Chapter 38: The Fallen (1)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 38: The Fallen (1)
“I’m Kim Dae-woong, and I’ll be working in the Climbing Surveillance Department starting today! I look forward to working with you all!”
With a racing heart, Kim Dae-woong entered the CSD office and introduced himself at the top of his lungs.
The team members, who had been staring at him and blinking in surprise, soon gave him a small round of applause.
“Whoa, a rookie. A real, live rookie.”
“Welcome. What’s your level, Dae-woong?”
“I-I’m Level 2! I’m currently on the 3rd floor of Easy Difficulty!”
“Just take a seat for now. It’s almost time for the Department Head to return.”
Kim Dae-woong sat in a corner seat, nervously glancing around.
The Head of the CSD was a celebrity even among South Korea’s top climbers.
Shin Su-jin. A Level 30 climber currently tackling the 16th floor of Normal Difficulty.
She was an incredible person who had climbed five floors this year alone, becoming the record holder for Normal Difficulty in the country. It was only yesterday that the news had been buzzing about her clearing the 15th floor.
Kim Dae-woong had been inspired by her, which was why he had joined the CSD—a place where other climbers would call you crazy for working.
Suddenly, two people appeared out of thin air in the middle of the office.
“Ah, Department Head. You’re back?”
Everyone greeted them casually, while only Kim Dae-woong jumped in surprise.
Of the two who had appeared, the woman spotted Kim Dae-woong and looked his way. A team member immediately introduced him.
“Ma’am, this is the new recruit who was supposed to start today.”
“A-ah, hello! My name is Kim Dae-woong! My difficulty is Easy, 2nd floor...!”
Shin Su-jin reached out a hand in greeting.
“Welcome. I’m Department Head Shin Su-jin.”
“Yes, yes. It’s an honor...!”
“...An honor?”
“Ah, no, I mean—I’ll work hard!”
The people around them burst into laughter.
Kim Dae-woong’s face turned bright red as he looked at the two. He had heard rumors that within the CSD, there was a specialized team responsible for operations in the 5th-floor Common Area. That meant the man standing next to her was also a high-ranking climber of at least the 5th floor.
“Right. I look forward to working with you.”
Shin Su-jin quickly headed off toward her office. As Kim Dae-woong stared blankly at her retreating back, the man struck up a conversation.
“Dae-woong, was it? How old are you?”
“Ah, I was born in ’98.”
“Hmm. Why’d you come to the CSD? Didn’t people tell you that you were crazy for coming here?”
“Ah, yes. I heard that a lot.”
Kang Ju-hyuk chuckled.
Why would a climber, who could live comfortably just by selling mana stones, come to grind away at a government agency? That was the standard reaction.
Kim Dae-woong spoke in a slightly bashful tone.
“Well, I’ve always looked up to Department Head Shin Su-jin. And honestly, my goal is to reach the 5th-floor Common Area myself.”
“Oh, really?”
“Yes. So I wanted to lend a hand in that area, so to speak.”
Kang Ju-hyuk nodded, looking impressed.
“That’s great. But you know, work on the 5th floor is a lot harder than you’d think. People die in the blink of an eye.”
“...Pardon?”
“Well, it’s basically a lawless zone. Power struggles with climbers from other countries are a daily occurrence. If things go south, it turns into a real fight.”
Kim Dae-woong’s expression grew grim. Kang Ju-hyuk laughed and waved his hand dismissively.
“I’m joking, just joking. It’s still a place where people live; it’s not quite that bad.”
“Ah...”
“Anyway, if the 5th floor is your goal, we’ll be working together eventually. I mean, we’re on the same team now, but I’m talking about the 5th-floor task force.”
Kang Ju-hyuk patted him on the shoulder.
“It’s impressive that you chose this path instead of the easy life. I look forward to working with you.”
“Ah, yes! Me too...!”
Watching Kang Ju-hyuk follow after Shin Su-jin, Kim Dae-woong’s heart pounded. His determination to work hard grew even stronger.
* * *
As soon as Shin Su-jin returned from the 5th floor, she had to deal with the usual annoyances.
“Congratulations, Department Head Shin. You are now the top Normal Difficulty climber in the country. Hahaha.”
After dealing with some high-ranking government officials who had shown up unannounced, Shin Su-jin finally made herself a cup of coffee in the breakroom.
“You should say something to the Director, Ma’am. Tell him you’ll quit if he keeps letting people like that visit.”
Shin Su-jin let out a small laugh at Kang Ju-hyuk, who had approached her with a joke.
As Kang Ju-hyuk mixed his own instant coffee, he asked casually, “But... are you planning to challenge the 16th floor soon?”
