Only about three minutes remained before the next stage opened as I examined the Shop.
‘What should I do···?’
I could undoubtedly use the Beginner’s Luck mechanic again.
Unfortunately, the absurdly powerful Evolution skill was gone, but I still had Boundless, which possessed a Skill Synthesis function.
[Boundless]
Rank: Unranked
Anything can be synthesized to transcend its limits, no matter how useless it may be.
According to the description, synthesizing two skills would allow them to transcend their limits and produce a higher-ranked skill.
‘The problem is that interfering with my Fixed Skill again would be far too dangerous.’
I currently possessed the two absurdly powerful skills created by Evolution.
Boundless, which enabled limitless synthesis, and Limitless, which enabled limitless growth.
And then there was my Fixed Skill, Infinity.
“Boundless.”
A window similar to, yet different from, the one Evolution had displayed appeared before me.
It was a futuristic synthesis window resembling the interface of Integration, another similar synthesis skill.
‘As expected, Infinity and Limitless can be synthesized. Naturally, Boundless itself cannot be selected while it is being used.’
Despite the difference in rank between the Unique and Unranked skills, they could be synthesized.
Even so, I could not bring myself to press the synthesis button.
‘If another error appears, there is no telling what will happen this time.’
In the best-case scenario, the skills might disappear as Evolution had.
However, that would actually be preferable.
If I were the tower’s System, I would never overlook me—the source of the bug—a second time.
‘There is a chance that my entire existence will be erased. If the tower’s System is not completely incompetent, it must be watching me closely.’
In the end, I had no choice but to abandon the idea of exploiting another bug-like mechanic.
‘That means I should save Beginner’s Luck for later.’
Should I synthesize items instead?
No. Any item I could acquire at the moment would be terribly inefficient.
It would be better to wait until I obtained items of at least Magic rank before synthesizing them.
The quality of items available for 100 Points was obvious from the wretched equipment worn by the Players around me.
It was doubtful that those Wooden Shields or pieces of clothing could withstand even a single proper attack from an Awakened.
Even if I synthesized them into Magic-rank equipment, the cost-effectiveness would be far too poor during the early stages.
‘Still, having something like that Wooden Shield would be better than nothing.’
However, I was already beyond the point where such crude equipment would make a meaningful difference.
‘Even bare-handed, I can kill several people who have never taken a life before. I could even take all of their armor and weapons if necessary.’
That left Stats.
I considered using the Points to raise my Stats, but spending only 100 Points would merely bring my physical abilities to the level of an ordinary athlete.
Even an Unranked combat-related Active Skill would be far more useful.
“In the end, I have to rely on another mechanic.”
I had no choice but to use a mechanic to postpone the decision.
I looked at the remaining time.
Only about thirty seconds remained.
“Do you know what the next mission will be? We are not going to be trapped in another strange room··· are we?”
The short-haired woman still had not left my side.
Was she one of those people with good instincts?
At the very least, she seemed to believe that following me would keep her safe.
“I do not know either.”
Being trapped in another room would be fortunate.
After the pure-white room, missions that forced people to escape from places filled with deadly traps were far more common.
And even those were among the better possibilities.
There were countless different types of missions.
‘Most missions are difficult enough merely to survive.’
Everyone held their breath and watched the remaining time pass.
They were visibly terrified of what might happen.
A rare few seemed excited by the prospect of living inside something resembling a game, but I knew their excitement would not last long.
During the remaining time, I quickly searched for essential early-stage items and skills and added them to my Favorites.
-00:00:05.
-00:00:04.
-00:00:03.
As the countdown continued, the people began gathering with tense expressions.
-00:00:02.
-00:00:01.
[Tower of Beginnings]
-STAGE.002
Sentinels & Raiders
Fulfill your assigned role.
-Success: Random skill granted to the final survivors.
-Failure: Incineration
“Damn it.”
We had received a highly difficult mission from the very beginning.
“Please, Raiders, Raiders, Raide··· Damn it!”
