Chapter 78 To know the enemy and the self (4)
“I’ve been waiting.”
A cozy cabin he’d visited once before. Yoon-seok, who was standing back awkwardly, turned in the direction of the voice. Unlike the atmosphere of revealing a dark secret that the line implied, Elle was sitting in a pink rocking chair.
“…”
“What are you doing? Don’t feel like sitting?”
As if she had prepared it for him, there was an empty rocking chair next to her. Fortunately, it was blue. Contemplating the action for a while, Yoon-seok soon sat next to her. As soon as his hip touched the chair, it began to rock back and forth slowly but steadily.
“What do you think? Don’t you feel like your fatigue is relieved?”
“…Yes.”
Honestly, he didn’t know, so he nodded along. The work at the currency exchange store seemed pretty hard, so the last thing he wanted was to rain on her parade. Elle and Yoon-seok didn’t look at each other.
He just looked to the front, at the pond through the window.
‘Was there a window before?’
As he entertained such idle thoughts, Elle spoke.
“How was your trial?”
“It was pretty hard.”
He meant it; there were even a few times when he thought he would lose. Elle nodded as if she could relate.
“That must have been the case for you. But I’m glad that you completed it at once. If you’d lost, it would have been harder.”
“…What do you mean?”
Elle said that the clone combined the skill proficiency, technique, and experiences that one has seen and felt to become 10% stronger.
“…Meaning if you don’t improve during the duel, you’ll never win.”
“I understand.”
Yoon-seok sneaked a glance at Elle. He couldn’t see her face because she pulled the hood down. But if she was half lying down and swaying like that, he could see her face from that angle…
Was something magical obscuring her? Sometimes a slender jawline was revealed, but he couldn’t see anything beyond that. No, could she even see if she wore a hoodie like that in the first place?
“Would you like a cup of tea?”
“…I would love one.”
Elle stood from her rocking chair and headed to the kitchen. Then, as she walked past Yoon-seok, he could see moisture rolling down her scarlet hair from the hood. A pleasant scent wafted past him. Had she bathed just before his arrival?
Yoon-seok wanted to ask her to show her face but decided to remain quiet.
“How was it?”
When Yoon-seok took a sip of tea, Elle patiently waited a moment to ask the question.
“It’s good.”
It wasn’t a bitter tea like she served before; the scent was fresh and slightly sweet. In short, it was perfect for Yoon-seok’s tastes.
“Huhuhu. I knew it.”
Did she feel that it was a sincere answer, unlike before? Elle smiled with satisfaction. Then she sat next to Yoon-seok and began to sway.
‘It does feel like my fatigue is being relieved, too….’
He didn’t know if it’s because of the tea or the rocking chair, but all the remaining tension from the battle was eased. For some reason, he just wanted to rest like this, but…
He decided to put it off for now.
“Can I start buying powers first?”
“Okay.”
Elle opened her unique powers. The power of Evolution, which he might be able to buy with a little more WP, was in front of him, but it didn’t affect his decision.
*Heart of Liberty – Immune to physical and mental restraint and subversive effects.
Sales: 900,000 WP
The power that would eliminate the side effects from b Bloodseeker’s Ultimatum}. He suffered on the mission trial on the 7th floor just for this.
「Heart of Liberty is added to your soul.」
“…”
“How is it?”
“I…I don’t know.”
Heart of Liberty was embedded in his body. Something blurry in his head was gone, but there was only a slight feeling of refreshment. He couldn’t feel much change.
‘…Should I say this is a relief?’
Even when he purchased the power, Yoon-seok was only worried about one thing: whether the side effects would be suppressed. If he felt guilty about what he’d done so far, what should he do then? How should he take responsibility for the weight of the lives of those he had already punished countless times? Of course, {Bloodseeker’s Ultimatum} temporarily disappeared during the Infinite Duel, but then he couldn’t think much about it because he was in a duel.
But not anymore. Yoon-seok closed his eyes and was slowly sifting through the past.
“…”
The sixth-floor plaza, where the duel challengers were kept as slaves. Needless to say…all of them deserved to die.
“…”
Hanguk Hospital and Challenger Management Department.
It wasn’t exactly regrettable, either. He didn’t just slaughter everyone out of anger at the fact that they touched his parents. He made them confess their sins and punished only those who deserved to die. On second thought, he couldn’t say for sure that his judgment was wrong at that time. It was just a little disappointing that he tried to solve everything by force.
‘Seeing this thought…I guess the side effects are gone.’
He laughed. There were no more excuses for his change. It proved that the side effects of {Bloodseeker’s Ultimatum} merely served as encouragement. So now it was time to ask himself the questions that he’d been putting off.
‘What do I want?’
He had come up to the 10th floor. He thought the answer would come out if he eliminated the side effects, but no magical answer materialized in front of him. Therefore, Yoon-seok decided to change his approach in chronological order.
‘What was it that I originally wanted?’
In the past, when he was bullied by Kang Hyung-woo, his goal was to escape from his shadow. After entering the Tower, he didn’t have time to think of anything else as he struggled to survive. However, he slowly adapted to the new world and returned to Earth to finish his business with Lee Chang-hoon.
He realized for the first time all the absurdities he had been through were only because he was powerless. That was when he first had a goal. To become stronger and stronger, to prevent this from happening. To have a weapon to protect himself in the face of great chaos that was about to come.
That was all he wanted at the time.
But…
‘What do I want right now?’
