The Richest System

After finishing my simple dinner, I set up my tent and placed the sleeping bag inside. I also activated the monster-repelling lamp to protect myself while I slept.

While cooking, I wondered what to do with my Achievement Points. Everything in that shop was ridiculously expensive, even for me.

I currently had almost 600,000 points. According to information from five years ago, this was impossible. Most missions were easy; hunting a slime only gave 10 points, and there were only 500 of them. Accumulating points was difficult; people could barely afford a sword by Stage 5, after class changes. Now, however, they must be using far better equipment than they should be.

They must also be aware of these changes; the old information is obsolete given the number and types of monsters they face.

Even so, Stage 2 wasn't over. It was night, and they still had to kill monsters that could see in the dark. This difficulty is bad for some, but with over 9,000 people in the group, it shouldn't be taking this long.

[Stage 2]

Monsters: 1373/1500

Seeing the monster count nearing completion, I entered my tent and crawled into my sleeping bag for a short rest before Stage 3 began tomorrow.

...

The next day, an hour before Stage 3, I heard a commotion outside my tent. The noise confused me; yesterday, I was alone in the middle of the woods. Why was it so crowded this morning?

Exiting the tent, I saw people staring in shock at my tent.

As everyone looked bewildered, the Judge arrived with a smile, making everyone suspect something was up.

"Good morning, Challengers. Sorry for the confusion. Honestly, we didn't expect anyone to defeat 500 lizardmen alone. So, the Tower administrators decided to regroup all challengers as before and increase the difficulty slightly."

Everyone was shocked and slightly angry. My success in defeating 500 lizardmen alone meant they had to face a higher difficulty.

"Judge," someone asked, "are we the only ones facing this increased difficulty?"

"What I mean is, out of all the Challengers in Tower A, yes, it's only your group. Previously, the system divided the groups evenly during the stages. But one person defeating 500 lizardmen alone created a significant imbalance in Achievement Point acquisition. Most people currently have at most 70,000-140,000 Achievement Points, but Mr. Kelpin here has over 600,000 alone, creating a huge gap. So, we decided to increase the difficulty. If Mr. Kelpin wishes to stubbornly continue alone and successfully complete the stages solo as before, we might have to transfer you to another sector so you can act as you please. What do you say? Do you choose to follow our rules, or go it alone and face a difficulty that even veteran Tower climbers would struggle with?"

I paused, mid-pack, amidst the process of dismantling my tent and magical gear, and stared sleepily at the Judge.

"So, this is all my fault? Humans are inherently selfish. If you restrict me like this, even if I agree to leave this sector, what will I gain from completing each stage alone? If nothing, I'd rather sleep, eat, and watch them hunt monsters until the tutorial ends. I'll still get bonus points, and with my current amount, I can easily survive until the final stage."

The Judge agreed. With my existing points and camping gear, surviving without doing anything until the final stage wouldn't be difficult.

"So, you're willing to shoulder the burden alone for the rewards? Don't you care about the others in your world?"

*Pffft!*

I choked on my water, amused by the comment from a being that wasn't even human in the Earthly sense.

"Mutual benefit? For people who didn't even consider us unawakened before? I should care about *them*? Puahahahaha, that's a hilarious joke! They raise taxes as they please, restricting information about the Tower and the monsters for their own benefit. People like them want *us* to think about mutual benefit? Don't be ridiculous. If you're not offering me better rewards, I'd rather live safely in my tent without lifting a finger."

The Judge, flustered, fell silent, seemingly pondering something. Finally, he raised a hand.

"I, Judge of Area 211, request a meeting with the Sector Administrator to discuss this matter and find the best solution for all participants in the current and future Challenges."

As the Judge spoke, hundreds of floating flames, blue and red, appeared across the area—far more blue than red—forming a giant gate behind him. Seeing the manifested gate, the Judge bowed deeply.

"For your own good, I suggest you bow as well."

Before anyone could bow, the giant gate trembled and slowly opened, releasing a wave of frigid air that froze the ground. Everyone expected a giant, given the gate's immense height—over 75 meters—but instead, a woman emerged, clad in blue, with blue hair and blue eyes. Everyone knew instantly she was the most beautiful woman they had ever seen, but they didn't realize that prolonged eye contact would inflict a frostbite-like curse. As the Administrator stepped out, several people began to feel the painful effects of frostbite.

Luckily, my VVIP system warned me about the danger of looking at the Administrator, so I had bowed without seeing her face.

"I apologize; you must be in pain. Manifesting in this tutorial space makes it difficult to control my power. It's best not to stare at me for too long. Now, Judge 211, what did you wish to discuss?"

"Madam, one participant in my sector completed the trial alone. He defeated 500 lizardmen single-handedly. Following the administrators' orders, the difficulty of Sector 211 was increased to maintain balance. However, Mr. Kelpin, a VVIP, refuses to cooperate, planning to simply remain in his tent. Given his massive Achievement Point lead, I fear the disparity between him and other participants will cause chaos when the tutorial ends. I proposed transferring him alone to another sector, as he requested, but he demands additional compensation beyond keeping his Achievement Points. I summoned you to ask what compensation you, as the Administrator, would offer him."

The Administrator responded promptly.

"This discussion might take some time. I will invite Mr. Kelpin to Sector 301 and explain the missions, tasks, and rewards he will receive there. Since Stage 3 is approaching, I don't think we should waste any more time. It's best I take him there now so he can begin Stage 3 with the other sectors."

Learning that a Challenger was being transferred to a sector above 300 shocked everyone. They were equally surprised to hear I was a VVIP. Unlike VIPs outside the Tower, VVIPs were unheard of, making this information incredibly significant. Knowing my name was Kelpin, everyone tried to remember it, intending to find out who I was in the real world after the tutorial.

After packing up my tent and gear, I followed the Administrator through the giant gate to Sector 301.

"I knew he was special, from the way he brutally killed that wolf, but I didn't expect him to be *this* special. I should have followed him when he said he wanted to go alone," one of the three people who had initially teamed up with me said, regretting their decision. But realizing their team could now excel without me, they saw an opportunity. One of them aspired to be a Commander, capable of controlling thousands of troops and stars in a major war, which is why he tried to lead so many people in this area.