Chapter 46
Chapter 46
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 46
Chapter Title: Floor 40
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When I opened my eyes, the first thing I saw was a sky so brilliantly blue it was hard to believe it was a ceiling.
It stayed pristine enough that I could have mistaken it for Earth's sky—until flocks of black birds with serpentine heads lined in saw-like teeth began swarming overhead.
"So this is Floor 40..."
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ [Protect the village from danger.] A quick look around told me this was a small village. Little windmills stood in a row, and familiar livestock grazed inside fences—probably a pastoral setup.
Encircling the village was a sturdy wooden palisade, as if something out there terrified them. Young men were busy reinforcing it.
And nearby, they were hauling what looked like corpses off somewhere.
"You're an outsider?"
A short old man approached out of nowhere and asked.
His clothes were neat, but his hair and beard were a wild, unkempt mess. To my eyes, he seemed uneasy about something.
The moment I saw him, I knew: this was the first NPC on Floor 40, the "Village Chief."
That was the straightforward message floating before me—the 40th floor's mission. From what I'd heard, waves of monsters would swarm to destroy the village.
"Can't you hear me?"
"No, elder. I am an outsider. I was just lost in thought for a moment."
I gave rote responses to the village chief's explanations—I'd heard them all before.
"Hmm, young man. On a journey?"
"Yes. Just stopping by to rest."
The village chief stroked his scruffy beard.
"Bad timing, though. The seal on the cave up ahead broke recently. Magical beasts swarm here every night—it's not safe. They'll come charging from that cave soon enough."
A closer look showed the men repairing the palisade were drenched in sweat. Not from exertion—from tension and fear.
"You should leave, quick."
Just as expected, he urged me to go. Fun fact: leaving the village counts as failure and kicks you out of the tower. If climbing was the goal, there was no choice.
"I'm not exactly weak. Mind if I lend a hand defending the village?"
"Really? We'd be grateful! You look strong now that I see you properly!"
The village chief thanked me profusely and gave me the rundown on precautions.
"By the way, across from the palisade there's a deranged philosopher. If you run into him, be polite—better yet, don't talk to him."
"What do you mean?"
"He's dangerous."
With that, the village chief headed back into the village.
I slowly stepped outside the palisade.
A man was wandering the road, clutching a book and turning this way and that. His feet didn't touch the ground—he floated aimlessly.
He looked half-starved: ribs protruding grotesquely from a gaunt frame, wild tangled hair, muttering nonstop as he read.
The weirdest part? He wore a filthy bandage eyepatch—yet was reading a book.
"So that's the blind philosopher."
I just confirmed it was him, then went back to hear the current situation from the village chief and young men.
To sum up:
The man circling the palisade was called the philosopher.
Two days ago, monster waves started hitting every night. More than the philosopher could handle alone, unlike before.
Already, three in ten young men in the village had died.
Odd detail: since the monsters appeared, a blood-red moon hung in the sky.
The villagers treated the philosopher—who showed up one day—like some kind of spirit.
According to them, he was immortal.
He never slept or ate. Whenever monsters approached the village, he protected it with mysterious powers.
"Doesn't the philosopher want anything in return?"
"...Corpses."
The man said it grudgingly.
"Whenever we have a body, we take it to him. By the next day, it's gone. Who knows if he eats them."
"Is that the price for protecting the village?"
"More or less."
One unwritten rule: never speak to the philosopher.
"Don't ask why."
"Got it..."
Obviously a touchy subject—like the whole grape thing.
Ironically, they feared the philosopher but had no way to defend the village without him. A strange coexistence had formed.
"Makes it awkward to just attack him outright..."
The village's combat power wasn't high. I'd planned to uncover the philosopher's secret like So Seori suggested, but without him, the village couldn't hold.
Curious how things would play out, I decided to watch for now.
A bit later, the beasts appeared.
"Kyaaak!"
"Variety of types."
Unlike before, there were many kinds of monsters. They resembled various animals but with eerie twists.
"Why so many?!"
"W-We... we're all gonna die!"
Most villagers clutched rusty spears and had already lost the will to fight.
'According to them, the waves started two days ago.'
By default, massive hordes like this hadn't happened before.
Before jumping in, I observed the philosopher closely.
Kwabang!
Red energy lashed out, and a beast exploded.
"Hm?"
Not magic, surprisingly. No mana flow.
And that red energy resembled the moonlight from the blood-red moon overhead.
Grrr! Kakak!
Even when attacked, the beasts' strikes never reached him.
Kwabang!
Another beast exploded.
Through Soul Sense, I saw it: enormous invisible hands.
One shielded the philosopher; the other crushed beasts.
