The Price of the Throne
So, this was the reward.
A superhuman who cleared the tower relying on nothing but a single sword. Without anyone’s help. With just one blade and a few potions. Reaching the level of slaughtering bosses that had once spread terror. A mysterious figure whose name and face remained unknown, severed from the world, identity unverified. Though no personal information was ever uncovered, he was the one who stood alone against the might of the American Hunter Cluster and the Chinese People's Armed Special Forces. And finally, the one who completed two towers. We called him, with reverence, the Lone Demon King.
*
I rubbed my face dry and tapped my head. Let’s think. So, my body had become a woman’s. Fine, I could concede that a thousand, ten thousand times. "...No, that’s not fine either." But what was more fatal than that was that my body had become weak. The flow of the air, the energy of the people—nothing felt sharp anymore. Even the flow of magic inside me had diminished.
[Current skills and stats are locked.]
[The seal can be released within the Tower.]
"...Son of a bitch."
I leaned back in the PC bang chair, clutching my forehead. At this rate, I was probably classified as E-rank or even Ungraded. "To think my skills and stats would be locked." I tapped the desk anxiously. When I cleared the Tower of Heaven before, it didn't kick me out of the tower, but for some reason, it had suddenly tossed me out this time. "It would be a relief if they weren't gone, just locked." There had been quests that sealed stats or skills before. This kind of situation was actually something I’d experienced often. "Of course, it’s unsettling to be in a completely different body!"
With the status window locked, there was no way to check my condition outside the tower, and I couldn't enter the tower in this pathetic state. It was truly a predicament. I had no choice. 'I’d love to go into the tower and check, even if it’s dangerous.' But currently, every area on the first floor of the Tower of Life was being cleared. If I went in with this weak, sealed body, I might die within a minute.
I looked at my reflection in the turned-off monitor and shouted as if having a seizure. "Are you kidding me right now? Ughhhhhhh!"
Bang! Bang!
As I slammed my forehead against the keyboard, the people around me stared. Their expressions were frozen—they wanted to curse, but the person in front of them was too pretty. Feeling that unpleasant gaze, I thought, 'Should I just poke their eyes out?' but I bit my lip and held it in.
"Ah, sorry."
At my words, all the men who had been staring at me nodded. 'If she’s that pretty, she must have her reasons.' 'Yeah, she apologized, didn't she~' 'Who would bully someone who looks so kind?'
The men who had been nodding warmly suddenly changed their expressions as they looked at the turned-off monitor. '...But isn't the monitor off?' 'It’s been like that for a while, hasn't it?' 'What is she doing at a PC bang without using the computer?' 'That’s super creepy...'
People returned to their games, lost in various thoughts. I ground my teeth, feeling my forehead swelling. I didn't like anything about this new body. "It stings..." To think I’d be in pain from just this. I brushed back my annoying bangs and stared at the black monitor. Hmm, maybe there was an answer on the computer? They said these days, if you ask, those... what were they, pill bugs and magic fairies? They’d tell you everything.
"..."
The problem was, I didn't know how to turn the computer on. How did everyone else turn it on? Wasn't it supposed to be a button or something? I was sure I just had to press a button on the black box. The glowing box was gone. What was it? Did I put it in a sub-space? Or did I have to use telepathy or a magic incantation?
I closed my eyes and moved the tiny bit of mana I had. "Turn on..." I muttered softly at the monitor, but there was no response. 'Is this not it?' Instead, the expressions of the people around me became even more troubled.
'Is she cosplaying as a mage..?' 'Is she actually crazy?' 'Hey, let's go. If we do something wrong, we might get stabbed.'
"..."
They weren't reading my mind, but it felt like they were. I felt my face heating up and cleared my throat. "Ahem. Ah~ I was just practicing magic, ahem..." After scanning my surroundings, I just sank into the chair. There were too many buttons to begin with; I had no idea what to press first. 'Forget it, what would a stupid machine know anyway.'
But, I had become a person who couldn't even turn on a computer. I felt depressed about my situation all over again. For 23 years, I had slept in the tower, eaten in the tower, and lived in the tower. Since I had lived my entire life in the tower and never had a reason to come outside, the modern society that had changed in the meantime was extremely unfamiliar to me. 'The hellish interior of the tower was more comfortable than this, sigh... what do I do?'
I sat with my chin in my hands, lost in thought. To begin with, because of this reward, I had more than one or two problems. First, my South Korean identity was gone. Second, I had lost the confidence to enter the tower. Third, I didn't even have the confidence to go to the bathroom.
The first was the past, the second was the future, and the third was a problem right now.
"Ugh."
I squeezed my eyes shut at the signal coming again. My stomach was starting to hurt. Was this that thing called a period? Period, my ass, it was obviously poop. Since I’d been holding it for days, it was only natural. I twisted my body and pressed hard on my Jangmun acupoint. Someone I met in the tower had told me that pressing this would help hold it in. My thin arm was already bruised blue at the Jangmun point. "They say life is a mess. It really is." I took a deep breath and pressed down on my rumbling stomach. To think I’d be struggling this much because of poop. Damn it... life...
