Chapter 32: Nightmare 3rd Floor (4)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 32: Nightmare 3rd Floor (4)
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[Level up!]
[You are the first to successfully clear the 3rd floor on Nightmare difficulty.]
[The 3rd Floor Hidden Route is now open.]
[Moving to the Reward Room.]
The sensation of plummeting vanished as my body was warped to the Reward Room.
My injuries began to heal instantly. My shattered ribs snapped back into place, torn flesh knit together, and bloodstains vanished without a trace. I had been unconscious when I cleared the 1st floor, so I hadn't seen the process then, but so this was how it worked.
The agonizing pain that felt like my entire body was being crushed evaporated into nothingness.
“Haaaa...”
Finally, I could breathe.
Once I confirmed my body was fully restored, I didn't bother standing up. Instead, I sprawled out flat on the floor.
“...Mission complete.”
I muttered to myself and let out a short, dry chuckle. I lived. Somehow, I had survived once again.
[The 3rd floor has been cleared across all difficulties.]
[The Tower summons new personnel.]
Another message appeared. When I cleared the 2nd floor, a new rule had been implemented, so I wondered if the same would happen this time. However, aside from the notification about new personnel being added, no other messages appeared.
I guess rules aren't added for every single floor... Or maybe it happens every other floor?
I stopped overthinking it and pushed myself up.
“I really thought I was going to die this time...”
The 1st and 2nd floors were bad enough, but this 3rd floor was absolute hell. Seriously, throwing something like that at me as a boss? It made no sense. A mass of undead the size of a house moving more nimbly than I could?
I suspected that if I had gone down to the basement early to activate the Sun Emblem as intended, a much weaker boss would have appeared. Regardless, clearing this on the first try without any prior information was practically impossible.
How did I even pull it off?
It was all thanks to Diul. I looked up at Diul, who was floating above my head.
“You’re the best, Diul.”
She had hidden me from the undead, and she had hidden me from Phligas. Diul was responsible for over 70% of this clear. I wanted to give her a pat because she was so precious, but Diul indifferently dodged my hand and continued bobbing through the air.
What a little tsundere. She acted like she didn't care, but she had unlocked a new ability for me the moment things got dangerous.
“Wait, you... did you get a bit bigger?”
I tilted my head, observing Diul closely. She used to be about the size of a baseball, but she felt slightly larger now. Her shape, which used to be a perfect sphere, now had edges that seemed to shimmer and flicker.
Is she evolving?
I wondered if this was a change that accompanied the awakening of her new ability. Above all, I felt like our mental connection had grown even stronger.
“Alright, go get some rest now. You worked hard.”
I could feel Diul’s fatigue, so I sent her back into the bracelet. Then, I checked the necklace.
By the way, this...
It said the effect was nullified. Since the necklace wasn't destroyed, it meant I had essentially used it once for free without any penalty.
Phligas... If I win, can I really summon a monster like that as a familiar? I had seen exactly how powerful it was, so I decided to save that goal for the future.
I stood up. My body overflowed with strength, as if the fact that I was on the verge of death moments ago was a lie. Having gained another 10 levels, my physical form had become even more powerful.
Pow! Bam!
I threw a few jabs into the air before checking the rewards. There was one Skill Stone and one Skill Enhancement Stone.
[Skill Stone: Rapid Regeneration (Rare+)]
Upon use, you will learn ‘Skill: Rapid Regeneration (Rare+)’.
[Skill: Rapid Regeneration (Rare+)]
Consumes all remaining Willpower to instantaneously boost the body's regenerative capabilities beyond their limits in proportion to the amount consumed.
Category: Physical-Type
Willpower Cost: All remaining Willpower
Cooldown: 24 hours
A Rare+ grade appeared. On the 1st and 2nd floors, I only got Rare grades unless it was a Hidden Route clear. I guess the grades go up once you reach the 3rd floor.
“A recovery skill?”
Reading the description, it seemed to be a healing ability. Consuming all current Willpower to boost regeneration—this was the first time I’d seen a skill with a mechanism that drained all Willpower at once.
