Chapter 10 — Think of It as One of Those Ghost Stories You Normally Hear About at Old Inns

Tomochika went stiff the moment they opened the door to their room. Of course, she never would have chosen to take a room by herself in a place this dangerous, but the small, cozy room had only one bed.

"Takatou, just to remind you, we're not alone in here. Mokomoko is also — wait, where is she?!" Only when Tomochika thought to warn Yogiri against any misbehavior did she realize that Mokomoko was no longer with them.

"Looks like she's not here," Yogiri observed disinterestedly.

"Why is she gone now when she's normally so irritatingly close?!"

Tomochika looked around the room in a panic. She finally located the family spirit, who had sunken halfway through one of the walls.

"What the hell are you doing?!"

I figured if I was around, there would be some things you two wouldn't be able to do. I thought it best to remove myself from the equation, but then out of sheer curiosity, I couldn't help but peek back inside.

"Make up your mind, would you?!"

Pay me no attention. Think of it as one of those ghost stories you normally hear about at old inns.

"There's no way I can ignore you when you're just sitting there, half inside the wall! And wait, why are you taking your clothes off, Takatou?! Aren't you moving a bit fast?!"

While Tomochika was speaking to Mokomoko, Yogiri had entered the room and begun to strip off his uniform.

"I'm just changing into my pajamas. Is that a problem?"

The two of them had come to the tower more or less empty-handed. Perhaps the other participants were the same, as sets of pajamas and underwear had been provided in the rooms.

Oho, you seem strangely receptive.

"What are you talking about?"

It sounds like you weren't rejecting him at all. If he's just "moving too fast," wouldn't you be happy about it if he was moving a little slower?

"That's enough out of you!"

Well, it doesn't matter all that much when he clearly has no interest, Mokomoko said flatly, pointing towards the bed. Yogiri had finished changing into his pajamas, slipped into bed, and immediately fallen asleep.

"What is with this guy? Is he interested in me or not?" Tomochika felt like an idiot, having gotten all worked up over nothing.

There was no point standing around in the doorway, so she finally entered the room, collapsing hard onto the bed. The mattress shook but Yogiri's sleep remained undisturbed.

Well, all that aside, there is something suspicious about this tower.

"You don't say."

Of course there is the issue of the tower's various mechanisms, but I don't mean something as physical as that. The truth is, ever since we arrived here, the tower has been trying to capture me.

"Why would it do that?" In spite of Mokomoko's obvious concern, Tomochika was more curious than anything else.

If you don't sound worried for me at all, it makes it a bit hard to continue.

"Well, to be honest, I don't care all that much, though I guess having you around is kind of an advantage for us."

R-Right. Anyway, back to the matter at hand. This tower is attempting to collect the souls of the dead into a single place.

"Really? That doesn't sound great."

Even putting aside the issue that this posed for Mokomoko personally, the fact that it was happening intentionally made it hard to believe the motives behind it were pure.

For someone of my level, such a trap is of no consequence. However, it deeply concerns me for numerous reasons. Please remain cautious.

"Not much I can do about it, though, can I?" Tomochika replied. Being only human, she could hardly fight against such a vague and abstract threat herself. She glanced over at Yogiri. Seeing his defenseless, innocent, sleeping face, she couldn't help but feel that he looked a little cute. "Well, putting all that aside for now...there are more important things to worry about."

Even with Yogiri fast asleep, she couldn't help but fret over whether it was safe to change in the same room.

 ◇ ◇ ◇

After receiving the key from the receptionist and being led to his room, Lynel entered and stopped. Any action he took was an opportunity for his bad luck to strike. He had learned from his life that in order to keep the damage to a minimum, he needed to do as little as possible.

When offered a free room service meal, he had turned it down. He had suffered from food poisoning enough over the years, and there was always the possibility of actual poison being mixed in by mistake as well.

It was a small room with just a single bed. Sitting down on it, he waited, taking care not to do anything else. Glancing at the clock that was always at the edge of his vision, he saw it was now 23:50. The date would be changing soon, but he couldn't let his guard down. If only being alone in a room was enough to stay safe, he could have avoided several deaths in the past.