Shin Su-jin shook her head.
“No. I don’t plan on challenging any more floors for the time being.”
“Phew, I figured. Watching you climb, I wondered if you were aiming for the world record.”
The world record.
Currently, the highest record for Normal Difficulty was the 20th floor. For any difficulty, information regarding the highest floors was either poorly disclosed or not disclosed at all.
This was because climbers at the top of any difficulty—excluding Nightmare—never shared information recklessly. Information was a reward they had earned by risking their lives.
Even for Normal Difficulty, information from the 16th floor onward was scarce. Therefore, if Shin Su-jin were to challenge it, the pressure would be on a completely different level compared to her previous attempts. The fear of the unknown was that great.
Having faced it herself, she realized once again how incredible Saram123 was.
Had that person endured such pressure while clearing three floors of Nightmare Difficulty? And then released all that information for free, without asking for anything in return?
Shin Su-jin usually didn't have much interest in others, but she often found herself thinking about him. After all, he was a hero to humanity, and someone she was personally very grateful to.
Since the death of Seo Dong-woo, she no longer suffered from nightmares. Honestly, she wanted to see his face at least once and thank him properly, but whenever they spoke through the communication window, she could feel him drawing a line, so she never brought it up.
She only hoped that one day, the opportunity would come.
“Ah, by the way, it’s almost time. One hour left,” Kang Ju-hyuk said, changing the subject.
He didn't specify what he meant, but Shin Su-jin understood immediately.
The Tower’s 3-Year Rule. Today was the day the first-generation climbers who had yet to climb the Tower would die.
Naturally, most people in Easy and Normal had attempted the climb, and statistics showed that only about 5% of those in Hard Difficulty had given up. But above all, in Nightmare, more than half the people had given up.
Currently, the number of registered Nightmare climbers in South Korea was just over three hundred. Given that approximately 70,000 people survived the 1st floor of Nightmare, it was estimated by population ratio that there should be at least a hundred more first-generation Nightmare climbers.
The government had offered various rewards and benefits to identify and support these climbers, but quite a few had chosen not to report themselves. It could be assumed that all of them had given up.
It was a tragic situation, but there was no way to help them.
Having finished their coffee, Shin Su-jin and Kang Ju-hyuk moved on to their next task.
“About that murder case I mentioned before. The police requested cooperation, saying the culprit is likely a climber. I can handle it alone, Ma’am. You should get some rest.”
“I just rested. Let’s go together.”
“Yes, Ma’am. Let’s go.”
* * *
As soon as I finished the cube, I slammed it into the slot.
29 seconds. My record had improved significantly.
“I’m going to break it soon.”
The reason I was trying to shorten my record for the 3rd-floor cube, which I had already cleared, was simple. I had received a request from Mr. Rhino. He wanted to know for sure if the boss would be weakened further if the time taken to activate the Sun Emblem was reduced to under three minutes.
It was something that had been on my mind as well, so I decided to check. After practicing for a bit, I started to get the hang of it. Besides, I could stop time periodically while solving the cube, making it easier to shave off seconds.
I didn't necessarily need to aim for under 20 seconds, and I had already confirmed that the boss weakens if the Sun Emblem is activated in under three minutes. But for the sake of providing accurate information, I kept attempting a 20-second cube run. I felt like I was almost there.
“Out of the way, out of the way.”
I pushed past the undead in the corridor leading to the cavern. I activated the Sun Emblem, went up, and cleared out the boss.
For the record, the temple disappeared after the hidden route was cleared. All that remained was an endless plain stretching in every direction. Just like the other floors, there was nothing more to do here.
I left the 3rd floor and re-entered the 2nd floor.
“Alright, let’s run.”
I hopped onto Phli’s back and galloped through the nighttime forest path with Diul. Since my quest to increase affinity with Diul was always ongoing, I made sure to keep up with our nightly walks.
“Ah... I wish the next ability after Stealth would unlock soon.”
When I muttered it loud enough for them to hear, Diul snorted.
No need to be like that, you little brat.
Well, I did just get Stealth recently, so wanting the next stage already was a bit greedy. I had already tested various aspects of Diul’s Stealth ability.
First, the maximum duration of Stealth is about 10 minutes. This seemed likely to increase as my connection with Diul grew stronger.
Second, while in Stealth, all sounds and presence I emit are blocked. It wasn't just about being invisible; it seemed to erase my very existence.
And third, the Stealth breaks if I take a certain amount of impact, move too fast, or use a skill. In short, it was impossible to maintain it during active combat. However, even if the Stealth broke, I could reactivate it almost immediately.
Even with these limitations, the uses for this Stealth ability were endless.
