16 – Episode 16. Return to Hell
The morning at the pub’s broken scabbard was always the same.
First, as the sun came through the broken bricks, Dana came down the hall and began preparing her burial.
Refill the ingredients as much as the pot is empty, and clean until the guests arrive.
When guests came, they served stew, saw them off, and cleaned up, ending the day like that.
And the day was bright again today.
Sunlight comes through the bricks.
But instead of starting her burial, Dana lay down on her bench and stared at her door.
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Kkik-Kkik-
It’s been in danger for a while now, and it’s completely broken.
Now the door will always be open even if no one is passing by.
A cold wind rushed in there mercilessly.
“Ugh, it’s cold…”
Dana hugged her blanket tighter.
I always sleep under a blanket, but today it felt a bit awkward.
The smell seems to be a little different.
When I smelled the fire coming from the futon, memories of last night seemed to flicker before my eyes.
A side profile that is so focused that you don’t even know what’s next to you,
The point of wasting time for someone to cook for.
Eyes full of anticipation waiting for the evaluation after finishing the dish.
Especially, the tight black eyes and hair reminded me of old memories.
At that time, every day was full.
Doing new things every day, the days when I fell asleep thinking about what to do tomorrow.
Though that time will never return.
Dana didn’t mind.
There was also a meaning to waiting.
I always do business here, meet people, stay here and pray for the safety of those who disappear into the tower.
Also, even if someone disappears, I now think about what they are doing rather than worrying about it.
Climbing the tower grunting?
He must have been bleeding and injured somewhere.
In that case, I hope you can stand up again.
And when you’re tired, it’s really good sometimes, so remind me of the stew at this tavern.
And if you have a little more time, I hope you stop by this place someday and tell me you’re alive.
He treated unheard news as good news and did the same business every day.
A broken door might be better than waiting for it to open.
Today’s mood is very different from usual, but…
There was nothing different.
The same day begins again.
She kicked off the blanket that smelled of fire and stretched herself with all her might.
What Dohyeon said when he left the store was clear that he was coming back.
I was very happy that you suddenly said that.
It was not her style to set a time and wait.
Then, if you don’t come back at the promised time, you know that the shock will be great.
I’ll just come back someday, and I’m sure I’ll be climbing the tower by now.
Once in a while, you’ll think of the taste of yesterday’s meat and lick your lips.
Then I hope you miss this tavern even half as much as I miss you.
Actually, I wish I could just keep my promise.
Even if that’s not the case, I’ll have to wait a long time.
I started my day with that thought.
Now the pot is boiling.
A guest enters.
It’s been a long time since someone covered me with a blanket, but thinking about it in a special way only makes me suffer.
“Welcome. Long time no see.”
**
It wasn’t even light yet, but the general store door was open.
This is so good.
Today I have a lot of work to do, but I need to check something at the store first.
First of all, I’m curious about how much the price of ingredients has gone up, and there are other things as well.
As I entered the store, the lady boss waved her hand at me.
“Good morning. Did you come in one day?”
That person doesn’t even sleep. The milky skin is full of vitality.
“Good morning. I have something to ask and something to buy.”
“Oh… I must have made some real money. As usual, yesterday everyone only talked about you. Did the meat taste that good?”
“Rumors are so fast.”
“Sure. All the news happening on the first floor comes to my ears. So, are you the cook?”
“I’ll keep it a secret.”
“Why?”
“I thought it would be dangerous to talk about my job carelessly. I won’t ask about your job, so please don’t ask me either.”
Then one of the woman’s eyebrows raised. On the contrary, her mouth is closed.
Perhaps they question my changed attitude… But I can’t help it either.
Because I found out that this woman is a player.
At first, I thought the bet I made with this woman on an artifact was an event, but after experiencing a real event yesterday, I understand.
The quest this woman gave me was really just a bet, not an event.
So I guessed it must be a player, but the reaction just made it clear.
No matter how you think about it, this woman is a player.
A person who is skilled enough to say 1,000 gold casually.
Perhaps it has something to do with the golden rule, seeing as the tower is retrograde endlessly.
This also explains why her grandfather, the owner, has changed to a young woman.
Said the woman, nodding her head.
“You are doing well. If you carelessly talk about your job, you should die. I won’t bother you, so take care of yourself and go. If you have anything to ask, ask.”
I don’t know if this woman is an enemy or an ally, but she’s safe in town anyway.
Whether she’s a player or an NPC, as long as she’s a merchant, she’ll abide by the golden rule.
The two iron laws of the golden rule are equal exchange and no murder in town.
Then, let’s check the ingredients first.
