[Defender: Treasure Keeper (100F)]
⟨Why has a soldier from the lower floors set foot in this place.⟩
The floor-100 monster, the Treasure Keeper—standing atop a mountain of gold coins with a massive Golden Chest at its back.
A wild-haired giant clutching golden keys in all six of its hands was speaking to me.
⟨Leave this place at once.⟩
This was the first time a monster had ever used language, so I was caught off guard.
But thanks to what it said, I was able to grasp something in an instant.
'Seems like it has no idea how floor challenges work.'
According to the Gallery folks, even the tower's monsters were aware of the floor-challenge system.
The Gallery was our exclusive privilege, but other system messages were visible to everyone.
Yet this thing was warning me to leave.
It apparently didn't know that once you'd climbed up, neither side could go back down until one of them was dead.
'Well, I suppose that makes sense.'
The lava golem on floor 99, just below this one, had no intelligence whatsoever.
Same story for every floor below that. None of them were smart enough to issue a floor challenge.
Which meant that here on floor 100, it seemed no demon soldier had ever climbed up before.
'In that case…'
I could stall for time.
If I could make it think I wasn't an enemy, I could stack Death Mark at least until I got found out.
With that strategy in mind, I offered a greeting.
"Hey there."
⟨…⟩
No response.
My hand felt awkward just hanging there.
Seemed like the taciturn type.
A fair amount of time passed like that.
Fwip— [ — — ]
When I'd stacked Death Mark to 2, it spoke.
⟨If you have no business here, go back down.⟩
"I do have business here."
⟨What is it?⟩
I couldn't answer that.
Not with: to kill you and get to floor 101.
So instead I said this:
"I came to see how you were doing."
It was something I'd blurted out at random.
All I was thinking about was stalling.
⟨…⟩
But the Treasure Keeper fell silent at those words, as if something in them had actually moved it.
Why had it gone quiet?
It answered shortly after.
⟨I too have long wondered what kind of demon dwells on floor 99.⟩
I barely managed to hold back a laugh.
"Were you lonely? Why didn't you just come down and check?"
I was testing it.
⟨I cannot leave this space for even a single moment. My duty demands it.⟩
It genuinely seemed not to know that going down wasn't an option either.
"Is your duty to guard the gold coins here?"
⟨It is. I must also protect that Golden Chest.⟩
"…"
Something clicked.
This thing had never once tried going down or up because of its overwhelming sense of responsibility to guard this place.
That's why it hadn't seen the system messages, and why it hadn't realized floor challenges existed. I'd only gotten the hologram after checking both doors myself.
Truly a creature of unwavering dedication.
In that case, there was something I needed to come clean about.
"I picked up some gold coins at the entrance earlier."
It shrieked as if having a fit.
⟨Put them back this instant!⟩
"Sure, sure…"
I answered agreeably, then stacked Death Mark to 3.
Fwip—! [ — — — ]
Then I opened my inventory in the slowest possible motion.
Clink.
I took out one gold coin.
Clink.
Two gold coins.
Clink.
Three gold coins…
The Treasure Keeper, watching this nonsense, cried out in irritation.
⟨…What are you doing? Take everything out right now!⟩
I made my excuse.
"Sorry… it's just… I don't know exactly how many I took."
A lie.
I'd shoved the coins flooding out of the door into my inventory haphazardly, but if I subtracted my original funds I could easily figure out how many new ones had come in.
⟨Wait. I will count them.⟩
Oh.
I had no idea how it planned to count this many coins, or how it even knew the original number—but the fact that it was going to try was wonderful.
Either way, it would take time.
The moment I thought that, a pulse began emanating from its body.
Hmmm—
A circular vibration swept through the space once.
It fell silent for a moment as if calculating, then said:
⟨Five thousand, seven hundred and twenty-five. That is the number missing. Remarkable. How did you carry that much without even a sack?⟩
"…!"
Exactly right.
And the Treasure Keeper added:
⟨There are three of you. Did the two beside you swallow them?⟩
Barang and the Blood Knight.
The Treasure Keeper seemed to have only just noticed the two of them.
I'd overlooked it because I'd seen so many strange creatures, but of course—it made sense.
This thing's wild hair covered its entire face, so its eyes weren't visible. Or maybe it had none at all.
Just now, it seemed to have used something like echolocation to survey its surroundings.
But if it had never seen a demon climb up before, why had it only used that technique now?
"You must have been curious about me—why didn't you use that detection skill from the start?"
⟨I have no obligation to answer. Return the gold coins promptly.⟩
It refused to explain.
But its change told me what I needed to know.
One of the keys it had been holding—one in each of its six hands—was gone.
One hand was now empty. It was down to five keys.
Whatever those keys were, it seemed reluctant to use them up.
I pretended not to notice.
Fwip! [ — — — — ]
Stacking Death Mark to 4, I began pulling gold coins out of my inventory.
"Alright, alright, hold on a second…"
Pitter-patter—
I could have taken them all out at once if I'd wanted to, but naturally I didn't.
To drag things out further, I fumbled around in my inventory and introduced Barang and the Blood Knight.