“Don’t you have any special abilities, Phli?” I asked Phli, who was running with me on his back.
Of course, there was no answer. He just kept galloping happily. Right, for this guy, his Level 50 physical stats were an ability in themselves. He was a monster I still wasn't confident I could beat without using the Destruction Ray skill.
Ah, but Phli could communicate mentally like Diul. If that was telepathy, then I guess it counted as an ability.
After a spirited run and finishing my night walk on the 2nd floor, I returned to my room. I had to head out soon. Today was the day I was supposed to receive the mana stones.
“Should I buy a car?”
The thought suddenly occurred to me. I had never felt the need for one, so I always used public transportation. I hadn't even gotten my driver's license yet. But wouldn't it be a nice hobby to go for a drive once in a while, like how I ride Phli in the Tower?
I once saw a documentary on YouTube saying it’s dangerous for climbers to get too absorbed in the Tower. Being a climber means risking your life and having to kill things with your own hands. I didn't feel like I had changed much, but I needed to take care of my mental health.
Come to think of it, I’d been doing nothing but going in and out of the Tower lately, rarely leaving the house unless it was for something necessary. I decided that while I was out today, I’d take a long walk before coming back.
[ShootingStar: It’s almost time. 1 hour left.]
[SweetPotatoPotato: What’s going to happen to the Nightmare climbers? ;]
[Kedi: Honestly, if I were in Nightmare, I’d probably just die without trying.]
I habitually glanced at the communication window before turning it off.
Twenty days had passed since the 3rd floor was cleared, making today the day foretold by the 3-Year Rule. The first-generation climbers who were first called by the Tower and had not yet climbed would now die.
I heard they could see a separate timer. In their eyes, a timer with about an hour left was ticking down.
[Nightmare]
Participants: 233,584
Time Limit: 1 year, 1 hour, 1 minute, 41 seconds
Floor Reached: 4th Floor
[Nightmare (15)]
For the record, the number of Nightmare clearers had recently increased to fifteen. Looking at the decreased number of participants, it seemed a significant number of first-generation climbers had attempted it, but the survival rate was as abysmal as ever.
There was still an hour left, so more people might challenge it. But it seemed there were also many who had accepted death and chosen not to try.
There was nothing to be done. I prepared to head out, hoping they would at least meet a peaceful end.
* * *
While driving toward the Seoul Seocho Police Station, Shin Su-jin and Kang Ju-hyuk spotted a crowd of people gathered on the street.
“Get back! All of you! If you come any closer, I’ll kill her!”
Startled, the two immediately pulled over and jumped out of the car. A man was holding a knife to a woman’s throat, holding her hostage.
“Fuck, why do I have to die?! Someone save me...!”
“Calm down! Please, put the knife down!” Kang Ju-hyuk stepped forward, trying to de-escalate the situation.
The man, who appeared to be in a state of total mental collapse, screamed in despair.
“Would you be calm?! I’m a Nightmare climber! I only have 3 minutes left! Argh!”
Shin Su-jin checked the Nightmare time limit.
[Nightmare]
Participants: 230,987
Time Limit: 1 year, 2 minutes, 59 seconds
Floor Reached: 4th Floor
As the man said, there were only about 3 minutes left. The moment the remaining time hit exactly one year, the 3-Year Rule would trigger.
A person pushed to that brink could truly kill. Blood was already trickling from the woman’s neck. Shin Su-jin was agonizing over whether she should attempt a forced rescue.
Clang.
The man suddenly dropped the knife and slumped to the ground. Shin Su-jin immediately moved in and secured the panicked woman.
“It’s over... it’s all over... hehehe...”
The man muttered with a hollow laugh, having given up all hope. Kang Ju-hyuk approached him. There was only one thing he could say to the man.
“I am truly sorry.”
10 seconds, 9, 8...
The time approached. Both Shin Su-jin and Kang Ju-hyuk stood still, watching the man.
And then...
[The 3-year limit has been exceeded.]
[A total of 43,455 climbers have failed to enter the Tower and will perish.]
Along with the message, the man suddenly collapsed without warning. The onlookers held their breath. Kang Ju-hyuk checked the fallen man’s pulse and whispered.
“...So this is how they die.”
Just as Shin Su-jin sighed and prepared to approach the man’s body...
[Climbers who die due to the Tower’s Curse are resurrected as ‘The Fallen’.]
[There is a 90% probability of a Stage 1 Fallen appearing.]
[There is a 9% probability of a Stage 2 Fallen appearing.]
[There is a 0.9% probability of a Stage 3 Fallen appearing.]
[There is a 0.09% probability of a Stage 4 Fallen appearing.]
[There is a 0.01% probability of a Stage 5 Fallen appearing.]