「Confirmation of 37 climbers entering [My Home Tower].」
「Entered 1st Floor -《Lobby》.」
As 37 climbers entered almost simultaneously, the first-floor lobby instantly buzzed like a marketplace.
Clumped together, the climbers jostled and pushed one another before gradually settling into place, their gazes sweeping across their surroundings.
“Hahahaha! This body has come to conquer the tower!!!”
“…What’s with that attention-seeker?”
“By the way, is this the lobby? Where are the monsters?”
The shuffling of feet and a cacophony of voices merged into a disorganized din.
Just then, a system window materialized before the climbers’ eyes.
「Clear Condition – Breathe」
「You have cleared the 1st Floor!」
「As a clear reward, the [Angel’s Blessing (Minor)] buff is granted.」
「A portal leading to the 2nd Floor will be generated!」
“Huh?”
“What?”
“Oh…?”
The tower, it seemed, bestowed buffs upon arrival.
After each climber verified the buff’s effects, a wave of cheers erupted almost instantly.
“Wow, incredible! It really grants a resurrection buff!!!”
“How is this real???”
“A real resurrection? A resurrection buff from the first floor?!”
The climbers were ecstatic over the incredibly powerful buff.
Amidst their excitement, someone pointed towards the front of the lobby and spoke.
“Huh? Someone’s over there?”
At once, every climber’s gaze fixed forward.
At its center stood a single figure.
A woman in a maid’s outfit stood erect upon a red carpet.
“Welcome to My Home Tower. Climbers are currently located in the ‘Lobby,’ where you can receive various explanations and guidance.”
Her voice was clear and crisp.
Her movements were as precise as a machine’s, and not a trace of emotion flickered across her expression.
“Whoa—she’s pretty, isn’t she?”
A young man in a leather jacket, clearly of the [Berserker] class, muttered softly, his eyes fixed on the maid.
His gaze already marked her as a target for flirtation.
“…I can’t sense her presence?”
In one corner, a man clad in the long robes of a [Sorcerer] class silently observed the maid.
His gaze was sharp, as if analyzing an enemy before battle.
“Everyone, quiet down. Let’s hear what she has to say.”
Then, an older-looking middle-aged woman from the [Janitor] class, wielding a broom(?), began to assert control over the surroundings.
Whether it was an occupational habit or not, she intermittently checked the cleanliness of the lobby.
“Further guidance will be tailored to your individual choices.”
The maid continued to speak in a composed manner.
“Should you wish, you may first receive an explanation of the tower’s overall structure and functions here in the lobby. If not, you may proceed directly to the second-floor trial. However—”
The air suddenly grew frigid.
“—that choice cannot be undone.”
A brief silence followed.
The first to move was the young man in the leather jacket.
“I don’t care about explanations or anything else!”
With frivolous steps, he swaggered forward, his massive greatsword swaying.
“You learn these things by experience! What’s there to be afraid of when we’ve got a resurrection buff?”
As he strode directly toward the portal, several others quietly trailed behind him.
“Right, we’ll just resurrect even if we die, won’t we?”
“Let’s climb quickly and get some holy water.”
Those who remained in the lobby, however, still hesitated.
“Still, wouldn’t it be better to hear something before we go?”
“She said she’d explain something over there…”
“Hey, won’t we fall behind if we listen to the explanation?”
“Then you can go up with them.”
In the center of the lobby, the maid remained standing silently.
Yet, she was clearly observing everyone, her eyes devoid of any discernible emotion.
Only then did one of the climbers approach the maid and ask a question.
“Are questions permitted?”
“Yes, they are.”
“If we listen to the explanation, what changes?”
“A variety of information will be provided.”
“What kind of information?”
“If you would wait just a moment, I will explain everything, including that.”
“…?”
What exactly was she asking them to wait for?
At her words, the surrounding atmosphere grew heavy once more.
“Her very tone… it smells like a trap, doesn’t it?”
“Did we wait for nothing…?”
Just as order began to crumble and confusion set in.
The maid retrieved a crystal ball from her pocket and activated it—
-Ding!
With a chime that broke the silence, a video began to play in the air above the lobby.
『Pa↑pa↓pam-pa-pa↗♪pam-pa-ra↘pam-pa♩↗pam-pa-pam→♬!』
『★Welcome, climbers, to [My Home Tower], filled with dreams and hope!★』
“…Huh?”
“What is that…?”
The video displayed on the crystal ball was, to anyone’s eye, a cheap-looking promotional clip!
However, the content that followed was anything but cheap.
The video’s perspective smoothly moved beyond the first floor, sweeping through the tower’s deeper levels and revealing fantastical spaces one by one.
