The Tower of Harmonization (1)
The Tower of Harmonization (1)
The World Superhuman Association.
Commonly known simply as the Association, its influence runs deep across the globe.
North America, where the Association Headquarters is located, goes without saying—but the branches established worldwide wield formidable influence in their own right.
The Monster Standard Rank and Dungeon Grades, which the world treats as gospel, were formally designated and codified by the Association.
The smartwatches, holograms, and Gate Terminals that are indispensable in the modern era are also in the Association's hands.
Its military might is overwhelming.
Countless superhumans belong to the Association, and numerous units are operated for special purposes. A substantial portion of the forces holding the line at the African Demon Realm Frontline consists of the Association Defense Force and the Association Subjugation Force.
It isn't for nothing that people openly call it the World Government.
The power that the head of such an organization—the Association President—holds in their grasp is beyond imagination.
Whether any real check on that power exists is a secondary matter. The sheer potential for concern was inevitable.
Yet in the present day, few people harbor such misgivings or wariness.
For over a hundred years, the Association President's actions have been consistent.
The preservation of world peace.
Pursuing harmony between superhumans and ordinary people, apprehending and punishing criminals who abuse superhuman power, standing against dungeons and monsters.
Whatever one might speculate about hidden motives, a record that has remained unwavering for over a century leaves no room for doubt.
As a result, the Association Presidents—the Tower Master of Space and the Tower Master of Harmonization—are counted among the most revered figures in modern history.
"Wah, wah, wah! It actually worked! This is incredible—amazing! If this had failed, I would've just burned through my reserves and come up empty, but it's like a damn last-second comeback!"
One of those revered figures was bouncing around in place, hopping without a shred of dignity... radiating pure joy with her entire body.
[......]
My mouth fell slightly open at the sudden sight. I pressed my lips shut and activated Observation.
The Tower Master of Harmonization was a woman.
A tall woman—a figure I'd grown familiar with by now. Her hair was a pale sky-blue, almost white, and slightly wavy. Was that what they called a wave perm?
"Ehehe! See, you've got to grab it when your instincts tell you to! What success comes without risk?"
Mm-hm. Having been bouncing around in self-congratulation, the Tower Master of Harmonization nodded to herself, grinning, and her gaze landed on me.
Her soft sky-blue eyes, already brimming with laughter, curved into crescents.
Maybe it was because her features were naturally bright and open, but her smile felt strikingly vivacious.
"Hello, Savior! This is the first time we're meeting face-to-face! I'm the Tower Master of Harmonization, Gracia Tehulin!"
Clap. She brought her hands together as she smiled.
Both hands were clad in pure white cotton gloves, and a shoulder cape fluttered over her shoulders with every bounce.
[......]
"...Savior?"
A silence settled behind her bright smile.
The Tower Master of Harmonization's beaming eyes blinked. Her gaze landed on my cheeks, which were puffed out tight.
"Huh?"
Cheeks swollen with air like a blowfish.
A question mark floated up above the Tower Master of Harmonization's head—
[?]
It actually did.
A question mark, displayed right above her head. I nearly let my tightly sealed lips fall open.
I kept my brow furrowed and my cheeks puffed.
"Uh-uh... Savior? What's with that face? You're not hurt or anything, are you?"
An exclamation mark popped up beside the rigid question mark. The Tower Master of Harmonization crept closer, circling me as she checked my condition.
"I'll admit my spatial manipulation is a bit clumsy... but surely you didn't collide with something on the way here—"
[Status Window]
- Flinch.
The Tower Master of Harmonization's shoulders quaked. The question mark and exclamation mark, floating so companionably together, crumbled and vanished. Her pupils shook as if an earthquake had struck.
I turned toward her and tilted my head.
[Why doesn't it work properly?]
"...Hoo."
Her fingers, which had been fidgeting aimlessly, went still. The Tower Master of Harmonization exhaled slowly and stepped back.
One step, two steps, three.
When she'd put enough distance between us, her legs bent. Her knees and both hands, held neatly together, touched the floor. She lowered her head onto her hands. Her chest pressed against the ground, squishing flat.
