Chapter 241: We Are Sitting In The Daecheongmaru Of An Old City (2)

[The Mirage-Walking Princess has appeared.]

In an instant, the light coming down from the sky broke into pieces. Countless shiny white flower petals fell into the yard. They had no outline or scent, so they looked like transparent butterflies dancing beautifully in the air.

In the midst of the fluttering petals, one of the Tower’s Pillars stretched with all her might.

“

Mmmmmmm

, hello! It’s been a while, all of you!”

The Pillar, known as the Mirage-Walking Princess, was a blond girl. She stepped down the petal stairs that connected the sky to the ground. My clan and I watched her descending to this land like she was dancing.

“How is everyone? Are you all satisfied with the vacation I gave you?”

Finally, the princess’ shoe crushed the last flower petal and touched the ground. The crumpled petals turned into white dust before vanishing.

“Wow, it’s really nice to see the Death King together with his lover and beloved son.”

She looked around. When she spotted the ones who had once shouldered the yoke of the monster legion surrounded her, standing upright with actual physical bodies, realization seemed to dawn on her.

She turned and looked straight at me. “

Hmm

, okay. It looks like you had a really great holiday, Death King.”

“It’s been a while, Princess.”

“Yeah, I sent you all here to enjoy your vacation, so what is this? I can’t even begin to wrap my head around what you were up to. This was no ordinary vacation. Death King, why do they have their own living bodies and the powers from their prime?”

I opened my intertwined palms. “I did what I always do. Got a good Skill and put it to good use.”

When I opened the Skill, a golden card appeared above my palm.

The princess frowned. “

Earthbone Dragon’s Skull

? Wait a minute, that’s—”

“Yes, this is your mother’s Skill. I know that you’re the Tower master’s oldest daughter, and that your mother’s name is Amethyst.”

The princess’s face hardened. With every word coming out of my mouth, the air became thicker. She had to stretch her neck a bit to look up at me. “I see. You really learned a lot, Death King.”

“Yes, I did.”

“Amazing. Incredible. I mean it, I really do. Since you copied Mom’s Skill, that means she killed you once. You saw some stuff, didn’t you?” The princess quietly grabbed my arm. Like a snake, she leaned over and whispered, “How much of Mom’s trauma have you seen?”

It was only then that I realized that the Tower master and the princess resembled each other. Both of them had such brilliant blonde hair that would put platinum to shame. They also shared the habit of whispering a lot.

“I fell right in the middle of the Noble Assembly meeting, which the Tower master attended.”

“

Aha

. So?”

“I learned how corrupt the world the Tower master lived in was. But I watched Viscountess Amethyst save it and be promoted to a duchess.”

“That’s it?”

“I also learned about the Golden Rule.”

The princess closed her mouth.

[The Mirage-Walking Princess is shocked.]

Could it be that she didn’t expect I would get that far?

“I saw the Tower master’s resolve. She’s really determined to take on all the pain in the universe.”

The princess’s voice was hollow when she spoke. It seemed she was looking somewhere beyond this place. “Mom doesn’t make empty promises. She’s really trying to create a universe where everyone has to blame only one person. No one was born wrong except for her.

“In the old days, the light of reason was extinguished, overwhelming people with all kinds of fears. To relieve those fears, they created scapegoats and passed on all their sins and pain. It’s like the snail empire that Inquisy created.”

—It’s all because of you that this happened.

“The world of primitive religion is created to soothe people, and it somewhat overlaps with Mom’s world, where we seek to understand the logical consequences of cause and effect.”

—It’s all because of me that this happened.

“It’s funny.”

Despite her remark, the princess didn’t look happy at all. Soon, she changed her tone of voice, trying to change the mood.

“Anyway, you found out a lot before returning to the present. Death King, you’re much tougher than I thought. I’m not the type to praise a lot, but I think you deserve it in this case. You’re amazing.”

The princess clapped.

[The Mirage-Walking Princess praises you.]

Hmmmm.

I said, “I always welcome a compliment, but I believe you should send us to the next stage first. I didn’t intend for this holiday to be this long. My colleagues are still waiting for me, so I should be considerate of their feelings.”