I could vaguely see why they said he was invincible.
"Can't counter invisible hands."
Like Adam Smith, the philosopher fought with an "invisible hand." Beasts exploded near him; he took no damage. Hard to deal with.
Snap.
Enough observation. I passed the philosopher and attacked the incoming beasts.
Pung! Peung!
The horde charged blindly, fearless even as allies burst ahead.
Snap.
I snapped my fingers to multiply the spells.
From the magic circles in the sky, my go-to lesser laser magic pierced the enemies.
More than expected; subjugation took about 30 minutes.
"We're alive! Alive!"
"W-We won!"
"Waaaaah!"
The young men guarding the palisade with spears cheered. The soldiers I'd fought alongside rushed over, bowing in thanks.
"Incredible! Mage, you saved us all!"
The village chief's title for me shifted from "young man" to "Mage."
"No big deal. Glad everyone's safe."
"If it's not too much... could you help us a few more days?"
The village chief asked anxiously, fearing I'd leave.
'Different from other NPCs.'
What was it? He felt truly alive. Outside Aka Sik and the 90th floor cultists, this was my first vibrant NPC.
The village chief rambled on.
TL;DR: Don't leave or we're dead—help us.
Everyone gathered, praising my skills. Felt good. I had to stay anyway, so I agreed readily.
"Feast tonight! Come in! Best booze and meat for you."
"Sounds good. I'll join."
The village chief prepped the feast, handing me fine wine they'd saved. "For honored guests."
I took the glass—and it vanished. Morning came abruptly.
"...This tower, huh."
Scenario skipped to morning.
"Enjoy last night?"
Village chief staggered over, hungover.
"Nope."
"Huh? You said you did..."
Never happened.
Then I felt eyes from outside.
The philosopher's gaze, beyond the palisade.
Something felt off.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ A brief rest, then night fell for the next wave. Same as before.
The beasts' durability was low; easy to handle.
"Thanks! Feast tonight too...?"
"Pass."
No need for unenjoyable feasts.
Tower skips made time irrelevant anyway.
After three repeats, beasts shifted to humanoid types.
Distinctive: all eyeless. My thought? Grapes, naturally.
I kept exterminating, questions lingering.
'Two waves left...'
Post-invasion, village buzzed with life—until the philosopher appeared.
"Ch-Chief!"
He crossed the palisade, looking around. Unprecedented.
So Seori said he never entered the village.
'Why now?'
As I pondered, the chief confronted him.
"...Corpses?"
"...Philosopher, none today."
Chief's voice trembled, fear swallowed whole.
Should I step in? Before I decided, philosopher turned and left.
What differed from past climbers that triggered this?
Soon after, I approached him outside. Clearing as-is was fine—five waves total, two left.
As I neared, he reacted—must've heard.
"Chief...? No, a visitor."
He responded like he'd been waiting.
"You... wanderer from outside."
"..."
Shocking: he recognized me as from beyond the tower.
"Why do you need corpses?"
"Is that your wish?"
I skipped answering.
"This tower—truly mysterious, isn't it? Appears in dimensions across the universe, bringing sudden doom."
"You know the tower's secrets?"
"Of course. Curious?"
"Yes."
"Give me your grape, and I'll grant one wish. You already have one, by the way."
'So that's the play.'
Some traded for curiosity, strength to climb, wealth, fame.
Tempting: one grape for a wish.
He didn't specify it was an eye, but still reasonable.
"And if I refuse?"
"You'll climb and die eventually. Supreme treasure? Infinite mana stone? Tower secrets? Power to annihilate foes? What do you want? One grape, and I'll make it so."
Irresistible for climbers. Even knowing someone lost an eye first and spilled info, tempting. Great pitch.
"What for the grape?"
"That your wish? Cost is one grape."
Thug vibes.
Curiosity hit: Would he accept my eye as a grape? I could regrow it.
My wish?
"Separate me from this grimoire. Now."
"Deal."
Light shone from his book. He reached for my face.
"I'll take it."
Thwack.
I swatted his hand away.
"Refusing now? You'll regret it."
"Here, take mine."
Pop.
I plucked my left eyeball and handed it over. Kept the eye shut—no energy leak.
Philosopher flinched at my self-extraction.
"You knew it was a grape?"
"You're famous."
'Can he see?'
Bandages wrapped tight, yet he seemed sighted.
He popped my eye in his mouth.
Crunch.
"Crunch?"
I saw him rolling my "grape" around inside.
"This isn't a grape... more like candy?"
Puzzled, he kept rolling it. Felt weird.
"Taste good?"
"?????????"
Ptooey—out came my eye.
"Th-This isn't a grape!"
Close, but no cigar.