Chapter 37: The Hero's Title (1)

[Greetings to the warriors who climb the Tower.]

Hunters energetically counted down in the plaza. A “goddess” descended from the sky and spoke with the solemnity of a prayer.

[While climbing up the Tower, your faith will be tested from the eleventh to the twentieth floor.]

None of the Hunters paid any attention to the goddess—a new era and a new stage were coming. The Hunters were so excited to finally see the stage that they’d been waiting for for so long that their minds were fully occupied by the eleventh floor. One Hunter actually tested if he could kill the goddess with his sword.

[...You will find your answers. The answers you find will tell you who you are.]

[

That is how you will learn about yourselves...]

[Those of you who climb the Tower, may luck be with you.]

But I didn’t leave the plaza. Instead, I chose to stay and listen to the goddess’ prayer until the end.

When I arrived at the twelfth floor again, I recalled what I had heard in the plaza on my last try. Now that I thought about it, we had already received a hint about what would happen on the twelfth floor. What we needed to think about wasn’t what reward we were going to choose, nor who was most suspicious.

The Tower had already given us a hint. The only thing that mattered was the answer we found.

With a nod, I gave my answer.

“I’ll clear up to the twentieth floor within five days.”

***

The Black Witch was the first one to break the silence in the audience chamber.

“Wait a minute. Five days...?” The Black Witch looked confused. “Did I hear you correctly? I think I just heard you saying that you’d clear the twentieth floor in five days. If that was a joke, it wasn’t funny.”

“No, you heard me correctly. I’m not joking either.”

The Black Witch went silent and the audience began to buzz. The Hunters’ faces displayed with dumbfoundedness and disbelief. Some clearly weren’t sure how to respond.

It’s natural to react like that.

My declaration was just plain nonsensical, but I stood strong under their gazes.

“...That’s impossible, Mr. Kim,” the Black Witch said after a moment. “You know that it took us years to clear the tenth floor. Of course, I’m sure you’re feeling confident since you cleared the eleventh floor in less than an hour... but you’re reaching too far. Are you sure you’re thinking clearly?”

“Black Dragon Master.” I bowed. “Please let me do this. Although I cleared the tenth floor, I didn’t do it for all of you. I did it because I wanted to, but I shared everything I received for clearing the tenth floor.”

I had warned them that the eleventh floor would be a battle. I also told them about my mini-map, which showed the location of the boss monster. The information I provided allowed the guilds to minimize their damages, which was why I could speak with confidence.

“...Everyone benefited from what I shared. I’m entitled to make this request to you. I’m not asking you to wait for me until I clear the twentieth floor. I only need five days. It doesn’t matter if I succeed or fail to clear the twentieth floor. Just wait for five days. This is my request.”

The audience chamber was silent, but I didn’t feel like the silence was against me.

[Welcome, Hunter Kim Gong-Ja.]

[You are the Rank 1 champion of the eleventh floor.]

[The reward for clearing the eleventh floor will be given.]

Maybe that was why I heard the voice a lot sooner than before. During the last try, it had taken a very long time and I had only gotten to choose my reward after the Sword Star had raised hell. In contrast, now I was allowed to choose my reward as soon as I began talking.

Alright.

It was like someone was in a hurry to catch my attention.

[The Goddess of Protection offers you a reward.]

[The Demon King of Autumn Rain offers you a reward.]

I didn’t choose any reward. I just suppressed my smile.

Are you getting anxious because we aren’t fighting, Demon King?

The system windows showed me the goddess' and Demon King’s rewards. I gave them a glance, but that was all they were going to get from me.

[The Demon King of Autumn Rain recommends you to choose a reward.]

[The Demon King of Autumn Rain hints that it could give you no reward at all.]

I heard the voice prompt me several times, and it didn’t look like it was going to stop any time soon. Still, I was adamant. I didn’t care how many times the Demon King urged me. I ignored everything that both the goddess and the Demon King offered me.

[The Demon King of Autumn Rain is confused.]

[The Demon King of Autumn Rain doesn’t understand your choice.]

It’s okay. Don’t get anxious. Keep wondering what’s happening. Then I’ll come for you.

It was still silent in the audience chamber. The Inquisitor looked around and burst into laughter—it looked like he’d decided to speak first.

“The problem is simple! Mr. Kim Gong-Ja shared information that was essential to clearing the eleventh floor. In exchange, he asked us to do him a favor, and we promised we’d give him it unless it was impossible!” The Inquisitor grinned. “Waiting here for five days without doing anything isn’t an easy request, considering how the media will be hounding us the whole time... But it’s certainly not impossible! So I say yes!”

“It’s not impossible, but...” The Black Witch trailed off.

“A promise is a promise, Black Dragon Master!”

The Black Witch’s face darkened slightly. After opening and closing her mouth several times, she heaved a sigh. “Yes, a promise is a promise.”

