Chapter 3: Millions of Stabs (2)

Tutorial game?

So everything had been only a tutorial?

Through the various floating hologram panels, a figure walked out.

“Whew, there we go…. OH?”

The figure looked at Jaehwan.

“WOW! We finally meet!”

The figure was a man in a suit with the head of a lion. He even had a gentleman’s hat on him. The lionhead spoke.

“I’m surprised! You came all the way here alone! This has never happened before!”

“…What is the meaning of this nonsense?”

“Whew – what a fearsome man! Still eager to fight, eh? You sure are the Walker who received the attention of all the lords of the <Great Lands>!”

“Who the hell are you?”

“Right! Gotta mind my manners.”

The lionhead then took off his hat and bowed gracefully.

“I’m the Demon, Beastlain. I’m the master of the <Tower of Nightmares>, which you just completed and I’m the master of World 294’s tutorial game.”

Game. Tutorial game. He had not been mistaken. All of it, which wiped out mankind, had only been a tutorial. Jaehwan couldn’t say anything. He was fighting a cacophony of emotions. Part of him told him to accept reality while part of him wanted to go mad.

After a while, he came back to his senses. No, he came back armed with a colder look in his eyes.

Beastlain seemed impressed.

“Oh? You recovered pretty quickly.”

Jaehwan expressionlessly looked at Beastlain. If he couldn’t withstand the shock, he wouldn’t have made it this far alone.

“If this is a tutorial, does that mean there’s a main game waiting for me?”

“OH HO! You sure are quick to understand! Most Walkers who manage to finish either tried slashing their sword at me or went mad.”

“What’s the main game?”

“It’s as you expect.”

Beastlain then let out a horrible, eerie laugh and snapped his fingers. Then the hologram panels immediately showed various screens.

<1st Floor>

Jaehwan was standing within a group of many.

“What is this? This is just like a game.”

It was the first time Jaehwan was summoned.

<7th Floor.>

Three people were forming a party. Someone started speaking.

“I’m Yoonhwan. She is Seoyul.”

It was the first time he met Yoonhwan and Seoyul.

<32nd Floor>

Jaehwan had just managed to survive through the ‘Shadow Cavern Trials’ for a month.

It was the first time when his [Stab] had become powerful.

<54th Floor>

Jaehwan was standing there and there were people around him.

“I’m Jaehwan. I’m from Seoul and my class is a Swordsman.”

Then he joined <Blade Walker>.

<66th Floor>

While he was fighting the boss monster Succubus, he looked at the woman next to him.

It was first time he fell in love.

<76th Floor>

Among the bones of undead, Jaehwan wailed as he held on the woman.

He felt heartbreaking pain. It was when he lost Seoyul to the Death Knight’s attack.

<77th Floor>

People disappeared with the lights. Enraged.

It was when the [Returning Stone] was found and <Blade Walker> had disbanded.

<85th Floor>

Shout of people who just cleared it.

Day of beginning of <Carpediem>

<98th Floor>

Monster Giltikas

When he became alone after losing Yoonhwan.

<99th Floor>

When he just killed Frost Dragon while ago.

“This…”

Jaehwan could not speak. Everything he had done all this time had been recorded.

“It was an epic drama that went on for 30 years! I was glad to have you! You know, if you stay here while doing the same thing over and over again, it’s refreshing to see a story of a man like you! I’m almost certain that the lords of the <Great Lands> would have been delighted while they looked at your story.”

Beastlain explained eagerly.

‘Who are those lords and the <Great Lands>?’

Jaehwan had lot to ask but he held on to it.

“What’s your point?”

“It’s simple. You can now, start the game all over again.” Beastlain continued, “With all the memory of course. It’s the privilege only given to the man who cleared the tutorial game! Isn’t it wonderful? It’s something only exists in a novel in your world! The one who starts anew with all the memory! Isn’t it great? Isn’t it tempting? How do you like it?”

Jaehwan became dumbfounded. He said it was a reward. But wasn’t the reward of clearing the tower salvation of mankind? Or what exactly was the reward for reaching the top? Did the tower speak of it?

It did not.

The tower never said a word about a ‘Final Reward’.

It only had been mankind’s wish. They automatically thought, just like in other usual games, if they cleared the tower, they would be granted salvation.

The purpose just appeared on top of their heads and only thing mankind was able to do was to try to get to the purpose.

And there it was. The final reward, awaiting in front of Jaehwan. Only given to Jaehwan.

“So you want me to do everything I did all over again?”

“Well, you can say that. But with slight differences, of course.”

Jaehwan couldn’t understand what was going to happen. He had been fighting only to save this world. To save the world whereas everyone had abandoned it. The purpose that kept him sane as a human being. But after he was successful in clearing it, the only thing remaining was him wanting to give up on the world.

“So… you want to send me back to the past.” Jaehwan’s voice grew cold, “If you’ve been watching me, then you should know. I’m not going to the past.”

Beastlain became confused.

“Past? Are you talking about the past?”

“Yes.”

Then came the maniacal laughter.

“What’s so funny?”

“HAHAHA! RIGHT! You are absolutely right. You are the type that will never go to the past! Otherwise, you would not have made it this far. HAHAHAHA!”

Beastlain laughed maniacally for while longer. He then suddenly stopped abruptly.

“I will tell you a truth. One that is very brutal, but very accurate.”

He began explaining in a cold, eery voice.

“No item within or outside this tower, not even the one at the <Great Lands>, can send you back in time.”