I Possessed a Game Where I Die If I Don’t Clear the Tower - Chapter 22

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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 22. The Treasure Keeper
In CRPG games, there is something as crucial as character building itself.
Equipment configuration.
I had hundreds, perhaps thousands of ideal equipment combinations stored in my mind.
Naturally, I possessed specialized setups for the Mind Sorcerer class as well.
As befitted a late-game unlockable character, the Mind Sorcerer’s endgame gear and exclusive items dropped only from the upper reaches of The Tower and high-level zones, but the so-called “starter equipment” could be obtained early on.
Even from a place very close by.
“You wish to open the Treasure Vault?”
“I do.”
“I cannot allow you to venture there alone, my lord. I shall accompany you.”
“Very well.”
I descended underground alongside Zehar Al Rashid.
The Maid, who had been shadowing me, had quietly vanished at some point.
I’d suspected she was no ordinary servant, but her perceptiveness was nearly supernatural.
‘Where on earth did he find her?’
When a subordinate made genuine efforts and achieved results, a superior ought to recognize and praise them.
As I descended the stairs toward the Treasure Vault, I casually remarked to Zehar Al Rashid following behind me.
“Zehar Al Rashid, that Maid you assigned to me—she’s quite capable, isn’t she?”
“I’m relieved it pleases you, my lord.”
“What is her name?”
Wondering if she might be merely a nameless NPC, I asked. After a brief silence, he answered.
“Her name is Aisha Kandisha.”
Remarkably, it was indeed a name I recognized.
Only, it was not the name of a person.
‘Aisha Kandisha… she’s one of Zehar Al Rashid’s summons.’
As befitted a sorcerer, Zehar Al Rashid could summon spirits and demons, and Aisha Kandisha was among them.
Her race was a djinn—a spirit, in other words.
Her primary abilities were transformation and concealment.
Her sustenance was human men.
In short, the moment I took control of the Inner Castle, he’d stationed a man-eating spirit beside me.
Truly, the work of a mastermind worthy of being the most popular antagonist in a betrayal game.
‘Save the lord…’
When it was fiction, I’d thought “Oh my, such obsession is delightful. So sweet. So thrilling.” But now that it was reality, I genuinely found myself pleading for salvation.
This scheming wretch could never be trusted.
How long had it been since I’d pulled the bad ending flag, and now he was planting a romantic thriller flag?
But it would be unbecoming of a lord to reproach a mastermind for being a mastermind, so I spoke obliquely instead.
“So that’s why you said she was exceptionally capable.”
I let out a scoff, implying I knew exactly what he’d done and speaking with deliberate arrogance.
Zehar Al Rashid made no excuses. Rather, as if caught red-handed, he immediately relented.
“I was merely concerned for your safety, my lord. If I have displeased you, I shall remove her at once.”
Camilia considered telling Zehar Al Rashid to step back, then changed her mind.
Even if she dismissed him, she’d only end up under surveillance in some other form anyway—better to be monitored by a capable Maid than anyone else.
Camilia responded as though it were no great matter.
“Did I not say so? You’re quite adequate.”
Yet sensing his lingering hesitation, Camilia let out a soft laugh and added further.
“You grow fearful even at praise. Do you truly distrust me so?”
“That could never be. I trust and follow only you, my lord.”
Zehar Al Rashid replied with such pitiful earnestness that his voice dropped to a whisper.
“…It would be wonderful if I could accompany you to The Tower and offer my aid, yet I find myself grieved that I cannot.”
‘Ah. So this is what you followed me to say?’
Somehow the transition to the Maid had felt too convenient.
Zehar Al Rashid, the hidden mastermind, understood The Tower’s condition better than anyone.
He must be worried that something might befall me if I ventured into that unstable place.
‘Yes, but I cannot take you with me.’
Within my Domain, there existed something called the ‘Territory Reputation System.’
If it fell too low, rebellions or riots would occur at certain probabilities.
My current Territory reputation stood at fifteen.
Not out of a hundred, but fifteen out of five hundred points.
It meant chaos could erupt at any moment without surprise.
To prevent this, the ‘Territory Administrator’ required high Charm—and aside from myself, Zehar Al Rashid possessed the highest Charm among my companions.
“The Territory is already turbulent; I cannot afford to lose you as well.”
Therefore, Zehar Al Rashid would need to remain at the Castle for the foreseeable future.
‘Besides, you’re only level five anyway. There’s no need to worry about leveling up just yet.’
