Chapter 23: Welcome, Heroes! (2)

[You have received the God of War’s blessing for clearing the normal stage.]

[You now have the map of the Tower from the eleventh to the twentieth floors.]

A translucent map appeared in front of me with red and blue dots scattered chaotically across it. It was like a mini-map from a game. Judging from the positions, the red dots indicated monsters, and the blue dots meant humans.

—Tsk, tsk...

The Guardian’s face scrunched up.

Yeah, I knew you would receive an unfair reward! While we peasants are walking on the ground, you fly above everyone. Phew, fine. Ditch the training, and throw away the chance to build a strong foundation. Weasel out from everything in your life. Seriously, this Tower is really unfair. People just don’t realize it. The rich just get richer—

The Guardian’s geezer grumbling cut short.

[You have received the God of Mortals’s blessing for clearing the hidden stage!

[You can now see the names, abilities, and locations of all NPCs from the eleventh to the twentieth floors.]

—...Huh?

I wasn’t done receiving my rewards.

[You have received the God of Trade’s blessing for clearing the hidden stage!]

[You can claim one of the items on the eleventh to twentieth floors.]

Two lists blinked into existence beside the mini-map. One listed the NPCs’ names and abilities, and the other had the items and their effects.

“Kill them! Stay calm, and keep them at a distance!”

“

Arghhhh!

The g-goblins are throwing spears!”

The Hunters were diligently engaged in the battle on the front line. The orcs howled, and the human soldiers bled. Amid the chaos and clamor battlefield, the Guardian and I were the only ones who were silent. We were at a loss for words.

“Ah,” I finally whispered. “This system is as good as a Game of the Year...”

—What the fuck is this? A second-rate gacha has less RNG than this!

***

Each floor of the Tower had a theme. Perhaps a more apt word was

genre

. From the first to the tenth floors, it had been a tutorial so rookie Hunters could get used to the Tower. Hunters had relatively safe hunting grounds and a city where they could rest without the slightest worry.

In contrast, the genre from the eleventh to the twentieth floor was...

...the Demon King’s invasion.

It could also be considered the Demon King versus the heroes. Since the Hunters were protecting a human empire, it was close to a defense game.

Hunters are supposed to fight off the Demon King’s giant swarming army.

Anyhow, the important part was that Hunters were going to engage in a totally different type of battle. Monsters in the tutorial hunting grounds used to roam around alone. However, starting from this floor, they moved in groups which soon evolved into an army.

There were only two ways to defeat the monster army the Hunters and I were confronted with.

Become a one-man army...

I eyed the Sword Star, who was massacring monsters with blue slashes of aura.

...or make an army of my own.

I grinned.

I’m going to choose the latter.

Since I had awesome gifts, it would be a waste not to use them. I didn’t have the necessary skills to lead an army—which was only natural since I had never done it—however, one could always make new Skills, and I had the means to create any Skills I needed.

“Show me my status window.”

Before I jumped into the battle, I first checked my status.

Name: Kim Gong-Ja

Class: E

Skills (5/5):

1. I Want To Be Like You(S+)

2. Returner’s Clockwork(EX)

3. Sword Constellation(A+)

4. High Society of Goblins(F)

5. Always Be Careful Of Fire (A)

※The God of War’s blessing is in effect.

※The God of Mortals’ blessing is in effect.

※The God of Trade’s blessing is in effect.

Good.

“Hey, Mr. Sword Emperor,” I said, smiling. “Did you say a second-rate gacha has less RNG than the Tower does?”

—Yeah, that’s exactly what I said, you rotten Zombie!

“Let me show you why I think the Tower made a system that’s as thoughtful as a Game of the Year.” I first pulled up the NPC list that the God of Mortals’s blessing had presented me.

Enju

Social Status: Conscript

Location: Harbor City Kungur of the eleventh floor

Caria

Social Status: Private

Location: Harbor City Kungur of the eleventh floor

Sorte

Social Status: Serf

Location: Panbasa Barony of the thirteenth floor.

Lapa Casabella

Social Status: Sergeant

Location: Orome Barrier Valley of the fourteenth floor

Dopep

Social status: Blacksmith

Location: Imperial Capital Arkmnia of the twelfth floor.

...

The list seemed to contain hundreds of thousands of people. It was all a jumbled mess.

“Only show me NPCs on the eleventh floor.”

It looked like the list understood my request. It moved on its own and deleted many of the names, leaving only the NPCs on the eleventh floor, as I had asked.

Enju

Social Status: Conscript

Location: Harbor City Kungur of the eleventh floor

Caria

Social Status: Private

Location: Harbor City Kungur of the eleventh floor

Corte

Social Status: Sergeant

Location: Harbor City Kungur of the eleventh floor

Amargam

Social Status: Conscript

Location: Harbor City Kungur of the eleventh floor

...

I wasn’t done.

“List the one hundred people with the highest Skills.”

The Guardian inhaled sharply. He realized what I was trying to do.

Immediately, his grumblings were replaced by a genuinely urgent attempt to dissuade me.

—Hold on, Zombie! This isn’t right. Let’s fight after you build your strength step by step. Please? Train step by step, build a solid foundation, and learn more about swordplay! That’s best for you!

“I can do it later!”

—Eeeekk! I know you’re a weasel, but this is too much cheating! Don’t you feel ashamed to your namesake?

“Well, no, I’m fine.”

