Chapter 10
A series of messages appeared alongside an intense heat.
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【12 Monsters Defeated.】
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【18 Monsters Defeated.】
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【25 Monsters Defeated.】
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【30 Monsters Defeated.】
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【Mission Cleared!】
Rewards will now be distributed.
【New Record Set for Floor 6!】
Your name has been registered in the Hall of Fame.
【Would you like to proceed to the next floor?】
Accept / Decline
I cleared the mission without ever seeing a Frost Rabbit.
“…Decline.”
【Exiting the Tower.】
In a flash of bright light, I was back in my room.
I had no idea what had just happened.
As I looked at Nika, who was nuzzling against me, she gazed back with adorable eyes. Why does she look so lovable?
…Even though her original form keeps growing more grotesque, her current form just gets cuter and cuter.
Am I just a brain in a jar? Have I been brainwashed by Nika?
【What’s wrong?】
As Nika tilted her head and asked with a curious look, my worries melted away.
Just looking at such a cute creature is healing enough. So what? Cute is justice!
Speaking of which, didn’t I get a new reward earlier?
Something called an Achievement Reward, if I recall.
Opening my inventory, I found an item.
【Achievement Box】
[A reward given for achieving the impossible.
It contains something essential for an Awakener.]
“Something I need? Maybe there’s money inside.”
【Would you like to open the Achievement Box?】
Yes / No
“Yes.”
【Are you sure you want to open it?】
Yes / No
“I said yes.”
【Are you absolutely certain you want to open it?】
No / No
“…What?”
What’s wrong with this thing?
Isn’t this just their way of telling me not to open it?
When I pressed the No button, another message appeared.
【Please open this box only when absolutely necessary.】
“Then why not just write that in the first place?!”
Are they trying to get on my nerves? Is this box designed to mess with people?
Frustrated, I put the item back in my inventory and hugged Nika for some emotional support.
Just then, my sister knocked and entered the room.
“Brother, you have a guest.”
“Huh? Who?”
“It’s that lady who came last time.”
Why? I haven’t listed anything on the Black Market.
Getting up, I walked out of the room and saw a beautiful woman waiting quietly.
She had sleek black hair, glasses that suited her perfectly, and the demeanor of a classic secretary.
“Hello? I haven’t listed anything for sale. What brings you here?”
“Would it be alright to discuss this here?”
She glanced at my sister—what did that mean?
…Wait, did I mention to her that I encountered a Variant in the Gate recently?
The memory of that incident flashed through my mind. Suggesting we go to a nearby café, I told my sister I’d be back soon.
She gave me a suspicious look, as if wondering whether this woman and I were more than acquaintances.
…Sister, look at my face. For something like that to happen, there would need to be some context. My face doesn’t provide that context.
***
At a nearby café, I ordered two iced Americanos and handed one to her. She thanked me with a polite nod as she took the drink.
But seriously, why is coffee so expensive?
One cup cost 6,500 won—an extra 500 just because it’s iced.
“So, what brings you here today?”
Taking a sip of her coffee, she handed me a document. What was this?
“A Variant appeared in the D-rank Gate recently, and it disappeared without a trace.”
“…”
“And that brings me to my proposal.”
The document included a confidentiality agreement and an offer to purchase the Magic Stone obtained from the Variant monster.
The offered amount was staggering.
But there was one problem.
That Magic Stone was currently inside Nika’s stomach. Or maybe it’s already been digested?
“Unfortunately, I don’t have it anymore.”
“Are you refusing to sell?”
“No, I simply can’t sell it.”
Her serious gaze shifted as though she’d figured something out, and she nodded in understanding. Did she get it?
“In that case, do you have any other items you’d like to sell? I’d be happy to assist.”
“Really? That’d be great.”
I handed over all the Magic Stones I’d obtained from the Tower and the Gate. She immediately transferred the payment, minus the fees, and her efficiency was impeccable.
“And if you ever change your mind, please contact me here.”
She handed me a business card. But, regrettably, I had nothing else to offer.
Even if I said, “Our Nika ate it,” she probably wouldn’t believe me. And I had no intention of revealing that.
Didn’t they say to always keep half of your power hidden?
The problem is that 100% of my power is Nika.
***
After parting ways with Han Ji-an, I contacted my mistress. Unlike usual, she answered immediately.
“Apologies, but he said he doesn’t have it.”
“I see. That means he’s already used it, and the future has shifted.”
“Pardon? What do you mean?”
“It’s nothing. I’ll open the Gate for you. Return.”
As soon as she finished speaking, a Gate appeared before me.
Entering it, my surroundings changed instantly, and I found myself in her office.
She sat in her chair, her silver hair gleaming and her crimson eyes glowing faintly. I bowed deeply as she gestured for me to speak.
“Well done. As always, you understand this must remain confidential, correct?”
“Yes, I understand.”
“Good.”
I finished my report and was about to leave when she stopped me.
“Did you notice anything strange?”
“What do you mean?”
“Anything floating around him or following him?”
“Apologies, but I didn’t see anything like that.”
“Hmm. At this time, he shouldn’t have been able to control it well. Things have changed.”
When I asked what she meant, she brushed it off and told me to get back to work. Her faint smile felt eerily unsettling.
Is it just me, or does she feel less human than human?
***
Left alone in her office, she sighed.
The future had shifted once more.
What parts of it had changed this time?
Would this timeline finally reach its conclusion?
Could she protect her family… or humanity?
The more she thought about it, the more her head throbbed.
She fumbled for a bottle of pills, swallowing them quickly. The relief was almost instant.
“Sigh… This is our last chance. I’m not sure if we can make it.”
She wanted nothing more than to rest.
Slapping her cheeks, she winced at the sharp sting and the redness that followed.
“…This is the last chance. This time, I will protect them.”
For that, she needed Han Ji-an. Only he could save humanity.
But this time, she would approach things differently from the other timelines.
“So much has already changed in this timeline. Should I take that as a positive sign?”
Everything was shifting.
“Hall of Fame.”
At her command, a display appeared.
【Hall of Fame】
【6th Floor Ranking: 1st Place – Clear Time: 2 minutes 12 seconds】
【6th Floor Ranking: 2nd Place – Clear Time: 1 hour 12 minutes 52 seconds】
【6th Floor Ranking: 3rd Place – Clear Time: 1 hour 27 minutes 42 seconds】
The records were absurd.
He was climbing faster than in any other timeline, faster than any past attempt.
Even so, she refrained from giving him direct support.
In the past, she had provided him with every resource to conquer the Tower, yet every attempt had failed.
This time, she would handle things differently.
She would simply eliminate any obstacles in his way.
Now that she thought about it, wasn’t there a guild snooping around him about this time? Which one was it?
…Right, the Sky Guild.
Somehow, they had figured out his identity, making them a threat.
It was premature, but cutting them off early wouldn’t hurt.
Snapping her fingers, a Gate slowly opened.
“Target: The entire Sky Guild building.”
With another snap, the Gate vanished, and moments later, breaking news aired on the TV.
【Breaking News: Gate Opens in Sky Guild Building.】
└ What the hell? Why did it open there?
└ Lol, they’re screwed. No way the monsters survive that.
└ Of all places, why the Sky Guild building?
└ Even monsters commit suicide, huh?
【Breaking News: Entire Sky Guild Missing – Variant Monster Suspected.】
└ A Variant appeared? Really?
└ Do you think that makes sense?
└ Variants haven’t shown up in 10 years.
└ Didn’t the Sky Guild hunt the Variant in the D-rank Gate? Maybe it’s revenge.
└ Do you also think the Earth is flat?
└ The Earth is shaped like a dinosaur!!!!
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