****(POV)
Once again, there was a great commotion happening at D-23.
The atmosphere was extremely heavy. Before, there had been random Climbers and journalists, but now the guilds had arrived! They were facing the stern students in charge of guard duty. A reporter could be seen describing the situation perfectly.
"I'm in front of D-23, where a siege is ongoing! All around are some of the most powerful regional guilds! Even the S-Ranked ones are participating! Ouroboros, Immortal, Eclipse, Devouri—" But she was suddenly interrupted by a man fully geared.
"Hey, be careful. What do you mean a siege? We are here to protest the monopole of the Alter Tower. Trying to scam willing parties is one thing, but depriving others of an opportunity to become stronger is another!" He righteously declared, with the crowd cheering.
"Yeah! We want in! It's unfair that we're stuck here outside!"
"This is collusion! Why the hell is the MTA condoning such acts?!"
"We will not be silenced!"
"Guys! The representative of Dominion is about to make a speech!"
"What?! Dominion? Even the Metropolis-E peeps are here?!"
"Man, everyone is here! This is a revolution, hahaha! Down with the greedy Josh!"
The crowd all turned to an armored man that stood towering above others. He was currently standing on a huge powerful-looking lynx too. The man had such an awesome pet, one that resided on Floor 51! He raised his hand, commanding silence.
"This is a message to this so-called Dimensional Legion Climber School. From this point onward, Dominion is here! We will visit the Alter Tower, whether you want to cooperate with us or not is up to you. Choose carefully."
That was it?! This was a clear threat! People were expecting him to appeal to the crowd and to try and make alliances. Nope! Dominion did not care. They were going inside with or without approval. The people couldn't believe it.
"Oh my god! They're so powerful!"
"These School officials are going to go crazy, haha!
"Hehe, this is great! I can't wait to see their faces!"
"Chances are we'll be able to see the Alter Tower too, nice!"
"Yep, with Dominion spearheading the assault, it's already over."
This was such an incredible blow! Would the School even survive? Their main selling point was the Training Tower. After today, they would need to reduce their prices drastically or close shop. They were finished!
That's when a young man with fiery hair came out of the forest, peacefully walking while humming. As he came nearby, the students noticeably relaxed and began smiling. Who was this?!
The Ranker from Dominion ushered his deadly mount forward, stopping right in front of the newcomer. The crowd felt their breath leave them as they witnessed his intimidating posture: they were so glad not to be in that young man's shoes!
"Tch—How laughable! They sent a kid as a scapegoat! Are you here to try and buy time while they escape? I don't care about your weasel of a master. Now, get out of the way!"
But, the young man simply ignored him and instead turned toward the others.
"Ladies and gentlemen, our leader has reached a decision. For the first time ever, we will allow access to the Alter Tower, for a fee, of course! For only 100 credits, you will have the opportunity to witness a land of legends." He smiled at the flabbergasted crowd.
"Wait, whaaat?!"
"We can visit for a fee?!"
"There is like a thousand of us! How isn't he freaking out?!"
"Even now, they're still trying to make money?! How greedy is their boss?!"
"Wait, I know this guy! He's Dale from Metropolis-C! He's just a small fry. The last time I saw him, he was guildless too!"
"A weakling, seriously?! How the fuck is he so calm then?!"
"Is this ballsy, batshit insane, or both?!"
Most didn't know how to react. How did a guildless low-level Climber have the guts to utter such an insane demand! Was it all a bluff? Perhaps his backing was just so strong that he became fearless.
"How ludicrous! Get out of my way before I kill all of you. I'm done asking nicely." The Dominion guy guided his mount forward, not bothering about the clown.
Dale could only shake his head knowingly. This belligerent man was a Ranker and wouldn't even notice a loss of 100 Credits. He was just trying to assert dominance in such a petty way.
Still, he didn't try to stop him in the least. Instead, he gestured the students to let him go through as he stepped out of the way. "Anyone that wants the visitor status line up in front of me." He instructed amicably.
About 300 people followed the man's lead as they completely disregarded the rules. Some even snorted as they passed Dale, laughing at his helplessness to stop them. The 800 Climbers remaining seemed hesitant.
"Sir, what does possessing the visitor status change?" One tentatively asked.
"It adds value to your life. If you are in trouble, we may just save you. ;)" Dale lightly replied, even winking.
"Save?! Is it dangerous inside?"
Dale shrugged. Many looked at each other nervously. Wasn't this whole thing a little too ominous?! Some decisively queued up. Why the hell would they risk their lives for 100 credits?! To some, it was the price of admission to the Tower.
After transferring the funds, they all received a single piece of paper and nothing else! It was a written note saying that they were guests for the day. It was the most basic of identification possible!
They recoiled in shock. What was preventing them from just making a copy of it? There was no way that anything inside prevented forgery. What kind of low-budget option was this?!
