Chapter 541: Eternal Spire[R-18] (60)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 541: Eternal Spire[R-18] (60)
Once Austin finished his explanation, a man calmly raised his hand.
“Go ahead.”
“Does this mean… we’re trapped in this tower?”
Austin nodded.
“That’s right. And you must prove your worth by climbing to the 100th floor. The invitation should have stated that clearly.”
The man’s expression hardened.
“It did… but what on earth is at the end of all this?”
Austin shook his head and replied, “We don’t know. We’re just participants who were dragged here by an invitation, same as you. We’re climbing simply to survive.”
Kang Hyun-woo, who was standing beside him, stepped forward.
“Ultimately, the only difference between us and you is whether or not you set foot in here first.”
Austin spoke again.
“So please, listen carefully to what we have to say. We’re not trying to harm anyone. We want to teach you how to survive in this tower from now on.”
His words caused a stir among the new participants.
“Then… is there really no way to go back?”
“What about our families… What happens to them?”
Fear-stricken voices erupted from all around. Austin closed his eyes for a moment before speaking with a grim expression.
“Unfortunately, there is no way to return to your original world until you complete the 100th floor.”
In an instant, sighs of despair spread through the newcomers. Just as hopelessness began to set in, Kang Hyun-woo stepped forward.
“But there’s no need to despair.”
His voice was calm, yet filled with conviction.
“If you join us, you can survive. However—if you act disorderly and ignore the rules like just now… then we’ll have no choice but to use force.”
The new participants’ gazes shifted to the corpse of the man whose neck had been snapped just moments before. Someone swallowed hard, and not a single person dared to open their mouth.
“Good.”
Austin clapped his hands loudly.
“I’m sure you all understand the situation now. Follow our lead. For the next three months, you will be trained in everything you need to survive in this tower. Survival skills, combat techniques… everything you must learn.”
He paused for a moment, a meaningful smile playing on his lips.
“Of course… if you don’t like the idea of training, you’re free to leave. But—”
Clap!
At the sound of his clap, members of the Holy Cross Knights from behind brought out a massive, cloth-covered cart. When the cover was thrown back, screams erupted from the newcomers.
The carcass of a giant monster, brutally torn apart, was sprawled across it.
“These are the things you’ll have to fight.”
Austin kicked the monster’s flank with the tip of his boot and continued in a cold voice.
“Either that… or you can live like the vagrants huddled in those alleys, unable to secure even one meal a day, eventually starving to death. The choice is yours.”
The color drained from the newcomers’ faces. Only then did they all realize it. To survive in this tower, there was no other way but to follow the words of Austin and his companions.
I watched him and muttered to myself.
‘Austin and his silver tongue. His way with words is something else.’
He couldn’t have dominated the atmosphere with simple threats alone. The man was meticulously designing the situation. He had deliberately brought in the vagrants from the outskirts of the 1st floor to stir up anxiety, and even the violence from the guild leader moments ago seemed like part of a script.
‘Devious bastard. But it’s effective, I’ll give him that.’
To absorb so many newcomers, divide them among the guilds, and turn them into a fighting force, establishing a strong sense of order from the very beginning was essential. If they were left to start from scratch with nothing, as Austin’s group had, it would only create another wave of countless vagrants. Austin’s method was unpleasant, but it was rational.
‘Of course, there will inevitably be some trash that gets weeded out.’
But in my opinion, not many would actually be abandoned. Austin probably knew that better than anyone.
“If there are no deserters, we will guide you to the prepared location.”
As he spoke, members of the Holy Cross Knights and the allied guilds surrounded the newcomers, beginning to move as if escorting them.
‘Where are we going?’
A short while later, Austin came to a halt in a barren field just outside the 1st-floor city.
There was nothing but flat land as far as the eye could see. But then, Austin took something out of his pocket.
‘A key…?’
The moment he inserted it into the empty air, the space shimmered, and the surrounding landscape completely transformed.
“Whoa…”
“No way… A building appeared out of nowhere…”
Gasps of awe burst from the newcomers. A massive compound had materialized on the empty plain. Austin gestured grandly and announced, “This is where you will be trained. And there are special benefits… Now, everyone, please come inside.”
People began to murmur and shuffle inside. I was about to follow when I instinctively stopped.
‘…I have a bad feeling about this.’
And right on cue, a panicked shout came from a short distance away.
“Huh…? Why… why can’t I… get in…?”
A man who had been mixed in with the group of newcomers was frozen in place at the entrance. His feet seemed glued to the air, unable to move forward.
Seeing him, Austin let out a cold laugh and muttered, “Looks like an impurity snuck in.”
In an instant, members of the Holy Cross Knights swarmed and surrounded the man. Blades flashed, and the man was dragged away without a chance to resist.
I clicked my tongue internally.
‘He’s set it up so that only newcomers, people who aren’t with his group, can enter.’