"Ah, the women's restroom is embarrassing."
Suddenly, news headlines flashed through my mind.
[South Korea's No. 1 Hunter dies because she couldn't relieve herself.]
[Was the Lone Demon King actually a moron?]
"That won't do."
I stumbled out of the PC bang and headed for the hallway.
[Woman]
"Ah."
How did I end up like this? I entered the women's restroom with a gloomy expression. "Ughhh." Please, let it not be changed too much... That way, I wouldn't have to call someone because I didn't know how to flush. If I had to see that look of contempt one more time, I might have to commit suicide. 'Please! Let it not be changed!'
When I opened the door, a stark white toilet greeted me. Fortunately, it was the design I remembered. "Yes, you haven't changed." I almost peed myself from the relief that washed over me. As I hurriedly closed the door and was doing my business, someone walked in.
'An enemy?'
I hesitated, clattering as I tried to pull my sword from my sub-space. I felt no killing intent, no hostility. "..." I focused back on my business. Right, this was outside the tower.
"So, did you finally get a confession?"
"Uh, ah. Yesterday was the perfect chance, really."
"Then you blew it, you idiot."
"Are you going to be like that too? Ah, there was a flow in the middle! Did I play too hard to get?"
"Tsk, you play with men too much."
"What did I do? I just received a few gifts, that's all."
"If you're going to play with them, do it like Seoyoung sunbae."
"That sunbae is a pro. How am I supposed to follow that?"
"Then why don't you ask her to teach you?"
"...Should I? Is she even alive these days?"
"Seoyoung sunbae was at the club yesterday, wasn't she?"
"Ah, I'll have to ask her tomorrow."
At the sound of fading footsteps, I finished my business and flushed. Whoosh- Watching the water go down with the familiar sound, I recalled the conversation from a moment ago. "Ask her." Right! Humans are social animals. Even if it’s a human like me, there’s bound to be someone to ask. Well, that person probably hadn't experienced this kind of wonderland, but she was still a smart enough person to tell me a solution. She was definitely better than me, someone who only finished kindergarten. "No, wait." Thinking about it again, she would definitely tease me. I’d have to beg and beg for hours, please, just tell me one solution, before she’d say, 'Here, eat this and get lost, you moron,' and tell me. "...I don't want to go."
But what could I do? 'Are you going to live like this forever, you idiot? Being scared to go to the bathroom?' That wasn't it; I couldn't live like this. I ran out of the women's restroom and scanned the area. "No one's here, right?" Right, it wouldn't be fun to be caught as a pervert for no reason. Looking every bit like a middle school girl, I dashed toward the Joongang Guild.
*
"I can't let you in."
"Hmm... I didn't think of this."
Blocked by a giant of a security guard, I let out a sigh. To think I’d be blocked by a security guard who wasn't even a hunter, just a civilian. "Ugh... really, you can't?"
"Yes. The Guild Leader has appointments all day today."
"That lazy bastard wouldn't have that."
At my words, the guard's expression turned fierce. "Absolutely not, student. Do you understand?"
"Ah, that's..."
"No!"
The man raised a cute fist the size of my face. It looked to be five times the size of my fist. Fine, good for you for having big fists. I took a step back and glanced at the side where the elevator going up was. Hmm, should I slice this? Should I do a sword dance? Even without stats or skills, I felt like I could pull this off. As I instinctively reached for my sword, I snapped back to reality. Hmm. No, this isn't inside the tower. If I commit a crime here, things will get complicated. Because, for heaven's sake, murder is a crime here! My goodness, why do they say even butchery is a crime? I couldn't grasp what kind of world this was.
"Besides..."
If I sliced that guy up, Jungsoo would be angry, probably. I glared at the guard. Still, wouldn't losing an arm be okay as a warning? Surely the law couldn't be that strict. It’s a world where humans live, right? Just as I was glaring at the guard with killing intent, "Who are you?" a nostalgic voice came from behind me.
However... the voice was filled with more killing intent than welcome, enough to make my hair stand on end. When I turned around, I saw Park Jungsoo, the only 'human I knew' back in my Kang Hyunwoo days.
"Ah, I came to see you."
"Another guild? Or, the government?"
Because the opponent hadn't withdrawn his killing intent, it stung, so I rubbed my face and opened my mouth. "Neither."
"..?"
"...Kang Hyunwoo."
"Why is that crazy bastard's name coming from you? No, wait a minute."
Park Jungsoo made a strange expression and examined me from head to toe. "So, this is a Kang Hyunwoo case?" Park Jungsoo's eyes curved into a soft arc. Ah, I already didn't want to talk.
"Yes. Son of a bitch."
"...Follow me."
