↳ Anon (463F): It wasn't the wind that stripped the traveler bare… it was the sun…
↳ Anon (316F): lol so there IS a way to make the balance go up.
↳ Anon (431F): genius??
A shift in perspective.
Stealing definitely carries risk—but giving doesn't.
At the very least, nobody's going to get angry just because you hand them gold coins.
And money? I've got it rotting in my pockets.
My current holdings: a whopping 700,000 gold.
400,000 from the invader-kill bounty, plus about 300,000 in floor-advance prizes from climbing up to floor 99.
And it's not even like I'm spending it permanently.
Kill this thing in the end, and all the gold in this place comes back to me anyway.
But…
There's a limit to this too.
The next moment, Floor-574 pointed that out.
Anon (574F): But like, give a few, make it count, give more, make it count again—that doesn't really work. Way too unnatural.
↳ Anon (432F): fr it'd probably just ask why you can't give it all at once lmaooooooooo
↳ Anon (322F): that's a bit cheeky isn't it…? should we make it do drills?
↳ Anon (543F): i feel like it just won't count lol
↳ Anon (233F): can't you just scatter coins everywhere over time? what's it gonna do about it.
↳ Anon (643F): that's basically just picking a fight lmaooo it'd figure out you're trying to destroy the keys immediately lmaooooooo
↳ Anon (351F): agreed. that's a one-time trick too.
One-time.
That felt right.
So then: steal once, give once.
↳ Anon (99F) (OP): ok so say we burn through two that way—what about the other 3?
Even if it worked once or twice, the remaining keys were the problem.
Then, a cautious suggestion appeared in the Gallery.
Makanong: Unnie… what if you tried playing hide-and-seek…?
↳ Anon (148F): HEY!!!! ADULTS ARE TALKING HERE!!!!!!
↳ Anon (431F): ?
↳ Anon (249F): the no-kids reflex speed is something else lmaooooooo
It was a username I'd seen on day one.
Makanong: Eh…ㅜㅜ
↳ Anon (148F): sry… just kidding…
↳ Anon (151F): is this kid actually a kid? feels like a bit tbh.
↳ Anon (543F): do not gaze into the abyss...
↳ Anon (249F): saying "hide-and-seek" like that, yeah, definitely a little kid.
Hide-and-seek.
The somewhat adorable suggestion made the Gallery go awkward.
'I get what she means, though…'
Makanong: The most important thing in hide-and-seek is the ability to find someone…! I'm saying, let's propose hide-and-seek to that monster…!
↳ Anon (249F): yes yes absolutely must do it.
↳ Anon (324F): how do you play hide-and-seek in the tower? everything's wide open.
↳ Anon (647F): ugh stop being so serious and just go with it.
↳ Makanong: There are tons of places to hide there, so wouldn't it work…?
↳ Anon (647F): cover that adults can't see lol
↳ Anon (249F): huh i could see it, i'm pure. you guys can't?
'There are lots of places to hide.'
That was actually true.
Though it seemed absolutely impossible that things would ever flow into a hide-and-seek situation.
↳ Anon (99F) (OP): you mean hide inside the gold coins?
↳ Makanong: Yes exactly…! As expected… you're so smart…!
↳ Anon (249F): ew.
↳ Anon (647F): wait it's that deep? lmao
↳ Anon (219F): didn't you say the gold was piled up halfway to the door.
And then Floor-574 responded like they found it interesting.
Anon (574F): hm. actually worth proposing once.
↳ Anon (312F): you're going along with this?
Anon (574F): not hide-and-seek, frame it as a detection test.
↳ Anon (247F): what kind of test?
↳ Anon (574F): a test to evaluate detection ability. fits the inspector concept too.
↳ Anon (246F): hmm…
…Compared to the other ideas, it wasn't bad.
But the fundamental problem remained.
Anon (432F): keep pulling this crap and even an idiot would know you're trying to destroy the keys lmaooooo what a garbage plan.
↳ Anon (249F): no like when you're brainstorming you're SUPPOSED to throw out the garbage ideas ;;
↳ Anon (513F): if we don't do this there's literally nothing else to try lol
↳ Anon (454F): how the hell did that guy who robbed it before actually pull it off.
↳ Anon (643F): fr how did the hood guy do it lol
↳ Anon (249F): i'm telling you he just beat the crap out of it and threatened it.
↳ Anon (647F): maybe he just freebied it when one key was left?
Various opinions flew around in chaos.
I took a moment to synthesize what the Gallery had come up with.
↳ Anon (99F) (OP): ok any other ideas? if not, gonna go with give-and-take to make it count coins, then propose the hide-and-seek thing. gg
↳ Anon (431F): what a plan lmaooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
↳ Anon (358F): you think this is actually gonna work lmaooo
↳ Anon (148F):
???: Oh, you took some gold coins? Let me count them.
???: Oh, you gave me gold coins? Let me count again.
???: Wanna play hide-and-seek? hehe!
???: Oh, there are no keys left? The chest opened? I'm such a dummy…
↳ Anon (344F): fr this is literally what it's gonna be…
'That's a bit much.'
It's a ridiculously flimsy plan.
