-Breaking news
-Death King who set out to conquer the 100th floor of the tower. There has been no news from him for a while, right? So there were many stories about whether he had failed, and that the 5 major guilds including the Black Dragon Guild and the Death King Family were sending search parties. Now, it seems all those stories will be dispelled.
-Hunter Ranking #1!
-Death King has conquered the Sky's Extreme Point!
Roars like thunder echoed across Babylon Square.
-As you can see, Babylon Square is now a cauldron of festivities. It's probably because everyone heard it through the tower's message before we even announced it. The announcer heard it too, right?
-Yes. From what we have confirmed so far, it seems that everyone in the tower heard that declaration.
-It's similar to when the Guild Master of the Chen Mu-mun and the Constellation [The Ox that Harvests Ruins] created an unranked item.
-Indeed. At that time, there was a prophecy that The Ox that Harvests Ruins would block the Death King's path, so the Tower was once turned upside down. The worlds within our Tower collaborated to organize a large-scale punitive force, or so was the controversy on whether we should wait and see.
-Eventually, the Guild Master returned and explained what had happened, and the controversy was resolved.
The announcer wiped his forehead.
-Compared to then, there's hardly any confusion. The greatest confusion would be the extent of alcohol and chicken running out all over the tower's worlds.
-Yes. Because it's good news to the point where there's no way to misunderstand it.
-Those who oppose the Death King, [The Group Demanding the Truth from the Death King], seem to want to misunderstand it again, what do you think?
-We will connect to the scene.
People wearing masks gathered, holding placards that read [Death King(X) Liar King(O)], [The Manufactured Death King], [The Dark Connection between Death King and the Aegim Empire], [Earth's Traitor – Puppet of Sormwyn] and so on.
Those at the forefront raised their voices.
-Us! [The Group Demanding the Truth from the Death King], commonly known as [TruthDemanders], argue today that the specific message that was allegedly transmitted throughout the Tower could have been manipulated, and to discuss this possibility, we have invited a Tower expert to this place.
Listening to the expert (...) Basically, it's said that the Death King has bought off the Tower. It's observed that the Tower's administrators show favoritism towards the Death King (...)
Or it might even be due to some skill. Even if it's not a skill, our group suspects that the very fact that the Death King has ascended to a Constellation's seat is shrouded in doubt, but look, if it's true that the Death King became a Constellation, he could send the same message to many people at the same time.
(...) How could someone in his early twenties, who had lived a life like a painted NEET become a representative hunter of the Tower, and conquering the 100th floor? Even elementary school-level common sense would tell you that doesn't make sense...
The announcer narrowed his eyes.
-What are these people even talking about?
-I'm not sure myself. Anyway, they're saying it's all fake, a scam, even if by chance it's true, it's a scheme concocted with the Tower, so the Death King has done nothing, even if he reached the 100th floor, does it improve people's lives by even a gram?
-It seems like things we don't need to know. It's been a while since the message about conquering the 100th floor went out, but have there been any contacts from the Death King himself?
-We have been consistently in contact with the wide-area telecommunications, the five major guilds, the Duke Ivansia Family, and the apostles of the Death King Family, but still … ah.
The announcer's expression suddenly changed.
-I just received a message from the Death King!
-Is that so! Which side is it?
-It's from the Black Dragon Guild side.
The broadcasters understood what that meant. The fact that they received contact from the Death King from none other than the Black Dragon Guild indicated that all of the Death King's private communications had concluded, and everything to be announced or kept secret had been perfectly decided.
If that's the case, the burden on the broadcasting station's side is rather reduced. The announcer said,
-Please connect us to the scene.
The screen changed. The hall of the Black Dragon Guild was shown.
Previously, there had been a vote concerning the fate of the Tower.
In that vote, which weighed on the scales whether to become pioneers or settlers, the people of the Lion World chose to move forward.
No one would question that it was the Death King's speech that decided the direction of the vote.
The hall of the Black Dragon Guild shown on the screen was the very place where that legendary speech had taken place. Probably, even this reminder effect was set up by the Black Dragon Master.
