“There are three things you must never do in the towers.”
I spoke firmly as I looked at Kang Sujeong, the short-haired woman who was staring at me in confusion.
“Mercy, compassion, and complacency. In other words, do not forgive, do not love, and never let down your guard.”
Kang Sujeong let out a brief “Ah,” finally understanding what I meant.
“Do you think showing mercy will reform them? We will be fortunate if they do not stab us in the back. Showing others love and kindness is equally dangerous. Either you or the person you care for will eventually sacrifice yourselves for the other. Complacency requires no explanation. Overestimating yourself in a situation where death can come at any moment is the same as asking to die.”
“You cannot know what someone is truly like until you give them a chance. Could those people not change?”
I glanced at the prisoners, who were nodding fiercely and insisting that they would certainly reform, then corrected myself.
“Fine. Let us assume that your mercy moves them and they become better people. What about those they injured? What about the people they killed? Do you think those victims would be as eager to show mercy as you are? They may already be struggling to suppress their resentment. When feelings like that accumulate one by one, discord takes root and silent cracks begin to spread. At a decisive moment, those cracks will cost you and your other companions your lives.”
“B-but they did not kill or injure anyone. They fought each other until they collapsed from exhaustion, then surrendered first and begged us to spare them.”
In the pure-white room, she had possessed enough resolve to make me wonder whether she was a psychopath.
How had she become like this?
Where had the madwoman who tore out a man’s throat with her teeth gone, and why was a saintess from some fantasy story now standing before me?
‘Perhaps she is normally rational but goes insane at the sight of blood.’
There were occasionally people like that.
When certain conditions were fulfilled, their PTSD was triggered and they began behaving like lunatics.
People of that sort became genuine madmen once they lost control.
I revised my assessment of Kang Sujeong from useful to dangerous.
An uncontrollable ally was more frightening than a powerful enemy.
“That is why I am still considering what to do. Had they caused even the slightest harm, I would have executed them on the spot.”
A regretful murmur escaped me.
The prisoners must have heard it, because their expressions immediately stiffened.
“I-if you spare us, we will do anything!!”
“Then answer one question. You have killed people to survive before, correct? Do not insult me with some pathetic claim that you have never killed anyone.”
“···Yes. I have.”
“Have you ever killed someone for a reason other than survival?”
“I swear that I have not···!”
“Truly?”
“Yes!!”
“What about you?”
“Not yet. I nearly did today.”
“You damned Sledgehammer!”
“Ah, right. I heard that the two of you fought each other to the death. Fine.”
“I-I only defended myself!”
“Good. All that remains is for you to prove your value. What benefit will we gain by keeping you alive?”
“We will fight with our lives on the line.”
“No, that is not enough. That is a basic requirement. Tell me something that is not already expected of you.”
“Ah···! I use Energy Bolt. I can fire it once every second! None of the other ranged Damage Dealers I met could cast faster than me!”
Once every second.
That was certainly an extraordinarily fast casting speed.
He probably possessed either a supporting Passive Skill or a Fixed Skill that improved it.
“I possess Steel Skin and Wind of Regeneration. Most attacks barely even itch.”
Steel Skin and Wind of Regeneration were highly compatible during the early stages.
Steel Skin made him difficult to injure, and Wind of Regeneration allowed him to recover rapidly whenever he was hurt.
Both were reasonably useful, but···
“You spent all that time talking only to tell me that each of you can perform the work of one ordinary person?”
They were hardly worth spending two Guardian Stones.
I had hoped that they might possess a special item or some kind of crafting ability, but neither seemed to have anything of the sort.
“Th-then what do you expect from us···?”
“Tsk. If you have nothing worthwhile to offer, I will have to use you as I see fit.”
I had already decided what role to assign them when I chose to keep them alive.
I had refrained from telling them immediately because I wanted to pressure them first, making it more difficult for them to voice dissatisfaction.
“You will conduct skirmishing operations outside the base.”
“···What?”
“You will serve as bait. Your role is to delay the enemy and slow their advance as much as possible. Do not worry. I am not ordering you to die. Ah, and for your information, the two of you will be the first and second choices for Guardian Selection.”
“Th-that is!!”
“Surely you did not expect anything else?”
Guardian Selection.
The intentions of the tower that issued these missions were profoundly malicious.
It forced people to make cruel decisions at every turn, as though testing the limits of their humanity.
Guardian Selection, which became available beginning in Week 2, was no exception.
All Stats +10 and increased Mana Recharge Speed.
Every Stat increased by 10, while Mana recharged more quickly. There was no more overpowering Buff during the early stages.
During the early stages, gaining 10 points in every Stat was, even by a simple calculation, more valuable than gaining ten Levels.
Ordinarily, each Level increased five random Stats.
It was also possible to raise Stats using Points, but the cost rose sharply as the Stats increased.
That was why, during the middle and later stages, purchasing skills or items was far more cost-effective than spending Points on Stats.
‘Guardian Selection can designate as many people as we have Guardian Stones, so having more Stones is advantageous. But is spending two of them to turn those bastards into allies truly worthwhile?’
We had ten Guardian Stones from the first day and another ten from the second.
Two of them would have to be used on those men.
‘Perhaps killing them is still better.’
Had they sensed my murderous intent?
The two prisoners quickly hid behind Kang Sujeong.
‘If I want to lead these people, I have to appear rational.’
I was not yet powerful enough to rule through fear alone.
However, if I simply released the prisoners, the random Incineration Target could be me.
I had to exploit them somehow and steer the situation in my favor.
‘Moreover, if everyone receives Guardian Selection, our overall strength will increase rapidly. It will be much safer.’