"These two are my subordinates. Blood Knight, Barang. Say hello."
Both of them obeyed my command and bowed their heads.
At that, the Treasure Keeper spoke in apparent surprise.
⟨Subordinates…? They are your subordinates?⟩
"Yep!"
When I confirmed it, the thing was at a loss for words.
"What's wrong?"
It was flustered, visibly thrown off.
Then, for some reason, it spoke in a sulky tone:
⟨That weapon you're carrying… it is indeed a scythe, isn't it?⟩
"Yeah, that's right."
When I answered, it froze.
It looked genuinely troubled. I couldn't see its face, but its body language made it plain.
⟨How is it that a Death God—a high-ranking demon—has come to this place…?⟩
Hmm.
The moment I heard that, my mind started spinning.
'Death God.'
So this race was apparently a high-ranking demon.
Well, that tracked. This was a being whose very first basic skill was an instant-kill ability.
I smiled innocently and said:
"Why do you think a high-ranking demon like me would come here? Care to think about it?"
The moment I said that, it started completely floundering.
Sensing an opening, I pressed harder.
"Why do you think I came up from below?"
I deployed the counter-question technique. Cornering someone like this is remarkably effective.
"Still don't get it?"
Thud—!
Its massive knees crashed down into the gold coins.
It seemed unable to withstand the pressure.
All six arms planted themselves on the floor as it bowed its head flat.
⟨This lowly one failed to recognize a high-ranking demon and has committed a grave discourtesy! I beg you to set aside your anger and deign to explain your intentions to this humble servant.⟩
I stacked Death Mark to 5 and grinned.
Fwip! [ — — — — — ]
This was the same stack count I'd used to finish off the lava golem on floor 99—and it hadn't died.
But that was fine.
It seemed I could stall for as long as I needed now.
"Ha. I was a bit too hard on you, wasn't I? I was conducting an inspection on my way up from below!"
I said it shamelessly. I'd decided to exploit this thing's misunderstanding.
⟨Ah…! Of course… I didn't realize that was what you meant when you said you were curious…⟩
"You've been working hard. I'll return all the gold for now."
⟨Thank you…!⟩
I dumped the remaining gold coins from my inventory and tossed them over.
While doing so, I stacked to 6.
[ — — — — — — ]
It didn't die.
I needed to stall longer.
I jerked my chin toward the massive Golden Chest filling the wall behind it.
"Right, so—how is the management of that chest going?"
I asked as if I knew nothing.
I was genuinely curious what was inside that Golden Chest.
At the question, the Treasure Keeper's shoulders twitched.
⟨If I may be so bold… Death God, might I ask your exact rank? The matter of that chest is strictly classified…⟩
A difficult question had arrived.
I had absolutely no information about the Demon King's army ranking system.
"Oh! You pass! You're doing well keeping classified information classified, aren't you?"
I improvised.
I acted like a division commander rewarding a sentry who'd blocked them at a checkpoint with a commendation.
Hearing that, the thing seemed proud to have passed a test, and visibly brightened.
⟨So you are an inspector after all! I always guard every secret and this location with absolute vigilance!⟩
I moved on to my next question.
"How long have you been stationed here? And have the invaders who've come up been manageable?"
Truly the core questions.
This was the moment I might finally learn who the real gatekeeper of the Demon King's tower was—the greatest mystery in the Gallery.
⟨To begin with, it has been a full five hundred years since I was assigned to this floor 100!⟩
Surprising.
Far longer than I'd expected.
Wasn't the Gallery's history something like four hundred years? This thing had been here before it even started.
⟨However… for reasons I cannot fathom, not a single invader has reached this place in the past four hundred years.⟩
"No one has come at all?"
⟨Yes!⟩
⟨In the past, invaders flooded in endlessly—I lost my head and was resurrected day after day without rest…!⟩
Wait wait wait.
The word "resurrection" had just slipped out of its mouth like it was nothing.
"You're saying you've been killed by invaders before?"
When I said that, the Treasure Keeper replied in a shrinking voice:
⟨Shameful as it is… yes.⟩
"…"
⟨But during these past four hundred years with no one coming, I have devoted myself to training every single day! I dare say—I am not the same as I was four hundred years ago. I am ten times stronger than I was then! I am now confident that no invader, whoever they may be, will ever kill me again!⟩
It rattled off its excuses, but the words barely registered.
A foundational premise of the Gallery had just collapsed.
And Floor-574 Anon's hypothesis had hit the mark again.
It really did seem like I was in a completely different tower from everyone else in the Gallery.
Gallery members above floor 100 had said they'd never seen an invader. But the tower I was in had allowed invaders past floor 101 before.
And the fact that no invader had reached this floor 100 for four hundred years—that was probably the period during which the woman Death God I'd possessed had been holding the line, before I took over her body.
I grasped those shocking facts but showed not a trace of surprise.
I stopped stacking Death Mark. It had been a stroke of luck that 6 stacks hadn't killed it.
I needed to dig out more information.
This was a major development.
I'd been watching below all along.
But there could be a Hero above as well.
"Who got you before? Which invaders did you let through?"