Chapter: 11
The atmosphere froze.
The Sword Queen’s gaze fixed on Eugene as if she were looking at a cockroach.
It meant she was filled with disgust.
…Ah, crap. I really screwed this up.
The words had slipped out before he realized it.
“You’ve lost your beauty.”
Wasn’t that basically the same as telling her she was ugly?
She was already in a bad mood, and then some stranger walked up with a smile and said something like that.
Of course she’d be furious.
Even if the Sword Queen was as kind-hearted as he knew she was, this was no exception.
Even if she slapped him right then and there, Eugene would just have to take it without resisting.
Well… if she actually swung, he’d dodge.
Fortunately, though…
It seemed that, more than anger, she felt fear toward Eugene himself.
Without saying a single word, she began retreating from him at incredible speed.
“Ah, wait! Just a second!”
There was something called the primacy effect.
It referred to the phenomenon where the first information people receive has a stronger influence than information they learn later.
It was proof of just how important first impressions were in relationships.
And Eugene had completely and utterly destroyed his.
He had to somehow make up for what he’d just said before it was too late.
That’s it! A gift! A gift is the only answer!
The best way to recover a ruined first impression…
Fortunately, hanging from his waist was Black Wing [C], the item he’d prepared as a bribe.
Suppressing his panic, Eugene reached for his sword with astonishing speed.
It was such a fast movement that none of the current players could have followed it.
At that exact moment—
“You crazy son of a bitch!”
The Sword Queen suddenly cursed, drew her sword, and slashed.
Whoooosh!
The trajectory of her blade was terribly crude.
But as he’d already noticed, despite her lack of technique, her sword was unbelievably sharp.
Eugene casually stepped backward and avoided the strike.
“If I see you again, you’re dead, you bastard!”
She shouted at him—
Then immediately turned around and bolted.
“Huh?”
A strong feeling washed over him that something had gone terribly wrong.
“No, wait! Hold on!”
Without thinking, Eugene grabbed Black Wing [C] and chased after her.
“The psycho murderer is chasing me!”
The more he chased, the louder the Sword Queen’s curses became.
As a result, both NPCs and players turned to stare at them.
Why is she running away?
Eugene looked genuinely confused.
All he’d done was grab his sword as quickly as possible so he could hand over the bribe—
…Ah.
Only then did he realize his mistake.
What the hell am I doing…?
From the Sword Queen’s perspective, Eugene could only have looked like a complete lunatic.
No matter what his actual intentions had been, to her it simply looked as though some psychopath had drawn his sword and charged at her.
He came to a stop.
Meeting the Sword Queen unexpectedly had made him panic.
He needed to calm down and think.
No matter how fast she was, she was only Level 2 at most.
Catching her would be effortless for Eugene.
But that wouldn’t accomplish anything.
She wasn’t an enemy.
She was someone he absolutely had to befriend.
His future sla—
No, his future companion candidate.
Standing motionless in the middle of the street, he quietly watched the Sword Queen disappear into the distance.
I’d better not approach her recklessly for now.
Trying the same method again would only make things worse.
And since I don’t want to cause another misunderstanding, I should obtain the Subspace first.
Approaching someone while carrying swords and sabers was far more suspicious than storing everything inside Subspace first.
That would at least lower her guard a little.
For now, he’d simply keep track of her location and observe her from a distance until the right opportunity presented itself.
When the timing was right, he’d greet her again.
“Hoo…”
Letting out a sigh, Eugene ignored the piercing stares around him and began walking once more.
Little by little…
He was becoming an excellent stalker.
“Haa… haa…”
After running nonstop for quite some time, Isia finally rushed into a crowded shop and caught her breath.
“…A player?”
“It’s a player.”
The people inside began whispering among themselves.
But Isia had no attention to spare for them.
She was too worried that the lunatic might still be chasing her.
That complete psycho she’d run into out of nowhere.
He didn’t follow me… right?
She cautiously peeked outside.
