcome.
Magic theory, magitech, alchemy.
Various items based on user's mana: mana guns, mana cannons, mana shells, mana electromagnetic pulses, mana tanks...
Imagine using those inside the tower, storable in inventory.
Horrifying from the administrators' perspective.
Not just summoners—regular players might climb the 80s too.
If armed with mana weapons.
Terrifying.
Mage-Alchemist-Magitech trio's collaborative items.
They had to abandon the 80s,
Let it be.
Stake it all on the 90s.
Or in reality.
By the way, they scattered tons of Liberation Rune Necklaces—when will results show?
Conflicts to civil wars, civil wars to international wars. That's how it should chain.
White Tower 17th floor.
News spread to all summoned beings: a magitech engineer was recruited from the Black Tower 85th floor.
She'd register as a new resident in 3 hours.
The summoner was waiting outside in the penthouse to greet her,
So the 17th floor buzzed preparing to welcome the guest.
Red carpet laid, colorful balloons inflated and floated, placards with welcome messages set up.
But 9th-circle Archmage Mackenzie Dronak wore a slightly dissatisfied expression.
"It's unfair."
"Does Elder Mac complain about everything? Just blow up some balloons."
"The welcome is too extravagant. They should've at least laid a red carpet for me."
"Aigoo, so typical of an attention-seeker mage."
"What's wrong with seeking attention?"
Then Gyeon Dal-rae said,
"She was a summoned being whose soul was damaged after losing her summoner, turned into a monster by the tower. How can she be the same as us? Just thinking of her suffering pains my heart."
The Mad Demon nodded.
"I agree. A pitiful soul. But saved by the summoner, so celebration and welcome are fitting."
Kosak chimed in.
"Right. Not pitiful anymore. I'll take good care of her. The truly pitiful ones are the souls in the Soul World waiting endlessly for random summons, heh."
True.
They might have suffered the most.
"Hmph."
"Tsk tsk."
"They were so sure they'd get out this time, but now stuck for 100 days."
Somber mood all around.
"Anyway, with a magitech engineer joining, what first?"
"What's to think? Mass-produce bracelets."
"Indeed. That's the top priority."
"Thinking of bracelets popping off the conveyor belt one by one makes me thrilled. Heh heh heh heh."
"Me too. Hahaha."
The summoned beings were ecstatic at the thought of mass-producing obesity-escape bracelets with the magitech engineer's help.
"Where to build the factory? Here on 17th floor?"
"Up to Bong Summoner, but I think outside is fine."
"Right. Even automated, packaging and distribution need manpower."
"Outside where?"
"North Korea's optimal. Easy management, good security."
Suddenly!
Fade!
Two figures appeared on White Tower 17th floor.
One was Joo-hyuk, the other a golem.
"Ooh!"
"Welcome! Walk the red carpet!"
"Welcome."
"Factory chief's here!"
"Start the conveyor belt!"
"Exceed production quotas, come on!"
"Hooee!"
"Applause!"
Clap clap clap clap clap clap.
The 17th floor filled with thunderous applause.