episode_0390

Special rules apply at the Tower of Growth.

Positive changes are applied, and negative changes return to nothingness.

What does that mean?

This means that growth within the tower will continue as is, and injuries and aftereffects will completely disappear.

That means you don’t have to worry about death. Your circuits or cores won’t be damaged and you won’t become half-crippled. Even if your limbs are ripped off or your body is split in half, it’s okay.

It is a place specialized in knowing the limits of what you can do, and expanding the scope of growth by pushing the limits. It is okay to act that boldly─

“Stop, stop… Please speak… It’s painful to listen to… ”

[yes…]

The excuses that had been going on day and night came to an end. Lee Ha-yool pursed his lips and lowered his head.

[Oversight…]

‘Oversight…’

I got too focused.

I concentrated all my energy on the three types of movement and the combination of physical manipulation.

After experimenting like that for a while, I didn’t notice the enemy’s presence approaching the tent…

“That’s… obvious. The purpose of the entrance is to provide an experience that is no different from actual combat, not to send young sprouts into battle and ruin them… ”

Sierra, with her head held high, fluttered her eyelids.

[Yes, that’s right. So me too…]

“That’s! It’s a function that tells you not to go out with injuries and aftereffects, not a function that tells you to conduct human experiments. “

For a moment, his voice rose as he cried. The already pitiful Lee Ha-yool shrank. His two hands, which had already been regenerated, clasped themselves together.

He took a deep breath and collected his emotions.

[… This is not a human experiment…]

“Are you saying that’s not Moore…?”

Sierra lowered her gaze.

… a broken hand on the floor. Sierra has no powers of perception or observation, but as a superhuman who can cross the line of fire, her eyesight is good.

That’s why I could immediately tell the heterogeneity of that hand.

“Um…what on earth is the circuit?”

I know for a fact. The fifth… A pseudo-magic developed by Lee Ha-yool in the records. A crazy technique that tears apart my nerves and repairs them.

“Why did you mix up the attributes so much… ”

I know. Third. A crazy technology that combines the already intense unique abilities of mutual growth and repulsion into one body, like a self-generating thermonuclear bomb.

“Why… the structure of the hand is different… ”

The skin texture is different. The apparent bone structure is different. The muscle condition is different…

Structure modified as needed.

… I think I know. The fourth. It’s similar to that unique and bizarre technique that was used by assimilating into the body of a monster…

[… training skills… ]

“Who said that they trained by tearing off their own hands?”

[…those with regenerative abilities…]

“There are some rather daring training methods for regenerative abilities, but it is not the case that the method of experimenting with techniques that are so daring that you can tear your hand off, and then tearing it off when you feel like it is too much, is the best.”

Lee Ha-yool’s mumbling stopped. It was because he noticed Sierra’s eyes gradually rising.

‘What the heck…’

Sierra tightly shut her eyes as she felt dizzy.

Training? Yes, in a way it is training. Because you are polishing something.

At the same time, it is also classified as human experimentation or self-harm.

“Why on earth… this kind of training… ”

[silence…]

The memories she had were from before she entered the Iharyul Cradle School. And the shared… part of the observed records of the world.

I don’t know exactly how Lee Ha-yool was summoned to the empty body and how he grew. This is all I heard briefly from Lee Ha-yool.

… Is it because I only heard it briefly? I never expected such an unexpected and extreme action.

Sierra opened her eyes wide.

Lee Ha-yool was seen with his head down. His two hands, which were neatly folded, were waving aimlessly.

“… Yes, you don’t have the right to react so sharply to me.”

Sierra’s face became clouded for a moment.

“We, I, am the one who forced Lee Ha-yul to grow and pushed him to the limit. I am not the one who dares to criticize Lee Ha-yul’s efforts.”

[Oh, no… I don’t think so…]

[Wow]

Lee Ha-yool suddenly raised his head and shook his head with a tearful face.

[It was such a great help. The protection of growth, the status window that supported me in dangerous moments… the power of coordination. Ariel’s teachings and the power of knowledge, the power of space and observation that I first received… everything…]

[Thank you]

Lee Ha-yool, who is talking about all kinds of help he received.

Even though he didn’t care when his own hand was ripped off, he could sense Sierra’s sadness like a ghost and thought of her, which made him smile faintly.

At this point, Sierra is just a mercenary who is good at handling a sword.

Although I happened to be in charge of the commanding position, the actual work is done by my adjutants and subordinates.

The city of the future became the tower of space and the ruler.

It has become a place where you can’t just swing your sword wherever you want, but you have to look at the numbers and make moves on a grand scale.

It was not the right place. The spatial qualities were right and it became the top position, but the inclination was not right.

Ultimately, it became so incompetent that Sierra was unable to stop the invasion of foreign powers.

Then I discovered Lee Ha-yool and threw my burden away. I bet the fate of the world on a single possibility.

I feel disgusted at myself for pretending to be worried when I’ve put such a burden on you.

“… Please don’t push yourself too hard.”

However, it was impossible to ignore Lee Ha-yool’s repeated self-harm and experiments.

Sierra, who was down on one knee, carefully took hold of Lee Ha-yul’s hand. It had been missing just now, but now it was a hand that had been regenerated cleanly without a single blemish.

The tower owners put their fate in those small hands.

I am confident. I put a lot of effort into it, but it is not a decision I can boast about.