"I'm so sorry... Would you perhaps be willing to hear my excuse first...?"
[No no no]
[Flustered]
[I wasn't asking for that kind of apology...]
Horrified by this display of abject repentance—practically a traditional groveling apology—I hurriedly pulled the Tower Master of Harmonization to her feet.
.
.
.
After somehow talking the excessively apologetic Tower Master of Harmonization down, we sat across from each other at a table.
[What am I supposed to do if you suddenly kneel like that?]
"Hehehe... That's just how sorry I was."
I'd let a little sulkiness slip, and she'd pressed her head to the floor.
I shook my head, expressing my bewilderment, and the Tower Master of Harmonization across from me let out an awkward little laugh.
Even at a glance through Observation, her demeanor was a far cry from formality or solemnity.
'But I heard she didn't act like this at official functions...'
I swallowed the odd expression that nearly surfaced. The Tower Master of Harmonization stole a glance at me.
"Ahem. May I... prattle off my excuse now...?"
[You can speak casually]
"Oh, no, how could I speak casually to the Savior, no matter what..."
[It's more comfortable for me to hear it that way]
"Ah, if that's the case... Ahem. Well, in that case."
The Tower Master of Harmonization coughed and shifted her speech. She must have found choosing her words uncomfortable after all.
[And I already heard the reason from Ariel]
The Status Window that the Tower Masters had built to provide me with convenience and support.
Although the Tower of Knowledge and the Tower of Harmonization had constructed the Status Window together, the greater share of it was the Tower of Harmonization's work.
The problem was that I, the person it was actually meant for, couldn't even perceive it properly—let alone operate it—because of the curses...
"But that doesn't make any sense!"
- Slam!
[?!]
[Jolted]
"Ah, sorry for shouting."
The Tower Master of Harmonization had suddenly slammed both hands on the table, venting her indignation. When I startled, she ducked her head in apology.
"...But still! I really do have a few things to say about this!"
Still huffing, the Tower Master of Harmonization parted her lips.
"Would you try observing a hologram for a moment?"
I operated my smartwatch. Bzz! A hologram projected into the air.
"That!"
The Tower Master of Harmonization pointed at the hologram.
"The hologram—you can observe it, right? You can also sense it through mana?"
[Yes, both are working]
"That hologram is made with the Authority of Harmonization."
I already knew that.
The smartwatches the Association had distributed were, in truth, empty shells.
Aside from basic functions, their real capabilities worked because they were connected to the Tower of Harmonization.
"In the same way, the Status Window is also the Authority of Harmonization—so why is the Status Window, of all things, the only one being blocked from perception...? No, the fact that you even have to observe it is what's strange!"
The Tower Master of Harmonization shook her fists in the air.
"Unlike a hologram projected into empty space, the Status Window is projected directly onto you, Savior. Even with your eyes closed, it should be conveyed through Will Thought...!"
[But it didn't work]
Her fists, waving through the air, stopped cold. The Tower Master of Harmonization trembled, then quietly lowered her hands.
"That's... the curses were far, far stronger than anything we anticipated..."
[......]
"Ah, no... It really is strange, I'm telling you... The curses from those bastards shouldn't be able to block an Authority..."
[Please don't curse...]
"Okay."
Placing both hands on her lap, the Tower Master of Harmonization closed her mouth.
While I gulped down some water and pursed my lips, the Tower Master of Harmonization stole another glance at me.
I shrugged.
[The problem is me, isn't it?]
"No, no! That's not what I meant!"
The Tower Master of Harmonization flailed both arms in a panic. I shook my head.
[I expected as much]
The curses cast by the invading Tower Masters couldn't block perception of the Status Window. Out of the three Tower Masters, only two had actually placed curses on me.
But I was carrying three curses.
Two I'd received from the Tower Masters. One was congenital.
[Layering curses to amplify their effects is a common method. I learned that while studying curse theory]
The congenital curse... the one I knew as the Curse of Short Life.
I suppose this curse intertwined with the other two, amplifying its effects.
"...I'm sorry. Even if that's the case, we should have been the ones to suppress the curse on our end..."
