Chapter 47

Did I make the right choice?

That thought kept circling in Haemi’s mind.

The NPC in the building called the Association said to choose one of three paths.

The first path was a rugged mountain, the second was a vast desert, and the last, the third path, was a flowing river.

As I hesitated without making a choice, the NPC approached me.

He had an expression like he was dying to speak.

It seemed his mouth was itching to give an explanation.

Sure enough, not long after, he was fluently spilling out detailed explanations about each route.

“This path is an endless challenge towards a high peak. Rough rocks and thin air test true aspiration and will. When you reach the summit, the scenery that unfolds beneath your feet quietly proves your achievement. This symbolizes perseverance and growth towards a goal.”

He speaks with a pose. Pushing his pot belly forward, he smiles as if pleased.

“It symbolizes climbing the Tower. If you choose this path, you must find the Tower’s stairs and overcome trials while climbing those stairs.”

Pointing to the second path, he begins explaining again.

“This path is an endlessly stretching desolate sandfield. You must fight thirst and fatigue under the hot sun, but the oasis that appears like a mirage in the distance makes you hold hope. The journey across the desert symbolizes holding onto the instinct of survival and the spark of hope.”

He’s truly someone who loves to talk.

I’m not sure if I should view them as people.

The word ‘NPC’ is a term that strangely creates resistance, making it difficult to see them as people.

Maybe it’s more so because the world has changed to be similar to a game.

“It symbolizes struggle, fight for survival in the Tower. If you choose this path, you must fight against the rushing monsters. It’s no different from an arena.”

He bursts into hearty laughter.

Nevertheless, if you look beyond that designation, their human aspects come into view.

Reality similar to a game, but not a game.

There might be no sentence that expresses the current world better than that.

“This path flows gently like the river of time, and sometimes swirling events lead in new directions. On the riverbank, memories of the past stand like lush trees, and the river holds the present. All rivers eventually flow into the ocean, and this symbolizes a completed story.”

The NPC continued his explanation, indifferent to the confusion in my mind.

He seemed to enjoy the act of speaking itself.

“It’s a lost world, and thus it’s a path following the story of a forgotten world. It might be the most arduous and difficult. Mentally, that is.”

He said, moving his fat body while waddling.

“Now, it’s time to choose. Before that, one who wants to climb the Tower, what is your name?”

In terms of a game, this would be the section for entering your nickname.

“My name is Kim Haemi.”

“I see. Kim Haemi, a good name.”

“What’s your name, mister?”

Why did I ask that? I don’t know.

I just wanted to confirm, I think.

I needed a clear standard on whether this was a game or reality.

If it’s an entity that only moves within a set frame, it wouldn’t answer my question. Just like in a game.

“Hoho. You’re the first to ask my name, young one.”

He laughed delightedly. While doing so, he looked at me with eyes full of appreciation.

“My name is Park Dalbyun.”

“It’s a fitting name.”

“Haemi, I think the third path would suit you. You seem to have talent.”

.

.

.

It wasn’t solely because of those words that I chose it, but I couldn’t deny they had some influence.

It seemed like more than just an empty compliment.

Slither.

A jellyfish floated away, bobbing up and down.

The moment I got close to the jellyfish, I launched an attack while maintaining Mist Form.

I released Mist Form timed precisely with the moment of impact.

The jellyfish collapsed.

Now I’ve become able to deal with this level without any trouble.

[Anonymous Constellation 1 marvels at how much your skill has improved.]

[Anonymous Constellation 3 praises, saying it was a fairly good picture.]

[‘The Owner of the Bookshelf with Nostalgia’ feels proud.]

It’s partly due to becoming familiar through continuous battles with monsters, but more than that, other factors had a greater influence.

The book received from the used bookstore, and the conversations we had.

I can’t explain it clearly, but I seemed to have somewhat grasped the system of skills.

Skills don’t activate just by uttering the skill name.

This was content I knew from the tutorial experience.

You have to raise magic power and release that magic power outward.