Under the title 《12th Floor – Gwangmyeong Market》, a vast marketplace was revealed.
Within this market, there were shops selling dragon hides and top-grade magic stones, various otherworldly agricultural products, and never-before-seen items, even stores with shelves overflowing with the legendary item [Holy Water of Glorious Angels]—a treasure every climber desired!
Beyond these, countless other goods were endlessly displayed, enough to make one’s head spin!
Then, a small phrase appeared beneath the electronic display board.
『All items can be purchased with Tower Coins.』
“…You need Tower Coins to buy that?”
“Damn it! I didn’t bring any Tower Coins!”
As cries of despair erupted from some climbers, the video’s perspective shifted to another location.
Under the title 《37th Floor – Carbonated Spring Hot Tub》, a scene of an outdoor hot spring filled with effervescent carbonated water was revealed.
Inside, beautiful elves were enjoying the hot spring—
“Wooooooah!!!”
The male climbers cheered in unison.
Next, a scene showed handsome demon men and wild orcs showering—
“Oh my, oh my!!”
This time, some female climbers shyly covered their mouths with their hands.
『Enjoy the Carbonated Spring Hot Tub and Magic Stone Sauna to your heart’s content for 5 Tower Coins! Excellent for skin beauty! Experience body constitution improvement and weight loss effects too!』
“Oh, so for 5 Tower Coins, you can bathe with elves?”
“Idiot! That’s probably the women’s bath!”
“For now, mixed-gender baths are also available.”
“…What????”
At the maid’s sudden mention of mixed-gender baths, the male climbers’ eyes began to sparkle.
Next, with the phrase 《19th Floor – Tasty Restaurant》, the doors of a luxurious restaurant swung open.
A scene of a giant dragon’s meat being prepared in a kitchen filled with palpable heat,
A large chunk of meat being coated with various seasonings before being placed into an oven,
This was followed by a scene of perfectly roasted dragon meat being plated and served.
The girl seated at the table was, for some reason, dressed in a Japanese schoolgirl’s uniform. (Asahina Yurining)
As the girl plunged a knife into the perfectly roasted dragon meat and sliced it in half, golden juices profusely flowed from within the thick cut.
The scene then zoomed in on her taking a bite of the dripping, succulent meat and chewing it—
“Wow… the juiciness is insane…”
“Gulp…”
The intense allure of the meat’s juices was enough to make the climbers’ stomachs rumble.
“I… I’m hungry now…”
“So, how much is that…?”
『Hellflame Dragon Tenderloin Steak – 25 Tower Coins』
“25 Tower Coins…? That’s quite reasonable to eat, isn’t it?”
For reference, 1 Tower Coin was equivalent to approximately 5,000 to 5,500 Korean Won. Coincidentally, 1 Tower Coin was also the price of a single ‘Lowest-Grade Health Potion’.
This meant the steak’s value was roughly 130,000 Won!
While 130,000 Won might seem a bit steep at first glance…
“Dragon meat steak for 130,000 Won? That’s cheaper than a Tomahawk steak at a family restaurant!”
“Wow, I definitely have to try that.”
“My mouth is watering…”
As the climbers, enchanted by the juices, salivated, the screen changed once again.
Under the title 《32nd Floor – Milky Way Hotel》, the image of a hotel situated in the heart of the Milky Way appeared.
Drifting starlight flowed past the windows.
A scene showed individuals of various races comfortably relaxing within the hotel.
Next, the camera zoomed in on a pink-haired pajama-clad beautiful girl lying on a plush zero-gravity bed. (Xian Nightmare)
The scene concluded with the cute girl sleeping soundly and utterly at peace.
Without a word, text appeared at the bottom of the screen.
『Our Milky Way Hotel promises the utmost comfort and the finest service.』
『Enjoy a one-day stay and two meals for just 9 Tower Coins.』
“…For 9 Tower Coins, it covers the hotel cost and two meals? That’s not bad, is it?”
“Wow… the scenery is truly beautiful?”
“More than that, that girl sleeps so well… it’s making me sleepy too…”
On the screen, which changed once more, the words 《39th Floor – Succubus Garden》 appeared, accompanied by…
In a dim room, a succubus, visible only in silhouette, subtly curved her lips upward.
“Today… what stories shall we share…♥”
『Your weary heart, untold stories… seek counsel from a succubus.』
『Consultation Fee: 50 Tower Coins (※Additional charges may apply)』
“Hey, friend… lend me 50 Tower Coins.”
“Who are you?”
“Treating me like a stranger right away is too much!!”
The screen seemed to conclude with starlight… but then.
Suddenly, Ariel Tricia appeared, and her voice resonated throughout the lobby.
