Chapter 22

I feel completely drained even though I’ve only negotiated two conditions.

Among them, ‘Time’s’ playful attitude surely had an influence.

She acts like a cantankerous old person, as if starved for human interaction.

I want to say something, but being in the weaker position, what can I do? I have to endure it.

“Next, I’d like permission to create Human Resources and Development departments within the Tower.”

“That’s a completely new system, isn’t it? Since there are many additions, let’s separate them and adjust them one by one.”

‘Time’ swings her legs with an excited expression, like a child opening a gift package.

“The Human Resources department would literally manage players.”

“I’ll put them in charge of guild management and battle system management.”

“You mean to create an atmosphere of cooperation among players?”

Her excited expression quickly changes to an indifferent one.

“That’s boring.”

Good news. When ‘Time’ says something is boring, it means the value isn’t calculated to be very high.

It means the price to be paid isn’t that big.

Sure enough, the scale only tilted a little.

“Cooperation is the privilege of the powerless. It’s not a system suitable for the Tower, which needs to pick out the strong.”

“Isn’t this similar to the possibility you mentioned? Even the weak might have potential that hasn’t been unleashed.”

“Even so, competition is more effective than cooperation as a system. People exert their potential when pushed to extreme situations.”

“Not everyone is like that.”

“In the Tower, only such people can survive.”

It’s a calm tone, as if stating an extremely obvious fact.

She doesn’t get angry or raise her voice, just calmly states reality.

Rather, the one getting angry and raising their voice was me.

I know it myself. That ‘Time’s’ words are closer to the truth.

“Peace allows people’s potential to bloom. It takes a lot of time and invests a lot of effort. Like flowering, it provides good soil, appropriate temperature, and fertilizer for them.”

Every time ‘Time’ swings her foot once, the scent of flowers wafts over.

The visible scenery is clearly a dark, gloomy amusement park, but it creates the illusion of being in a flower garden.

“In times of peace, we can wait for them. Within the fence provided by peace, they bloom brilliantly and splendidly. Even if it takes a long time, there’s leisure to wait for them.”

Then, she evaluates.

“They’re greenhouse flowers. There’s nothing wrong with being flowers. They definitely provide the value of beauty to others.”

But the situation has changed a lot.

The word ‘peace’ has long become a hollow value that only appears in dictionaries.

The dusty word ‘peace’ has become a word like a forgotten relic of an old era.

Flowers cannot grow in this era where the values of competition and destruction are more fitting than those of cooperation and preservation.

“What’s more valuable in this era are weeds that easily adapt and rise up in any environment.”

Their tenacious vitality has become the most important value in this era where many don’t even bloom and are abandoned.

You can’t blame them even if they trample others to survive.

Even if it’s dirty and ugly, it’s a matter of survival.

People talk about humanity and values, but in the end, the most important thing is oneself.

Players’ skills were mostly unrefined and rough, with strong wildness like untamed beasts.

They were definitely strong in terms of firepower, but it was difficult to do detailed and precise work.

“In the current era, potential is not something to be bloomed but to be detonated.”

The situation wasn’t favorable for blooming.

There’s neither time to wait nor resources to invest.

“Competition is more effective than cooperation. We need one competent person rather than an incompetent majority. Only those who know how to trample others can survive.”

She says this while stroking the thorny vines binding her.

She strokes them casually, as if the thorns aren’t prickly.

The rose that should bloom in the thorny vines doesn’t bloom. The rose in the closed bud ultimately keeps its mouth shut and never opens.

“This is reality. We look to ideals, but what we stand on is reality.”

“I’m not saying we’ll eliminate competition. I’m saying we’ll add cooperation.”

“Is that so? Well, I only give advice, making decisions isn’t my role. So what can you offer?”

“A skill system overhaul.”

“What?”

A voice of surprise is heard.

‘Time,’ who was full of composure, showed emotion for the first time.

Now she finally felt like a living person.

“How are you thinking of overhauling the skill system?”

She presses her face close, exhaling with a lot of excitement.

Is it because of something beyond her prediction? Or simply because of my proposal?

“I’m not talking about complete deletion. It’s about adding various restrictions or removing several functions.”

