Elves are Pushovers
"Congratulations on your safe return!"
A round of loud applause erupted.
Unlike usual, it wasn't just the entry management officials waiting for me.
This time, the officials from the information analysis team, whom I had run into a few times during investigations, were also present.
"Oh, you two are..."
"Hello, Hunter Lee Taepyeong-nim."
The two of them bowed politely.
Caught off guard, I bowed back.
We hadn't even started the debriefing yet. Why was the analysis team already here?
Perhaps noticing my confusion, one of the officials quickly grabbed my hand with a bright smile.
"Well, every time you enter the Tower, Hunter-nim, something completely off the charts happens."
"Ah..."
"Of course, we don't mean that in a bad way at all! It's actually a great thing! You've been racking up so many achievements!"
The official waved his hands frantically in denial, even though I hadn't said a word.
"We were waiting here ahead of time, wondering if you might have unlocked another achievement or run into something new this time as well."
"I see. I hope you weren't waiting too long?"
"Oh, not at all. Three hours flew by in a flash."
Ah. So while I was inside the Tower, about three hours had passed in the real world.
It felt like at least fifteen hours had passed on the inside.
"I guess I'll have to return even faster next time."
When I offered a smirk, the official pulled out a handkerchief and wiped the sweat from his forehead.
Does he have hyperhidrosis?
It wasn't even hot, yet he was sweating buckets.
"Then, let me ask you a few quick questions."
"Sure."
"How was your entry this time?"
"Well, first of all, it was a survival match."
"First of all...?"
"Yes."
I explained the details of the map to them.
It was a survival match where you had to find a safe zone and evacuate within a set time limit.
Though I was closer to being directionally challenged,
I explained how I managed to clear it smoothly thanks to an elf named Nairin.
Clack.
The official, who had been diligently taking notes on his tablet, dropped his stylus halfway through.
Isn't that thing expensive?
"You dropped this."
I quickly picked up the stylus and handed it back to him.
"An... an elf...?"
"Pardon?"
"...You met an elf?"
"Yes."
"And... the elf helped you, Hunter-nim...?"
Hmm.
Helped me?
That wasn't quite right.
Strictly speaking,
"I carried her."
"You... carried her...?"
"Ah, yes. I mean, I carried the run."
"Carried...?"
"Nairin, the elf, was basically just support."
Clack.
The stylus I had just picked up fell to the floor again.
Good grief.
I picked up the stylus once more, pressed it firmly into the official's hand, and continued.
"Of course, Nairin did all the pathfinding."
"..."
"But I was the one who killed everything in there."
"..."
"So yeah, I carried. Right?"
The official's jaw dropped.
Careful, you're going to drool.
Tsk, tsk.
It would be a bit awkward for me to push his jaw back up for him.
"I-I see!"
The other official spoke up in his place.
"So it was a map where you had to avoid the 'Wrath of the Sun.' A survival match alongside other races..."
"Yes, exactly. If you don't reach the safe zone by the time limit, you burn to death."
"It's the same format as 'Noah's Ark.' Though that map floods instead of burns."
I had read about "Noah's Ark" in my textbooks.
Though I had never heard of the "Wrath of the Sun."
"It seems you are the first human to clear the 'Wrath of the Sun,' Hunter-nim."
"Really?"
"Yes. There was a similar case in the United States, but it wasn't confirmed."
"Why not?"
"The Hunter died immediately upon returning. Because of that, they couldn't figure out the exact details of the map. They only guessed based on the severe burns covering the Hunter's body."
"I see..."
The first human to clear it.
It wasn't a system-recognized achievement anyway, so the record was practically useless to me.
However...
"Then, the more details I provide about this map, the more it will help other Hunters, right?"
"...Yes! Absolutely. Not only will it be a massive help to other Hunters, but we can also trade this information with other countries. It's a huge win!"
Trading information.
I hadn't thought of that!
"Of course, we'll have to discuss the details of the trade with the Foreign Cooperation Team..."
The Foreign Cooperation Team.
They were the department responsible for international cooperation and trade.
Essentially the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for Hunters.
"There's a high probability we can secure items or new information in exchange."
Apparently, if the trading partner was Japan or the United States, the value of the information would skyrocket.
Either way, it wasn't something that would happen immediately, nor was it my job to handle it, so I put it out of my mind.
The officials would take care of it.
When they asked if there was anything I wanted,
I simply mentioned that a decent weapon would be nice.
I shared what I had witnessed firsthand,
and passed along whatever I could recall of what Nairin had said.
"Are there any other unusual details?"
"Oh, right."
"Yes?"
"I got an elven sword."
"..."
A sudden silence fell over the room.
The officials stared at me as if I were a madman.
As if they had just heard something that shouldn't even be possible...
"...An elven sword?"
Wait, was trading weapons with other races illegal?
I hesitated for a moment before nodding.
"I mean, it's not like I killed her and stole it..."
"Of course not, Hunter-nim! An elf is... an elf! There's no way you could have killed one...!!"
"Huh...?"
"Hunter-nim?"
"Is it bad to kill elves? Do we have some kind of peace treaty with them or something...?"
"What? What do you mean..."
As the realization of what I was implying dawned on them, the officials' faces turned pale.
