I grabbed my forehead, pressing my fingertips against my skull. Then, the headache disappeared, and I slowly regained my senses.
âRight. Iâm in a [Trauma] right now.â
This was a different world. No, it was a play that had been created by imitating a certain world.
The actors didnât know they were actors, and the props didnât know they were props, but all the people who came and went here were part-timers hired for the play.
âThis is inside the Tower Masterâs⊠[Ja Soo-jungâs Trauma].â
I have been looking at the life of Ja Soo-jung for a while now.
How talented she was. How ridiculous the manner she broke through the political offensive was. Who she got close to, how she gained power, and finally, how she took the power of the DragonsâŠ
âThe Tower was built with the power of the Dragons.â
I could not say it with certainty.
âItâs not a place that was built with a single power. The power to deal with [Essence], the power to deal with [Memory], the power to deal with [Time]. And maybe the powers of other Dragon Emperors as well. The powers of so many Dragons combined⊠created a very comprehensive system.â
Babump.
The heart that wasnât mine pounded with my rhythm.
âIâm the first to unearth the structure of the Tower!â
It was almost as if it responded to my pounding heart.
Despite it being a Trauma, the Towerâs voice still responded to my discovery.
[Congratulations. You are the first to discover the structure of the Tower!]
[If you can describe the exact powers(skills) that support the structure of the Tower, you will receive an additional bonus.]
[Can you reveal which four fundamental skills make up the Tower?]
I wiped the sweat from my forehead.
âJa Soo-jung captured three Dragons.â
Recalling the things Iâd seen, I murmured in my mind.
âOne of them is the Earth Bone Dragon. The Dragon Emperor who had the [Power to store Memories]. When someone gets close to the Earth Bone Dragon, he would store their memories in a box.â
I thought about the power of the Earth Bone Dragon.
âAnd the size of the [Box] is not fixed.â
+
[The Earth Bone Dragonâs Skull]
Rank: SSS+
Effect: The ability to archive the memories of the living. Archived memories are placed in a âboxâ that can only be destroyed by the user.
Unless the box is destroyed, the user can recreate the body of a person who will inherit the same memories over and over. The body can travel around the world, create new memories, and âupdateâ those experiences back to the box. Of course, if the user allows it!
Even if the body is completely destroyed, the box will not suffer any damage. Grant the privilege of immortality to those around you.
â»However, the memories of a destroyed body cannot be updated to the box.
+
I thought.
âAnyone who lived outside could enter the Tower.â
On the other hand, new entrants left everything on the outside and entered the Tower with only their bodies.
Like me. Like Marcus Calenbury. Just like the Director.
Like everyone else.
âThe only thing you can bring into the Tower is [Yourself].â
In other words.
âWhat if the Tower is one big box?â
I snapped my fingers.
âAnd what if we are in it?â
As soon as I became an entrant, [My memories] were stored in the [huge box called the Tower]. And I entrusted my memories to the Tower while walking around in the world inside the Tower.
âWith that, the Tower would gain access to all of the information of everyone in the Tower.â
The more I thought, the more certain I became.
âThat explained why I could return 4,000 days in the past!â
Every time I returned a day, the Tower restored one dayâs [data restoration point]. After 4,000 iterations, the Tower reset to a data restoration point from 4,000 days before.
However, in the process, because of my skill, only my data was âupdatedâ in the Tower.
-Data restoration point forcibly returned to 4,000 days in the past.
-(Additional code due to skill) Maintain the continuity of character Kim Gong-ja.
That was why I could return without losing my memories.
âGood. If thatâs the case, then the Tower is a gigantic memory box. Our memories arenât in our brains but in our Towers. Itâs a great library where our memories are stored. No, itâs a great library for souls. That is the identity of the Tower that Iâve deduced. How about that?!â
The Towerâs voice responded quickly.
[Correct Answer.]
[Acknowledged that you have broken through the first gate.]
[The Earth Bone Dragonâs Box forms the outer shell of the Tower.]
Okay.
âIt must be the same logic that allows us to move between worlds.â
I had moved between the worlds of the [Tales of Somerwin Academy] and [Chronicles of the Heavenly Demon].
Strictly speaking, that transfer was more like âtransmissionâ.
âHowever, the only thing I found hard to understand was how the [Tales of Somerwin Academy] and [Chronicles of the Heavenly Demon] were incorporated into the Tower just like usâŠâ
I frowned and rubbed my forehead.
Then, annoyingly, the nobles around me started talking.
