Chapter 44: The First Proposal (2)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 44: The First Proposal (2)
Choi Won-young had an eighteen-year-old daughter in high school.
And in just a short while, that daughter was going to die.
It had all started when she was fifteen, the day she was chosen as a Climber for the Nightmare difficulty.
Though the statistics only spanned the few years since the Tower’s appearance, there had never been an official case of anyone under the age of fourteen being chosen as a Climber. In other words, fourteen was the minimum age requirement.
As if by some cruel joke, her daughter had been selected on her fifteenth birthday.
The girl had already suffered for years, undergoing grueling treatment for osteosarcoma when she was only twelve. She had barely managed to beat the disease, leading Choi Won-young to believe in miracles—but the reality that followed was an even greater nightmare. It was a fate that lived up to the name of the difficulty she had been assigned.
“It’s okay, Mom! I still have two whole years to live. I have to fit a lifetime’s worth of fun into an ultra-condensed schedule until then, so it’s okay if I don’t study and just play all day, right?”
Her daughter, only a middle schooler at the time, had spoken as if it weren't even a minor concern. She had always been a bright child. Even during the darkest days of chemotherapy, she never lost her smile.
“See? Mom... I’m really okay. Don’t cry.”
So, Choi Won-young tried her best not to be sad either. She resolved to build as many happy memories as possible in the time they had left. Her husband had passed away years ago; if her daughter left too, she would have no family left in this world.
Happy times flowed by, and the end gradually drew near.
In a few weeks, her daughter would die. She would die and transform into a monster. To prevent that transformation, she either had to enter the Tower or be euthanized, leaving not even a corpse behind.
Both her daughter and Choi Won-young had chosen the latter.
Even when the elite of the elite challenged it after exhaustive preparation, the Nightmare difficulty had barely produced twenty survivors. There was no real possibility of clearing it. And even if there were a sliver of hope... Choi Won-young could never accept the thought of her daughter dying a painful, lonely death at the hands of monsters.
- Only three days remain until the 20-day Nightmare time limit. While the entire world prays for Saram123’s success...
The potential end of the world didn't really register in her mind. The only thing she could grasp was the crushing reality that her precious daughter would soon be gone.
Still, she wore her smile like a mask. She had to, because her daughter hadn't lost her smile either.
That night, after suffering in silence, Choi Won-young finally fell into a fitful sleep, only to wake in the early hours of the morning. As she approached her daughter's bedroom, she heard the muffled sound of sobbing.
She quietly pushed the door open. Her daughter was huddled under the covers, weeping under her breath.
“Ugh... hic... I’m scared, Mom... I don’t want to die...”
In the end, Choi Won-young could only pull her child into a desperate embrace and break down in tears alongside her.
* * *
One day remained before the 20-day Nightmare time limit.
It was time to accept the final farewell.
Choi Won-young forced a weak smile as she watched her daughter eat dinner. Suddenly, glowing text manifested before their eyes.
[The Tower makes a proposal to ‘Saram123’.]
“...Huh?”
It was a message whose meaning they couldn't yet comprehend.
* * *
What on earth was going on?
I had finally steeled my resolve, but this sudden curveball sent my mind into a tailspin.
A proposal? From the Tower? To me? Out of nowhere?
What kind of trick is this...
[If ‘Saram123’ chooses one of the following penalties and enters the 4th Floor, the rule ‘Climbers who do not enter the Tower within 3 years shall die’ will be nullified.]
What the Tower offered in exchange for a penalty was the total nullification of the 3-Year Rule.
[1. Physical abilities reduced by 50%]
[2. Skill cooldowns doubled]
[3. Three random skills prohibited from use]
[4. One highest-grade skill prohibited from use]
[5. Item use prohibited]
If I wanted the rule gone, I had to pick one.
The moment I read the options, my first thought was: This is absolute bullshit.
Halving my physical stats, doubling my cooldowns, banning three random skills, banning Destruction Ray, or banning my entire inventory. Not a single one of these was light. More than anything, the fact that the Tower was making a direct proposal to me was extremely suspicious.
[The penalty will only remain in effect during the first attempt to clear the 4th Floor.]
[If ‘Saram123’ wishes to accept the proposal, select a penalty and enter.]
But seeing this bastard go this far... does it really have a will of its own? Is it not just some mechanical system?
“Sigh...”
I scratched my head vigorously and looked over the options again. If—just if—I were to choose, what would it be?
[1. Physical abilities reduced by 50%]
Let’s skip this for now. Losing half my stats is a death sentence.
[2. Skill cooldowns doubled]
For someone like me who relies on Magic-type abilities, doubling the rotation speed of my skills would be fatal. Beyond fatal.
[3. Three random skills prohibited from use.]