Kim Gong-ja, the protagonist who had stirred up the Tower, was right there where he had been back then.
-Ladies and gentlemen, the Death King!
-It's been 16 years since he said he was heading to the 90th floor and left! After a whole 16 years, the Death King has revealed himself!
The announcer shouted excitedly.
Beyond the screen, a surreal commotion was heard in the hall of the Black Dragon Guild.
[Everyone, there's no need to rush, the Death King will soon return to your side...]
[Reporters, please keep order and enter...]
Members of the Black Dragon Guild were controlling the commotion and invited the reporters in.
Meanwhile, the announcer commented on the situation inside the hall.
-Ah, the Death King is not actually standing there! It's a video connection.
-Right next to it, there's a wide-area telecommunications company standing by. Seeing that the Inventor King is also present, it seems like a real-time connection is certain.
-Just now, [The Group Demanding the Truth from the Death King] stated that if the real Death King doesn't appear, it would be a manipulation by the Black Dragon Guild, but what do you think?
-I must say again, there seems to be no need to listen to those folks. I was a bit disappointed the moment I realized it wasn't actually the Death King appearing but just a video connection. Just by having a thought similar to those folks makes the whole issue entirely unproblematic, and for that alone, I am thankful.
-While this conversation is going on, it seems that the inside of the conference hall has been somewhat organized. I will now move to cover it…
Soon, Kim Gong-ja appeared in front of a projector, and a group of reporters huddled around him.
The reporters asked.
-Good day, Death King! Or, should we now call you the Sky That Gathers Screams?
It was the first question thrown at him upon his return.
The Death King smiled.
-You can call me whatever you like. It seems that members of [The Group Demanding the Truth from the Death King] are also here; you can call me whatever you wish. Even calling me a plague is fine. However, I prefer being called Kim Gong-ja. It would be comforting if you called me Mr. Gong-ja.
And that was his first response.
The reporters threw the next question.
-We received the message that you have broken through the 100th floor. Congratulations. What was beyond that?
-What rewards did you receive?
-What happened there?
-What are your plans moving forward?
Despite the Black Dragon Guild members doing their best to control the order, these questions burst out almost simultaneously, like a multi-headed snake. It didn't matter.
After all, these were all things that needed to be discussed.
Kim Gong-ja took a deep breath.
"I have—"
2
I met the Tower Master. I became a pillar. I parted ways with the Sword Emperor. I talked with my companions.
I accepted the first incident calmly. No, to be precise, neither the Sword Emperor nor I were in a state to make a fuss when the Tower Master revealed herself in the world that had crumbled after the last key was inserted.
The Tower Master expressed it like this.
"You two look like privates who played an intense game of soccer and collapsed in the middle of the playground."
Lying sprawled out and gasping for breath, I didn't even turn towards where that violet voice was coming from when I said,
"Well, Tower Master… soccer played with two people? Isn't that a game played by twelve people?"
"Gong-ja you are showing that you are from the generation that hasn't served in the military yet again. This is truly an amazing foreshadowing payoff."
I had no idea what that meant.
It was only then that I looked up at the Tower Master.
At the summit of this Tower, much like a mountain peak, there was merely a white dot. The Tower Master stood alone at that white point, looking down at us.
The Sword Emperor raised a hand.
"Hello, auntie."
"Well hello, uncle."
The Tower Master also raised a hand in greeting.
I laughed.
"Usually, at this point, one would blush and cover their face with darkness saying, 'Who are you calling auntie!' or ask back, 'What did you just say?'"
"Screaming Sky. Tplease realize that what you just said is not something that can be captured by the modifier, [usually]. What exactly are you trying to make me into?""
Truly, she was like a goddess of fertility, possessing the wisdom of raising twenty-four children. Although I had no mother, I imagined this was how it would feel if she found the comic books I was hiding.
The Tower Master sighed while flapping her sleeves.
"If you insist on using the modifier 'usually,' then you should say, 'Don't we usually meet in a slightly more sacred and impactful atmosphere?'"
