episode_0082

– Tap tap

Mechanical typing sounds could be heard. Fingers were tapping on the keyboard.

The front was visible. The light from the monitor illuminating the relatively dark room was visible.

It was a strange feeling. It felt like recalling memories from the past.

I tilted my head. Why am I feeling like this all of a sudden?

Even while harboring such questions, my fingers showed a swift movement as they pounded on the keyboard.

▶Me: Flower

▶Me: Flower

▶Me: Flower?

▶Me: Ebebebeb

▶Me: Tick tock…

A rush of chat messages followed in an instant. Usually, it takes some time to receive a reply in a chat.

If the timing isn’t right, the reply might come hours later.

▶Agapanthus: Why

The reply came back immediately.

Flower.

Knowing that Agapanthus’s nickname was a type of flower, I occasionally called her “flower.”

At first, she found it strange why I called her that, but now she seemed to have adapted and responded without any particular reaction.

The movement of the fingers tapping on the keyboard momentarily paused.

I recalled the memory.

I called her out of boredom, but when it came down to it, I had nothing to say. After pondering for a moment while fidgeting with my fingers, I brought up the usual topic.

▶Me: Play 〈Savior〉 right now! (Play now)

▶Me: Let’s play together, Flower

▶Me: It’s really fun

▶Me: Not lying

▶Me: (Dog emoji looking up with expectant eyes)

Savior.

Looking back now, it was a teeth-gritting game, but back then, I couldn’t deny that I had a lot of fun playing it.

The immediate replies that usually came to a halt. It was an odd reaction considering Agapanthus, who responded faster than me, even though she spent 24 hours in her room.

Whenever I suggested playing Savior together, Agapanthus’s replies were delayed.

▶Agapanthus: I don’t want to

The reply was disappointing. After a moment of hesitation, I tapped on the keyboard again.

▶Me: Eeek

▶Me: It’s really fun

▶Agapanthus: It’s not fun

▶Me: Gasp

▶Me: (Dog falling into a puddle emoji)

A sigh escaped my lips at the shocking reply. I could list three or more fun elements of Savior right away.

But back then, I possessed the self that could respect personal preferences. I swallowed the sigh that was about to burst out.

▶Agapanthus: Is that fun? Is it worth playing?

▶Me: Yes, it’s fun. I’m already on the 7th round

▶Agapanthus: …You’re only on the 7th round now? Why are you so slow?

▶Me: Flower, you don’t know Savior, that’s why. It takes time to explore each detail. And it’s not like I’m slow

I stared at the monitor with a sullen face.

Even though Agapanthus rejected my suggestion to play Savior, she often… no, frequently asked about Savior.

There were no questions about the game itself.

Just whether it was okay. Whether it was fun. What happened next. Who I became friends with, and so on…

▶Me: In the 7th round, Siyoram went out and failed

▶Agapanthus: What?

The 7th round.

A round that didn’t even earn a proper nickname, I just called it the “bum” route to distinguish it.

The 7th round was… compared to the 1st round, it was a complete disaster. Unlike the previous rounds, I abandoned the protection and benefits of growth and went out recklessly with Siyoram.

After the 6th round ended, unable to find a way out, I planned to explore the elements I couldn’t find by wandering around the map outside Siyoram at the beginning of the round.

But my thoughts were short-lived.

After leaving Siyoram and wandering around the Korean map, I belatedly realized, triggered by the unique ability “Crisis Detection,” a popup that popped up.

▶Agapanthus: Why did you go there?

▶Agapanthus: Are you an idiot?

▶Agapanthus: Why are you leaving a place that is set up from the beginning to protect and nurture you to grow?

As I tried to explain, Agapanthus, who had been quietly listening, responded sharply.

Seeing the faster response than usual, I couldn’t help but feel frustrated.

▶Me: What does the Flower Lady know?

▶Me: I’ve never done anything properly before.

▶Agapanthus: Even if you haven’t done it, you know about these things. It’s foolish to go out.

▶Agapanthus: Ugh, fool.

▶Me: Tsk.

▶Me: I don’t talk to people who don’t know anything properly.

I glared at the monitor with a sullen expression.

A foolish choice. I knew it too. If I had just progressed from the last chapter in Siyoram, I would have been stronger than before.

But that wouldn’t work.

The sound of the keyboard tapping stopped. My fingers, lost in thought, hesitated.

In “Savior,” there were no final bosses or ending conditions set.

I just made a resolution to catch that thing on my own.

In the story, there are a total of five towers that support the world.

The Tower of Space.

The Tower of Harmony.

The Tower of Observation.

The Tower of Knowledge.

The Tower of Growth.

The Tower of Space physically connects the world through gates, the Tower of Harmony breaks down language and creates a communication hub through the restoration of smartwatches and the internet.

The Tower of Observation identifies threats from monsters, villains, and renegades that appear all over the world, while the Tower of Knowledge protects and preserves knowledge and records that humanity must not lose.

The Tower of Growth safely and quickly nurtures and produces important heroes to ward off various threats.

From any perspective, these towers are elements that help the human race. It is clear that they play a significant role in sustaining the world.

On the other hand, there were also…

‘……’

The Tower of Command.

The Tower of Frost.

The Tower of Inferno.

Elements that I arbitrarily decided were the final boss or ending conditions and made efforts to conquer.

After graduating from Siyoram.

These three towers unleashed powerful monsters like crazy. They also gradually took over the surroundings and tightened the noose around humanity’s neck.

I don’t know the exact conditions for their activities.

In the first round, all three woke up, and after that, one or two could wake up.

In the first round, I died at the hands of the Tower Lord of Command.

As the name suggests, it is an entity that utilizes the dead to create a large-scale military force.

