**Thud!**
The stone door we entered through closes. With that, this space becomes a sealed room.
"...What a pain."
There was a hidden element even in the tutorial. If you managed to defeat the seemingly undefeatable Minotaur, there was a reward.
There was also a hidden element on the 2nd floor. If you subdued the city's master, you could obtain an extra reward on top of the main one: a diamond reward.
And now, there's also a hidden element on the 3rd floor. It's as if this is some web novel game, where every floor you climb has some hidden challenge. It's ridiculous.
**6635**
Setting aside my complaints about whoever designed this tower, be it a god or an archangel, I cautiously looked around at the others.
"Uh, umm..."
Ankyungjun, clenching his teeth in tension, clearly nervous.
**6695**
Dok Suhee, staring intently at the blood-red door with a stern expression.
**6695**
"...What is it?"
And Kangchan, whose eyes met mine.
Clearly, Kangchan, like me, was observing everyone else's reactions.
The door on the right has four palm indentations, and the one on the left has just one.
The meaning is clear.
**Last Challenge**
- Passing through the door in front of you will clear the 3rd floor. However, only one person can pass through the red door. An additional reward is given to those who pass through the red door.
A message pops up in front of me, confirming my suspicions.
All along, they've emphasized cooperation, and now they want us to fight each other? I can't shake the feeling that something sinister is afoot.
**66.35**
Should I kill everyone and monopolize the reward? I should at least check out the reward from the red door. After all, when we regress, we come back to life...
No. No. I should think rationally. Killing everyone here would be too much to mentally bear.
I read the message that popped up in front of my eyes, then looked at the two doors.
Do we really have to fight? Isn't there another way?
"There is?"
Yes, there was a solution.
It looks like... we don't have to fight?
"Um... Let's discuss this for a moment."
Everyone's gaze turned to me.
"Did you see the message that popped up? It says only one person can pass through the red door."
The message clearly stated that 'only one person can pass through the red door'.
At first glance, it seems like an invitation to fight. The one who wants to go through the red door would have to kill the other three, take the rewards, and leave the 3rd floor.
"Firstly, we don't need to fight each other. If anyone was thinking of killing everyone else, you don't have to."
From what I've seen, none of us are villains, but... you never know. I continued with a light smile.
"Once the doors open, we don't immediately clear the 3rd floor. We have to 'pass through' the doors. All four of us can open the regular door, and one person can open the red door. It doesn't matter."
It's a minor play on words. The pressure of the situation, with the red door and the sudden message, would make anyone anxious and short of breath.
But I consciously thought rationally, and thanks to my mindset that 'it's all good if we regress', I could see the bigger picture. We don't have to fight in this last room.
If, the moment the door opens, the 3rd floor is cleared... The person who wants to go through the red door would have to kill the others. Because the moment someone enters the red door, the other three lose their chance to clear the 3rd floor. They wouldn't just let that happen.
However, this tower has set the criteria as the 'moment of passing through'. I think this is an intentional flaw. After emphasizing cooperation all this time, they created a situation to induce conflict, but also provided a loophole for those who argue 'we didn't have to fight'.
Once again, I emphasize, this tower is designed with the intention of 'judging humans'. While it does push people into potentially conflicting situations... there's always a peaceful solution.
"Let's solve this rationally. First, we open the regular door, and then decide through rock-paper-scissors or something, who will pass through the red door. That works, right?"
Each person takes their share of the reward. And the person who will pass through the red door is determined by luck. A rational and fair solution befitting a democratic citizen. **Thud!**
Of course... I had planned to grind until I was the one to enter the red door. The reward has to be taken, after all.
"...I think that's a good idea too!"
Dok Suhee nods in agreement.
She approaches the stone door first, then turns back to us.
"Come quickly."
She urged us with a grin.
"Alright, Kangchan, stand here, Kyungjun, here, and Junho, here..."
She seemed quiet and reserved when we first entered the 3rd floor... but she appears to be more active than I thought.