Since I’ve been investing the stats I’ve gained so far in magic power, the existence of magic power felt a bit more vivid.

As the quantity itself increased, I could feel it with each investment of stats.

Thanks to that, I could faintly feel the flow of magic power flowing in my body.

Skills don’t have a fixed form. It means they can be transformed as desired.

Like now, they could be used continuously in an on/off format, or they could be used briefly in a single burst.

They could be applied to the entire body, or only to parts.

More free application was possible than expected.

Just with that, skills could transform much more diversely.

That’s all I’ve figured out so far.

“Sigh, it’s overwhelming.”

I sprinkled mist to block approaches around and lit a campfire.

It was amazing that fire could ignite underwater, but if you think about it that way, it’s also strange that there’s a forest itself.

I just gave up trying to understand.

I thought while grilling the jellyfish I just caught over the campfire.

When would I be able to escape this place?

It’s already the third day trapped in the Tower.

They say to follow the story, but I haven’t found anything like that.

No matter where I looked, there were only monsters.

Even the food I brought is gone, so I had no choice but to grill and eat monsters.

Still, if you ignore the external unpleasantness, the taste was edible.

While eating like that, I saw a flickering light in the distance.

It came closer and closer, resembling both a firefly and a will-o’-the-wisp.

Holding a dagger in my hand and being vigilant, it soon revealed its identity.

It was a small fairy.

Similar to a human but small enough to fit in a palm, with butterfly wings on its back.

Since I had Mist Form activated, it seemed it couldn’t see me.

It was thanks to the abundant mist around hiding my appearance.

Perhaps finding the suddenly settled mist awkward, it looked around cautiously before sitting near the campfire.

It puts down the leaf that was glowing like a lamp in its hand.

It warms its hands and feet by the campfire, chasing away the cold.

I could naturally realize.

This fairy-like creature was the first key leading to the story.

By the way, I missed the timing.

It became ambiguous when I should reveal myself.

If I reveal myself now, it seems like it would be startled and run away…

Gurgle.

It wasn’t a sound from my stomach.

When I turned my head following the source of the sound, I saw a fairy clutching its stomach.

For whatever reason, its eyes were full of moisture.

I can see teardrops rolling down.

I released Mist Form and revealed myself, but it seemed it hadn’t noticed my identity.

As I deliberately made footsteps to announce my presence, it jumped up with a start.

I can see the features gathered densely on its small face.

Its eyes are round, looking at me.

As the fairy tried to run away after assessing the situation, I held out a grilled jellyfish leg in front of it.

Then it stopped midway through its escape, stood still for a moment pondering, and sat down again.

Crack, crackle.

I spaced out, watching the sparks jumping up.

Thanks to this sound, silence couldn’t wedge its way in.

I can feel the gaze occasionally looking at me.

Then, as if gathering courage, it speaks to me.

“Thank you. Thanks to you, I survived. The day was cold, it was hard to find the way because of the fog, and moreover, I was hungry and feeling so pitiful.”

Its voice was as small as its body.

It seems like it wouldn’t be audible unless listened to with concentration.

“But what brings you to this place?”

I also spoke as quietly as possible, whispering.

“I’m on an adventure. I’m wandering here and there.”

I naturally told a lie.

It was because I had a premonition that I shouldn’t reveal the identity of the Tower.

“Adventurer, can you tell me adventure stories?”

It leans in with sparkling eyes.

“Not ‘Adventurer’, but Kim Haemi.”

“Ah, hihi. Then I’m Choari. Not a fruit fly!”

From the hurried addition at the end, I could tell she had been teased a lot about her name.

“Can you tell me about your adventures, Haemi?”

Huh? What should I say? I don’t have any adventure stories.

I haven’t even gone on adventures in the first place.

“I don’t see why not.”

I answered like that for now while frantically thinking.

The solution came from an unexpected place.

[‘The Owner of the Bookshelf with Nostalgia’ advises that telling one of the fairy tales would work.]

I chose one of the stories I heard as a child and told it.

A story with a similar feel to the landscape where I am now.

The story of the Little Mermaid.