I was like a monster in my own right, so powerful that I couldn’t resist and died without putting up a fight.

In the second and third rounds, I died before even meeting the Tower Lords, stumbling and dying.

In the fourth round, I died at the hands of the Tower Lord of Command again.

Fourth round, “Immortal”

Using the unique ability “Assimilation,” I was able to manifest the characteristics of various monsters and protect myself to some extent against the military force of the Tower Lord of Command.

I just managed to hold on. I was swept away by the military force, battered to the point of soul-crushing defeat.

In the fifth round, I devised a plan to sweep away the military force all at once and ended up exploding like in the third round.

In the sixth round… I decided to learn the art of command like the Tower Lord of Command, and trained with dark magic and spatial magic.

Using dark magic as a foundation, I mimicked the immortality and created a shadow army. Although I was constantly overwhelmed by the Tower Lord’s military force, the battle was still valid.

When it reached that point, I was cut down by the Tower Lord of Inferno, who excelled in one-on-one combat and battles.

‘Frustrating.’

Even now, my hands trembled.

Honestly, even if I hadn’t been cut down by the Tower Lord of Inferno, I would have died without a word to the Tower Lord of Command.

It’s frustrating.

I feel so inadequate. With my current training, even putting a little damage on the Tower Lord is too much.

I had to change my training methods. I needed to find a way to raise the character’s specs in a way that could be called a significant change.

So, in the 7th round, he set out to find that hidden piece early. Throughout the round, he was chased around and didn’t grow at all.

But it seemed like he found something.

Before being able to confirm it by using it properly, he thought that if he could utilize it well, it could bring about significant growth.

While thinking like that, he glanced at the monitor.

He saw the chat of Agapanthaceae, which repeated the words that he couldn’t understand why he was leaving the optimal training ground like Siyoram.

▶Me: Tsk

▶Me: Honestly, if our top laner fought together, we would have won a long time ago for real

▶Agapanthaceae: ……

▶Me: We only lost because our team went underwater for real

▶Me: What were our top laners doing

▶Me: We would have won if it was 5:3

For some reason, he vented his complaints to the silent Agapanthaceae.

After that, they chatted casually.

They talked about things other than Savior.

Did you eat well, don’t eat like that, eat properly, did you wash with the product I recommended, if you can’t sleep, try this, etc…

Time passed quickly. He dragged his chair. His legs were uncomfortable, so he didn’t want to get up.

He saw the sky.

The night sky beyond the window was reflected in his eyes.

The floating gray clouds, shining starlight… and the full moon hanging in the middle of the sky.

It was a sight that suddenly evoked dawn sentiment. After watching it for a moment, he dragged his chair to the desk.

▶Me: I’m going to bed now

▶Agapanthaceae: Yeah, I should sleep soon too

▶Agapanthaceae: Good night. Have sweet dreams

▶Agapanthaceae: If you have a nightmare and it’s scary, don’t forget to use the product I recommended

▶Me: I’m using it well

▶Me: Thank you so much

▶Me: (Emoji of a dog nodding its head)

▶Me: Have sweet dreams too, Flower

The conversation ended like that.

Tick-tock, time passed.

He blinked absentmindedly.

He suddenly felt lonely.

It was a strange thought.

The room was quiet just now and now.

There was only the sound of the keyboard clacking and the chair dragging.

But now, he felt lonely.

He absentmindedly wandered his hand. His fingertips pointed towards the medicine bottle, then moved up to the keyboard.

It’s not good to take too much medicine. It’s better not to take it if possible, the doctor said.

He felt dizzy. His vision blurred and then cleared.

He shook his head. He needed a topic to focus on.

He thought about sleeping well, then moved the mouse.

– Click

After a moment of startup sound, a brightly colored game appeared on the monitor.

“Savior”

There was no game that could hold my attention like this one.

With the thought of playing for a moment, and the thought of turning it off after thinking about the concept of the 8th round, he moved the mouse.

The basic concept of the 8th round was completed that night.

Starting from the next day, the 8th round easily surpassed the high points of the previous rounds.

The tremendous growth achieved through the method found in the 7th round.

The grown 8th round later engaged in a fierce battle with a cold-hearted top laner.

And was stabbed in the back by Baek Arin.

.

.

.

He lost consciousness.

His mind was hazy. His senses felt dull as if covered in fog.

He reflexively tried to blink his eyes. His ‘instinct’ refused. What’s the point of trying to open your eyes when you can’t see anything anyway?

Instead, his fingers twitched.

They couldn’t twitch.

His fingers were caught on something and couldn’t move.

…A sense of unease crept in.

His fingers couldn’t twitch. His right arm was like that. Something was wrong. His left arm couldn’t twitch either. It had to be like that.

Sensations didn’t come through. I felt the sensation of not having a place to receive the command ‘flick your fingers’.

Something feels strange.

At the same time, it feels like a feeling I’ve felt before.

‘Uh…’

While absentmindedly licking my lips, a vague memory suddenly flashed through my dim mind.

A monster, Aelus. A monster with creepy colored fur fluttering. A monster shrouded in red mist trying to kill me.

My left hand that I couldn’t stop from reaching out.

Suddenly bitten, skin and muscles torn, bones grinding in agony.

The restraints that held me shattered, and together they tore apart… torn apart…

My left arm.

‘Ah.’

My left arm… writhed in agony. The emptiness unique to a powerless body was conveyed.

It’s a dreadful sensation.

A sensation I’ve felt before… when my left leg went numb.

“Ah-”

A desperate gasp.

“…Ah─! …! …!?”

Then, my body jerked violently in an instant of unbearable pain in my throat.

– Beep beep beep!

A loud warning sound rang right next to me.

I felt approaching signs of confusion and panic.