No matter what the Guardian said, the list continued to move in response to my request. The letters dispersed and reassembled. When it was complete, I had a new list.

Rohan Panbasa

Social status: Panbasa Knights Commander

Sarbas Aegim

Social status: Kungur Regional Brigadier General.

Joshua Camancha

Social status: Senior Imperial Knight

Tomund

Social status: Leading Shield Unit Private

...

This was it. I was almost there. While the Guardian was raging, I yelled, “Show me the top three NPCs with military command Skills!”

—Arghhh! Ahhhhhh!

Yes, I didn’t know how to lead an army, but that wasn’t a problem at all. I could take it from other NPCs!

Sarbas Aegim

Social status: Kungur Regional Brigadier General

Rohan Panbasa

Social status: Panbasa Knight Commander

Sein Camen

Social status: Shield Unit Colonel

The list of hundreds of thousands of people had now been shortened to three people. I gave one more order:

“Show me these three people’s locations on the map.”

—You fraud!

The list from the God of Mortals’s blessing turned into three green dots of light on the God of War’s mini-map. It was perfect. I now had the locations of the NPCs with command Skills. It just needed one final touch.

“Okay. Show me my current location!”

I turned to the Guardian. “See? The system is a perfect GOTY. It only requires basic application skills to upgrade rewards from moderately nice to super good. All of this is possible because I’ve been diligently using my brain to solve the problems I face.”

—No, you didn’t! You just weaseled out of problems!

“Hehe. Weaseling requires a brain too.”

I was ready and had no reason to wait around any longer. I located the nearest NPC, who was the general that had welcomed the Hunters in the beginning. He happened to have the best command Skill overall and was conveniently nearby, so I immediately went running to him.

“General Sarbas Aegim.”

“Hmm? Oh, you’re the hero from another world. Is something wrong?’ The general, who had been giving orders to his subordinates, turned to face me.

He had a nice mustache. His Skill would be nice too.

—Run! Run away, you idiot NPC! He’s not a hero. He’ll use you to the soul if he has to, like those guys in Yongsan!

[1] the Guardian screamed.

The guys in Yongsan? The ghost seemed to have become Korean after living with me for the last few days.

“I’m glad to hear that you trust me, General. But I’ll have to use that faith to ask you for a favor.”

“Go on! My people and I never thought we were going to win, but thanks to your arrival, we now see a hope for winning this war. I’ll do anything in my power to help you.”

“Please kill me.”

The general’s eyes widened. “What do you mean?”

“...I actually have a secret weapon. It’s a sort of self-offering. If I die, everyone on the battlefield will receive a divine blessing. Once the blessing is active, the empire will win without a doubt.” I tried to look and sound as resolute as possible. It was actually easier than I thought—all I had to do was remember the moment the Fire Emperor had burned me to death.

—Argh! He’s lying! This Zombie doesn’t have a sacrifice Skill like that!

Hmm? I think a loser ghost who died right before reaching the Tower’s hundredth floor should be quiet here.

“W-why would a blessing work like that...? No, wait—I still can’t take the life of a hero!”

“General Sarbas Aegim, let’s think this through: I’m going to kill myself, regardless of whether or not you help me.” I looked unwaveringly into his eyes. “This is the most sure way to help the empire. But I’m asking you to do this as a personal favor.”

“A personal favor...?”

“You’re the commander who is tasked to protect this harbor, and you want the empire’s victory more than anyone else. That is the kind of person whose hands I want to put my life in, rather than killing myself or being murdered by evil monsters.”

The general’s expression turned grim.

“We have no time! Hurry!”

“Even if it’s for the empire’s survival, I can’t believe I have to take the life of a person who came all the way from a different world to help us...”

—Hey. Hey! Do you seriously believe him? What the heck? You buy this? Out of everyone in the universe, you choose to trust Kim Zombie? Seriously?

“Ahh. My world must be cursed. The Demon King was supposed to be a legend, but he has emerged into the real world. Endless swarms of monsters plague the empire, and now I have to take the life of a hero. It’s all because of the curse...”

—Curse, my ass! Your peanut brain is the curse!

“My goddess. Please do not forgive me...” The general let out a lamentful sigh plucked straight from a tragedy and wrapped his hand around the hilt of his sword.

The fine blade was unsheathed.

“...I will finish it in one strike so it’ll be painless.”

“Thank you.”

I meant what I said. I didn’t care about dying, but I hated pain.

“Please tell me your name,” the general politely requested.

“It’s Kim Gong-Ja.”

“Kim Gong-Ja... On behalf of the Aegim Empire, I offer you my sincerest gratitude. You are a true hero!”

Just like the general promised, his aura-infused sword delivered a clean execution.

[You have died.]

[Duplicating NPC Sarbas Aegim’s Skills at random.]

As expected, it was possible to copy an NPC’s Skills.

When I couldn’t feel anything anymore, I heard the Guardian screaming.

—Stop dying, you little shit! Are you happy that all your Skills are freebies!?

Even Confucius wouldn’t say no to this!

I replied.

It was time to repeat an exciting day.

1. The raw is ??? ??(hero/pronounced as Yongsa)? ??? ???(pronounced as Yongpari)?! It’s a Korean wordplay using the similarity of the two words’ pronunciation. ??? is a derogatory word for peddlers in Yongsan Electronics Market. They used to be notorious for forcing/deceiving their customers. Their marketing strategy eventually led to their downfall. ☜