Chapter 9
Helios looked innocent—like someone you’d see walking down the street, totally ordinary and kind.
But now, that same innocent-looking face was terrifying just standing there.
“A-Are you okay?”
“D-Don’t come near me! Stay back!”
Why on earth was a monster like him placed under my supervision?!
Cain cursed himself. He should’ve known when Sergeant Steven, that crazy man pretending to be normal, said this new recruit was “interesting.”
“H-Hey rookie! Just stay there! Don’t come any closer!”
“Yes, sir.”
This brat… He’s suddenly answering properly now?!
Cain was furious, but he chose to back away through gritted teeth.
His instincts were screaming—Don’t mess with this guy.
“So… what should I do now?”
“…What?”
“The manual says to follow orders, and Sergeant Steven told me not to cause trouble and just do as I’m told.”
Trouble? You already caused trouble, you brat!
Cain couldn’t hold it in anymore and shot up.
“I knew it! That bastard Steven did this to mess with me!”
“Sorry?”
Cain shouted through clenched teeth.
“Whatever! Just go and keep an eye on your assigned attack dog!”
“Yes, sir.”
He’s got anger issues…
Mint calmly walked over to the window.
Below, the floor of the tower was already in total chaos. The battle had started.
Where’s the male lead…? Ah, there he is.
The Trials of the Tower
For prisoners, the Tower’s trials were about surviving in extreme conditions.
The theme changed based on your level.
Floors 1–20: Bugs and animals.
Once you enter a floor, you’re swarmed by animals or insects.
Basically, you have to survive the attack and kill as many as possible within a time limit.
You can get through these floors even without Kia, but only if you’re smart or physically capable.
Mint recalled Helios’s condition.
Looks like he got caught while starving.
His natural build wasn’t bad, but he looked underfed—maybe he hadn’t eaten properly since being captured.
He didn’t eat much in the cafeteria either.
Then again, he had to deal with constant harassment in there. His food tray was flipped three times.
But that was minor compared to the danger he was in now.
He really can’t afford to die here.
Behind her, guards were whispering among themselves.
“These new inmates are all useless.”
“Really? That bad?”
“Yeah. Not a single one can use Kia properly.”
“Tch. They dumped all the delivery guys here this time, didn’t they?”
They spoke like everyone below would be dead soon—not even worth watching.
And it wasn’t rare for all the rookies to die on the first floor.
Though it didn’t happen the year I was there.
They were talking in hushed tones, glancing at Cain, but Mint heard every word.
Everyone seemed sure all the newbies would die.
Why don’t you go down there and see for yourself?
But things below weren’t going the way the guards expected.
Helios gasped for breath.
“Ugh…”
His arm throbbed, but he couldn’t look to check it.
Even a second of distraction…
Squeak! Squeak squeak!
Huge rats would tear into his flesh.
He remembered the moment he first entered the Tower:
“What is this place? A cave?”
About ten new prisoners had entered with him.
They were all confused, anxious, and scared.
That made sense.
Niflheim was the worst place for criminals.
No one ever escaped. No one ever came out alive.
No one knew what went on inside.
That fear of the unknown made it worse.
“Alright, each of you can choose 1 to 3 weapons!”
The guard leading them pointed toward a round space filled with weapons.
They all chose their weapons awkwardly, not knowing what to expect. Helios did the same.
“Well, good luck, puppies! Wonder how many of you will survive. Hehe.”
The creepy-looking guard disappeared with a smirk.
The weapons vanished along with him.
Crackle! Squeak!
“W-What is that? Rats?!”
“They’re rats! But why are they so huge?!”
There was no time to think.
From an opening in the wall, a massive swarm of black rats charged at them.
“AAARGH! Die! Die!!”
“Please, save me! What did I do wrong—ack! I’m sorry!”
“I’m sorry, I’m sorry! Please let me out!”
Helios fought them off with a poorly-made spear, swatting rats as he scanned the room.
“Hah… Are they trying to kill us all?!”
Now, out of more than ten rookies, only five were still standing.
And they all looked exhausted.
Not a single person was breathing normally.
Well, except for one strange-looking person—but Helios couldn’t focus with the rat swarm coming.
He glanced upward.
There was a giant window—and someone was standing in front of it.
A small figure, smaller than the other guards. He recognized them instantly.
“I’ll be watching you.”
It was his assigned guard.
Strangely enough, he didn’t feel abandoned. He wasn’t mad.
His whole life had been lonely anyway, so being alone now didn’t bother him.
“Just focus on surviving.”
That was all he needed to think about now: survival.
But how?
“Haa…”
The room was circular.
From one wall, the rats just kept pouring in endlessly.
Fortunately—or unfortunately—there was a break.
“Huff… huff… huff!”
“Damn it, what now?!”
After every 20 minutes of fighting, a blue barrier would appear, separating the rats from the prisoners.
They’d get 5 minutes of rest.
Now, after 20 minutes of hell, they were finally getting a break.
The prisoners sat on the floor, staring at the glowing wall.
“How long are they gonna keep doing this crap?!”
“Just kill us already, you bastards!!”
At first, no one could tell how long the waves lasted.
But after a few rounds, someone figured it out.
A short-haired woman, gasping in the corner, had raised her hand.
“Exactly 20 minutes. Rats swarm for 20 minutes. Then we get 5 minutes rest.”
People looked at her like she was crazy, so she introduced herself.
Her name was Kana. She had been an alchemist and potion maker before, and she could tell time with her eyes closed.
“Damn it! It’s never-ending! Are we just supposed to die in here?!”
While a short, tough guy shouted, Helios was quietly thinking.
Only 3 minutes left in the break.
They called this a ‘trial.’
If they really wanted to kill them, there were easier ways.
But they called it a trial, so it must have an end.
The question was—how do they end it?
About 1 minute remained. Helios still had no answers, so he looked up.
He saw the blue barrier—and beyond it, the large observation window.
Is that person still watching?
Yes. They were still there.
Though he wasn’t sure, it felt like his eyes met the guard’s.
It wasn’t his imagination.
“Be careful not to get eaten. Especially your legs.”
“Get eaten”…?
Helios didn’t really like that guard, but he didn’t think they’d say something like that to mess with him.
And something about the word choice stuck in his mind.
That meant…
It was a hint.
Yes—Helios decided that was definitely a hint.
