Prologue

I love to fight. I love the fights where blood sprays and flesh tears. No matter how hard I try to turn away from it, this shameful truth never changes. I've been a warrior from the start. Yeah, I'm destined to die in battle.

As always, I picked up my sword. Like a man possessed, I walked toward the Tower.

"...Are you really going?"

The one blocking my path was my one and only party member, Seo Mina. She looked up at me with sad eyes and said,

"Oppa knows... Floor 91 isn't a level humanity can conquer... If you go... you'll definitely die..."

Mina's right. Floor 91 isn't something humans can challenge. No matter how strong I am, I'll lose in the end.

But I have to go. Because that's who I am.

"...Mina. Sorry. I still have to go."

Even if you don't follow me, there's nothing I can do about it. No matter what anyone says, I have to fight.

"...Thanks for everything. You really made me happy."

I turned to leave after my final goodbye. I was already walking toward the death calling my name.

But once again, it was Mina who grabbed my foot.

Tears streaming down her face, she said,

"What if... what if I said I can't live without you... would you stay...? If I said I can't let you go... would you stay by my side...?"

"..."

"Oppa... I have a dream... I want to marry you... have a pretty little daughter... and live quietly in the countryside... without doing anything... just living a peaceful, precious daily life..."

"...Yeah. That's a really nice dream."

I imagined it, just as Mina described. Build a cozy house in a countryside with clean air and pleasant weather year-round. Fall asleep in the same bed with the scent of acacia, wake up around a leisurely lunch. Late breakfast with toast, fried eggs, bacon, and coffee—sounds perfect. After eating, spend time in the yard with a big dog. No need to do anything special. Just spend time with Mina. A truly happy daily life. The ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠best kind of existence.

...But that's not enough for me. I'm already a broken human, shattered beyond repair. My instincts won't allow such peaceful days.

"Living like you say would make me happy. Every day would be one I'm grateful for."

"Then...!"

"But... someday, I'd end up resenting you."

Becoming family with Mina would be joyful. Having a pretty daughter... that sounds truly happy. But it can't happen. The moment I have a family, an inescapable responsibility will bind me.

"I love to fight. I enjoy battles where death is right in front of me. Fighting is the finest champagne and drug I can savor with utmost joy. I can never give it up."

If I had never picked up a sword, maybe. But I've already tasted the ultimate pleasure—I can't escape it now.

"If I had a family... I'd stop fighting. I'm a responsible guy. But my craving for battle would remain. I'd live in constant thirst."

"..."

"...Mina. I like you too. But I don't think that feeling will last forever. If I can't fight... someday I'll truly resent you. I'm scared of becoming that kind of person."

"..."

Mina said nothing. She just hung her head, tears falling.

...Comforting her now wouldn't mean much. So I turned toward the Tower.

"...I'm really sorry to you. If there's a next time for me... I'll give you everything."

Ha. What a selfish promise. But it's the only gift I can give.

Yeah... if there's a next time for me... I'll give my life to you. I'll happily accept any request with a smile. Yeah. This is sincere.

"...Goodbye, Mina."

With those words, I entered the Tower. Floor 91, impossible for humanity's strength to overcome. I had entered hell.

"...Haha."

I love to fight. I love the fights where blood sprays and flesh tears. No matter how hard I try to turn away from it, this shameful truth never changes. I've been a warrior from the start. Yeah, I'm destined to die in battle.

"Hahaha!! Hahahaha!!!"

I discarded all other emotions. My mind was filled only with the will to fight. Why think of anything else when the ultimate feast is before me? This is my last battle—I have to enjoy it to the fullest.

Sorry, Mina, but your voice doesn't even come to mind anymore.

"Hahahaha!!!! Hahahaha!!!!"

Memories fragment every moment. All I feel is pure ecstasy at its highest concentration. I don't even know if I'm alive or dead. As long as I can still swing it, I swing my sword.

Ah... lucky me. Thanks to the Tower blaring its alarms, I snapped out of it for a moment.

Feeling my whole body shattered, limbs trembling, blood dripping from my scalp making even breathing hard... thank you. Now I can fight one more time.

"...Haha! I'm thrilled!! This is the end of my life!!!"

I can feel it instinctively. Right now... I can pull off that technique.

Dozens of years ago, the Towers that appeared across the world... the system that awakened mana in humans and created the concept of Hunters...

...Right now, I think I can slice it.

"Hahaha!! Hahahahaha!!!!"

How joyful would it be to cut you down? What color is your innards? I'm so curious I can't hold back.

Sorry. I don't want to do this either. So forgive me generously.

"Hahaha!!!!"

I gathered all my mana, focusing it into my sword. Nothing else matters. In this space, there's only the sword.

In the final moment, I discard even myself completely.

The system's words didn't reach me. I only heard my fading last breath.

After that, memories blur. Did I swing my sword properly, or did I just die? I don't know.

But one thing I saw clearly: I saw the world beyond the Tower.

...I sliced the Tower.

I definitely died. That's an undeniable fact.

But the fact that I'm alive is also true.

Because I can think clearly right now. Unless this is hell or heaven, I'm alive.

"...Ah."

Yep, definitely alive. Opening my eyes, I saw a familiar sight. The entrance to the Tower's interior. I was sitting in the corner of the corridor where people pass by.

The first thing I felt was dissonance. I didn't need a mirror to know instantly. My body had become female. Not just any woman—a young girl's body.

With a ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠body like this, fighting would be nearly impossible. This isn't a warrior's body.

Unfortunately, I can't fight anymore.

...That's the mindset of cowards. So what if the body is weak? So what if it's not a warrior's flesh? My soul is an undeniable warrior's!

Aaah...! I'm alive...! I can fight again...! Just that fact alone makes me so happy!!!

Weak body this, female body ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠that!!! No time for such pathetic excuses!!!

Get up and fight right now!!!

"Hm? Kid, what are you doing—?!!"

A Hunter reaching out his hand. I grabbed his wrist and snapped it.

Really sorry for repaying kindness like this. But I can't help it. I'm already burning up. I can't hold back anymore.

"Aaaah...!! My wrist...!!"

My target: the sword at his waist. I snatched it and charged into the Tower's interior.

"Hahaha!!! Hahahaha!!!"

The system telling me to enter a name or whatever. Not important right now.

Bam— I slammed my fist on the system keyboard and dashed inside.

[...]

A dim cave lit only by the faint glow of magic stones. Returning to Tower Floor 1 after so long felt like coming home.

"Grk—?"

A goblin staring at me. The green monster with its bizarre form showed strong wariness.

No... that's not enough!! Wariness alone won't cut it! The one before you is your killer!!!

Get ready to fight already!!

"Hahaha!! Haha!!! You still haven't grasped the situation!! You should've charged with the resolve to gouge out my eyes the moment we met!! Is that your fighting spirit?!!"

The sword I just took from that Hunter. No awkwardness. A motion repeated tens of thousands of times holds only simplicity.

The goblin belatedly drew its weapon, but it was too late. Its small head hit the floor.

"Weak...! So weak...! This won't satisfy me!!"

I stomped the goblin's severed head. It turned into disgusting green liquid, splattering the ground.

A goblin horde approaching from afar. Fortunately, they gripped weapons, fully prepared for battle.

"Ah... at least there's a lot of them...! This should fill me up nicely...!!"

And I too finished my preparations.

Whenever you're ready. Let's kill and be killed.