He had already died fifteen times since deciding to take on this trial. Every time that he died, he was returned to the capital, but this time he had made it much farther than before. One might wonder why he bothered to come all the way out here if he knew he was just going to be killed. The answer was simple: he'd die if he stayed in the capital anyway.

It was like an incarnation of death that followed him around. It had the shape of a person but wasn't human. It was clad in a sinister black metal, covered in blades from head to toe, like a personification of pure murderous intent. No matter where he went, Lynel was always killed by the creature. But it couldn't follow him here. Apparently, the barrier around this place was keeping it out.

"It would be nice if I could change my save point already..." But the place where he regularly respawned had long since been decided on by the goddess who had brought him over, so there was nothing he could do about it now.

Lynel continued to wait, sitting on the bed.

0:00.

He had successfully made it to a new day, and a mail icon popped up in his vision to indicate that. As he was more than accustomed to seeing these notifications, he reached in to check his pocket without bothering to read the message. It was a magic pocket, specially made for holding the star crystals. Nothing but star crystals could be put into it, and it was far larger on the inside than it looked on the outside.

A huge number of crystals now sat inside the pocket, and he looked at them in confusion. It was a lot more than he normally received, certainly more than the previous day's bad luck should have warranted. He decided to read the accompanying message after all.

[Apology] For game-breaking status effects

[Announcement] 20 Year Anniversary Present!

[Announcement] 20 Year Anniversary Gacha, Ultra Rare Guarantee Begins!

It had been twenty years since he had come to this world. According to the announcement, he had received a gift of eighty star crystals. Combined with the twenty Apology Stones that he had also received, that put him at a healthy one hundred in all.

Lynel decided to immediately go for the guaranteed gacha. The order of rarities was Common, Rare, Super Rare, Special Super Rare, and Ultra Rare.

Pulling five crystals from his pocket, he held them tight in one hand, triggering the gacha. The space in front of him immediately began to glow so brightly that Lynel was forced to close his eyes. It was the first time he had ever seen this happen, so he supposed it was a special animation for the Ultra Rare guarantee.

As the light died down, he opened his eyes to see a woman standing in front of him. The extravagant clothing wrapped around her voluptuous form was remarkably revealing. Her whole body glittered with gold, with lights shimmering and dancing around her. She truly looked like she belonged in the Ultra Rare rank.

Even so, Lynel felt no appreciation at having her appear.

"Ahh, what a pleasant smell...it feels like I am within his embrace..." The woman was ignoring him completely, as if in a trance. And then she opened her eyes. It was the goddess who had reincarnated Lynel into this world.

"Umm..." He timidly tried to catch her attention, worried that if he didn't, she might go on ignoring him forever.

"Oh, my apologies. I became a little too engrossed after picking up this lovely scent." Taking another deep breath, she turned to face him.

"What's going on here? Why did you appear?"

He hadn't met the goddess since he had died in his previous life. She had occasionally left hints to help him survive, but that was the most contact they'd had in twenty years.

"Ah! That is simple. I merely came here to look around. I'll be going back immediately."

"Uhh, what about my Ultra Rare companion?" Lynel asked, his expectations faint at best.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to get your hopes up like that. This body is only a copy, so it's more or less powerless. Most of its resources have been taken up by the visual effects."

"You mean that glowy stuff around you, and those clothes? No, never mind. Why didn't you just explain that from the beginning?" He wouldn't have gotten his hopes up in the first place that way — at least, that's how he felt, but he wasn't brave enough to say it out loud.

"The system has some formalities that must be followed. If I just forced my way here, they would notice me immediately and it would all be for nothing. Being summoned by you follows the rules, though, so I was able to sneak in unnoticed."

He didn't quite understand what she was talking about but there wasn't much he could do other than accept it. "Well, I did manage to get away from that thing that was chasing me. What should I do now?"

"Whatever you like. You've been given this power, so why don't you use it to enjoy your life in this world?"

"You mean Random Walk? The situation is totally different each time, so any knowledge I gain is basically useless. Like this time, the people I'm with are completely different from before."

The star crystals were nothing more than basic compensation for Lynel's bad luck. The real power that he had been given upon being reborn was the ability to skip back in time and do things over whenever he died.