âWh-, when the Viscount receives her title of Duke, should we call her Duke? It feels like sheâs further awayâŠâ
âMm. Viscount Ja Soo-jung allows anyone to call her whatever they like, so it wonât be a problem to suddenly create and share a nickname.â
âNicknameâŠâ
âDid you not hear Marquis? Viscount Sim An-chal is called [This Oneâs Princess] by Ja Soo-jung, and the Ultimate Sword Duke is called [This Oneâs Dear Husband]. Those are names that only those people can monopolize. She might even make one for the Marquis.â
âThat, itâs a bit embarrassing to hear others say itâŠâ
âDoesnât it make you think that Ja Soo-jung is cute instead?â
âI canât decideâŠâ
It was hard to ignore them even if I wanted to.
Because everything they said was related to the Tower Master.
People kept leaking information about the Owner who created this world, and no matter how small it was, I couldnât help but be interested in it.
âI need time to organize my thoughts.â
I suddenly realized that the [current me] had that ability.
Magic power flowed through this body. To be precise, it was as if this entire body was made of mana. I wasnât sure what I looked like now since I hadnât gotten the chance to look at a mirror, but this personâs flesh, blood, and bones were all made of mana.
In short, so was the brain.
ăConsciousnessâ Accelerationâ Time.ă
The nerves in the brain were mutated with mana.
The speed of my consciousness changed according to my wish. It was possible for me to even transform it into a [body that didnât need to breathe] if I wished. Whoever owned this body must be a formidable monster.
âHmmm.â
Good. Time had slowed down.
Marquis Baek Seol-to and Viscount Sun Heuk-sin moved slowly as if they were stuck at 0.1x speed. My body also slowed down, but my consciousness continued to move at the same speed. I continued to think in a world with a more relaxed pace.
âWhether itâs [Chronicles of the Heavenly Demon] or [Tales of Somerwin Academy], those worlds could not have entered the Tower on their own. They arenât humans like us. How were worlds brought into the Tower?â
I thought hard.
But I still couldnât imagine it.
âSeriously, how can a world be moved to the TowerâŠ? I donât know if itâs possible to make something like that.â
I frowned.
âMake something like that?â
My heart pounded.
âRight. Was there really a need to cram an entire world into the Tower? Wasnât it enough to create the same world as [Chronicles of the Heavenly Demon] in the Tower? In the first place, my memories are also stored in the Tower. That means that there is a record of my time in the world in the Tower.â
That could be it.
It was much easier to imagine than physically cramming a world into the Tower.
âHoweverâŠâ
There were still two problems that remained unresolved.
Firstly, the Earth Bone Dragonâs Box [stored memories of the living]. Thatâs how it was explained in the skill. Regardless of whether a world was alive or dead, it felt a bit much to describe a world as [living]. There was no such thing as a world deciding to enter the Tower of its own volition.
Secondly, was none otherâ than the Tower Masterâs personality.
ââŠâ
The Tower Master turned her head and looked at me, and there was a hint of playfulness in her bright smile.
Purple eyes.
It was a color too deep to reflect anything. When facing her, it was necessary to not focus too deeply on the color of her eyes, as even a pale white floor would lay bare in those jewel-like eyes.
Her eyes seemed to devour mine like the open jaws of a snake. It was impossible. There was a fair bit of distance between our seats and the throne. But, nevertheless, I felt like Ja Soo-jung was looking at me as if she were right in front of me.
âThere is an interesting smell coming from here.â
In the distance, Ja Soo-jung moved her lips. Mouthing words. However, her words came right in front of me and drifted into my ears.
âAura.â
I gulped down saliva. It was unclear how she realized that Iâd changed the time of my consciousness to 0.1x, but Ja Soo-jung sent her words out at exactly the same speed. The owner of this body was a Wizard genius. But Ja Soo-jung was a monster.
âWhat kind of interesting thing are you trying to show me, This oneâs Advisor? This oneâs backstabbing staff? Baron Gu Won-ha, one of this oneâs favorites, who can comfort this oneâs boring life just by staying still. Are you doing anything particularly interesting?â
ââŠI was thinking about the structure of the Tower. Viscount.â
[The Subjectâs ego is defying.]
[Continuing to reproduce the trauma!]
I tried to speak in the tone of Kim Gong-ja, but my tongue and lips moved against my will. I became a respectable noble and placed my hands in front of me.
âThe structure of the tower?â
In the distance, Viscount Ja Soo-jung tilted her head, still openly displaying her affection with His Majesty.
âAre you referring to the structure of the Platinum Tower? Ah. Well. The structure of this place is quite intriguing. It was used by the Dark Sovereign before the founding of the Kingdom, so it was designed so that even when Dragonâs passedâŠâ
âNot this tower.â
âHuh? Is that so? Then is it the Tower of Appeal? Ah, is it the Netherworld Tower* that this one captured?â (*: Changed from Yellow Sky Tower)
âIâm thinking about the structure of the [Tower] that the Viscount will build.â
ââŠâ
Suddenly, Ja Soo-jung rose up from her place under the throne.
