155 – Training of the Returner (16)
Right after Choi Ji-won finished talking on the phone with the association for about 30 minutes.
“First of all… There are stories related to reality and stories related to towers. “Which one would you like to hear first?”
“… From reality.”
“I understand.”
Choi Ji-won begins the story by opening a can of Coke she just bought at a convenience store and handing it to me.
“First of all… “If you think about it, I think the reason you had to wait for 11 days was because of me.”
“… What?”
The story goes that the top players were so stimulated by Choi Ji-won’s overwhelming performance that they agreed not to climb to the top for two weeks. Therefore, the guys who progressed through the 12th floor with me are probably only upper-middle tier.
“And it wasn’t that I was being ostracized, it seemed like everyone was trying to recruit me.”
“… “Is it because the U.S. Is surprised and China is worried?”
“Puhup, that’s right. “That’s the way it is.”
In fact, the reason we had difficulty collecting information was because of the power struggle between numerous organizations. The story is that the world is already paying attention to Choi Ji-won.
“And you know the players’ association president, right? Michael Jeter.”
“Oh, you know. “Why is that person suddenly there?”
“That person… “They say I haven’t seen you in a while.”
“… What? Are you sure?”
“Yes. The association may not have told me everything, but… “This is certain.”
There is even talk that Michael Jeter, the head of the players’ association who left a message on the second floor, is nowhere to be seen these days.
In addition, Choi Ji-won said he received a rough list of promising players and a file about the groups they formed. Actually, this is the information I needed most. The tower does not change. The contents of each layer are fixed, so there are no variables. In other words, all variables come from people. But did you secure the player list? It can’t help.
“Uh… And he also told me about you.”
“… Me? Kim Jun-ho?”
“Uh. I didn’t seem to know that we were lovers, but we acted together on the second floor… And since we both got the elixir on the 4th floor, they seemed to be assuming a partnership.”
It is also said that the association was speculating that Choi Ji-won and I were in a cooperative relationship. The reason I got attention was obviously because of Elixir, but Choi Ji-won said that he didn’t know the details of whether Yoon Jung-hyun was loyal. There was no significant difference in what the messenger said.
But with the information power of the association, how could they not know that Choi Ji-won and I are in a romantic relationship?
“Well… “There’s no way to know.”
If you think about it, there was no way to know. In all the episodes where I hung out with Choi Ji-won, I always returned at the end and always left the minimum amount of time before moving on to the next floor. There is no trace left.
Surveillance? I am confident that Choi Ji-won is the person with the greatest sensing ability in modern humanity. It can be said that it is absurd to put her under surveillance.
Anyway, this roughly concludes the real story.
“Then, shall we now listen to the story about the tower?”
“Umm… “
Now it was Choi Ji-won’s turn to hear information related to the tower, but Choi Ji-won seemed very hesitant to speak. I waited calmly until she was ready.
“Whoa. First of all, to get to the point, when I beat the 12th floor, there was no basic score. “I played the 12th floor with Russian players, and each person got the score they said they would.”
“Then…” “
“Yes. “It means that among the people who went through the 12th floor with you, there is a liar.”
“… “
I expected it when the score increased by a whopping [20] In the last episode, but it was quite shocking to hear it directly from Choi Ji-won’s mouth. Yes, there was one trash guy.
“And the association contacted a player who had already cleared the 12th floor, and he said that the lowest reward in the second test was [5]. As you guessed, I think the difficulty of the next test is determined based on the ‘highest numerical reward.'”
“… Ha.”
In addition, it seems that the difficulty level of the next test is determined based on the reward with the highest number… It is certain that there was someone who chose [10] In the first test.
Oh, my head hurts. There was someone who was roughly expected to be the culprit. I think we can figure this out later by repeating regression…
“Have there been any cases of other players dying?”
“I asked about that too, but they said it wasn’t there. “Maybe even if it was there, they would hide it.”
This is the problem with the information obtained from the association. Since the association functions as a semi-official international organization, its players manage its image. There was no fool who would readily confess that a fight broke out while progressing through the 12th floor and the player he was playing with was killed.
