Chapter 13: Nightmare 2nd Floor (1)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 13: Nightmare 2nd Floor (1)
I kept a wary eye on my surroundings as I headed home.
"Whew..."
I had actually gone and met him.
Villon Must had said he would drop off the skill stone at any location I chose, but I figured if he was planning to pull something, the method wouldn't matter anyway. So, I decided to meet him face-to-face.
It was a strange sensation, seeing someone in person whom I’d only ever seen on the internet.
He wouldn't have done a background check on me, would he? Was I followed on the way back?
Since the other party was a titan like Villon Must, all sorts of paranoid thoughts crossed my mind.
Sigh, whatever.
It was already done, so I decided to just let it be.
'You are humanity's hope. Please, clear the second floor.'
I could feel the sincerity in his voice, but... I also wondered why he was going this far for me.
I wasn't the only Nightmare clearer anymore. It would have been much easier for Villon Must to invest in the American clearer if he wanted to. Did he judge that the first person to clear the first floor had the highest chance of clearing the second?
Come to think of it, he might be investing in everyone else while taking care of me too. Diversification was the golden rule of investment, after all.
I stopped worrying about the trivial stuff and focused on my prize.
[Skill: Leap (Common)]
Instantly amplifies jumping power.
Category: Physical-Type
Willpower Consumption: 10
Cooldown: 15 seconds
I examined the newly acquired skill.
The willpower consumption was only 10, and the cooldown was relatively short.
"Look at how low the cost is."
Better yet, it didn't have any cumbersome requirements like Mental Focus. Compared to magic-type skills, it was a total bargain. Well, that might just be because its rank was only Common.
I decided to test the skill immediately.
[You have entered Nightmare Difficulty 1st Floor.]
I entered the Tower and activated the Leap skill.
I jumped as hard as I could from a standstill. My body soared explosively, as if the stone floor had suddenly turned into a high-tension trampoline.
"Oh...!"
I nearly cracked my skull against the cavern ceiling.
As I landed, my legs vibrated from the impact. I must have jumped nearly 20 meters just now. I hadn't expected much since it was Common rank, but the skill enhanced my jumping power far more than I’d imagined. Hadn't it at least doubled?
Kerr... Kek—
I made quick work of the Goblins emerging from the passage and continued testing the skill. I tried jumping forward from a standstill and running from one end of the cavern to the other before leaping.
It wasn't a difficult skill to use. However, much like Teleportation, I needed time to get used to the sense of distance.
'I think I'll be adjusted after a few days of practice.'
I decided to wait until then to enter the second floor. Since I had a new skill, I needed to build up some proficiency before diving into the unknown.
* * *
Jackal—the second Nightmare clearer to appear on the Climber Communication Channel.
His provocation toward Saram123, the first Nightmare clearer, had been the talk of the town for a while.
[Satan: He seems really confident about clearing the 2nd floor. I wonder what kind of reward he got from the 1st floor.]
[Yukaru: More than that, he probably got massive support from his country. I mean, it's the US.]
[BananaPeel: Rumor has it the Nightmare clearer is Level 10.]
[Unicorn: Level 10? Isn't that 2.5 times higher than Hard difficulty? Is there really that much of a difference?]
[Elevator: Easy Floor 10 = Nightmare Floor 1 lolololol]
[Meteor: He's got no manners. He benefited from Saram123's information, yet he talks like that.]
[Kandrick: What are you talking about, friend? He said he'd challenge it first and give us info on the 2nd floor.]
[Cheeseburger: We shouldn't be cursing him; we should be cheering for him. If those six don't make it, the world is doomed.]
And a few days later, when one number disappeared from the Nightmare communication window, the channel erupted once more.
[Missile: I knew he'd mess up after acting so cocky lololol]
[Haksho: You think this is funny? The probability of the world ending just went up.]
[MachineBrain: Is anyone else going to challenge it?]
[TunaSushi: Is everyone still just testing the waters?]
[MagicBombardment: Hahaha, damn it. Doomsday is approaching again.]
Just like a year ago, as the deadline drew near, a thick atmosphere of anxiety permeated the world.
* * *
US Tower Climbing Management Bureau.
After Jack failed, the Bureau was like a house of mourning. For them, all the efforts of the past year had vanished into thin air in an instant.
There was still one person left, though it could hardly be called a hopeful situation.
