174 – Returner Wandering (10)
“We were unable to climb the tower all the way and are survivors of a destroyed world.”
An old man who speaks calmly, as if he were talking about the dinner menu he ate yesterday.
“It’s not just us… Most creatures except angels are in the same situation. “They are people who stand at a crossroads at the crossroads of destruction, whether to become a tool of the tower and survive an ugly life, or to become a handful of ashes.”
When I heard his words, I suddenly thought of the residents on the second floor. They were used as tools for us players, living repetitive lives… There didn’t seem to be any major complaints. It is said that the dwarves on the 11th floor were friendly to humanity until the murder incident.
The reason they showed us favor was… It may not have been a simple favor.
“… This. I think it’s too much to go beyond this. “Just imagine the rest.”
Now blood began to flow not only from the old man’s nose, but also from his ears and eyes. When the old man swept his face with his left hand, all traces of blood disappeared, but the old man’s pale skin was now a bluish color.
“Now… I want to tell you something about myself. “Even if it’s boring, I think it’s wise advice from the life of an old man, and I hope you take it to heart.”
An old man who stumbles but stands firm and continues speaking.
“The world from the 11th to the 15th floor… This is the world where I was born and raised. “It’s just a different perspective.”
“… “
Even though I couldn’t move, I thought the old man’s words didn’t make sense. The 11th floor is a forest. The 12th floor is a modern laboratory. The 13th floor is a wilderness, and the 14th floor is also a forest. This is because the 15th floor had a visual that was very close to space.
“Yes, you probably think it doesn’t make sense. I will explain it to you step by step. First of all, our world… It’s close to the ‘fantasy’ world you imagine in your world. “A world with an emperor, goblins and orcs, magic and swords.”
The old man must have read the question in my eyes, nodded his head and began to explain.
“I was a genius. He was the greatest wizard, swordsman, and inventor on the entire continent. “People praised me as a God-given talent to save the world.”
He was the best in the world. No further explanation was needed. Based on his natural talent and excellent characteristics, he climbed the tower with great success, while monopolizing all rewards and becoming stronger.
The old man had one goal. Become as strong as possible and clear the tower. Thus saving everyone.
“I have so many talents, but there is a limit to what I can do at once. So I thought. “I wish I had a doll that could embody my talents.”
People called the old man a puppet master. No matter how many characteristics he acquired or how many items he acquired, he was able to fully utilize them. All you have to do is give the items to the doll, and each doll can use the characteristics.
About 3/4 of the tower was conquered. The old man had already gone beyond the category of an individual. He alone deserved to be called an army, or rather a legion.
“Just because I got stronger… I did not persecute others. Rather, I took the lead in protecting my world, which was being devastated by the Tower’s influence. “Monsters originally existed in our world, but they became more violent under the influence of the tower.”
In a chaotic political situation, the male doll army was a great help. He protected the entire world from his seat, and people praised the old man and worshiped him as a hero.
However, excessive support turned out to be poisonous.
“I really… “I never even dreamed of it.”
Other climbers were jealous of the old man who usually monopolized the rewards. And the emperor was afraid of the old man’s influence, which would grow enormous once the tower was completely cleared. They… I decided to get rid of the old man before he got any stronger.
Just like that, a world rushed to kill the old man.
“I never thought they would underestimate me so much.”
Everyone was suppressed by the old man. The level of the old man, who was monopolizing the rewards of the tower and constantly becoming stronger, had already reached the sky, and he was also perfectly prepared for the abilities of other climbers who were said to be Nanda Long.
“The curse ability was deflected with an item. The ability to manipulate air was destroyed as a trait. Mental abilities were the most difficult, but… “How was I able to overcome that with my mental strength?”
He won against the world. In addition to his natural talent and effort, the accumulated rewards of the top turned him into an unstoppable monster. The climbers couldn’t beat the old man.
“But… “I was also underestimating other climbers.”
Not only the army that was already half destroyed, but most of the fallen and writhing climbers also gave up the fight. As we faced each other, I got a feeling. No matter what you do, you can’t defeat that monster.
