Chapter 84

 

“...What do you mean by that?”

 

The middle-aged Caucasian asked me with a puzzled expression.

 

“Isn’t it a good thing that there’s plenty of food? Feeding the people behind us was a major concern.”

 

“...It’s not that simple.”

 

Baron Jorge mentioned earlier that they too need to survive here for just five days. Us for five days, these people for five days.

 

Naturally, as humans, we need to eat, sleep, and relieve ourselves, so requiring food is obvious. And since the food issue seems to have been resolved so easily, one might think there’s reason to be joyful at first glance.

 

“What did the message say again?”

 

“...Survive for five days.”

 

It’s not like the tutorial or the second floor where we had to retrieve something specific. Nor is it like the third floor where we had to overcome a straightforward challenge placed right before us. We just need to stay alive.

 

Thinking about it the other way, it implies that the environment on the fourth floor might hinder our survival.

 

The cold winter. The isolated castle. It would be a challenge to obtain food, though melting snow for water could be manageable. Thus, I had hoped that ‘surviving’ itself would be the challenge.

 

Players vary in skill level, but all possess physical abilities beyond those of ordinary people.

 

Furthermore, since there’s a castle, there would likely be paths, vegetation, and something edible. If superhumans went hunting, they would at least not fail entirely.

 

In the very worst case, we could melt snow for water and eat the winter clothes to barely survive five days by sheer grit.

 

But no. There’s plenty of food, and even extra winter clothes provided. This means there’s no risk of starving to death.

 

“...It might have been better if food had been scarce.”

 

That means... our survival could be threatened in ways other than starvation.

 

“We need to gather the players. We can’t just sit idly by.”

 

Monsters could swarm from outside the castle. Or there might be monsters living in the castle’s basement.

 

...Or perhaps, not all people are actually people. What if, out of 100 players we thought were present, only 50 were real and the rest were monsters? Or if all the otherworldly beings turned out to be monsters?

 

The message didn’t specify anything beyond ‘surviving,’ so the possibilities are endless.

 

“Let’s split up for now. Gather everyone you see, and let’s meet in front of the castle in an hour. Do you agree?”

 

“...Yes, let’s do that.”

 

“Alright.”

 

“We don’t have time to look for hidden pieces or anything like that.”

 

Whatever the situation may be, it was clear that action needed to be taken.

 

That was my thought.

 

**

 

Following my suggestion, the other players dispersed throughout the castle.

 

“...”

 

Watching quietly, Baron Jorge cautiously began to speak.

 

“You folks...”

 

“Yes?”

 

“Are you perhaps from Rifton? Or Alarac? Your accent is unfamiliar. From your demeanor, you seem like you might have been mercenaries...”

 

“...I apologize for the delayed explanation, but we’re likely from different worlds. The only commonality is that we must survive here for five days.”

 

I briefly explained that we were from Earth and had suddenly been brought here by an entity claiming to be a god, who had thrust this tower upon us.

 

“...My goodness.”

 

Baron Jorge stroked his lush beard, emitting a sigh.

 

“So, in your world...”

 

As he was about to explain something, his expression suddenly went blank for about 10 seconds before returning to normal.

 

“...Why don’t you answer?”

 

The person speaking suddenly losing their expression and then asking why there was no response was a phenomenon I’d seen countless times on the internet. It’s the tower’s ‘information restriction.’

 

“...No matter. For now, shall we arrange the people behind us?”

 

“Understood. I shall find a way to repay this kindness.”

 

After a brief discussion, Baron Jorge and his subjects agreed to use rooms on the second floor. I instructed them to pass the word to any player they met to gather in front of the castle in an hour.

 

“After your ‘meeting’... perhaps we can have a discussion of our own. Thomas! Lead the people and follow me!”

 

“Yes, Baron!”

 

With commanding presence, Baron Jorge led his subjects up to the second floor.

 

After watching them ascend, I turned and headed outside the castle.

 

**

 

“Where did the weapons come from?”

 

“There’s a room in the basement filled with nothing but weapons. There’s also one with raw materials like wood... Quite a variety. Anyway, I know it’s late, but shall we introduce ourselves? I’m William Smith.”

 

“...I’m Junho Kim.”

 

“So... Junho, what’s with you?”

 

The middle-aged Caucasian man, William Smith, who had led the other players, asked me.

 

“...”

 

It was because I had comically tucked my lips inside my mouth.

 

I hadn’t anticipated the dryness.

 

My lips had become parched due to the cold wind, and I was worried they might crack and bleed, possibly necessitating a regression.

 

Thus, I came up with the idea of keeping my lips tucked in.

 

“...”

 

“...”

 

After moistening my lips, I took a moment to assess the players.

 

Somehow, I had ended up taking on a leadership role, a responsibility that apparently comes with being a regressor.

 

“Is everyone here?”

 

“Except for one guy holed up alone in a room near the entrance, yes.”

 

“...”

 

Was it that guy who threatened to resist if anyone tried to enter his room?

 

Wait, did they say he was alone? Despite using “we” in his threat, it must have been a bluff.

