Chapter 79: Mask Auction (1)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 79: Mask Auction (1)
— Two hours have passed since Saram123 entered. The number of participants in the Nightmare Communication Window has not decreased, indicating that Saram123 is still currently attempting the clear...
Inside Kim Seo-hyun's home.
Kim Seo-ah held her mother's hands tightly as they watched the live news broadcast.
Her father wasn't home; he was still at work. Unlike his usual evening attempts, Saram123 had challenged the Tower early in the day.
Ever since the Tower appeared, this had become a moment humanity experienced every year, yet one could never get used to this heart-wrenching tension. The fate of the world was being decided once again.
"Please..."
Saram123's clear was taking even longer than the 4th Floor.
Kim Seo-ah muttered tearfully. She was so desperate that her stomach felt nauseous from the anxiety.
"It's okay, everything will be okay."
Choi Su-jin patted her daughter's back, but even she couldn't hide her stiff, worried expression.
As their restless wait dragged on...
The news screen suddenly became frantic, and the anchor shouted excitedly.
— ...We've just received news that the Nightmare 6th Floor has been cleared! Saram123 has succeeded!
At that moment, cheers erupted from every apartment complex, the sound piercing through the veranda windows.
"Ah...!"
Kim Seo-ah let out a sharp gasp.
Perhaps because all the tension had suddenly left her body, she burst into tears and hugged her mother. The two shared the overwhelming relief of the moment.
— Yes, Saram123 has safely succeeded in clearing the Nightmare Difficulty again this year. With this, the Nightmare Difficulty has been cleared up to the 6th Floor, and the time limit has been extended by another year. In particular, his decision to reject the Ark and save all of humanity once again is boundlessly noble...
Choi Su-jin went out to buy groceries to prepare a lavish dinner.
Kim Seo-ah, her emotions still running high, kept flipping through the news channels.
Saram123 had saved humanity once again.
Even on the 4th Floor, he had chosen to take a penalty for the sake of a minority. This time as well, instead of accepting the Tower's offer, he chose the path to save everyone.
It was amazing. Noble, even.
How could a person be so incredible?
Kim Seo-ah expressed her deepest gratitude from the bottom of her heart to the man who had protected the world for another year.
Beep, beep, beep—
The sound of the electronic door lock chimed.
Kim Seo-hyun opened the front door and walked in.
Looking at Kim Seo-ah's face, he asked, "...Did you cry?"
"What? I didn't cry."
"Your eyes are all red. You definitely cried."
"I told you I didn't!"
Glancing at the news on the screen, Kim Seo-hyun headed into his room.
Kim Seo-ah glared at his back before sharply turning her head away.
Does that guy not even care if the world ends? How can he be so nonchalant? And he should have just stayed home. What was he even doing outside to only come in now...
"...?"
She tilted her head. A sudden thought crossed Kim Seo-ah's mind.
Why was it that every time Saram123 cleared a floor...?
Kim Seo-hyun had gone on a trip during the 3rd and 4th Floor clears.
What about during the 2nd Floor?
Unable to remember, she searched for the time the Nightmare 2nd Floor was cleared. It had been in the middle of the night—everyone had been asleep.
The 1st Floor...
Come to think of it, the 1st Floor too?
Just a few hours before the world was supposed to end, while the entire family was gathered in the living room, Kim Seo-hyun had gone outside, saying he needed some fresh air.
And then the Nightmare 1st Floor was cleared. She couldn't forget that moment, so she remembered it clearly.
Also, Saram123 was Korean... and a young man... wait, what?
Her train of thought reached that point before Kim Seo-ah snorted.
"Yeah, right."
Her brother was Saram123? That guy? And he just came back from clearing the 6th Floor?
Even to her, the thought was ridiculous.
In the first place, Kim Seo-hyun was active as an Easy Difficulty Climber and even sold Mana Stones. There was no way he could be a Nightmare Climber.
Dismissing it as a strange coincidence, Kim Seo-ah changed the TV channel.
* * *
After finishing the 6th Floor clear, I returned home, ate dinner, and went to bed early.
[Remaining Time: 12 hours, 56 minutes, 52 seconds]
"Yaaawn..."
I woke up in the early dawn before sunrise and checked the time. There were twelve hours left until this "Mask Auction" thing started.
I browsed through the Communication Window. Everyone else was talking about the auction as well.
Whatever it was, it was a rule from the Tower, so it definitely wouldn't be anything good.
I looked through the messages for a bit before turning it off. Usually, I would take a full day to rest after clearing a floor, but since I needed to see what would happen when the timer hit zero, I couldn't truly relax.
Jumping straight into the Hidden Route clear felt a bit too rushed. Instead, I thought about how to write the strategy guide and whether other people would be able to clear the 6th Floor.
Except for the Boss, it shouldn't be too difficult.
As long as you knew the exact order to destroy the Cores, the number of Ogres would never increase past three. Even if you left two lanes empty while pushing one, your pushing speed would be faster. Even if the 1st Turrets fell, there were two 2nd Turrets, so it would take ages for three Ogres to push through.
The only problem was the Boss.
I had managed to one-shot it with Destruction Ray, but other people might struggle. I’d have to re-enter later and check exactly how strong the Boss was and what abilities it used.
Thinking of Diul, I summoned it.
"Are you okay, Diul?"
Diul emerged from the bracelet and hovered around my head. It seemed to have fully recovered; its condition looked fine.
"We worked hard on the 6th Floor, didn't we? By the way, your appearance keeps changing—are you evolving?"
I tried starting a conversation, but I only felt a slight sense of apathy from it. No answer came. It had no problem calling me an idiot in the Reward Room, though.
"Wanna go for a night stroll on the 2nd Floor?"
