Chapter 51
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 51
Chapter Title: Ruined Paradise
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No heartbeat, no breathing sounds. There was no way to call this living. On top of that, the Pattern Activation had been released, returning Im Ha-neul to his original form. That meant he was definitely dead.
‘…In the end, he was fated not to make it all the way. What a shame.’
There were people like that sometimes. No matter how hard you tried to keep them alive, they’d die midway.
‘Would it have been different if it were hyung?’
I squatted down and looked at Im Ha-neul. His clouded eyes stared blankly into empty space.
“Im Ha-neul-ssi.”
No answer came. Even so, I continued.
“Did you know? What I said before—it was meant for you, but it was also for me.”
No matter how hard you try, you’ll get pushed aside by those with talent. Im Ha-neul’s situation was similar to mine. Even if you worked hard and grew strong in one playthrough, everything reset in the next, and you’d be outmatched by people starting from a different baseline, ultimately handing your power over to the strong.
So I rationalized it. I was doing it to save the world. That was my way of trying.
“But lately…”
Negative thoughts welled up, then subsided.
“…I talked too much.”
I placed my hand over Im Ha-neul’s eyes.
“Sweet dreams.”
After closing his eyes, I headed back to where the others were waiting. I calmly announced Im Ha-neul’s death. Since this was a tower of unknown duration, we didn’t collect the body. A corpse would just be baggage here.
Park Woo-yun was the only one who looked shocked, like he’d heard devastating news. The rest wore expressions that said it was inevitable. Park Woo-yun had grown close to him, but death was par for the course here. Surviving was the real luck.
“…We should head in soon.”
As she spoke, Ji Hwa-yeon glanced sideways. I followed her gaze.
[☆00:05:32★]
I had no idea when time had passed like this. Searching for Im Ha-neul must have taken longer than I thought.
Looking around, I spotted some familiar faces. Haena-ssi and Ethan-ssi, for example. They’d made it back just in time, fortunately.
I looked up at the sky. Stairs descended from the black hole. That had to be the exit.
“The stragglers are unfortunate, but… let’s move.”
No one objected to Ji Hwa-yeon’s words. Waiting longer could spell trouble, after all.
We climbed the stairs and entered the exit. A familiar waiting area came into view. No, it wasn’t familiar. It should have been, but it wasn’t. Beyond the shattered sky lay an inky blackness. That was our welcome.
Once everyone had ascended, a familiar face appeared atop the towering ground.
―Ahaha! A lot of you died, huh?
Someone far off cursed in response.
―Around the fifth floor merge, and now they’re dropping! Did I mess up the balance? Can’t remake it from scratch, so oh well~
Merging around the fifth floor meant we’d cleared not three, but seven floors or so.
―And… quite a few didn’t make it up? Nice, nice. Anyone who didn’t ascend is out! So, to put it another way!
‘Death again.’
―Death!
The Tower Lord cackled gleefully, as if finally getting his way, rambling on about whatever.
―I can’t be the only one enjoying this party!
He clapped his hands. At the same moment, other places appeared atop the fragmented pink sky. Different locations each, but all had people.
―These guys got outed without even escaping! How stupid is that? Even the farthest one made it out fine.
The Tower Lord glanced my way. …The positions of those vanishing stairs must have indicated distance to the exit.
―Isn’t it fun? Dying unseen in a completely unfamiliar place! Oh, right! Slow deaths are even more entertaining!
Among the sky fragments were teammates we’d lost along the way.
―Shall we countdown? Nah, this’ll do.
The Tower Lord released his clasped hands and spread his arms wide. Grotesque monsters materialized before those who hadn’t made it here.
―They can’t even kill those! Their weak spots are buried deep!
People startled at the sudden monsters, some tumbling back, others attacking. But as attacks proved useless, they began to panic one by one.
The Tower Lord didn’t stop there, zooming in on their despairing faces. You don’t see high-rank Hunters break like that often, and here it was, so easily.
―Kill―!
The monsters opened their maws and charged at the Hunters.
Then, they halted abruptly, freezing like time itself had stopped right before the Hunters. Wondering what trick this was, I looked at the Tower Lord. He stared at his own body in disbelief.
A white pattern near the heart.
‘That’s definitely…’
Grinding his teeth at the pattern on his chest, the Tower Lord glared our way. Specifically at hyung. Hyung smirked back at him.
―You, what did you do this time.
Hyung shrugged without a word. That only seemed to rile the Tower Lord more, raising his voice.
