「Tutorial clear.」
「A 'base' will not be provided due to difficulty.」
「You may return to Earth.」
I could return to Earth.
I sat there blankly for a moment, stunned by the sudden message.
So Hell difficulty has an Earth return point every 10 floors, too.
The Tower seemed more generous than I'd expected, yet I felt strangely conflicted.
As I stared at the message, chewing over the words, additional explanations appeared.
「If you do not return to the Tower within 24 hours of returning to Earth, a new climber will be designated.」
「If you return to the Tower after returning to Earth, a Rest Floor will be provided.」
「You may move to the next floor whenever you wish.」
The time given was 24 hours.
The warning that another person would be dragged into Hell difficulty if I didn't return stood out glaringly.
I'd heard that for other difficulties, you could return to the Tower whenever you wanted even after returning to Earth.
I shouldn't have expected such kindness from Hell difficulty.
And the fact that no base was provided probably meant I had to manage somehow in an empty Rest Floor.
I thought once again how fortunate it was that I was a maid, and I felt at peace.
"V."
"Boohoo..."
"Oh dear."
You're still crying.
I pulled out the shotgun and pressed it into Lavina's hands, all for her happiness.
"♥"
I should have given it to her sooner.
Watching Lavina stop crying instantly and beam with a bright grin, another message popped up.
「You can now receive Lavina's support.」
"?"
Tower. It's weird when you only tell me that much.
So does that mean I couldn't receive Lavina's support until now?
「You can summon Lavina to your current location.
- Summon duration: 72 hours
- Cooldown: 240 hours」
"Oh."
I'd suddenly obtained a Lavina summon ticket.
Now Lavina would have to communicate with me whenever I wanted.
If I said it like that, I'd sound too much like a kidnapper, so I asked for her understanding in advance.
"Lavina. From now on, would it be alright if I summoned you whenever I missed you?"
"Yes...? Summon...?"
"Every time you come, I'll maintain your shotgun and give you ammo."
"Please summon me anytime...♥"
Good. I'd gotten her consent. So what now?
Since I was given a choice instead of being dragged forcibly to a Rest Floor, I felt somewhat adrift.
Climbing, or returning.
If I chose to climb, the option to return to Earth probably wouldn't appear until I reached the 20th floor.
Then wouldn't it be better to just go back to Earth once and check the situation?
I only had to come back to the Tower within 24 hours.
What was Earth like now? I was so curious whether people were living peaceful, happy lives.
The urge to go back to Earth right now kept tempting me.
"...Benefactor. Will you be going somewhere else now?"
"???"
"You look like you're leaving. I wish I could go back to Serbain with you and properly express my gratitude..."
Lavina, having set down the shotgun for a moment, looked at me with wistful eyes.
"I want to be with you in Serbain for life...!"
"I want to keep doing double peace with you and shooting shotguns...!"
"I want to somehow pay you back for everything you've given me...!!!"
Oh my. It wasn't a wistful gaze, but a foolishly clingy one.
I could feel damp moisture in her voice.
"You have more things to protect, just like you protected us."
Lavina shook off her clinginess as best she could and tried to smile.
I felt like I had to hug her.
"We'll be fine now. We'll never lose the hope you gave us. So..."
"I hugged her..."
"?!?!"
Gently. Controlling my strength.
"I paid you back..."
"Hieeeek, Benefactoooor—"
After hugging her, I washed her until she was fluffy and clean.
I gave the freshly cleaned Lavina a lap pillow and spoke.
"Lavina. It's not like we're parting forever, so I don't want a goodbye like this."
"...Will you come back to Serbain later?"
"Huh. I can't promise that. It's not something I can control."
"Then what about when you said you'd summon me when you missed me...?"
"I meant that I can summon you anytime without your consent."
"Yes...? What do you..."
"If I can summon you, wouldn't it be embarrassing to give such a wistful farewell?"
"Th-that certainly, makes sense...!"
Lavina scrambled up and covered her reddening cheeks with her sleeves.
"Even if you don't come to Serbain, if I can meet you that way..."
"Ah, but Lavina. The place I summon you to might be a bit strange."
"...Yes?"
"I don't know where I'll end up later. Please understand even if I summon you from hell."
"H-hell...?"
Trembling. I found it slightly odd how she clutched her shotgun tightly while shaking.
Shouldn't a priestess not fear demons?
Snatch. I tried retrieving the shotgun Lavina was holding.
"Waaah...!"
"Oh dear."
I gave it back.
She felt more like a gunner than a priestess by now.
Well, this world no longer had anything threatening humanity, so it should be fine.
"Um, Benefactor... just a moment...?"
