Chapter 31 - Disciplinary Action (1)
Conqueror was a game where all sorts of progress branches depended on the player’s choices, but among them, there were a few things that didn't change no matter what you did.
The growth of Gusegyo was one of those kinds of events.
No matter which route you took, these guys would unconditionally rise as a massive organization with tremendous growth.
In the first place, Darien, the current leader of the cult, was a pretty smart and capable person, with the ability to multiply any ‘opportunity’ she got by several dozen times.
And as for what kind of advantage a person who could read minds would have in business, well.
Even without having to say it, this terrifying growth rate was proving its effect.
“Looks like you’ve been doing well lately.”
I said so as I looked at the numerous crowds that covered every corner of the building.
Each of them must have had various reasons for being here.
Either to become a new believer, to discuss business, and so on.
But the common thing that could be found in all of them was that they all came with favorable feelings for this cult.
With this much attention focused on them, there should have been at least one person coming with bad intentions, but such a person would have been weeded out by Darien long ago.
“Do you think so?”
At a spacious table where a dozen people could sit, Darien, who had stuck right next to me instead of across from me, said so.
“…”
Her bright smile, which automatically reminded me of the pouring sunlight, was quite a sight to behold.
But looking at this gave me goosebumps.
In the game, there was no route where she made such an expression.
Her already cynical personality, due to the side effects of her original ability, was one that in most cases later developed into a sensitivity that was almost like a disease.
The image she showed in the scenario was always that of a cool-headed or cynical person.
But what on earth was this friendly demeanor, as if she had found her first love?
Suppressing the sense of dissonance, I opened my mouth.
“So, I’m not sure if a nobody like me can have this kind of conversation with you…”
“No.”
Cutting me off with a firm voice, she then gathered her hands and moved even closer to me.
“If it’s your words, I am prepared to listen to anything.”
“…”
No.
You don't like reading other people's minds.
Why are you clinging to me like that?
In that respect, I took a step back to maintain a safe distance from her and spoke.
“I have something I need to ask for your cooperation on…”
“Cooperation?!”
“…”
I distanced myself again from Darien, who was closing in with sparkling eyes.
I mean.
I’m pretty sure she isn't able to objectify herself right now.
In the current situation, anyone could see that she, who was building up recognition and fame, was the one in a position of power, and I, an unknown F-rank Climber, was the subordinate one.
Originally, I was planning to go into all sorts of persuasion based on the fact that I had become acquainted with her in the Jewel Plains.
But seeing this attitude of being thankful just for being asked, a thought was slowly creeping up that it wouldn't matter if I just discarded what I had prepared.
“…”
Well, what’s good is good.
I sighed and told her the details of my request.
When, where, and what would happen.
And how I wanted Gusegyo to act there.
All of it was a slight twist of the prophecies spoken by Gusegyo to fit my tastes.
The content was nothing special.
But if she did this for me, the snowball I could roll with just that one thing was truly mountain-sized.
The problem was that, since it was a request related to 'prophecy', the very core element of faith, I could be rejected.
“Yes! I’ll definitely! Please let me do it!”
Seeing Darien grabbing my hand and jumping up and down as she said that.
I don't know.
‘Did the character setting change…?’
It was undoubtedly a shocking sight, enough to make me entertain such a ridiculous thought for a moment.
Are you really Darien?
Take off your mask.
“…Yeah, I’m grateful you’ll do it. Then, for the reward…”
“I don’t need it! I’m thankful just for you asking!”
“…”
Right.
As I said before, what's good is good, and it was great that she would do as I asked without me having to do anything more.
But at this point, it wouldn’t be strange to feel like I wanted to get out of here.
What is this?
Things are going too well.
“Uh, yeah. I’m counting on you.”
I said that and pulled myself away for now.
Darien tried very hard to hold me back, but I somehow managed to slip away and quickly got out of the cult building.
And, I paused for a moment at the entrance of the cult building.
What caught my eye was a giant sculpture.
A huge work of art that must have cost a lot of manpower and funds to create.
Normally, if something like this was erected in a cult, it would be common to sculpt a representation of what they believed in.
And yet.
“…”
Why does that look like me?
The clothes, the face.
It resembled me to a creepy extent.
Below the statue, the phrase ‘Avatar of the Savior’ was even written in relief.
What in the world is this?
“…It must be my imagination.”
Surely they wouldn't go that far for someone like me.
Haha.
Forcing a laugh like that, I walked out of the building.
Ah, whatever.
It must be my imagination, anyway.
***
Among the criteria that separate cadets from pro Climbers is the right of entry to the ‘Field’.
It's a place with low danger as low-grade demonic beasts, specifically D~E-rank, frequently pour out, but since demonic beasts do appear anyway, cadets are forbidden from entering.
So, unlike the Tower or dungeons, it's characterized by a rather relaxed atmosphere for a battlefield.
It’s a place where Climbers in small parties of three or five freely hunt demonic beasts and return.
Of course, the rewards are meager compared to the Tower or dungeons, but its advantage is that you can hunt relatively safely and freely, so it's mainly used by low-rank Climbers.
Which is why I could also stroll around here while on the phone.
“You’ve already finished the framework?”
When I said that over the phone, Ironclad chuckled and replied.
[The structure itself wasn't that difficult. That much was simple.]
Well. The principle itself is simple for a weapon, so he could say that.
This person was a demi-human born inside the Tower.
Putting aside his ability to handle mana, he was someone who, until just a while ago, didn't even know what a phone call was when it came to science and technology.
And he made the whole thing in just a few days, just by looking at the blueprint I drew up?
“…You really are something, you know.”
[I’m not at a level to hear that from a monster like you. I’ll pass on the flattery.]
What flattery, after pulling off a feat like that?