That was basically a yes. Those two were the most sophisticated and most psychotic Hunters here, respectively. And with their agreement, the other Hunters agreed to my request one after another. Even the Hunters who weren’t guild leaders were dragged along and promised me five days of silence.

I had everyone’s agreement except for the most geezer Hunter in this place. The Sword Star scoffed. “I never gave you such a promise. The promise you and I had is to keep an eye on you for the next five days. I have no reason to give you any favor other than that. If you’re going to leave to clear the twentieth floor, I’ll follow you, according to our promise.”

I nodded. “I understand. It’s okay.”

I was going to go up against the Demon King on my own from now on. Even though I was confident that I could win on my own... I would basically have a reinforcement of a thousand people with the Sword Star behind me. I didn’t need to bother stopping him from following me.

“Thank you for doing this, everyone.” I looked around the audience chamber and then slowly walked away. “See you in five days.”

I opened the audience chamber’s door and headed out. Outside the gate was the empire’s expansive palace, tucked inside high walls. When I passed all the walls, I arrived at the streets of the Aegim Empire’s capital city. I had already seen everything on the last try, but something was different.

—Huh? None of the NPCs are moving.

The Guardian looked around as he walked by my side.

He was right. Every single NPC from the palace to the city was like that. A knight was supposed to be guarding the palace, but he wasn’t; a merchant stopped selling fruits on the streets; a bored-looking guard on patrol was frozen mid-yawn.

It’s because the quest hasn’t begun.

Time was paused right now. I walked across the frozen street, the Sword Star following me from afar.

—The quest?

Yeah, no one has chosen a role.

There was no prime minister or imperial knight commander in the empire, despite the fact that they were essential figures. Hunters were supposed to fill those roles as part of the quests on the twelfth through the twentieth floors.

The quest was given as soon as we entered the eleventh stage. That’s probably the normal timing—then it took a very long time on the twelfth floor. That isn’t normal.

I had received the quest only after the Hunters had chosen their roles.

Which means that the quest won’t start unless we choose roles. In other words, the Demon King’s legion won’t start their invasion, and there’s nothing for the empire’s army to fight.

That was why the NPCs were on pause—and it would stay that way.

The situation isn’t going to change as long as we don’t choose roles.

The top ten champions choosing their roles was the trigger to start the quest.

And you know what, Mr. Sword Emperor?

I asked as I crossed the street.

Each pedestrian was frozen up in a different posture, so I had to carefully pick my way through them. It was like walking in a labyrinth made from humans. Even then, I continued to hear the voice.

[The Demon King of Autumn Rain recommends you to choose a reward.]

I ignored it.

[The Demon King of Autumn Rain recommends you to give up your right if you aren’t going to choose a reward.]

[If so, the right to choose between the rewards will be transferred to the next rank champion.]

I continued to ignore the voice and walked on.

[The Demon King of Autumn Rain urges you to make a choice!]

Finally, I was out of the city and saw a plain spread out in front of me.

What do you think will happen if the Demon King dies when the whole world is on pause?

I asked the Guardian.

—What?

I could see a single red dot flickering on the translucent mini-map given to me through the God of War’s blessing. No monsters had been summoned yet, so the red dot could only be one thing: the Demon King.

What do you think will happen if a boss monster dies before the quest even begins?

It’s simple: no one will get to choose the Demon King’s reward, hence no traitor. The Demon King will be eliminated before it can start scheming.

I traveled across the plain headed straight for the red dot. It didn’t take long to get there. I would meet the boss monster shortly.

[The Demon King of Autumn Rain is angry at you!]

Finally realizing my intentions, the voice in my head began to harbor different emotions.

[The Demon King of Autumn Rain has appeared!]

The dark sky undulated and a dark hole opened that dripped with thick, foul fluid. It started as a trickle, and then a stream, which soon blobbed into a distinct mass.

—Follow the proper order, hero of the goddess. How insolent of you to come here without making any choice. Only those who received a post in the empire have the right to take me on.

The Demon King was furious.

“What nonsense are you talking about?” I touched my sword. “I made a choice.”

—What...?

“See? This is the best choice.”

The quest hadn’t begun, so the capital wasn’t being invaded by the Demon King. No one had died in this world.

“Demon King, I’ll kill you before the quest starts. Then no Hunter nor a single person from the empire will die. There won’t be any traitors, either. See? It’s a happy ending without any tragedy.” I grinned. “I always hated bad endings; I prefer a happy ending. Maybe it’s just my personality. But I can’t see one happening because you just won’t get your freaking nose out of the empire. I’m sorry, but please die.”

—You... you’re going to stop me on your own, without the empire’s help?!

The Demon King’s body fluids roiled.

“Yeah.” I drew my sword and pointed it right at the Demon King. “Who needs help?”

My sword was going to become the ticking minute hand of this timeless world.

“Heroes are supposed to fight alone.”

The eternal five days began.