―This pact was only supposed to apply on the first floor! So why is it still in effect?!
Hyung slowly opened his mouth at the Tower Lord’s outburst.
“I never said it was limited to the first floor.”
―What?
“Wasn’t it your mistake to assume it only applied there when you agreed?”
―……
“Pacts are mutual agreements, right? You accepted it, so why the wide eyes?”
―…Fine.
The Tower Lord, eyes closed, soon wore a lively… expression as he spoke.
―Whatever! Plenty died anyway. Nice guy that I am, I’ll let it slide.
Whoosh. The people on the sky vanished somewhere. Probably ejected outside. The sky fragments returned to pink.
―Next floor’s tweaks are done. Let’s start right—
“Wait. Before that.”
Ji Hwa-yeon spoke up.
―Hm?
“How many floors is the final one in this tower?”
―Who knows.
“…What?”
―It’ll keep going until I feel like stepping in, probably?
With that, the Tower Lord vanished. The area buzzed at his parting words. Some faces twisted in despair.
Soon, five doors of varying colors appeared. Plain, ordinary doors—they gave no hint of what lay beyond.
As we stared, wondering which to pick, an argument had already broken out nearby.
“Sticking together seems best.”
“No, Han Ji-un Hunter. With five doors and unknown outcomes, we should split up.”
“If we split and end up underpowered in danger, it’ll be a problem.”
“Even together we might not have enough power, so better to spread the risk.”
“Let’s vote. Why fight about it?”
“…Fine.”
Somehow, everyone closed their eyes. And I was stuck counting votes. …Why me?
They told me to, so I did. Indifferent: two votes. Split up: six. Stick together: four.
‘…We all basically know who voted what even with eyes closed. Why close them?’
Splitting up won out. Five doors, thirteen people left.
‘We started with twenty-five.’
Half gone. About a third dead, the rest eliminated.
“Five doors, thirteen of us… awkward numbers. Pairing with Haena’s group seems smart.”
Haena’s side thought the same, approaching us. No objections here, so it wrapped up smoothly. Seven S-Ranks total: hyung and me one team, Ji Hwa-yeon and Haena another.
“Then Han Ji-un Hunter and Han Ji-eon Hunter take the blue door.”
We headed to the blue door with our small group. As our turn came and I moved to enter—
―You’re this way.
Thud. The suddenly appearing Tower Lord shoved me aside from the blue door. Simultaneously, a black portal yawned in the air and swallowed me. Hyung reached out instantly, but it snapped shut.
Pitch darkness everywhere. I fell endlessly before hitting ground. Still darkness.
“…Why me…?”
I’d been singled out somewhere else. That much was clear. The question was why.
‘…Contribution score again?’
As I pondered, the space quaked like an earthquake. Just as the ground trembled and cracked—crack—the darkness shattered. Beyond the crumbling void…
“This is insane.”
Monsters, each one massive, stared down at me.
Boom! I kicked off before an attack hit, leaping high. I bounded off a monster’s head to flee elsewhere.
‘They’re dead set on killing me.’
With hyung’s pact keeping eliminations alive, they aimed to kill me outright during the game.
‘Wait. If that’s the case…’
Hop. Over a stone wall lay a waterfall plunging into a cliff.
“Huh?”
Splash! Hitting the water exploded like a bomb.
“…….”
Hyung’s pact. My drop. Looked like hyung was pissed and using me.
‘He said if he lost the bet, he’d leave me alone, so at least he’s not planning to kill me himself.’
No other explanation came to mind.
‘Trouble.’
No rest before this round, so my energy was drained.
I climbed out first. No monsters in sight. Maintaining Pattern Activation would fend them off but cost stamina, so I released it. Back to my bloodstained clothes.
I plucked a fruit from a nearby tree, antidote in one hand, and ate. In case of poison, quick detox.
‘No poison.’
Seeing Yunsia eat bread from the village made me suspect food was safe. Apparently not everything was hostile. The fruit tasted meh.
‘What kind of game is this?’
No hologram, nothing. Just a natural world.
‘Survival?’
Easy for Hunters—dungeons were always survival. So probably not.
‘Treasure hunt… done that.’
No clue. Too peaceful.
‘Back to that monster den?’
Nothing else to do. Scouting this vast place seemed pointless.
‘And that height screams something’s up there.’
I looked up at my drop point. Dizzyingly high. The top was lost in clouds.
“…How long to climb.”
Musing, I bit into a gathered fruit.