episode_0065

65. Bicycle Date.

Amidst the confusion in front of countless people, Johan quickly searched for Sarah. Her help was essential to proceed with the tower.

He even used [Accident Acceleration] to find her. And, before long, he was able to find Sarah.

“You were here.”

“······!”

No, to be precise, he was ‘found.’ He heard her voice from behind. Johan felt his heart beat a little faster as he turned around.

“Ugh! Team Leader’s wife! You’re like a goblin!”

Deoksu spoke for Johan’s feelings. However, Sarah only looked at Johan, despite Deoksu’s fuss.

“The tower keeps dropping me randomly. It took quite a while to get here because of that.”

Her expression was slightly strained. Others might not notice, but Johan did. He realized she was uncomfortable.

Johan is the only human who recognizes her regression. As for her, Johan’s location was bound to be a concern.

Of course, Johan felt the same way. He wanted her too. To return to the modern era.

“Indeed, problems may arise someday. I’ll try to figure out a solution.”

“Yes. I’ll look for alternatives as well.”

While Johan and Sarah were having a serious conversation, a deep voice was heard next to them.

“Hehehe, you two are getting along well? It’s nice to see.”

“······.”

Johan turned to look at Deoksu. He had a lewd expression on his face. It was obvious what this old man was thinking. Johan sighed and replied.

“It’s not like that.”

“······Keuheu.”

Deoksu just laughed. Johan shook his head and looked back at Sarah. There was no need to deal with him.

“······?”

But, for some reason, Sarah’s expression was strange. She was staring intently at Johan. With her eyebrows slightly furrowed.

‘What is it?’

The moment Johan thought that, a clear voice echoed in his mind.

[Welcome to the 3rd floor.]

[From now on, I will explain the rules of the 3rd floor.]

Johan felt strange. The tower’s attitude was somehow different.

‘Why is it so polite and kind?’

It was as if the ‘someone’ managing each floor was different. It was like looking at a company with multiple capital investments.

It was a sudden thought, but it was quite plausible. In fact, could the tower be like a game with intertwined interests of various groups?

He couldn’t know for now. Johan kept the question that arose tucked away in a corner of his mind. Anyway, now is the time to listen carefully to the rules.

[The trial on the 3rd floor is a ‘Marathon.’ Players can proceed to the 4th floor once they arrive at the designated location.]

[You can purchase various items or food at the ‘stores’ that appear from time to time. However, the price varies depending on the store.]

[As soon as the trial begins, you will be provided with a ‘ride.’ *However, the ride given is random.*]

[Players can kill each other. However, it is impossible within a certain time period. *0:00~12:00.*]

[You cannot acquire karma by killing players on the 3rd floor.]

The moment that voice ended, a blue hologram was created in one corner of the view. It was in the form of a clock.

[00:00:00.0000 seconds.]

Indeed, a world full of superhumans. The length of the decimal point was exceptional.

Soon, the tower’s last voice was heard.

[Let’s begin.]

Immediately after, the red line that existed in front of them disappeared. The players were briefly confused by the sudden explanation, but someone took the first step.

Tadat-!

“Oh, oh!”

“F, first, run!!”

Dududududu-

Starting with this, most of the players began to sprint forward. Everyone knew where to go.

Johan looked at the red arrow that appeared in front of him. It seems like this is a signpost.

‘It only tells me the direction, not the distance. How long is this going to take?’

Given the restriction of night and day, it won’t be an ordinary distance. Considering that you can even buy food at the store, it might take several months.

“Hey, Team Leader? Aren’t you running? We’re in a hurry…”

“It’s okay. There’s something I need to check first.”

Johan answered Deoksu’s question and opened his inventory. Either way, there’s an infinite regressor here. Rushing too hastily might ruin things.

Booaaang-

A loud exhaust sound was heard from somewhere. Looking ahead, a monster bike that looked heavy was speeding through the wilderness.

A rich cloud of dust rises from the child-sized wheels.

‘Is that the ride?’