"???"
Lavina suddenly began to tremble.
Why? Was it because the shotgun was out of ammo?
"Perhaps... if you summon me while I'm washing... what happens to me...?"
"Gasp."
I'd never thought of that.
Come to think of it, if she could be summoned suddenly at any time, it wouldn't be easy to live daily life.
Eating, washing, just living daily life—she'd have to constantly be conscious of being summoned.
I should test whether this summon really happens without Lavina's consent like a kidnapping.
"Lavina. Wait here a moment."
"Yes...!"
"I'll go over there and try summoning you, so please check whether you're summoned immediately, or if you have to consent to the summon for it to work. If you can refuse, please refuse."
"I'll try...!"
I ran quickly to put distance between us and attempted the summon.
「Will you summon Lavina?」
V.
「Awaiting response...」
「Lavina has refused the summon request.」
"Oh."
The timeline where I became a kidnapper had vanished.
This way, Lavina could go about her daily life normally.
I went back to Lavina and packed various things so she could live well while I was gone.
Shotgun, ammo, lunchboxes. Enough for her to return safely to Serbain.
The EX-grade holy sword seemed to have downgraded to A-rank, perhaps from severing the progenitor's immortality.
"What should I do with this holy sword?"
"Please take it as a memento. I already have plenty of baggage, and it's so you might think of me from time to time... hmph."
Lavina scratched her cheek for a moment and spoke.
"Sh-shall I grow it again...? If you give me divinity, I think it could be done quickly..."
"Then I'd have to stab the sword into your stomach again."
"If you wish it, I'm always fine with it..."
Stab me. Lavina exposed her abdomen defenselessly with that kind of gesture.
Terrifying. I quickly scrambled away from Lavina.
"I said it thinking of you...! In case you need it again...!"
"Hmm."
Really? Would there be a situation where I need the holy sword again?
Since no one knows the future, it would be good to have one ready if possible.
"Then Lavina. Please do it."
"...I'm ready! Anytime—"
"Thrust, thrust."
"Kyah...!"
I plunged the holy sword into Lavina and grew it messily.
EX-grade holy sword refilled complete.
I waited for the exhausted Lavina to recover, looking up at the sky.
"Father. Mother. Grandfather."
[Numerous constellations gaze upon you.]
"I'll be back after a short trip to Earth."
[Numerous constellations gasp.]
[Numerous constellations cheer you on.]
Good. I'd gotten my parents' permission, and I'd said this and that to Lavina, who had gotten up.
"See you again next time, Lavina."
"I'll be waiting for your summon, Benefactor."
It was time to return to Earth.
***
After Han Yuyeon's 10th-floor clear.
The Tower Gallery went into a lull, deliberately not dangling the bait of 'Han Yuyeon's possible return to Earth.'
[Sobs that was satisfying today's broadcast too]
[I asked my swordsman friend if that was a draw technique and he said it was the ultimate draw technique]
[Hiiing they cleared the 10th floor while I was out raiding a Gate, waaah]
The fact that trivial shitposts could go up was proof of peace.
Tower Gallery veteran, 'MyShieldIsMyTrueBody'.
Seo Tae-geon, a Hard 50th-floor raider and Guardian, grinned as he looked at the peaceful Tower Gallery.
'Guess they couldn't watch the livestream because of a Gate raid too.'
I hadn't been able to catch the livestream because of a Gate raid either, but it was fine since I could just watch a recording someone saved later.
'As expected of Yuyeon-nim. She wrecked the 10th floor effortlessly.'
I wondered what had happened to make everyone so hyped.
I had to hurry home and watch the recording.
Trudge, trudge. Dragging his fatigue-soaked body, he walked toward home.
For some reason, the way home felt longer than usual today.
"......"
Was it because he was tired, or was there another reason...
He stopped for a moment and surveyed his surroundings with the unique sensory perception of a Guardian.
His breath caught, sweat ran down his skin, and he felt that something was wrong.
What was the problem? Nothing had gone particularly wrong during this Gate raid.
Trying to calm his unease, he checked the Tower Gallery again, and what he saw was:
[Title: F!!!uck everyone wake up!!!]
Author: NotADrugDealer
Tu rn on the ne ws no w !!!!
Ar m yo ur se lv es an d pr ep ar e to fi gh t !!!!
Ev ac ua te to th e ne ar es t sh el te r !!!!
We' re fu ck ed !!!!
- What's going on why what is it
- Ppoongppoong: I don't wanna I'm gonna sleep what can you do if I sleep
ㄴ NotADrugDealer: (Then you die... mage con)
ㄴ Ppoongppoong: Heeeek
A bizarre post from a veteran who desperately wished it was just a drug dealer shitpost.
