Chapter 57: Choi Ji-Won is Too Strong (8)

As I looked at the Archangel Raphael, clad in a flowing white garment, I was convinced.

“...Just as I thought.”

These beings, they are definitely not angels. If anything, they are more akin to minions of an evil deity.

I remember reading an article on a community forum titled ‘The Real Appearance of Angels.’ According to that article, angels could either have a bizarre appearance with eyes embedded within wheels within wheels or have four faces and six wings, like a monster.

But the angel in front of me was a beautiful, handsome angel. Surely, the angels depicted in the Bible couldn’t be like this...

“You know only one thing and are ignorant of the other!”

A cherub, energetically blowing a trumpet, suddenly interrupted, interpreting my expression.

“The ‘bizarre form’ of angels you’re thinking of is just one of many forms they can take! Angels appearing in non-human forms are rare! Most angels in the Bible are depicted as handsome human males! Moreover, a high-ranking angel like Raphael is not bound by physical form and can change at will...”

“Enough. The climber is feeling uncomfortable.”

“Oh, understood! Lord Raphael!”

The cherub, after spilling too much information, returned to its place and resumed playing the trumpet vigorously.

Archangel Raphael watched the cherub, then turned his head towards me.

“It’s true that I’ve chosen an appearance that is easily likable. If it makes you uncomfortable, I can change it.”

He said this with a smile.

It was the kind of warm, comforting smile often described as ‘gentle.’ Just looking at it could soothe the soul.

Innocent, warm, and somehow sacred, the smile lingered in my mind.

In an empty church, the image of a nun tenderly caring for a newborn baby flashed through my mind.

“...It doesn’t matter.”

I clenched my teeth and widened my eyes, as if to ward off the involuntary relaxation that threatened to set in.

I must stay alert. Before me stands a minion of the evil deity who has plunged the Earth into chaos.

This being is not here to genuinely celebrate with me.

The current situation is like encountering a fatal bug in a game. It’s as if ‘GM Raphael - Critical Bug Detected. We apologize for the inconvenience.’ is flashing in front of me.

When a bug occurs, it’s natural for the operators to be in a frenzy. His intervention is merely to prevent the second level from completely collapsing should I harbor any ill intentions. This must not be misunderstood.

While I was fueling my hostility,

“Hmm... I had much to discuss, but it seems this is not the right time.”

Raphael, who had been intently observing me, suddenly stretched out his right hand.

“Yi, Yiikes!”

“Stay calm. If a sin has been committed, it should at least be properly addressed.”

In the blink of an eye, an angel was grasped by the neck in his right hand.

It was a familiar face. The angel who held a sign in the square, guiding us with basic rules.

“Jun-ho. I’d like to discuss the changes to the second level. As it stands, it’s not fulfilling its intended function. Would that be alright with you?”

Raphael, holding the sign angel in one hand, spoke to me with a gentle demeanor.

“…”

Instead of responding, I simply nodded slightly.

Clearly, he had come here with a purpose in mind. I needed to stay fully alert from this point forward.

The situation was actually quite positive. Choi Ji-Won had gained a wealth of combat experience, the city’s residents were liberated, and even the Archangel who manages the tower had been summoned.

I couldn’t be sure that repeating my regressions would recreate the same situation. With the mindset of advancing to the third floor, I had to make the best of every moment.

Rather than beating around the bush, I decided to get straight to the point. This would probably catch the Archangel off guard.

“...Change the rules of the second floor.”

“Alright. I was planning to modify the rules of the second floor when the time came anyway.”

Raphael responded more agreeably than expected.

“The part you dislike must be the necessity of committing evil deeds for good rewards, right? I’ll modify the rules. I’ll get rid of the mark boxes... For gold-tier rewards and above, climbers must prove a certain level of strength. Oh, and by getting rid of the mark boxes, I mean we’ll leave the residents be, as if they were NPCs.”

“...”

“Also, for the three key players who improved the city, I’ll grant diamond rewards to all. A diamond mark is a hidden reward, and I’ll triple it. Normally, the highest reward is for one person, but this is in recognition of your impressive strategy.”

With a wave of Raphael’s free hand, a message window appeared before me.

“I’ll bring in a few strong individuals to the second floor to serve as instructors. They will be a great help to climbers lacking in combat experience. And as a side note, we’ve relaxed the standard for violence. Simple contact won’t be considered violent. Is this satisfactory?”

“…”

The compromise I had envisioned was completely different from what was presented. I had braced myself for a precarious tightrope walk from this point on...

But when I actually looked at the proposed rule changes, they were surprisingly good. Everything I wanted was included.

So good, in fact, that it made me suspicious.

Especially the ‘instructors’ mentioned by the angel... It felt like they had directly addressed a concern of mine.

I had been worried about the other people who hadn’t been able to gain levels or combat experience because I had cleared the tutorial alone.

From Archangel Raphael, I sensed a great deal of goodwill. Whether this ‘goodwill’ was the same emotion humans feel, I wasn’t sure, but it was clear he was being favorable towards me.

It had been this way since the first floor. Various facilities were provided. If one had the will to train, the possibilities were truly limitless.

