"Just hand over the mark and go, okay?"
"Sigh... Do you think kidnapping people is easy? There's a sort of vigilante group among the citizens."
"That's why I'm telling you to hand it over, right? Can't you just do it again? We can't use our abilities."
When I walked down that alley, there was a woman with a golden mark floating above her head being harassed by a trio of thugs.
"Get lost."
Without giving them a chance to react, I elbowed the back of their heads. I used my elbow because these idiots probably have thick skulls and might not feel my fist.
It was always my dream to hit these rude jerks like this. Ah, it feels so refreshing.
"...! Are you crazy?"
The woman stared in shock while the three thugs passed out instantly.
'One... two...'
Ignoring them, I started counting in my mind.
I had used brute force just right.
I wonder how long it'll take for the ruler of the city to arrive.
'Three...'
About three seconds by my count.
"Assault. The sentence is 3 hours of imprisonment."
AHHHHHH!
Suddenly everything went white, and I lost consciousness.
[You have been harmed.]
[You will return to the moment you first entered the 2nd floor.]
"Good, good, very good."
Honestly, I thought I'd at least see the face of the city's ruler, but I didn't expect to lose consciousness instantly.
I didn't even feel pain. Such clean work.
Whether I died or just passed out, I've confirmed that the ruler of this city is not someone to be trifled with.
Honestly, I don't even know what hit me. At least with Choi Ji-won, I saw a black afterimage, but not this time.
If I gather all the city's residents and activate the hero trait, could we win?
No... it seems impossible. Gathering the people is the problem in the first place. It's uncertain if the city's residents even see the ruler as an enemy.
"I could exploit the rules if I wanted to..."
But there was a loophole in the 2nd floor's rules.
The ruler doesn't appear immediately after an act of violence.
3 seconds. After a 3-second grace period, their attack comes.
With my current physical abilities, if I run at full speed for about 3 seconds from the alley's entrance, I think I can reach the angel.
"If I think I can do it, I should try."
I'm tired of digging into the hidden affairs of the 2nd floor.
I don't even want to think about a perfect solution anymore.
The irrational structure of this tower? How it induces people's evilness?
I can change the complex stuff later.
It will all be gone once I return anyway. I'll deal with what's in front of me right now.
First, let's get the platinum reward.
I'll say it again... this time, I'll do as I please.
"First of all..."
Lord Leith, I really want to beat this jerk up.
"Nice to see you, Lord... Ouch!"
I slapped the face of Lord Leith as he was reaching out with a sly smile.
His body crumpled instantly.
BAM!
After delivering a powerful kick to him, I quickly took a platinum mark from his waist and pocketed it.
Woah!
A platinum mark floating above my head, impressively large and shining so brightly it's blinding.
Literally, a walking billboard. If I step outside the mansion now, word will spread in an instant.
People from other streets will all flock over to form a wall of people, and the players in this street will hold onto my ankle asking how I got the platinum mark.
And I can't use violence against them. Why? Because the ruler of the city is watching.
Just stepping outside the mansion restricts all my actions. The desire of others hinders my achievements.
It's impossible to leave the mansion in a normal way...
But it's fine. I had a plan in mind.
I whispered to a passing resident in front of the mansion.
"Hey, citizen. Look, this is the second floor of the mansion. Look up."
"Uh, um... yes?"
"I'm a climber. And I just knocked out the unlucky Lord Leith. As proof, there's a platinum mark floating above my head."
"Oh, um... yes, I see." "Thank you, right?"
The resident nodded nervously.
"...Right? After all, he was an unlucky guy..."
"Then please help me."
"What can I do? I'm just a common resident. I don't have the power to assist you."
"It's okay. It's a simple task. Could you get me a set of clothes? If you help me, I'll give you a special pill. It'll boost your stamina."
"...Really? It'll enhance my stamina?"
It seems like I found a useful way to utilize the Berserker's pill.
Just now, a player in leather armor brushed past me.
Surprisingly, he didn't pay any attention to me. He didn't even glance my way.
The reason was simple.
I wasn't wearing leather armor but rather the ordinary cloth clothes that the residents wear.
It was amusing from the start that players could be distinguished by their clothes.
If you deliberately change clothes, there's no way to distinguish.
"...You look similar to that Asian guy who was summoned earlier."
A black man named David or something passed by, tilting his head as if he was unsure.
Even the guy who had seen my face earlier couldn't recognize me just because my clothing had changed.
Obviously, leather armor is an item. Logically, there's no reason to take it off.
Unless you're trying to disguise yourself like I am.
In this place where people's attire is standardized by rank, changing clothes became the best method of camouflage.
Of course, a question might arise here.
With a big and beautiful mark floating above my head, why don't people recognize me? Why do they just pass by?
The answer is simple.
"Are you holding onto it well?"
"...Yes."
Earlier, I had entrusted the platinum mark to the resident who gave me clothes.
I was worried that the resident might suddenly turn and attack me with magic, but fortunately, that didn't happen.
It seems that the criteria for residents becoming aggressive is tied to the "mark creation box", not merely possessing the mark.
The mark generates symbols only for players.
A resident holding a mark doesn't generate any symbols. When I handed over the mark earlier, no symbol appeared above the resident's head.
Thus, if a resident holds the mark, they won't attract any attention.
So, I was able to stroll the streets disguised as a friendly resident, avoiding the attention of the players.
It was the perfect plan.
As I crossed the street, passed the alley, and the plaza came into view, I saw the thugs blocking the way.
"...Hey, aren't they just residents? Let them go."
"Ouch, it's a scar. Didn't you hear? Ji-hoon said earlier, some guys disguised as residents changed clothes and passed here. The guards only realized it after they reached the angel."
"...That happened? How did Ji-hoon know?"
"He heard it from the guy who taught us how to block the road. That guy extorted a gold mark and moved up earlier. Hey, you two residents. Come here."
I successfully disguised myself as a resident, but... these guys seemed like professional roadblock thugs.
It's funny that they are cautious even with minor things. They have the mindset of successful people.
The thug who called me and the resident over puffed up his chest and approached.
"Come on, punch my chest. Players can use violence against residents, right?"
This guy's an elite thug. He came up with a perfect way to distinguish between players and residents in an instant.
If I'm a player, I won't dare hit him because of the punishment. If I'm a resident, hitting him won't matter.
But what he didn't consider was...
"Thank you for your help. You can give it to me now."
"...Okay."
I was already prepared to take on someone.
The resident took the platinum mark from his pocket and handed it to me. Instantly, a radiant platinum symbol floated above my head.
"Wha... what..."
The moment the two startled thugs opened their mouths in shock, I shoved the thug who had asked me to punch him and immediately sprinted towards the angel. 3 seconds.
I run. Squeezing every ounce of strength from my leg muscles, I keep running.
2 seconds.
"Hey! Angel! I've brought the mark! Send me straight to the 1st floor!"
I alert the angel in advance that I have the mark. The angel seems a bit startled but nods in acknowledgment.
And then, 1 second.
Just before the city master's impending punishment strikes me.
I throw myself at the angel and...
Whoosh!
[You have cleared the 2nd floor.]
[Please select your platinum reward.]
My body seamlessly passes through the portal, successfully reaching the 1st floor again.
My plan worked perfectly.