I Have Become an NPC at the Tower’s Used Bookstore

As I exit the used bookstore, bright sunlight strikes my face.

“Hyaack.”

I tried to cover my face from the sudden bright light, but there’s no way to block the light.

“Gruaak.”

Eventually, the strong light penetrated my eyes.

“What are you doing?”

“It’s been so long since I’ve been outside that I can’t adapt…”

The old man’s gaze pierces down at me as if I’m pathetic.

“I usually only wander around at night.”

The night was more convenient to wander around since there were no people and it was quiet.

And there was more to say.

Unlike the original world, much had changed in the world after the Tower was built.

Among the most representative changes were the sun and moon hanging over the Tower.

It seemed to be ignoring the laws of physics.

Would it be too much of a delusion on my part to feel as if it was proclaiming that the common sense you once knew no longer applies?

It was actually like that. The common sense of the existing world was completely denied.

Time in the world no longer consisted of just day and night.

Like someone changing a light bulb, the Tower switched between the sun and moon at predetermined times.

As a result, the in-between times like morning and evening disappeared.

At a set time, it suddenly got dark, and then suddenly got bright again.

I still haven’t adapted well to it. Despite the world having changed like this for quite some time, I still haven’t adjusted well.

“Sage, you said this person was trustworthy?”

An unfamiliar voice.

A very business-like woman popped up next to the old man.

Angular glasses, black hair in a ponytail, and a mole below her lips—she was the quintessential image of a secretary.

She was looking at me as if she didn’t trust me.

I straightened my disheveled clothes after plopping down on the ground. I also carefully adjusted the beret on my head.

“Ahem.”

I unnecessarily cleared my throat once. A preparatory action to present a nightingale-like voice, you might say.

“Hello. I’m Lib, the owner of the used bookstore.”

I extended my hand, requesting a handshake.

I was worried that the first impression wasn’t good, but fortunately, she accepted the handshake well.

“Hello. I’m Kim Iseo. But by ‘used bookstore,’ what kind of books do you sell?”

Iseo’s gaze turns towards the used bookstore I came from.

Her eyes are full of questions. She seems curious as to why such a large used bookstore hasn’t been well-known.

“I buy and sell used skill books.”

“Ah, so this is the famous place. Hmm, I see.”

Her suspicion towards me seems to have deepened.

Is there some strange rumor about my store?

The meaning of “famous” doesn’t seem particularly good in this context.

“Is our store famous?”

A look of having misspoken crosses her face. My eyes naturally narrow.

“It’s okay. You can be honest.”

“This friend may be a bit narrow-minded at times, but is honest. For her to say this much means she’s genuinely curious.”

“Who are you calling narrow-minded? I just have a tender heart so I hold onto things longer than others.”

“That’s commonly referred to as holding grudges.”

“Tch.”

Unnecessarily sharp-witted.

As I was squabbling with the old man as always, Iseo seemed to have made up her mind and opened her mouth.

“There’s a rumor about a sucker of a store that buys used skill books.”

She’s still watching my reaction as she speaks.

“Ah, that’s fine. Please spread the word, actually. The more people who come to sell skill books, the better.”

It’s good if there’s a rumor that I’m a sucker. Although the word “sucker” is somewhat hurtful…

Anyway, it means people don’t yet understand the true value of skill books.

Rather, it’s beneficial since I can gather them at a cheap price.

Imagining the new books that will come in makes me feel good for no reason.

“Hehehe.”

“You call me an oddball, but how does it feel to see someone even stranger than me?”

“Are you sure this person is trustworthy?”

“Come now. I told you so.”

Once again, a suspicious gaze is directed at me.

I just smiled back at that gaze.

* * *

All areas within the Tower’s sphere of influence are collectively referred to as the Tower.

Outside the Tower lies only dense darkness where one cannot see an inch ahead, called the Abyss.

What happens if you go into it isn’t exactly known, but everyone vaguely understood that the outcome wouldn’t be good.

We were in one of those outer regions.

Perhaps because it was an area with minimal influence from the Tower, the sunlight didn’t reach properly, forming an evening glow.

The beautiful sunset over the coastline evoked some kind of nostalgia.

I never thought I’d see a scene that’s usually only visible outside the Tower again.

Though it’s different in that there’s always a sunset regardless of whether it’s day or night.

“Isn’t it beautiful?”

“Definitely.”

“Outside the Tower, such scenery was not difficult to come by.”

Feeling as if he was trying to probe something, I just nodded silently.

There wasn’t much to do here.

When night falls, we just need to catch the monsters that emerge from the darkness.

During the day, perhaps due to the sun’s influence, monsters don’t emerge. The time when the Abyss spits out monsters is limited to only the night.

So players climb the Tower during the day and deal with the monsters coming from the outer regions at night.

Not only players but also NPCs help in dealing with monsters. Though they might not be as helpful as players.

Because of that, there are really a lot of people. Almost suffocatingly many.

I wish our store had this many people too.

How many new skill books could I buy then? Hehehe.

While I was lost in these idle thoughts, a hand landed firmly on my shoulder.

