The Only Escape Route
You possess the noble bloodline of the Reaper race, the flower of our kind, capable of mastering the Instant Death Skill.
From this moment, you shall walk the path of black magic under my guidance.
If you have received this summons, respond immediately.
It was an incredibly solemn tone.
In this person's case, they weren't possessed—they were a natural-born Demon Army member.
"A real Reaper..."
I decided to heed my kin's words.
Cross-legged? Like something out of a wuxia novel.
Guess I'll give it a shot.
I settled into position, crossing my legs.
But if I close my eyes... I won't be able to check the gallery.
"......"
"Huh?"
I couldn't help blurting out loud. A week?
That door could open any second now? And this is just for the first step—not even learning a spell.
It's not an RPG, so "fast" might be relative, but my situation was different.
Sitting here not knowing when death might come...
The comments echoed my thoughts.
No guarantee a hero wouldn't barge in within a week. But for fixed nicks above 800F, heroes were probably mythical unicorns that didn't exist in their minds.
High-floor fixed nicks seemed wired differently.
Still, some comments defended him.
Frustrated, I asked.
Even reading it made my ears ring.
"Crazy..."
A curse slipped out. In summary: if you can't learn it, you're dead anyway—so pray the hero's late and tough it out.
Do I really have to meditate a full week? Can't I get stronger while climbing?
My head spun. A year of training before challenging the next floor—that seemed to be the standard. Proven data, I guess. No choice but to trust it.
But I couldn't just meditate in front of that door.
I'm going nuts...
Everyone seemed to want to help, but there was no alternative.
Do I really have no choice but to meditate?
As I clutched my head, someone stepped up. Same floor number as before... who was it?
I remembered. The one who first believed I was a real newbie.
Did they know something? Didn't seem to have others' trust.
I hit back, returned to the main screen, and waited a bit.
Then this title popped up.
TL;DR: Mobs below 100F are total weaklings.
Due to Demon King Tower structure, lower floors have weaker monsters, so you'd think 1F newbie is the weakest—but nope.
Think about it.
Why no one below 100F has ever posted in the gallery.
Absence from gallery = proof of weakness.
Still don't get it? They're mobs without even the basic intelligence to post. That's why no posts.
Up to 100F, it's all beast-level monsters.
Meanwhile, newbie's posting, uploading pics, freaking out—all that.
Has to be stronger than non-posters.
I say newbie wins at least up to 10F.
"Is this for real???"
No low-floor gallery users because they were dumb beasts incapable of posting from the start.
And those sub-mobs had to be weak.
Seemed solid. But his logic didn't stop there.
"What?"
No low-floor users = weak mobs, and also weak heroes. Logical.
I'm losing it...Am I desperate enough to buy it?
Checked the reactions.
Three fixed nicks agreed: train on 1F first.
"Ah..."
No quick meaningful growth in this chamber. Cross-legged circle-making was supposedly fastest.
But...
"Meditate with that door right there?"
Still didn't make sense. Right then, a comment from 574F.
"That's not it..."
Even those worried about me didn't get my urgency.
"...!"
Spot on.
574F nailed my psyche.
What bugged me most was my lifespan being random.
Everything hinging on that door's opening—unbearable.
Better to control my death timing.
Really?
Everyone else... desperately trying to dissuade.
Except one.
I bit my lip.
Staying put is still a choice to stay...
574F.
The first to recognize me as a real newbie. Now labeled crazy, I decided to bet on him.
After absorbing 574F's instructions, I closed the gallery. Deep breath.
"Hoo."
Calming my shaking heart, I gripped the scythe.
Swish! Swung it a few times. Heavy, but manageable.
I manipulated the hologram panel and hit the promotion battle button.
The ceiling entrance opened, stairs descending.
"Alright. I'm gonna die now."
Promotion Battle Begins.