There was only one problem.
“D-does that not mean we will definitely die if the Guardian Stone is stolen? Is that not a double-edged sword?”
As he said, a Guardian Chosen was guaranteed to be incinerated if the Guardian Stone linked to them was stolen.
That was why people feared being chosen through Guardian Selection, no matter how powerful the Buff was.
‘That is why it was usually imposed by force.’
Even if someone might die either way, most people preferred taking their chances with random selection over voluntarily accepting a ticket that guaranteed their death.
That was why the chosen were usually decided by majority vote.
Sometimes, people even suggested that they should refuse to use Guardian Selection altogether.
‘But that never happened even once. Foolishly, everyone voted in favor while thinking, “As long as it is not me.”’
Rather than risk being randomly selected and dying through bad luck, people preferred having someone else marked for certain death.
That was why factions began forming from Week 2 onward, with powerful factions dominating weaker ones.
When several factions possessed similar strength, those with the lowest Contribution from the previous day were often forcibly selected.
“Think positively. Your chances of dying are already high if you are conducting skirmishing operations outside the base. If you receive Guardian Selection, will the Buff not increase your chances of surviving, even slightly?”
“Even so, that is···”
Their reaction was exactly as I expected.
Their promise to risk their lives had been nothing but empty words spoken in the moment.
The instant I assigned them a genuinely dangerous role that might result in death, they began resisting.
“The only alternative is death.”
I delivered the final ultimatum.
I held a Dagger behind my back, prepared to kill them immediately if they displayed even the slightest sign of rebellion.
“Phew··· We have no other way to survive at the moment. I will accept.”
“···Understood.”
Surprisingly, they accepted rather easily.
We currently numbered eleven.
There were only two of them, but the difference in Levels meant that our advantage was not absolute.
Nevertheless, they chose not to resist.
‘They probably do not trust each other either.’
The two were obviously bitter enemies.
Instead of an eleven-against-two fight, the situation might immediately have become twelve against one.
Perhaps neither wanted to take that gamble.
Whatever the reason, their easy acceptance left me slightly disappointed.
“Hmmm··· It might have been better to kill them and save the two Guardian Stones.”
They backed away from me with disgusted expressions.
I approached Kang Sujeong.
“Because of your decision, we now have to spend two valuable Guardian Stones. Since you were the leader of this team, you will accept the corresponding responsibility.”
“···I understand what you mean.”
“From now on, you will lead the Skirmisher Unit. I will take command of Team 1.”
I needed to assume direct command of a team anyway.
If I wanted to pass Week 2 safely, I had to create an Artillery Unit of my own.
“Then I will receive Guardian Selection too.”
“Hm?”
“You said it increases our abilities. That means it is beneficial, correct? Those people will become my teammates, and they are both receiving Guardian Selection. Their leader cannot be the only one excluded.”
“Do as you please.”
I had already intended to recommend Guardian Selection to her, so her volunteering made matters much easier.
Including the newly received Stones, we possessed eighteen Guardian Stones in total.
Four had now been assigned.
Hit-and-Run, Sledgehammer, the short-haired woman.
And me.
I doubted that anyone else would volunteer for Guardian Selection.
Unexpectedly, however, there were many.
When I gathered everyone and explained our future plans and the nature of the Guardian Stones, they reacted in ways I had never anticipated.
“I will receive Guardian Selection as well.”
“Me too.”
“···I will say this again. If your Guardian Stone is stolen, you will definitely die.”
“Yes. Then we simply have to protect every Stone!”
“You said that you are accepting it too, Leader.”
When I asked whether anyone wished to volunteer, people stepped forward as though Guardian Selection were something desirable.
Amazingly, there were more volunteers than Guardian Stones.
‘Are these people insane? I have something I can rely upon, but none of you do.’
Being linked to a Guardian Stone undoubtedly made a person stronger.
However, if a Raider stole the Stone linked to them, they would die without exception.
It was the very definition of high risk and high reward.
Yet so many people volunteered that I began wondering whether I had always viewed Guardian Selection too negatively.
I had originally assumed there would be no volunteers and planned to manipulate a lottery so that I could select whoever suited my purposes.
This changed everything.
Volunteers were far more useful than people forced into the role.
It gave me considerably more freedom when devising plans.
“I will do anything if it allows me to become stronger.”
“Rather than spending every night terrified that I might be randomly chosen to die, I would rather relax and know exactly how I will die!”
“Good grief.”
Unable to hide my bewilderment, I examined the faces of the people making those insane declarations.
‘Ah.’
Until now, I had never bothered looking closely at their faces.
They would die soon anyway.
However, once I studied them properly, I began recognizing them.
‘What? Soyeong? Yonghyeok, Seongwon too? What is happening···?’
I could not tell whether this was good fortune or terrible luck.
Faces I had forgotten within my eroded memories returned to me.
They looked quite different now.
They were the people who had helped me establish the three things one must never do in the towers.
The person who had first shown me mercy.
The person who had wept beside me when I died.
The person who had died in my place because of my foolish mistake.
The person who had continued speaking of a hopeful future without ever surrendering to despair.
The person who had steadfastly protected my inadequate former self.
The person who had taught me laughter and alcohol after I had forgotten both.
The person who had taught me countless hidden mechanics worthy of being called Secret Arts.
And even the person whom I had taught with all my heart.
‘Ha. Hahaha. How can this be possible?’
They were people who remained especially vivid within my memories, even after countless regressions.
If good and evil truly existed, every one of them leaned toward good.
Of course, not everyone gathered here had shared a connection with me in the past.
However, there was not a single villain among them memorable enough for me to recognize.