Chapter 13 – Proof of Value (1)

Ｒ​ｅａｄ ｏｎ Ｋａ​ｔＲｅａｄｉ​ｎｇＣａｆｅ

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• Lafsly

ㄴI kept watching out of curiosity and noticed something. Looks like something happened.

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A user posted a short message along with a video they had recorded.

Reina, upon watching the video, momentarily held her breath.

The clearly captured footage showed Shadis, whom she had parted ways with earlier that afternoon, and five unfamiliar men and women.

“Ack!”

“Looks like you’ve been living well, huh?”

In a dimly lit back alley, far from the bustling nightlife of the city, Shadis was surrounded by the group.

She was dragged into the alley, punched in the stomach, and left writhing on the ground.

“How about we throw you back into the dungeon this time?”

“P-please, not that…”

One of them stepped on Shadis’s head as she clutched her stomach, laughing mockingly.

At the mention of the dungeon, Shadis gasped and desperately grabbed at their pants.

In the Tower, being thrown into a dungeon wasn’t just about being locked up.

Prisoners were subjected to harsh labor, inhumane experiments, and brutal fights among themselves—a true isolation.

Even Shadis, who had only glimpsed the entrance, trembled in genuine fear.

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ㄴ“She got caught by those scumbags.”

ㄴ“Figures. It’s common for vigilantes to act like thugs. Why are they all the same? Lol.”

ㄴ“That guy’s part of the Union police, right? I can already see how this plays out.”

ㄴ“This brings back memories. Nothing’s changed since I climbed the Tower. Lol.”

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The comments poured in, showing strong reactions.

It was common for vigilantes and Union police to extort and abuse the criminals they caught.

The group confronting Shadis was no different.

They were the vigilantes and Union police who had caught Shadis pickpocketing before. After giving her a taste of the dungeon, they had told her to pay them regularly in exchange for turning a blind eye to her crimes.

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ㄴ“Look at these scumbags playing around.”

ㄴ“She’s just reaping what she sowed.”

ㄴ“But Reina took care of her…”

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Most comments mocked the group.

To the gallery users, their crimes seemed childish and laughable.

Of course, there were also those who scoffed at Shadis’s past actions and a few who sympathized with her.

“Huh? What’s this?”

“N-no! That’s… ugh!”

“So you were hiding this. I don’t know who you stole it from, but it looks valuable. Maybe we’ll let you off this time in exchange for it.”

But the moment they discovered the dagger Reina had given Shadis, hidden in her clothes.

“You can’t take that! She gave it to me!”

“Is this bitch crazy… stomp her!”

And as Shadis desperately tried to protect it, they began beating her mercilessly.

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ㄴ“Are those bastards insane?”

ㄴ“Can’t we do something about this? I’d love to teach them a lesson.”

ㄴ“It’s frustrating, but what can we do? If it’s related to Reina, maybe the mods can pass on a message.”

ㄴ“This is so infuriating. Why did you even post this video, OP? -_-”

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The gallery users, all once conquerors of the Tower who had earned the title of constellations, could do nothing.

Even if they were powerful enough to sweep the group aside with a finger, without a contractor to communicate with, all they could do was post comments.

That was the system.

‘They must be furious and frustrated. I am too.’

But this moment was different.

Unlike them, there was someone who could act—someone who was watching this unfold with them in the gallery.

Reina, the challenger they supported and sponsored, could provide the catharsis they needed.

She instinctively knew she had to soothe the rising anger of the gallery users.

And vent her own fury as well.

“…”

With a stiff expression, she quietly woke from her rest.

She threw on a coat over her silk robe and stepped out of the hotel in an instant.

“M-Miss Reina…? May I ask where you’re going?”

A hotel employee, seeing her descend to the lobby in the middle of the night, asked nervously.

“I felt like taking a night walk.”

She answered casually.

What could the employee say to that? They awkwardly smiled and stayed silent.

Her response was also for the gallery users watching her.

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[Is Reina really going for a walk right now?]

[The hotel’s closer than I thought. Maybe she’ll notice?!]

[Her intuition ability is no joke! No wonder Reina’s so sharp.]

.

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The users cheered at Reina’s actions.

It might have been sudden, but the excitement and emotions needed an outlet.

“Ugh…”

“Tell us. Who did you steal this from? How did you even manage to steal something like this without getting caught? Someone with an item like this wouldn’t let a thief like you near them.”

In the midst of the searing pain, Shadis, lying face down on the cold ground, felt blood trickling from her mouth as her hair was yanked, forcing her to look up.

Through her blurred vision, she saw the man holding the dagger, smirking.

“I… received it. Fairly.”

She grimaced in pain, her scalp feeling like it was being torn off.

But her answer only made them laugh.

“Who? Who would give something like this to someone like you? You couldn’t get this even if you sold your scrawny body!”

No one believed her. Especially the phrase “someone like you” stabbed at her heart.

‘That’s right. How? Why?’

Looking back, meeting Reina felt like a dream to Shadis.

A top-ranked challenger from the upper floors had teamed up with her, acknowledged her, and even given her a gift.

Just a few days ago, she would have dismissed it as nonsense, much like these people.

“If it’s true, then whoever gave it to her must be out of their mind.”

“Maybe they had ulterior motives. Like cursing the item. Oh no, that sounds dangerous, doesn’t it?”

They didn’t stop there, casually badmouthing Reina.

Of course, they had no idea who Reina was, but Shadis clenched her teeth at their insults.

She didn’t mention Reina’s name. She didn’t want to drag her into this.

‘If only I had… power.’

Her fists trembled. She hadn’t craved strength like this since the incident a year ago.

“I gave it to her.”

But at that moment, they froze at the voice from behind.

Strangely, the clouds parted, and moonlight flooded the alley.

“W-what? Moonlight Blade…”

Reina wasn’t wearing her sunglasses or hat, and of course, they recognized her.

Her silver hair shimmered under the moonlight, and her red eyes glowed brightly.

“That item is something I entrusted to her. Coveting it is the same as coveting my belongings. You know the consequences, don’t you?”

“W-Wait! We didn’t know! And you entrusted it to her? This… this petty thief?!”

Terrified, they frantically denied their actions as Reina drew her sword from her inventory.

To them, it was like being struck by lightning on a clear day.

“You can’t do this! Even you can’t just kill us without reason!”

“I-I’m part of the 30th-floor Union police! Killing me is declaring war on the Union!”

They desperately tried to justify themselves, hoping to survive.

But none of them dared to think they could stand against her.

They only hoped to use their affiliations to find a way out.

“If anyone tries to bite back, I’ll just donate some money like last time. Your lives are worth pocket change anyway.”

But Reina, in one swift motion, infused her blade with light and severed their heads.

No matter how much they tried to mimic the outside world, strength was the most valued currency in the Tower.

The value of a top-ranked challenger, essential for preventing the collapse of multiple worlds, far outweighed the lives of thousands of residents or low-floor dwellers.

Who would dare to arrest her for executing a few thieves who tried to steal her belongings?

‘This is power. This is the Tower.’

Shadis, sitting amidst the bloodied corpses, trembled as she looked up at Reina’s glowing red eyes.

Author Note

A/N (Author’s note):
Thank you for reading.

Translator Note

T/N (Translator’s note):
Now harvest their organs and sell it for a quick buck.