Climbing the Tower with Multidimensional Avatars - Chapter 7

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 7. The Tower – Residential Floor 10 (2)

I skimmed through Agent K’s post on the Community board.
Though it began with a warning not to trust anything, the information Agent K provided seemed remarkably useful.
Of course, I’d need to filter what he or she said through a critical lens.
Upon returning to Tower Floor 10, I immediately left the Cathedral.
The city on Floor 10 consisted of European-style buildings, mostly two to three stories tall.
The clothing worn by the Tower’s native inhabitants wandering about resembled Renaissance-era attire.
Following the map in the guidebook, I headed toward the Blacksmith and Weapon Shop to sell my worthless dagger and hand axe.
According to Agent K’s advice, the Weapon Shop evaluates arms by their combat value, while the Blacksmith weighs scrap metal by its mass. Since my dull, rusted dagger and hand axe were practically worthless as weapons, selling them to a Blacksmith that also dealt in scrap metal would fetch a slightly better price.
Following Agent K’s cardinal rule about Community usage—to verify information myself rather than blindly trust it—I decided to check the prices firsthand.
“So, the Blacksmith offers 60 credits per piece, and the Weapon Shop offers 50 credits.”
Since the Blacksmith and Weapon Shop were close by, confirming the prices proved effortless.
A new hand axe of similar size at the Weapon Shop cost 130 credits, but worn secondhand goods naturally fetch half the price.
I sold everything to the Blacksmith except for my backup machete and three hand axes reserved as secondary weapons.
Including eleven weapons and shield fragments, I obtained 660 credits.
That amounted to roughly 66,000 won—barely enough to sustain myself for a day.
“I need to buy clothes first.”
The digital-patterned combat uniform drew unwanted attention wherever I went.
I suspected some of the onlookers might be climbers themselves.
Seeing someone in military fatigues within the Tower was certainly unusual.
As a matter of fact, non-commissioned regular soldiers who receive an invitation to the Tower must leave immediately or face extended military service by Ministry of Defense decree.
Entering the Clothing Store according to the guidebook, a middle-aged woman who appeared to be the Clothing Shop Owner regarded me with curious interest.
“Welcome. Feel free to browse.”
Examining the garments displayed, I found them surprisingly expensive.
The cheapest top cost 500 credits, and the cheapest bottoms cost 600 credits.
That totaled 1,100 credits.
Would bottoms draw less attention than a top?
I was deliberating whether to purchase just the top when the shop owner addressed me.
“Are you short on funds?”
“Yes, well… a little?”
I could purchase credits with points or sell potions at the potion shop, so it wasn’t a serious problem.
“Then, would you sell me the clothes you’re wearing now? I’ll buy them for 1,500 credits.”
My outfit appeared distinctly different from those of typical climbers, so she’d taken an interest.
Dyeing digital patterns was certainly no trivial task.
Rarity equals price, after all.
Her offer seemed almost too good to be true, but I feigned deliberation.
I’d been itching to shed these tedious clothes anyway.
Besides, when I create a new clone, the clothes will be remade as well.
Wait, if my clone disappears, do the clothes disappear with it?
Then I couldn’t sell them. There was a risk it could be considered fraud.
“How about 2000 credits?”
When I didn’t respond, the Clothing Shop Owner raised the price, apparently coveting my outfit.
“Excuse me, could I use the restroom for a moment?”
“Of course, go ahead.”
I entered the restroom as the Clothing Shop Owner directed.
Surprisingly, it was a ceramic toilet.
It even had running water connected to it.
Despite the City’s Renaissance-era appearance, its plumbing system seemed to be at modern standards.
Inside the restroom, I undressed and placed my clothes on the toilet seat, then stepped back and created a new clone while wearing only my undergarments.
The new clone appeared in the same combat uniform as my main body, and the clothes I’d placed on the toilet seat remained exactly as they were.
“So objects separated from the body become distinct items.”
The clothes showed no signs of disappearing.
I could learn the details by observing the cloning process, but people can’t even see their own faces without a mirror.
I placed the combat uniform in my bag and left the restroom.
“I’ll sell it for 2000 credits as you suggested. However, I’ll remove the name tag.”
“Hmm… very well.”
The Clothing Shop Owner accepted my proposal.
I purchased the clothes I’d wanted and received 900 credits in change.
This brought my total funds to 1580 credits.
If I’m ever short on money, I could make and sell clothes this way, couldn’t I?
With that thought, I left the Clothing Store and headed toward the Restaurant.
When I’d just created the new clone, my body’s condition reset to that of my main body, so my hunger had lessened—but I was still hungry nonetheless.
My main body had been in The Tower for about ten minutes.
Come to think of it, I need to eat with my real body too.
That way, when I create a new clone, I won’t be hungry.
Or does my main body’s hunger state remain unchanged from when I entered The Tower?
I’m not sure. Either way, the fact remains that my main body can’t starve, so I need to eat.
Looking at the Central Clock Tower in the City, it was already approaching 3 PM.
The 6th Floor maze and 8th Floor puzzle had consumed a lot of time.
“Is it possible to eat at this hour?”
I asked since it was an awkward time for a meal, and the Restaurant Owner indicated it was possible, pointing to the menu board.
After sitting down, I ordered the chicken leg set meal, and since it was already prepared, it came out quickly after being heated.
It consisted of one chicken leg with thigh attached, salted and cooked to a golden brown, a piece of bread slightly larger than my fist, some pickled vegetables, and a clear stew.
“You’re carrying weapons and wearing that unusual bag—are you a climber?”
The Restaurant Owner showed interest in me. I answered while eating.
“Yes, that’s correct.”
“I see. They say in your world, metal contraptions fly through the sky—is that really true?”
The Restaurant Owner’s interest wasn’t in me, but in the world I’d come from.
“Yes, there’s a vehicle called an airplane.”
“What! How can a hunk of metal fly through the sky? Is it magic?”
“I’m not entirely sure myself.”
Just as the Restaurant Owner showed curiosity about the world I’d lived in, I found myself with questions about The Tower, so I asked several.
“But climbers must earn quite well—yet the prices here aren’t that high, are they?”
“Well, The Tower controls things to some degree, so there’s nothing we can do about it. If we don’t follow their guidelines, they restrict the goods flowing into the City, so what can we do? Besides, high prices make things harder for us too.”
Indeed, though The Tower functioned as a nation, there appeared to be an actual governing force behind it.
The Restaurant Owner asked me more questions about our world, and I answered him faithfully.
“By the way, I’ve heard people in The Tower call themselves ‘First Inhabitants’ rather than ‘native inhabitants’—why is that?”
The Priest had referred to his people as First Inhabitants.
Among Tower returnees, some called them native inhabitants, but more people used the term First Inhabitants.
“Ah, that? I’m not sure myself.”
“Really?”
“My father, my father’s father, and his father before him have all been called First Inhabitants, so it’s just naturally stuck in my speech.”
As he said this, something seemed to occur to him, and he added:
“Come to think of it, my ancestors—or rather, the ancestors of this City’s people—are said to have lived in a different world, just like you climbers. Perhaps that’s why they call themselves First Inhabitants after migrating here. Or maybe that’s just what people believe.”
People who had migrated to The Tower from another world.
Then were the people of this City descendants of climbers from distant worlds long ago?
After exchanging a few more questions, the Restaurant Owner didn’t know much more, so I didn’t learn anything conclusive.
“That was delicious. How much do I owe?”
“70 Credits.”
Indeed, the prices were cheap relative to the earnings.

