Chapter 29 : Manners maketh man (4)

Object.

A false living being, a part of the Tower Master’s memory regenerated and established in the Theme Stage.

However, within the object’s mind, there was a real life.

A very vivid memory, up until it became a terrible monster.

“Is the source of the test subject certain?”

“It is certain.”

Leaving the child with a faint consciousness, the cultists who sought to create a god muttered.

“We brought a child from a bloodline with the highest mana aptitude.”

“There will be no better quality than this.”

“Perfect.”

The cultists looked at the test subject, harboring a faint fervor.

On the pale skin, devoid of blood, a prominent blood-red pattern was settled like a tattoo.

“Pain.”

“It was a trial that must be willingly endured for true consciousness.”

Trial?

The child tried to understand the cultist’s words with a broken mind.

The already damaged thought circuit doesn’t function normally.

It was merely like applying electric shocks to a corpse, just writhing and reacting to external stimuli and pain.

“Condition?”

“Optimal.”

“In bringing it this far, the body and mind’s condition were brought to their maximum.”

“Good.”

The child was solely like a product.

Nothing more than a lump of flesh designed to perfectly fulfill their desires.

Trivial sentiments of a creature like love, hope, and memories that the child should harbor were entirely unnecessary for consciousness.

Because only power, guaranteed by life force, mattered.

The child was the cultists’ dream and hope.

That it would one day grow into a light and become a beacon to illuminate them.

And thus, become the sun rising in the world, they earnestly wished and wished–

They had continued the experiments.

Overloading the mana circuit drawn on the surface of the skin, integrating it with the skin.

The mana circuit thus established would undoubtedly become the child’s most reliable source of power.

The mind turning stark white in the process was not a consideration for the cultists.

‘It hurts.’

The experiment continues.

Until the child’s pure psyche is stained with blood and filled with malevolent energy.

‘Why am I the only one suffering? Why do I have to be the only one in pain? I hate everyone. I’ll make them just like me.’

The penetrated malice grows lushly, clinging to the child’s lifeline, yearning only for the day of its eventual release.

That somehow approached as a sweet hope, bringing a smile to the child buried in pain.

[“‘Object’ is activating.”]

“Wh-what? Why is the reaction like this?”

“…Something is strange.”

“The rate of overload is happening too fast compared to usual.”

“D-dangerous.”

“We need to take measures quickly…”

“Stop!”

“Are you trying to turn all our rituals so far into nothing?!”

“Then what do you suggest!”

“If ‘that thing’ is released here now, we’ll all die…!”

The chains digging deep into the skin writhed.

As if imbued with life, they began to pulse and squirm.

[“The trial begins.”]

Leaving behind the status window that they, mere accessories to the story, couldn’t even properly recognize.

“This will be fun.”

The child, the young Jinjo, greeted her liberation with a smile that seemed to tear her face.

“T-too lat-“

The chains, already a part of her, surged forward.

Piercing through the magic circle that separated the space between the girl and the cultist.

It directly impaled the sacrificial lamb’s head, forcibly extracting blood.

“Uh.”

The cultist, watching his comrade lose his life in an instant, let out a foolish sound.

Before even granting time to escape, the child bestowed the same end upon that cultist as well.

The child willingly became their hell.

Gathering the dismembered cultist’s corpse like a precious toy, she smiled, revealing a cheerful emotion towards other prey.

And this altar had more than enough blood for the child to use.

“More.”

“Where else could they beee~”

Theme Stage, 5th floor of the Tower.

Jinjo’s story had just begun.

Title: Hoe Newbie-chan, please don’t look at my embarrassing appearance 

Nickname: AgedWine*

–This is really mischievous…!

–Using my embarrassing appearance as an excuse, you’re trying to make me do embarrassing things!!

–Sob sob, this one.

–My marriage prospects are all gone ㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠ

[ㄴCrazy btch, crazy btch…]

[ㄴAt this point, isn’t she already thinking about having offspring with Newbie in her head?]

[ㄴIt’s about time, isn’t it..]

[ㄴWhat do you mean, it’s time, you crazy b*stard lolololol]

[ㄴFact: Someone like Wine-jwa is already past aging and has reached the point of evaporation–(This account has been blocked.)]

[ㄴWhat, wasn’t there just a comment?]

[ㄴNever try to find out.]

(My Post) Title: If you keep spouting nonsense, I’m gonna take a ton of object photos and post them on the gallery, later loser.

–You think this is a joke lol.

–Camera ready, on.

[ㄴOh]

[ㄴAlright~ Let’s go~ Alright~ Let’s go~ Alright~ Let’s go~ Alright~ Let’s go~]

[AgedWine*): …Don’t.]

[ㄴ(My Post): If you don’t want to, then hurry up and toss some useful info my way.]

At Do Yoon’s murderous threat(?), Wine-jwa remained silent for a long time.

Title: …Please brief me on the situation there;;

Nickname: AgedWine*

–There are so many strata, I don’t know where I was or what I was doing.