If it hit some useless Common-grade skills, it wouldn't even be a penalty... but on the flip side, if my core skills were disabled, it would be hell. It was a pure gamble. The "random" aspect bothered me the most. Was the Tower going to rig the results?
[4. One highest-grade skill prohibited from use]
This was synonymous with banning Destruction Ray—my insanely powerful ultimate move. I wasn't sure. Considering the theme of the 4th Floor, would losing my nuke be more fatal than the other options?
[5. Item use prohibited]
Banning Diul was one thing, but banning Phligas was a critical blow. And that was setting aside all my other utility items.
Ah... I don’t know. Why give me this trial all of a sudden? Do I even have to choose? No matter how much I think about it, the answer should be no, right? I’m supposed to clear a Nightmare difficulty that’s already insane while carrying a handicap?
I was agonizing over it with a scowl when I suddenly opened the Communication Window.
“...?”
Seeing the chaos in the chat, I turned on the TV. A breaking news report was already airing.
- A message from the Tower has appeared to people all over the world. In an unprecedented situation, the Tower is making a proposal to Saram123...
...Why is this a global announcement?
It seemed even ordinary people could see the message, not just Climbers. I could only let out a hollow laugh at the absurdity of it all.
* * *
After the Tower issued the global announcement, the world was thrown into an uproar. The Communication Window exploded with activity.
[Lavi: ?]
[Crusher: ??]
[Wow: What is this...? I’m not the only one who saw this, right?]
[Blue Field: The Tower can make proposals?]
[Lucifer: This is insane, what’s going on?]
[Fire Dragon: I heard even non-Climbers can see the message?]
The Tower making a proposal to a specific Climber was unprecedented. The potential nullification of the 3-Year Rule was world-changing, but the price Saram123 had to pay was a massive penalty.
Public opinion in the Communication Window quickly shifted in one direction.
[Cyclops: Is he crazy enough to accept this? He absolutely shouldn't.]
[Glass Bottle: Every single option is too much.]
[Claude: The lives of 8 billion people are at stake; this can't happen. He shouldn't risk everything just to save a few tens of thousands.]
[Hoda: Well, it’s tens of thousands every year, so if you think about the future, it’s more. It would also solve the problem of The Fallen... Still, he shouldn't accept it.]
[Leaf Tea: Saram123, are you watching the chat? You must not select a penalty!]
Special broadcasts were hastily arranged on news outlets worldwide. On a major US cable news channel, panelists sat around a desk, debating the crisis.
“The Tower has proposed a penalty to Saram123 in exchange for nullifying the 3-Year Rule. What are your thoughts?”
“He must not, under any circumstances, accept it. Absolutely not. This is a trap,” a man wearing glasses spoke firmly, his expression grim. “The fact that the Tower singled out Saram123 is strange in itself. And it happened just one day before he is set to enter the 4th Floor. Its intention to interfere with his clear is blatantly obvious.”
The others nodded in agreement.
“The Tower’s intent to hinder Saram123’s progress is clear. He has no reason to follow the Tower’s lead.”
“How much would the success rate drop if he enters the already horrific Nightmare difficulty with a penalty?”
“It’s unfortunate, but the survival of humanity is at stake. No one can blame him for refusing. It’s only natural that the whole of humanity must be prioritized.”
The vast majority of the world hoped that Saram123 would ignore the proposal. Failure to clear the 4th Floor meant the end of the world, and a penalty would drastically increase that probability. With 8 billion lives on the line, there was no room for sentimentality.
“...Please, choose a penalty! I beg of you! Please!”
Only a tiny minority hoped for the opposite. The Nightmare Climbers facing imminent death, and their families or friends. They rushed into the streets to hold small-scale rallies, shouting at the top of their lungs, hoping that Saram123—whose identity and location remained a mystery—would hear them.
“Are you people crazy?!”
“If he picks a penalty, the world will end! You can't be that selfish!”
Passersby cursed at them, but they didn't stop.
[Nightmare]
Participants: 183,154
Time Limit: 20 days 30 minutes 51 seconds
Floor Reached: 4th Floor
A stormy twenty-four hours passed, and the 20-day time limit was almost up. All that remained was Saram123’s choice.
* * *
I agonized for a full day.
Actually, the conclusion had been reached long ago.
Don’t choose.
I shouldn't pick a penalty. That was the obvious, logical choice. Adding a handicap to a Nightmare difficulty where I couldn't guarantee success even at full strength? It wasn't a sane thing to do.
Had I already forgotten the 3rd Floor? How many times I had almost died? The 4th Floor was likely to be even tougher. Even for the sake of the world, choosing a penalty was something I couldn't justify. If I failed, humanity would perish. Was it worth risking that to save a small number of people?
It wasn't even a comparison. 8 billion people versus tens or hundreds of thousands.
