Chapter 27
[Promotion Match Application]
I stopped dead as I was about to press this button in the menu.
“If I go up to Floor 61… it won't release the lockdown on Floor 60, will it?”
The thought flashed through my mind.
Once I started the promotion match, wouldn't it count as my having returned from vacation?
[Guard duty will be temporarily suspended for 19:58:47!]
Because of that, the most rational choice seemed to be getting some sleep during this safe period.
I could conserve my fatigue recovery potions.
My body did feel heavy, too.
Too many things had happened today.
Even after taking care of the intruders, I hadn't gotten a proper break once because I'd spent four hours learning necromancy.
[Title: I'll sleep first, then wake up and head out]
I left a post like that on the gallery.
And to prevent a repeat of the disaster of sleeping straight through for three days like last time, I decided to set an alarm.
The method was simple.
“Want to make one circuit of this chamber?”
I had the Blood Knight walk around the chamber slowly and measured the time.
*
It took about five minutes and twenty seconds.
“Shall I sleep for about seven hours…?”
I unpacked the things the intruders had carried and my own belongings and laid them out on the floor.
“Move these items to the opposite side, one at a time. Wake me when you've moved them all.”
I instructed it on what to do each time it completed a circuit.
There were 80 items. Having it make 80 circuits would get the timing roughly right.
Next, I started doing laundry.
“Blood Command.”
I used blood manipulation magic to clean the blood-soaked clothes and the blood that had seeped into the tent.
I stored the extracted blood in my inventory.
Then I went inside the tent and lay down with a snack bag as a pillow.
Blink. Blink.
I fell straight into a deep sleep.
*
Zzz…
Zzz…
Shake, shake.
“Gasp!”
I shot awake and sat up.
The Blood Knight's gauntlet was shaking my arm.
Once I understood the situation, the first thing I did was check the time.
[Guard duty will be temporarily suspended for 12:56:47!]
“Good job…”
It seemed to have carried out every command perfectly, without a single error.
“Mmm…”
I stretched.
My body felt completely refreshed.
“Good.”
Rrrip-
I tore open a snack bag and turned on the gallery while eating breakfast.
Crunch, crunch-
I reported that I'd woken up.
ㅇㅇ(60F)(Author) : I think my fatigue is at 0 now, so I'll try the promotion match.
ㄴㅇㅇ(298F) : There's still safe time left, but what if it ends?
ㅇㅇ(60F)(Author) : I'm worried about that too. But if the original statement—“Access to the floor in question will be completely restricted for 24 hours.”—is anything to go by, it should be fine, right?
ㄴㅇㅇ(458F) : Wouldn't it be better to meditate and make a Second Circle right now?
ㄴㅇㅇ(651F): How are you supposed to make a Second Circle in 13 hours LOL
ㄴㅇㅇ(702F) : If it's him, he might be able to do it;;;
ㅇㅇ(60F)(Author) : Don't you acquire Circles faster by putting more points into Intelligence?
ㄴㅇㅇ(458F) : That is true.
ㅇㅇ(60F)(Author) : And even if the lockdown is lifted, it's fine since I'll get the data anyway. Plus, now that I have a guard, I won't die while meditating.
After that, I closed the gallery and pressed the [Promotion Match Application] menu.
Rumble, rumble-
A staircase descended.
I turned my head and looked at the Blood Knight holding the greatsword.
It was time to test how it performed in actual combat.
“Follow me.”
Thump, thump, thump.
“You don't have to walk like a North Korean soldier…”
Clomp. Clomp.
“Oh, right…”
I climbed the stairs and pushed open the door to Floor 61.
At the same time, I checked the holographic panel.
[Guard duty will be temporarily suspended for 12:54:31!]
I could confirm that the lockdown had not been lifted.
“That's a relief.”
Screeeech-
The door opened, revealing the chamber on Floor 61.
The moment I came face-to-face with the being filling it,
I stopped in surprise.
[Defender: Titan Mantis (61F)]
It was a monstrously huge mantis, large enough for its head to touch the ceiling.
It was the first thing I'd seen since entering the Demon King's Tower that was so absurdly huge.
Kiriririk-!
With a bone-chilling shriek, it twisted its body around.
The giant scythes of its forelegs, each seemingly ten times the size of its torso, rose.
“A blade against a blade…”
It was the perfect target for a test.
“Cut it down.”
No sooner had the command left my lips than
Kaboom-!
The Blood Knight kicked off the floor and shot forward.
The marble floor caved in, cracks spreading like a spiderweb.
Kieeeek!
The Titan Mantis brought its scythe down at the charging knight.
But the Blood Knight showed no intention of dodging.
The red blood mist pouring from its neck stump wrapped around the greatsword's blade like a coating.
It raised the greatsword straight up with both arms,
and the giant mantis's scythe…
Shwing-!
was cleaved in two in a single stroke.
White blood splattered in every direction.
Kieeeeeek!!!!!!
Then the Blood Knight deflected the other scythe as it swung again, using the recoil to leap into the air.