-Your assigned role is Sentinel(Watcher).
-Protect the Guardian Stones from the Raiders(Plunderers).
-At dawn, targets for incineration will be designated according to the number of Guardian Stones.
-If the number of Guardian Stones remains unchanged, no one will be incinerated.
-Points will be awarded to the final score according to the number of Guardian Stones.
-Points will be distributed according to contribution.
The System Window containing the role description appeared, and my hands and feet began disappearing at the same time.
“Wh-what? My body is disappearing!!”
When I looked around, everyone else’s hands and feet were vanishing into thin air as well.
We were being transferred to another space.
When I opened my eyes, I found myself in a ruined city.
It looked as though it had been struck by a nuclear bomb. Not a single building remained intact.
“At least we were fortunate enough to get an Urban Map.”
After examining my surroundings, I felt somewhat relieved.
This was the map where the Sentinels had the highest survival rate.
I was grateful that it was not a wasteland.
At the very least, this place provided plenty of locations where we could hide ourselves or conceal the Guardian Stones.
If necessary, we could even conduct a siege during the final phase.
“Wh-where are we? Have we returned?”
Joy briefly appeared on the bewildered faces around me before quickly fading.
They were relieved to see a city, but its ruined state must have filled them with unease.
PHEW-.
I released a long breath and looked at the Shop window I had deliberately left open.
‘At least I know this mechanic.’
Very few people knew about it.
Throughout my countless cycles, only a tiny number had discovered and used it.
The trick was to accept the next mission without closing the Favorites window.
Strangely, the Favorites window remained open even after a mission began.
An ordinary Shop window disappeared the moment the mission appeared, but the Favorites window alone remained.
‘Although it can only be used once.’
Once it was used and closed, it could not be opened again.
Leaving it open obstructed the user’s vision, making survival considerably more difficult.
It was still possible to see through the System Window, but it was undeniably inconvenient.
Except under special circumstances, the Shop was unavailable during most missions.
A portable Shop called the Cube became available later, but it was highly inefficient and extraordinarily expensive.
In other words, everything had to be acquired locally during the early stages.
Potions and medical supplies, as well as food and clothing, all had to be obtained within the stage.
‘Since this is an Urban Map, I should not have to worry about food. Medical supplies and Potions are too expensive, so I will pass on those. This is probably the most efficient choice.’
It was both the most useless and the most devastatingly effective weapon.
“Purchase the Toy Gun.”
A weighty Toy Gun materialized before me like a hologram.
I paid 80 Points for the gun and another 20 Points for a Disposable Workbench.
‘Nothing is more effective than a Toy Gun during the earliest stages.’
Most people would have dismissed the expensive item after seeing its name.
They would assume that it was merely a gun that fired BB Pellets, but the truth was entirely different.
‘Once it is modified with a Workbench, it is practically indistinguishable from a real gun. It is powerful enough to shatter tempered glass, so a few shots would burst a human skull.’
During one of my previous cycles, a deranged military enthusiast had modified Toy Guns to function like actual firearms and equipped his entire group with them.
Once people’s Stats became high enough, the weapons became nothing more than useless toys.
However, during the earliest stages of the Tower of Beginnings, they produced extraordinary results.
“Huh? I-is that not a gun?”
“It is a real gun. Actual guns cost several thousand Points in the Shop.”
Apparently, some of them had searched for firearms while examining the Shop.
As they said, an actual rifle cost several thousand Points.
It possessed excellent lethality and remained useful until the middle stages of the Tower of Beginnings.
However, its cost-effectiveness was far too poor.
Several thousand Points were enough to strengthen a person’s body to a far greater degree.
‘Enough to fight even while being struck by bullets. That is why the Toy Gun is perfect.’
I slung the Toy Gun across my back and looked at the others.
The gazes of more than fifty people focused on me.
Their equipment was not particularly insignificant either.
Some wore heavy Plate Armor, while others carried enormous shields.
Many were also armed with swords or Crossbows.
Nevertheless, every one of them looked at me with fear.
