Episode 288. Senior Manager
“A bet? A commission?”
“It’s not fun to just bet on commission, so why don’t you let me add a little more? If I lose, I’ll pay you double the commission. Also, let me answer Rick’s question.”
“Whoa. That’s pretty interesting.”
Rick’s lips curled up.
For a worn-out middle manager, irregularities are always fun.
Even more so, if it’s about the player you’re watching with the most interest, it’s an ideal entertainment.
Even if the fee is second.
I’m curious. There are as many mountains as there are.
For example, why did you change a set item obtained by killing a yaksha, one of the strongest boss monsters in the middle layer, into an unfamiliar weapon?
How the player who climbs the tower for the first time knows more information than the residents.
And the most curious questions about how to overcome the crisis that will be shut up this time lingered in my head.
The worry didn’t last long.
“Which bet?”
Rick accepted the offer.
“I’m going to open a gate from now on, you just have to guess where it leads. If Rick loses, you’ll be waived from transaction fees for the rest of your life.”
“Hahaha. This is too much of a joke. Do you really think there’s a gate I don’t know about?”
“So let’s make a bet.”
Jinhyuk smiled brightly.
It is a bonus to arouse curiosity with moderate provocation.
“…Okay. They said they’re donating their assets to this Rick Hennessy on purpose, and I’ll be grateful for double the commission.”
Rick nodded.
Then right at that moment.
Parts!
A green gate close to bluish light opened in front of the two of them.
“This, this…?”
An earthquake shook Rick’s pupils.
Of course, you must not know.
I didn’t know that such a thing existed even when I saw the top of the tower in the past.
Not to mention, no one would recognize Rick, a mid-level manager, no matter how resourceful and intelligent he is.
Purple runes appeared along the black border.
The gate to the upper management’s room.
It is the ‘Shadow Gate’.
Whoa!
It wasn’t until the gate’s surface was completely open that Rick realized where it was leading.
“Thank you so much for waiving the transaction fee.”
“Jinhyuk… are you…”
Rick stuttered.
Then, he let out a self-deprecating laugh.
“It seems I was still overlooking it. It was a bet against Jinhyeok-sama, not anyone else.”
Still a fun player.
Perhaps this man would not be intimidated by them.
No, rather, it might be the senior managers who are driven.
“Please, I hope you have a good conversation. You who climb the tower.”
Rick took off his bowler hat and bowed deeply.
“I’ll be back.”
Jinhyeok moved.
＊＊＊
Over there…
When passing through a swaying surface.
All the sights I could see were completely changed.
Bare branches, piles of snow and a small cabin in the middle of the forest.
A place reminiscent of Northern Europe appeared.
[You have entered the area of the senior manager ‘Vendivia’.
]
Jinhyuk slowly looked around.
It’s my first time coming here.
To be honest, I never dreamed that the day would come when I would end up in the residence of one of the senior managers.
pounding! pounding! pounding!
My heart was beating fast.
As I got closer to the door, my senses in my whole body became extremely sharp, and my body contracted so that I could jump out at any moment.
‘Even though he’s a high-ranking manager, he doesn’t even feel the magic.’
Of course, it’s not without magic.
It’s just that humans can’t even feel the tremendous magic that can’t be measured, just like humans can’t hear ultrasound.
Right then.
“Come in. The door is open.”
A thin voice echoed in the cabin.
First of all, the beginning isn’t bad.
At least it wasn’t that I started attacking someone for breaking into my room.
rattle!
Jinhyuk opened the door and went inside.
thick and
I could feel the hot heat.
A female elf with impressive black skin was sitting inside the cabin where the bonfire was lit.
Dark Elf. To be precise, it was an existence that could be called the beginning of the Dark Elves.
“Hey. I lost my way and was wandering for a while, but thanks to you, I was able to light a fire to keep myself warm. I almost froze to death.”
“Ha… You’re nice too. Why don’t you ask for a blanket with very hot soup?”
“Hmm? I didn’t want that much, but if so, I think a blanket made of deer fur with sausage sliced into thumb-thick chunks and peas in cream soup would be fine. Baby’s skin is sensitive, so please use doe fur instead of stag’s. .”
“…”
At Jinhyeok’s words, the manager’s face twisted violently.
But it was only for a moment.
“The mid-managers said there was a player who hit the ball. It must have been you. Damn. A very amazing guy came in.”
Vendivia clicked her tongue.
And poured the wine on the table into a gurgling glass.
“Stop the bullshit here and tell me why you chose me among the senior managers. I just hate wasting time and money.”
The shadow gate is a line naming ceremony.
In other words, you pick the senior manager you want, and then you go there.
The moment he activated the gate, 7 managers appeared in front of Jinhyeok.
And the one chosen from among them was the dark elf ‘Vendivia’.
The first question should be addressed here.
Because the senior managers were so fickle.
“There is no particular reason. Anyway, the only information given about the senior managers is their names and races. In that case, we decided that it would be best to have a conversation with the dark elves, who are the most reasonable race. Because it will.”
“Not on the same side. What does that mean?”
“Don’t you know? One of them crossed the line. And very hard.”
“…”
The movement of the hand that was sipping wine stopped.
It’s a face I didn’t expect to know this much.