 

“So, why did you want to meet outside?”

 

A man with a surly expression raised his hand. He seemed annoyed by the cold wind.

 

“The castle is too cramped for 100 people to gather. Plus, the echo makes it unsuitable for a meeting.”

 

The response came not from me but from another man wearing glasses.

 

“Even if it’s cold, please bear with it. My glasses are fogging up, which is quite annoying.”

 

But there was something familiar about him.

 

“...Kyung Nam?”

 

It was the Glasses Guy from the tutorial. Yes, the brother of Kyung Joon from the third floor, Kyung Nam.

 

Now that I looked closer, there was another familiar face: Da-hye Baek, also from the tutorial.

 

“...”

 

To think I’d run into them here. I considered greeting them, but they didn’t recognize me. The iteration where I had any significant interactions with them was already reset.

 

“Cough, cough. Could I have a moment of your attention?”

 

Despite being momentarily startled by the familiar faces, my agenda remained unchanged. Utilizing my curiosity trait, I naturally drew everyone’s attention before repeating what I had told William Smith.

 

“...So, it’s logical to assume we’ll face some threats, either outside or within the castle.”

 

“Hmm...”

 

“Uh-huh...”

 

“Sounds plausible.”

 

It hasn’t been two months since the first tutorial began, and we are already on the fourth floor. Those without a certain level of ambition and sense wouldn’t have made it this far.

 

Moreover, the message we saw made it clear that survival was the goal. The seriousness of the situation has made people rational, and the players naturally agreed with my opinion.

 

However, knowing something might happen doesn’t significantly change our situation.

 

“So, what do you think we should do?”

 

The question came from the man with the surly expression who had earlier asked why we were meeting outside.

 

“You’ve listed possibilities, but it seems like you’re not certain of any.”

 

“...”

 

He was right.

 

I’m only in my first iteration and don’t know what will happen next.

 

Whether something comes from outside the castle, emerges from within, or if the castle itself is a trap, nothing could be said with certainty.

 

’If I had gone through a regression, I might claim ‘This is the evidence!’ and spout nonsense, but that’s not an option.’

 

“...For now, we have no choice but to explore all possible scenarios. We can’t afford to exclude any possibilities when ‘survival’ is at stake.”

 

We’ll have to repair the castle walls to some extent, prepare barricades, and set up watches. At the same time, we need to comb through the castle for anything that might be of use. We have to do both.

 

“We’ve herded the otherworldly residents to the second floor. Let’s search the basement as thoroughly as possible. Check the walls, floors, everything meticulously. If nothing turns up, we’ll move to the first floor.”

 

There was a reason behind directing Baron Jorge to the second floor. If there were monsters or a hidden piece, it was more likely to be found in the basement, I surmised.

 

“Speaking of which, otherworldly residents? What’s with those people?”

 

This time, the question was asked by a woman with a pronounced chin.

 

“...So...”

 

I recalled seeing people within a black hemisphere. Like us, they seemed to have been dragged from another world to this place and would return to their original world after surviving five days. I explained that we had temporarily formed something akin to an alliance.

 

“…”

 

The woman’s chin jutted out even more in dissatisfaction.

 

“...Do we really have to stick with these otherworldly beings? I mean, come on.”

 

She raised her voice, seeking affirmation from those around her.

 

“It’s a sudden survival mission. Even the man speaking now says he’s not sure what’s going to happen, right? What if these people suddenly turn into demons? Okay, let’s not go that far. We are the players, the superhumans, and this is the fourth floor of a tower that tries to kill such superhumans. Does it seem like a floor where we have the luxury to take care of hundreds of useless people? Is it worth the trouble? It seems hard enough for us to survive on our own.”

 

“...”

 

A few people nodded cautiously after hearing her words.

 

Although her tone was somewhat rude, she wasn’t wrong. The difficulty level of the fourth floor was a complete unknown, and it didn’t seem feasible to carry along hundreds of non-combatants.

 

From my perspective, sticking together was the right thing to do. Not just because ‘we should help people,’ but also because there might be a bonus reward for saving them.

 

But I couldn’t convince her with that logic. Saying, ‘I’ll be regressing, so sacrifice yourselves this round for me,’ would also be bizarre.

 

“...”

 

What to do? Should I start dancing with my sword? The aura emanating from the woman wasn’t very strong, so if I lightly threatened her, my ‘Awe’ trait might activate immediately.

 

Lost in thought and considering all possibilities,

 

“There will be no need for that.”

 

A deep male voice cut through the howling wind, clear and resonating. The accent of the automatically translated voice was both antique and unfamiliar, capturing everyone’s attention.

 

“I’ve heard everything. I understand your concerns. But it’s alright.”

 

Thumb. Thumb.

 

The man who seemed unfazed by the players’ aura naturally walked towards me.

 

The slight smile on his lips could only be described as noble.

 

“I, along with my subjects, will prove to be of certain help to you all.”

 

There was only one man on the fourth floor who could say such a thing.

 

“I, Baron Jorge, guarantee it.”

– – – End of Chapter – – -

 

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