I Became the Youngest Summoner in the Strongest Guild

64. The Tower’s Secret

64. The Tower's Secret

The second floor of the tower was a vast sea.

Because of that, I almost died from suddenly not being able to breathe.

"Pacifier that the golden child dislikes"
When equipped, allows breathing underwater.

Fortunately, our Yong-yong took out the pacifier from the subspace, so I survived. If not for that, I would have become a star in the sky by now.

"Zook zook zook."
"Kyuung."

Only "zook zook zook" sounds come from my mouth because I'm holding the pacifier, but our Yong-yong understands what I mean.

Indeed, a strong bond is important.

More than that, since there are limited children who can be active underwater, I guess it's time to bring out the trump card.

"Zook zook zook!!"
"Sigh, alright, stop whining."

I pat my friend and Kraken Lala's back, and she says she understands and returns to her original form.

As she reveals her huge form, the monsters living on the second floor start to appear.

They get scared and run away with just one look from Lala.

"Zook zook zook!!"

[I'll find the second floor boss and bring it.]

As expected of my friend! We understand each other with just a look.

I give her a thumbs up and shout "Good job!", and Lala smirks before disappearing.

Then, shall I do some sightseeing until she returns?

I haven't had personal time lately, so when else would I get to play with our Yong-yong?

"Kyuung?"
"Zook zook zook!"

I tell our Yong-yong, who's looking at me with narrowed eyes asking who's playing with whom, to be as spoiled as he wants, but he snorts and ignores me.

Oh my! They say raising children is useless!

Our Yong-yong sighs at my behavior and snuggles up to me.

He can be so coy sometimes, you know?

As I'm walking around sightseeing with Yong-yong in my arms, I see Lala returning in the distance.

Something was caught in her giant tentacles, but what is it?

[I'm back. This one's the boss of the second floor.]

"Zook zook zook!!"

[You can't see? Right. Here it is.]

As she spreads her tentacles, I see the monster caught inside - a shark...?

"Zook zook zook!!!"

The giant tentacle approaches me, and I make eye contact with the shark caught inside.

Its eyes were full of defiance.

"Kugh! Kill me! I don't negotiate with invaders!"

I liked the shark even more for its bold declaration.

I took out a magic stone from my bosom and held it out to the shark, but it was useless.

It's refusing, so what can I do?

"Zook zook zook!!"

With those words, Lala's giant tentacles started destroying the terrain.

The other monsters hiding there were trembling in fear and giving pitiful looks.

"Wh-what are you doing!? If you're going to kill me, why such cruel acts!"
"Zook zook zook!!!"

I held out the magic stone closer.

Telling it to choose.

As if it had no choice, it accepted my magic stone and used it, and the situation was resolved for now.

I feel like I've become some kind of evil villain, but strictly speaking, weren't they the ones who invaded?

If it were other travelers, they would have swung their swords first, but I don't do that because I love peace.

And so, starting with the second floor boss, I made friends with numerous monsters.

On the way to the third floor.

The shark friend who's still scared and only watching my reactions.

"Zook zook zook!!"
"Hmm? What are you saying...?"
"I'm saying let's be friends from now on, so let's get along?"

Lala, who has returned to human form, translates my words, but how is she speaking underwater?

I guess sea creatures are different.

"What's with that look..."

Anyway, you're too quick to catch on.

At my narrowed eyes, it quickly turns its head and looks at me with a chilly gaze, which is scary.

It seemed to be in a bad mood because it couldn't do business due to me.

When I take out a gold bar from my subspace and hand it over, its eyes change.

"I love you, my friend!"

Its voice changes with just one gold bar, and it hugs me happily.

On the way to the third floor, after telling the second floor boss to open a gate and migrate to the vast sea.

"W-wait a moment."

The shark boss stops me.

It hesitates for a while before speaking with difficulty.

"Be careful from the third floor on. It's hell beyond that."

Hell...? What does that mean?

I wave my hand to thank it for worrying about me. It leaves through the gate I opened to go outside the tower.

