Chapter 133

The Tower of Qualification was located in the west of the Valaran capital. It was roughly twenty stories high. If it was placed in a typical fief, its height would be noticeable from anywhere, but in the capital, it was only visible up close, as it was obscured by other buildings.

Despite its unimpressive exterior, the Tower of Qualification held immense significance for players.

"…I see it, I can see it!"

"Me too, I see it!"

"Mine's yellow, and yours is… blue? Is that the Iron Wall?"

"Exactly, it's the League of Iron Wall. It looks so much sturdier, doesn't it?"

The difference was enough for players to describe it as "starting the true game." Consequently, the area around the tower was teeming with players preparing to enter and those who had just completed their tests, visibly excited.

'Hmm, so it becomes visible after the test?'

Seojin was aware of the reason behind their excitement thanks to Robert's guide and Merhen's explanation. Being "visible" referred to the color of one's qualification.

Depending on the type of one's qualification, they are differentiated by various colors. Even within the same qualification class, the shade can subtly vary based on each player's characteristics—or so was the description from Robert.

For instance, for a paladin, depending on a player's initial traits, skills chosen, and development direction, they could acquire qualifications like League of Protection or League of Iron Wall. Both were defensive types, typically represented by the color blue.

From the moment one completed the test, they could see their own color and other players' qualifications.

"Flappy, do you see anything?"

"What?"

"Like a blue or yellow aura around the adventurers?"

"Not at all. Seems like only adventurers can see it."

Even a high-level elemental spirit like Flappy couldn't see it.

In that case,

"I'll have to check it out myself."

He had already collected a lot of information.

Seojin confidently headed towards the tower entrance, naturally blending in with other players, entering.

Entering: Tower of Qualification.

Entry Requirements Met.

Entered: 1st floor lobby

A series of brief messages appeared, followed by a space decorated entirely in pristine white marble.

"Hmm."

Silence.

The bustling noise from moments before was gone. All that could be heard were Flappy's faint breaths and Seojin's presence.

And in front of him,

"…An information counter?"

It resembled an information counter, with an expressionless female NPC standing and looking towards Seojin.

"You've come to prove your qualification."

"Yes, that's right."

"I am a nameless guide. Would you please come closer?"

This was as per the guide. Seojin approached the woman, who remained expressionless.

"I'll check your recommendation letter."

He handed over the envelope he had received from Master Ferguson. The guide opened the envelope, adorned with gold-thread embroidery, checked its contents, and nodded.

"Confirmed."

"The test starts immediately, right?"

"Yes."

"Can I ask a question before that? It's a bit nonsensical though."

"Go ahead."

"I'm curious as to why a recommendation is necessary to challenge the tower."

It was something Seojin had been slightly curious about, since hearing about it from Merhen. The idea of needing a qualification to prove one's qualification seemed somewhat amusing.

The guide answered without a change in expression, "It's the will of the person who built the tower. They said they didn't want just anyone and everyone, those unworthy, coming in, trying to gain qualifications."

"…The person who built it?"

This was unexpected.

A casual question, but the answer was heavy.

"And who may that be?"

"I cannot say."

"It's not the king, is it?"

"No. That person has existed before Valaran did."

"So, Valaran was built around the tower?"

"Yes."

The guide's face was devoid of pride. Just unmoving, expressionlessness, almost mechanical.

'Well it is AI, strictly speaking…'

Ultimately, it was AI. However, Seojin found it hard to believe that the developers would include such an NPC without any specific purpose.

'Might there be something more to it?'

Indeed, it was highly probable that there was something more. Midgard was that sort of game, after all.

The NPC continued gazing at him expressionlessness, as Seojin began chatting with Flappy.

-Do you feel anything?

-It's not human.

-And?

-That's all I can tell.

Usually, Flappy boasted about her three hundred years of experience dealing with elves and demons.

'That says it all.'

-You said you know some magic, right?

-I can't use it, though.

-How likely that it's a magically created being?

-Not at all. That's illogical. This being… hmm, I don't know. It's disconnected from this world.

Even Flappy was stumped. A being disconnected from this world… that was profoundly significant.

'And the name too. A nameless guide. It wouldn't have been hard to give it a proper name.'

The more Seojin pondered, the more suspicious it all seemed. But his primary goal here was to obtain a League.

"Can we talk more after the test? With you."

"Yes, that will be possible."

"Then let's proceed with the test."

"Understood. Analyzing and preparing League based on the adventurer's aptitude and preferences."

The guide's eyes glazed over. There was a distinct difference between expressionlessness and a vacant stare.

Then,

"Analysis complete."

At the guide's voice, three keywords appeared behind her.