[… I’ll try. But I think it’ll be okay at the Tower of Real Growth…]

“Thank you for not being upset.”

Sierra, who had a bitter smile, sat up. Lee Ha-yul bit her lip.

[Can I ask you one thing?]

“Yes, what is it?”

[Can you keep this a secret from everyone else? I’ll be in big trouble if they find out…]

I’m really confused. Will it really end at that level? Lee Ha-yool denied the thought in his mind.

I’ve already been caught once and got in big trouble. If I get caught this time, it’ll be my second time, so I might get charged with a crime of contempt and face a heavier punishment.

That punishment might be a very happy time for Lee Ha-yool, but it won’t help him grow much…

“Are you still doing this knowing that it will be a big deal?”

[outside]

A narrow gaze landed on his face. Lee Ha-yool turned his head and pretended not to know.

“Okay… Okay, I understand.”

[thank you]

[Half color]

Lee Ha-yool lowered his head. Si-ra, who was staring at him with strange eyes, cleared her throat and straightened her clothes for no reason.

‘It’s uncomfortable.’

My chest feels stuffy. Not just because of what I just experienced, but because my chest feels physically stuffy.

It’s a bit uncomfortable to breathe. It’s not enough to interfere with combat, but the discomfort keeps coming back to me when I’m still.

The current poem is a bit uncomfortable and wordy.

But since the poem that conveyed the memories has been unraveling for a long time, the two memories are becoming entangled and a sense of suffocation is coming.

If we just let it go, Sierra feels a sense of rejection at the moment…

[By the way, did something happen before you came?]

It was then that Lee Ha-yool’s question came flying in. There was a look of worry on Lee Ha-yool’s face as he asked the question.

Sierra lightly caressed the corner of her lips. As usual, it was straight… no, it was slightly raised.

“… No. Nothing special happened. But… ”

[but?]

Lee Ha-yool tilted his head. The corners of his lips went up slightly. Sierra lowered the corners of his lips with her finger.

“Just a slightly uncomfortable memory came to mind.”

There was no need to pull it down with my finger. The moment I recalled a memory that wasn’t my own, it went down on its own.

After thinking for a moment, Sierra continued speaking.

“As you know, this entry is a schedule to experience the actual battle of the Demonic Realm.”

[yes]

“Is there a safe place on the Demonic Front? It would be a waste to experience a safe front in the actual battle at the Tower of Growth.”

A real battle without death or injury. A space where incredibly fast growth is possible and there are no side effects.

Entering that tower of growth and playing around and eating is a waste of pig knowledge.

“The previous chapter is suitable for that condition. It is one of the places that is fierce in the chaos cavalry front, and a great threat will come soon. ”

Despite the mention of a great threat, Lee Ha-yool did not waver. Sierra nodded.

“As expected… No, should I say I observed it?”

[Yes, I found out through observation]

Lee Ha-yul nodded.

A tight, spinning observation. The scope is vastly expanded, encompassing most of the isolated space.

Even in such a wide range, there are things that are caught just barely.

A huge presence. But paradoxically, it is so hazy and dull that you could easily miss it even when observing it.

“Soon, a 3rd tier Alpha or higher entity will lead a monster attack.”

As she spoke, Sierra’s expression hardened for a moment.

This front collapses as a result of that attack.

This is an incident in which most of the mercenary group led by Sierra and the superhumans who remained on the front lines died.

.

.

.

The next day.

“Hmm… ”

“Hmm?”

“Um… ”

Three pairs of gloomy gazes flying in.

“Why are you like that?”

He tilts his head and his pure white hair flutters.

Those who were glancing this way at the seemingly coquettish behavior unconsciously held their breath for a moment.

“… … ”

Hong Yeon-hwa tilted her head and looked at Lee Ha-yul again.

A pure white winged robe floats behind her back. What she holds in her hand is a staff, said to be a top-grade artifact that she sometimes holds and swings like a spear.

He took off his cadet uniform and put on a robe over the white clothes he received when he visited the Tower of Knowledge.

It is full of beautiful white in many ways. A faint desire to cover my own color came to mind.

Hong Yeon-hwa tilted her head.

“Ha-yul-ah.”

“Yeah.”

“Is that your clone?”

“Yes… Uh… ”

Lee Ha-yool, who had been responding without thinking, blinked.

No, how on earth do you know that?

***

A feeling of discomfort.

Giants don’t exactly know the word for discomfort. Even though they have gained reason through their heightened advances, giants still prefer instinct.

“… … .”

Intuition detects the strangeness. A keen sense detects the abnormality.

Something is strange.

I couldn’t find the reason. It made me feel frustrated and unpleasant.

But that doesn’t mean he can stop hunting. The giant turned his gaze away.

A far away place. There are probably many strong people there.

I don’t know how many and how strong they are. So I sent quite a few soldiers who had been forced to surrender while heading here.

No subordinates returned alive. This means that no information was obtained.

Uncertainty. The giant who has lived in the Demon Realm is aware of how dangerous it is.

‘… … ‘

But he did not want to hesitate in hunting. The giant stroked his hungry belly.

The space around me has been closed recently. I’m hungry because there’s no food coming in from outside.

In the end, the giant followed his instincts. He took a risk and went hunting.

-Slurp…

The giant’s body melted into the shadows.