Chapter 27: Before the 3rd Floor (1)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 27: Before the 3rd Floor (1)
A fair amount of time had passed since the Seo Dong-woo incident.
The news reported that Seo Dong-woo had eventually been shot and killed by agents from the Climbing Agency’s Surveillance Department. Since nothing out of the ordinary had happened in the interim, it seemed my involvement had fortunately gone unnoticed.
[Lotus: Thank you for everything.]
I even received an unexpected message of gratitude via the communication window’s whisper function. It was from Section Chief Shin Su-jin. We exchanged a few brief pleasantries, but we didn't stay in touch beyond that.
Even though I wasn't a criminal, I felt a lingering discomfort around government officials from the Climbing Agency.
...Wait, was I really not a criminal? Failing to register as a climber and misreporting my difficulty level were technically illegal acts.
Let’s go with 'lawbreaker' rather than 'criminal.' It sounds a bit more palatable.
At any rate, she seemed likely to keep my secret, so I didn't think I had much to worry about.
“Don’t you think it would be better to stay in the hospital a bit longer, Father?”
“Ugh, enough. The doctors said the bones have all set, so what’s the point? I can’t stand sitting around doing nothing anymore.”
Fortunately, my father recovered well without any significant aftereffects and was finally discharged. Thinking back, it was a stroke of pure luck. Because of that madman, I had almost lost the chance to ever see my father’s face again.
- Doesn't this Seo Dong-woo incident prove it? Climbers are dangerous! They’re no different from walking murder weapons!
- We need to stop with that kind of generalization. Seo Dong-woo was a vicious murderer who had already been imprisoned for slaughtering an entire family. This happened because a person who was already problematic gained power; it’s not right to slander the majority of innocent climbers because of him.
- But isn't it an undeniable fact that climbers are dangerous? The entire country was turned upside down by the rampage of just one person. They’re like ticking time bombs that could go off at any moment...
- Didn't this disaster happen because of the government's lax preparation and response? We need much stronger restrictions on climbers!
- Specifically, we need proper countermeasures for high-level climbers. In just a few years, the average level of climbers will skyrocket. If a second Seo Dong-woo appears, they’ll be far more powerful than the first...
- And how exactly do you plan to implement those countermeasures? Don't just talk; give us a detailed alternative.
- If not climbers, then who will climb the Tower? You’re all mistaken about one thing: climbers are the future of this world! We should be thinking about preventing crime through more supportive policies. If we use coercive methods and climbers start defecting to other countries, what then? Realistically...
Whenever I turned on a news debate, that was all they talked about.
I wasn't particularly interested, but there had always been a lot of friction regarding the treatment of climbers. I could certainly understand the public's anxiety. Calling climbers "walking murder weapons" was harsh phrasing, but it wasn't exactly wrong.
If I hadn't been a climber myself and my father had suffered like that, I might have grown to hate them too. But then again, psychos like that were a small minority. Since I was a climber now, it felt a bit unfair that public perception was turning so negative.
Actually, maybe I wouldn't feel so bad if I were at least reaping some major benefits. How great would it have been if I could live a comfortable life just by repeatedly clearing the 1st floor?
[Gnat: Is the Korean Joker dead?]
[GoldSilver: He’s dead. Heard a Korean Climbing Agency agent went toe-to-toe with him and took him out.]
[1ru-ryu-ru-1: It was actually pretty funny watching that guy hog the communication window and spout all that bullshit.]
[Horororo: But he really was a madman. I heard he even broke through a line of guards firing guns at him?]
[Last Leaf: I heard he was over Level 20? High-level climbers are seriously no joke.]
In any case, the Seo Dong-woo incident—which had been a hot topic not just in Korea but globally—gradually faded from public interest. As the hands of the doomsday clock moved forward, people's concerns inevitably converged back into a single question.
Will the world manage to survive another year?
I was curious as well. Specifically, I wondered whether I would be able to conquer the 3rd floor.
