Convenience Store 24: The Tower of the End 1st - Chapter 72



Only Krnovel

Episode 72: The Gears Turn

‘This is the full-scale activity of the pioneers. I’m looking forward to it.’

A new advance party, the ‘Pioneers’, created solely for the purpose of conquering the tower.

This plan meant a lot to me.

‘The longer we delay conquering the tower, the greater the chance that the world will end.’

I carried the bags I had prepared in advance.

I slowly opened the door with the key in it.

* * *

About 10 hours later.

‘Whew, that was hard.’

When I got home, I threw myself straight into bed.

Perhaps it was because I had many conversations with Lee Ji-soo, exchanging final opinions.

I felt more tired than usual.

‘The story turned out longer than I thought.’

Including discussions about when to source my buff food.

Rewards obtained by clearing floors, reward distribution, etc.

I had a lot of conversations with her.

‘Anyway, I’m glad the conversation ended well to our mutual satisfaction.’

Especially since new subscribers to the Pioneers strongly want wood cards.

He printed out their share of cards and distributed them to everyone.

‘It’s true that frozen food is delicious.’

The earnestness of those who cried out for freezing as soon as they received the wood card.

‘Anyway, everything is ready now.’

Now all that’s left is to watch the ‘Pioneers’ launch in earnest on YouTube.

* * *

The next morning.

I went to work at the cafe as usual.

“Hello, Seon-ah, Soo-jeong.”

“Hello, boss!”

“hello!”

They always welcome me warmly.

But somehow, his voice seems particularly powerless.

“Hey guys, what’s going on?”

“Yes? No? Nothing. Why?”

“Because everyone’s voices seem weak.”

At my words, Seon-ah moves the flour dough and smiles weakly.

“Oh, that’s… … I guess I’m a little tired because there have been more customers lately. It’ll be okay.”

“hmm…….”

‘It’s true that the number of customers has increased explosively recently.’

This may have caused their bodies to become overloaded.

‘We need to hire more employees anyway. The problem is that if we have too many employees, there will be too many things to manage.’

It was by no means easy to control all the people while also having a lot of work to do.

So I decided to tell Seon-ah what I had been thinking.

“Seon-ah, I’m thinking of hiring more friends to work at the store anyway.”

“Oh my, really?”

I continued talking while looking at Seon-ah who was delighted.

“So what I’m saying is, Seon-ah, have you ever thought about becoming our cafe’s manager?”

“Manager?”

“Yeah, I’m in charge of managing supplies, so there’s not much you have to do. I think you just need to manage the other kids’ schedules. Calculate the hours the kids worked and let me know what salary they need to get, and if their schedules fall through, find a replacement. What do you think?”

Seon-ah is worried and doesn’t say anything.

“You can think of it as being a bit like the general manager of a store.”

“Yes, I know, but I’m a little worried.”

“Yes. It’s probably a difficult decision to make right away. But I really want Seon-ah to take on this job.”

During work hours, he doesn’t even look at his cell phone, cleans well, and takes on all the dirty work.

And his relationships with other employees don’t seem bad either.

Honestly, is there anyone more suited to be a manager than her?

“If Seon-ah, you decide to become my manager, I will pay you a monthly wage instead of an hourly wage. Managers are full-time employees.”

“Oh, a full-time employee!”

Unlike Seon-ah who was worried, Soo-jeong asked me in admiration.

“Boss, what’s different about regular employees?”

“First of all, with the monthly salary system, I’ll definitely get paid more than I do now.”

“Huh… Really?”

“Instead, you have to work more responsibly. That’s why we give you more money.”

If it had been any other part-timer, I wouldn’t have made this offer to become a full-time employee in the first place.

“Boss! If Seon-ah says no, can I do it?! I’m confident I can do it!”

“Sujeong-ah, you’re still an illustrator.”

“Yes? Why?!”

“You’re not ready yet.”

“oh…….”

Leaving Soo-Jung behind, who was looking gloomy.

I looked at Seon-ah and asked again.

“What do you think? Do you want to give it a try? If you need some time to think about it, maybe take a few days… … .”

“No! I’ll try! I’ll do it!”

Her clenched fists seemed to show a firm resolve.

“Yes, Seon-ah. I thought about it well. I’m sure you’ll do well.”

“Yes! I will work hard!”

“Okay. Let’s all work hard together.”

I patted Seon-ah and Su-jeong on the shoulders and sat down in the empty seat.

‘I’m glad Seon-ah willingly took on the job.’

Anyway, I will now handle other duties at the cafe.

I now have a manager who is literally like my assistant.

‘If we do this, we can hire part-time workers without any burden.’

The job of managing and controlling a large number of people will now fall to Seon-ah.

‘In the morning, I’m here, so let’s add one more person, and in the afternoon… … there should be two people, right?’

After calculating the amount, I picked up my phone.

‘Okay. It’s neat!’

Now all that remains is to see how the ‘pioneers’ perform.

‘Conquest, conquest… … umm… … .’

Search by keyword related to the strategy.

