Chapter 16
Chapter 16
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 16
Chapter Title: Red Door, Blue Door
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There was this movie.
A protagonist stranded on a deserted island.
A film where he chats with a volleyball to ease his loneliness.
Why compare modern life to a deserted island?
Loneliness is a disease that destroys people.
The bizarre antics of the community users.
Some even try to explain it all in the same vein.
The protagonist who lives and dies by that volleyball,
acting like a madman just to be seen.
A castaway on a deserted island.
Isn't that just like modern life?
Crowds and solitude,
alienated modern folk,
desperate flailing for attention and affection—overdramatized emotional outbursts, they ramble.
"What the hell are they on about?"
Jeong-uk couldn't relate.
MBTI and psych tests are perfect brain-melters.
Not like some college entrance lit passage.
Purple means death, trolling stems from affection deprivation?
You can't explain people through books.
This bloodstained butcher instead of an ink-stained scholar knows that much.
Even this middle school dropout gets it.
So.
Unless someone's actually in a novel-level dramatic castaway situation.
As the Tower Climbing Gallery's Gallery Master, Jeong-uk watched them.
And thought.
"These guys need help somehow."
Hmph. Don't get the wrong idea.
I'm not nosy or anything.
Sometimes their self-deprecation crosses the line.
Trolls need banning too.
"But then the backlash scares me."
Ban lifts, and they never show up again?
Write Gallery Master's name and suicide.
Then "boo, Gallery Master resign"?
"Whoa."
How can I even intervene?
Countless trolls dead-seriously spamming "I'll really suicide if you ban me, 100% serious."
"The gallery's balance... must be maintained...!!"
Or I'll be the one dying.
Damn [Deficiency].
That was why.
The skill Jeong-uk crafted himself.
[Giftcon].
Using it as the inventory's first test dummy.
"Idmari~ Gallery Master commented on me~?"
"Why?! Why only on Lumi?!"
"Why really? My thanks got ignored. Suddenly feels fishy."
"Dunno~? Said he has something to show~."
Before posting the proof pic.
First, contact the promising research slave.
Jeong-uk requested improvements to the [Giftcon] skill.
"You trust my magic enough to entrust something? Hmm, what could it be~?"
The mage who created the Tower Gallery.
Contact from a presumed dragon lord ancient-timer!
Plus lip-service rave reviews.
How thrilling.
Three-Day Worker.
I.e., Astromeria's clown ascending seemed justified to her comrades.
But.
Astromeria's subtle superiority.
And joy lasted 10 minutes.
"...Why send just a casual 'found this' link like that!! Why so nonchalant!!"
"What? Lumi concept crumbling again."
"Heh heh heh. Bet you didn't think 'serves you right for bragging'~."
The harpy queen and maid giggling in amusement.
Their teasing stopped there.
For good reason.
"...A skill that turns mana into rations?"
Not funny once you see the real thing.
They had imprisoned comrades too.
"...That's how it went, Lumi Lumi."
"...Thanks~. If it were me, my head would've blanked, no response~."
"Mages are frail. A swordsman like me types even with brain freeze."
"Cheep."
And so.
After properly finishing a few menus.
Jeong-uk loaded [Giftcon] and activated the skill.
Gallery Master's hamburgher distribution!
The effect was tremendous!
"Kuk, kuk, kuk. Fools."
Baek Jeong-uk laughed coldly.
Layer prisoners howling desperately.
One command away from humiliating naked dogeza.
But now, he was a ruthless psychopath.
A man feeding on others' misery.
To climb the tower, such ruthlessness is law!
Fuck, and dude.
Thinking about it, I'm no slouch either.
You lot were free up to layer 40.
Me? Day one adrift: "No popular posts? Die."
Guilt pangs?
As if.
Jeong-uk feigned hypocrisy with all his might.
"Aaaagh seriously! No! I can cook!"
Lost restaurant owner's pride swallowed.
Of course, culprit was [Deficiency] again.
"Isn't this [Noble Body, Baseborn Role] making me produce only dark cuisine?"
Still, promo effect solid.
One update, no popular post worries for days.
Plus.
As expected, gains beyond promo.