Swoosh!
Immediately afterward, the greatsword that crashed down sliced through its tough nape.
Sssslash-!
The giant mantis's head slammed into the floor.
Thud-! Rumble, rumble-
A result that made the difference in size meaningless.
[Titan Mantis of Floor 61 defeated successfully]
[You have won the duel with the floor's master and become the master of this floor.]
[Promotion reward: 6,000G acquired!]
[Experience acquired.]
Afterward, my earring began to sparkle.
“The reward really does come in… even if I don't lift a finger myself…”
It seemed I hadn't leveled up because my level had risen after dealing with the intruders.
“This is really the best.”
I was almost overwhelmed with emotion.
This was the kind of exhilarating battle I'd been hoping for.
It was like it was satisfying me vicariously for the strength and agility I hadn't been able to increase.
“It feels so majestic…”
Given my inclinations, maybe something like that suited me better than being a mage.
But my build had already been decided.
I put those thoughts aside and brought up the holographic panel again.
Just as I was about to enter the earlier post and report the results of the field test,
“Huh…”
A painfully familiar username cut into my field of vision.
Captain Death Note : Katsu(喝)!!!!!!!
It felt as though lightning had struck right next to me in real life.
Captain Death Note : How dare you, a noble Reaper, turn your attention to such vulgar parlor tricks as manipulating bones!!!
ㄴ ㅇㅇ(418F) : LOLLLLLLL He finally crawled out after 11 hours LOL
ㄴ ㅇㅇ(351F) : Ugh, so noisy.
ㄴㅇㅇ(439F) : Looks like he found out you've learned necromancy LOL
ㄴㅇㅇ(593F) : Should've come back sooner if you're so jealous LOL
Captain Death Note : You did very well defeating the first intruder! But before I could even properly check your post, I saw some strange posts saying you were learning necromancy!! What on earth is this disgraceful behavior?!
ㄴKnows the Leisure of a Cup of Black Tea : Ah…
Captain Death Note : What did you make me learn while I was away! You vulgar wench!!!
The master who had been away, Captain Death Note, had barged in.
He was extremely angry.
ㄴCaptain Death Note : A Reaper using necromancy! There is no greater absurdity!
ㄴCaptain Death Note : That vulgar harlot taught you despite knowing full well what relationship exists between Reapers and necromancy!
Was there a problem with a Reaper learning necromancy?
I focused on his words.
Captain Death Note : A Reaper's duty is to separate the soul from the flesh, guiding the bones to the Reaper realm and the spirit to the underworld!
Captain Death Note : And what is necromancy? Making peace with the soul and binding it to the flesh. In other words, it is no different from an act forbidden to Reapers!
“So that's what it was?”
But what exactly was forbidden about it?
I hoped it was merely a matter of sentiment.
I wasn't a natural Reaper fundamentalist like my master, after all.
As I was thinking that, Floor 574's question followed.
ㄴ ㅇㅇ(574F) : But I already made one. Is that okay?
ㄴ Captain Death Note : It isn't a problem, but it's a waste of time. It would be best not to start in the first place.
ㄴ Captain Death Note : A heretical Reaper who uses necromancy may even be ostracized by the Reaper realm.
ㄴ ㅇㅇ(431F) : What, is he saying not to do it because you'll get bullied? Then we're good to go LOLLLLLLLL
ㄴㅇㅇ(651F) : Getting ostracized is kind of a serious matter…
ㄴㅇㅇ(359F) : Wait, can Reapers go to the Reaper realm and hang out together? That's wild… I'm fucking jealous.
At that moment, Floor 702, a necromancer, stepped in to sum up the situation.
ㄴㅇㅇ(702F) : Mr. Reaper… Newbie absolutely has to go into necromancy. He succeeded at the ultimate necromancy on his first try…
ㄴ ㅇㅇ(702F) : And Newbie is in a situation where the lower-floor monsters aren't respawning, so he has to station guards himself. That's why he learned necromancy…
ㄴ Knows the Leisure of a Cup of Black Tea : That's right. He had no choice… Though I was being selfish, too…
For some reason, no answer came right away.
The comment that appeared a little later had a subtly different tone.
Captain Death Note : …Did you say the soldiers on the lower floors aren't coming back?
ㄴ ㅇㅇ(702F) : Yes. I don't know why, but that's how it is.
Captain Death Note : …
Captain Death Note : I know the reason.
“Huh?”
Question marks began appearing, echoing my reaction.
ㄴㅇㅇ(381F) : ?
ㄴㅇㅇ(461F) : What is it??
ㄴㅇㅇ(381F) : Oh, it almost became an unsolved case ㄴㅇㅅ
ㄴㅇㅇ(277F) : Didn't we conclude that the Demon King just refused to respawn them because he was pissed?
ㄴㅇㅇ(207F) : What the hell, now I'm really curious.
ㄴㅇㅇ(574F) : Hmm… Seems like it has something to do with the Reaper race.
