Chapter 43

After cleaning the used bookstore, I sat down and looked out the window.

Perhaps because there weren’t many people who had entered the Tower, the streets were quiet.

Not only were there few who had passed the tutorial, but there were also just few people in general.

It felt awkward to see a scene quite different from the street I was thinking of.

Not a bustling street, but a quiet street filled only with silence.

Unfamiliar yet familiar. Paradoxical, but I couldn’t express it any other way.

Even originally, there weren’t many customers who visited.

In the beginning, many people came saying there might be hidden elements like Easter eggs.

But since there were so many books, most gave up and left.

And I also drove them away.

I didn’t like people disrupting my space by making noise without even buying books.

It might be just a simple bookstore to others, but not to me.

Think about it. Isn’t it impolite to do that in a space prepared for commemoration, similar to a columbarium?

Well, they wouldn’t have known that fact.

“I’m bored.”

Usually at times like this, I used to play with the old man…

“I wonder what he looked like when he was young.”

Let’s leave that as a pleasure for when we meet again.

“By the way, what should I really do now?”

Players were still having a reorganization time, so there weren’t any channels I could enter.

That’s why I had conversations with Sleet and also visited Moon.

Yes, I’m in an extremely bored state right now.

I melted down and slumped in the chair.

I can see the world turned upside down.

Looking at it this way, the familiar world looks unfamiliar.

The specialness hidden in the ordinary comes into view.

Looking at it this way, it’s not all bad. It means I can capture things I couldn’t see normally.

“It would be the same for you too. So there’s no need to be afraid.”

I uttered words, not knowing who they were for, and picked up my phone.

The feel of the phone, fitting snugly in one hand, was good. Moderately cold and with moderate weight.

“Being like this, it feels like I’ve returned to the past.”

It feels like I’ve returned to that peaceful time.

To those peaceful days when I could just fiddle with my phone without thinking about anything.

“Why is that? Many things have changed for me, so why do I think of that time?”

The gender, face, place, even the phone I’m holding—everything is different, yet I recall memories of that time.

What I’m holding is only shaped like a phone; it can’t perform any functions other than viewing broadcasts.

I turned on the phone that was off.

It turns on without much resistance.

“Huh?”

This means a channel is open and there are already players starting to climb the Tower.

I immediately entered the open channel.

Perhaps others also had nothing to do, as the number of viewers was high.

[Anonymous Constellation 3 greets, saying it’s nice to meet you.]

Since I entered quickly, I received a relatively early number.

I don’t know what use this is, but it makes me feel good for no reason.

The contract with the Constellation has already ended, but the Constellations’ chats were still maintained as anonymous.

[‘The One Who Floats Leisurely’ says to maintain mannerly chat on your own.]

The Constellation who has formed a contract with the channel’s player reveals their Constellation name and performs the role of a manager who manages the broadcast.

The fact that ‘The One Who Floats Leisurely’ is the manager means that the player climbing the Tower now is Park Choonsik.

The player resembling a hero with a rather rustic name than expected.

[Anonymous Constellation 7 gives unsolicited advice, asking why he’s climbing the Tower already.]

[Anonymous Constellation 7 babbles ominous words, saying that climbing the Tower so hastily will lead to failure.]

[Anonymous Constellation 7…]

[Anonymous Constellation 7 has been kicked out of the channel.]

[‘The One Who Floats Leisurely’ shouts that unsolicited advice is cut off.]

[‘The One Who Floats Leisurely’ says unsolicited advice and slander are prohibited in this channel.]

Park Choonsik, seemingly unaffected by such words, was observing the surrounding environment.

Seeing a mini-map at the edge of view, it seems he chose climbing among the three routes.

Monsters are visible, but he doesn’t rashly attack first.

After quietly observing the monsters, he seems to notice they are non-aggressive monsters and comes out from the tree where he was hiding to start looking for stairs.

While wandering around like that, he first distinguishes between aggressive and non-aggressive monsters.

Based on that distinction, he clearly determines which targets to attack.

By doing so, his progress was definitely faster.