*
The Guild Leader's office of the Joongang Guild where Park Jungsoo brought me. After hearing my story, he slapped his thigh. "So. That was the final reward of the Tower of Heaven?" Park Jungsoo examined me closely and started to chuckle. And then, following that, "Heh heh... Heh... Uwahahahaha! Kuwahahaha!" A violent laughter burst from his mouth.
"Don't laugh! You bastard, don't laugh!"
"Kuwahahaha! The unofficial No. 1! Hunter's! Appearance! Uwahahaha!"
"Sigh..." I rubbed my face dry and shouted. "Is this funny right now, you bastard!"
My appearance, screaming and yelling, was reflected in the large mirror hanging in the Guild Leader's office. A girl who looked like she was barely fifteen or sixteen. About 160cm tall. A slender and fair face. A willowy figure, with limbs that looked like they would 'snap' if hit. Long, jet-black hair and blue eyes. What was reflected in the mirror was, truly, a natural-born beauty.
"Why do I have to become a kid like this! And a girl at that!"
"So... heh heh." After laughing for a long time, Park Jungsoo said, "So that’s the reward, isn't it."
"Is this a reward! It’s a curse! You crazy bastard!"
"Oh ho, don't curse with such a pretty face. But... you look like a celebrity?" Park Jungsoo stopped talking and frowned. "No. Maybe you're prettier. Sigh... forgive me, Sera."
"What, you bastard?" I squeezed my eyes shut. "Is that important right now? Look at the state I'm in!"
As I got heated up, Park Jungsoo laughed again. "Ahahahaha! Kuwahaha! Really! Kuheuk, your nickname was Lone Demon King or Immortal, but uwahaha! What are you going to do now? Lone Idol? Beautiful Swordswoman? No, how about Tower Pink? Tower Pink. Ah, is that a bit childish?"
Park Jungsoo, who had even shed a tear, said with a smile, "That’s why I told you to party up. You insisted on soloing until you died. That’s all your own karma, you bastard."
"So what! A talented guy can live alone..."
"You're no different from a caveman outside the tower, what talented guy. If you're so talented, try doing well in that body."
"Is that even possible..."
Park Jungsoo said that and then observed me with a serious expression again. "So, no buffs or enhancements?"
"I don't know. My stats and skills were all taken, and the status window is unresponsive."
"What?"
"They said they'd return the status window if I go to the tower."
"Ah, I see. Then you just have to go in, right?"
I snorted at Park Jungsoo's words. "Are you crazy? My reach has shortened, and I'm in a situation where I don't know what happened to my stats or skills. If I just go in blindly, the monsters aren't going to say, 'Oh, we'll wait until you check.'!"
"Oh ho, isn't the Lone Demon King someone who clears the objective no matter what happens?"
"Do you really want to die?"
As I drew my sword, Park Jungsoo giggled. "Are you still using that sword? To stab me with an EX-rank?"
"Yeah, I'll kill you and then die myself."
Huh? Once is the hardest part. Do you know how many people I've killed so far? I could win even if I fought Genghis Khan, you bastard.
"Don't make me laugh. You've already taken two final rewards, so you have to take responsibility."
"This is one of them!"
I slumped down right there. Damn tower, you dog-like bastards. While I was fuming, Park Jungsoo said with a serious expression, "If you don't clear the next tower within the time limit, South Korea will cease to exist."
"...Sigh. So what do you want me to do. Die or not."
At my words, Park Jungsoo's face became a little more serious. "Italy and the Philippines are still occupied by monsters."
"I know. I know!"
When the towers were first erected, the number of countries that had fallen because they couldn't clear the first tower within the time limit was a truckload. I even heard that in some countries, everyone died without a single person left. So, every country clinging to the tower for dear life was to survive.
"If you don't clear it within the time limit, everyone dies. Yeah, I know that without you telling me."
I clicked my tongue and looked out the window at the giant tower. "So, how many years is it this time?"
At my words, Park Jungsoo held up a newspaper and said. The newspaper had a story about the tower on the front page. "The Tower of Life clear quest is 10 years. Same as the Tower of Heaven."
"Dammit."
"Heh heh. It’s strange that Kang Hyunwoo is inside that body~ I’ll have to correct your way of speaking?"
I ground my teeth at Park Jungsoo's words, which were gently scratching at me. "Solution."
"What?"
"Solution! Do I have to live like this? How am I supposed to live in this body!"
"Why are you asking me that?"
At Park Jungsoo's confident expression, I pointed at him with an absurd look. "You! You came to find me knowing that this body would be teased like this! Because you're smarter than me!"
"Well, all of South Korea is probably smarter than you."
"...That's not true."
Isn't that going too far? I did graduate from kindergarten, you know?
"Tsk. You'll get hit."
"...So let's hear the solution from that smart gentleman. You said you even graduated from college or something."
"Hmm."
"You said if you go to college, they teach you everything in the world!"
"Huuuum..." Park Jungsoo stroked his bearded chin and said, "I have a solution that’s perfect for you. Yes, there’s nothing like this."
Park Jungsoo cleared his throat and pulled something out from his pocket.