Gloomily bowing her head, the Tower Master of Harmonization murmured.
Sensing the mixture of melancholy and guilt in her manner, I shook my head from side to side.
[Please don't say that]
[You're already helping me while shouldering a burden to your limits]
The Tower Masters are helping me as much as they can.
So much so that it's hard to list it all one by one now.
[When I fought the Tower Master of Purgatory, my body was unscathed by Hellfire's flames thanks to the Status Window]
The flames the Tower Master of Purgatory had been scattering. Setting aside their raw power, their viciousness far surpassed the Calamity Flame.
If they had properly spread, they would have burned even my spiritual blueprint. That's why I tried to cut off my arm and regenerate it before they could...
But the Status Window's correction prevented that.
Actually, I'd been receiving a lot of help from the Status Window even before that.
When I caught Aerus, the Status Window was what lifted up my dying body. When I was steeped in the Twin-headed Poison Dragon's venom, the Status Window helped me too.
[Thank you]
[I've had my life saved many times thanks to you, Tower Master of Harmonization]
"Nooo... in good conscience, I'm not someone who should be thanked..."
When I dipped my head, pouring in all the gratitude I had held back until now, the Tower Master of Harmonization flailed, not knowing what to do, and urged me to raise my head.
With a small laugh at the reversal of roles from earlier, I lifted my head.
"Whew, I thought my heart was going to drop..."
Placing a hand on her chest, the Tower Master of Harmonization let out a deep sigh of relief and shook her head.
"Honestly, I thought you'd slap me the moment we met."
[Please don't think of me as such trash...]
"Human emotions aren't consistent, are they? If resentment builds up, a person wants to vent it toward someone, anyone."
[Oh...]
"Huh? What is it?"
Seeing my mouth fall slightly open, the Tower Master of Harmonization tilted her head.
[I didn't expect to hear something so plausible from you]
"You're seeing me as a complete idiot?!"
The Tower Master of Harmonization shrieked.
[Hehe]
[I'm kidding]
"Ugh... it's because the ones who came before you all ruined the perception..."
With a giggle, I shook my head left and right, and the Tower Master of Harmonization ground her teeth.
[Perception?]
I recalled what the other Tower Masters I had met—Ariel and Sierra—had said about the Tower Master of Harmonization.
I've heard a fair amount.
But the part that stuck with me most...
[...Mid-Upper-Grade support role?]
"Aaaagh! Why do you remember that?!"
[Ack]
Bam! Bam! The Tower Master of Harmonization slammed the table and yelled. I leaned back, startled by the fiercer-than-expected reaction, and she shrieked.
"By today's standards, Mid-Upper Grade used to be a huuu~uuge level of high-grade talent back in the day! Standards these days are way too high!"
The Tower Master of Harmonization's clenched fist trembled.
"Young people nowadays don't realize how amazing pioneers were! Did we have anything to learn from in my era? Was there magic, were body reinforcement techniques and aura techniques developed, was there unique-ability research? All of it—I was incredibly outstanding compared to the times when people had to bang their heads against bare ground..."
[A Mid-Upper-Grade hero?]
"Kyaaaaagh...!"
Clutching her head, the Tower Master of Harmonization let out a scream. I leaned back even farther, putting distance between myself and the flare-up.
"Even in this day and age, Mid-Upper Grade is...! It's not a low rank...! And I'm way stronger now, anyway!"
[Well, of course you are when a hundred years have passed since your birth... blrgh]
- Urp
"Don't talk about my age!"
A hand shot out and covered both my mouth and the Confession Necklace.
A desperate—no, outright blatant—gaze fell on me. Overwhelmed by it, I nodded, and the touch withdrew.
"Huff, huff..."
Having poured out a torrent of words, the Tower Master of Harmonization gulped down air. Her voluptuous chest swelled and shrank with each breath.
[...Now that I think about it, I also heard that your talkative nature made you many enemies...]
"That is a truly baseless slander!"
[Sl?ander]
"Don't put a question mark on it! It's true that I'm a bit loose-tongued and talk too much, but I'm not foul-mouthed!"
