The head of the Minotaur that had rolled toward me met my gaze.
I know, it must be surprising for you too. Who would have thought that a creature as strong as this would be defeated in a single strike in a tutorial?
But life is full of surprises. I never expected to be summoned to this tower.
Come to think of it, I didn't express my admiration.
I wiped the blood off my blade and looked back at the people.
They seemed to react lukewarmly.
Or rather, it felt like they couldn't believe what had just happened.
Suddenly waking up in an open field, a fairy appearing and babbling on.
Soon after, a man danced with a sword, urging people to trust only him, and then led them somewhere.
Without thinking, I followed. Then, a huge monster screamed and was beheaded in an instant.
From their perspective, it must have been baffling. They simply followed orders and things happened.
"... Achievement level? What's this?"
A man in front of me fiddled with something.
His voice sounded familiar... Ah, he was the man who shouted 'status window' at the beginning. There wasn't a collective shout for the status window this time, so he must have muttered it secretly.
He's adapting fast.
But then again... I should guide them.
"Everyone, can you say 'status window'?"
As I kindly instructed, one by one they began muttering 'status window'... and soon they were engrossed in the message that appeared.
Of course, since they don't have levels like me, they probably only have achievement levels. They haven't killed any goblins, after all.
"... It'll be fine, right?"
Considering my achievement level increased when I pushed the Minotaur into the swamp, it seems it rises even without direct contribution.
Defeating a hidden boss must have greatly increased the achievement level.
I'm currently compensating for my lack of level with achievement levels, so there might not be a significant difference in combat power.
If they also increase their general levels later on, won't they become much stronger than in their previous life?
Or they could just kill a monster or two in the next phase after passing through the portal.
The problem is their lack of combat experience...
Real combat will inevitably lead to casualties. We also have to betray the goblins.
I can't let people die just to give them real combat experience.
While I was pondering this, a goblin shaman took a seat next to me.
"Hey."
"... Kerek."
The goblin shaman, standing beside me, looked down at the Minotaur's head.
He kicked the head with his foot, then looked up at me.
"Human, now that you've got what you wanted, will you betray us? Kerek. I've heard humans become stronger by killing their own kind."
"No. The achievement level should be sufficient."
"... Kerek."
The goblin shaman, who had been tapping the large skull, disappeared, and the real goblin shaman walked over from the swamp.
Wow, he's teasing me till the end.
"... Kerek. Good job, human."
With a wave of his hand, the gathered goblins began to disperse.
"... Right, you did well too. Should I send you off now?"
"Kerluk. This is a monumental day where humans and our kind neither kill nor get killed. Do you wish to stain it with blood, human?"
He fiddled with the skull on his head and swallowed something.
"Human, your ability to return... it's similar to our kind who keep resurrecting in the tower."
"... It is similar."
Goblins who come back to life after dying, and me who returns when injured. They can be seen as similar.
"But for humans... memories remain. Kerek."
"... And?"
"Sometimes... remembering can be more painful. One day, it might feel like a curse. Kerek."
"Take care, human. I'll be here, working hard to kill more humans."
With that, he grinned and collapsed on the spot.
It seems that what he swallowed earlier was something poisonous.
So, the ability to return might feel like a curse?
I'm well aware. I'm doing my best to prevent that.
He really had to make an unfortunate remark at the end. "And how do I receive the special reward for defeating the boss? Why isn't there a guide?"
As I was grumbling to myself,
Woosh.
- [Achievement Alert!]
- You have defeated the boss.
- A portal will appear at the location of the boss's death.
The portal finally revealed itself.
"Hmm."
After some thought... I decided to enter rather than going back to the beginning.
After all, if I want to 'save' everyone, this is the only way.
And at some point, I had to experience the next stage.
"Alright, everyone, enter one by one. It should be safe..."
Wait, I changed my mind. What if a monster suddenly jumps out?
Even though I have achievement levels, the others lack combat experience.
I should go in first and if something feels off, I'll return.
"...I'll go in first. Wait about 5 minutes, then follow."
With that, I leaped into the portal.
[Proceeding to the next stage.]
Nod.
A man in a suit greeted me politely.
"Welcome, humans. Did you have a pleasant experience?"
The room had a chilly and formal atmosphere. It was dim, but from what I could see, it resembled a human-world courtroom.
The oddity was the absence of seats for lawyers and prosecutors, only a judge's seat.
And in the center of the courtroom was a large balance scale.
"Were you surprised after barely surviving?"
The man in the suit took his place at the judge's bench.
"Let's start with a question. What will you do here?"
This tower was built to judge humans.
But also to test them. It's humanity's last chance to avoid God's wrath.
For this reason, God didn't allow just anyone to enter the tower. Only those who strictly followed His rules were allowed.
But knowing that such people are rare due to the chaotic world, God decided to be generous. As long as you pay the price, anyone can enter the tower.
"From now on, you will be judged. You'll be evaluated to enter the tower."
Snap.
He pointed to a scale that looked like a giant spring balance.
"This scale measures the 'weight of your sins'."
The man, wearing white gloves, continued,
"What sins did you commit to survive? Did you stab your allies in the back? Strangle a benefactor in their sleep? Or did you eliminate the goblin shaman just to ensure your survival?"
Tapping the plate of the scale, he continued,
"All your wrongdoings... this scale will calculate accurately. And you will pay the rightful price."
It's unfair. It's unjust.
Forcing us into a situation where we must kill or be killed, and then demanding we pay for our sins.
But that's how gods have always been.
Creating rules on a whim, punishing those who break them.
God, who wiped out entire kingdoms for challenging Him.
God, who demanded a father sacrifice his two sons.
Gods do as they please. They are cruel and impose their rules on humans.
And humans always accept.
And this time was no different.
"Now, step onto the scale one by one. Then pay your dues."
Humans always accept.
They always have.
"You're free to choose how you pay. You can give up years of your life, pay with your stats from the status window... or, if you prefer, sacrifice parts of your body. Just ensure it's a sufficient price."
The man grinned.
No, the 5th-ranked angel, Jeziel.
He enjoyed this moment the most.
When humans, unable to accept their sins, cried out. When they desperately thought of ways to pay the price. When they realized they couldn't even pay with their lives, and pleaded with him.
His masterpiece was a man who asked if he could pay with another person's life. Humans become infinitely selfish when their lives are at stake.
It might be a natural reaction, but... God disapproves of it. Angels just carry out their duties.
"Now, one by one, step forward."
If the angel sat in the judge's seat, the humans were seated in the gallery.
Snap!
With a flick of his finger, the lights illuminated the previously dim gallery.
And finally, the humans were revealed.
"...Huh?"
Angel Jeziel inadvertently took a sharp breath.
There were too many.
Too many people.
There were 201 people entering the 0th floor. Why not 200?
Because God loves the number 3, so he summoned people in multiples of 3.
Hence, there were 201 seats in the gallery.
Naturally, under normal circumstances, many seats would be empty.
The 0th floor was designed for humans to kill each other. It was designed so that it's hard to survive without committing sins.
But now... every seat was occupied.
Jeziel quickly scanned the room, but he couldn't find an empty seat.
An unprecedented event. Every human survived on the 0th floor.
Angel Jeziel had to admit it.
Something... was going off track.