I checked to see if there were any new videos uploaded, but it looks like no videos related to the pioneers have been uploaded yet.

‘You haven’t started the raid yet? That’s strange. You clearly said you would start the raid right after finishing the conversation with me… … .’

At that time.

Dingdong-

[A new video has been posted on Lee Ji-soo’s Top Strategy Channel.]

Suddenly a notification popped up on my phone screen.

‘Oh, right!’

I quickly looked at the title of the video.

[I will walk the path that everyone has turned away from – 51st floor strategy video]

‘You’ve entered the attack!’

It looks like the gear I made is finally starting to work.

I quickly checked the video.

Wheeeeeeeeing-

A harsh blizzard blows like a blade.

The pioneers, wearing thick coats, silently move forward through the snowy fields.

[Captain! I think we should stay here for now?]

[We need to move as much as possible until we get a clue to clear the area. At the very least, we need to find a village of natives.]

[That’s true, but it’s hard to even see because of the blizzard! If we keep going like this and run into a monster, it’ll be annoying, right? That Yeti-like bastard’s hide is so tough that even a knife won’t cut it!]

[… … There’s no choice. Everyone dig the ground! After resting inside, move again!]

The pioneers ended up digging the ground and going inside.

The short video has ended.

‘Oh my, you guys are having a hard time.’

I’m just watching a video in a warm cafe.

They are looking for clues to clear the level under adverse conditions, facing the freezing wind.

‘It looks like it’ll take quite some time to clear it since I haven’t found any clues yet.’

The conditions for clearing each floor are different.

You may need to defeat a boss monster or find a specific item to activate it.

There are different types.

And you’ll need a fair amount of luck to find the clues to clear it.

‘You have to find the fragments of the clue to create a quest to clear the floor.’

The problem is that the pieces of that clue are so vague.

Talking to some natives might provide some clues.

Catching a specific monster or discovering a location may be a piece of the clue.

‘In the early days of the tower, there were also information dealers who specialized in dealing only in such fragments of clues.’

There was once a time when there were people who first collected information about fragments of clues and sold them to raiders who were trying to conquer the tower.

Because anyone who obtained a fragment of a clue could receive a quest to clear it.

However, as the will of the raiders to attack gradually diminished, they also naturally disappeared.

‘Anyway, it’ll take quite some time just to find the pieces of the clue. As expected, conquering the level isn’t easy. The first clear reward is good, but getting through the various adverse conditions isn’t easy.’

Clearing a floor is never an easy task.

Isn’t that why many people give up on conquering and live a life of complacency?

After finishing my thoughts, I looked at the comments section.

[Point Warrior: Wow, I heard that the advance party was disbanded, so I was wondering who would attack the tower now. The spirit of challenge is crazy.]

[└YouTube Official: Your parents’ spirit of challenge is also amazing. They took on the challenge of giving birth to you.]

[└Point Warrior: Hey, that kid hasn’t gone to court yet?]

[└└DoubleBlooly: Just wait a minute. I think I’ll see that kid’s face soon.]

[Bichchu Machine: But I really respect you. You volunteered to do something that no one else would do, right?]

[└Rational Inference: But they do it because there is a reward. If there wasn’t even that, no one would have tried it, right?]

[└Bichchu Machine: Do you think it’s easy to risk your life even if the reward is big?]

[Reply AI: But did you see the flag that Lee Ji-soo was holding? Hahahahahaha, that’s so funny.]

[└Rational Inference: Hahahahahaha 2:38 That’s crazy. This is the first time I’ve seen someone promote something like that on the top.]

[└Reply AI: Haha …

Most people admired the pioneers’ activities.

They had an in-depth discussion about how high they could climb and at what level their fighting spirit would be broken.

And some people were talking about the [2:38] part of the video.

My curiosity was piqued, so I played that part again.

‘What the hell is so funny… … Oh!’

Flutter-

Sure enough, the flag tied to Lee Ji-soo’s bag was fluttering in the snow.

The flag had [Sponsor: Always Bendable Heart] written on it.

‘You did as I asked.’

Even though I can’t join the attack.

I asked them to put up a flag to show that we are together in spirit, and they faithfully honored that request.

“Hoo!”

I put my phone on the table and stretched both arms up to the ceiling.

‘Okay, okay. Everything is going smoothly.’

I am satisfied with both the work at the cafe and the movements of the pioneers.

‘I don’t know what the outcome will be, but at least I feel good for now.’

The ship loaded with possibilities has left port.

Now all that remains is to wait and see what results the ship brings back.

‘Will I return with a lot of treasure, or will I be shipwrecked…?’

* * *

Five days have already passed since the ‘pioneers’ set out to conquer the tower.

[I got a clue from the ghosts of the snowfields.]

#51st floor#Strategy clue#Maybe you found it?

It’s only been a few hours since I got up there.

I thought about this while watching a video that already had over 30 million views.

‘Well, the response is better than I expected.’

It was somewhat expected that people outside would be interested in the strategy video.

Of course I didn’t know it would be this much.