* * *

After finishing my meal, I transferred a backpack I’d purchased from a conspicuous military supplies shop into my inventory and sent it to my main body.
Then I wandered through the City like a tourist, familiarizing myself with its layout.
I had no idea how long it would take to reach Floor 20, but until then, this place would serve as my supply hub and sanctuary.
If Agent K’s information was accurate, time moved approximately 10 percent faster with each floor ascended, so taking my time seemed reasonable.
If Earth time is ‘1’, then Tower Floor 10’s time is ‘1.1 to the 10th power’.
The calculation meant that time on Tower Floor 10 moved roughly 2.59 times faster than on Earth.
So the Priest was right—now that 10 years had passed since The Tower appeared on Earth, approximately 25 years had elapsed on Tower Floor 10.
The Tower had appeared 10 years ago by the calendar year, though technically less than 10 full years had actually passed.
“It’s 3:20 PM here, so Earth must still be in the morning.”
And unlike the native inhabitants, climbers who entered The Tower don’t age while they’re inside it.
I’d seen creepypasta-style posts on the Community claiming some climber had lived 7,000 years in The Tower, which I found utterly unbelievable.
If you’re going to spread nonsense, at least keep it reasonable—7,000 years? What am I, reading Tolkien?
Still, seeing posts from people claiming to have maintained their youth for over 30 years while living in The Tower wasn’t uncommon enough to dismiss entirely.
Of course, without being able to upload photos to the Community, such claims were essentially worthless.
As I walked, I approached a suspicious-looking Old Witch Woman dressed in tattered robes.
“Is this where one can expand their inventory?”
Information about the Old Witch Woman was included in the City guide pamphlet.
The drowsy Old Witch Woman yawned before answering.
“That’s right. Those world-hopping bastards sure know how to work. I used to have to camp out in that boring Cathedral all day, but now I just have to sit here during certain hours.”
The pamphlet said she appeared here between 3 and 5 PM—so this must have been part of an agreement with WPTO.
“I heard you can expand your inventory through Quests. Is that correct?”
“That’s right. It’s in the pamphlet. On Floor 10, you pay 10 Shop Points. From Floor 20 onward, annoying errands get attached, but I don’t expect that from some greenhorn who just made it to Floor 10.”
Greenhorn? That’s harsh.
“How do we proceed?”
“A handshake.”
I grasped the Old Witch Woman’s outstretched hand, and a trade window appeared.
“It’s one of the Shop’s functions. Teaching you this is the extent of my duty.”
I placed 10 Points into the trade window.
The transaction went through, and a notification window appeared.

[The common ability ‘Inventory’ has been expanded by 1 kilogram.]

“Well, if you’re done, get going. Stop blocking my sunlight.”
The Old Witch Woman waved me away dismissively.
I had questions for her, but she drove me out with an intangible force, clearly unwilling to be bothered.
“Hmm, I suppose I should visit the Library.”
Agent K had said the Library was where all information in The Tower converged. There was probably some exaggeration, but it seemed worth a visit.

(Continued in the next chapter)

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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