However, a climber whom the old man usually dismissed as ‘a piece of trash who has good qualities but doesn’t do his best to climb the tower’… Driven by evil, I ended up making the worst choice.
“That guy… “It has blown away all the air on our planet.”
He was wearing an item that strengthened his strength, had the ability to temporarily use great strength instead of accepting limitations, and was prepared to die. Even if all the conditions were there, it was impossible to blow away the entire atmosphere of a planet… It can only be described as talent.
The genius who could save the world put an end to the world’s fate.
“Those who hid in magically protected hiding places survived. I also lived with breathing-related characteristics. But… “Most living things died.”
Most of the creatures died of suffocation, including the top players who exhausted all their strength in the fight with the old man.
An old man looking up bitterly at the black sky.
“The sky… “That’s why it happened like that.”
He repeatedly opened and closed his hands, then looked at me again and continued his words.
“But thanks to the various items and characteristics our world has acquired so far, hope still remains. “With the technology of the dwarves, we built an underground city and a facility to raise warriors who could climb the tower.”
The old man was already strong enough. All he needs is a partner to climb the tower with him. The place where the old man was blocked was the group floor, and he was confident that he could see the end of the tower if he had just one partner.
The underground city expanded at an incredible rate.
The facility was filled with objects imitating otherworldly styles that can only be found inside the tower, and a special doll made by the old man himself was placed there. They haven’t given up yet. I have not yet given up on the day when I conquer the tower and return to the green earth.
It has been 15 years since I continued living underground like that.
The enormously reduced population was unable to produce talent comparable to that of the elderly.
“On earth… “A meteorite fell.”
The surface of the Earth was turned upside down, and a world full of only red magma arrived.
“… Later, the wizards said that the air layer was supposed to prevent meteorites from falling from the sky.”
The hearts of the last remaining survivors were broken. The land they would return to was gone. Their hero was getting older day by day. There was no hope.
“One day the leader came to me and said.”
The leader prostrate on the floor said this. Just… Can’t we all die together? Life underground is so painful. The old man asked if he could not personally end their lives.
It was a betrayal of an old man who had devoted himself to the world. It was ignoring the efforts of an old man who had devoted his life to this.
“I was planning to kill all those who betrayed me and commit suicide. “Until T.O.P made an offer.”
The old man, who stumbled greatly, eventually collapsed to the floor. His complexion has gone from white to blue and is now close to black. But those eyes are infinitely clear.
“I hated the world. I hated the stupid emperor who tried to take my life for their own gain, I hated the selfish climbers who were blinded by greed, and I hated that crazy bastard who blew up all the air because of his inferiority complex towards me. The 11th to 15th floors… “This is the floor I designed during those toxic times.”
An old man speaks with a mysterious glow in his eyes.
“But a long time has passed… When I think back, I think it was my fault too. He refused to communicate, monopolized the rewards, and acted selfishly to save the world… I guess it was definitely my fault too. Among the climbers who attacked me… Some people misunderstood that I had the ambition to devour the world. “If we had been with them, our world would not have been destroyed.”
“… “
“Junho. I hope you don’t make the same mistake I did. Make a trustworthy colleague. Share the reward. Dedicate yourself to the world, but don’t make enemies in the process. And above all… Kill the person you want to kill first, definitely. “If you hesitate, you will end up like me.”
The old man stood up from his seat and placed his hand on my shoulder.
“Just listen. You are now facing my body. And I’m going to blow the memory of my body. To be more precise, I would say that it overloads the soul and resets it.”
An old man gathers the index and middle fingers of the hand that is not on my shoulder and places them on his forehead.
“Let me give you one last piece of advice… “
“… “
“That ability of yours. It would be best not to use it often when an archangel or something higher is nearby. Perhaps because the source of power is similar, I was gradually affected. “Do I have to say that there is confusion in my memory?”
The old man took his eyes off me and looked at the shining sun.
“I will support you on your long journey. “I believe your method is correct.”
A white flash that started from his fingertips covered the world.
[You have suffered damage.]
[Return to the moment you first entered the 15th floor.]