Unlike the tutorial, Constellations could send messages even during combat while climbing the Tower.

Sabotage could come through this, but it’s doubtful someone would go that far.

“Because that would lead to a bad reputation.”

Even if hidden behind anonymity, habits of speech and such tend to show.

This means that if one tries to dig out who’s hiding behind the name of anonymity, they could easily find out.

[Anonymous Constellation 13 cheers for Park Choonsik.]

[Anonymous Constellation 13 cheers for Park Choonsik.]

[Anonymous Constellation 13 cheers for Park Choonsik.]

.

.

.

[Anonymous Constellation 13 cheers for Park Choonsik.]

[Anonymous Constellation 13 has been permanently banned from the channel.]

[‘The One Who Floats Leisurely’ threatens that spamming results in permanent ban.]

Yes, that means one shouldn’t obstruct the view in this way.

Park Choonsik, seemingly unaffected even in the midst of that, was calmly examining his surroundings.

He sits on the ground to check the state of the soil and also runs his hand over trees.

“The ground isn’t damp here? It’s strange, since it’s submerged in water.”

Park Choonsik said, tilting his head.

“But it was damp back there?”

“Oh, that’s perceptive.”

More perceptive than expected.

Since the place where the stairs are hidden is a space connected to other floors, it was disconnected.

That’s why the surrounding area wasn’t moist but dried up.

As expected, he soon found the stairs.

[Anonymous Constellation 3 congratulates him.]

[Anonymous Constellation 8 says to brace himself because it’s just starting now.]

Park Choonsik began climbing the stairs, firmly gripping the greatsword.

Even while climbing the stairs, the background was still the Sea Forest, and the attacking enemies were monsters inhabiting this place.

* * *

Choonsik begins climbing the stairs without any railings.

He climbs the stairs with the anxiety that he might fall if he misplaces a foot.

He climbs the stairs with each step filled with instability.

Looking back, the darkness at his feet was swallowing the shadows.

He thought that if he fell, he would fall endlessly.

“That means there’s no way to retreat.”

He turned his head forward again, trying to suppress his fear.

He was scared, but he had to move forward.

The heroes in the fairy tales he had read were always like this.

There was always a question he had while looking at such heroes. Don’t heroes feel fear?

He admired them.

Unlike himself, who was always afraid of everything, he envied them who boldly took one step at a time.

But it wasn’t so.

Living life, he realized that wasn’t the case.

They too were people.

Of course, they were ordinary people who felt fear and disliked dying.

Nevertheless, they move forward because they clearly know there is something worse than death.

Because they knew the value of sacrifice more deeply than anyone else.

They were moving forward, suppressing their fear.

I was still admiring heroes.

There were times when it felt pathetic to chase the dream of being a hero, not being a little child anymore, but what could I do?

I can’t forget the thrill that the word ‘hero’ gives.

With such thoughts, he climbs the stairs slowly, one step at a time.

Monsters rushing towards him as if swimming through the air.

He narrowly avoids the acidic liquids that jellyfish spit out.

Perhaps because there were fewer places to dodge, evading was more tricky.

He grabbed the greatsword and swung it.

Perhaps due to the weight, a strong air pressure rose.

The cloud attached to the greatsword amplified that air pressure, and it split the jellyfish’s bodies in half as it passed.

The skill received from the Constellation was indeed good for its versatility.

Like the shape of clouds or weather, it could be utilized in various ways, having good versatility.

An extreme vibration is felt.

Looking up, dozens of Noksoo packs were pushing down from the upper part of the stairs.

Seeing the Noksoo packs rushing like a massive wave, his hands begin to tremble.

With trembling hands, he grabs the greatsword and swings it as if nothing happened.

He continuously collects his mind so that the emotional disturbance doesn’t seep into the greatsword.

The rushing monsters stood like questions.

-What are you climbing the Tower for?

-Do you really think you can find the answer at the end?

Doubts packaged as questions surge over.

He doesn’t waver. He tried not to waver.

“A hero never wavers, no matter what happens.”

He focused only on climbing the stairs, softly reciting the words he had cherished like a spell.