Chapter 181: Tutorial Tower (37th Floor)

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Malea's diary only recorded things which ‘happened to her’. In other words, it only recorded things which directly affected her and how she got through it; there are little to no records about when, where, and what kind of event happens aside from that.

However, even with that content alone, it was possible for me to indirectly infer my future.

[They eventually caught up to us on the 37th floor.]

[If we were captured by them, we would certainly die. However, if we choose to run away, we would be trapped in the ‘Eternal Model Box'. We only had two choices. We could either be captured by them and suffer a lot of shame until the day we die. Or we could get locked up in a place where we could neither die nor live, and sleep forever.]

[However, our worries didn't last long. Both Aracelli and I chose to be locked in the Eternal Model Box.]

[And, that day.]

[I was finally able to meet that man.]

[His name was Yoo Seodam.]

[The top ranker was looking after me, who was nothing!]

It seems like I would descend to the 37th floor and meet Malea there.

[My heart was filled with joy and excitement at the unbelievable fact, but at the same time, doubts arose inside of me.]

[Why? Why is he showing interest towards me?]

[He was sitting inside the Eternal Model Box and was waiting for me. The very first word he said after seeing me was ‘It’s been a while’. But, because I don’t know him, I replied with ‘Nice to meet you.'. When he heard it, he somehow had a very sad expression on his face.]

It wasn’t a very good piece of news. It sounds like Malea and Aracelli had already reached the 37th floor.

“…hmm.” Closing Malea's diary in my hand, I raised my head.

Currently, I was standing before the protagonist, Wigen, in front of the 69th floor—the temple of the ancient Mamela civilization—boss room.

“Foolish guy. Are you going to give up everything and go downstairs now?”

"Yes, there is someone I need to save.”

“But, I think you’ll die before you could even do that…”

Up until now, I had trolled Wigen countless times. Thanks to that, his grudge against me was considerably big and it kept piling up with every passing day. However, the reason I was still alive until this day was thanks to me wandering around all over the place to evade the tower's ‘system'.

Wigen was currently on his way to the 70th floor. I was certain that even after this, he would still climb up easily thanks to the help of the fairy.

He currently had six party members, but all of them were different from guys I had seen on the 60th floor. It was so absurd to have new members like him after the 60th floor because starting from floor 60th, communication with the lower floor was cut off. 

So, how did he do it?

The answer was simple. It was not Wigen who contacted those from the lower floors, it was his fairy.

I also know which guild Wigen planted on the lower floor to serve as his contacts and errands.

‘Wings of Heaven Guild.’

Although Wigen knew that he would be killed by the tower's administrators if they found out about the fact that he was contacting the lower floor after the 60th floor, he couldn’t just let Wings of Heaven Guild go as they were essential to his climb. After all, every floor needed ‘preparation’.

For example, to attack the boss room on the 51st floor, a rare item called ‘Soft Candle'—which could only be obtained on the 24th floor—was needed. It's not essential, but with it, the success rate in attacking would increase exponentially.

I was only able to know this fact because it was written in the diary. But, the fairies in the tutorial could not know about this in advance. They only had information on the floor they were in charge of, so they had to contact the lower floors in case they needed something later on.

That very messenger was Wings of Heaven Guild. It was a win-win deal for both of the parties since Wings of Heaven Guild would benefit greatly from hearing the strategy of high floors from Wigen, while Wigen could attack high floors easily and quickly after overcoming the penalty of being unable to descend after the 60th floor.

But now, on the 69th floor. I was about to go to the lower floor.

[If you give up right now and go downstairs, you must try again from the 60th floor.]

[Are you sure you will try again from the beginning?]

Normally, even the system wouldn’t be this worried for me, I was slightly touched, but it doesn't matter. In fact, the reason I went up to the 69th floor was to scout the terrain in advance so I could lead Malea to the higher floors even more quickly. I had no intention of going to the top whatsoever from the very beginning.

[Challenger Wigen and a party of 6 people have climbed to the 70th floor.]

After confirming that they had gone up, I turned around. However, out of nowhere, a fairy appeared and blocked my way.

-Challenger Yoo Seodam, why are you doing this?

“Oh… because, goodbye! See you later!”

-Aang~ Challenger Yoo Seodam~! Please go up! Yes~? We promise we will treat you well, okay~?

"Why? What did the administrators say to you that you are promising me such things?” 

-It’s not like that~!

It seems like the fairies had been given something by the administrators because of me. But if I go down, the fairies who were holding on to the ‘Yoo Seodam Line' would be very saddened since they were very jealous of the fairies who were holding onto the ‘Wigen Line’.

But they shouldn’t worry too much. Sooner or later, me and my party would catch all of those fairies as well as Wigen and purge them. Until then, even if their stomach burns, they have to wait quietly. After all, they would be the one who would laugh last.

“Just wait. Sooner or later, I will climb much faster than Wigen.”

After saying that, I gave up on the 69th floor challenge.

[Moving to the 37th floor.]

To meet them, I get on the portal.

* * *

The 37th floor, the Leaning Tower of Pieren.

[Today's weather was sunny. it's bound to be, because it was always sunny on the 36th floor. No, can I even say that it was sunny? From what I had heard, rain never falls here. Though, as there were no farmers in the tower, I don’t think it's important, but it's a bit disappointing. Why? Because my skin is so dry!]

[Today, I ate cookies with plenty of peanut butter for lunch. I couldn't help it because I couldn’t buy bread on the 20th floor as Wings of Heaven Guild members were scattered all over the floor. Those damn bastards, really!]