Still no verbal answer, but I felt a slight flutter of joy from it. I chuckled and entered the 2nd Floor.
[You have entered the Nightmare Difficulty 2nd Floor.]
The floating platforms hung in the air above the lava. With the physical abilities of my level 80 body, I didn't even need the platforms.
Thud!
I used the Leap skill to jump straight to the main ground in a single bound. I exited the Tower area and ran along the forest path in the night.
Did these walks actually have an effect? It had already unlocked its third ability. Even though it grumbled every time, just like on the 3rd Floor, I had successfully cleared floors several times thanks to Diul. I couldn't help but feel truly reassured by its presence.
After finishing a moderate stroll on the 2nd Floor, I left and entered the 3rd Floor.
"Wanna try using that ability again, Diul?"
I decided to properly figure out Diul's new ability. Perhaps the walk had put it in a better mood, as Diul used the ability without any signs of complaint.
Swoooosh.
Black fog spread into the surroundings. It covered a narrower range than when it was used on the 6th Floor. The Undead swarming toward me entered the zone of darkness. Then, just like the Ogres, they lost their balance, collapsed, and started flailing around.
As expected, it wasn't just blinding them. Since it had no effect on me, I couldn't understand the enemies' exact condition.
"Can you make it affect me too, Diul?"
At that exact moment... my vision went pitch-black.
Not only could I not see, but I also couldn't hear. The pungent stench of corpses vanished. My physical sensations disappeared; I couldn't even tell if I was moving.
It was absolute, total darkness.
I was momentarily thrown into a panic by the unfamiliar sensation of having zero senses. Soon, my five senses returned to normal. When they did, I found myself flailing on the ground just like the Undead.
'Pfft.'
Diul looked at me and laughed mockingly.
Finding it a bit absurd myself, I let out a laugh and stood up. Right... so this is what the ability does. I understood why it consumed so much power. This practically turns the opponent into a complete idiot.
The zone of darkness lifted, and the Undead regained their senses. I decided on a name for the skill.
"It's like fog, so let's call it Pitch-Black Fog. How's that, Diul?"
Diul didn't even seem interested, acting as if to say, 'Do whatever you want.'
Then Pitch-Black Fog it was. I had gained a significantly powerful ability.
* * *
Time passed, and it became daytime.
[Remaining Time: 1 minute, 31 seconds]
There wasn't much time left. I paced around the room with my arms crossed, waiting. It said 100 people would be randomly invited... Naturally, I didn't want to be picked.
Although the number of Climbers who had cleared up to the 6th Floor was small, there were still at least a few thousand. Calculating the odds, my chance of being picked was less than 10 percent.
There's no way I'll get picked.
[Remaining Time: 1 second]
Flash.
The scenery before my eyes completely changed.
...Ah. I guess I just jinxed myself.
I was selected.
"Whoa?"
"Uh..."
The surroundings were filled with people wearing masks. My vision was narrow. I felt my face—there was a mask on me, too.
Other people looked around in panic, staring at each other. They were all people who had been picked, just like me. The location looked like a dark theater. There were seats, and a stage was visible at the front.
[1,000,000 People]
A number was visible in the corner of my vision. One million people? What did that mean?
Step. Step.
The sound of dress shoes echoing rang through the area. The murmuring of the crowd stopped, and everyone's gaze focused on the stage.
What is that...?
A figure in a suit stood there, wearing a mask. However, its visible hands didn't look human. It held a microphone and spoke.
"Congratulations on being invited to the Mask Auction, everyone. Please take a seat wherever you feel comfortable."
The voice was dry and business-like. Still bewildered, everyone picked a seat and sat down. Not knowing what would happen if I didn't comply, I sat down in the back rows.
Flick!
The stage lights brightened. The entity on stage spoke again.
"I am the Auctioneer overseeing this event. There are two rules you must follow while the auction is taking place. First, do not attack the Auctioneer. Second, do not attempt to damage or steal the auction items. As long as you follow these two rules, you can enjoy the auction and return to your original locations once it concludes."
What is this, really?
All the Tower's rules so far had been designed to ruin the world and kill people. But now, suddenly holding an auction... I couldn't tell what it was trying to achieve.
"Then, we shall begin the auction immediately. The first auction item."
An item suddenly appeared on the podium in the center of the stage. It was a Skill Stone, glowing green.
[Skill: Formation Collapse (Rare+)]
Leap high into the air and plummet down to create a powerful shockwave. The higher the altitude, the greater the power.
Category: Physical-Type
Willpower Consumption: 100
Cooldown: 1 minute
Even without touching it, the skill description popped up before my eyes. Other people seemed surprised as well; they could all see it. It was a Rare+ grade skill.
"The number you see in your vision is the currency you may use to bid in this auction. I would like to inform you that all of you have been granted an equal amount of 1,000,000 people."
At the Auctioneer's words, I looked back at the number in the corner of my vision.
[1,000,000 People]
So this was the money we could use. But why was the unit like this? It wasn't points; why was the counter for "people" attached to it?
"What does one million people mean...?"
Someone must have had the same question, as they raised their hand and asked. The Auctioneer nonchalantly gave a shocking answer.
"It is the lives of non-Climbers. For the number of 'people' you spend, an equivalent number of non-Climbers will randomly die."
"...E-Excuse me?"
"It is a special reward given to you all for clearing up to the 6th Floor. I would also like to inform you that those who die as currency for this auction will not become The Fallen, as they are not dying from the Tower's curse. You may use all one million people, or you may choose to use none at all. The choice is entirely up to your own free will, so please feel free to enjoy the auction without any burden."
...What kind of crazy bullshit was this?
The Auctioneer continued.
"The starting bid for the first item is 1,000 people. Those who wish to bid, please raise your hand and call out your price."