Manager (3)

The table, cabinets, cooking facilities, chairs, sofa, framed pictures—everything brimmed with a lived-in coziness. He had called it a house, but it was far from any ordinary home. The space resembled a rustic cabin. No familiar modern appliances in sight. Every item operated manually, without electricity, all of it antique. It was as if someone had transplanted an entire medieval dwelling wholesale.

"How's the taste? Not bad, right?"

To be honest, it was far too bitter and astringent for Yun-seok's childlike palate, but he nodded vigorously without betraying a hint of complaint. The tea's flavor wasn't what mattered right now.

Perhaps seeing right through his thoughts, the Liberation Witch let out a soft chuckle.

"You're probably still confused. I get it—everyone says the same. If you're calm now, ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠shall I start explaining what happened earlier, step by step?"

"Yes, please. I'd appreciate it, Witch."

"Just call me Elle."

Preferring the casual "Elle" over the stiff title of Witch, she began by clarifying the key points.

"The future changed the moment you didn't choose him, but the future you saw was real. While climbing the Tower of Heaven, you lost something precious, and in the end, you were dragged along by his lingering wish only to be betrayed."

He pressed for more details, but Elle refused, saying she couldn't reveal them even if she wanted to. Yun-seok had no way to verify if that was true. So instead of dwelling on the vision's authenticity, he asked something more practical.

"...What exactly are you? No— what are Managers?"

The fundamental question that had nagged at him since the Wish Auction began. This time, Elle didn't dodge with excuses about restrictions; she explained willingly.

"The Tower of Heaven has existed for so long even the immortals don't know its origins. And Managers are those who once reached the final floor. I'm one of them."

She had once been a Challenger herself, climbing the Tower to protect her dimension, she said.

"What's at the top of the Tower?"

Elle gave a wry smile.

"I said we reached the final floor, not that we overcame the last trial. All Managers are failures."

He asked about the nature of that final trial, but she drew a line, citing restrictions once more. After that came a string ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠of minor explanations, which boiled down to this:

Those who met their end in the final trial were reborn as part of the Tower itself and granted the role of Manager.

"Managers aren't divine beings. We're literally just managers, helping fulfill the Tower's purpose."

"Purpose?"

"What else? Someone at the top is waiting for a Challenger to conquer the final trial. And they've been repeating this countless times."

Managers served as mentors, making it easier for Challengers to climb efficiently. Yun-seok was dumbfounded.

"If a Manager's duty is to help Challengers grow, didn't that guy violate it?"

"Remember this rule first: there's no such thing as free in the Tower."

A non-answer. Yun-seok shot her a look demanding more.

"Helping Challengers grow isn't a Manager's duty. It's one of the perks given to Managers bound to the Tower."

Managers could lend their lingering wishes to Challengers. But if they'd already fulfilled one through another Challenger, they could offer a different one.

"For reference, the Heavenly Peerless Martial Artist's wish has never been fulfilled."

"So what do they get for fulfilling a wish?"

"They reclaim the WP they bid on the contracted Challenger—with multiples on top. The closer it is to impossible, the higher the multiplier."

Among Yun-seok's shortlisted candidates, only these three had already fulfilled their original wishes, so they offered him new ones that synergized well with their powers at moderate difficulty.

"How tough is the Heavenly Peerless Martial Artist's wish?"

Invincible under heaven. To Yun-seok, who had gripped a sword and plunged into the martial world, those words alone made his heart race like magic. Elle chuckled at his sparkling curiosity.

"About the combined difficulty of those three I mentioned."

He wondered just how hard it could be, but matching the sum of those outrageous wishes? As Yun-seok marveled at the weight of that seat, Elle continued, explaining the value of WP to Managers.

"WP is like AP for Managers. They use it to make requests to the Tower. For example, escaping the Tower and reclaiming their original body."

But that required WP equivalent to fulfilling several Invincible-under-Heaven-level wishes, she said.

"Probably why he did it. Revival in one's original body is creation territory, but body-snatching has far fewer hurdles."

"...?"

Sensing something in her tone, Yun-seok's eyes widened. Reading his thoughts, Elle didn't deny it.

"Yes, exactly. The Heavenly Peerless Martial Artist used WP to take your body. He had a shred of conscience left—he granted your wish too, but..."

Yun-seok asked what his own wish had been, but Elle repeated she couldn't say.

Growing frustrated, he pressed aggressively.

"Then why didn't you lend me any wish?"

"..."

"Is this another restriction? You explained the others' wishes so well."