I didn't have any recovery skills, so it was obviously good to have, but... a 24-hour cooldown?
Is the effect really that good?
Considering it used up all my Willpower, I figured it was the kind of skill meant to save my life once when I was critically injured. It wasn't bad. Besides, even if I used up all my Willpower, I could refill it immediately.
I wanted to test how effective it was, but I couldn't exactly go around stabbing myself just to find out. Well, if I’m ever on the verge of death again, I’ll try it then.
[You have learned ‘Skill: Rapid Regeneration (Rare+)’.]
Next was the Skill Enhancement Stone. This one was Rare grade. I considered dumping it into Flame Strike, which I had already enhanced to +2, but I decided to hold onto it for now.
And finally, the Highest-Grade Magic Stone... I tossed it into a corner of my inventory.
[Difficulty: Nightmare]
[Floor: 4th Floor]
[Level: 40]
[Willpower: 1,000]
[Skills: Teleportation (Rare+), Sixth Sense (Rare+), Rapid Regeneration (Rare+), Flame Strike (Rare) (+2), Blade Gale (Rare), Exhilaration (Rare), Fairy Light Bullet (Common+) (+1), Lesser Poison Resistance (Common+), Leap (Common) (+1), Swing (Common), Stab (Common)]
Looking at the status window, my Willpower had increased from 600 to 1,000. For reference, Willpower increases by an additional 10 points per level for every 10-level bracket. Levels 1–10 gain 10 per level, levels 11–20 gain 20 per level, and so on.
[Nightmare]
Personnel: 250,152
Time Limit: 1 year, 20 days, 9 minutes, 57 seconds
Floor Reached: 4th Floor
After organizing my rewards, I checked the Nightmare time limit.
“I’ve bought another year.”
If there was one single advantage to the Tower’s time limit, it was that it made you live every day with a sense of gratitude. The disadvantages were everything else.
I had managed to scrape through this time as well. But I felt a sense of dread wondering what the 4th floor would be like, and how much longer I could keep this up.
A thought suddenly occurred to me.
What happens if I climb to the very top of the Tower?
Does the time limit disappear? Or even if I reach the top, is the scheduled destruction inevitable? Since no one knew how many floors the Tower had, there was no way to tell.
[Would you like to exit the Tower?]
Pushing aside gloomy thoughts about the future, I exited the Tower. I’d worked hard... it was time to rest.
* * *
Since the Day of Upheaval in 2025, a massive event took place on Earth once every year. Would humanity end this year, or would it survive?
The year 2028 had one difference from the previous two. The climber who was the first to clear both the 1st and 2nd floors of Nightmare, Saram123, had officially declared his intent to climb the Nightmare difficulty. He had even specified exactly when he would make his attempt.
Just as he had predicted, the Nightmare difficulty time limit had exactly 20 days remaining. October 23rd.
[Hwa-tung: Did he enter yet?]
[FastFire: Not yet, right? There’s still 30 minutes left.]
[Flatbread: Doesn't it mean he enters exactly when the counter hits 20 days with no other units left? Does anyone know for sure?]
[Yeokcheon: Just be patient and wait, damn;]
[Hohohu: Ha, I wouldn't be this nervous if he hadn't said anything.]
[Philop: You would’ve been despairing instead. Knowing the result is coming soon actually makes me feel relieved.]
Some were anxious, some were desperate, and some were paralyzed with fear. From ordinary citizens to climbers, the entire world was waiting for the result that would determine the fate of the world.
“I’m curious if your opinion has changed since last year, Mr. Arlo.”
The podcast show, The Jude Noise.
A guest who had appeared around this time last year was invited back. It was Arlo, an influencer and noted doomer. Last year, just before the 2nd floor of Nightmare was cleared, Arlo had been ranting bitterly on air about how there would be no more miracles, only for the floor to be cleared in real-time. That moment had become a massive sensation and a source of ridicule on social media.
This time, the talk show was being held on a specially designed large stage. The host, Jude, and the guest, Arlo, sat facing each other. On the giant screen behind the stage, the remaining time for the Nightmare difficulty was displayed: [20 days, 15 minutes, 56 seconds].