“Yeah, well, I took care of that, so you don’t have to worry. But okay.” The princess looked around. “Then let’s split up. I can send Raviel to

The Story of Sormwin Academy

. And the Constellation Murderer to Cafe Planetarium, right?

Hmm

, the problem is the nine hundred and ninety-nine cultists. You guys can train at

murim

for the time being...”

I held her wrist. “Princess.”

“Yeah?”

“You don’t have to do that. Except for Raviel, everyone you see here will head to the next floor.”

“

Huh

...?” The princess crossed her arms. “What do you mean? Only the top warriors can enter the thirtieth to fortieth floors. I know your warriors are strong, but their ranks within the Tower haven’t been determined yet.”

My grip was still firm around her wrist. “No, they’re going to the next floor with me.”

“What?”

“It won’t just be this floor. The next floor, and then the one after... until the day we see the end of the Tower, they’ll accompany me.”

It didn’t comply with the regulations, and the Tower wouldn’t be able to tolerate it, yet I was talking as if this was normal.

The princess smiled. “

Hmm.

Why? How? What authority do you have?”

“I don’t have any authority. However, like I told you, I have the Skill.”

I showed the Skill Card of the

Earthbone Dragon’s Skull

.

“They are all tied to this

.

”

“Yeah, and?”

“And I used

Monster Legion Reincarnation

in an apocalyptic book where the number of people permitted to enter was already limited,” I said, emphasizing every word. “In other words, people participating in a quest through a Skill doesn’t violate the Tower’s rules.”

“

Haha.

That means—”

“It’s the same this time. I have the

Earthbone Dragon’s Skull

. All my clan members are bound to it, so it’s correct to interpret them as part of me. Therefore, they can follow me to any floor.”

“You haven’t gotten rid of the habit of playing with rules, have you?” the princess asked with a giggle. “But they were summons before, and now they’re living humans. Deathy, do you want to treat them as your summons again, or are you requesting another convene of the Pillars for a rule interpretation?”

The princess was definitely the Tower master’s daughter. Her smile as she spun around with her hands clasped behind her back reminded me of a snake with shiny scales.

“Just a heads-up. Your odds of getting support again at the Pillar meeting are not high, especially if they find out you have Mom’s Skill. You saw it at the kingdom meeting, yes? Mom has as many worshipers as she has enemies. Of course, it’s the same among the Pillars. A ton of them will be offended by the mere fact that you have Mom’s Skill—”

“Princess,” I said, cutting her off. She tilted her head in confusion. “What is a Skill to you?”

The princess immediately answered, “

Hmm.

A framed technology. A tool to compete with others and win. A means to occupy a higher ground.”

I shook my head. “I also thought that way at first, but no.”

“Then?”

“Without a single exception, every Skill contains the life of someone who lived in a world at some point.”

Amethyst had told me that Skills were a reflection of someone’s ability or life, basically self-portraits. So, when we used a Skill, we used someone’s traces, proving that they had lived in this universe at some point, perhaps a very long time ago.

“It’s clear from the

Puppet Master’s Parade

alone.”

The Skill belonged to the Constellation Murderer. Even though I didn’t choose it, I clearly remembered the description. I used my aura to create a replica in the air.

Puppet Master’s Parade

Class: S

Effect: An old puppeteer from a world. The puppeteer was afraid of being loved but wasn’t strong enough to endure eternal solitude, so they came up with an idea.

“I’ll create another me. I’ll let the other me live with other people and be loved. And if the other me gets hurt... I’ll get rid of them,” the puppeteer whispered. “I’ll erase them forever.”

Countless puppets lived and were discarded.

This Skill is a wicked sorcery for the weak, giving them the right to choose which memories to keep and which to throw away.

You can create thirteen puppets with exactly the same appearance and abilities as you. When one dies, another will wake up. Broken puppets can be repaired.

You shall have imitated immortality and assembled eternity.

※The puppets do not share their memories.

“The same thing can be said about the

High Society of Goblins,

too.”

High Society of Goblins

Class: F

Effects: A problem greatly troubled the Goblin King: "Goblin culture is too uncivilized. Every sentence ends with ‘kerr-kerr.’ I cannot show my dignity like this!" Just then, a stroke of genius struck the Goblin King. "That's right! From now on, I shall end my sentences with gorrr. Gorrr! It suits my elegance, gorr."

