She was from that group of girls who had been gossiping about the handsome thirty-year-old man.
What made her memorable was her short white hair. It wasn't every day you'd see someone like that—dyed or not.
Shun sat a bit away from her and lifted his gaze to the sky.
While at it, he closed his eyes and entered his Root. There was something he wanted to learn.
As soon as he arrived, he caught a glimpse of the steel flower. He walked closer and wondered if it would attack him.
However, it didn't do anything. It simply sat there like a well-behaved child.
Shun willed his body to use cursed energy, yet nothing happened.
He expected such a result and decided to look back for a moment.
There were many things he didn't know about cursed energy, but a few stood out—fast recovery, blocking mana canals, and weakening opponents from the inside.
Is it only exclusive to the Living Alloy form? he asked himself.
For the moment, that seemed like the most plausible answer.
He couldn't change into Living Alloy and test it. He could only use it one more time, and if he insisted on using that form again, he would lose his mind.
The danger in the Tower was high. It'd be wise to use it only when necessary.
He left the Root and saw the calm sky once more. He acknowledged its serenity before moving on.
With a flick of his hand, a panel appeared.
---
Main Scenario 01
Objective: Destroy the Tower.
Difficulty: SSS
Reward: New Exclusive Ability
Description: The Tower of Odysseum is an existence that revolts against the very order of the universe. It is built from the grief and rage of billions of souls. One must free them from endless torment and guide them to eternal rest.
Penalty for Failure: Death
---
He had no idea how he's going to destroy the Tower, but he can only hope he'll find a way as he progressed.
Honestly, for him, hoping things rather than have direct control over it, unsettled him. It doesn't sit right with him.
If only he knew a hint or two about destroying a Tower, his heart would ease by an inch!
Nevertheless, he could only sigh and wish for the best.
Drifting his eyes to the reward, his heartbeat jumped slightly.
Living Alloy is already a powerful ability, and with a new one incoming, how powerful will he became? The thought of defeating those who mocked him and surpassing them filled his body with determination.
"I will complete it!" He clenched his fist with an excited grin. He couldn't wait to get his hands on this ability!
That said, when he looked at the triple s difficulties and the penalty for failure, all his excitement blew out the window.
However, he didn't let himself discouraged.
As he mused to himself, the girl slowly opened her eyes.
The first thing she saw was Shun.
"Who are you?"
Then she paused, realizing the environment had changed.
"Where am I?"
Shun didn't reply immediately. Instead, he got an idea. His eyes glinted.
"You are in another world. I have summoned you from your world to defeat the Demon King, O Great Hero!" Shun bowed respectfully.
She sneezed cutely.
"The summoning process must've given you a cold, dear Hero. Please, take it easy. Our journey to take down the Demon Lord has just begun, after all."
She sneezed again and said with a sharp tone, "Could you stop lying?"
"No, truly, you are in another world."
"Achoo!" she sniffed and looked at Shun with narrowed eyes. "Stop. Lying!" she raised her voice slightly.
"Yes, ma'am."
"So, where are we?"
Shun smiled faintly. "You must be aware of the newest Tower, yes? We're in it."
"That Tower? Are you messing with me?" She waited for a beat, then continued, "You're not lying. How could this happen? That Tower is so far away that it should be impossible."
"It seems this Tower is different from what we know. It approached Hunters instead of the other way around. We're basically prey."
After he said that, she fell silent. Her eyes focused on something in front of her.
It seemed the System notification had just popped up.
"We really are in the Tower."
When she realized the gravity of her situation, she looked at Shun cautiously and stepped back slowly.
He knew why. The Tower was a lawless zone where humans could get away with pretty much anything.
This girl may have thought he was going to do something immoral to her.
"Easy there. I won't hurt you."
"You don't have any ulterior motives?"
"Yup."
She narrowed her eyes, watching for any suspicious body language—but found none. She then relaxed her tense posture.
Shun observed her for a moment and couldn't help but think about all her sneezing. The weather looked fine, and there didn't seem to be anything that would trigger such a reaction.
"Hey."
"What?"
He stared at her. "Are you still a virgin?"
She looked at him hatefully. "What kind of question is that?"
"I'm just curious."
"I'm not saying, and we just met. Are you a pervert?"
Shun hesitated. "Yes."
She snapped forward with a sudden, muffled sneeze.
"You…"
"So your ability is a lie detector. If anyone lies in front of you, you sneeze." He stroked his chin.
Isn't such an ability basically a cheat?! Shun exclaimed inwardly. As much as he wanted to ask how her ability worked, he had better things to do.
On the other hand, the girl felt exposed that he'd figured her ability out so easily.
Of course, Shun had no idea about this—he was too occupied with his thoughts.
He then shifted his eyes to the town. Judging by the distance, it should be approximately five kilometers away.
"Is there an exit?" the girl asked. Shun eyed her.
"There won't be an exit until we clear the objective."
"...I wanna go home." Her voice mixed melancholy and loneliness as she hugged her knees.
Me too, Shun instinctively thought and chuckled bitterly.
"But the milk's already spilled. We can't do anything but move forward."
"It's easy for you to say that. You can take care of yourself," the girl said.
"Then I'll take care of you until you're out of here."
She lifted her head. "Truly? Why? I'll only slow you down."
"That's true. You will drag me down. But I don't think I could sleep peacefully if I found you dead tomorrow."
She paused for a long while, then stood with a faint smile. She reached out her hand. "My name is Akira Momose. You can call me Akira."
"Osamu Shun. Shun is fine." Shun shook her hand and let go.
"Like the famous author Osamu Dazai?"
"Who?"
"Never mind."
Shun didn't think too much about it and said, "We should go to that town."
She nodded in response and followed him quietly.
As they walked, the only thing he could hear was the rustle of the grass and leaves. There was not a single sound from animals.
He looked down at the grass as he walked and saw no bugs in sight. The field felt eerily quiet and lonely—except for the two of them.
"How much do you know about Towers, Shun?" she asked, breaking the silence.
"Zero."
"How are we going to survive?"
"Guts."
"You're kidding."
"Do you know any other way, then?"
She went quiet.
"Let's just check the town and see what's up."
They reached the town without speaking further.
For one, they barely knew each other, and neither of them was the outgoing type.
Shun looked up, amazed by the towering wall. He dragged his gaze down to eye level and observed the entrance.
Two spears leaned against the wall. Upon closer inspection, the spears showed no signs of rust or age. They looked brand new.
It seemed the guards had just left them here in a hurry.
Shun considered using one in case of danger once they stepped into the city, but he wasn't proficient with spears.
He left them behind and decided to rely on his fists. Together, he and the girl ventured into the city.
As soon as they entered, they were welcomed by what appeared to be the market.
Stalls were lined up neatly with an inch of space between each. All kinds of merchandise were being displayed—from everyday necessities to fancy items.
Shun entered the market and looked around. The paved paths and the three-story buildings screamed of the Victorian era. Everything felt like another world.
And the strangest part was that no one was around.
The stalls were filled to the brim with goods. Take the fruit stall, for example—the fruits looked high-quality and fresh, yet no seller nor customers was in sight.
It was lively, yet empty.
Shun stared at an apple for a while, then grabbed it. Its skin was smooth and shining, tempting him.
However, as soon as his palm made contact, the apple rotted instantly. Its red skin darkened, slowly revealing its decaying flesh.
It was as if time had pressed fast-forward on this peculiar object.
Woah! Shun exclaimed, throwing it away. He watched in terror as the apple rotted further, finally shriveling into a tiny dried fruit.
It looked like a prune.