On the second floor, violence between climbers was prohibited altogether, and as a result, if you didn’t commit crimes, there was no threat of death.

“...What are you thinking?”

And then I found this goodwill to be as irritating and awkward as wearing a stiff woolen knit.

“Why are you being so nice?”

“Hmm...”

Raphael, with his eyes closed in thought for a moment, slowly opened them and looked straight at me.

“It seems there’s a misunderstanding... The second floor was designed entirely for your benefit. Specifically, it was created to foster the will to resist and the desire to progress among the climbers. From the outset, its design was intentionally irrational.”

“...What?”

“What do you think it means to have hidden achievements? Have you never found it odd that the city’s master would carry her weak point dangling at her waist?”

“...”

“It seems you understand now.”

After calming my thoughts and pondering deeply... it turned out Raphael’s words were true.

By questioning the illogical system of the second floor and having the resolve to change it…

Methodically following the scattered clues... it was indeed designed to eventually lead to the city’s master.

Moreover, if the city’s master hadn’t been carrying the pouch containing the box dangling at her waist…

If she had hidden the box deep inside her armor or within her clothes…

There would have been no way to defeat her. Even the absurdly powerful Choi Ji-Won wouldn’t have stood a chance. Facing such a formidable opponent head-on with any hope of winning would have been unrealistic.

This means Raphael’s words weren’t just nonsense spouted in a moment of crisis.

That doesn’t guarantee they were the complete truth, either. It’s often said that the most convincing lies are those mixed with a bit of truth.

“Even knowing you may hate me for it, I will still give. Human love is conditional, because it seeks an equal return. But divine love is an unconditional gift. It can exist without conditions.”

Raphael spread his arms and smiled gently. He was claiming that everything he did was, in fact, a selfless act for the sake of humanity.

“...”

Perhaps it was my skepticism, but that smile now felt slightly off, a bit forced.

Indeed, these beings are hiding something. Just because they don white robes and bear handsome appearances doesn’t mean they can all be trusted.

However, instead of pointing this out, I decided to change the subject. It seemed wiser to pretend to be somewhat convinced for the time being.

“But... What about the city residents?”

Archangel Raphael had created an environment on the second floor where the city residents were inevitably suffering.

He had gone on about his love for humanity, yet the residents were treated worse than street animals. His words didn’t match his actions.

Raphael’s smile stiffened slightly.

After a moment of contemplation, he spoke in a voice as soothing as a teacher’s.

“Jun-ho. Just because they look the same, doesn’t mean they are the same as people.”

“...What do you mean?”

“Just as I have the appearance of a human but am not, they too may look human, but they are not the same. It’s complicated to explain in depth... but they are beings of a much lower status than you, the climbers.”

“...”

“I won’t insist that you withhold your affection from them. But that’s the reality, isn’t it?”

I wanted to question who had decided such ‘status,’ but the answer was clear without asking.

It must have been decided by a god.

Everything that happens in this tower must be orchestrated by an omnipotent deity.

What could be the intention of this deity? Was my ability to regress also part of this divine plan?

As my head grew heavy with these thoughts, I bowed it down. Raphael turned and slowly walked away from me.

“Since our conversation seems to be over... I’ll go and wake the others. It was a productive time, Jun-ho.”

“…”

With my gaze fixed on the ground, I clenched my teeth.

Right, divine intentions or whatever. I decided to set aside the questions that offered no answers.

From start to finish, being played like a puppet in their hands was utterly infuriating.

The tower was created according to a god’s design. The second floor was entirely under Archangel Raphael’s control. Perhaps even my ability to regress was a part of this divine plan.

Looking at it this way, wasn’t I just another puppet on stage, no different from the city residents?

Anger surged through my head.

Was it the recklessness born from not knowing the fear of death due to my regression ability, or was it just my naturally quick temper?

“You... To just report and then flee, is that a justifiable act?”

“Yiikes...”

“Wait.”

I couldn’t let Raphael leave like this.

“Why do you ask?”

Raphael, still holding the sign angel, turned to enter the beam of light and then paused to look back at me.

“Hand it over.”

“...Pardon?”

“The rewards. Give more of them.”

“…”

“The diamond reward is essentially a bonus for subduing the city’s master. Just giving out three of them doesn’t balance the scales. It’s an insufficient special reward for achieving a hidden achievement.”

“But didn’t I change the city’s rules for you in exchange?”

“That’s because you had to change the rules yourself due to the second floor becoming unplayable.”

I felt like giving the Archangel a strong whack on the back of his head, but...

Realistically, picking a fight with an Archangel here just didn’t make sense.

I couldn’t sense any aura from him, but in martial arts novels, the gap is often so wide that no aura is detectable. Being an ‘Archangel,’ it’s only logical to consider him a transcendent being.

In other words... Starting a fight would be the worst strategy.

“Special reward.”

The best strategy is to accept the situation and extract the maximum benefit from it.

“Give it to me.”

Now that things have come to this point…

I had no intention of stopping at just three diamond rewards.

– – – End of Chapter – – -

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