“It’s been a while, hasn’t it?”

My head turned with a creaky sound like rusty metal in response to the familiar voice.

“Hello?”

“Not hello. Because someone still hasn’t paid back their debt.”

I saw the face of a woman wearing a wide-brimmed black hat.

Her pitch-black dark eyes seemed to pierce through people.

Clean-cut eyebrows and distinct facial features. Overall, she was a woman who could be called beautiful.

The merchant, Ber. That was the identity of the beauty standing in front of me.

But from my perspective, she’s just a pretty debt collector.

“Why don’t you answer my calls?”

“I don’t have money. I even went hungry yesterday.”

She approaches, exuding strong displeasure.

Without realizing it, I found myself stepping back.

I spread both arms wide and struggled. It was an attempt to block her approach, if only a little.

That attempt was easily suppressed due to the difference in our inherent height. In other words, I was caught.

“Why don’t you have money? Didn’t I give you quite a lot?”

“I spent it on buying books.”

“What about the subsidy from the Tower?”

“That too, on buying books.”

Ber smacks her forehead with a “thwack” sound.

“You need to survive first.”

“You don’t die from starving for a few days. With that money, I’d rather buy books…”

“Aish! You scoundrel!!”

My cheeks are stretched out to the sides. It was really painful, as if she was pinching with all her might.

“Ooww, it hurts!!”

“It’s supposed to hurt. You need to come to your senses.”

The old man also adds a word while shaking his head.

“Didn’t you say yesterday that you had a lot of money?”

“Yes, I had a lot, so I spent it on buying books. That was all my savings. Good thing that was the day the subsidy came in. I almost couldn’t buy that book.”

Sighs fly from both sides.

Both look at me like grandmothers looking at an incompetent grandchild, thinking, “What am I going to do with this hopeless one?”

“Then you didn’t have to give me that much money yesterday. Such a large amount wasn’t necessary.”

“No way. Money matters should be precise. Trust shouldn’t be broken in such matters. It’s my principle!”

And despite saying that, if I hadn’t offered the proper amount, it’s clear he would have just left.

“Reading a lot of books doesn’t make one smart, it seems.”

“Is it the difference between wisdom and knowledge?”

I thought it was a cool saying, but their reactions are too cold.

As I sat there feeling dejected, the old man addressed me.

“I’ll return the money when this job is done.”

“There’s no need for that.”

“The job is worth that much. Of course, I’ll also give you the book I mentioned earlier.”

“No further discussion needed.”

Thinking this was a lucky break, I quickly accepted.

This time, Ber speaks.

“I’ll also consider your debt cleared if you do this job properly.”

“Why you too?”

“I was already troubled by the lack of personnel. I’m also responsible for this job, so I should show some gratitude.”

Ah, it seems Ber is in charge of the outer region security this time.

“And don’t avoid my calls!”

“Ah, I understand.”

“You haven’t blocked me, have you?”

“O-of course not.”

I’ll unblock her as soon as I get home.

Ber looks at me with narrowed eyes.

Cold sweat streams down.

Fortunately, a sound came to my rescue.

“Th-they’re coming!!”

My head naturally turned at someone’s shout.

Darkness begins to surge at the boundary split by the coastline.

From within the darkness, a three-jointed arm juts out.

And soon, it summons a complete form of a monster.

It was a monster with abnormally short legs compared to its arms.

Monsters continue to increase, one by one.

They started approaching rapidly, spinning their arms like wheels.

“Alright, everyone step back.”

“Everyone come this way.”

The old man and Ber moved all the players gathered here to the back.

Amidst the retreating crowd, I alone moved forward.

I hear whispering sounds.

Words of doubt directed at me, prejudice and bias stemming from the word “NPC,” and consequent words of dismissal.

But those words will soon turn into cheers.

Besides, those two have set the stage for me, haven’t they?

From now on, it’s my time.

I move forward, dipping my feet in the seawater.

With a light gesture, butterflies emerge from my fingertips and wander around.

The wandering butterflies increase, one by one, two by two.

In the end, a total of ten butterflies.

I was excited to be able to use the skill I acquired yesterday.

If you read and understand a skill book, you can use the skill just from that. The important thing is that you have to understand it.

A complete understanding must be the foundation.

If you don’t understand, no matter how much you read, you can’t acquire the skill.

This is the common misconception why people think skill books are one-time use.

I form my finger like a gun and aim it at the monsters.

“Bang.”

To the sound I made lightly with my mouth, the butterflies fly in a straight line.

And what unfolds is a scene of eternally burning hellfire.

“Behold, Inferno.”

I uttered the words quietly, as if reciting.

Like oil catching fire, the flames spread instantly over the seawater.

Monsters writhing in pain, turning to ash and disappearing.

Having come into the world so recently, they all disappeared without even setting foot on land.

“Phew.”

I gently blew on my index finger. Like extinguishing a candle.

Then, the flames that had been everywhere vanished as if they were a lie.

I turn my head to check the reactions of those behind me.

The audience, which had been noisy until just now, unanimously maintains silence.

It was quite a satisfying situation.