Deception | Conviction | Intimidation

These are the optimal traits selected through aptitude analysis. You can view all options if you wish.

Once a trait is chosen, it cannot be undone.

Upon quest completion, the chosen trait's skill will be enhanced, and you will acquire the League chosen.

It was clearly a choice related to stance shifting. Like with the Tower of Choices before, but there was a stark difference in difficulty and reward.

"If I choose Deception and succeed, I'll get what's called the League of Deception, right?"

"Yes."

"I have to choose only one?"

"Not necessarily."

Under the three keywords, a number appeared. It was 2.

"You may select and aim for two Leagues."

This was due to the unofficial world quest. This happened because his qualification had already been elevated as a reward.

"I'll go with Deception and Intimidation."

"Please decide the order."

"Deception first."

"Confirmed. Would you like to proceed immediately?"

"Yes."

"Commencing. Qualification for participation is granted. Test is now accessible."

You have selected Deception.

The test is about to begin.

In case of failure, you may retry again in one week.

As soon as the guide finished speaking, several lines of messages appeared.

"Commencing test."

Seojin's vision blurred and then cleared. And in front him was,,

"…Hmm."

A labyrinth, flickering torches the only source of light.

* * *

Loading complete.

A Trait Enhancement Quest has occurred!

Enhancement Quest: Labyrinth of Deception

* You are in a dark, damp labyrinth where it's impossible to gauge even your own position. Escape by any means necessary.

* It will be a terribly difficult task, but still easier than reading the minds of humans. Prove your abilities.

"A labyrinth, huh."

Seojin assessed the situation. Left, right. There were only two visible paths. Beyond them was ominous darkness. Visibility, limited to the occasional torches, was barely about 10 meters.

"Flappy."

"Nope, no can do. Something is pressing down on me. I can't fly here."

This was expected. In such a mission, roles with exploration abilities would have an overwhelming advantage.

'I guess I have to get through it the normal way.'

Ding! Ding!

Additional messages appeared.

The test begins.

Time limit: 60 minutes

Remaining lives: 10

'…There's a time limit? And ten lives?'

This already gave him an idea of the nature of the challenge. It meant escaping this place as fast as possible while avoiding various dangers like time attack games.

Quest items have been provided.]

Shining Stone (100)

*These stones shine on their own. The darker it is, the clearer you can see them.

Brilliant Flare (2)

*A Brilliant Flare. It bursts into an intense light in the air the moment it's fired. There's someone here!

Auto-learning Map

*A map that automatically records the paths you've taken.

These three items were to aid in navigating the labyrinth.

Seojin furrowed his brows.

'…Isn't this too easy?'

It was surprisingly disconcerting. Stones or flares were within the realm of understanding, but an automatically updating map? If they gave away this much, wouldn't the purpose of the labyrinth be diminished?

"Hmm, alright. Let's go."

"Which way?"

"Left."

"Why? I'm drawn to the right."

"Me too. That's why we're going left."

"Oh, that makes sense."

In truth, it was a meaningless decision. Either way, he had to confront whatever was ahead.

Step, step.

His footsteps echoed along the path. The shadows flickering in the torchlight appeared ominously alive. Amidst this,

"Hmm, it's recording properly."

Seojin's eyes were busily scanning the map and the labyrinth. How much one step in the labyrinth equated to on the map, whether the fork in the road was marked accurately, and if there were any hidden features.

There was much to figure out, and being a labyrinth, traps could be lurking anywhere and everywhere.

But,

"It's too quiet."

As he laid down stones to mark his path and moved forward for a while, the labyrinth remained silent.

"You're memorizing the way, right?"

"I am even if I don't want to, so don't worry," Flappy responded nonchalantly.

While meeting the elves in Shahav, she mentioned that elemental spirits could remember things as far back as ten thousand years. This memory capability was proving its worth in the labyrinth.

"Good job, Flappy. Guess I'll have to keep my promise from last time, won't I?"

"…I'm doing my best. Seriously. Do you want me to take the map? To see if it differs from my memory. That might be easier."

"Are you sure?"

"Of course. Just leave it to me. Fortunately, this level of ability is…"

Buzz.

The map floated up and moved in front of Flappy.

"It seems I can use it. Maybe because it's unrelated to escaping? Anyway, I'll make sure…"

She paused.

"Huh?"

"What?"

Flappy pointed at the map with a surprised look.

"It changed? Just now?"

"The path?"

"Yes. Definitely. It changed while I was looking at it."

If that was the case,

"…Let's go back. To see if the path changed along with the map."

Checking was priority. Using the stones he had laid as markers, Seojin turned back. When he arrived at the changed spot on the map, he realized the system was trying to deceive him.

"The map changed, but the path is the same."