『[My Home Tower] is a Tower of Rest where you can relax as if in your own home. It is a sanctuary for all climbers.』
『However, some might say: a tower is a place that imposes trials upon climbers.』
『…Do you desire trials?』
At that instant, the screen briefly went black.
A scene of 【Silence of the Deep Night】 awakening,
A scene of Crow soaring with [Gravity Reversal].
A scene of a [Supernova Explosion] erupting.
And after a brief glimpse of 【Silence of the Deep Night】 revealing its true form before Crow—
The screen zoomed in on Ariel Tricia’s lips.
『A trial more arduous than any other awaits you.』
『May you have a pleasant time.』
As soon as the video ended—
“Wooooooah!!!!”
The lobby was engulfed in cheers.
****
Meanwhile, Ariel Tricia watched every scene unfold through the crystal ball.
“Well, that got a good reaction, didn’t it?”
In just three days, Ariel Tricia had completely overhauled the tower’s structure, with the clear direction of doing business by collecting Tower Coins from climbers!
To achieve this goal, Ariel Tricia had openly created and shown a promotional video to the climbers!
Incidentally, that video was actually a slightly edited version of a promotional video made during her Ariel Tricia days.
The introductory explanation, the introduction to Tower Coins, and even the part where Ariel Tricia narrated as battle scenes appeared—it was all edited!
Especially in the scene where an unknown formidable enemy was fought, using Crow’s battle footage significantly boosted the sense of immersion.
“Such a fantastic video was only possible thanks to Crow!”
Incidentally, Crow himself was unaware that he had appeared in the tower’s promotional video.(?)
However, given how much Crow had already received, he might just casually overlook this much!
A new system message appeared before Ariel Tricia’s eyes.
「3 climbers have died on the 2nd Floor.」
「Settlement in progress…」
「[Berserker] Kang Geun-yuk (TL Note: A Korean name that literally translates to ‘Strong Muscle’.) – 128 Tower Coins」
「[Electromancer] Geon Jeon-ji (TL Note: A Korean name that literally translates to ‘Battery’.) – 71 Tower Coins」
「[Archer] Na Han-jo (TL Note: A Korean name that literally translates to ‘Single Bird’ or ‘Lone Bird’.) – 30 Tower Coins」
「A total of 229 Tower Coins have been additionally settled.」
The three climbers who had met a tragic end on the second floor after rashly provoking the bomb rabbits.
Their ‘strength’ and ‘value’ had been absorbed by the tower and converted into Tower Coins.
“…Why are their names like that? Are they aliases?”
「Notification: Confirmed as real names.」
“Ugh…”
Ariel Tricia was dumbfounded by the fact that those were all their real names.
After the promotional video concluded, the climbers listened to additional explanations from the maid before approaching the warp portal.
Soon, the climbers’ serious movement began.
「6 climbers have entered the 2nd Floor -Rabbit’s Garden-.」
「13 climbers have entered the 12th Floor -Gwangmyeong Market-.」
「4 climbers have entered the 19th Floor -Tasty Restaurant-.」
「3 climbers have entered the 32nd Floor -Milky Way Hotel-.」
「6 climbers have entered the 37th Floor -Carbonated Spring Hot Tub-.」
「2 climbers have entered the 39th Floor -Succubus Garden-.」
“Including the three who died, nine people went towards the trials, and the remaining 28 all went to the recreational facilities?”
It was all according to plan.
More than half of the climbers were intended to be drawn to the tower’s culture and relaxation facilities rather than its trials.
As for those who chose the trials…
Initially, they would be easy enough for even novice climbers to clear, provided they understood the strategy.
At least up to the 8th floor, they were designed to be relatively simple to clear.
However, the story changed from the 9th floor onwards.
And the 10th floor was where monsters Ariel Tricia had personally sealed in the past appeared as boss monsters.
It was still possible to keep climbing higher and higher after that.
Most of those floors were inhabited by Ariel Tricia’s residents, requiring only simple quests to be completed.
But—
On the 20th, 30th, and 40th floors…
Extremely powerful boss monsters resided on these floors that were multiples of ten.
No matter how strong a climber was, a moment would inevitably come when they would be stopped.
This was the point where they would confront the tower’s true ‘essence’.
A deep smile spread across Ariel Tricia’s lips.
“From the moment you chose the trials—you are no longer ‘climbers,’ but ‘intruders.'”
“If you desire battle so much… I will personally engrave the ‘fear’ possessed by the beings I sealed into your very minds.”
She stroked the crystal ball, smiling wickedly.
…Of course, even for intruders.
Tower Coins were reliably settled whether they cleared the trial or died.
If the influx of trial-takers stopped, that would be problematic!
“…So, I will definitely give you your rewards.”
…Probably.