Jeong-uk confirmed it.
Gallery Master's loyalty upvote machines.
Mass secured.
Tower Gallery peaceful today too.
50th floor.
Boss room with exit sealed.
Sword Fairy Iris Ruskus tied back her silver hair.
To dodge steam from the delivered food before her.
"...Warm meal. How many years?"
Solomuttering habitual over years.
Healthier than chatting with broken holy sword.
Still, habit to fix soon.
Tower Gallery exists now.
No more starving for human talk.
Or meals.
-Slurp.
First, comrade's usual exemplary gift.
Sip of homeland black tea.
Iris closed eyes, long exhale.
"Haa..."
Sensual sigh almost.
Without prep, tears might've welled.
Iris picked spoon.
Sword Fairy's pick: surprisingly Jeong-uk's fave.
Beef brisket soybean paste stew.
Visually poor match for black tea.
That's why better.
Reason? Absurd.
"Looks least tasty."
Jeong-uk would foam at mouth.
Iris had reason too.
If [Giftcon] persists?
Save tasty for later.
If not?
Eat meh first, ease return to old life.
So.
Scoop rice, stew spoonful.
Sword Fairy muttered.
"...Should've picked another."
Wrong choice.
That tasty.
Immensely.
"So this is your homeland's taste."
Wanna eat again.
Someday, while hearing your story.
Eyes closed, Sword Fairy wished sincerely.
"Good I didn't mention inventory in gallery."
After primary [Giftcon] blast.
Grateful for my timidity.
"Just food drops this vibe."
Reveal inventory, or beyond system.
Tentative [Auction House] system?
Gallery chaos unknown.
"Success uncertain anyway."
More inventory tests first.
Three-Day Worker...
Er, name?
Right, consult this Lumi.
No other devs needed.
One properly ground covers all.
No her, no [Giftcon].
At best, honey porridge launcher.
"Honey porridge or dark cuisine toss? Layer prisoner or real inmate, they'd shank."
Worth the effort though.
Gallery browse, proud.
"When does this dragon lord bullshit die."
Hidden identity good.
But real dragon lives? I'm done.
Ah whatever.
I denied dragon rumors sporadically.
Not my fault.
-Creak.
Door opening.
Master home.
"Ah, back?"
"Mm. Careful if heading out. Much colder lately. Blizzards worse."
"Bad news."
Napped planning tower trip.
Tough with clones now.
"Winter coming?"
"No seasons here. Tower neglected, world frozen still."
Other factor then.
Chill from tower.
No answer? Don't dwell.
10th floor, know or not.
"Hm? What's this smell?"
"New gallery feature today. Got my world's cooking."
Wanted to cook myself.
Ingredient [Giftcon] awkward.
"Effort for finished product?" Counterargument silences.
Used Lumi's [Giftcon].
I supplied mana though.
William master sufficiently shocked.
"Mana-made food really?"
"Stamina to make > gain, closer to luxury."
Probably why.
Infinite cauldron auto-mana collect.
Stew fills sans mana.
Goblins thrift it.
But off-limits tech for me.
"Sometimes real troll [Deficiency]."
[Popular Post Addiction] + [Noble Body, Baseborn Role].
Birthed my freak talent.
No big complaints.
"Eat first, master."
"Feast. My meals dissatisfying then."
"No way."
Barren 0-layers.
Shortages here too.
"Red soup. Spicy?"
"Army stew. Swap if not taste."
"Can't waste effort. Thanks."
Ah, can't resist tsundere.
Master emptied bowl clean.
A bit repaid favor.
Post-meal breather.
Sunrise, tower bound.
"Definitely cold."
Warmly dressed still.
Deadly if careless.
Tower path better though.
Crunch, crunch...!
Stubbornly plow snowfield, enter tower.
Shake snow in light, summon clones.
Goal: cleared High End 7th.
Park, farm currency.
"No time for 8th yet."
30 arrows x2 phases.
Tough for me.
Clear fine, full climb hard.
Park today.
But.
"Hold up?"
Planned to.
Till something caught eye.
"Two doors."
"Red door, blue door."
Return or climb.
Climber's choice fork.
One extra door than usual.