âViscount Ja Soo-jung?â
The King, who was sitting on the throne, was a bit surprised, so he looked at Ja Soo-jung.
âMy apologies, Your Majesty. This one has something to discuss with my faction comradesâŠâ
âMm. Alrighty. Take your time.â
âMany thanks, Your Majesty. This one will count the seconds that I could not spend with you and keep it in my heart, so that I may return with a heart that is full of love.â
Viscount Ja Soo-jung turned away.
Tap.
Viscount Ja Soo-jungâs dress was belted on both sides. The skirt was long and trailed behind her as she walked. She was not dressed as a noble or as Duke, but only with the sense of [the Kingâs Concubine]. Viscount Ja Soo-jung had enough power and connections to wear such clothes in the sacred halls of the council without worry.
âNow then. Adviser Gu Won-ha.â
The noble with the most power in this council hall where all nobles had gathered.
She was my Lord, I was her vassal.
Where other nobles called me [Baron] which was my official title in the Kingdom, only Viscount Ja Soo-jung used [Advisor] which was my position in the family.
âIf this one didnât hear incorrectly, I believe I heard the word [Tower] just now. Ah. Marquis Baek Seol-to and Viscount Sun Heuk-sin, may I ask you to step aside for a moment?â
âAh, Yes. ViscountâŠâ
âUnderstood. Faction Leader.â
Viscount Ja Soo-jung bent over and kissed Marquis Baek Seol-to on the forehead. Marquis Baek Seol-to blushed happily, and with a âheheâ, sprang up from her seat.
Viscount Ja Soo-jung then lifted her left hand towards Viscount Sun Heuk-sin. Viscount Sun Heuk-sin as if it was natural, knelt down and kissed and licked her left ring finger. Then she left her seat with a calm expression, seemingly satisfied.
ââŠâ
âThey are cute.â
Ja Soo-jung covered her lips with her sleeve and giggled.
âSo, about the Tower the Advisor spoke about. As far as this one remembers, this one has never mentioned the Tower to the Advisor. I didnât tell anyone. That is why this one is a bit confused now. Do you perhaps have foresight?â
ââŠNo. Viscount. I do not have foresight.â
âThatâs what I thought. The only person in this kingdom with the ability to see the future is Sin An-Yeji*, who is training his compassion in the desert. [If I donât have compassion, the world will end], he really said that to me with a straight face. Does that make sense, Advisor? Is he just trying to get rid of this one?â(*: Literally Divine Foresight)
ââŠâ
I listened to Ja Soo-jungâs words with my hands politely clasped.
The Viscount was originally very talkative, and once she started talking, the conversation would branch hundreds or thousands of times. In that case, it was better to just wait for the Viscount to return to the main point on her own⊠This body knew that.
âAh. In any case, the Tower.â
Like now.
âIf not foresight, then is it mind reading? That would be harder than foresight. As the Advisor should know, this oneâs mind is now protected by at least four layers of barriers. The place this one was thinking about the Tower in is in the first layer, that is to say, this oneâs deepest part. I donât think even Jai knowsâ
JaiâŠwas the name of the Boundary Duke. (TL: Guess this is the final Duke)
There was only one person in the kingdom who could call the Boundary Dukeâs first name without hesitation, and that was Viscount Ja Soo-jung who was right in front of me. Viscount Ja Soo-jung was the only person who could say the Boundary Dukeâs real name without having her head sent flying.
The Boundary Duke had the ability to read peopleâs minds, so it was natural for her to have suspicions like [how did you know a plan that even the Boundary Duke couldnât read?].
âViscount.â
âYes, this oneâs Advisor. Although this one calls you my advisor, you are this oneâs second advisor who wants to someday smash the head of your senior and become this oneâs only advisor.â
âYou should reverse your thinking.â
âHoh? Itâs the opposite?â
âI did not [already] foretell the Tower. Viscount. The Tower has already been completed, and, according to the logic of the Tower, we are [belatedly] experiencing this situation now.â
ââŠâ
Those purple eyes went wide.
Viscount Ja Soo-jung looked around, once to the left, then to the right. Then she tapped her lips with her index and middle fingers.
âWow.â
That was all the time it took for the Viscount to organize her thoughts.
âIsnât that amazing?â
ââŠâ
âLetâs check it out. Advisor, does that mean that you are from the future? If so, do you come from a future where this one has already built a Tower and is running it successfully?â
âThatâs right.â
âHowever, thatâs impossible. Even if the Tower is built, the Advisor would never know of its existence. In this world, the only people who could know of the existence of the Tower are the Gold Dragon, the Earth Bone Dragon, the Ice River Dragon, and finally Viscount Sim An-chal. Other than them, no one else would know⊠Hmm?â
Viscount Ja Soo-jung stroked her chin.