"There are some powers that let you repeat the exact same events over and over again. But this way, if you come across a situation you can't deal with, you can simply choose not to encounter it again. I feel like that's a much better power. No matter how many times you choose to repeat events, you can always start fresh. It gives you a far better chance of survival."

"Aren't you the one who told me to come here?"

Indeed, she had been the one to recommend that he go along with Frederica in the first place.

"Not really. I just give you hints. You are free to do as you like."

Lynel wasn't sure that was true. He had been thinking that the goddess's hints were simply her way of trying to guide him. In this case, however, she had clearly wanted to come to the tower herself. He had no idea why, though, so he couldn't tell if she was using him for her own purposes or not.

"Well, you've already come this far, so if you're not sure what to do next, why not try to become a Knight?"

"Don't be ridiculous. I'll have to start over again. This tower is nothing but danger."

While it was true that, within the tower, he was safe from the creature that had been tracking him, the danger inside wasn't all that different. And the fact that he was stuck in this place meant the situation had actually grown a bit worse.

"I'm afraid that's impossible. Since I've visited and seen you here, your save point has been moved to this room."

"No..." Lynel was filled with dread. This was tantamount to him being imprisoned in the tower.

"Well, see you later. I'm going to leave this body behind. It will take a few hours for it to disappear, so feel free to do as you like with it."

"What do you mean?"

"Sending objects to this world is relatively easy, but taking them out of it again is rather difficult. I've simply been manipulating this body from a distance. Anyway, goodbye."

With nothing more left to say, she fell to the ground like a puppet whose strings had been cut. She wasn't "dead," but her consciousness was clearly gone. All that was left now was a soulless body.

 ◇ ◇ ◇

The magic doll stared at the glowing wall, tilting her head in confusion. It wasn't a significant problem for the trial, so there was no urgent need to deal with it, but there were a number of events that were currently concerning her. Individually, no one issue was an especially big deal, but the collection of them all together was starting to become a problem.

She was in the basement of the tower. The room was a square, ten meters on each side carved into the stone, with a single large opening in one wall. The Garula Canyon, as well as the Dark God and its spawn that were sealed within, could be seen from the room thanks to its position on the side of the cliff.

It was dark, even with moonlight filtering into the chamber. The only sources of light were the glowing images on the wall, which lit up the area around them. The details of the tower and its barrier were displayed along that same wall. This was the control room and the core of the barrier that kept the evil sealed within.

"What's wrong?" the old Swordmaster asked as he entered.

"The selection process is proceeding smoothly. However, several points of concern have arisen. First is the situation outside the barrier. A number of individuals have appeared there. Further details are unknown."

The first barrier that surrounded the tower and its grounds hid the presence of the tower itself as well as the creatures that were sealed inside. It was impossible to see beyond the barrier from within it, so, from time to time, they sent out scouts to take stock of the situation. They had recently sent out several magic dolls to do just that, but had failed to learn anything of consequence about whoever or whatever was lurking nearby.

"There's nothing we can do but wait and see what happens. They could just be passing by."

Of course, it was unlikely that someone had come to this desolate, far-off canyon without a purpose. They would need to remain vigilant.

"Next, there is the situation inside the tower. The number of dead for the first day is greater than usual. This seems to be due to the actions of Teresa of the Thunderous Blade."

"I figured something like this would happen if we let her participate. But most of them were going to die anyway; it was only a matter of time."

"Why go through the trouble of this selection process, then?" The doll had been wondering about that for a while. Maintaining the barrier required a collection of souls, so it was necessary for many of those who entered the tower to die. It would have been much more efficient to kill the whole group the moment they entered the tower instead.

"I suppose considering the number of applicants who die, it's not strange that you'd think I bring them here just for that purpose. But that's not the point of the trial. The problem is that most of them are pathetically weak, and if they are going to die anyway, we might as well collect their mana for the barrier. So I don't think a larger number than usual dying off will be much of a problem."

"Lady Teresa was also among the dead."

"Why does it matter who died?"

"I understand your sentiment, but the numbers don't add up. Among the collected spirits, there are none that could be connected to her."

The Swordmaster paused for a moment. "I see. If she did truly die, it's possible that she turned into a ghost before the tower could absorb her."