What did Johan himself receive? He opened his inventory with anticipation. And his expression became bizarre.

“A bicycle?”

He made a sound without realizing it. Deoksu, not to be outdone, opened his inventory.

“Huh? A kick scooter? A kick scooter?”

“I got a unicycle.”

Sarah said calmly from the side. She was already sitting on a sleek-looking unicycle. She seemed to have excellent balance, showing no signs of shaking.

“······.”

Johan’s mind became muddled. Looking ahead, it wasn’t that there were no means of transportation like bicycles. But the number was significantly small. Most were bikes or cars.

[*However, the ride given is random.*]

That sentence flashed through Johan’s mind. He gritted his teeth and looked at Sarah.

She was circling around Johan at high speed, seemingly trying to get a feel for operating the unicycle. She looked quite skilled.

At that moment, Sarah moved her lips from within her fluttering hair.

“It’s faster than I thought? It doesn’t seem like an ordinary bicycle.”

“······Pardon?”

“I tried circulating mana when I stepped on the pedal, and it feels like something is accelerating. Johan, why don’t you take yours out?”

“······.”

Johan was tempted by her words. He took out the otherworldy bicycle from his inventory. For reference, it was a two-seater bicycle with two pedals.

He skillfully got on the bicycle. It’s been quite a while since elementary school since he rode one. There wasn’t any awkwardness.

Seeing Johan’s appearance, Deoksu chuckled.

“Can I ride in the back? It seems like it would be much faster with two people.”

“······Sure.”

“Kkeueutcha”

Deoksu showed off his sturdy thighs and sat in the back seat. Johan felt strange for some reason. Sarah was also looking at the two men with a peculiar gaze.

It felt like watching a couple out on a date in the park. Although they were the same gender.

“······.”

“But, wouldn’t it be better for the magician to ride in the back?”

***

Eventually, Johan and Deoksu switched seats, and the three were racing through the wilderness.

Most of the players were far ahead, so there weren’t many people around.

Still, they caught up to some extent. It seemed like there was a speed correction, since it was a ride that directly used human power.

Ah, it wasn’t that everyone was only going forward. Some people started backing up their cars as soon as they started. It was a moment that reminded him of a movie about a virtual reality game.

‘It can’t be that there’s really something behind, right?’

He couldn’t help but think that. If he regresses later, he should try going backwards.

Tarrrrr-

The sound of pedaling brushed past Johan’s ears. Riding that noise, Deoksu’s voice was heard.

“Team Leader! Team Leader also had a weak side! Your stamina is like a minnow! A minnow!”

“······.”

“Try pedaling harder! We’ll be last at this rate!”

“······I’ll try my best.”

Johan’s job was a magician. His stats were abnormal. Most of it was invested in magic power, and the other stats weren’t very high.

Because of this, he wasn’t of much help when it came to the speed of the bicycle. Johan briefly considered investing karma in physical stats.

Of course, the thought remained just a thought. He had no intention of using karma recklessly.

‘I don’t know what will happen the moment it turns night. There are many guys who will kill people even if they can’t acquire karma.’

Good results bring good rewards. This is true in reality, and in the tower.

It’s a universally applicable law. There were plenty of people who would harm others to get better rewards.

This applied to him as well. To return to the modern era…

Johan’s eyes sank deeply.

***

Tarrrrr-

Johan glanced at the time.

[02:20:05.2352 seconds.]

Already more than 2 hours had passed since they started racing. Now their position was quite high.

He felt the fluttering wind and scanned his surroundings. At that time, he noticed something strange.

‘They’re getting closer.’

A car with an open ceiling was getting closer to the group. It seemed like the player had deliberately made the opening. And although very subtle, a clear intention could be seen.

Johan slowly loosened his fingers. As expected, those kinds of guys always show up. It was rather a good thing.

A sentence flashed through his mind. Exactly, without missing a single word.

[Players can kill each other. However, it is impossible within a certain time period. *0:00~12:00.*]

‘You just can’t kill them, right?’