novelTutorial 57th Floor (7)
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Editor: Xzider
The main point of the meeting was to declare that the confirmed list of superhumans would approach the sealed asteroid, examine the situation, and if possible, destroy the seal to deal with asteroids, alien species, and rescue the SSS-grade superhuman.
The date was determined too.
It would be carried out on a large helicopter-like aircraft, made to approach the asteroid in the air.
This survey method was very extreme.
Those who were mobilized for the survey were, of course, incapable of flying.
Their abilities were in the field of vision and detection. Due to the nature of their superpowers being limited to one ability, they had no way to fly in the sky and safely approach the asteroid.
I was thinking about using drones or offering a flight suit, but the decision made in the meeting went beyond my expectations.
It was said that people who could fly would carry the surveyors on their backs.
When this was decided, a heavy exclamation derived from the place where the A-grade and S-grade talents were gathered.
I was not sure if it were the flight-ability superhumans or the surveyors who let out sighs.
Probably both.
No matter how talented you were, you wouldn't have the leisure to mess up over there.
At this point, it was questionable why so many talented people pushed ahead with this plan.
I knew this plan could be a long-cherished task for the top superhuman.
However, if we looked at the opinions that many had during the meeting, they all knew that there was a wide gap between them.
And in my view, there seemed to be more people with negative ideas about the plan.
If they had the same right to speak and vote regardless of their ratings, the plan would have been shot down.
Just because the power was distributed in this manner, with top-notch superhumans pushing it, the plan was heading this way.
I pondered about that point.
"What's weird about that? I'm sure they are confident about it."
"Confident?"
"Uh, no matter how unknown the power of the SSS-grade superhuman is, the people over there probably know."
I guessed so.
They were equally capable of S-grade or higher.
"So, we haven't made it public, but aren't you guessing the condition of that sealed asteroid?"
It was an optimistic hypothesis.
The risk related to the asteroid had been wiped out by those above S grade. I thought they were pushing ahead with the plan to make a declaration, to show good results, and to display their abilities to the world.
I wondered if it was really true since I had seen the activities of the association's executives and their tendencies, revealed through the media.
The problem was, if things really were to go so smoothly, I wouldn't be here.
There wouldn't be a point in having a stage mission if something troublesome won't pop up.
[What do you want to do?] Asked Ahbooboo.
This was the good thing about being with him.
He would always ask my opinion when I had to make a decision.
I had to listen to his questions so that I could be more confident in my judgments.
I checked a few things before answering Ahbooboo's question.
As the dragon had said, the final goal of this stage was to gather as much information as possible.
That too, before my death.
No, even for a certain period of time after my death.
Therefore, there will be an accident on this planet that would make it natural for me to die.
And that accident had a high probability of being associated with this asteroid plan.
Here, the first decision must be made.
Whether to approach the asteroid directly or to remain on the ground and watch it while the other superhumans approached the asteroid.
The inclusion of my name in the list of plans was the right way to approach the asteroid, considering it to be done by the system on purpose.
"Let's go up."
"Huh? What?"
When I said that casually, 1, 400 questioned back in a confused tone from next to me, but I ignored him.
Whatever it was, I didn't want to stay behind and watch things happen passively.
If possible, I would try to intervene.
[With them?]
[No. ]
This time, I spoke to him in my mind so that 1, 400 wouldn't hear.
It didn't seem necessary to make him join this plan.
I had gotten enough information about this place.
What history it had, how it developed, what disputes it went through.
I have seen what other problems I had now and felt them up close.
I got everything I could possibly get, so I didn't have to waste any more time.
It seemed better for me to go to the asteroid alone than to follow their plan, which was uncertain.
[Are you going right now? Should I break the ceiling? ]
... Why break the ceiling?
[We will leave through the door. ]
I saw 1, 400 munching on snacks.
Seeing him made me feel grateful for having taken care of me and apologetic for causing him inconvenience unintentionally.
[Let's leave tonight. ]
I know I had to say goodbye before I left.
Yes, it's not practical and is meaningless.
But it was enough to spend half a day with him.
[Okay. ]
[Warrior. ] Seregia called me.
[Yes?]
[You can stay longer. ]
I was silent for a moment.
I had a strange sense of deja vu.
I felt as if I had already heard these words before.
However, it seemed that the person who had said this was someone other than Seregia.
[Seregia. ]
[Yes, Warrior. ]
[You don't have to say anything if you don't want to. ]
It was too easy to notice that she was lying.
