Chapter 80
Silence flowed.
These 1 million people... are Non-Climbers?
The number of people invited to the auction was 100.
So, combined, it was a total of 100 million lives.
I thought it wouldn't be an ordinary auction, but I never thought it would be something like this.
By the insane Tower's method of giving human lives for use as currency, even I was left dumbfounded for a moment.
"Are there no bidders?"
The Host opened his mouth again.
I am using Time Stop for now.
I needed time to think.
‘A Special Reward my ass...’
The Tower's intention was blatant.
This time, it was trying to stimulate people's desires to make us kill humanity with our own hands.
There would definitely be someone who was tempted.
Such a high-grade Skill stone came out as an item.
It wasn't that special to me, but to other Climbers, the Rare+ grade was enough of a grade to make their eyes turn.
‘What do I do?’
What do I mean? What do I do?
I have to stop it.
No matter how good a reward it gave, as long as the price to pay was people's lives, this auction was an absurd act.
Then how do I stop it...
Do I have to persuade people so that we all don't participate in the auction?
It was said that whether to use the 1 million lives or not was a matter of each person's freedom.
So it would be possible to end the auction without anyone bidding.
The problem was... even if I persuaded them, would people really listen obediently?
‘...Should I reveal it?’
The method that came to mind was revealing that I am Person123.
If I put forward the name Person123, wouldn't my words work a bit better?
I didn't feel like stepping up in front of people like this again, but... it wasn't the time to be picky about my feelings.
If even one person bid, everyone else might start bidding too, and the situation could become uncontrollable.
Thinking that I had to step up, I used Time Release.
I was about to stand up and shout, 'Everyone, please pay attention!'
"Everyone, please pay attention!"
...Huh?
Someone shouted before me.
People's attention was drawn that way.
Number 89. The woman who stood up from her seat looked around and spoke.
"We all must not participate in the auction. The Tower is playing another vicious trick to bring down the World."
Number 89 even took off her mask and revealed her face.
...But who is this?
I thought the voice was familiar, and it was Section Chief Shin Sujin. She was here too?
"I am a Climber belonging to the Republic of Korea Climber Bureau, and I am also Shin Sujin, a member of the 5th Floor Public Order Squad.
What do you think is the reason the Tower put these masks on us? It is inciting us to hide behind the masks and commit a Massacre with our own hands. That would be 1 million people per person, 100 million people in total. It is a ridiculous number.
We must not give up our humanity by falling for a mere Skill stone. We just need to have no one bid until the auction ends, and simply return to our original World. Isn't this a much simpler task than the 3-year Rule or the Branch Tower?"
Shin Sujin Section Chief's lengthy speech.
When I saw her step up urgently, it seemed she had the same thought as I, but anyway, she was doing what I was about to do instead.
I quickly responded like an Instigator.
"...That is correct! Let's not be played by the Tower's dirty tricks!"
For things like this, the initial atmosphere was important.
People nodded their heads, or a few more responded in agreement.
Good, with this flow, there might be no one who bids...?
It was the moment I thought that.
"My thoughts are different. Is there a reason we shouldn't participate in the auction?"
Someone else stood up from his or her seat.
The Number 41 man looked around and spoke in a relaxed voice.
"That Rare+ grade Skill stone, don't you covet it? It's a grade of Skill that only Highest Floor Climbers can barely obtain. Does it make sense to just give up an opportunity like this?"
...What's with that bastard?
At Number 41's words, Shin Sujin Section Chief immediately refuted them.
"Are you saying you're going to kill people right now? These aren't numbers. They are real lives. It's no different from killing 1 million people with your own hands."
"So what do you want me to do about it?"
"...What did you say?"
"If you think about it, isn't this all an unavoidable sacrifice for the greater good? If Climbers achieve Power Enhancement, the probability of clearing the Tower increases, and then the time limit increases. Considering the big picture, it's a benefit to the world."
Shin Sujin Section Chief glared at him.
"Don't spout sophistry. Does the number 100 million not resonate with you?"
"Why do you keep exaggerating so much? Do you really think everyone here will use all 1 million people? At least you won't use them, right?"
Number 41 smiled and pointed at the auction item.
"Everyone, look. A Rare+ grade Skill stone was revealed as the first auction item, so how will the auction items that come out later be? Won't even greater things pop out? If we grab all of them in this auction, how strong will the Climbers' power become?
Every year, tens of millions of people die worldwide. Even if 100 million people all die, it would just mean that the people who would die in the next 1 or 2 years would die a bit earlier. Viewed globally, it's not really a big deal.
I'll say it again, but this is all for the world. If we give up this opportunity just because of guilt, that will be the path that shortens the world's lifespan even more, won't it? Everyone."
...A crazy bastard started causing a mess while spouting sophistry.
This won't do.
Feeling that the atmosphere was about to get weird, I also stepped up to help Shin Sujin, Section Chief.
"No one must bid."
Gazes focused on me.
"I am Person123. I am asking all of you. Please, no one bid."
"...!"
People murmured at my statement.
Shin Sujin, Section Chief, also opened her eyes wide and stared.
I looked at Number 41 and continued speaking.
"The Tower is an entity that always wants the destruction of Humanity and drives a wedge between people. Being swayed by its intentions can never be a path for the world."
The Number 41 man, who showed signs of panic, raised the corners of his mouth again and spoke.
"...How absurd. You are Person123? Do you have proof?"
As for proof...
I tried to turn on the communication window. But it didn't turn on.
Tsk, is this place also judged to be inside the Tower?
