Chapter 16: Nightmare 2nd Floor (4)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 16: Nightmare 2nd Floor (4)
The scenery shifted, and I was transported to the Reward Room.
[Clearance of the 2nd floor for all difficulties is complete.]
[The Tower calls for new Climbers.]
[A new rule has been added.]
[From now on, if you do not enter the Tower within 3 years of receiving the Tower's call, you will die.]
What?
I stood frozen, staring at the message.
If you don't enter within three years of being called, you die? In other words, the Tower intended to purge every Climber who wasn't even attempting the 1st floor.
"...Another load of bullshit they're pulling."
It seemed the number of Climbers didn't just increase as one ascended the Tower; the rules themselves could change on a whim. To think they could just add something like this out of nowhere.
[Difficulty: Nightmare]
[Floor: 3rd Floor]
[Level: 25]
[Willpower: 450]
[Skills: Teleportation (Rare+), Flame Strike (Rare)(+1), Leap (Common)]
I checked my status window.
My level had jumped by 10, reaching level 25. My Willpower had also shot up significantly. As I flexed my limbs, I could feel my physical capabilities had taken another massive leap forward.
Boom!
When I tried a standing long jump, the stone floor beneath my feet gouged out, and my body propelled forward with explosive force. I skidded to a halt and looked down.
The soles of my shoes were completely shredded. They simply couldn't withstand the sheer impact of my movement anymore.
Hmm... how should I put this?
It wasn't exactly news, but I could vividly feel my body becoming less and less human. If I kept getting stronger like this with every single floor, just how powerful would I eventually become?
While lost in that idle thought, I checked the rest of the rewards. Aside from the Mana Stones, there were two glowing stones nearby.
A Skill Stone and an Enhancement Stone. I could tell them apart by their distinct shapes.
I wondered what kind of skill I'd get this time. I was hoping for another magic-type skill if possible.
[Skill Stone: Exhilaration (Rare)]
Upon use, you can learn 'Skill: Exhilaration (Rare)'.
[Skill: Exhilaration (Rare)]
The more you move, the more exhilarated you become, enhancing your physical abilities. The effect gradually fades when movement stops.
Category: Physical-Type (Passive)
Willpower Consumption: None
Cooldown: None
A passive skill.
I knew that passives were generally considered more valuable than actives. They provided permanent effects without draining Willpower.
"Tsk."
Still, I preferred magic-type skills.
Despite my slight disappointment, I read the description again. It seemed like a decent enough skill. Enhancing physical abilities the more I moved, huh?
[You have learned 'Skill: Exhilaration (Rare)'.]
I used the Skill Stone immediately. To test it out, I started moving. Since the effect would disappear if I stopped, I began running around the Reward Room without rest.
"Oh."
I could feel it. A sense of exhilaration slowly rose within me, as if the blood in my veins was pumping faster. My body grew swifter, and my senses sharpened.
Once I reached a certain point, the acceleration plateaued. Was this the limit of the enhancement?
The description didn't provide specific numbers, but it felt like a 20 to 30% increase rather than a full 1.5 times boost. At my current level, that was essentially like getting five to seven levels' worth of stats for free. It was a solid skill.
Next was the Skill Enhancement Stone.
[Rare Skill Enhancement Stone]
Upon use, you can enhance one Rare-grade skill.
Last time, Flame Strike was my only option, but I had just acquired a new skill. Should I use it on Flame Strike or Exhilaration?
If I used it on Flame Strike, I'd probably get a third fireball. As for Exhilaration... it would likely just increase the limit of the physical enhancement. I wouldn't know until I tried.
My heart leaned toward Flame Strike. Magic-type skills were the most efficient for me, after all. They call it "selection and concentration" for a reason.
After some deliberation, I decided to save it. It wasn't an urgent matter.
[Would you like to exit the Tower?]
Had about an hour passed? It would still be the middle of the night outside. I'd worked hard enough; it was time to go out and rest.
* * *
The famous podcast The Jude Noise was a show that invited guests from various fields to discuss a wide range of topics.
The guest for this episode was Arlo, an American current affairs commentator and influencer. He was famous for his blunt, cynical analysis of social phenomena, earning him a massive following of both fans and detractors.
The theme of this episode: The Nightmare 2nd floor and the future of humanity.
"There will be no miracle this time. Humanity is already finished."
True to his reputation, Arlo declared doom from the very start. Jude, the host, pushed back.
"Many people feel that way right now. But is there really no hope? Although one person failed, there are still five Nightmare Climbers left."
"Five people, you say? Jude, do you happen to know the survival rate for the 1st floor of Nightmare difficulty?"
"Let's see. Nearly 40,000 people have challenged it so far, and only six succeeded. The probability would be around 0.015%."
"Correct. And that's only after information about the 1st floor was made public. Until the first Nightmare Clearer appeared, about 25,000 people were sacrificed. If you calculate based on the time before the information was released, the survival rate is a mere 0.004%."
Arlo made a flicking gesture with two fingers.
"People need to realize how absurd those odds are. Do you know the probability of a person being struck by lightning in their lifetime? It's about 0.007%. So, hoping that even one of those five Nightmare Climbers succeeds on the 2nd floor is a lower probability than picking five random people off the street and hoping one of them has been struck by lightning. How does that make you feel?"
