The Outsiders' Tower
Tur Mah spoke to me with utter disbelief.
"You asked me to smash this thing without knowing a damn thing about it? Hell... A guy who knows the alchemy of attribute stones with eyesight this poor..."
"Look here. See the pattern engraved on the hilt?"
He pointed to the base of the hilt as he spoke to me. It was faint, but there was definitely some kind of engraving there. Unusually, the pattern consisted of two overlapping designs stacked together.
"What's this?"
"Most engravings on weapons symbolize the maker. But sometimes, when special materials are used, they add a second one to represent that material too."
Tur Mah lifted the sword as if reminiscing fondly.
"It's faded with age, but the pattern on this blade is unmistakably dwarven. The other one symbolizes a tower."
"So you're saying dwarves made this sword using materials from the tower?"
"That's right."
He nodded at my question.
"Materials from the tower..."
But I tilted my head at his words. Aside from the magic towers that served as bases for mages, there weren't any notable towers on the continent. I'd never heard of mages forging swords, let alone linking them to northern weapons tied to Chil-ya and southern magic towers.
"Are you an outsider?"
Tur Mah asked me, and I slowly nodded.
"Strange. Then you should know all about it. The massive pillar of light that appeared from the sky one day. You outsiders emerged from there, right?"
"Yeah, that's the story."
The pillar of light and the outsiders born within it were just flavor text for players creating characters to exist in this world. History was a cycle of birth and death, but ultimately one-shot. Dead players could resurrect after penalties, but NPCs couldn't without instant-revive skills like priest spells.
That's why early on, there were tons of issues. Thief players massacring NPCs in cities was rampant.
Later, cities got extra priests, and Pilgrim Priests—new NPCs—were patched in to revive the dead in villages. But malicious slaughters dragged on for a while. It only stopped after the eight major clans issued ultimatums against NPC killing.
As time passed, the fad of NPC slaughter died out like a trend, but controversy lingered. Why distinguish players from NPCs? Dimension World's creator, Choi Hyuk-su, never explained, but NPCs still had one-and-done lifespans.
Thinking about it, we really are outsiders. Beings who escape death's shackles.
It might be overthinking, but the idea hit me sometimes. Maybe that's why Choi Hyuk-su separated us.
Even a genius like him is human—assigning meaning to every action feels off, but... Embedding even simple character creation into the lore is amazing.
I couldn't help but admire how he nailed every tiny detail.
"But haven't you ever found it odd?"
"Odd how?"
"That pillar of light appearing after ages. We naturally accepted you because of it."
"Sure."
"But in all that long history, why has no outsiders' nation ever been founded? You're strong, fearless even in the face of death."
"...What?"
Tur Mah's words hit me like a hammer to the skull.
"That's..."
Death burdens players too. Resurrection penalties scale with level, tying up login time and causing setbacks. But it was just anxiety over slowed growth—not true desperation.
Compared to NPCs, players dominated every way. From an NPC's view, questioning it made sense. But...
Can a programmed NPC even have doubts like that?
I was speechless, unsure how to explain. I'd never questioned it myself.
Your history is just programmed lore, and players only entered this world recently, so of course no nations...
But something felt off. If the lore was this detailed, genius Choi Hyuk-su wouldn't miss such a flaw. A bug? Or intentional...
My shoulders trembled lightly.
"Well, no nations exist, but places made by ancient outsiders do. Known only to a few, of course... They built a tower."
"Where is this tower?"
Tur Mah shook his head at my question.
"No idea. Just a rumor that's lingered."
I frowned slightly. If it was mere hearsay, it might be baseless.
Was I overthinking?
I let out a soft sigh and forced a wry smile.
"It's a tale passed among non-humans. They say the tower's lower floors have workshops forging all sorts of gear, storing rare weapons; the middle holds countless spellbooks."
Hidden Dungeon.
I instantly knew the tower was one—the pinnacle of Dimension World, surpassing even dragon lairs.
Of course... Choi Hyuk-su wouldn't half-ass this. Structured as a dungeon for players to conquer.
The nagging unease finally lifted.
"So... what's on the upper floors?"
I asked lightly. Dungeons always hid the best rewards at the top.
"Who knows. Rumors say it's infested with countless beasts."
"Some massive artifact sleeping up there, right?"
Tur Mah shook his head.
"Opposite."
"...Huh?"
"The beasts guard the upper floors to keep anyone from reaching the top. Because a calamity is sealed there."
Thud—
That was the moment. Hearing Tur Mah's words clicked the puzzle into place, completing the inexplicable anxiety.