It was something I had been planning for a long time.

Skills in the Tower have unnecessarily many functions attached to them.

This is to lighten that.

“First, skills can no longer be acquired without any restrictions.”

The current skills force the development of talents in areas where there’s no talent.

At first glance, it seems like an extremely convenient and useful function, but in reality, it’s not.

With forcibly developed talent, one can’t grow skills to a higher level or draw out proper performance.

Above all, the biggest problem is that it becomes difficult to identify what one’s potential is when acquiring skills haphazardly.

It becomes difficult to set a growth direction.

On the other hand, if skills can only be learned when there’s talent, that part can be solved. If you can learn that skill, it means you have talent in that area.

It reduces unnecessary investment and enables efficient growth.

“Second, I’m going to delete the skill proficiency.”

The proficiency system stimulates players’ enterprising spirit because growth itself is visible.

But there are side effects.

It demands repetitive mastery and hinders qualitative growth.

There are things to gain through repetition.

I can’t deny the efficiency that repetition gives in the early stages, but in the middle to late stages, one needs to understand the mechanism of the skill itself rather than repetition.

However, players who are only accustomed to repetitive mastery find it difficult to accept the concept of learning.

Therefore, the proficiency system was one of those things that’s better off not existing.

“Lastly, if you can’t master low-grade skills, you won’t be able to master high-grade skills.”

Mathematics requires basic common sense to move on to advanced courses.

Skills are the same. Basic concepts must be in place to properly draw out the power of high-grade skills.

Now, it’s become a rootless world where one can use Hellfire without mastering Fireball.

This is to prevent that.

Because one must have at least minimal basic knowledge.

“It’s definitely smoother that way. It also resolves many contradictions the Tower currently has.”

Fortunately, a positive response came from ‘Time’.

I thought she would criticize it as a shortcut or wordplay.

“This way, I should actually provide one.”

“I’m thinking of making the Human Resources department able to invite people who haven’t received invitation rights to the Tower, or invite those who have invitation rights more quickly.”

“That would maintain approximate balance.”

After that, the deal continued smoothly.

Regarding the Development department, we reached an agreement as planned, increasing the Tower’s inherent difficulty.

.

.

.

“Then I will turn back time.”

‘Time’ stood up and walked somewhere.

Without making a sound, she lightly walked to a huge door.

A door locked with long chains.

The chains, rusty from not being opened for a long time, began to move with creaking sounds.

Like snakes crawling, the chains moved smoothly, unlocking the door.

“Just follow this path straight ahead.”

“Am I going alone?”

“You’re carrying it on your shoulders. People, your used bookstore, everything.”

‘Time’ approached me and placed something in my hand.

It was a small pouch. As I tried to open it, ‘Time’ stopped me and said,

“You shouldn’t open it until you arrive. You also shouldn’t lose it.”

Her attitude is uncharacteristically serious. She looked like the most devout believer and also like a god overlooking everything.

As I tried to put it in my inventory, she dissuades me again.

“What did I say happens when you play around? Do you want to part ways with your wrist forever?”

“…This isn’t allowed either?”

“The act of walking, the act of holding something in your hand, the meaning lies in the act itself.”

‘Time’ smiled slightly and continued. She taps her mouth once, her ear once, and speaks.

“If you don’t speak, you don’t know. If you don’t listen, you can’t know anything. Every act has an appropriate meaning assigned to it.”

‘Time’ looked at the huge door and spoke in a solemn voice.

“When you enter here, you won’t see anything. You won’t hear anything. All senses, including smell, will be temporarily blocked. You will doubt yourself countless times. But despite that, you must never look back.”

She continues with a gentle smile.

“Looking back means there’s lingering attachment. It will mean that the attachment you haven’t completely erased holds back your steps, and the memories you’ve left behind seduce you.”

She puts her hands together as if praying and continues.

A more brilliant light than anyone else’s wraps around her, creating a sacred atmosphere.

“You walk by erasing the steps you’ve taken. To you who will walk the past to be erased, the future that won’t be the same, I offer a small comfort and will support you, hoping you achieve what you desire.”

With her words, I stepped inside the huge door.

“Then, goodbye.”

With her final words, the door closed.