“Do you think Saram123 can clear the 3rd floor of Nightmare? What are your thoughts?”
“Phew, it seems you’re dying to make me a laughingstock again, Jude.”
“Haha, not at all. I simply want to hear your honest thoughts, Arlo. As do the viewers.”
In response to Jude’s question, Arlo seemed to hold the same stance as before.
“Of course, I pray more fervently than anyone that the 3rd floor is cleared. However, I simply believe it is right to separate vague hope from reality.”
“I see. And what is that reality?”
“As I always say, the probability of it not being cleared is far higher than the probability of it being cleared.”
Arlo crossed his legs and placed his hands on his knees.
“Imagine rolling a die and landing on a six twice in a row. Jude, how much of your fortune would you be willing to bet that the next number will also be a six?”
“Well, I wouldn't even want to bet a single dollar.”
“That’s the normal reaction. The Nightmare difficulty isn't even a normal die; it’s no different from a die with sixty sides. Just because the number sixty came up once, and then twice by some miracle, I don't want to harbor expectations that it will come up a third time.”
Jude nodded with a smile.
“So your opinion remains unchanged. But Arlo, isn't Saram123 an extraordinary individual who cleared both the 1st and 2nd floors alone? Isn't it more than just vague hope to expect that he has the ability to continue climbing Nightmare?”
“I believe twice can easily be a fluke. But more than anything, the problem lies elsewhere. Other Nightmare climbers are still struggling just to follow in his footsteps. Even though all the clear information is being made public without exception!”
Arlo shook his head.
“Of course, I don't mean to disparage those heroes who dedicate themselves to humanity. Nightmare difficulty is horrific. It’s so absurd that you have to wonder if it was even meant to be cleared. You can practically feel the malice behind it. How on earth is Saram123 clearing such things? In the end, he is just a human like us. Perhaps we are placing too heavy a burden on a single person who is already pushed to his limits.
That’s what it comes down to. Earth has long been a sandcastle that could crumble at any moment. What’s the point of trying to hold on, hoping the next wave will be a little weaker? If one big wave hits, humanity is finished. I only hope that you all accept that the end could come in the near future—perhaps even today—and live your lives without regrets...”
Just then, a staff member came running onto the stage in a hurry. Arlo, who was speaking, flinched at the sight and muttered.
“...This scene feels strangely like déjà vu.”
“The 3rd floor was just cleared!”
Waaaaaaaah!
The 3rd floor of Nightmare had been cleared. Global media outlets began pouring out breaking news.
[Reaper’s Scythe: It’s done... we’re saved!]
[Toyo: Earth’s service has been extende-e-e-e-ended for another year! I knew I could count on you!]
[Baek Do-hyun: Is Saram123 actually a god???]
[IceWall: He is a god. If this isn't a Messiah, what is?]
[WokDeLeague: But seriously, it’s awe-inspiring... how can he be so peerless?]
Cheers erupted in the streets, and some cities turned into full-blown festivals. People drinking in bars raised their glasses, families quietly embraced one another, and commuters checked the results on their way home and sighed in relief.
And then there were others...
“He has granted us salvation once again.”
A space resembling a cathedral. People gathered in a solemn atmosphere.
“Look. After firmly declaring that he would protect the world against that wicked Tower, he has not broken his promise!”
“Ah...”
“Do not dare to doubt any longer. Simply believe. If you do, he will grant us another year of time. It is plain as day that he is the angel and messenger of God who will save humanity.”
“Saram123! Saram123!”
At the words of the man on the podium, people cheered or bowed their heads in prayer. Some even shed tears. In any case, everyone rejoiced and felt relieved in their own way.
The world had been granted a one-year reprieve once again.
* * *
“I’m home.”
“Oh, Seohyun, you’re back? Did you have fun?”
I smiled as I changed my shoes at the entrance.
“Yes... I had a lot of fun.”
If I "had fun" like that a second time, I’d actually be dead.