"Calamity...?"
A chill ran down my spine.
No way... That thing from my dreams, called the Calamity... Is he talking about it? Did it emerge from that tower?
I bit my parched lips. We'd clashed countless times, unstoppable even in dreams—recalling it still made my heart race like reality.
It had no name. We just called it Calamity, Destroyer. Unknown origins, known only through oracles. Yet instinctually, everyone trembled in terror.
My dreams repeated it endlessly, but no tower appeared. Tur Mah was there too, yet never mentioned it.
I stared at him. He was a specter trapped in Sandorim Forest by Ler Cam's curse, lingering in time's cracks—a fact I knew.
Dion the mage spoke of him before dying over the colorless attribute stone. I met him here.
The alchemy formula was public, so gaining his favor was easy—but I never got his golem.
Then the near-world scenario quest directed me to Sandorim's blacksmith. I knew it meant Tur Mah instantly.
I thought I knew him best. But hearing this tower tale absent from dreams left me stunned.
Different from the dreams...?
Missing elements meant one thing.
No players in dreams, but now countless users like me interfere.
In dreams, I wasn't Kim Do-hyun but Kal Hendrick, king of the Iron Kingdom. No outsiders existed.
If it came from the tower, and the tower was outsider-made... What birthed the Calamity?
By game lore, it tied to outsiders somehow.
And it appeared in my dreams.
Dreams without outsiders.
"..."
Then, the Connector title from the Memory Borrower caught my eye.
Not enough links yet.
The lingering doubt meant I'd uncover it playing.
Black Eye. Did you know this sword was made from tower materials?
No. I've never heard of the tower either. The swords I gave my disciples were made from fragments my master gave me when I received Baek-ya.
Then who commissioned the sword's forging?
Hmm...
I can't say yet. Needs more checking.
Didn't you pledge loyalty?
Separate issue. You'll learn naturally seeking Baek-ya, but I'll tell you once certain.
I narrowed my eyes at his words. I'd never imagined meeting Gullak like this in-game, mirroring dreams.
Mastering Chil-ya, gathering Baek-ya intel is tough enough—now outsiders' tower too... Mountains ahead.
I shook my head with a wry smile. Better overwhelmed with tasks than aimless. But linking events felt like the world daring me.
Nothing impossible. Right?
Yeah.
I looked at Tur Mah.
"Why's the tower tale only among non-humans?"
"Why ask me? Humans ignore anything not their business. Maybe they ignored it or pretend not to know."
"..."
Tur Mah rebuked me.
"Any other tower-forged weapons besides this sword? Tell me, and I'll share Razuli's refinement magic."
"Hmph, rotten kid. Bargaining with me."
Grumbling, but unable to ditch his lifelong dream of colorless attribute stones, Tur Mah clicked his tongue.
"Don't know the tower's location, but a survivor from its lower workshops does."
"Who?"
"Norpa."
"You mean Dwarf King Norpa?"
"Hmph, king? Wasted title. Just a tunnel-digger."
Tur Mah snorted disdainfully, but I was the one speechless.
See? Time-trapped ones lose track of years. Wasted effort. Dwarf King's been dead over a century—how to find him?
Black Eye tsked.
"Dwarf King..."
But hearing that unexpected name, I swallowed dryly.
"Dwarf King tied to Chil-ya...?"
Hm?
Black Eye looked puzzled at my mutter.
"If true, finding him isn't impossible."
...What?
"Black Eye. One more. Among the five weapons gifted to Young-geol, any tied to Torong?"
Torong... Ah, that makes sense? How'd you know? Not my weapon exactly, but Young-geol's second, U-ryu-ga, is Torong clan.
"As expected..."
I nodded at Black Eye's question.
"Rejoice then. With luck, you might meet your second disciple. Of the vanished Five Heroes, he's still alive."
Whoosh—!!
That was when. Before meeting Tur Mah, Black Eye—in flame form—shifted to human shape before me.
"S-Sin-su body?!"
Tur Mah cried out in shock.
Say it again. That damned bastard's alive?! All my disciples dead?
"He's your disciple too."
No.
But more than Tur Mah's reaction, Black Eye's raging flames screamed fury.
"...?!"
His response was utterly unexpected.
"What's wrong? Something happen?"
Yes. Plenty.
Black Eye replied coldly to my question.
Second Hero—no, scum unworthy of the title—and I have an unforgivable grudge.
"..."
The sudden shift left me speechless. He'd never shown such killing intent before.
Yes... How could I not rejoice? A chance to meet the bastard I've dreamed of killing!!!
The one who killed me.