After weighing every consideration, this decision had been made.
Camilia spoke with absolute firmness, leaving no room for retreat.
“You are the only one I can trust to manage my Territory. Do you understand my meaning?”
Though Zehar Al Rashid exhaled something like a sigh, he answered with obedience.
“…Yes, my lord.”
The moment might have grown awkward, but fortunately the staircase ended at precisely the right time.
We had arrived at the Treasure Vault beneath the Castle.
‘Well then, let me take a look around.’
Camilia lifted her head, breathing in the somewhat stale air.
True to its purpose as a repository for all manner of treasures the First Lord had accumulated over a thousand years, the Treasure Vault was immense beyond measure.
Yet it resembled less a warehouse than a work of art itself.
Upon towering metal walls of incalculable height were carved reliefs depicting war—angels and demons and humans intermingled in battle.
The most exquisite carving adorned the door at the battlefield’s center: an angel and a demon locked in eternal struggle.
They possessed such vitality that they seemed ready to spring to life at any moment.
‘Oh….’
Though I had witnessed this countless times in the game, confronting it in reality was an entirely different experience.
As Camilia gazed upward in admiration at the carving, Zehar Al Rashid spoke to her with careful consideration.
“Perhaps you’ve forgotten how to open it….”
“No, that won’t be necessary.”
Camilia walked forward with confidence toward the statues of the angel and demon, her voice taking on a reverent cadence.
“Door, open your eyes.”
At her command, the angel and demon carved into the main gate simultaneously opened their eyes.
Light blazed from their gaze like the fierce gleam of a tiger’s stare.
‘Wow, seeing it in person is no joke.’
Camilia felt a flutter of unease but kept it hidden, looking up at the statue—or more precisely, the iron golem.
The golem’s name was Treasure Keeper.
It formed a pair with the Vault Guardian, the gatekeeper of the lord’s personal treasury.
At level twenty, it was one of the rare transcendent-tier NPCs in the game.
The First Lord had supposedly stolen it from the gods, lending it an air of legitimacy, but it played no truly important role.
‘It’s just an NPC that hands out level-up rewards, really.’
The Treasure Vault was the same.
Once you reached the appropriate level, it would simply distribute equipment and spell books at the First Lord’s discretion—nothing more.
Normally, the first reward distribution occurred at level five.
Just before entering the middle floors.
‘If you follow the standard path, that is.’
The Dark Tower was a game with absurdly high degrees of freedom.
Just because a door is locked doesn’t mean you need a key to open it.
You could hire a thief to pick it with a lockpick, or blast it open with explosives.
‘Or, you could intimidate the person who locked it and force them to open it.’
Camilia lifted her chin and made her declaration.
“Door, yield passage to your rightful master.”
As a magical construct blessed with intellect, the Treasure Keeper was not easily swayed.
Rather than rejoicing at the lord’s appearance, it muttered with suspicion.
[You don’t seem like the lord….]
[You appear weak….]
Just as she had done when persuading Netanel Fragma, Camilia deployed her strategy of sheer insistence.
“Insolent creature. How dare you question my authority? I am your creator.”
Had an ordinary person said this, it would have been nonsense, but since she was the lord—or rather, that part was omitted—it worked perfectly once again.
The Treasure Keeper couldn’t outright refuse with a simple “Your level isn’t high enough,” and instead wavered uncertainly.
[It’s scary… but you do seem like the lord….]
[You do sound like the lord… but something feels off….]
After deliberating for some time, the Treasure Keeper reached a decision.
[I think I should ask the lord a question!]
“Very well.”
[When we were created, I’m curious if you remember what color the moon was. If you’re truly the lord, you should be able to answer!]
‘Here it comes.’
If you manage to intimidate or persuade the Treasure Keeper without being the appropriate level, it poses a quiz.
‘The problem is that both the quiz and the answers are randomized.’
Since the questions changed every time I pressed, I couldn’t exploit save-load tricks either.
Worse, I couldn’t just guess my way through in one go—the questions stretched anywhere from five to ten in succession.
A brutally unfair condition that claimed to leave a path to victory while insisting it wouldn’t be easy.
‘But a gamer always finds the answer, don’t they?’
The answers are random?
Then I’d simply cheat.
Camilia already held the perfect answer key in her hands.
‘Why else would I have learned buff magic before attack spells?’
Camilia declared inwardly with absolute confidence.
‘I’ll use Mind Reading.’

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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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