I've contacted the Siren clan who migrated to Earth, so they'll take care of it well.

Then shall we head to the next floor?

I wonder what kind of friend is waiting on the third floor.

When going from the first floor to the second floor, I entered through a huge door, but this time I was transported from a stele with a bright light.

I thought I could finally breathe fresh air after leaving the water, but what unfolded was a snowy field...?

"C-cold!!!"

As I'm shivering all over in my thin clothes, the Silver Fox Clan twin sisters hurriedly prepare clothes for me.

They're grateful secretaries who are always by my side taking care of me.

"I-I almost died... Thank you, Rang, Ran."
"It's nothing. We just did what we had to do."
"If you're grateful, give us more magic stones. No, please give us more."

With those words, she gets hit on the back and shouts 'Ouch!', creating a comedic scene that makes me laugh for a while before I come to my senses and start searching.

"It's your turn to come out."
"Groar!"

With my words, the Warbear family reveals themselves by opening a gate.

If there's a new ability I've gained since awakening in the real world, it's this.

The cooldown on all skills has disappeared.

The only drawback of the Help! skill, the cooldown, has disappeared, so now I'm using it comfortably, but I got a signal.

Did they find something?

But judging by the energy I felt, the Warbear family was being pushed back.

"Skill: Moon Shadow activate."

The moon completely covers the sun, and darkness falls in an instant.

Due to the skill that greatly increases my monsters' abilities, the tide of battle seems to have turned as the Warbear returns to my side.

It appeared carrying something in its mouth - a person...?

No. It's not a human.

What was this called again?

"A Yuki-onna...?"
"Groar!"

A being called a snow spirit or yokai.

It appears as a beautiful woman with a tall stature and long hair. Her skin is so pale it can't be called human, or even transparent enough to see the blizzard scenery through it.

In legends, she's said to lure travelers to get lost and freeze to death.

The Warbears put down the Yuki-onna on one side and left to search for other monsters.

As I was looking at the Yuki-onna who seemed to have fainted and wasn't moving at all, she suddenly opened her eyes and looked at me.

"Why are you attacking us!?"

With those words, the bear taxi that was uniquely staying by my side looks at her as if it can't believe it.

"Groar!"
"They're saying you attacked first?"
"Do you leave intruders who've entered your home alone!?"

Now that I hear it, it makes sense.

It's a fair point.

I point at the Yuki-onna with my finger, and the bear taxi slowly moves its feet.

She trembles in fear at that sight.

"Well, I'll give you two choices."

I took out a magic stone from my subspace and approached the Yuki-onna.

"Will you become my friend? Or..."

I smile wickedly, and they accept the magic stone without hesitation.

With a bright light, they became my friends, and the cautious attitude from just moments ago was gone, replaced only by a respectful demeanor.

"Can you tell me some information about the third floor?"
"Certainly."

They say they were beings acting as guards at the entrance, and if you walk north, there's a huge cave where a very scary being has appeared and is controlling the third floor area.

"They're dangerous."

The Yuki-onna tremble and hold me back, saying it's dangerous so I shouldn't go.

I tell them not to worry and ask them to guide me, and they say they understand and lead the way.

"By the way, do you know any characteristics of the boss?"
"It had huge horns and looked like a demon race."
"Demon race...?"

Why is the demon race here? They should be in the demon realm.

Is the reason why the demon realm hasn't appeared because they were in this tower?

If the demon race is scattered across all towers...?

It seems to make sense, but also doesn't, so I'll have to check it out first.

"Let's hurry a bit."
"Understood, husband."
"Husband...?"

I tell them not to call me by such a strange title and to just call me Yuna comfortably, and only then do they use the proper title.

"Then I'll guide you, Yuna-nim."
"Thank you."

Following behind the Yuki-onna, I can see the Warbears' huge footprints, so it seems they went in the same direction.

After walking for a long time like that, I could see a huge cave entrance in the distance.

Footprints led inside.

I wonder if the Warbears are okay? Well, it's probably better to worry about their opponents rather than them.