And when the very last one is left, it'll know the chest is about to open—so it'll never use the pulse again.
↳ Anon (99F) (OP): if all else fails…
↳ Anon (645F): just skip it?
↳ Anon (99F) (OP): nah. gonna try threatening it with the scythe.
↳ Anon (436F): lmaooooooooooooooo
↳ Anon (346F): knew this was coming gg
↳ Anon (466F): you're a demon…
↳ Anon (247F): fact) correct.
↳ Anon (99F) (OP): but it's just a threat, i can't actually kill it with the scythe.
↳ Anon (466F): why not.
↳ Anon (99F) (OP): seems kinda strong so i need it as a gatekeeper, can't void its resurrection.
↳ Anon (497F): calculates everything purely for personal gain lol
↳ Anon (249F): sociopath lol
↳ Anon (99F) (OP): what about saying i need to inspect the contents of the Golden Chest.
↳ Anon (324F): that's way too obvious lol
↳ Anon (574F): well… it all depends on how well it listens to you.
Quite a bit of time had passed.
↳ Anon (99F) (OP): alright, gonna combine what you guys said and try as much as i can…
When no more ideas came, I closed the Gallery.
After collecting my thoughts, I walked back toward the thing standing in front of the Golden Chest.
Its head turned in my direction.
⟨Have you finished your report?⟩
"No… a problem came up."
First attempt.
'Stealing.'
But I couldn't just do the exact same thing as before. I had a tactic in mind.
I clicked my tongue and furrowed my brow.
"I'm so sorry about this…"
⟨What is the matter?⟩
"It seems one of my subordinates has sticky fingers…"
When I said that, it let out a flustered aura.
⟨Are you saying your subordinate stole gold coins…?⟩
"Yeah… looks like it."
I jerked my chin toward the Blood Knight, who had nothing to do with any of this.
The Treasure Keeper panicked in alarm.
⟨Please order them to return it at once!⟩
I scratched my head with a show of reluctance.
"Ah, but… I didn't actually see it myself, I only have a hunch, so it's tricky. I'm pretty sure they stole it, but I can't wrongly accuse my own subordinate, right? Could you count it one more time to be sure?"
The Treasure Keeper was visibly distressed.
It fidgeted all six of its arms, then finally bowed at the waist.
⟨…As you wish.⟩
Hmmm—!
The circular pulse swept through the hollow of floor 100 once more.
Fsssh—!
One of the keys clutched in its hand scattered away like sand and vanished.
'Success for now.'
Four keys left.
I wanted to ask about the conditions or cycle for key replenishment, but I held back.
The Treasure Keeper, having withdrawn the pulse, reported back with a puzzled air.
It was time to act.
⟨Ah… nothing appears to be missing.⟩
"W h a t ? R e a l l y ?"
A little awkward, maybe.
But it didn't seem to have caught on.
The Treasure Keeper had gone dead serious.
⟨Eight billion, one hundred seventy-five million, five hundred fifty-seven thousand, two hundred and nineteen. Not a single discrepancy from the original count.⟩
Eight billion coins. If the SSS-Rank Gear Chaser heard that, his eyes would roll back in his head.
"Ha ha. Sorry for suspecting my subordinate. I thought they'd stolen gold out of frustration over getting half-wrecked by you in one hit earlier."
Now, naturally transitioning to step two.
'Make it count by giving money.'
I pulled out a hefty fistful of gold coins from my inventory, both hands full.
It showed interest immediately.
⟨…What is this gold for?⟩
"I'm giving it to you—partly because I played a trick on you earlier, and partly because I just made you go through all that trouble. Consider it a personal bonus from me. Take it."
I expected a reasonable amount of pushback.
'No, Inspector! I cannot accept this!'
If it held out like that, I planned to force it into its hands and then pretend to fumble and drop them on the floor.
That way I'd make it count the coins again. And if it refused to count, I had the excuse that I needed to report exactly how many I'd given.
But.
⟨Oh…! Are you serious?! I gratefully accept!⟩
The thing apparently had no concept of the Korean-style polite refusal.
'Aren't you being a little too eager to take it…'
It neatly pressed its two empty hands together and thrust them out toward me.
Its expression was so purely delighted that I couldn't say a word.
"Oh… okay then…"
Well, nothing for it.
I deliberately fumbled my hand and scattered the fistful of gold coins into the air.
Shhhhhhhk—!
"Oh my."
The golden coins bounced off its torso and shoulders and tumbled down into the pile of gold on the floor, mixing in.
I covered my mouth and played it cool.
"Sorry, that was clumsy of me…"
⟨Please do not worry! I shall count the gold coins myself, so please set your mind at ease!⟩
It answered so cheerfully, and then—
Hmmm—!
Used the pulse technique.
Fsssh—!
The third key vanished.
⟨You gave three hundred and fifty gold coins! I gratefully accept!!!⟩
It folded all six arms together politely.
Half of them were empty hands now.
'Good. Smooth sailing.'
Alright. Three keys left.
Giving it gold seemed to have raised its goodwill toward me considerably.
The atmosphere felt like it would go along with just about anything I asked now.