"No way..."
"Ha... haha..."
"You don't mean... you actually killed an elf...?"
"Well, it's not like I went out of my way to do it."
"Pardon?"
"They tried to kill me first, so..."
"Oh, no...!"
So it was bad.
"Nairin! Didn't you say an elf named Nairin was with you? If that elf returns and reports this to the Emperor, every human entering the Tower from now on will become a target for the elves!"
At this point, a mere handkerchief wasn't enough. Sweat was pouring down the official's face like a waterfall.
"No, that won't happen."
I shook my head firmly.
"...What?"
"I'm the one who spared Nairin's life."
The officials looked utterly bewildered, unable to comprehend what I was saying.
But I was dead serious.
"In the first place, Nairin gave me this sword as a token of gratitude."
"An elf... gave you a sword?"
"Yes."
"That... that can't be..."
Well, what could I do?
It's not like I could summon Nairin right here to show them.
How frustrating.
"Those proud elves..."
"What do we do? If the elves decide to slaughter every human they encounter from now on..."
"This is a serious diplomatic cris—!"
"Oh, come on."
I couldn't help but let out a chuckle.
To me, their worries sounded completely absurd.
Nairin.
That girl was a total scrub who couldn't even squeak a word of protest while I was kicking her shins.
Slaughter? Yeah, right.
"No way that's happening."
Even though I muttered it to myself, the two officials' eyes widened so much they looked ready to pop out.
"Don't worry."
"Uh..."
"Nairin is a total scrub."
"Haha..."
Was that a bit too harsh?
But it was the truth.
To me, the elves didn't feel all that different from humans.
If I had to describe them, they just felt like people from the Middle Ages.
Anyway.
They might be a bit annoying,
but they were nothing more and nothing less than scrubs.
"Did you hear that?"
"Did he just call an elf a scrub...?"
"Is he allowed to say that...?"
The officials whispered to each other.
But honestly, I had nothing to hide or fear.
Rumble.
I was just hungry.
"If Nairin actually goes and tumbles to the Elf Emperor or whatever..."
I scratched the back of my head, lost in thought for a moment.
"...I'll hunt them down across the entire Tower and wipe them out."
"W-Wipe out what...?"
What else?
"The elves."
Clack.
The stylus fell again.
That was the third time.
I wasn't going to pick it up this time.
"I think that's about everything."
"..."
"Can I go grab some food now?"
"Yes... Yes."
Man.
Why does this feel more exhausting than clearing the actual map?
"Ughhh."
I stretched my arms high above my head.
"Well, I'll be off then!"
With that, I walked out of the entry center.
"Great work again today!"
The greeting from the entry center official was familiar by now.
It was the result of me entering and leaving the Tower every single day without rest.
"I can't believe you've already reached the 9th floor!"
"Hahaha."
"That is a terrifying pace!"
The official marveled.
Indeed.
Climbing step by step, I had already reached the 9th floor.
I had originally planned to take it easy,
but it was more fun than expected, so I ended up treating it like a casual stroll.
Maybe I was just cut out for this.
"The elven sword is definitely doing its job."
Nairin.
Having the sword that dummy elf gave me probably helped speed things up.
It didn't fit my hand perfectly,
but it was still miles better than any weapon I had used before.
"And you're setting record-breaking clear times every single time!"
"That just sort of happened..."
It really did just happen.
I wasn't obsessed with setting records.
I had just focused on clearing the floors comfortably.
But as I grew more accustomed to my trait and skills,
my speed naturally picked up.
Having a good weapon probably played a part too.
"Are you going to set a record on the 10th floor too?"
From the 10th floor onward, the enemies couldn't be dismissed as mere "monsters."
Monsters with actual intelligence would start appearing.
"Come on. Even I know the 10th floor is where things get seriously tough."
If I told him that made me look forward to it even more...
he would definitely think I was insane.
I offered a polite goodbye and headed back to my quarters.
The place was starting to feel quite like home now.
"Oh!"
The moment I opened the door, the savory aroma of soybean paste stew wafted through the air.
"Did you know I was coming?"
"Yes. The notification for the fastest clear record was posted."
In the kitchen, Do Sangjin—my secretary, butler, bodyguard, private investigator, and whatever else...
was setting the table.
Thanks to him, I had been eating home-cooked meals instead of buffets lately.
"Congratulations on clearing the 9th floor."
"Haha."
"Will you be challenging the 10th floor tomorrow?"
"Well, if nothing comes up, that's the plan."
"I suppose another record-clear notification will be posted tomorrow then."
"Don't say that, you're putting pressure on me."
I laughed awkwardly, scratching the back of my head.
"If you successfully clear the 10th floor as well,"
"Yes."
"you will soon attract the attention of the entire world."
"Huh? It's only the 10th floor, though."
"If you set the fastest clear record this time too, it will be a completely different story."
Is that so?
It didn't really feel real to me.
"Therefore, starting tomorrow, I will pay closer attention to your security."
"Security?"
"Yes. Other nations will soon catch wind of your existence, Hunter-nim."
Do Sangjin's expression was dead serious.
"I-Is that so?"
Setting fastest clear records...
Was it really that dangerous?