"That's preposterous," Jude shook his head. "But aren't the Nightmare Clearers the elite of the elite who conquered that brutal 1st floor? Wouldn't their chances of clearing it be higher?"
"Unfortunately, no. Statistically, there is no instance across any difficulty where the survival rate for the 2nd floor is higher than the 1st. As the floors go up, the Climbers' abilities increase, but the difficulty increases even more. That is the law of the Tower. Nightmare difficulty will be no exception."
Arlo continued, his voice cold.
"The United States, the first to challenge the 2nd floor, failed. The government, which boasted about staking the national destiny on the 2nd floor, still hasn't released an official statement. But we can all figure it out, can't we? They likely made every possible investment. They would have poured every Skill Stone and item they could get their hands on into that challenger. And yet, what was the result? That is why I say there are no miracles. We have less than a few weeks left on the Nightmare clock. Everyone, please, abandon these trivial hopes. Accept the end and enjoy what remains of your lives with an optimistic heart. That is what I came here to say."
"I see. So, Mr. Arlo, you are what they call a 'Doomsayer' these days?"
Those who had already concluded the world was ending were now called Doomsayers rather than doomsday theorists. It was an uncontrollable phenomenon.
People committing crimes because the world was ending anyway, those preaching salvation through the God of the Tower—radical groups and religious cults were popping up like mushrooms, becoming a serious social problem.
"I won't deny it, but I'm not telling people to go around acting like hooligans. I simply want people to spend what's left of their lives in as much peace as possible. I'm already doing so myself."
"In what way?"
"I've liquidated all my assets and I'm spending money freely while enjoying my remaining days with my family. Once I'm done with this broadcast, I plan to travel to Asia. I've always said I'd go someday, but I was always too busy. Jude, why don't you quit this show and do what you've always wanted to do?"
"Haha, should I? Still, I'd love to do a live broadcast of the moment the world ends, so it feels a bit too early to quit."
As the show continued, the staff members nearby suddenly began to buzz with excitement. One staff member rushed over and delivered news to the two men.
"...They say the Nightmare 2nd floor was just cleared!"
Both men's eyes widened in shock. When Jude looked at Arlo, the man, who had been wearing a dazed expression, cleared his throat.
"...Amazing. I suppose there's no rule saying miracles can't happen."
As the news of the Nightmare 2nd floor clearance spread, the world was once again thrown into an uproar.
[Hokinter: Did everyone get the message? 2nd floor conquered!]
[Outlaw of the Ocean: Wowowowow!!]
[Pizza Bread: Holy shit, we get to live another year somehow lol. Kyeah-hoo~!]
[Tuichon: I really thought we were screwed this time since there were only six challengers.]
[Coin: Who cleared it?]
[Phoenix Egg: Who knows? Nothing's been posted yet.]
[Hades: But what's with the new rule? It says people who don't climb the Tower will die?]
People were dying to know who had cleared the 2nd floor. Meanwhile, there was someone who already knew the identity.
Villon Must sat in his office chair and thrust a clenched fist into the air.
"Hahaha! I knew my gut wasn't wrong! I believed in you!"
Beside the jubilant Villon, his secretary Ellen continued her report.
"We received a reply immediately, Chairman."
"Yes! What did he say?"
"He confirmed that he was the one who cleared it. He said the Leap skill you provided was a huge help. He expressed his gratitude."
As soon as he saw the announcement for the Nightmare 2nd floor clearance, Villon had immediately sent a Whisper to Saram123 to offer his congratulations. It was also to confirm for certain if he was indeed the one who had cleared it.
[Saram123: The Leap skill was a huge help in the clearance. Thank you.]
And a reply had come back instantly.
Hearing those words from Ellen, Villon felt an indescribable sense of fulfillment. The first Nightmare Clearer had acknowledged his contribution. It had been a long time since a man in his position had felt such a need for validation from another.
The man was worthy of it. A messiah carrying the fate of all humanity. From the 1st floor to the 2nd—once could be a fluke, but twice was no longer a coincidence.
Villon was certain that his choice had been correct. He was special. That man was the only one—the only being one could pin their hopes on.
Villon quickly calmed his excitement and organized his thoughts.
"Right, the connection has been established. Now we just need the goods..."
Now that the results were confirmed, the path forward was clear. All-in. He would invest everything in him. He needed to acquire as many Skill Stones, Skill Enhancement Stones, and items as possible. By any means necessary.
Ellen spoke up.
"By the way, regarding the new rule... things seem to be taking an ominous turn."
The rule stating that any Climber who doesn't enter the Tower within three years will die.
"Is the Tower trying to cull the dead weight? You aren't affected by this, are you?"
"No, sir. I've already cleared the 1st floor."
"The Climbing Bureau must be having a massive headache right about now."
Since new Climbers and even those who had been avoiding the Tower would all start jumping in, the fallout would be anything but small.
Of course, that was the Bureau's problem, and Villon didn't care. Villon sank into deep thought, contemplating how he would continue to help Saram123 and how he could forge an even closer relationship with him as a supporter.