[Hmmnn...]
"It's true! Honestly, even Ariel and Sierra... and the one who wielded a blade instead of a tongue was Neriel!"
[?]
Ariel and Sierra. Those two are foul-mouthed?
Honestly... I have no idea about that.
All the words I'd ever heard from them were always gentle and kind.
"That's all just feigned innocence. If I played the curses they've spat out, you'd foam at the mouth and faint."
[Don't insult the two of them]
"Your affection is already built up too high to go down, huh..."
Ignoring the Tower Master of Harmonization's incredulous mutter, I collected my thoughts.
'Neriel... the Tower Master of Growth.'
Someone I've never met yet.
To be precise... a person whose true intentions I still don't know.
I quietly sifted through old memories.
The inside of a pitch-black room. Memories of peering into a bright monitor rustled open.
▶Agapanthus: 「@No. 1 Shut-In Idiot」
▶Agapanthus: Did you sleep well?
▶Me: Don't curse at me
▶Agapanthus: Hm?
▶Agapanthus: Ah
▶Agapanthus: You still haven't changed your nickname?
...
▶Me: Agapanthus
▶Me: This is way too hard
▶Me: (Savior 1st Iteration End Log)
▶Agapanthus: You said it was a difficult game, didn't you?
▶Agapanthus: The first step is always the hardest.
▶Agapanthus: As they say, 苦盡甘來—sweetness after bitterness. The harder it is, the more rewarding it will be later.
...
▶Me: Uwebeveb
▶Me: It's ruined
▶Me: (Savior 3rd Iteration End Log)
▶Me: (puppy emoji lying face down on the floor)
▶Agapanthus: Still, you got a lot further than last time!
▶Agapanthus: If you keep this up...
▶Agapanthus: (Typing...)
▶Agapanthus: ?
▶Agapanthus: Calamity Flame? Azure Sea? Taesan?
▶Agapanthus: Why are all those in one body?
▶Me: I tried to raise the output and they exploded inside my body
▶Agapanthus: What?
...
▶Me: (Savior 7th Iteration End Log)
▶Me: (puppy emoji sitting with its back against the wall, tired expression)
▶Me: The world really is too cold
▶Kkonnim: I'm asking because I'm genuinely curious
▶Kkonnim: Why the hell are you leaving that place?
▶Kkonnim: Isn't it a safe zone that cradles you, rocks you, and even nurses you so you can grow?
▶Kkonnim: Why are you crawling out into the cold world before you're fully grown?
▶Me: Something good might come from outside, you know
▶Kkonnim: (puppy raising its fist emoji)
▶Me: Heeng
...
▶Me: (Savior 9th Iteration End Log)
▶Me: I died while doing bad things
▶Me: But I got revenge on Baek A-rin who killed me befo
▶Kkonnim: What the fuck
▶Me: ?
▶Me: Please don't curse at me...
...
Ziiip! I stopped unspooling memories around that point.
'Kkonnim did have a foul mouth...'
It's still not definite... it remains unknown until I meet her in person and get a clear answer.
Wearing an odd expression, I shook my head side to side.
- Ting!
That's when it happened.
The Status Window chimed an alert.
The moment I cocked my head at it, the Tower Master of Harmonization blinked. I observed the sensation of her gaze turning somewhere other than me.
"Oh! It finally went u—... Kyaaa! Why did that get attached too?!"
* * *
[Player Correction System: Affection]
Lee Ha-yul → Tower Master of Harmonization (?)
●●●○○○○○○○(30/100)
｢Mid-Upper Grade｣ ｢Support Role｣ ｢Complexity｣ ｢Confusion｣ ｢Question｣ ｢Frustration｣ ｢Gratitude｣ ｢Sulking｣
▽Change▽
Lee Ha-yul → Gracia Tehulin
●●●●●○○○○○(30▷52/100)
｢Tower Master of Harmonization｣ ｢Mid-Upper Grade｣ ｢Support Role｣ ｢Gratitude｣ ｢Vivacious Person｣ ｢Naïve(?)｣ ｢Foolish(?)｣ ｢Talkative｣
* * *