So she had her own agenda after all. But as that thought crossed his mind, Elle's response left him stunned.

"I couldn't lend any other wish. This was the only one I had in life."

To live with no one demanding anything of her, no obligations, enjoying rights alone. That had been her strongest wish in life? What kind of existence had she endured?

"Is there a trap I'm missing? Like it's secretly ultra-hard, so no one's fulfilled it yet?"

"No, nothing like that. It's tied to a Challenger's disposition and beliefs, but pretty much anyone could fulfill it."

Yun-seok racked his brain with theories, but they all missed the mark.

"Then why hasn't anyone...?"

He trailed off. Seeing Elle's faint smile, he realized he didn't need to ask.

"I was your first contractor."

"Yes. During the time I earned only basic WP allowance, enough for first-place bid in your auction, I didn't contract with anyone."

"...Why?"

In response, Elle countered.

"If I said I hoarded WP but had nothing left to wish for, would you believe me?"

Her life's lingering wish. The cynical tone when she spoke of having no desires. Together, they lent a ring of truth—or was that just a fleeting illusion?

"..."

Yun-seok fell silent. No way to prove her words true or false. So he kept her "first wish" claim in mind, suspecting she might be deceiving him entirely. Yet bit by bit, the truth gained weight.

"Our time is short. From now on, instead of questions, shall I just share what you need to know—and what I can tell?"

"...Please do."

Elle recited mechanically, as if reading from a memorized script. None of it was game-changing enough to alter Yun-seok's approach; all minor details about upcoming events. About ten minutes passed. Yun-seok absorbed it all with the intensity of cramming for school, imprinting every scrap of "common knowledge."

Then came time to reap the awaited reward.

Give and take. This was why he'd contracted with a Manager from the start.

"You can meet me every five floors. So don't hold back on WP—spend it all now."

With that, Elle shyly revealed her unique powers.

Elle had around thirty unique powers, roughly these highlights. As Yun-seok's brow furrowed deeper while scanning the list, she couldn't meet his eyes.

"Sorry. They don't suit you, ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠do they?"

"...It's fine. I figured it'd be mage-oriented."

He said it casually, but his expression darkened. And rightly so—these were just the ones he'd cherry-picked; half of the thirty were mage-related. Yun-seok pondered if he could adapt them somehow, but their affinities were too pronounced. It reignited thoughts of the Heavenly Peerless Martial Artist he'd discarded as poisoned.

Elle's powers had no magic keyword, yet they were like this—what must his, overflowing with martial arts, have offered? Yun-seok shook his head.

It was a poisoned chalice anyway. This is better. Not like there's nothing useful.

Skimming the powers, Yun-seok asked Elle for more details. Basic descriptions were there, but hearing it from her—the owner—was surest.

This one first.

"What do I gain from increased quality?"

"Avatar quality starts at zero for everyone. The gap isn't huge, but higher quality means same stat values output different power. Most importantly, it lets you handle things outside the system."

'Like the sword aura you use.' Her example made it click.

'Gotta buy this.'

Yun-seok purchased Limit Break without hesitation.

Adding 70% from Limit Break to his prior 30% gain. Did that make 100%? Unsure of the formula, he tested channeling sword aura with vitality: no more 30% loss—he wielded it fully intact.

"It mentioned 'Origin' for Skill Synthesis—what's that?"

"Origin means skills not registered in the Tower of Heaven. If you create one now, it'll appear as a skill next round."

In other words, craft unregistered skills. Perfect synergy for Yun-seok, who acquired unique skills and others via Predation. But at 1.5 million WP—unlike Limit Break—he'd check the rest first.

"Can you explain Shaman's Law more? No ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠clue on 'absolute premise'."

"Exactly what it says. For example, declare 'no mana use here'—no one in the domain can use mana."

"Including yourself?"

"Yes, including me."

Even so, an insanely strong power. But its flaw was stark: grander premises exponentially hiked mana upkeep.

"Even with Heavenly Demon Body's top-tier mana recovery, a massive premise lasts minutes at best."

"Even if my mana stat rises?"

"Yes. Stronger you means stronger foes in the domain. Premises are absolute, but mana cost is relative."

Yun-seok quizzed her on Heart of Freedom, Evolution, Leader of Light, and more; Elle answered patiently, tirelessly.

His current WP: 2.8 million total. Overwhelming for a normal Challenger, but not enough for everything tempting. Take what works, discard the rest.

"I've decided."

As always, efficiency ruled supreme.