[Okay. Then let's just leave right now. ] Seregia said with a brief pause.
[No. ]
[.... ]
Seregia's silence made me feel uncomfortable.
It was like a child sulking, one who had been given a toy and then snatched away.
Somehow, I felt pleased and giggled to myself.
1, 400 sitting next to me gave me a strange look, but what could I do?
The first time I met her came to mind. On the 26th floor, when I had checked the Holy Sword and knew that I had nothing to gain from the palace, I went to the place where the devil was. I had left as soon as I had gotten all the information I needed.
I wouldn't have waited until today for the meeting.
On the first day, the superhumans' association had gathered information, and as soon as I roughly confirmed that the stage was related to the asteroid, I would have flown to the asteroid.
I could have cleared the stage on the second day and left.
The results would be the same, but the process had changed.
Even if we went the same way, we took time to learn how to go back a little.
Even if I had to waste my time meaninglessly.
* * * * * *
That night, I said goodbye to 1, 400 and left his house.
Before that, there were some cases in which the association had argued that they would test 1, 400's power, but in the end, it was a small thing.
1, 400 asked me a few questions before I left his house.
They were related to me.
He had watched me closer than anyone else, so he must have known in many ways that I'm strange.
I answered his questions sincerely, but I didn't know what conclusion 1, 400 had come to.
Under the dark, endless sky, we flew up toward the asteroid.
The flamboyant-colored wings spread out, transparent, and barely visible.
I didn't think anyone could see it.
[Sad, huh?], asked Ahbooboo during the flight, [He was a good friend. ]
He had been a good friend.
1, 400 was a man who could be seen everywhere, but in fact, he was hard to find anywhere.
Seregia didn't mean it, but it was okay to stay longer.
I didn't bother to answer.
I didn't think Ahbooboo was asking for an answer either.
But his words drew the God of Sky's curiosity.
The other day, Ahbooboo and I had clearly set a line.
I wanted him to look at me from his point of view, and to not deceive or conceal it.
The God of the Sky seemed very impressed by this promise.
So, he used Ahbooboo's mouth from time to time and asked me questions.
Like now, [Don't you want to go back and see him again?]
It was the same question as Ahbooboo's, but since the God of Sky has asked, I had to answer it.
I shook my head.
This is what was good about facing a god.
In other words, I don't have to explain it for a long time.
I could convey my message to them just by reorganizing my thoughts and repeating myself.
I had gotten confirmation from Kirikiri.
All the characters and the world behind this tutorial had already died and been destroyed.
I had been speculating that for a long time but needed to get a lot of information to confirm it.
After I vowed to get rid of the tutorial itself, the most troubling thing in my mind was not the low success probability of my plan.
It was the idea that all the beings in the tutorial might be erased.
Some of them were memorable.
The people who cried and laughed would still clearly remember being together until now.
It was difficult for them, who had already fallen in the past and had faced repeated incidents, repeated deaths. I could not completely deny that they were living beings.
So, I set my goal straight.
A promise to get rid of the tutorial, and bring back Idy so she could exist as others did.
I wanted to give her, and the others all the things that existed in the tutorial, not a painful eternal life, but a normal one.
If I could meet her again, I wanted to meet her after achieving my purpose.
I wanted it to be a more meaningful meeting for both of us.
[Do you think they want it?] Asked the God of the sky.
Well, I didn't know.
Some might welcome me enthusiastically, some might resent me.
Some may wish for eternal life, while others may curse me for hearing the forbidden truth.
But my goal won't change.
It was not a goal for all of them in the first place.
[The 99 gods are watching you. ]
Below the newly emerging message, the ninety-nine god's reactions were enlisted.
Different reactions popped up, increasing one after the other.
They were mainly positive responses.
I knew that the reason for the reaction was not because the gods agreed with my goal, but because they thought it would be impossible for me to achieve my goal.
Considering that fact, I tried to remember the reactions of the gods.
The reactions of the gods according to the situation would greatly help me to grasp their propensity.
There was no unusual response, to say the least.
To put it bluntly, the God of Death regarded my goal as very desirable and the God of Adventure loved it extremely.
Rather than being discouraged by the reaction, I was amused.
The God of Adventure was a god who would put another piece of luggage on a traveller when he saw him walking down the path of penance.
Without realizing it, I shook my head and flew toward the asteroid.
Tutorial 57th Floor (7) Finished
| ← Ch. 289 | Ch. 291 → |