※However, it will intensify the conflict within the species.

※The Skill has been copied from Monster: Goblin King.

“If a Skill is nothing more than a tool with functions, why does it have such a long description on its card?”

“Death King, it’s because card games need flavor text to give the setting some depth. In reality, it’s all just about overpowering others—”

I held up a card. “No, that isn’t what a Skill is all about.”

The card in my hand was

Sword Constellation

, the one I got when I had been a rookie who knew nothing. It was also the Skill that had left a very deep impact on me.

“This is a part of the system that connects with other people. Open the Skill Card.”

Letters leaked out from the card I held in my hand.

Sword Constellation

Class: A+

Effect: He is from another world and managed to clear the ninety-ninth floor of the Tower in his world. However, he was brought to his knees right on the verge of reaching the Tower's hundredth floor. Due to his regret, he failed to find eternal peace and became a Guardian instead. He can't physically influence the world, but he is able to talk to you. He has abundant experience and is incredibly skilled, so ask him for advice!

※No one can perceive your Guardian except for you.

※The Skill has been copied from Hunter Marcus Carlenbery.

The Guardian stood right behind me with his back to me, looking just like the time he ruled his

murim

.

“This is the true goal of Skills,” I said. “Connecting people. Worlds, too. The Skill I activated as I took a step is the Lightness Art that an old martial arts master devoted their life to learning a long time ago. This way, we can feel others through the Skills they leave behind and stay connected to them. Isn’t that what your mother, the Tower master, wants?”

The princess was silent for a long time. Her lips parted slightly a few times, but she shut them tight again before trying to talk.

“Really. I can’t win against your logic.” Silence fell briefly before she continued, “So, Death King, you want to go up together with your clan?”

“Yes, please.”

The princess heaved a deep sigh.

[The Mirage-Walking Princess shakes her head.]

The princess’ sleeves flapped as she shouted, “I’m sending you all to the thirty-sixth floor! If you have anything to take with you, pack up quickly! I’m not going to give you much time! Get back here in two minutes! Hurry! I’m a busy person!”

The warriors who had been standing by in a disciplined manner began to move as carefully as possible, but that alone made the old

hanok

shake as if an earthquake was underway.

I was dumbfounded. “

Uh

, be careful! You might break some—”

“It’s okay,” Ja Su-Jeong said calmly. “I don’t use these things anyway. Even if they break, it’s not a bad thing since they’ll retain the memories of you and everyone else staying here.”

I took a deep breath. She was the goddess’ avatar and a sacrifice who was decided to live the most unfortunate life in this world. The only trait that defined her was her motherly love.

I asked her, “Would you like to come with us?”

“No.”

It was a short answer to a much longer question.

Ja Su-Jeong lowered her head. “I’m sorry. If I go, there will be no one to take care of the rabbits at school. There are also people who will be sad when I leave. Not that many, but there are. Mr. Baek is away for his summer vacation. Miss Neung-Hyang, my senior, and Mr. Do-Yeon will probably be very lonely if I disappear, so I’m sorry, but I can’t follow you, Mr. Gong-Ja.”

If I were to ask her to help me, Ja Su-Jeong would follow me without any hesitation because she was a fragment of the goddess who wanted nothing more than to bear everyone’s wounds. But I wasn’t climbing the Tower to prove the goddess’ omnipotence.

“I see. Then there is nothing we can do. Farewell, Miss Ja Su-Jeong. Thanks to you, I was able to have a pleasant stay with my lover and son. From beginning to end, you really took great care of us. I’m grateful, really.”

To create a universe where there was no need for a goddess like her, I climbed the Tower. I wanted to show that we could be happy without asking for her help, and that she wasn’t born wrong.

“Yes, be safe, Mr. Gong-Ja,” Ja Su-Jeong told me.

Pure white light enveloped the old

hanok

.

[Opening the thirty-sixth floor.]

Just before the light enveloped us completely, I turned around. I was worried about Ja Su-Jeong since she was near me, but that was when I saw something unexpected.

She was smiling brightly, her hands put together as if she were praying. Pure white light waved around her. She looked like a goddess praying to humans rather than a human praying to a god.

She parted her lips slightly.

[May luck be with the warriors who climb the Tower.]

The light embraced my clan.