I don't know if she recognized me, but Section Chief Shin Sujin took my side and spoke.
"That person is indeed Person123."
"You're only saying that because he's taking your side..."
At that moment, another person intervened.
"That Number 15 person is indeed Person123."
The Number 3 man stood up from his seat and took off his mask. Who is it?
"I am Justin, who serves as the Deputy Commander of the 5th Floor Public Order Squad. I am also a person who was directly at the scene when the Wang Kai Incident occurred.
I think there are quite a few people here who know my face, and I can guarantee that that person is Person123, because he is the one who saved the lives of our Public Order Squad."
...Did I? I think I might have seen his face once.
But I'm wearing a mask, so how did that person recognize me? Just by hearing my voice?
Or is he just taking this side for now?
Justin continued speaking.
"I believe there will be no one who falls for that Number 41's ridiculous words.
If someone bids and the general public dies randomly, can you guarantee that your family, lovers, or friends won't be among them? 100 million people are over 1 percent of humanity. It won't be that low a probability."
It was exactly as he said.
Of course, my family could also be caught in it, so I had to stop the auction unconditionally.
Justin looked at me and spoke.
"He is the one who gave up even the Ark not long ago and cleared the Nightmare 6th Floor to save all of us. In front of such a person, there surely couldn't be a person who would massacre innocent people just to get a skill stone. Isn't that right?"
As gazes focused on me again, I spoke for the last time.
"I believe in all of you. Please, I ask that you do not participate in the auction."
Wouldn't this be enough?
Amidst the chaotic atmosphere, as if he didn't care whether people chattered among themselves or not, the Host opened his mouth again.
"Are there no bidders? I will count down 10 seconds, and then the first auction item will be processed as Unsold."
The Host started counting.
Until it reached 3 seconds, there had been no one who bid. But then, a bid came.
"One thousand people are here."
All gazes turned that way.
...The Number 41 man was raising his hand.
The Host immediately accepted those words.
"One thousand people bid."
That crazy bastard really...?
I glared at Number 41.
Number 41 hung a sneer on his lips.
"Everyone, do you really believe that person is Person123? If Security Officers just coordinate their stories, impersonation is entirely possible, isn't it?"
"..."
"And even if he is the real Person123, so what? No matter what you guys say, I'm going to bid~."
Justin shouted in a fit of rage.
"You insane son of a bitch... Cancel it right now!"
Number 41 shrugged his shoulders.
"Where is there such a thing as Bid Cancellation in an auction? Mr. Host, is it possible?"
"Bid Cancellation is impossible."
"You heard him, right? He said it's not possible?"
Number 41 giggled and walked down the stairs, then stood in front of the Audience Seats. He looked around at the people and spoke.
"Is really no one going to do this fun thing? The Tower even went out of its way to cover all our faces? Let's be a bit honest, everyone."
"..."
"Well, if you're really not going to do it, that's fine too. I guess I'll have to sweep up all the auction items."
Before I could even say anything...
"...One thousand one hundred people."
As if that were the opening shot, someone else raised their hand. It was the Number 60 man.
"One thousand one hundred people bid."
"H-here. There are one thousand two hundred people."
"One thousand two hundred people bid."
A few more raised their hands.
The price quickly surpassed 2,000 dollars.
I let out a sigh while watching that sight.
...What the hell are these Humans doing?
Are they really trying to kill thousands of people just for that measly Skill stone?
Do they have no awareness of what they are doing right now? Do they have no such thing as guilt?
I did think from the beginning that it could turn out like this.
Actually seeing it in person, I found it a much more dumbfounding sight than I thought.
"5,000 people."
What had reached up to 2,500 people suddenly doubled.
It was the number called by the Number 41 man.
He incited them while looking around as if he was dying of amusement.
"Let's not be stingy and go at it hotly. Is there no more? I'm taking it for a mere 5,000 people?"
I slowly raised my hand.
Gazes focused.
Shin Sujin Section Chief and Justin, who were watching the uncontrollable situation with miserable faces, also looked at me in surprise.
"Please call out a price."
The Host said to me.
I shook my head.
"It's not a bid; I have a question."
"What is it?"
"You said there are two rules: not attacking the Host and not touching the auction items. Other than that, is anything allowed?"
The Host nodded.
"That is correct."
"Then attacking or killing someone other than you would also be allowed."
"That is correct."
"If a bidder dies, what happens to the auction?"
"That bid becomes an Invalidation, and the bidding restarts from the beginning."
I looked back at the Number 41 man and asked one last time.
"What happens to the 1 million people whom the dead bidder had? They don't die together, right?"
"In the event a bidder dies, the currency is processed as an Invalidation. Unless the currency worth 1 million distributed to you all is used to purchase an auction item, the Non-Climbers will not die."
The Number 41 man's expression gradually stiffened as he listened to the conversation, and then he sneered and said to me.
"...What is it? Are you saying you're going to try and kill me right no—"
I used Stop Time and Mental Concentration, then.
I fired the Line of Destruction towards Number 41.
The Jet-black Ray erased Number 41 without a trace.
Fsssh...
If thousands of lives were on the line, and the only way to cancel a bid was to kill the bidder?
I could do that as much as it took. I had to do it.
"Since the Last Bidder has died, we will restart the bidding from the beginning."
The Host was speaking calmly without batting an eye.
I walked down the stairs and stood in the spot where Number 41 had existed just a moment ago.
Still, did I really have to do it like this?
Why does no one listen when I speak nicely...
I looked around at the people. They had shocked faces.
I opened my mouth.
"No one bid."
"..."
"If you bid, I will kill you."