My head throbbed. At this rate, the new participants would spend the next three months inside the training facility, getting to know each other’s faces and building bonds. And someone with an appearance as conspicuous as mine would quickly become the subject of rumors…
‘I could wait three months, kill a suitable guy, and disguise myself as him, but…’
But—
‘Then I wouldn’t be able to have fun as Geum Tae-yang…!’
Staring at the entrance to the training facility, I quickly racked my brain. If I tried to enter right now, I’d be caught just like that man.
But acting strangely could also arouse suspicion. For now, I decided to naturally step back and observe the situation.
At that moment.
Ting!
A blue window popped up before my eyes.
[KILO has requested a conversation. Will you accept?]
“…What’s this?”
My brow furrowed on its own. This was the first time the system had ever prompted a direct ‘conversation request’ with someone.
‘KILO…? Who’s that?’
Ting.
[KILO has requested a conversation. Will you accept?]
The message appeared again, as if rushing me. I hesitated for a moment before finally pressing ‘Accept’.
Instantly, a transparent chat window unfolded before me.
[Hello, Jin Seo-yun. You seem to be in a bit of a bind… May I offer some assistance?]
The thought that formed in my head was immediately typed into the chat window as a message.
[Who are you, and why are you trying to help me?]
[My identity is a secret. And as for why… I despise people who ignore the rules and do whatever they please. Do you understand?]
[What’s the price?]
[No price is necessary. Simply continuing to entertain me as you are now is more than enough.]
There was no time to hesitate.
[Fine.]
The moment I responded, another system message appeared over the first.
[KILO is granting participant Jin Seo-yun a new status. Will you accept?]
‘I accept.’
[You have acquired the achievement ‘Dual Status’.]
[A new status will be granted.]
A series of messages popped up, and then an unfamiliar window overlaid my vision.
Name: Geum Tae-yang
Level: 1
Gender: Male
Alignment: Chaotic
Stats
Strength: 6
Stamina: 9
Agility: 7
Intelligence: 1
Luck: 4
[Unique Ability]
A new status window had appeared on top of my original one. I liked that I could switch between them at will.
‘Interesting.’
Then, my eyes landed on the Intelligence stat of 1.
‘…Wait, why is only my Intelligence 1?!’
[Hehehe! I’ve configured it to suit the Geum Tae-yang character. An Intelligence of 1 is perfect for a lecherous idiot, wouldn’t you agree?]
‘This bastard…’
But there was no time to complain. Most of the newcomers were already heading inside the training facility.
[Now, you may enter. If you switch to the Geum Tae-yang status, you will be able to enter normally.]
With those words, the chat window disappeared.
I switched my status to Geum Tae-yang and headed for the training facility. I passed through without any resistance.
‘My powers aren’t gone just because my status changed.’
I walked onto the training grounds with a smile. The eyes of the people already gathered there darted about, and Austin raised his voice before them.
“We will now divide you into groups based on your stats and unique abilities.”
At that moment, a woman among the newcomers raised her hand. She had long black hair, sharp features, and a cold, settled gaze that left a strong impression.
“I have a question.”
‘Well, well~ Found a black-haired beauty with a cold look!’
Austin turned his gaze to her.
“Go ahead.”
“You said we would be trained, but what kind of training is it, exactly? And are food and lodging provided at no cost?”
Austin narrowed his eyes for a moment, then smiled in satisfaction.
“A good question. First, the training will cover basic physical conditioning, weapons handling, how to deal with monsters, and how to utilize your unique abilities. All things necessary for survival.”
He looked around at the newcomers, choosing his words for a moment before adding, “And room and board will be provided free of charge for three months. However, there is one condition.”
“A condition…?” the woman asked quickly.
“After the three months of training are over, you must join a guild. Of course, you are free to choose which guild. But those with better training results will receive better offers.”
Kang Hyun-woo immediately supplemented, “Simply put, we are investing in you. In return, you must become a force that will help us climb the tower in the future.”
The black-haired woman thought for a moment, then nodded.
“…I understand.”
“Excellent. Then, let’s begin.”
At Austin’s gesture, members of the Holy Cross Knights dragged over a large crystal orb.
“Placing your hand on this crystal orb will measure your stats. One by one, please come forward and be measured.”
I tuned out Austin’s words and scrutinized the black-haired beauty. Unlike the other flustered newcomers, she had quickly grasped the situation and asked only practical questions. Plus, she was a beauty. That was very important.
The newcomers began to form a line. I deliberately went to the very back. I wanted to see everyone else’s results first. As I did, I slyly sidled up next to the black-haired woman.
She shot me a sideways glance. The moment our eyes met, I gave her a wide grin, and she immediately scowled and took a step away.
A cold dismissal. But I didn’t care. In fact, it made me want to push even harder.
“Hey, hey~ That’s a bit harsh, don’t you think? We might become comrades, so let’s be friendly, yeah?”
“Shut up.”
“Heh heh, the cold beauty type, huh? I like that. A beauty who ignites my desire for conquest is always welcome!”
She seemed to have decided to ignore me completely, as she no longer showed any reaction at all.