Chapter 5: Millions of Stabs (4)

“…What?”

Beastlain seemed to be disturbed.

“RIGHT! You don’t think the memory is enough as a reward!”

Beastlain laughed as he slapped his forehead with his hand.

“Good. You have what it takes. What do you want? A hidden item? Hidden skill? Or information about hidden classes?”

But Jaehwan spoke the unexpected.

“I don’t want anything.”

“Then why…”

For the first time, Beastlain was troubled.

“I will kill you and move onto the next floor.”

Beastlain’s expression changed.

“Next… floor? There is no next floor. This is the end. Why do you think there is a next?”

“Because I decided to not trust you all.”

“Huh? You don’t trust me? After all that proof?”

Beastlain seemed irritated.

“Besides, you can’t win. You can’t kill me. The difference between you who just finished the tutorial game and me, Demon Beastlain, is as different as the difference between a human and a dragon.”

“That’s not much.”

Jaehwan spoke as he clenched the Dragon Sword from the 85th floor and the Frost Dragon Sword from the 99th floor.

72 times.

He challenged Beastlain 72 times within 2 months and he never even scratched on him. When the battle was over, he returned almost dead each time. Yet Beastlain never killed him.

He used everything he knew, every power and trick he acquired as he climbed up to the 100th floor.

Yet he was no match against Beastlain.

He took the remaining potions from <Hiren Potion> to slabber onto himself and filled the tub with the holy water he got from the temple’s storage and dived in it. His fatigue quickly dissipated. He also stopped by <Jay’s Blacksmith>.

“Jay, I’m here.”

Nobody answered.

When he returned to Atopos for the first time after he had been defeated by Beastlain, the Blacksmith Shop was empty. He had learned blacksmithing skill for this very moment, but he couldn’t believe it was real.

His last friend had left.

He was really alone now.

Jaehwan picked up the hammer his friend had left behind.

The 100th floor of the Tower.

Beastlain chewed on his fingernail as he watched the hologram of Jaehwan hammering his sword.

It was troubling. It was the first time something like this had happened.

The process of [Cultivating] to create the [Product] to withstand and adapt to life in the <Great Lands>.

It was the first time after Beastlain had become the [Cultivator] that he faced such a problem.

‘I have to endure it… he’s the precious [Product]. A very special one indeed.’

He had installed <Tower of Nightmares> in many other worlds, but none were like him.

‘Why doesn’t he want to start the real game? I even offered to give him everything!’

A single Walker was now a hindrance to his entire cultivation process and Beastlain groaned.

The cultivation was divided into two parts.

First, to sort out the best quality [Products] through the ‘Tutorial Game’ or the [First Cultivation]. Secondly, raise those that were picked out by going through the ‘Real Game’ or the [Second Cultivation].

Beastlain could not start the second part of the process for three months because of Jaehwan. Unbeknownst of the frustration, Jaehwan steadily hammered the sword.

‘This is crazy!’

Beastlain was tempted to kill Jaehwan and finish the game countless times throughout the day.

‘Should I just kill him? But the [Harvesters] won’t like it if I do…’

The Tower of Nightmares was a creation of ‘Nightmares’ who were usually called [Creators] that ran on the power of the Great Tree, or the <Tree of Imagery> located at the center of the <Great Lands>. It meant everything that happened within this tower was the dream created by the Tree of Imagery. This also meant that without any special way, no one who died in this dream will have its spirits die also.

But there was no telling.

The power balance between Beastlain who had acquired ‘3rd Adaptation’ power and Jaehwan who did not even finish the ‘1st Adaptation’ was too much. If Beastlain accidentally harmed Jaehwan’s spirit, there was a chance where Jaehwan would be starting the real game with a damaged spirit.

‘I can’t let that happen though.’

That would surely enrage [Harvesters] or the Lords of the <Great Lands>.

There were so many who already eyeing Jaehwan. There were some who were making their offers already, wary of the bid getting too high.

A Walker who cleared the 99th floor alone. This was a sole achievement not found within the entire Material World.

‘They were fooled by those Nightmares with this stupid tower… what kind of control is this?’

The <Tower of Nightmares> Beastlain was controlling was the first-generation tower created by Nightmares.

‘I can’t end the game without the [Product]’s acceptance? What kind of system is this?’

If he had started the game with the new 3rd generation Tower, this would not have happened. It would have allowed him to start the real game without the [Product]’s agreement.

It was a shame that they had no money.

This was something they came across when they were looking for the cheapest tower. This was bought because it was told that the tower was created by a [Master]-level Nightmare. But after trying it out in the real world, it was really archaic and although it was created by a [Master] Nightmare, but it was created before the Nightmare earned the title. It did work as intended but it had small problems in a lot of places.

‘I will surely bring this problem up when this is done.’

Beastlain gritted his teeth as he thought about the Nightmares who sold the tower.

Another month went by.

“Hey, aren’t you tired of this?”

Beastlain yawned as he deflected Jaehwan’s attack. Jaehwan stabbed on various parts on Beastlain, but he could not even touch the hair of Beastlain’s mane.

“If you agree to start the game, it will be good for both of us and of course your world. Why aren’t you starting?”

Jaehwan did not answer.

“I think you are misunderstanding because of your victory against the Frost Dragon. It’s no use. That dragon was only a mere copy and I’m the real demon. If you really want to fight me, you need to finish the real game and spend at least tens of years at <Great Lands> to even have a chance.”

Jaehwan thrust wordlessly.

“Come on! Please! What do you want? Answer me! I can give you everything you want!”

Beastlain could not understand. All this fighting had no meaning.

It meant something to Jaehwan. Jaehwan had not been idling around for the past three months. There were a few reasons he held on the tutorial game.

First, Jaehwan’s spirit was changing.

Beastlain who gained access to the tower by linking to the Tree of Imagery could not feel it, but his spirit was undergoing a change.