Chapter 2
Chapter 2
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 2
Chapter Title: Tower of Trials
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‘Not for nothing they called it a hideout, huh?’
Passing through the small passage beneath the timer at the 12 o’clock position revealed a single door.
Tensing up, he opened it to find a tiny one-room space inside.
A futon and pillow, a small bathroom and shower. And in a small basket covered with a cloth were three pieces of bread and some water.
“Three loaves of bread.”
The water looked to be about a liter, held in what appeared to be a metal container.
Stomach growling, he picked up a piece of bread.
Taking a bite, it was hard and crumbly.
“Ugh...”
It tasted awful too. The pound cake from army combat rations felt gourmet by comparison.
The water was lukewarm—unpleasantly tepid. Grimacing, he forced down the crumbly bread and sighed, looking around.
The whole setup screamed eat and sleep here.
‘So the other four passages must connect to the towers.’
Probably something like that.
Whether this was Earth or some game or novel world, he had no idea yet.
I’ll figure it out eventually, he thought, glancing around—when the manager’s advice to check the notice popped into his head.
Swipe.
‘...This chick talks way too damn much.’
The intro alone made his head spin. Squinting at the wall of text that had zero readability—maybe the bread was more digestible.
Scrolling roughly, it’d take at least an hour to read it all.
Absurd. Scrolling to the bottom, others shared his view, ripping into the comments... no, venting their rage.
‘Manager said to read it, so I guess I have to...’
But he had zero confidence. Comments were pure complaints—no summaries or TL;DRs.
Pondering if he really had to read this mess—
‘Now this is a proper gallery.’
Grinning at the summary link at the very bottom, he tapped the comment.
‘Manager’s notice had ten thousand dislikes.’
Not exactly clean, but definitely summarized.
He now got why the gallery was Infinite Regression, and why it was endless hell.
And most importantly—
“Fuck! Shit!”
He’d dumped that precious Irregular on gallery addiction.
Nicks like 6373 or 1344th Regression meant loop counts.
Meaning, that many loops without an Irregular.
6,373 years. 1,344 years.
Eyes squeezed shut against the incomprehensible weight of time.
“Haa.”
He knew it was irreversible, but the sigh escaped anyway.
‘Anyway, let’s go...’
Nothing more to see in the hideout. Somehow, he had to hit 7th floor in 6 days, 16 hours.
“Whoa...”
Through the dark passage at 1 o’clock next to the hideout loomed a massive tower.
Cranking his neck back, its peak vanished into the heights.
Pondering which to hit first—gotta do all anyway—he picked the closest.
『Tower of Trials』
No explanation, just the name at the entrance.
‘Kinda scary to just dive in.’
Searched the gallery, but no useful info.
Stories like “this tower sucks” or “saw X in that tower,” but that was it.
Talked about what you see, not how to beat it.
“Haa... Oh right.”
Sighing away, he remembered something forgotten.
‘Internet had the gallery and one more thing, right?’
The [Star Wiki] icon in the internet app.
Wiki meant ark of knowledge, so maybe info here? Tapped it.
Inside: a title bar and search box.
No index? Typed ‘tower’ experimentally.
“Oh...”
Pages popped up with the alert. Small admiration at how it adapted like the star candy promised—and compensated for wasting the wish ticket on useless crap.
Test the limits of your body. ┗ Concept: Most honest, but hardest tower. ┗ Features: Brutish labor, fights vs unknown foes, survival in harsh environments, etc. Tower to push physical limits. Boss every 10 floors, far stronger than regulars.
‘Hmm, not this one.’
Didn’t seem survivable no matter what.
Loops ramp difficulty, so 1st loop 1st floor shouldn’t be brutal... but still too high a bar for a shut-in rice merchant.
‘Check others first—’
Turning back, the passage was gone. Completely.
“...Excuse me?”
Head spun at the setup forcing tower entry—no trace left.
‘Fun times!’
Die at worst, somehow it’ll work.
Boom-!!
Moment he opened and stepped through the tower door, it slammed shut behind.
Tried reopening—locked tight. Do or die.
‘Wonder what’s coming.’
Fists clenched. No real training, but he’d fantasized plenty.
In dreams, he was mowing down thugs, soloing bandit gangs—
Clunk!!
“Eek!”
Gazing quietly into the dark 1st floor, sudden light flared far ahead.
Swallowing, he stepped toward it—like an invitation.
‘...Only the door?’
Under the light: thick iron door like the entrance.
Blankly scanning, spotted writing above.
“...?”
Blinking at the cryptic text in dim light, he cautiously struck the door.
Thud-.
Heavy echo, but no change.
Maybe hit elsewhere? Looking around—pitch black beyond door.
‘Harder?’
Grinding teeth, full-force smash.
Boom!!
“Hngh...!”
Mad pain shot through hand; gritted teeth.
“Do this 999 more times...?”
Counter dropped one, confirming.
Bone-rattling vibe numbed sensation. 1,000 like this? Hand’d snap before half.
‘One hit every 10 sec = ~3 hours for 1,000.’
Ding!
Chucking at wiki’s “brutish labor”—phone buzzed.
Red (1) over internet app.
Mesmerized, tapped—Star Wiki still had (1)—
┗ 1st Loop 1st Floor Walkthrough: Right door, fifth circle from top—strike steadily 3 times.
Tapped Star Wiki—a walkthrough appeared instantly.
“Hm...”
Door had ~10 circle-like patterns.
Could this work? Punch raised, entranced.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
Rumble......
Dust rose as door opened; blinked in shock.
『 Tower of Trials 』
-1-
Dark passage again.
Faint glow: this was 1st floor.
‘...Enter?’
Cautious step into black beyond.
Ten... no, twenty steps. Out of dark—back at hideout passage?
Spawn here? Or first spot? Dazed, looked up.
-1-
[Apocalypse Timer 364:16:11:12]
[Section Timer 6:16:11:12]
[ 1 / 7 ]
“...It increased.”
Bottom number: 0 to 1.
1st floor cleared—lips curled up unwittingly.
‘You’re the real deal, Wiki...!’
Didn’t get it all yet, but star wish wasn’t half bad.
“Okay.”
First hurdle cleared—time for cheers and huzzahs aimed his way.