ㄴㅇㅇ(645F): Couldn't you tell us that instead of spending time saying “I know the reason”?
ㄴㅇㅇ(432F) : For real LOL, this dramatic buildup is fucking ridiculous.
A mysterious phenomenon unlike the experiments by the gallery's necromancers and summoners: only my tower had stopped respawning monsters.
The reason the monsters I'd killed weren't respawning, which even Floor 574 had called a mystery.
Did my master, who belonged to the same race as me, know the answer?
He began by saying this.
Captain Death Note : Do you know the weakness of an instant-death skill?
ㄴㅇㅇ(641F) : Here comes the Socratic dialogue LOL
The weakness of an instant-death skill, huh.
“A preemptive attack?”
That's what I thought, but it was the wrong answer.
Captain Death Note : The sole weakness and countermeasure to an instant-death skill is ‘resurrection.’
Captain Death Note : If someone comes back to life, using an instant-death skill would be meaningless.
ㄴ ㅇㅇ(148F) : What do you mean, resurrection? Something like that exists?
ㄴ Captain Death Note : There are several beings in this tower who possess the power of resurrection.
ㄴㅇㅇ(312F) : Then how do you kill those guys?
ㄴㅇㅇ(461F) : For now, we can't.
My master continued.
Captain Death Note : But not all Reapers are powerless before resurrection.
ㄴCaptain Death Note : There are two ways for a Reaper to nullify resurrection. The first is to evolve the instant-death skill to its ultimate form.
ㄴCaptain Death Note : And the second is.
ㄴCaptain Death Note : To obtain the scythe you're holding right now, Voidside.
ㄴㅇㅇ(710F) : Huh?… What?
ㄴㅇㅇ(546F) : ?
ㄴㅇㅇ(431F) : Voidside?
ㄴㅇㅇ(431F) : What, you've been carrying a cheat item? LOLLLLLLL
ㄴ Captain Death Note : A death scythe imbued with the power to annihilate souls is called Voidside. I don't know how you're holding it, but it must be the cause.
ㄴㅇㅇ(648F) : A resurrection-nullifying scythe ㄷㄷㄷㄷㄷ
ㄴㅇㅇ(288F) : Wait LOL, does the Demon King's Tower count monster respawns as resurrection too?
ㄴㅇㅇ(643F) : Looks like the Demon King had been resurrecting them for us…
“……”
The pieces fell into place all at once.
Why the necromancy hadn't worked on the corpses of the two women.
Why the monsters hadn't respawned.
“Was it because of this scythe…?”
My weapon was the ‘countermeasure to the countermeasure for instant-death skills.’
It apparently possessed ‘resurrection negation.’
The act of raising a corpse again with necromancy seemed to count as resurrection, too.
“I killed this Blood Knight with an instant-death skill without using the scythe…”
That was why it was the only one I could successfully use.
“…”
This was a headache.
Because I couldn't tell whether I should consider this a good thing.
ㄴㅇㅇ(432F) : But isn't this fucking useless to Newbie right now? LOLLLLLLL
ㄴㅇㅇ(284F) : For real, resurrection mobs only show up above Floor 800, right? LOLLLLLLL
ㄴㅇㅇ(618F) : If you want to build a bulwark from now on, I guess you can't kill them with the scythe.
That was exactly right.
For me right now, it was a mixed blessing.
I needed the monsters to come back so they could serve as my shield.
But why had a Level 1 monster been carrying such a late-game weapon…?
ㄴ ㅇㅇ(574F) : Ah. So the instant-death skill wasn't a technique that cut with the scythe? Then that explains everything.
ㄴ ㅇㅇ(61F)(Author) : But why am I—a Level 1—carrying a scythe like this?
Then this answer came back.
ㄴㅇㅇ(574F) : Seems like you're the only one who's Level 1…?
ㄴ ㅇㅇ(61F)(Author) : ?
ㄴㅇㅇ(574F) : You started out with the fixed username Gatekeeper, remember? All fixed-username users are Level 800 or higher…
ㄴㅇㅇ(702F) : Are you saying the Level 1 monsters on Floor 1 of our tower aren't actually Level 1?
ㄴㅇㅇ(574F) : Seems so?
ㄴㅇㅇ(702F) : Huh;;;;;;
Floor 574's new hypothesis.
But honestly, it didn't really affect me.
Naturally, I wasn't thrilled by the idea that I alone might be Level 1 among all the clones in every tower.
But I had already grown from that state and climbed all the way to Floor 61, and since I wasn't the type to complain about the circumstances I'd been given, I simply accepted it.
But.
To the gallery users, this seemed like a major matter.
A series of extraordinary reactions followed.
Fenrir : Wait, if the levels on the same Floor 1 are different, then that destroys the major premise that we're all in parallel universes;;;
ㄴ ㅇㅇ(267F) : The strategy guide is officially scrap paper LOLLLLLLLL
ㄴ ㅇㅇ(738F) : Fuck?
“Huh?”