[Do they really resent me and Aracelli that much? Well, I know why they hate us. I heard that their reputation had taken a hit because 40 members of the guild at that time had been beaten up by a challenger from the 10th floor. It’s so refreshing to hear that!]

"What are you doing?"

“I’m writing a diary. I should write it down when I have free time.”

“Wasn’t that what happened on the 36th floor?”

"That’s right! Back then I couldn’t write it because the situation was so hectic. I’m really fed up with those Wings of Heaven bastards!”

Malea couldn't write her diary every day. However, even if it was delayed by a few days, Malea could easily recall everything that happened vividly and write them down in the diary. She had an amazing talent for memory retention. It even surprised Aracelli, because, on average, humans always forget 40% of what happened last night.

“The more I look at you, the more I become certain that you have a special ability to memorize something.”

"Is that so? I don’t know. Well, I've been good at memorizing words since I was little. Though, my calculating ability is a little bad… Because of that, my grades were so low.”

“…”

Throughout her journey with Malea, Aracelli had taught her about magic out of hobby. Thus, Aracelli was aware that Malea's calculation ability was very poor. She was a person who didn't really fit to be a mage. She was someone who only memorized and improvised. This made her stand out in this tower which was filled with mystery riddle survival games.

“I’m finished. Shall we find a place to sleep soon?”

"Okay."

‘Safe zone' wasn’t always present on every floor. However, it was a common practice for every challenger to have a place for them to rest and relax. 

Malea, who had become accustomed to setting up a tent, suddenly said playfully as she was about to build her tent.

“Hey, when can we meet?”

“…?”

It wasn't a question directed at Aracelli. It was a question to ‘that person'. Though, she was only asking as a joke.

[I’ll see you soon.]

“…”

As she swept the ground with leaves, words, which Malea believed to have been written about four months ago, appeared. Malea stared blankly at it before dropping everything she was currently doing and opened her diary to write those words.

[I said ‘when can we meet?' out loud to ask ‘that person’. Then, he told me that we would see each other soon.]

[By the way, when will we be able to meet?]

At that moment, dozens of footsteps suddenly could be heard in the distance. When Malea looked at Aracelli, she was already dismantling the tent at an unbelievable speed.

‘They are chasing us all the way here…'

It was obvious who they were. They were Wings of Heaven Guild members. They had been chasing both of them religiously and seemed to finally notice that they were currently on the 37th floor.

In the past, Malea and Aracelli could slip past the Wings of Heaven Guild because they had climbed the tower by slightly cheating with the help of ‘that person’. But from here on, it wouldn’t be as easy because their current floor had been discovered and Wings of Heaven Guild wouldn’t allow them to climb even higher.

In Wings of Heaven Guild, there were many high-level challengers with level 4 and Level 5 equipment. In other words, there was no room for them—who had just barely obtained level 3 equipment—to fight back.

Fortunately, their current location was inside a dense forest. Thus, they would be able to hide. Moreover, as both Malea and Aracelli were wearing gear related to agility, they became quite agile, making them able to climb trees skilfully.

And as both of them hid on top of a tall tree, the members of Wings of Heaven Guild passed them just a few seconds later.

"It's here! I could see their trace here!”

"Shit. Their footprints disappeared suddenly.”

“They could have climbed a tree. Search thoroughly!”

As the members of Wings of Heaven Guild on this floor could be called seasoned climbers, they could easily figure out their hiding place.

Malea bit her lip and jumped towards the nearby tree to escape. But unfortunately for her, she was founded by the guild members in an instant.

“There she is!”

"Get her!”

“Dammit!”

The speed of Wings Of Heaven Guild members on their tail was too fast. It seems like even the rankers on the 50th floor were also chasing after them. The movement speed buff of level 5 boots indeed made a great difference since they quickly shortened the distance.

It couldn’t be helped, it seems in order to escape, Malea and Aracelli had to once again exploit the loopholes in the system. Which was, entering the ‘Boss Room'. Unfortunately, the boss room was far from the place they were right now. Moreover, they hadn’t finished the main mission on this floor just yet.

The other method was…

‘…there is nothing but instant dungeons.’

It was a place where challengers couldn’t interfere with others challengers because the moment a challenger entered those dungeons, they would be separated by what was called ‘server’.

Luckily, such an instant dungeon appeared in front of them, but it was the worst dungeon.

“Why don't you just stop? That instant dungeon is called ‘Eternal Model Box'. It's a ‘trick dungeon' which you can never get out of once you enter. Do you know how many challengers have died there?”

It was a huge box-shaped dungeon or known by its other name: Trick Dungeon. It was one of the most vicious dungeons to exist in the Tutorial Tower which seduces and devours challengers. Rumor has it that if you clear the trick dungeon, you will receive a huge reward.

“Hahahaha, besides, do you know that the setting for that dungeon is ‘eternity’? The moment you enter, you must wander through a dark space without being able to die. Wouldn't it be better to just live with us as our dolls? Looking at what both of you have done so far… I’ll just play with you for about 10 years before throwing you away.”

Malea’s expression hardened. Should she live a life where she couldn’t even die while wandering through a narrow and dark space forever, or should she live a life filled with disgrace and die 10 years later?

She didn’t like either of the choices. But if she really had to choose between the two…

‘Please, this time too…please…'

Malea had no choice but to trust the man who had been protecting her from a place she couldn’t see. So, Malea grabbed Aracelli's hand and jumped into the ‘Eternal Model Box'.

[Entering the Instant Dungeon ‘Eternal Model Box’]