Sixth-floor plaza, Hanguk Hospital, seventh-floor mission…
After being brought to the Tower, Yoon-seok met many people, plenty of which were powerful. But they didn’t use that power to do anything other than protecting themselves, using their strength to harm and take what others had and trample them.
Yoon-seok felt a deep rage at them and the heavens. If no one else would stop them…
He thought he had no choice but to do it.
“Was I always like that?’
He didn’t think so, but…
He just turned a blind eye because he was powerless and suppressed by an unfair world. Maybe he might not have loathed others before. This world was full of people who could calmly smile even when they see others screaming. Yoon-seok asked himself again.
‘So what’s changed?’
In Korea and the Tower, many were punished. However, Yoon-seok couldn’t answer when asked about the resulting changes. The world hadn’t changed a bit.
So Yoon-seok asked himself again.
‘What can I change in the future?’
Punishing all the wicked in the world? It was possible. He could become stronger the higher he ascended. But if someone asked if that was going to change the world, well…
It had to change, at least as long as he was still alive. He didn’t know if it would be okay in a few years. No, if the system was well established, it could remain in place for decades. But if Yoon-seok disappeared, the world would return to its former self again.
What Yoon-seok hoped for was a utopia that humanity couldn’t achieve. An imaginary, perfect world that would never come true.
“Elle.”
Yoon-seok ended his long silence and turned to Elle.
“What happens when you reach the end of the tower?”
Elle, who was sipping quietly at her tea, hesitated before replying calmly.
“…Like I told you last time, I don’t know. Because I haven’t been there. But don’t you have any idea, Yoon-seok?”
As Elle said, there was only one guess. Yoon-seok recalled the conversation with the Heavenly Warrior, seen through Clairvoyance at the time of the Wish Auction.
— Huhuhu! There’s still one thing left, what’s the rush?
—Don’t worry! You will soon be able to fulfill your wish.
—Now rest in peace! I’ll fulfill your wish for you!
With one last trial left. Yoon-seok and the Heavenly Warrior both used the keyword hope several times. That was why Yoon-seok thought like this: if he went beyond the last trial and reached the end, wouldn’t the Tower grant the challenger’s wish?
Although it was an unfounded hypothesis, Yoon-seok thought it was viable.
‘Yeah, let’s get it over with. And decide.’
Yoon-seok decided. There was no significant change in the course of action he had to take, but at least his chest became lighter.
“Are your thoughts cleared?”
“Yes, thank you.”
“Thank you? I didn’t say anything.”
He was grateful for her careful consideration, but…
He didn’t say it twice in case the atmosphere grew awkward.
“Wait a minute; I’ll heat it for you.”
When Yoon-seok lifted the already cooled teacup, Elle briefly reached over. A moment later, hot steam began to bloom in the teacup. It was his first time seeing Elle’s powers, but he wasn’t surprised. However, a minor question arose.
With this ability, why did she bother boiling water in a kettle?
‘Well, it might be a hobby….’
He thought so. Humans weren’t always efficient creatures, just like how Yoon-seok didn’t return to the waiting room immediately but chatted with Elle.
As they sat in the rocking chair and conversed, he learned two new facts.
“Furniture I’ve never seen before? I didn’t make it, but I bought them with WP…don’t get me wrong! It doesn’t cost much!”
The value of the rocking chair was 1,000 WP. For reference, it was said that it helps with mental stability. And the second thing he found out was…
Elle was ashamed of her past self. Very much so.
“…Please forget. It was when I was a kid.”
Interestingly, while talking about the mission trial, Elle stopped talking whenever her childhood was brought up. God’s angry at you for abandoning your duty? She shuddered when he explained in detail what happened to the mission challengers after they all disappeared when she terminated the contract…
As he’d felt before, Elle was fun to tease.
“How could I forget when you said I wasn’t the one to throw his duty away for money or anything and defile his soul?”
“…”
Seeing Yoon-seok speaking in a serious tone, Elle, who was trembling, sighed deeply. Then, she completely changed the subject.
“Anyway, shall we get up now?”
“Yes, I can’t stay here forever.”
Although he was unexpectedly asked to leave, Yoon-seok also felt that it was time.
“Then could you send me to the waiting room?”
“…Uh, I mean, let’s go to the garden.”
“…Is there a problem with the garden?”
Elle was startled by Yoon-seok’s question. Then she muttered in a voice that he couldn’t understand at all.
“Problem? Why does it connect like that…?”
Yoon-seok also couldn’t understand. He bought power, and they’d shared enough small talk. But what did she mean by going to the garden? If she wasn’t looking for his help, there was no reason to do so
“…”
“…”
A sudden silence.
Elle rubbed her temples as if she had a headache.
“…Please wait a moment. I’ll let you go.”
“Is the garden all right?”
“Yes, there’s no problem. There’s no problem.”
“If so…”
Suddenly, Elle hammered her chest at Yoon-seok’s answer. Wondering why she was doing this, when he asked her if she was okay, Elle answered that she had an upset stomach.
“Anyway, from the tenth floor, it’ll be different. So don’t forget to always be careful.”
“What do you mean, different from now?”
“You’ll see!”
The moment when Elle shouted out in a sulky voice, his view flashed.
「Please proceed to the waiting room on the 10th floor.」
「All items below S-Rank sold in the store have been unlocked.」
「You can enter the Integrated Plaza.」
「All 11 coins in possession will be extinguished.」
「1,100,000 APs will be rewarded.」
She said it was going to be different from now on…
Did she mean this?
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