Chapter 86

Even if I called it a deal, the terms were straightforward.

“No matter what happens, I will do my best to protect you.”

It might sound like a blank check, especially from someone who can regress to the past.

So, why would I make such a commitment? Obviously, I had my reasons.

There were at least hundreds of people on the fourth floor.

The Hero trait, which I hadn’t been able to use due to the lack of fitting circumstances. If I could leverage this trait’s power, I could handle nearly any monster that came our way.

Of course, it might not have the same impact as when I activated it against thousands of goblins in the past.

However, my own specifications have greatly improved since then, and the grade of the Hero trait has also increased.

“I can’t promise to save everyone. But I will do my best within my power to protect you all.”

“...Is that a statement as the leader of the players?”

“No. That’s a statement from me personally.”

“...Good. I don’t know how strong you are, but it’s clear you’ll be a great help. It’s a good deal for us.”

Baron Jorge opened the door, took a torch from the hallway, and reattached it to the wall, illuminating the room once again.

“But you mentioned a ‘deal.’ What do you want from us?”

“From y’all... I mean, there is something I want from you, Baron Jorge.”

“...Speak your mind.”

Baron Jorge’s expression was unchanged, though he couldn’t hide the slight stiffening of his lips. Why the tension? It’s really a simple request.

I checked for any presence outside the room and then whispered softly.

“Teach me how to manipulate mana.”

“...Mana?”

Baron Jorge’s eyebrows furrowed, and his mouth opened slightly. It seemed the request was so unexpected that it momentarily broke his composure.

“...Are you joking? No, my apologies. It seems I failed to grasp the hidden meaning. Give me a moment...”

“No, you can take it at face value. I want to learn how to manipulate mana.”

“...You don’t know how to?”

“Yes.”

“...”

Baron Jorge’s expression went blank for a moment, then twisted slightly before returning to normal.

“Well, that’s possible. Coming from different worlds, I was too hasty in generalizing. The thought that someone as strong as you couldn’t manipulate mana never occurred to me.”

In Baron Jorge’s understanding, strengthening one’s body and training in mana were essential to becoming powerful. Unaware that stats could be simply increased through a status window, his misunderstanding was understandable.

Even after correcting this misconception, Baron Jorge’s expression remained sour.

“It’s not a technique, but I can teach you how to manipulate it... However, I’m only a third-tier mage. Even my knight, Thomas, is inexperienced in the deeper arts of mana manipulation...”

Despite the conditions being satisfactory, Baron Jorge hesitated.

Ah. I realized why Baron Jorge was hesitant.

“It’s alright.”

“...”

“From my perspective, it’s not an unfair deal at all. In our world, no one knows how to manipulate mana. Due to the tower’s influence, we possess mana, but the overwhelming majority don’t know how to use it.”

He felt the deal might not be fair.

He was concerned whether teaching me how to manipulate mana was enough in exchange for my protection.

However, from what I had found through searching the internet, there were no humans who knew how to manipulate mana, at least not publicly available on the internet.

“...Is that satisfactory?”

Baron Jorge asked cautiously, as if confirming my prediction.

“Of course.”

I smiled slightly and extended my hand to him.

“...”

After hesitating for a moment, Baron Jorge grasped my hand.

With this, the deal was sealed.

And I was confident that I would gain much from the fourth floor.

**

The agreement to learn mana was in place, but the situation didn’t allow for immediate lessons. There were more pressing matters at hand.

While there was a sense of urgency to do something for survival, no immediate crisis loomed before us, and the hastily constructed rules were far from established.

And although I was temporarily taking on a leadership role... it wasn’t with any formal authority. For now, they listened because I seemed the strongest, but the cohesion among the players was anything but solid.

“I’ll randomly assign the patrol shifts. Given the castle’s vastness and everyone’s superior physical abilities, we’ll group ten people at a time for each patrol shift.”

“But... when I checked earlier, one side of the castle is bordered by mountains. Do we need to patrol there?”

“This is the tower. It wouldn’t be odd for monsters to come over the mountains. Patrolling is more crucial than exploring the castle, so please, always stay alert.”

This meant I had to be actively involved for things to progress.

“Anyone with traits specialized in scouting or information gathering, please raise your hand. The accuracy of exploring the castle is as crucial as the exploration itself.”

I explained logically.