–So, just roughly, the situation…

“Oh.”

Do Yoon found the post and immediately searched for information.

Coincidentally, a good source of information was standing right next to him, terrified.

“Hey.”

“Y-yes?”

Not the Fox Beastkin hunter, but the one next to him.

He called the hunter who was sweating profusely like a waterfall.

“That object you said you saw.”

“Tell me its characteristics.”

“What kind…”

“Just tell me everything you saw, everything that happened to you.”

A monster in the form of a cute girl, giggling “heehee”.

Cultists, tag, and one hunter forcibly dragged away.

He immediately fed the acquired information to Wine-jwa.

Title: Then the answer is simple…!

Nickname: AgedWine*

–In my object state, I can’t affect other hunters, so I wouldn’t have killed the hunter I took…!

“…What?”

“Y-yes?”

“The object can’t kill hunters, she says?”

“This b*stard.”

Was he just spouting nonsense out of his own fear?

Then, at least, another hunter’s life wouldn’t be in danger, but if they were kidnapped and their actions restricted, that would create its own

problems.

“Still, we have to save them.”

“We need to catch the boss mob together, don’t we?”

“Th-that’s right.”

“But…”

“Shh, that’s enough.”

Silencing the hunter who was about to subtly suggest falling back again, Do Yoon continued to look at the Gallery skill window.

[–AgedWine*): First! As my little self wishes, you must hunt the cultists together…!]

[ㄴ(My Post): Cultists?]

[ㄴAgedWine*): That’s right! At that time, my hatred towards the cultists was at its peak, so you need to take my side and relieve my

resentment..!]

[ㄴNation-level tantrum ㄷㄷㄷ]

[ㄴWhat is this, a sulking younger cousin? Lol, gotta appease her anger lolololol]

[ㄴSo this is why she kept calling it a dark history.]

[–(My Post): So if we hunt the cultists, the object’s resentment will ease a bit? And then it’ll grant access to the next floor too?]

[ㄴAgedWine*): Exactly that!]

[ㄴShortEarElf*): Hmph~ I’m glad I didn’t show Newbie-kun my embarrassing side~]

[ㄴElf-jwa also appears since she was a baby?]

[ㄴㄴNo, Elf-jwa’s theme starts from when she’s already an adult, as far as I know]

[ㄴHer age progression is really different–(This account has been blocked)]

[ㄴSomeone… someone died!!]

“Hmm.”

So, does that mean I have to find and beat up the cultists first?

But how am I supposed to find them if I don’t know where they are?

“Do Yoon, did you figure something out?”

“She said we need to find the cultists.”

“Cultists, you mean…”

“The b*stards who tormented the object.”

“She says we need to catch and kill them to ease the object’s mind a bit.”

“…Is that information really reliable?”

“What?”

“Do Yoon, you might not know this well, but originally, protecting the cultists is the way to clear the Theme Stage.”

“That way, you can suppress the object and obtain the key to ascend to the next floor.”

Do Yoon pondered for a moment.

Whose words were correct?

The information from a hunter he had just met, with whom he barely had time to build trust and was mostly suspicious of?

Or the information from a Gallery user, the Tower Master no less, who had helped him so far and safely guided him to the 5th floor?

“I think my words are right?”

Do Yoon decided on his course of action.

“Wh-what?”

“If you don’t believe me, let’s split up here and now.”

“You’re going to wander alone in the Forbidden Zone, teeming with monsters?”

“No! And if you kill the cultists, the stage will…!”

“P-please be a little quieter… If the object finds us because of this…”

Leaving behind the cowardly hunter whose PTSD seemed to be flaring up again, the Beastkin hunter couldn’t help but be flustered.

Unless he was truly mad, was there any need to betray information that had already become the established route and ruin the stage?

Thinking back, something had been strange from the beginning.

His level of strength despite being from Earth, and that equipment.

The existence of that strange equipment that had been supporting Do Yoon’s strength since earlier kept grating on the hunter’s nerves.

“You, you, what on earth is your identi…”

Just as he was about to finally pour out the suspicions and resentment he had been holding back–

In a corner of the Beastkin hunter’s vision, he saw something squirming and approaching.

‘Ah.’

A figure, as if embodying the Grim Reaper itself, approached them.

Object.

The young Jinjo, stained with malice, who had begun hunting cultists–

Had arrived before Do Yoon and the hunters.

“D-dead.”

“We’re all going to die…!”

“Hieeee, eok…!”

“Shut up already.”

Do Yoon smacked the head of the hunter who was making a fuss.

“Want to play… taggg…?”

He looked at Jinjo, who asked so innocently.

‘She does look similar.’

There were definitely parts that were a spitting image of Wine-jwa’s photo saved in the Gallery.

Since her childhood appearance was implemented, it was certain.

Wine-jwa’s childhood.

Wine-jwa, with plump, chubby cheeks–

Appeared before him.