‘Well, in a way, it’s obvious?’

Since the advance party disbanded, no one has attacked the new floors.

It is also true that there are very few guides who upload videos related to the guide.

[Farming on the Tower and Being Self-sufficient]

#Day 285#Video

[Firebug’s Forge ASMR – Great to play before falling asleep.]

[Running an inn with a dog on a deserted island]

#Look#at#my#dog

Usually, they upload videos of the process of acclimating and adapting to the tower’s environment.

[Converting the savage natives.]

[Suppress the outlaws and become the master of the floor.]

It would not be an exaggeration to say that most of the videos are about power struggles with the indigenous people and attempts to secure vested interests for the class.

Among such videos, there are many.

It’s only natural that there’s a lot of interest in a video related to the strategy that’s been released after a long time.

‘Besides, it seems like the card pack related videos are getting a pretty good response these days.’

There have been a lot of videos coming up reviewing the Tower of Doom series card packs that I sold to raiders.

This was more popular with people outside than expected.

[No, why are my abilities only like this? Shouldn’t I have at least 500 more attack power?]

[I don’t know who made this card, but why don’t you show it to me? I’ll prove my worth by conquering the top!]

The video comparing the numbers on your own card with your actual ability also received a good response.

More than anything, there was an atmosphere of cheering on one’s favorite YouTuber (strategist) to take on a new challenge.

‘I think I like it just because there are more videos to watch… … but good things are good.’

The raiders gained a sense of purpose and challenged themselves with new possibilities.

For people outside, there was more content to enjoy.

[Here’s the latest news. … … You all probably know that the Tower of Doom card pack series has been a huge hit among the public. But did you know that this card has been added to the Tower this time? Here’s the details… … .]

[As the card is brought into the tower, the card manufacturer, The Beast, will continue to actively refer to videos related to strategy players to produce cards… … .]

In addition, the news also reported related news every day.

[Today, to delve deeper into the winds of change blowing through the Tower of Doom, we have invited Professor Kim Kang-seon from the Department of Future Policy at Hankang University. Hello, Professor?]

[Yes, hello.]

[I feel like the atmosphere and currents flowing through the tower have changed a lot these days. I think there have been a few more tower raiders recently?]

[That’s right. There used to be a widespread atmosphere where players were reluctant to play due to repeated failures, the fear of dying at any time, and various other factors. However, this atmosphere has changed a bit now.]

Even recently, the news has focused on one issue.

[I guess I can’t help but talk about that strategist. I think it’s called the ‘Fantasy Shop’?]

[That’s right. It has the ability to sell things from outside, that is, from our world. In fact, I’m cautious about even calling it a ‘strategist’. Is this really a strategist?]

[I also watched the related videos. It seems like it has a really huge influence? To the point where I wonder if that’s really the same strategist I knew.]

[Honestly, it’s beyond our common sense. It’s to the point where I wonder if he’s really one of the managers who manages the tower.]

[What do you think, professor?]

[I am…….]

There has been a growing number of videos that cover important topics about me.

[Will the power structure of the Tower of Doom change?]

[The ever-broken heart, who on earth is he?]

[About the influence of the Fantasy Shop on the Tower of Doom.]

‘Hmm, this feels strange.’

I think about it sometimes.

What if I hadn’t worn a mask?

‘I would have become a world-famous person, for better or worse.’

If that had happened, I would never have been able to enjoy the ordinary life I have now.

‘From high-ranking government officials to researchers, and even assassins, they might have barged in.’

It’s terrifying just to imagine.

‘I have to wear a mask from now on.’

I don’t know about other things, but I don’t want my information to be known to the world.

‘By the way, I have to go into the tower today.’

Today is not the day to move to the designated floor.

It’s a day where you have to go to a random floor.

‘I wonder which floor I’ll fall into this time.’

* * *

A few hours later.

Hwaaaaaaaah-

“Tch!”

When I arrived at the convenience store, I put my bag on the floor and walked over to the window.

‘What floor will it be this time?’

There is one thing I have realized after climbing the tower countless times.

It was difficult to unconditionally infer which floor a building was on just by looking out the window.

‘There were also cases where they were thrown into the deep sea or fell into places like underground.’

I slowly stared out the window.

‘Hoo… … .’

Krug, kruk, kruk-

Monsters with long, black bodies and long legs were making strange noises.

‘It looks like a big fox. No, foxes are cute.’

At least the fox’s body doesn’t have pupils.

Whoosh, whoosh-

Are you aware of my existence?

Before I knew it, they were stuck to the window and started to leave thick secretions on it.

‘But I’ve never seen those guys before… … Did they come to a floor that hasn’t been conquered yet?’

Falling into strange places and seeing unfamiliar monsters are now familiar.

‘I guess I’ll just clean up a bit and take a look at the situation.’

As I was about to leave the convenience store, rolling up my right sleeve.

Oh my gosh, oh my gosh, oh my gosh-

Suddenly, lightning struck the convenience store.

The flames quickly spread around the convenience store and began to consume the surrounding area.