"I already know the answer. Because originally, this is where we should have first met."
But I had already faced the Tower Master several times. Any impact was inevitably less than my first encounter with the Sword Emperor.
Even so, it feels like a more formal meeting than a casual 'hi and howdy' could have been possible. I scratched my cheek when I thought about the lack of atmosphere at this meeting.
"Isn't this the way it is with me? I remember a few pillar meetings were called because of me, and I don't need to be censored anymore."
"If we don't count the time you faced my avatar on the 29th floor of Lion World, or the fact that I am always beside you all, then yes, if we only count the times we met face to face, that's accurate."
"Shall we have a drink?"
"That's the first suggestion made by those who stepped onto the Sky's Extreme Point beyond the 100th floor."
The Tower Master flicked her finger with a smile.
"Not a bad idea at all."
A makeshift table descended into the empty world.
The Sword Emperor pulled out a porcelain liquor bottle from his robes. I was dumbfounded.
"Isn't that liquor at least 140 years old?"
"Probably older? The place I was in had days that changed very quickly."
"Mr. Sword Emperor… have you ever heard of an expiration date? When I lived alone, I also used to open canned tuna that was a few years old and put it in expired ramen, but that's really not good. It makes life very bleak, so to speak…"
"Don't you know the common sense that liquor improves with age? Stop your nonsense and prepare some snacks."
The Sword Emperor, still seated, pushed my back with his foot.
Ah, this is bothersome, but still, I got up grumbling.
"Aren't the pillars coming?"
"I didn't bring them."
"Oh, why not?"
"Most of the pillars wouldn't welcome you all. Especially you, Screaming Sky."
I recalled the attitudes shown by the other pillars, excluding the Lady, when The Wand Of Ages had strutted out before me.
Smiling while lighting up an aura instead of a fire, I said,
"I do enjoy provoking such people."
The Sword Emperor chuckled.
"This guy really has a knack for that."
"You seem like you'd be good at stirring things up too, wouldn't you?"
"Now that I have a body and a mouth, shall I hang around and have fun by your side for a while like I used to?"
"I'll appoint you as a quibble advisor for the Death King Family."
I made fried rice with eggs using an aura flame. Considering the age of the eggs and rice, they should be fine since I had stored them in a handy magic pouch. It's not like these folks here would suffer from food poisoning.
In the meantime, the Tower Master prepared glasses and bowls for us.
"I didn't come here alone just for you guys. Now that we finally have a reacher, shouldn't I have something to enjoy too?"
"I bet you'd really enjoy watching from the sidelines as the pillars suffer from Sword Emperor and my bantering."
"Of course I'll enjoy it, and I'll continue to enjoy it thoroughly in the future, but still."
The Tower Master placed a drinking glass in front of each of us with a smile.
"I want to enjoy this quiet atmosphere right now."
I finished cooking.
I shaped the fried rice into rice balls and topped them with a bit of oyster sauce.
The Tower Master seemed dumbfounded at the egg fried rice.
"Does Screaming Sky use rice as a side dish?"
"Fried rice with eggs and oyster sauce is delicious."
"Do you use rice as a side dish? I asked twice because it seemed you didn't hear properly the first time."
"It's salty, so it goes well with alcohol. Especially with a slightly bitter-sweet rice wine or fruit wine, it's just perfect. Sword Emperor, that's makgeolli, right?"
"It's distilled liquor though?"
"Even not in sprit form, Sword Emperor remains Sword Emperor… Not useful when it really matters…"
Sword Emperor imbued a drop of liquor with aura and shot it at me, nearly causing an incident that could have forced me to regress after piercing my heart.
The Tower Master scolded us.
"How is it that you fight and brawl both before and after breaking through the Sky's Extreme Point?"
"Oh, dear. Living as Tower Master, is a continuous series of [struggle], isn't it?"
"Gong-ja, please don't try to rival Venomous Snake in that aspect. Just take a drink."
Sword Emperor and I did as told.
The Tower Master poured liquor into my glass first.
"You've worked hard."
Hmm.
"Yes."