In the last regression.
It was when the tutorial of the tower was finished.
-Warriors.
-Those climbing the tower.
The hunters had counted down with all their might in the square. And the goddess had descended in that square. The goddess spoke seriously like she was an apostle praying.
-From the 11th floor to the 20th floor.
-You will be met with a test.
-A test of faith.
The hunters didn't listen to the goddess's voice.
A new era. A new stage.
They were excited because a new stage was opened, and immediately left for the 11th floor. There was even a hunter who had tested if the goddess could be cut with a sword.
-You will find the answer.
However.
-The answer you find will reveal who you are.
I didn't do that.
I stayed until the end.
-And so that's how you will know yourself.
Thinking back now, we had already received a sign of what would happen starting from the 12th floor.
-Climbers of the tower.
The question wasn't which award we would choose, or who we would suspect. The tower just let us know that our answer would be of importance.
-May luck be with you.
The goddess was quietly praying.
At this moment, I arrived on the 12th floor again.
I lifted my head, thinking of the scene in the square back then.
And I spoke.
"I'll clear up to the 20th floor in 5 days."
Of the answer that I had chosen.
2.
It was dead silent.
The first person to speak was the Black Dragon Master.
"Wait. 5 days…?"
She looked confused.
"Did I hear something wrong? I think you just said that you would clear up to the 20th floor in 5 days. If that was supposed to be a joke, that wasn't funny, so take it back."
"No, you heard right. And it's not a joke."
"······."
The Witch shut her mouth.
The silence in the reception room turned to low murmuring. The faces of the hunters changed. Some looked like they were flabbergasted, some looked like they couldn't believe it, and others looked like they didn't know how to react.
'This kind of reaction is obvious.'
I calmly took in all their gazes.
Because it was an announcement that didn't make sense even if you thought about it logically.
"…That's impossible. Kim Gong-ja."
A moment later, the Witch spoke.
"You know. It took us years to clear just until the 10th floor. Of course, since we cleared the 11th floor in less than an hour, you might be flowing with confidence but…it's too much. You're overconfident. Aren't you a bit too excited?"
"Black Dragon Master."
I bowed my head.
"It's my request."
"······."
"I cleared the 10th floor. I didn't do it for you. I cleared it because I wanted to succeed. However, I still shared the rewards of the 10th floor with everyone."
Information that this would be a team battle, and the location of the boss monster on the mini map. I shared information, and the damage to the guilds was lessened.
"-everyone benefitted, not just me."
So I could speak with confidence.
"I have the qualification to ask this of everyone."
"······."
"I'm not telling you to wait until I clear the 20th floor. 5 days. Whether I succeed or not, please just wait 5 days. This is my last request."
Silence swirled around the reception room.
It wasn't a silence that was disadvantageous to me.
Maybe that was the reason why.
[Welcome, hunter Kim Gong-ja.]
[You have subjugated the 11th floor as Rank 1.]
[The rewards for clearing the11th floor are being given.]
The notifications popped up more quickly than last time.
Last time, only after the fight with Sword Saint was finished was the reward given. It had taken a long time. On the other hand, this time was different. As soon as I spoke, information about the reward flew up.
'Hello.'
Like it was frantically trying to get my attention.
[The Goddess of Protection is suggesting a reward to you.]
[The Devil King of Fall Rain is suggesting a reward to you.]
The sounds of the notifications rang consecutively.
I didn't select either reward.
I just grinned inwardly.
'Are you feeling anxious because we didn't fight, Devil King?'
Soon, the rewards of the goddess and the Devil King slid up. Glance. I gave it a single look. I didn't show any interest or amusement.
[The Devil King of Rall Rain advises you to choose a reward.]
A voice rang in my head.
[The Devil King hints that you can even give up a reward.]
Again and again.
My attitude didn't change.
'I don't care what you say.'
I was firm.
I didn't look at the roles of the goddess's reward, or at the conditions of the Devil King's reward.
I ignored them.
[The Devil King of Fall Rain is bewildered.]
[The Devil King of Fall Rain cannot understand your intentions.]
That's fine. Don't rush me.
Since while you're confused I'll go find you.
"Mm…"
The silence continued in the reception room. The Heretic Questioner looked around and laughed with an 'aha!' He seemed to have decided to speak first.
"It's simple! Kim Gong-ja has shared information about the 11th floor with us. In return, he asked us to do a favor for him, and we promised to do it as long as it's not impossible!"
The Heretic Questioner beamed.
"All of us waiting here without doing anything. It's not a simple favor thinking of what the media will say…but it's not impossible! So I agree!"
"It's not impossible but…"
"A promise is a promise, Black Dragon Master!"
The Witch's face turned dark.
She opened and closed her mouth, then sighed.
"Fine. A promise is a promise."
She was saying she agreed.