"Taylor, let's push the date back."
Taylor, who had been consistently focusing on training for the 2nd floor, sighed at the news Max brought.
"Does that even matter?"
"Probably not. The higher-ups want to monitor the situation further."
"...The 'situation,' huh. Everyone must be thinking the same thing. Waiting to see who will go in first."
It was a game of chicken. None of the remaining Nightmare clearers wanted to be the first to challenge the 2nd floor—especially now that one person had already failed.
A country that declared it would challenge the 2nd floor? There were none. China, India, and Russia were all silent.
Even with only 20 days left until destruction, everyone was still calculating their own gains and losses. At this rate, they would all end up holding hands and praying together on the day the deadline expired.
"Jack... he was aggressive, but I think his direction was right. His spirit of challenge was something to be respected."
A project started for humanity, to establish this great nation as the leader of Nightmare difficulty. Both of them knew that if they were too busy playing it safe like this, the project was a failure from the start.
"So, proceed as originally scheduled. I'm going in even if I don't get approval."
Max wore a grim expression. How could he not know? Someone had to take the lead.
However, the place they had to dive into was clearly hell. Jack, who had prepared thoroughly and received every bit of support, had died within a minute. They couldn't even imagine what kind of nightmare trials awaited them on the 2nd floor.
"I'm sorry, Taylor."
Furthermore, she would be entering without even receiving proper support from the Bureau. Since the decision to pour all support into Jack was partly based on the opinion of Max, the 1st-floor training instructor, he couldn't help but feel even more ashamed.
Taylor understood the meaning behind his apology and gave a bitter smile.
"It was a natural decision. You don't need to apologize."
It was perfectly rational to concentrate resources on the side with a higher probability of clearing. Anything else was just hindsight.
Taylor suddenly remembered why she had chosen to climb Nightmare difficulty.
As an agent of the CIA's Special Task Force, Taylor had done many things for the country she was born and raised in. The department she belonged to officially didn't even exist. She had participated in numerous black ops, killed and tortured enemies, and watched her close colleagues die.
Just as she was beginning to feel skeptical, she was chosen as a Nightmare difficulty Climber. She thought she had been pushed by a sense of duty to a far-off place from which she couldn't return, but a new path had opened.
With this, she could serve her country without having to watch the deaths of anyone else, whether enemy or ally. This was a matter concerning the fate of not just this country, but all of humanity. It was more important than anything else.
So, she quit everything and applied. Since she had come this far, she had to see it through to the end.
Taylor looked down at her trembling hands and then clenched them into fists. She hoped, desperately, that there was at least a sliver of hope.
* * *
After practicing for a few days, I became completely accustomed to the Leap skill. I slowly began preparing to enter the 2nd floor.
To my beloved father, mother, and sibling...
I wrote a will and placed it in my desk drawer. I hoped that this time, too, there would be no need for it.
"That was a great meal. Thanks, Mom."
As I was clearing the table after dinner, my mother spoke up.
"Seohyun, is something bothering you lately?"
"Huh? No."
What, was it that obvious?
My father, sitting at the table, also glanced at me. I thought I was acting as usual, but my parents were too quick to notice.
"I guess I'm just a bit restless. That's why."
"...Don't worry. The world won't end that easily."
My father spoke as if to reassure me.
"It was like that last time, and someone will succeed this time too. What was it? That first clearer person is also preparing thoroughly with the help of the Russian government, right?"
He must think I'm like this because of the Nightmare deadline. But since when did I get help from Russia? That's fake news, Dad.
"Is that so? That's a relief then."
"Yeah, I'm telling you."
I forced a smile and returned to my room. I sat quietly at my desk and composed my mind.
Even though I had steeled my resolve, risking my life was still not an easy thing to do. Honestly, I hesitated even more than last time. Last time, I had a 'do or die' mindset, but now there was still quite a bit of time left on the clock.
Do I really have to be the one to do it? If I wait longer, won't someone else succeed...?
I soon shook off all idle thoughts.
Time passed, and it was now the early hours of the morning, past midnight. After confirming that my family was all asleep, I quietly closed my bedroom door.
I changed my clothes, put on my shoes, and stood in the middle of the room.
[Would you like to enter Nightmare Difficulty 2nd Floor?]
"Enter."
Alright, let's go.