Chapter 139

The body of the madman could not be found. The entire battlefield had been reduced to ashes, leaving no way to discern whether the remains were human or an unfortunate wild animal caught in the chaos.

“...The bastard is dead. I’m certain. The wide-range lightning attack took care of him.”

Given the certainty in the words of the one who fought him, no one doubted the madman’s demise. After all, anyone who witnessed that “divine punishment” would find it impossible to believe anything could have survived it.

“Is it finally over?”

“Phew, I can finally stop worrying.”

“Beer! Is the batch ready yet?”

The dwarves celebrated joyously. They had endured constant anxiety since the first murder, and now it seemed all the problems had been resolved.

“We can’t go all out since the funerals just ended, but... a small toast to celebrate wouldn’t hurt, would it? Bring out the beer and meat! Tonight, we feast!”

The dwarves, a race known for both working and partying hard, wasted no time. They carved out a few large tables on the spot, prepared cold beer and sizzling meat, and invited the players to join them.

“Gael, Yurr, Minael, and Kuhn... Our proud brothers and sisters have left us. I know it’s been hard on all of you.”

“Yes!!!”

“I’m not asking you to forget them. Instead, bury them deep within your hearts and move forward. That’s what they would have wanted, isn’t it? Now, everyone, raise your glasses—for our departed family!”

“For them!!!”

The dwarves guzzled their freshly aged beer, toasting to their fallen. Although the beer’s barley flavor wasn’t as rich as it could have been due to its short aging, the mix of grief and hope in their hearts gave the drink a depth that no aging could.

“Drink. Drink and forget.”

“More meat! Do we have more meat?”

As drinks flowed, the atmosphere grew lively. The cheerful dwarves wandered about with their mugs, offering beer to the players.

“...Why the long face, friend?”

“You won the battle! Smile, will you?”

“Well...”

However, none of the players seemed genuinely cheerful. Though they sipped their drinks and nibbled on their food, their expressions betrayed their inner turmoil.

“Choi Ji-won! You were the star of the battle—what’s with you?”

“Are you secretly a noble? Or maybe the daughter of a hero? When that lightning struck—BOOM!—I nearly wet myself!”

“Shouldn’t we build a statue or something? Even if I don’t know about the others, I acknowledge Choi Ji-won’s greatness.”

“...Haha.”

Choi Ji-won forced a smile. Her lips curved upwards, but her thoughts were tangled in frustration.

Her disappointment wasn’t about the battle itself but rather its ending. The “fight” she had with Kim Jun-ho left her deeply unsatisfied.

To others, the clash with the madman seemed like a fierce battle, but in truth, it was all an act—a carefully orchestrated performance.

Even so, she had given it her all. She had deliberately missed with her lightning, wrestled with the surging mana, and performed to the best of her ability. And yet, it still felt lacking.

‘...It was close.’

That final strike had been her ultimate move, one where she poured every ounce of mana she had left.

It was meant to blind the players’ senses, give Kim Jun-ho time to escape, and test the limits of her own power... but the result was far from satisfying.

The lightning, though spectacular in sound, light, and range, lacked substance. It was all show, no power. Just an empty roar—a loud but harmless blank.

Worse still, controlling the mana had been a nightmare. She’d almost hit Kim Jun-ho by mistake, which could have forced him to regress. Although she aimed for an area near the fortress to obscure visibility, her aim had been slightly off.

To others, it might have looked impressive, but by Choi Ji-won’s standards, it was a complete failure.

‘...Regressing again would be too much for this.’

Despite her dissatisfaction, regression wasn’t an option. She had already achieved the best possible outcome and couldn’t afford to do-over over something so trivial.

-Gulp, gulp, gulp!

“Oh! Look at her go!”

“Well done!”

In the end, all she could do was drown her regrets in beer. Even as her companion, Bung-bung, nagged in her mind about why she was drinking such a thing, she ignored it and emptied her mug.

“Hey! If even Choi Ji-won is drinking, what are you all waiting for?”

“Why are you just picking at your food? What’s wrong with you?”

“...”

While Choi Ji-won drank heartily, the other players merely poked at their food, glancing at her with complex emotions. Where she felt regret, they felt something closer to inferiority.

Great traits, remarkable talents, and above-average intelligence—every player here possessed at least one of these qualities. (With the exception of one poor fool who was just being exploited.) Back in their homelands, they had all been leaders in their respective fields.