He wasn’t there.
What the heck was that…?
Only then did relief wash over her.
Covering her face with both hands, she crouched down on the floor.
How did things end up like this?
Just yesterday, she’d been living an ordinary—if slightly special—life.
It had been her first Christmas since becoming an adult.
She’d promised herself she’d enjoy it more than anyone else.
Then…
A mysterious voice suddenly echoed out of nowhere.
And she was forcibly summoned into this place called the Tower.
After that came the massacre.
At first, Isia denied reality.
She convinced herself it was nothing more than a nightmare.
But nightmares always ended eventually.
Except… this one didn’t.
Which meant…
Everything happening now was real.
From that moment on, she accepted reality and struggled desperately to survive.
One person she’d been fleeing alongside was bitten by a monster and torn apart.
Another had happily celebrated after finding a treasure chest, only for his entire body to explode.
Blood.
Flesh.
Corpses.
Corpses.
More corpses.
No matter where she looked, all she saw were the bodies of the dead.
She was terrified.
Afraid.
Hopeless.
Time passed.
And somehow…
Isia survived that hell known as the Tutorial Floor.
She couldn’t claim it was because she had talent or exceptional skill.
It was simply luck.
Nothing more.
She’d only survived because fortune had smiled on her.
Barely holding onto her sanity, she’d managed to obtain a sword before reaching the First Floor.
Unlike the chaotic Tutorial Floor, this place had beautiful buildings and kind-looking people.
There were also countless players just like herself.
For some reason, seeing them eased her heart.
She didn’t know what the future held.
But at least for the moment, it didn’t seem dangerous.
And then…
She met a lunatic.
A crazy man who awkwardly greeted her, insulted her appearance out of nowhere, and then pulled out a sword.
If this had happened in downtown Seoul instead of inside the Tower…
She would’ve punched him in the face without hesitation.
Or perhaps driven her knee into the most important part of his body.
But she couldn’t act carelessly here.
This was a bizarre place where impossible, irrational things happened every day.
People like that are the most dangerous.
It had been the same on the Tutorial Floor.
There were plenty of scum who pushed others into danger just to survive themselves.
She understood why they did it.
That didn’t mean she could sympathize with them.
Isia steeled herself once more.
Every player I meet from now on survived the Tutorial Floor. I can’t underestimate any of them.
That madman from earlier was probably one of those pieces of trash.
What did he look like again?
She tried recalling his face so she’d recognize him and run if they ever met again.
Early twenties? Maybe late teens?
He didn’t look very old.
Probably around her age, or maybe a little younger.
He might even be the same age as me.
His appearance had been ordinary.
Nothing particularly memorable.
But…
The atmosphere around him had been completely different.
Different from every other player she’d seen.
She couldn’t quite put it into words.
Experienced?
Familiar?
Including Isia herself, all the players were still struggling to adapt to this unfamiliar situation.
Naturally.
They’d only been inside the Tower for a single day.
Everything felt strange.
Everything was frightening.
But that madman was different.
He looked as though he’d been living here for years.
As if…
He had room to spare.
Yes.
He’d looked relaxed.
Like someone casually taking a stroll through the neighborhood.
That’s exactly how he’d appeared while walking toward her.
“He’s no ordinary psycho.”
How insane did someone have to be to adapt to this hellish place in just one day and casually draw a sword in the middle of a crowded street?
Maybe he was already a notorious serial killer back in the outside world.
I’d better make sure I never run into him again.
She gently stroked the sword she was carrying.
Crimson Lotus [E].
The sword she’d obtained by sheer luck from a treasure chest.
Simply holding it mysteriously calmed her heart.
It was the first sword she’d ever wielded.
Yet it felt strangely natural in her hands.
Actually fighting with it would probably be difficult.
But she also had the odd confidence that she wouldn’t be completely helpless.
Didaskalia had said it back on the Tutorial Floor.
Defeat monsters.
Complete quests.
Level up.
Become stronger.
