Yggdrasil (3-54)

"So, if even a single monster reaches the center..."

"Yes! The system ends right then and there! But you all struggled through and survived, so here you are!"

The defense we'd just gone through.

This defense was essentially a trial meant to entertain the channel's viewers before heading to the upper layers.

For summoners like us, it measured contributions based on waves cleared and monsters slain, then dispensed rewards accordingly.

"Then you should've told us that much!"

Han Bom, who'd just woken up, started yelling at the Fairy in outrage.

The Fairy just picked at her ears and grumbled.

"Do we look that friendly to you?"

"Agh..."

Classic Han Bom.

She was the only one who thought this Fairy wouldn't harm us.

It was limited to the 0th floor colosseum, but everyone except Han Bom had witnessed heads exploding there firsthand.

And since we'd claimed to be the first, Han Bom had no way of knowing.

Thanks to that, the rest of us—including me—could only wear dissatisfied expressions without raising our voices.

Well, ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠except for one person.

"Let us out! Let me out right now!"

Han Yeoreum was frantically pacing and shouting.

This place looked like an underground sewer, but it was completely different.

Earlier, it had been open on all sides; now, it was fully sealed off.

The Fairy sighed deeply at Han Yeoreum's antics.

"Jeez! You two sisters are such a pain, stirring up trouble together!"

"Hey... don't lump me in with her..."

Han Bom looked utterly disgusted at being equated with her sister.

It was a far cry from the girl who'd clung to me sobbing after waking from her sleep spell.

'A woman's face is like a mask, huh? Spot on.'

As I marveled at that, Han Yeoreum suddenly acted out.

"Let me out!"

She lunged at the Fairy to grab her.

But the one with the worst physical stats here didn't get a capture reward.

"Eek!"

The startled Fairy vanished into thin air.

Thud!

"Arghhh!"

With her target gone, Han Yeoreum stumbled and face-planted.

"Wh-what?! Where'd she go?!"

We all gawked, mouths agape, watching her flail.

"..."

Whether they knew about regression or not, it was a pathetic sight.

Han Bom spoke for us all, staring at her sister.

"...Are you an idiot?"

"Grrgh!"

Han Bom started healing her fallen sister's injuries.

The Fairy reappeared high out of reach and began complaining.

"I'm a busy fairy too! Annoy me one more time, and you're done for! Now, quick explanation time!"

The Fairy gave a rundown.

Waves 1 through 9: 30,000 points each.

Waves 10 through 13: 50,000 clear points each.

Total up to wave 13: 470,000 points.

Not a small sum.

And the grand prize: wave 14.

"Haa... We set a reward for it, but I never thought anyone would actually claim it."

"..."

We all tensed up.

That final hide-and-seek with Cerberus had been on a whole other level.

"Dudududududu!!"

"..."

Annoying drum sounds from her mouth...

The Fairy widened her eyes dramatically, firing off birthday-poppers as she announced:

Pop!

"It's the 2nd Floor Pass!"

"...What?"

As we blinked in confusion, Han Bom—the most compos mentis—stepped up and exploded again.

"Hey! Are you kidding?! We're already going to the 2nd floor! What's this '2nd Floor Pass' crap?!"

Her outburst ignited everyone's pent-up frustration, faces twisting in fury.

The Fairy smirked faintly.

"Hahaha! Normally, the 2nd floor is off-limits!"

"...What're you talking about?"

Perplexed by her cryptic words, we all looked up into the air.

'What's this? Channel explanation?'

'Ugh... Gekkosu, go dark or something right now...'

As I grumbled internally:

Speak of the devil—proverbs don't lie.

I immediately questioned the newly appeared Gekkosu.

"Hey, I just heard about the 2nd floor?"

"Huh? But I got a 2nd Floor Pass?"

I gave a quick summary of events: the defense, Cerberus, and the 2nd Floor Pass reward.

Gekkosu, hyped, spammed the chat like he owned the channel.

He was the type anyway...

"...Just a big green dog."

Gekkosu explained he'd skipped viewing since he knew the rules—more interested in summoner fails than fapping material, apparently.

He hadn't expected Cerberus either; it lived far from his area, so he'd never seen one and was curious.

Dog lover confirmed...

"Anyway, explain already."

I wasn't here for pet talk. The 2nd floor.

Yggdrasil was originally divided into upper and lower layers.

Then gods clashed, escalating into full war.