I heard he was a legendary blacksmith in the lore, but this level of skill was beyond my expectations.
With this skill, I could probably ask him to make other things too.
I sorted through a few ‘requests’ worth entrusting to him in my head.
The nature and conquest method of the Tower vary greatly from floor to floor, so having this kind of unimaginable crafting ability is useful in many ways.
I would probably need this person's help in the near future, after the 11th Floor.
The event that will open later is a bit… very brutal.
But with his help, I felt like I could achieve more than I had expected.
[But, there’s a bit of a problem.]
As I was thinking that, Ironclad relayed those words.
Honestly, I think I knew what the problem was.
“There’s no power source, right?”
[Right.]
The blueprint I gave him was structured that way.
It required an additional core part for a special effect.
And if I could get that.
It was only for one time, but it could create an effect that was truly close to a miracle.
“Then I’ll have to go get something to put in it.”
[But how on earth are you going to get something like that? By my measure, it needs at least a Rare-grade item.]
“I’ll just get one. Is there a reason I can’t?”
[…I said Rare-grade or higher. Are you going to take down a B-rank demonic beast by yourself?]
Actually, I had already killed several.
The Dryad, the battle Golem, the ones that dropped Rare-grade materials were B-rank demonic beasts that played the role of at least a Field boss.
Of course, now that up to the 10th Floor was completely conquered, I wouldn't be seeing those kinds of guys, so I had to find another route.
In that respect.
“Actually, if we’re just talking about difficulty, it’s harder than taking down a B-rank demonic beast.”
[What?]
“I’ll take care of it for now.”
I said that and hung up the phone.
It wasn't good to talk on the phone for long in a place where demonic beasts appear, anyway.
-!
I plunged my longsword into the body of a giant bat that was rushing at me with a screech from the side.
It was an E-rank demonic beast, a Giant Bat.
Previously, I had to use stacked skills to shove an untreated weapon into a demonic beast, but now I could do this kind of thing with just my bare body.
No matter how coldly I assessed myself, this had to be a terrifying level of growth.
My quantitative specs alone now far surpassed those of a simple F-rank Climber.
“What’s with that guy…? He killed a demonic beast with that?”
“Is he a high-rank Climber? His license is F-rank though?”
The Climbers who were hunting in the surrounding Field murmured among themselves as they looked at me.
Well, unlike dungeons or inside the Tower, the Field was generally like this.
Since everyone's rank was low, they formed groups with people who could compensate for each other's weaknesses.
Therefore.
-!
--!!
---!!!!
My appearance, beating demonic beasts to death in a single blow with a weapon that had no enchantments on it, was bound to stand out.
I would have stood out even in a party, but I was also alone without any companions.
Before long, as the corpses of demonic beasts piled up around me, the gazes of the Climbers who had formed parties nearby began to turn towards me one by one.
“…What is he really? Is he really F-rank?”
“He’s doing everything by himself.”
As the murmuring around me continued, I paid it no mind and kept on killing demonic beasts.
In fact, I was hunting while holding back quite a bit of my strength.
I was fighting with only my pure physical stats, without using Arcane Burst.
‘When will it come out…’
Thinking that, I looked at the kill count being updated in the top left of my status window.
The reason I came here to do this was actually more of a ‘warm-up’.
Conqueror was a game with countless hidden elements scattered throughout.
Among them were a few elements that seemed to be created purely to torment the user.
Even this Field nearby looked like a place with no special features on the surface.
But if you relentlessly beat to death the demonic beasts that spawn around as if you were committing a massacre of civilians, a message like this would pop up for the player.
[ The Guardian of the Tower is paying attention to you. ]
[ Warning that your actions are disrupting the balance around the Tower. ]
There it is.
I smirked and cleared the window from my view.
When I slightly turned my head, the Tower, soaring as if to pierce the sky, came into view.
It was so huge that it looked like that no matter where you saw it from.
But.
[Observation]
When I looked at it using the skill.
I could feel a certain massive lump of mana rising from the entire Tower.
Something was watching me.
Something that gave me goosebumps just by meeting its gaze.
“…”
I let out a deep sigh.
The ecosystem of this game was always running in real-time, so if you hunted a lot of demonic beasts in one area, a message like this would pop up, recommending you to refrain from hunting for a while.
Realistically, it was just a device to quickly stop content consumption.
If you continued to ignore it and proceed, it would progress to a certain ‘special event’.
[Arcane Burst]
Of course.
My purpose in the first place was to attract that guy's attention.
Whether such a message popped up or not, I continued to hunt demonic beasts.
As if to make a point, I even poured out mana and increased my speed much faster than before.
The mountain of corpses piling up around me at a tremendous speed was enough to make the nearby Climbers flinch and retreat.
[ The Guardian of the Tower warns you. ]
[ The Guardian declares that if you disrupt the balance any further, you will be considered a threat. ]
I see.
I ignored it again and continued hunting.
[ The Guardian of the Tower recommends that you stop immediately. ]
[ The Guardian of the Tower recommends that you stop immediately. ]
[ The Guardian of the Tower… ]
And then the text floating before my eyes gradually turned red.
It popped up the string of text I had been waiting for.
[ Warning. ]
[ The Guardian of the Tower is issuing a ‘Disciplinary Action’ against you. ]
Simultaneously.
The sky of the Field was dyed crimson red.
“Wh-what’s going on?”
“I’ve never seen anything like this before.”
While the nearby Climbers were panicking at the obviously unusual sight.
Another window floated up in front of me.
[! Emergency Quest! ]
[ Survive. ]
Seeing the simple string of text that appeared, I smiled a triumphant smile inwardly.
Well.
Considering what was to follow, it was appropriate to say this.
But I planned to do a little more than just survive.