“The administrators I know are the ones who protect the tower’s discipline. But, if you collude with a certain faction, you can’t call it an administrator anymore, can you?”
“What do you want? Don’t spin around and talk.”
“We will make the manager do his or her job as a manager. So please help.”
Make the manager play the role of manager….
The pinch words hurt.
This meant that if he didn’t help, Bendivia wouldn’t be qualified as an administrator either.
“You’re arrogant. You’re talking about our role in a player-related game.”
Pointy fangs were visible from Vendivia’s mouth.
In an instant, the illusion that the warmth of the entire cabin had disappeared.
Since the senior manager revealed his intention to live in his home base away from the stairs, of course he was cold to the bone.
But the pressure didn’t last long.
“But I like the boldness.”
Bendivia stood up from her seat.
“No matter what happens in the tower, we don’t intervene. However, that’s only when it flows naturally.”
“Are you saying you want to help?”
“Help… They overestimate me. The existence trying to come out of the rift right now is not the kind that even the senior managers can do anything about. We’re all tied to one floor. If it pops out, I have no choice but to leave it alone until the set time has passed.”
I guess so.
So, the system also gave the quest just ‘survive’.
however.
“It’s not that there’s no way. If a few conditions are met, we might be able to buy the ‘time’ that Vendivia-sama said.”
I’ve already been through something like this.
Even then, I suffered so much that it was said that it was terrible, but…
I survived.
I was able to survive and continue on.
“You’ve never been through it, so you can be so confident. Or, more than that, how can you be so calm? Isn’t it human nature to be indignant or despair normally when something ridiculous happens?”
“It’s true that the Tower of Trials is unruly and unkind. But I’m not asking you to do the impossible.”
“He’s a very peculiar person. Among all the tower-climbing residents, no one has ever thought that way… Then, can I hear the reason why he thinks so?”
the last question.
Jinhyuk slowly opened his mouth.
“The Tower hopes that someone can climb to the top. It wants more than anyone else to reach the end of this world.”
Don’t know if this is the right answer.
I don’t know if I liked Bendivia or not.
That’s why I spoke the truth that I put in the middle of the day.
Really… I thought so.
“Clear the 16th floor one day.”
“…!”
“Why are you looking so surprised? If you’re confident like you said, try to deal with the boss on the 16th floor in one day. If you do, I’ll give you this as you wish.”
A jewel emitting a mysterious light protruded from Vendivia’s bosom.
‘Soul Stone of Longing’.
A special item that can damage the soul.
In terms of size, it is about medium size.
It means that it’s enough to fight like crazy for a few hours at least.
“Is this what you need? Aren’t you doing it for the weapon you carry in your arms?”
[Credential test for senior manager ‘Vendivia’]
Description: Defeat the boss monster on the 16th floor alone and free the way to the 17th floor.
Condition: Solo play (limited to defeating the boss) / 23h:59m:59s
Reward: Soul Stone of Desire (4h)
The status window that appeared in front of you.
The first gateway to survival for the left of destruction has begun.
“Haru. I see.”
Jinhyeok accepted the quest.
before leaving the cabin. Vendivia added a word.
“I’ve seen countless climbers up until now. The Empire, the Murim, and the deities of each myth. The spirit world, the demons, and the Elyos were all confident that they would see the top of the tower. So I expected quite a bit. Some people, some forces, I believe that I will be able to climb to the top of the tower.”
A bitter voice continued.
“As you can see now, all the factions and rankers failed to reach the top. Now they are frantic about defending and expanding their respective territories.”
so that.
Managers also compromised between ideals and reality.
Now I just throw away my expectations and live the same life every day according to the contract with the system.
“But maybe… I think
you might be different. ”
The conversation
ended there.
However, various carnivorous plants and insect-type monsters, as well as a hot and humid environment,
all threatened the survival of the players.
Therefore, it was difficult to reach the boss monster on the 16th floor even after wandering for days and days.
However,
‘Challenger’ I never thought there would be.’
Jinhyeok looked at the entrance of the ruins.
There were traces of a large number of people entering the ruins where the boss was.
‘About 20 people.’
Outside the ruins, there was a flag engraved with a huge rock giant symbolizing the Titan guild. Since
they entered this place first, it was a sign that other guilds were prohibited from entering until the raid failed. I did
n’t know because I was concentrating
on the game and Moorim.
If you come this far, it means you have a fairly solid raid group.
Of course, you can’t reach the end of the ruins with ‘solid’.
I don’t know about the named monsters in the middle, but it’s impossible for the boss.
‘The boss said you have to defeat it alone , so I need to hurry up a bit.’
But then,
“Kirik!”
“Shh! Hush!”
A giant snake and a spider appeared with a metal sound
.
It seemed that he had no intention of just letting go of the approaching man with his mouth watering. It
went well just in time.
Even if it wasn’t, I needed something to relax my hands, but I should think of playing a practice game while it happened like this. Jinhyeok
activated the ‘Subspace Inventory’.
“It’s been a while since I’ve used it. I don’t think it’s going to be hard to finish it cleanly because I’m doing it. I don’t think I can control it well.”
Beyond the swaying space, instead of the existing weapon, a quite heterogeneous weapon came out.
Clap!
Clap!
Two unique pistols were loaded.