“Are you worried because your trait grade is low? Or your level? I understand your fear. But as long as you’re with someone strong, it’s fine, isn’t it? Even if you’re less helpful, numbers count. Didn’t I say to run at the first sign of danger? It’s not dangerous.”

I soothed and persuaded.

“Hey, you f***er. Hidden piece? Are you joking right now? While everyone else is earnestly searching inside the castle to save asses like yours, you want to explore outside because there might be hidden piece? Sure, there might be something. But who benefits if you eat it? You? Should everyone else suffer just for your benefit?”

And when reasoning failed, I reprimanded sternly.

Utilizing the Hero and Awe traits actively, I managed to control the group of players, albeit with difficulty.

Of course, it wasn’t just my effort; having allies made it possible.

“Everyone, feeling weary? Let me heal you.”

William Smith, a middle-aged Caucasian with a healing trait.

“Junho-nim, after searching the basement, we found a secret passage. But there wasn’t any reward; it’s just a passage connecting rooms. I’ll look into it more and let you know.”

Yoon Jung-hyun, a man with keen eyes and meticulousness, turned the castle inside out with his thoroughness and sharpness.

“Do you need a buff?”

“Here, we have food. It might not taste great, but there’s plenty of it.”

With the help of connections from the tutorial, Baek Da-hye and An Kyung-Nam were also actively cooperating with me.

Thanks to these people, the group of players was rolling along reasonably well, though with some hitches.

“We need to make progress before the sun sets! Understand?”

“Yes, Lord Baron!”

On the other hand, Baron Jorge and his people worked together seamlessly as if they were one body.

The residents, armed with tools like hammers and nails found within the castle, along with thick sacks, carefully inspected the walls, tapping and rubbing them before…

Boom! Boom! Boom!

They began by demolishing the drawbridge.

“What are you doing now?”

Some puzzled players approached, wondering what was happening.

“If we’re not planning to go out, what does it matter? If we’re planning to hold out for just five days, it’s better not to have such things.”

Baron Jorge was calm and simultaneously bold.

“A castle with four floors? But do we really need a fourth floor? The space inside is sufficient, and there are watchtowers outside, after all.”

Deeming the three above-ground floors and one basement floor sufficient to accommodate around 400 humans, Baron Jorge started dismantling the old castle from the top down.

Beginning with the ceiling, they roughly tore it apart with hammers, intending to dismantle an entire floor completely.

“Is there any player who can exert some strength? A bit of cooperation would be appreciated.”

“...I’ll provide a few.”

When skilled workers and players with superhuman strength combined, the synergy accelerated the work at an unbelievable pace.

“Do we have water? We need it to mix with lime.”

“There’s a well, but it’s already frozen, Lord Baron.”

“Is that so? Then gather snow. I’ll melt it with magic. It would have been better with sand, but in its absence, we’ll make do with mud.”

Baron Jorge’s intention was straightforward.

Destroy all the doors of the castle, and seal those openings with chunks of stone ripped from the walls and makeshift mortar. That was his ultimate goal.

“We’ll finish by sealing the main gate today, but tomorrow we must seal all remaining doors. The night is dangerous, so except for those on night watch, eat well and rest. We’ll start work at dawn.”

“Yes, Lord Baron!”

After a long day’s work, the otherworlders were able to seal the space where the drawbridge had been before sunset. It was an impressive feat, given their numbers.

Indeed, there’s something different about someone who has spent their life dedicated to a particular task. There’s a certain vibe that comes with experience.

“Junho-nim.”

Someone gently tapped my shoulder while I was admiring the work. Turning, I saw it was Yoon Jung-hyun, the man with narrowed eyes.

“I’ve roughly searched the basement. Found a few secret passages and a couple of hidden rooms, but no hidden pieces or traces of monsters. I’ll search the first floor tomorrow.”

“...”

Nothing in the basement. Naturally, my gaze drifted towards the towering mountain range.

The setting sun hung over the mountains, casting a beautiful glow. The sky was tinged with orange, but soon it would darken.

“Have you briefed the patrol shift?”

“Yes, they’re set up in 3-hour intervals. We’ve also considered the overall strength.”

“Good work.”

We’ve done everything we could for now.

The likelihood of monsters emerging from the basement seemed low, and we’ve prepared for any external threats.

Compared to other fourth floors, I believe we’ve prepared dozens, if not hundreds, of times more thoroughly.

Now…

“Where is Baron Jorge?”

It was time to learn about mana.

– – – End of Chapter – – -

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