"S-sir, is that it?" One asked, perplexed.
"Yep. Protect it with your life as it won't be refunded if you lose it." Dale warned.
What were they supposed to do? Get the paper out and wave it if they needed help? This was so dumb! Some were beginning to regret waiting as they could have been exploring the Tower already!
"Alright, let's go!" Their guide enthusiastically led the way. Soon they arrived. "Welcome to the Village Hidden in the Sloths! Do not go near the sloths. They do eat humans— especially the ones they aren't familiar with."
The visitors were speechless. What kind of village was this?! It looked so cheap! There were only metallic walls that were quite frankly useless and metallic buildings that didn't look impressive.
Then, they saw the students. There were about 200 of them that were hanging out, taking a break. As for the others, they seemed to be Climbing with constant traffic around the Tower.
"Feel free to enter the Tower. If any of you are hungry, you can pay another 100 credits to eat on site. Have fun!" Dale addressed them, then headed toward the Tower, disappearing inside.
"He's gone! That's it?!"
"What kind of guide is this?!"
"He's going to Climb, obviously…."
"Seriously, what is wrong with this place?!"
That's when someone's stomach rumbled. He quickly went toward an older student. "Hey there, quick question: what kind of food do you guys have here? What Rank is it?"
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"Rank? It's just food, man. It doesn't have a rank. Heck, I'm pretty sure a U-bot cooks it sometimes…." He casually replied. (OS)
"What?! 100 Credits for normal food?!"
"This is extortion!"
"Buy it or leave it. It's not like I care." (OS)
"Hey, student! What happened to the previous Climbers that came here?"
"Oh, the dumbasses? They pretty much all entered the Tower." (OS)
"Dumbasses? How long do you think it will take for them to come out?"
"Bold of you to assume they will come out." He chuckled. (OS)
"What?! What do you mean?!"
"So many keep exiting. It can't be that dangerous, right?!"
"No idea, but the boss ordered to let them through." He shrugged. (OS)
"That's obviously because there is no way to prevent so many people from heading inside!"
"Haha, nice joke!" The student left, leaving them shocked. (OS)
"What does it mean?! Please answer!"
"Oh, visitors? You wouldn't get it. Just student things." (OS)
There was a long moment of silence in the crowd. This whole School seemed to house a deep dark secret. Outside they were all-powerful Climbers, but here they felt like complete newbies. Their ignorance was driving them crazy!
"Sooo, who wants to try the Tower first?"
"Are you crazy?! What if it's a trap?!"
"I mean, we are visitors, right?"
"Are you really going to bet your life on this tiny piece of paper?"
"They can't logically kill us all if we follow the rules. The School would cease to exist instantly. I don't know how, but this paper really should be protecting us."
"It's just a cheap thing..."
"So, no one wants to try it?"
"How about we chill outside for a little while?"
"Guys, I've noticed something. Many students are coming out with their spirits crushed."
"That's normal when Climbing, well perhaps not usually as intense..."
"No, look. They are all heading there to recuperate!"
"Weird, what are they all drinking?"
"Wanna check it out?"
The Climbers moved akin to a scared herd exploring an unknown land. They found safety in numbers as they navigated this camp.
"Hey, students. What is this?" One inquired while pointing at their cups.
"Just the medicine of the soul." (OS)
"This thing is the decisive factor allowing us to keep training." (OS)
Talk about high praise! They instantly all became curious for figuring out this secret would give them a significant advantage.
"Can I try some?"
"Sure, it will be 100 Credits." (OS)
"Again, with the pricing?!"
At this rate, it would be cheaper to pay 10k Credits if one spent a lot of time here. Whoever was in charge of prices ought to be fired!
"It's fine. I'll pay. I really want to taste it!"
"Perfect, here you go." (OS)
The man received the cup containing the hot liquid, then carefully took a small sip. The taste was rich and sweet. But, the flavor prevented him from discerning the secret ingredient. It was probably a tasteless recovery drug.
"Psst, how is it?"
"I really can't tell…It seems to be Hot Coco." He replied, puzzled.
Sadly, he was bound to be disappointed as the students happily exposed the truth. They did so without a trace of shame.
"You're right!" (OS)
"It is Hot Coco." (OS)
"Hot Coco makes everything better." (OS)
"Pure Hot Coco with no additive is the best!" (OS)
That's when a man that most had seen on the news approached. Frank, the recruiter, looked jovial as he came their way.
"You guys are still hanging here? You should try the Tower. It's our main feature here."
"Will it be dangerous?" One cautiously asked, looking for any tell of a lie.
"The danger will only be minimal for any official visitor. Just make sure you don't recklessly ignore the warnings. ;)"
The warnings? What did this mean? It wouldn't make sense for him to lie to them all as their respective guilds backed them. They clenched their fists, steadied their hearts, and headed toward the Alter Tower.
Hopefully, they wouldn't all die...