"...Are you ready?"
With that, the four of us placed our hands on the cold stone door.
**Rumble.**
The stone door moves, revealing a blue portal. Through that portal, we should be able to move to the 3rd floor.
The 3rd floor challenge is over. What remains is to decide who gets the additional reward from the 'red door'.
"So, should we decide with rock-paper-scissors?"
"Hmm... But there are four of us. Isn't rock-paper-scissors a bit unpredictable?"
"We don't know what the reward is... but since it's the hardest level, let's decide carefully."
"How about drawing lots? But what can we use for that..."
"Let's sit down first; my legs are tired."
The mood was friendly and jovial.
Dok Suhee, with her continuous laughter, suggesting various methods.
Ankyungjun, a bit awkward but actively participating.
Kangchan, standing expressionless but firmly opposing what he believed was wrong.
Despite the tempting situation, no one seemed greedy.
The reason is simple.
The theme of the 3rd floor was cooperation, and up to now, we've been facing the challenges back to back, forming a strange bond.
Although I guided the strategy through my repeated regresses... it was the four of us who executed it.
We combined our strengths to defeat the wolf, relying on each other's shoulders to navigate through the mirror maze.
The arrow trap and golem challenge were mainly tackled by Kangchan and me... but the memories of facing the common enemy, the tower, are still fresh.
"What should we use..."
"Let's think slowly. The reward won't disappear."
The tower's creator probably wanted us to turn on each other here. But they're wrong. Not all humans are selfish.
About 10 minutes had passed since our discussion began.
"Alright, let's decide now. So far, we've suggested rock-paper-scissors, drawing lots, and rolling dice."
Our round-table discussion was nearing its end.
"Shall we stand up and discuss?"
As Ankyungjun dusted off his pants and stood up, he suddenly exclaimed,
"...Ah?"
Suddenly, he knelt on one knee, placing his hand on the ground, looking confused.
"...What's wrong?"
Just as I approached the perplexed Ankyungjun,
"...Huh?"
A large piece of cloth suddenly appeared before my eyes, obscuring my vision. It didn't fly in or sprout; it just appeared.
**Swoosh!**
Without thinking, purely by reflex, I drew my sword and sliced the cloth.
And just as I cut through it...
**Whoosh!**
A dagger, emanating an ominous light, flew past.
"...!"
Although my honed reflexes from navigating the trap corridor allowed me to dodge the dagger...
"...Huh?"
The dagger wasn't aiming for me in the first place. It was headed for Kangchan, who was behind me.
"?!...Roar!"
Kangchan dodged the threatening dagger, releasing a tremendous aura in all directions.
But just when we thought he had avoided it, the dagger emitted a bright light.
**Flash!**
A transparent shield formed around Kangchan, reminiscent of glass, enveloping him in a spherical shape.
The design felt eerily familiar... Where had I seen it?
"...Goblin Shaman?"
Yes, the sphere that sealed the Minotaur had the same design.
Words linked by a thread of thought flashed through my mind, a whirlwind of emotions confusing me.
But before all that...
**66.99**
My body feels numb. My senses are muted, and I feel dizzy. The scene where Ankyungjun had kneeled earlier flashed in my mind. A quick glance at Kangchan showed that he was fine, just trapped inside the protective shield.
'It's not lethal. It's a paralytic poison. However, it accumulates in the body over time.'
These were the words of the deity Ankyungjun.
It's a paralytic poison. Probably the same one that was on the darts shot at us in the trap corridor.
When? We had passed the trap corridor a while ago. Did I eat something? No. Was there paralytic poison in the air? If that was the case, Kangchan would have also been paralyzed.
Did I... touch something?
But since I entered this room, the only thing I touched...
"...was the stone door."
But why? For what reason?
With difficulty, I gripped my sword that threatened to slip from my grasp and slowly raised my head.
And then, I locked eyes with Dok Suhee's cold gaze.
At the very last moment, right before clearing the 3rd floor...
Dok Suhee had betrayed us.