The other hunters all agreed as well. The Witch and the Heretic Questioner. The influential hunter and the most psychotic hunter had agreed. Even the hunters who weren't Guild Masters ended up agreeing and promised 5 days of silence.
"I never agreed to that kind of promise."
Except for the boomer who was ranked the highest.
"There's only one promise that I made with this person. That I'll watch this youngster for 5 days. Other than that, I don't have to do anything."
"······."
"If you're leaving to clear the 20th floor, I'll just follow you like our promise."
"Mm."
I nodded.
"Yes, that's fine."
From now on, I was going to go up against the Devil King alone.
I was confident but…if the Sword Saint was behind me, it would be like I had an army of thousands. I had no reason to stop him from following me.
I looked around the reception room.
"Thank you for listening to my request, everyone."
I slowly turned to move.
"See you in 5 days."
Creak-
I opened the large door of the reception room and left.
There was a large palace beyond the door. Past the palace, there were high walls, and beyond the walls, there was the city of the Aegim Empire.
It was the same as last time.
-Huh?
But it was different.
-Huh? The NPCs are all standing still?
Bae Hu-ryeong and I looked here and there while walking together.
Bae Hu-ryeong was right.
The knights guarding the palace, and the NPCs selling fruit in the market. All the NPCs in the city were still.
'It's because the quest hasn't begun yet.'
Time was paused.
I walked down the paused street.
Far behind, Sword Saint was coming too.
-Quest?
'Yes. No one has chosen their [Role] yet.'
In the empire right now, there was no chancellor or grand master of knights.
Even though they were important figures that were needed.
This was the quest of the 12th to the 20th floor.
'As soon as we entered the 11th floor, the quest was given. That's probably the right order. But didn't we already arrive here some time ago? Why would it take so long for the quest to be given?'
The quest opened after the roles were chosen.
That meant.
'If no roles are chosen, the quest won't begin, either. The Devil King's attack won't begin, and the empire soldiers won't fight against it.'
That was why the NPCs were still.
And they would continue to be like that.
'In this world, we don't choose a role.'
It was a kind of trigger.
When the highest subjugators chose a role, the quest would begin.
'But you know that, Sword Emperor.'
I crossed the streets. Because there were passersby, I twisted around them to move by them. It was like walking through a maze.
Even while walking through the maze made of people, notifications continued to ring in my head.
[The Devil King of Rall Rain advises you to choose a reward.]
I ignored it.
[The Devil King of Fall Rain advises you to give it up if you aren't going to choose a reward. In that case, the ability to choose a reward moves onto the next subjugator.]
I ignored it and continued to walk.
When I left the city, there was a large field in front of me.
'If. What happens if the Devil King dies in this state?'
-What?
I could see it.
A sparkling red dot that was clear on the half-transparent map.
There was only 1 red dot at this point when no monsters were summoned.
'I said, what do you think will happen if the boss monster dies before the quest starts.'
The Devil King.
'Simple. No one will be able to choose the reward of the Devil King.'
-······.
'Of course, there won't be any betrayer. He's just out before he can try anything.'
I crossed the field. I headed straight for the red dot. Not too long after, the red dot was right in front of me. If I went just a bit further, it would be where the boss monster was marked.
[The Devil King of Fall Rain is furious at you!]
Did he understand what I was trying to do now?
Another voice that was slightly different rang inside my head.
[The Devil King of Fall Rain is manifesting!]
The sky in front of me swirled with black. Like a black hole, a pitch-black hole was opened, and something like wastewater flowed out.
One drop. A stream. A clump.
It gathered to make a figure, and a voice leaked out from the figure.
-You dare.
The Devil King was red with rage.
-Take the proper steps, warrior of the goddess. It's rude coming here without choosing anything. Only those who received the qualification of the empire can take my sword.
"What kind of bullshit is that?"
I gripped my sword even tighter.
"I picked the right thing."
-What…
"Look. This is the best choice."
In this time when the quest didn't begin yet.
And the city wasn't attacked by the Devil King yet.
So, it was a world where no one had died.
"Devil King. I'll kill you before the quest begins. Then not a single hunter will die, and nor will anyone from the empire. There won't even be a betrayer either."
-······.
"Did you understand? It's a happy ending without any sacrifices."
I smirked.
"I never really liked bad endings. Is it because of my personality? I like happy endings more. You were continuing to fuck with us, and so we couldn't get a happy ending, so please die."
-You dare…
The figure of the Devil King squirmed.
-You dare to try to stop me by yourself? Without even the help of the empire?!
"Yup."
I pulled out my sword.
I precisely aimed the blade at the black figure.
"Help, my ass."
In the middle of the paused field.
I became a part of my sword and targeted my enemy.
I opened my mouth.
"A warrior is supposed to fight alone."
The 5 days of forever began.