Gain the power to climb one floor after another.
Then she could become stronger too.
Strong enough not to run from monsters like the ones she’d faced in the Tutorial Floor…
Or from that lunatic she’d just encountered.
“Alright. My first goal is leveling up.”
If she kept at it, one day she’d clear the Fifth Floor and finally be able to return home, even if only briefly.
She stood up.
After waiting for a long time and seeing no sign that the madman was following her, she finally left her spot.
She was exhausted.
But she couldn’t afford to sit around any longer.
She had to become stronger.
Only then could she survive and see her family and friends again.
And for that…
“Where are the monsters?”
She had to start hunting.
The problem was…
She had absolutely no idea where to find any monsters.
“Do I just… go outside and look around?”
She couldn’t think of any better plan.
“Um…”
At that moment—
A cautious voice came from behind her.
“Eek!”
Startled, Isia spun around.
Even in her panic, her hand instinctively moved to the hilt of Crimson Lotus [E].
It was an unconscious reaction, yet astonishingly swift and precise.
“Who are you?”
Remembering what had just happened, Isia raised her guard to the maximum.
“I’m the owner of this establishment. I thought you might need some help.”
“Oh.”
Come to think of it…
She’d barged in without even knowing where she was or asking permission.
A bar?
It looked just like the bars she’d seen in movies.
Five or six customers sat silently inside, all staring at the owner and Isia.
She’d rushed in here and squatted on the floor for quite a while.
They must have thought she was completely bizarre.
Yet they’d patiently waited without saying a word.
“I’m so sorry!”
She bowed deeply.
“No, no. It’s quite alright. You looked like you had your reasons, so I simply chose not to interrupt.”
Fortunately, the owner smiled and waved his hands dismissively.
“More importantly, I believe I heard you asking about monsters.”
“Yes.”
“Oh? You must have just arrived on the First Floor, yet you’re already looking for monsters? Planning to hunt?”
“Yes… I’d like to become stronger as quickly as possible.”
Isia answered with an embarrassed blush.
The owner nodded approvingly.
“That’s an admirable attitude. If you wish to survive in this Tower, the desire to improve is absolutely essential.”
“R-Really?”
“Of course. In that case, let me answer what you were wondering.”
The owner walked behind the bar and returned carrying a large sheet of paper.
“A map?”
It was a map of the area surrounding the city of Terra.
“If you leave through the eastern gate and continue eastward, you’ll reach a habitat where even inexperienced players can hunt monsters.”
Tap.
The owner pointed to a specific location.
“This is the habitat of the Sulfur Deer. They’re dangerous creatures. If you intend to fight one alone, you’ll need to be at least Level 7.”
Level 7.
She had no idea how strong that actually was.
After all, she’d never leveled up even once.
But one thing was certain.
Her current self couldn’t possibly defeat one alone.
“So don’t venture too deep inside. Hunt only the ones that wander to the outskirts. Ideally, fight one—or at most two—at a time.”
Sulfur Deer.
What kind of terrifying name was that for a deer?
“And you absolutely must find companions. Despite the word ‘deer’ being in the name, they’re extremely powerful monsters.”
The owner’s voice grew more serious.
“…Can I really defeat something like that? Isn’t there anything weaker and easier to hunt?”
“They’re dangerous, but they grant an enormous amount of experience. The difference compared to other First Floor monsters is incomparable. And if about five or six Level 1 players work together, they should be able to take down a single Sulfur Deer somehow.”
Ah…
If that was the case…
Isia was willing to accept a little danger if it meant becoming stronger more quickly.
“Th-Thank you.”
A complete stranger had shown her such kindness.
For the first time since entering the Tower, someone had extended genuine goodwill toward her.
Her eyes grew slightly red.
“No need to thank me.”
The owner shrugged casually.
“Instead, if you ever need information again, come find me.”
He held out a business card.
—Mullen, Branch Manager of the Terra Information Guild—
“I’ll provide the finest information at the lowest prices.”