[Nightmare]
Participants: 258,324
Time Limit: 185 days 1 hour 34 minutes 53 seconds
Current Floor: 3rd Floor
About half a year had passed since I cleared the 2nd floor. During that time, my daily life hadn't changed much, except for the fact that I had quit university. I had officially filed for a leave of absence, but since it couldn't be extended indefinitely, it was essentially the same as dropping out.
“Whoa, even Seo-hyun became a climber? That’s crazy.”
“Maybe our school just has that kind of energy?”
“Come visit often. And make sure to buy us food!”
I told my friends that I had become an Easy-difficulty climber and was quitting. They were all good guys, so I was a bit sad that I wouldn't be able to see them as often.
Oh, and my younger sibling graduated from high school and entered university. They claimed they messed up the CSAT, but they ended up getting into a pretty decent school. I bought them a laptop as a graduation gift.
“Let’s go, Diul.”
By now, I had received full permission from my parents regarding my activities as a climber. Since I had nothing but time, I entered the Tower whenever I had the chance. Part of it was to maintain my physical senses, but the main goal, of course, was to get closer to Diul.
However, I still hadn't been able to unlock any new abilities. It definitely felt like our connection was becoming clearer, but... I really had no idea when this little guy would show me a new power.
“Diul, aren't we pretty close by now? I’m starting to feel a bit hurt here.”
Even when I spoke to it like that, all I got back was a haughty, dismissive snort of an emotion. I wasn't asking for much; I just hoped for some kind of change before I challenged the 3rd floor.
[Nightmare (8)]
There had also been a change in the number of Nightmare participants. The count had increased from five to eight. I heard that in addition to the US, China, Russia, and India, Australia had also produced one.
However, there was no way to know if anyone else had succeeded in clearing the 2nd floor. If someone reached a new highest floor, a global announcement would trigger, but individual progress remained private.
[Saram123: Has anyone succeeded in clearing the 2nd floor yet?]
Out of curiosity, I asked Mr. Rhino.
[Rhino: I’m ashamed to say, but not yet.]
That was the answer I got. Still, it seemed they were taking their time to prepare rather than dying during the attempt. But no matter how I thought about it, the 2nd floor seemed like it would be easier than the 1st if you just had the right information...
Or maybe not? To be honest, I wasn't entirely sure. I had challenged it at Level 15 thanks to the hidden rewards, but everyone else was likely at Level 10. I figured the Minotaur might be a very tough boss for someone at that level.
Honestly, I didn't have much expectation for the other Nightmare clearers anymore. I had already decided to take the role of the vanguard myself. If, by some miracle, someone worked hard and managed to clear a new floor before me, then good for them. If it happens, great; if not, whatever. That was about where I stood.
[Chicken Sandwich: Mr. Kim, I would like to deliver the skill stones to you.]
After a long while, I received a message from Villon saying he had skill stones for me. Perhaps it took time because he wanted to collect them and deliver them all at once; this time, there were three.
[Chicken Sandwich: ...They are a Rare-grade magic-type skill called 'Blade Gale' and a Common+ grade magic-type skill called 'Fairy Light Bullet.' Additionally, there is one Common+ grade Skill Enhancement Stone.]
Two skill stones and one Skill Enhancement Stone. The important thing was that both skill stones were magic-type. One was even Rare-grade! It couldn't have been easy to find them, but Villon, as usual, just provided the skill descriptions without making a fuss.
[Chicken Sandwich: From now on, I will continue to deliver skill stones through the mana stone courier. As much as I would like to meet Mr. Kim in person, it seems we should refrain from direct meetings as much as possible.]
Villon mentioned that he had tried to acquire the skill stones discreetly, but he couldn't completely avoid the eyes of the Climbing Agency. Since he might be under surveillance, the person acting as the mana stone courier would deliver the skill stones from now on. I told him I understood. He was a busy man, and in truth, there was no need for Villon to come and go personally anyway.