The 11th floor? The trouble clearing it had only been due to issues with the dwarves, not the floor’s difficulty. From the 1st to the 11th floor, save for the 4th, they had cleared them all without much trouble.

Was the Tower too easy? No, the players were simply too strong. Comparing them to ordinary players was meaningless—they were chosen heroes of their respective countries.

Since entering the Tower, they had never once doubted their abilities. They were brimming with confidence that they could conquer the 11th, the 21st, even the 66th floor.

But...

The scene they had just witnessed gnawed at their minds. If this were a martial arts story, one might call it a “heart demon.”

The players possessed diverse abilities—some could smash boulders with brute strength, others could breathe fire, and still others could move with astonishing speed.

They were superhuman, capable of bending reality and performing miracles straight out of fantasy.

But... the lightning they had seen earlier wasn’t a miracle. It was a natural disaster. It transcended the realm of humanity.

The same 11th floor, the same players, and yet, how could such a vast gap exist? Realizing this left them unable to drink.

None of the players present were adept enough in mana to see through the lightning’s hollow nature. To them, it was like marveling at a child holding an oversized balloon, unaware it was just air. And Choi Ji-won, who could have corrected the misunderstanding, was too busy drinking beer.

“Why are they like that?”

“Who knows.”

And so, the celebration ended on a somewhat somber note...​

​***

The festive atmosphere gradually wound down, and the players began preparing to leave.

“We’ll give you the transit stones for free. We’ll also resume selling supplies.”

“Really?”

“Of course. After all, you fought alongside us as comrades.”

“...Looks like I’ll need to buy another sword.”

During the time the dwarves had stopped selling transit stones, the players hadn’t been idle. They had accumulated plenty of gold, allowing them to stock up on weapons and essentials to their hearts’ content.

While everyone celebrated this development, Choi Ji-won quietly approached the shopkeeper.

“Oh, Ji-won. What brings you here?”

“What will you do after we leave?”

“...”

The truth everyone was trying to ignore: the 11th floor was structurally fragile. While it might seem safe now, there was no guarantee it would remain so. If another deranged player were to appear, the peace on the 11th floor could be shattered in an instant.

“Well...” The shopkeeper opened his mouth to reply but was interrupted.

“Everyone! I have... I have something to confess!”

A player stood up, raising his hand and shouting. Choi Ji-won recognized the face from her memories.

“...I think... I was the one who killed the first dwarf. I’m so sorry...”

“...What are you talking about?”

“So... I was in the forest, and I ate a mushroom, and...”

Mason—A man tricked and used by Zhang Lei. Now, he was sobbing as he confessed his crime.

“I’m sorry, I’m so sorry...”

“Raise your head,” the shopkeeper said, placing a hand on Mason’s trembling shoulder.

“We’ll need to hear the full story to know for sure, but for now, calm yourself.”

The shopkeeper wasn’t a fool. He suspected Mason wasn’t the true culprit.

“There is a way for you to atone,” he continued.

“...Atonement?”

“Stay here on the 11th floor. Protect us until you’ve cleared your debt. You can repay your sins by guarding us.”

If Mason truly felt remorse, the dwarves would gladly accept his help.

Thus, the players who had spent extended time on the 11th floor spent all their gold and cleared the floor with a lighter heart. Those who lacked the funds to leave regained a spark of hope.

At last, the long-standing conflicts were resolved, and one by one, the players began to leave the 11th floor.

During this process, Choi Ji-won somehow managed to obtain two transit stones. However, everyone was too preoccupied with their own tasks to pay much attention. After all, it wasn’t like Choi Ji-won would misuse them.

But something strange happened in the early dawn. The angel assigned to guard the central plaza suddenly disappeared from their post. Few noticed the anomaly, as it was still early.

Perhaps the angel had their own reasons. They were known for being strictly businesslike with the players, so it wasn’t entirely out of the question that they had left the fortress briefly to handle something important.

“Hey, if an angel leaves the fortress, can they still process player clears outside?”

“...Even if they could, why would they? It’s not like they’re running errands. They wouldn’t do that unless you saved their life or something.”

“Yeah, I guess you’re right.”

“Go to sleep. We need to save up to buy better weapons.”

The 11th floor returned to its former peace. Ironically, the appearance of a deranged killer - a madman - had acted as a glue, mending relations between the dwarves and the players.

For players, it seemed odd to say, but in a way, it was a stroke of tremendous luck.

– – – End of Chapter – – -

 

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