The gods and demigods left died out, becoming channel entities like we see now.

But their deaths severed upper-lower exchanges.

The dead go to divine realms (Asgard, heavens, Olympus) or underworlds (Niflheim, hell, Hades) based on karma.

Twilight War cut the connection, trapping souls meant for lower layers.

Yggdrasil pitied them and took special measures:

A home for lost souls.

RIP doggo fan...

"So 2nd floor's just nominal?"

"No need to go if it's just dead folks?"

"How far'd you get?"

I chuckled at Gekkosu and scanned the party.

Thanks to their own channel viewers, they grasped it quick.

And their verdict was unanimous.

"Since we got the pass, let's hit the 2nd floor?"

"I'm for 2nd floor. Big perks too!"

"Huh? What perks?"

"Blessings! Haven't picked mine—3rd floor forces it!"

"Oh!"

Excluding me and Han Yeoreum, no one had chosen blessings.

She had regression; I'd countered it already.

Whatever's on 2nd floor, it buys blessing time.

"Settled then. To the 2nd floor."

As I spoke, a 2nd Floor Pass materialized before each of us, vanishing into inventory.

The Fairy chimed in immediately.

"Passes work from inventory. And they're soulbound—no trading! Don't forget!"

Soulbound meant untradeable.

Thought that was it, but Fairy had more.

"Now, contribution rankings!"

A hologram leaderboard popped up before me.

Everyone glanced at the rankings, then at me.

'...Kinda embarrassing.'

I knew I'd done most ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠kills, but seeing the numbers hit different.

And a worry crept in.

'Hope no jealousy...'

They liked help, but gaps this wide might kill morale.

As Armonia said, the concern vanished fast.

"Whoa! Seeing it like this... you're insane."

"Uncle, you were amazing for real."

"What'd we even do?"

They laughed self-deprecatingly, swarming me with praise.

'Haha...'

They truly valued me.

Praise over, Fairy distributed rewards: points by percentage, no items.

"All waves cleared! 1.4 million total, distributed by contribution!"

I got about 1.5 million combining clears and contrib.

Others had low contrib points but solid clears—around 500k average, satisfied.

Per Gekkosu and channels, most parties wiped early, half not even close.

"Most infight mid-defense ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠and crumble."

"Soloers die at start."

"We're blessed."

Channels didn't know about Cerberus either—reaching here was unheard of.

Rewards claimed, we awaited Fairy's finale.

"1st floor defense complete! First summoners with this haul since early risers!"

"Where to now?"

"Normally, a day's rest here."

This spot: quake shelter for defense survivors, over eons.

But dual purpose: final blessing spot.

"But with 2nd floor access, I can send you straight to upper entrance if you want!"

Sewer fork: key to center leads next layer.

Our pass sends to 2nd, not 3rd.

Everyone but Han Yeoreum awaited my call.

I nodded.

"Everyone's beat. Rest up."

Relieved sighs; they collapsed.

Most fail mid-defense; we'd fought 24 hours nonstop.

Barely sane, sleep-deprived zombies.

Rest when possible.

But one couldn't read the room.

"I-I'm leaving! Let me out alone!"

Han Yeoreum thrashed to escape.

Her post-escape plans? Obvious.

I yelled urgently.

"Hey, shut it. What'll you do solo?"

"Shut up! My choice—your business?!"

"Oh? Rebelling?"

Habit from ten days: I talked down to her, expecting humiliation.

But she sneered back.

"Funny. Think I'd grovel now?"

"Aha... contract's up."

"Fucker."

She vented pent-up rage, mocking me.

"Live like trash forever. Won't see you again."

Min Hayeon and Han Bom couldn't stand it, scolding her.

"Hey, that's rude to your savior!"

"Han Yeoreum? Nuts?!"

She sneered through rebukes.

"Savior? Nuts? Yeah, nuts. No more seeing you."

"Haa..."

Min Hayeon and Han Bom knew her game.

But no one could stop her here.

Except me...

"Sleep."

"Wh... what... you fuck... ing..."

Thud.

They stared at her collapse, shocked at me; I shrugged at Fairy.

"Just calming her—any penalty?"

Fairy beamed.

"Great party! See you in 24 hours! Rooms appear post-exit—rest there! Don't call!"

She wrapped cheerfully, workload lightened.

We watched her vanish; walls birthed doors—one per person.

I surveyed them, smiling.

"Let's... crash?"