[Saram123: Then I’ll deliver the highest-grade mana stones through that person as well. Is that okay?]
I received the skill stones on the scheduled day while picking up the mana stones. I also handed over a bundle of highest-grade mana stones to the courier. The foreign man, as usual, just gave a silent nod and walked away. I had heard briefly from Villon that they were conducting various research projects using the mana stones... Well, however they used them, I hoped they’d put them to good use.
I returned home and opened the skill stones.
[Skill: Blade Gale (Rare)]
Creates a sharp gale within a 3-meter radius, dealing damage to and knocking back all targets within range. Requires 50 seconds of mental focus to cast.
Category: Magic-type
Willpower Consumption: 150
Cooldown: 1 minute
[Skill: Fairy Light Bullet (Common+)]
Fires small light bullets imbued with the power of light. Up to three bullets can be created, with willpower consumption stacking by 5 for each additional bullet. Requires 10 seconds of mental focus to cast.
Category: Magic-type
Willpower Consumption: 20, 45, 75
Cooldown: 5 seconds
Blade Gale. This definitely felt like an AOE skill. And Fairy Light Bullet... the description was a bit subtle, but the skill cooldown was incredibly short.
I learned both skills immediately.
[Would you like to enter the 2nd floor of Nightmare difficulty?]
I entered the Tower to test them out. If the Knight Goblin was my skill test subject for the 1st floor, the Minotaur was the one for the 2nd. I crossed the lava stepping stones and climbed the tower to reach the Minotaur’s chamber.
Mooooooo—!
“Yeah, good to see you too.”
The Minotaur seemed just as thrilled to see me, charging with full force.
I stopped time.
First, I tried using Fairy Light Bullet.
Vrrr—
As I activated the skill, small lights like fireflies rose around me. I fired all three bullets toward the Minotaur. The lights hit the beast, exploding one after another.
Pop, pop, pop!
Hmm, is this the extent of its power? The explosive force didn't look that impressive to the naked eye. If Flame Strike was a cannonball, this was about the level of a bullet. The Minotaur only flinched for a moment before bleeding and charging at me again.
I dodged lightly and used Fairy Light Bullet again.
Pop, pop, pop!
The power was far inferior to Flame Strike. But after using it, I realized it had a unique characteristic. With Flame Strike, once fired, it could only fly in a straight line. But with Fairy Light Bullet, I could control the direction to some extent. If I wanted to, I could make them fly in a curved trajectory or even a zigzag pattern.
“Not bad.”
A short cooldown of 5 seconds. Up to three bullets, and relatively free guided attacks. Above all, I liked the overwhelmingly short cooldown. The willpower consumption stacked and increased with each bullet, but since mental focus time and willpower consumption weren't really disadvantages for me, it wasn't something I needed to worry about.
Graaaaa—!
And it was only weak compared to Flame Strike; it wasn't that Fairy Light Bullet lacked punch. The Minotaur, having been hit by several light bullets already, was bleeding quite a bit. Thoroughly enraged, it roared and charged again.
Now it was time for the main course. I waited until the Minotaur got close and then stopped time. After finishing my mental focus, I cast Blade Gale.
K-boom!
With a violent explosion, a whirlwind surged around me. The Minotaur, caught in the impact zone, was sent flying as if it had been flicked away by a giant finger.
“Oh.”
Even though it had been charging, it had this much knockback power? I approached the fallen beast. Furthermore, the destructive power was considerable. With just that one Blade Gale, the Minotaur’s entire body had been shredded. The accumulated damage from the Fairy Light Bullets probably helped, but it breathed its last right then and there.
An AOE skill that hit a 3-meter radius. A 1-minute cooldown, and this much power. A 3-meter radius couldn't be called a wide range, but the fact that it hit all enemies in every direction around me was a distinct advantage.
I grinned.
“Thanks, Villon.”
Considering the theme of the 3rd floor, it seemed I had acquired some truly excellent skills.