"...I thought I heard everything was fine."
Angel Jeziel, annoyed, touched his chin.
He distinctly remembered receiving a report from the 9th-rank angel that everything was 'fine!'.
They checked the number of people. They provided background knowledge including the status window. After distributing weapons, they withdrew... or so he heard.
He's usually playful and enjoys frightening humans, but he's also diligent when it comes to his responsibilities. Was it a mistake to trust and delegate?
No. If he had the ability to foresee this, he wouldn't still be in the 9th rank.
Regardless of the circumstances, the task remains the same: measure humans' sins and ensure they pay an appropriate price.
Jeziel's gray eyes swiftly scanned the crowd of humans.
"You, step forward."
With a flick of the angel's hand, a human floated up, drawn by a supernatural force towards the scale.
"What... what's happening?! Damn it!"
The summoned figure was a bald, pot-bellied middle-aged man.
Setting an example with the first one is always crucial.
Wise Angel Jeziel, with his extensive experience, had a deep understanding of humans, God's creation. This enabled him to gauge a human's character merely from appearance.
In human terms, it's like being able to judge someone solely based on their 'physiognomy.'
By Jeziel's assessment, this middle-aged man had a rotten personality. A person who constantly smokes and drinks, spits on the street, uses profanities in every sentence, and is so inconsiderate that he's oblivious to the trouble he causes others.
That was the essence of this bald middle-aged man... or so he concluded.
"Damn, damn... I shouldn't have listened to that bastard... Damn!!!"
Astonishingly, Jeziel's bold assumptions were spot on. The man was selfish, pathetic, and useless.
"Ugh... Ughhhhh!"
"Come on... accept your fate."
Finally, the middle-aged man was drawn onto the scale.
"It's okay. We're only measuring the sins you committed on the 0th floor."
Humans and sin are inseparable. From the moment of birth, following the original sin committed by the first man and woman, humans bear the weight of sin.
Thud.
The bulky middle-aged man was placed on the scale.
The silver needle of the scale began to spin.
"You should think in advance about how you will pay."
While humans might think the situation is unfair...
Angel Jeziel considered this 'payment' as a mechanism that showcases God's mercy. By accepting the payment, it's akin to absolving one's sins and allowing entry into the tower God created.
"I recommend... paying with your stats."
The status window and stats are both blessings bestowed by God.
Even if one is a murderer who has killed many, if they pay the right amount of stats, they can enter the 1st floor.
However, most humans, especially the young, often choose to pay with their lifespan.
The reason is simple.
'Greed.'
A greed for power.
Choosing to maintain their strength, even at the cost of their unseen lifespan.
A greed for life.
Believing that there's no more glorious death than dying in the tower, they desperately cling to their pitiful lives.
Unlike angels who can sacrifice their lives for the greater good, humans have always been different.
"Ugh... Ughhhhhhh!"
"Pathetic."
This was why Jeziel despised humans. They were disgusting to watch.
Perhaps 30 seconds passed.
As the middle-aged man's struggles gradually ceased, the spinning needle of the scale came to a halt.
An anticipated moment. A smile formed on Jeziel's face.
"Now... let's see the weight of your sins, shall we?"
Jeziel's cold gray eyes slowly met the needle of the scale.
"...Huh?"
His eyes began to shake wildly.
"Next."
There was none.
"...Next."
Again, none.
Yet again, none.
There were... no sins committed by the humans.
The essence of this 'judgment' lies in how humans pay the price.
Whether they pay with their life, or their stats and abilities, or even get creative and offer cherished memories, future relationships, or inherent luck. The way of paying the price itself was a test...
These humans had no price to pay at all.
So, there’s nothing to test. They all get a free pass to the 1st floor.
Up to now, about 30 people have been sent to the 1st floor.
The only scenario in which this could happen...
"...Did they defeat the hidden boss?"
If they defeated the hidden boss and used the portal of the goblin shaman to transport everyone.
Then, it's possible that none of them committed sins.
After all, killing goblins wasn't considered a sin.
"Hmm...
I've heard of talented humans summoned to the tower in the past who teamed up to defeat the Minotaur.
Of course, not all survived, but it's not an impossible story.
"You. Did you defeat the Minotaur?"
Jeziel pointed at a human woman with a ponytail. Although she seemed much weaker than him, she was the strongest among the humans.
However, the woman shook her head with a seemingly troubled expression.
Instead of answering, she pointed at another man.
"...Is it you? Step forward."
Jeziel called him to the scale.
"...Indeed, no sins."
The scale’s marker pointed to 0, as before.
The only difference was a bull's head symbol appeared in the center of the scale.
"This is..."
A mark given to humans as a special reward.
Jeziel recognized it from his memory.
Occasionally, when a human with immense talent or innate ability defeats a hidden boss, such a mark is given.
Indeed, he had heard of cases where talented individuals teamed up to defeat hidden bosses in other tutorials.
To Jeziel, this man seemed even weaker than the ponytailed woman, but he must have figured out an effective strategy.
"Firstly, congratulations. It's rare to defeat a hidden boss... You've achieved a great feat."
Jeziel recited a prepared statement in a formal tone.
"...Thank you."
The man nodded with a nervous expression, oddly holding his right arm high, as if he was about to strike his chest. Jeziel simply accepted it; humans were always strange creatures. Trying to understand a mentally ill human is futile.
"Now, there are three choices. Please pick one."
Jeziel first presented a large axe.
"This axe is called ‘Berserker's Axe’. As you sustain more injuries, it enhances your physical abilities."
"...Show me the next one."
Even though this axe is quite valuable in the lower floors, humans seem to lack discernment.
Jeziel promptly showed the next reward.
"This is the ‘Berserker's Potion’."
"...What does it do?"
"It greatly boosts your recovery. Even fatal injuries can heal in a week. It's a miraculous potion."
"...Show me the next one."
He even declined the potion.
Jeziel, sighing internally, finally presented a small pill.
"Lastly, this is the ‘Berserker's Pill’. It's simple. Consuming it will increase your strength stat."
"...I'll take that one."
The man quickly took the pill.
He seemed to lack discernment. If it were Jeziel, he'd have chosen the axe or potion without hesitation.
Well, the choice is entirely up to the human. And it wasn't Jeziel's place to judge.
"I'll send you to the 1st floor now."
"Wait..."
Without hesitation, Jeziel used his divine power and sent the man directly to the 1st floor.
The remaining humans numbered about 170. Jeziel had a duty to judge them as quickly as possible.
It's highly likely all of them are sinless, but work is work after all.
"Next. Step forward to the scale."
For Jeziel, the mere act of carrying out God's duty was happiness.
[You've entered the 1st floor.]
There wasn’t even a chance to get hurt.
If he knew he could move to the next floor this quickly, he would have returned sooner.
He should've checked if he could receive the special reward multiple times. It's a bit regrettable. Well, it's not something I can do anything about.
I think I've obtained everything I could from the 0th floor, so I don't have much regret.
I'm a bit bothered that I didn't tell Choi Ji-won about my return... but every time I see her, my heart aches so much that I can't speak to her.
Lost in thought for a long time, I suddenly realized the familiar smell brushing past my nose.
A musty... and comforting scent.
"...What's this?"
When I snapped back to reality and looked around, a familiar space greeted me.
I'm pretty sure I saw a message that I had entered the 1st floor...
Why am I back in my old room...?