When my gold was 100 gold, I bought 4 japtem for 98 gold.
I found [Salt Ore] In the pile of japtem and gave it to the shop owner.
“Please tell me the price of this again.”
“That? Is it the same as the one I bought yesterday? But… Um… Ugh, what’s going on with this?”
“Did it go up a lot?”
“217 Gold. Wow, I’ve never seen a price like this before. How much did you earn? Are you really going to collect 1,000 gold?”
“Was that a joke? I’m really going to collect them.”
“I didn’t even know that was possible. Anyway, the relics are really going to be given, so try your best. Are you going to buy this item?”
Well, there’s still salt left, so I don’t have to buy it yet.
I need meat, but I can’t buy it at this price.
It’s hard to make a profit anyway, since most of the villagers’ money is siphoned off.
You can’t buy food until you run out of money.
“No. It’s too expensive.”
“Oh~ Does that mean you want to enter the tower yourself?”
“Of course. Isn’t everyone the same?”
“Yes, as you said, everyone can enter the tower… But I thought that people who can earn money in the town are different. Why risk your life for something money can buy, no matter how expensive it is?”
“I have to walk. The goal is to get to the top anyway, but if you risk your life, it’s better to risk it quickly. Rather than wandering around and wasting time.”
Here again.
The woman listened to me, and she nodded her head while touching her chin with one hand.
It’s been like that ever since.
The eyes are perfectly fixed on my face, as if evaluating it.
The eyes are very laser-like.
There must be a hole.
Then he uttered exactly the same words as the expression on his face.
“Well, no matter how you think about it, I like it. But tell me Maybe you should think about entering the tower?”
“Why?”
“Because the climbing season has begun. Hermit masters, bullies and rookies alike are all flocking to the tower. A lot will change in the future.”
Climbing season?
What are you talking about again?
TOE was not a seasonal game. Just climb the tower as soon as you start, and do it again when you die.
It was an endlessly repeating game.
But suddenly it’s the season.
I was going through my memory to see if I’d missed anything, when the woman stared right into my face and said,
Looking at the excited eyes, I wonder if the sound of liking it earlier is like hunting.
Ah, no.
“You don’t know, do you? Well, it’s a concept that has almost no meaning in the lower floors. Climbing season means it’s time for someone to reach the top. Do you know what this means?”
Is it time to rise to the top?
That statement was a bit odd.
In the world of TOE, towers just always exist, and isn’t anyone able to reach the top by climbing them?
But when people say that the time has come…
‘Ah, is that so?’
I get a rough sense of the difference between the game and the real thing.
“There is a limit to the number of people who can reach the top… What do you mean?”
“Oh, did you just guess? Are you smart?”
“If it weren’t for that, there would be no need to use the word timing. Perhaps at any given time, the number of people who can go to the summit is limited, and now that limit has been lifted. It sounds like this.”
“Correct answer! But it’s not so mellow. Only one in 100 years. This is the number of people who can reach the top.”
One person? That’s 100 years…
Then it means that climbing has begun after 100 years… The competition will be fierce.
The game was the same, but the reality is much harsher.
But it wasn’t entirely unexpected.
As soon as I first came here, I looked at the people I met and got a rough idea.
There are more things in this world that I don’t know about.
Tilda and her wizard grandfather. And that’s the story of the killer man.
At that time, the man cheated on us with obvious hostility, which is an act that cannot be explained by the world view where anyone can reach the top.
Because, in a world where anyone can reach the top, there is no need to compete, just work together and go up high.
Murder is only possible in competitive games.
The woman squinted her eyes, and she stuck her upper body a little over the bar.
And she said in a meaningful tone.
As if to scare you.
“There are rumors that climber hunters appear. In case you don’t know, it might already be hiding in this town. Do you still want to enter the tower?”
Listening to that makes me curious about what happened to the grandfather who followed the man.
Are you still alive?
Well, I don’t care about the grandfather’s whereabouts, but…
Anyway, you need to be careful.
In this world, it is not easy to steal money because transactions are strictly controlled.
Murder is impossible even in the village.
However, what will happen if there is an enormous competition condition of one person in 100 years?
It’s safe in town, but there’s plenty of carnage in the tower. That’s normal
As expected, even worse things could happen.
For example, something like this.
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After catching a human with outstanding abilities, without stealing money or killing them in the village.
Instead, you’ll eat it until you die.
Especially if you’re a person who can stall like me, you’ll be anxious to catch him…
Still, as long as this game is a TOE, there is no going back.
“I have to go in, of course.”
“Keah… I really like it.”
But what is that really?
It’s not hunting.