Of course, it would solve the problem of The Fallen. And it would prevent the risk of my own family becoming Climbers in the future. But thinking rationally, the scales were still unbalanced. If I didn't succeed this time, my family would die anyway.
So, no penalty.
...I knew that, but my heart felt like lead.
Lying on the bed and staring blankly at the ceiling, I sat up. On the TV, reports regarding the situation were still flowing out. People saying I shouldn't take the penalty, rallies of Nightmare Climbers' families screaming in the streets...
I had received a massive amount of Whispers through the Communication Window as well. The world was in an uproar because the Tower had blasted that global announcement.
I didn't care about their opinions. I couldn't afford to. It was simply a matter of making the right choice.
[Chicken Sandwich: No one will blame you for not choosing a penalty, Mr. Kim. No one has the right to.]
[Chicken Sandwich: You don't need to feel any guilt. This is just the Tower’s trickery. You have already saved humanity several times, and not choosing a penalty is the way to save everyone once again.]
[Saram123: Does Villon also want me to refuse?]
[Chicken Sandwich: ...I will respect your choice, Mr. Kim.]
I had even talked with Villon. As expected, the answer was already decided.
The 20-day time limit was almost up. I had to make a choice.
- ...In the end, we must respect whatever choice Saram123 makes. Even if he chooses a penalty, and even if the world meets its end as a result, I, at least, will respect his noble spirit...
I turned off the TV. After equipping all my items, I stood in the middle of the room.
[1. Physical abilities reduced by 50%]
[2. Skill cooldowns doubled]
[3. Three random skills prohibited from use]
[4. One highest-grade skill prohibited from use]
[5. Item use prohibited]
Looking at the options again, they were absurd. Is the Tower scared that I’ll clear the 4th Floor too easily? Is that why it’s pulling these tricks?
“Seriously, what’s with this targeting the ace...”
If the goal was to disturb my peace of mind regardless of what I chose, then it had succeeded. But I wasn't going to choose a penalty.
[Would you like to enter the 4th Floor of Nightmare difficulty?]
I ignored the penalty selection window and brought up the entry prompt.
“En...!”
I was about to shout it out boldly, as if shaking off my lingering unease, but I hesitated.
“...”
Let’s not do this. I know it’s not right. There’s no fault of mine in this choice. It’s just a rule the Tower set on its own, and now it's offering to nullify it on its own. I...
“...Ha.”
A thin laugh escaped my lips. I closed my eyes for a long moment, then opened them and looked at the penalty selection window again.
“This is truly insane.”
I knew it. Did I really think I was some kind of savior just because people kept calling me one?
...But just this once. I wanted to be a little stubborn.
I raised my finger.
* * *
Choi Won-young had gone outside after seeing the Tower’s announcement. She had managed to find a rally on the street and shouted along with people in the same situation, begging for a penalty to be chosen.
She didn't know if it was a meaningful action or if her voice would even reach Saram123. She was just grasping at straws.
Returning home exhausted, she tightly hugged her daughter, who ran into her arms crying.
“I’m really okay, Mom... I’m okay now...”
On the TV news, the Nightmare difficulty time limit was displayed in large numbers, ticking down. Only a few minutes remained.
She knew. If she thought of the world, she shouldn't wish for him to choose a penalty. She knew it was a terribly selfish wish.
But please... just please. If only she could be allowed to hope for a miracle just once.
[‘Saram123’ has accepted the Tower’s proposal and selected a penalty.]
[The rule ‘Climbers who do not enter the Tower within 3 years shall die’ is nullified.]
“...!”
The mother and daughter, still holding each other, looked up at the same time. They stared blankly at the message before them for a long, silent moment.
* * *
“Whew...”
In a dark office, Villon leaned back in his chair. He wiped his face with his hands and let out a deep, weary sigh.
“...If that is your choice.”
He muttered while looking at the message floating in the air.
“Please, make it through, Mr. Kim.”
* * *
In the office of the Climbing Agency’s Monitoring Division.
“He... he chose a penalty.”
Kang Ju-hyuk spoke, staring into the air with his cup noodles half-eaten and forgotten.
Shin Su-jin nodded, her face grim. She found herself clenching her fists so hard her knuckles turned white. She prayed fervently in her heart that he would return alive.
* * *
“...He has made his choice,” the live news anchor said softly.
There was no need to specify what he had chosen. Everyone had seen the message.
At Gwanghwamun Street in Seoul, a massive crowd had gathered. For a moment, heavy sighs erupted from the throng. However, soon, several people began to pray with their hands clasped. Then the people next to them, and the people next to them, began to pray one by one.
Soon, the entire street was submerged in a heavy, profound silence.
The world held its breath, waiting for the result.