Following that post, more posts with the same content began appearing in the Tower Gallery.
[What the hell is happening all of a sudden shit]
[Yuyeon-nim we're screwed!!!]
[Ah fuck the Gate game is over]
[Waaah I haven't even met Yuyeon-nim yet]
"???"
He tightened his grip on spear and shield and quickly turned on the news.
Even while watching the news, he stayed alert and focused entirely on the current situation as quickly as possible.
[Breaking: Gates appearing en masse worldwide]
"Huh?"
To summarize the contents of the news:
At least C-rank Gates were appearing simultaneously all over the world.
The problem was that S-rank Gates were mixed in among them.
Unlike the Gates that had previously appeared and allowed time for raiding, monsters were pouring out without any raid time being given.
Hunters' cooperation was desperately needed due to the scattered Gates.
Hearing that, he had no choice but to run, pushing through his fatigue.
"Huff...! Huff...!"
This was a body that had just barely cleared an A-rank Gate.
How much more could he do in this exhausted state?
He didn't know. But he had to do it anyway.
"Save us...! Save us!!"
"Behind us! More came out behind!!"
"Team leader!! Where are you!!"
Gates appearing suddenly and daily life shattering suddenly.
Hadn't he thought this on the day he was dragged into the Tower, having lost his family and standing at death's door?
That he wished others wouldn't have to suffer like this.
"It's Seo Tae-geon...! We're saved!"
He had chosen Hard difficulty because he wanted to become stronger.
He had cleared up to the 50th floor prepared to die because he wanted to protect people.
The strength he'd earned was enough to give people a faint glimmer of hope, but...
'Not enough.'
Just two Gates that had appeared nearby.
The monsters pouring out like madness made him feel death approaching.
'At this rate, everyone dies.'
That was why he ran. Without forming ranks, he simply ran alone.
Activating the 'Guardian's Presence' to concentrate the monsters' gaze on himself.
"Everyone, run!! I'll draw their attention, so hurry!!"
“But...!”
“If it comes down to it, I’ll go into the Tower and survive, so run!!!”
Since he couldn’t keep running for long, he needed a narrow passage.
He needed a place where he could buy as much time as possible.
Having found a suitable burial spot, Seo Taegeon tightened his grip on his shield and glared at the monsters.
‘Fuck. Run to the Tower, my ass. If I go back in like this, I’ll obviously die before I even reach the 60th floor.’
He could reenter the Tower at any time.
The problem was that to return to Earth, he had to clear up to the 60th floor and reach the next base.
If he was bound to die without even making it to the 60th floor anyway, then it would be better to buy the people even a little more time to escape.
At the very least, if he was going to die, he wanted to die on Earth.
「You have received the maid’s care.」
「Have a happy day.」
A message suddenly appeared, and his fatigue lessened, if only slightly.
Even after seeing Yuyeon’s affectionate message, he couldn’t be happy.
‘I’m sorry, Lady Yuyeon. I think that’ll be a little difficult.’
When he saw numerous A-rank monsters mixed in among the monsters pouring in, a hollow laugh escaped him.
Let’s just hold out for ten minutes. That should be enough for those people earlier to get away.
Or maybe not. Even if I buy time like this, in a situation where humanity’s on the verge of being fucked, maybe it won’t mean anything at all.
Perhaps they had read his fear, because he felt the monsters laughing at him, and he spat out his rage at the top of his lungs.
“Think this is funny? If Lady Yuyeon were here, you’d all be dead, you fucking—”
And then, in an instant, all the monsters were crushed.
“Bastards... Ah...?”
What the hell is this? Was there an S-rank mage nearby?
Thinking he had to join up with them at once and resolve this situation together, he stepped out of the alley, and there he saw a face so very familiar.
“Yu... Lady Yuyeon...?”
Silver-white hair that shimmered like moonlight.
A petite figure and a cute yet daring maid outfit.
How could he not recognize the maid before his eyes as Han Yuyeon?
Her doll-like appearance and blue eyes, where every emotion showed transparently, were far more beautiful than they had been on the broadcast.
Even amid the chaos, Lady Yuyeon did not lose her elegance and showed him double peace signs.
“Hello. I’m Han Yuyeon.”
Just as she had in the Tower, she offered him the same greeting.
“Could you perhaps tell me what’s going on right now?”
And as she endlessly scattered mana, she was announcing her existence to this world.
The double peace signs, imbued with an overwhelming presence, naturally made one thought arise.
‘We’ve won.’
No matter what terrible things happened from here on out, we had won.
Because Lady Yuyeon had returned to Earth.