âIndeed.â
Then the tips of her lips curled into a smile.
âYou. Are not Advisor Gu Won-ha, are you?â
ââŠâ
âYou must be someone else, who has taken the image of Advisor Gu Won-ha. Heh. Huhu. As expected, something did happen. How interesting.â
ââŠYes. I am not this person. My name is Kim Gong-ja.â
âYouâre not from this world, are you? This one can bet everything I have on that.â
âYes. Thatâs right. I am⊠a hunter from a Tower called Ascension City.â
âHunter? Ah. I guess I settled for that name in the end. Ascension City. Is there a name attached to the outside world?â
âUh. Um. Iâve heard constellations call it the Spire WorldâŠâ
ââŠâ
When she heard the words âSpire Worldâ Ja Soo-jungâs purple eyes narrowed slightly.
âThat doesnât seem like a complete coincidence.â
âHuh?â
âItâs nothing. Ah, Iâm not saying that this one thinks itâs nothing, Iâm just saying itâs nothing because I want to upset you. So that curiosity will control your left and right atriums and make your heart flutter. The heart is healthiest when itâs pounding. You should be thankful that this one is granting you such health.â
ââŠâ
I understood.
This person, talks a lot.
It wasnât just a lot, it was even beginning to scratch my temper a bit.
âBut how did a human from inside the Tower come to the past? How fascinating. Itâs so unlikely that this one finds it hard to believe.â
âThis isnât the past. Viscount.â
âMeow?â
This was new information. The Tower Master sometimes made cat noises.
What a useless piece of information.
âThis isnât the Viscountâs world. Itâs not even my world.â
âThen?â
âThis place is simply a dream recreation. The recreated memories of the Viscount. Iâm in the Viscountâs trauma.â
ââŠâ
Viscount Ja Soo-jung blinked.
âHow?â
âBecause of my skill. If someone kills me, I can see their trauma. Thatâs the skill.â
âWhat do you know. That sounds like a pretty fun skill. If someone suggested creating such a skill, this one would welcome it with a straight face. Nevertheless, Kim Gong-ja. Doesnât being in this oneâs trauma mean that [this one killed Kim Gong-ja]?â
Slowly.
Viscount Ja Soo-jungâs head tilted to the left.
âThat is almost impossible. Kim Gong-ja is a normal germ⊠Unless they become an Evil God in the other world, this one would never kill anyone in the other world. Instead, this one would prefer to be killed by others.â
âThe Spire World.â
I said the name of the world where the Director lived, where Kim Yul lived, and where the middle school student Ja Soo-jung lived.
âThere is a person just like the Viscount in that place.â
ââŠâ
âI asked her to kill me. For no other reason than to meet you.â
Silence.
Viscount Ja Soo-jung stared at me. She was completely expressionless. Then, âhmphâ she snorted, âhehâ she let out a breath, and finally, âindeedâ she nodded.
âHow interesting.â
Viscount Ja Soo-jung reached out and touched my cheek.
âConsiderably. Extremely. Interesting.â
Viscount Ja Soo-jung smiled brightly.
âSo you reached this place by weaving a thread of error into a possibility, making use of both chance and coincidence. No. You probably didnât realize that you brought this one to this place. However, I would like to congratulate you, Mr. Kim Gong-ja, for you have achieved a miracle.â
ââŠâ
âRight. Today, itâs this oneâs [trauma]. Thatâs quite possible.â
The sound of Ja Soo-jungâs breathing drew closer.
âSo?â
ââŠâ
âThe warrior who came through a miracle. What do you intend to do here?â
âI⊠want to know who you are.â
I gulped.
âThe person who built the Tower⊠I want to see what kind of person they are. I want to know what kind of life you lived. Thatâs why I came this far.â
âHuhu.â
Viscount Ja Soo-jungâs eyes lit up.
âCute.â
And she slowly let go of my cheek.
âFine. Please, until you are satisfied, look at the kind of person this one is. It just so happens that the person you possessed is Advisor Gu Won-ha. This oneâs Advisor. It is Advisor Gu Won-haâs role to follow this one at all times, in any place, so you wonât be suspected if you stay with this one.â
Viscount Ja Soo-jung turned to me.
âNow then. Follow me, Mr. Kim Gong-ja.â
And held out her hand.
âThis one will introduce you to my world.â
(TL: Despite the length, this might be one of my favorite chapters. For reference⊠it had almost 3.5k words)