If mana was the driving force that provided energy to the body, then spirit was the control mechanism that guided the mind. Both were diffused entirely upon dying, but sometimes the spirit remained intact, and that was particularly often the case for powerful mages and swordsmen.

"After inspecting Lady Teresa's body, we could not determine her cause of death." While they could actively monitor anything that was happening within the tower, they didn't have a record of things that had already taken place. "For now, a sufficient number of spirits have been collected for the tower's maintenance. However, if this were to continue in the future, it could present an issue."

A good quality spirit held many times the power of that person's mana. They were invaluable for the barrier's maintenance.

"We have enough stored up for a number of years already. It shouldn't be an issue."

"I am merely providing a note of caution. Furthermore, the number of half-demons for the underground barrier is getting low. I believe that replenishment will soon be required."

"Hmm. There was one woman who seemed fairly skilled with magic. Could we use her as a replacement for the half-demons?"

He was talking about Frederica, the one who had launched a magical attack at the barrier while they were all on the roof. The lone daughter of a proud noble family, she had an enormous amount of magical energy. Rumors of her having defeated some of the Dark God's escaped spawn — who had made it as far as the capital — had reached even this remote place.

The magic doll confirmed Frederica's current location. She was resting on the eightieth floor. While she still had a long way to go, she was making steady progress.

"What do you think?"

"For now, let her continue through the selection process. If she seems close to death, retrieve her. We can use her if she's still alive. Is there anything else you're concerned about?"

"Yes. There is an intruder in the tower. They seem to have been summoned here."

"That sounds like a rather significant problem, yet it's merely a 'point of concern' to you?"

"The one summoned appears to be a woman with no particular powers, and she is currently engaging in sexual acts with her summoner."

"That's pretty gutsy. Who would summon an outsider for something so petty in a situation like this?" The Swordmaster seemed impressed. Summoning wasn't a simple affair and it required a huge amount of magical energy. It was hard to believe that anyone would do it purely for the sake of satisfying a sexual urge.

"There is one other concern within the tower. My master appears to be among the participants."

"Aren't I your master?"

"No. I mean the one who created me, High Wizard Eglacia."

"He was one of the mages who fought the Dark God a thousand years ago, wasn't he? I'm surprised he's still alive."

"I do not know the details, but there is no mistaking it. He is the one wearing a golden robe."

"Ah! I thought that guy looked like an idiot, but I suppose he's in disguise. I know you shouldn't look a gift horse in the mouth, but does he understand what this selection process is actually for?" the Swordmaster asked with a sigh.

From the magic doll's perspective, only about half of the participants could really be called swordsmen. As long as they were strong, it didn't really matter who they were, but calling someone a Knight when they couldn't use a sword at all was highly questionable.

"Finally, regarding the Dark God's spawn: a unique type is attempting to break through the second barrier. It is expected to escape in three days, at noon."

The sealing power of the second barrier, used to keep the Dark God in place, was strongest at its center. That meant it was inevitably weaker near the outside, allowing some of the spawn that were trapped near the edge to eventually escape. It was why the Knights existed. Their mission was to slay any of the creature's spawn that escaped the barrier. The Swordmasters were those who led the Knights.

"Get ready to call them." In emergencies, the Knights could be instantly summoned to the area inside the barrier, made possible by the massive amount of magical energy held within the tower. "There are plenty of people who came here to become a Knight strictly so they could fight those things, no? It looks like this is going to be their first job."

"Should we take this into consideration for the trial?"

The magic doll thought it might be advantageous to have as many people pass the trial as possible in order to fight the spawn, but he immediately rejected her suggestion. "Anyone weak enough to die in the trial would be useless anyway."

The Swordmaster stepped over to the opening in the wall with the magic doll beside him. He looked out at the spherical space carved into the canyon. The Dark God and the Divine King remained at its center. Surrounding them were the evil spawn that had fought alongside the Dark God. Their movements were too slow to be visible to the normal eye, but they were definitely making their way towards the edges of the barrier.

"A humanoid, is it? Looks like this will be a pain," he muttered under his breath.

The creature closest to the edge of the barrier, one with a distinctly humanoid form, was laughing.