‘This is the power of the Toy Gun.’
Its appearance was so realistic that it was difficult to distinguish from an actual firearm without examining it closely.
The muzzle revealed that it was a toy, but no one was composed enough to notice such a minor detail.
I climbed onto a red SUV that was little more than a wreck.
Everyone raised their heads and looked up at me.
A person’s psychological state changed depending on where they directed their gaze.
‘There is a reason ambitious people prefer high places.’
Someone positioned physically above others was subconsciously perceived as more authoritative and influential.
“I can keep all of you alive.”
The answer everyone had desperately wanted finally came from me after my prolonged silence, and their expressions immediately brightened.
“However, you must follow my instructions without question. This is not a game. It is reality.”
“Where is this place, and why are we h-here?!”
It was a perfectly reasonable question.
And to be honest, I did not know the answer either.
“This is hell. You will suffer endlessly, and eventually, you will wish for death. However, even greater suffering awaits you after death. Therefore, you must survive.”
GULP.
Everyone looked as though my words were absurd, yet no one could bring themselves to deny them.
Ever since they had opened their eyes, one impossible and bizarre event after another had occurred.
During the transfer to this place, they had watched their own bodies disappear in real time.
Even if they wanted to reject my words, every memory of how they had previously lived had vanished, making it impossible to judge the situation through experience.
“You have all checked your skills, correct? I possessed a Unique information-type skill. Thanks to it, I was able to adapt to this place quickly. Does anyone possess a similar skill?”
Someone raised his hand.
He was a gaunt man wearing glasses with one lens half shattered.
At a glance, he resembled a Researcher who had devoted his entire life to his studies.
“I-I do. However, mine is not Unique. It is Rare.”
‘Oh, a Player with a Rare-ranked skill. He was fortunate with his draw.’
Possessing a Rare-ranked skill at this early stage made him a potentially valuable person.
I gestured for him to come closer.
“What is your name?”
“P-Park Gilsu!”
“Mr. Park Gilsu, please stand before me and explain to everyone what kind of skill your Information Reading ability is.”
I employed a psychological ploy using personalization, relationship building, recognition, and a sense of connection.
It might have seemed insignificant, but Park Gilsu would now make an effort to show me only his positive qualities.
“M-my skill is called ‘Sphinx of Thebes.’ Its effect allows me to ask three questions each day and receive answers in the form of riddles.”
It was not a bad skill.
He could ask anything and receive an answer.
“Have you used it already?”
“Yes··· I used it once.”
“What did you ask?”
“I asked where we are··· and received an answer I could not understand.”
“What was the answer?”
“I-it said··· this is a very small place and a great many places.”
The answer was approximately correct.
The Tower of Beginnings was a very small place, yet there were also a great many Towers of Beginnings.
This was not the only tower that existed.
However, the people who did not know that frowned and tilted their heads.
“Yes, that is correct. I asked the same question. However, the answer I received was not phrased as a riddle.”
Everyone looked at me expectantly, waiting for an explanation.
“This place is one of countless hells. Each hell contains countless people, and just as many hells exist beyond it. Whoever survives until the end and reaches the summit of the tower shall return to their original world.”
“Ah···!”
In truth, I did not know whether that was correct either.
I frequently repeated the same story because it gave people hope and made them more willing to follow my instructions.
‘It is also my honest impression of this place.’
This place truly was hell itself.
I continued climbing because I hoped that reaching the summit might allow me to escape this hell.
At the very least, surely there could not be another hell beyond it.
Hope.
Now that I had given it to them, it was time to begin moving them according to my will.
“Everyone, you can return to your original world by reaching the summit. Do you want to reach it?”
“Yes.”
“Even if you cannot remember it, do you want to return to your comfortable homes, to Earth, and to the peaceful lives you once had?”
“Yes!”
“Then follow me. I will become your Guide.”
WAAAAAAH-!!
From this moment onward, they would regard me as a companion and open their hearts to me.
That would make them perfect for exploitation.