“Umm… “
“… “I tell you in advance, even if you find the culprit, I am against killing him.”
Choi Ji-won is playing while watching me worry.
“I really, really think murder should be reserved as a last resort.”
“… “That’s true.”
Of course, I am also aware of the negative impact murder will have on the returnee. However, the situation on this floor is a bit special.
“As you know, so far I’ve gotten all the rewards available on that floor, right?”
“Yes. Know.”
Until now, I have always aimed for ‘perfect clear’. My goal was to comb through each floor, find the perfect solution to resolve all conflicts, obtain all possible rewards, and then move on to the next floor.
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“But if we don’t kick out the liars… “It seems very difficult.”
The first and second tests are okay. Since the other players weren’t exactly idiots, I was able to play for one person.
But the problem is the third test. Since the woman with short hair and the man with the mole choose [20] In the second test, it is certain that the starting point of the third test is [20]. Besides, the liar will pick [40] And pass it on to me…
“Just by calculating, if I want to get the [40] Reward in the last test, I would have to handle [80] On my own. That… “It doesn’t make sense.”
I don’t know how difficult [80] Is, but it’s not a level of difficulty I can beat with the penalty of regression. This is impossible.
“No, I think it’s quite possible.”
However, Choi Ji-won completely denies my thoughts.
“… Is it possible? [80] How difficult is it?”
“I thought it was impossible at first, but after hearing your story, I saw the possibility.”
Choi Ji-won, tapping my solar plexus with her fingertips.
“You invested enough time… Cold magic power. What if we could handle it properly? “Wouldn’t it be much stronger than now?”
“… “Cold magic power?”
“Uh. “You told me the other day that the longer you are aware of magical power, the more you will be able to handle it naturally?”
“… Yes?”
“And if you think about it, you are the one who has lived the longest with magical powers, right? Then there will be no one more familiar with magical power than you. Yes?”
It is not wrong. Although I may not be the person with the greatest talent for manipulating magic, I am the one most familiar with magic.
“Besides, I don’t know what you think, but isn’t the 12th floor a very suitable environment for training? It’s quiet, clean, and the food comes out regularly. Since you have to wait for 11 days anyway, there is no harm in returning during training.”
“… “That’s right.”
Actually, I don’t even know the identity of this power that resides in me. If you look closely, it may not be a big deal, but if you dig deeper, it may be a terrifying force. However, Choi Ji-won seems to have a firm belief in my potential.
“If it’s too hard, you can proceed the same way as this episode and come see me. As much as it’s hard, you can rest well. “I think now is the moment for you to become stronger.”
“… “
“Junho, I want you to become strong. “I hope you become stronger than you are now and don’t have to make painful choices.”
There is a story called the trolley dilemma. The story is that one hostage is tied up on one side, and five people are tied up on the other side. If you want an ending where no one dies, the method is simple. Just stop the train. Choi Ji-won wants me to gain the power to stop the train.
If I invest very, very, very much time… [80] Can you become strong enough to defeat a difficult mannequin? Would it be possible to manipulate cold magic at will? Will my talent allow it? A vague fear comes over me.
“You can do it. “I believe it.”
Choi Ji-won hugs me again without saying anything.
“And above all, there is one error in your thinking.”
“… Error?”
“Yes.”
After breaking the hug, Choi Ji-won disappeared through a portal for a moment and returned with a blue piece of paper in his hand.
“Take it.”
“… “What is this?”
“Just take it. “Because it’s a gift.”
When I was handed a blue piece of paper, I checked the front and back, wondering what this was. There was nothing specifically written on the paper, but as I looked at the paper carefully, a message window appeared before my eyes.
– Class A Trait Option (Unique)
-You can select and acquire the desired Class A characteristics. Can only be used once.
“… This?”
This was definitely the [40] Reward from the last test… Ah. Right. I had forgotten this very obvious fact.
“Junho. “The final number you have to deal with is [70], Not [80].”
That’s right.
“I already got the [40] Reward for the last test.”
Choi Ji-won had already cleared the 12th floor on the highest level of difficulty.