Chapter 89: The Cult (1)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 89: The Cult (1)
I entered the Reward Room.
I scanned the spoils. As expected, there was one item and one Skill Enhancement Stone.
No Skill Stone this time, huh.
Judging by its purple glow, it was an Epic Grade Skill Enhancement Stone. The only Epic skill I currently possessed was Subspace. If I used the stone on it, would the storage capacity increase?
Right now, Subspace could hold up to 100kg. It felt like a waste to use such a rare stone on a skill that was essentially just an inventory, especially since I didn't feel the need for more space yet.
I decided to save it. It would be better to use it on a more powerful Epic skill later.
Next was the item. Usually, hidden items were tied to the hidden story of the floor. I picked up the object, which looked remarkably like an ID card.
[Item: Kalundi Empire 2nd Class Citizenship]
Description: Proof of 2nd Class Citizenship within the Kalundi Empire. As a subject of the Empire, you have the right to imperial protection.
Effect: Upon use, summons two Kalundi Knights to serve as your guards for 30 minutes.
Cooldown: 24 hours.
"A citizenship card?"
The Prince had mentioned giving me a reward for winning the match. This must be it. Its primary function was a summoning ability.
I decided to test it immediately.
Flash!
With a faint glimmer of light, two Kalundi Knights materialized on either side of me.
"Excuse me?" I said, testing the waters.
There was no reply. I couldn't tell if they were unable to speak or simply chose to remain silent. I began to walk. The two knights trailed closely behind me, matching my pace perfectly.
"Stop."
I tried giving various commands, but they didn't listen. They simply followed me, their only purpose being to act as guards, exactly as the description stated.
Would they react if I attacked them?
Thwack!
I threw a punch at one. The knight didn't even attempt to defend itself; it simply took the hit and fell over. A moment later, it stood back up and returned to its position by my side.
Hmm... what’s the point of this?
The knights were reasonably strong, but they only functioned as passive guards, and the thirty-minute time limit was a major drawback. It didn't seem particularly useful for my current needs.
I unsummoned the knights. Regardless, I had successfully cleared the 6th Floor Hidden Route.
[Difficulty: Nightmare]
[Floor: 7th]
[Level: 85]
[Willpower: 4,050]
[Skills: Destruction Ray (Epic+), Subspace (Epic), Sixth Sense (Rare+)(+2), Teleportation (Rare+), Rapid Regeneration (Rare+), Scorching Zone (Rare+), Skill: Lesser Flame Formula Refinement (Rare+), Sword of Light (Rare+), Cavalry Charge (Rare+), Flame Strike (Rare)(+5)...]
I exited the Tower.
After a brief rest at home, I re-entered the 6th Floor. It was time to post the guide. As I moved in and out of the floor, organizing the data and typing it into the Communication Window, a voice echoed in my mind.
— Why are you writing this sort of thing? the Demon King asked.
"Because I'm the top record-holder."
— So?
"I'm sharing information so others can clear the floor more easily."
— I am asking why you would do such a thing, the Demon King said, his tone dripping with incomprehension. — From what I can see, if you fail to clear this Tower, your world is finished, is it not?
"That's more or less right."
— Then you should be reigning like an emperor, revered by all. What in the world are you doing? The fate of the world rests in your hands. Use that power to threaten and subjugate them.
There he went again with the megalomania.
"I don't do things like that."
— Why!
"...Because I'm a normal person? Unlike you, Demon King."
The Demon King truly only had the most twisted perspectives. Then again, I suppose that was to be expected of his kind.
— What a frustrating fool.
Ignoring his grumbling, I continued writing the guide. A sudden curiosity struck me.
"What happened to your world, Demon King? It was destroyed by the Tower's Curse in the end, wasn't it?"
Had his world also turned into a hellscape? Had everyone been transformed into The Fallen?
The Demon King didn't answer.
Was I too casual about that? I wondered. It was, after all, the story of his world’s extinction. I turned my focus back to finishing the guide.
*
Ever since Saram123 successfully cleared the Zone 4 Boss, the world had been waiting for the Nightmare 6th Floor guide. Because this clear had taken an unusually long time, the public was dying to know what horrors awaited them.
[Saram123: This is the guide for the 6th Floor.]
True to his word, the post appeared shortly after.
[Saram123: ...The main difference from other difficulties is that Nightmare has three lanes. One Goblin spawns as an allied unit, and three Ogres spawn as enemy units...]
As always, the details were staggering.
Three lanes, Ogres as standard enemies, and a penalty where monsters would double in number and gain resistance if the Cores weren't destroyed in a specific order. There was even a trap where the first Core you had to destroy was your own.
[Sushi: ...The monsters double every time you get the order wrong? And there are three lanes?]
[Durururu: Wow, that's truly horrifying.]
[Gaiheun: I wonder how many times Saram123 got it wrong before succeeding? He should've told us that too.]
[Trojan Horse: No matter how good he is, I doubt he would've done something as crazy as breaking his own Core first. He must have gotten it wrong at least three times, right?]
[Poison Fang: If he got it wrong just three times, that's a total of 72 Ogres every 30 seconds. Holy crap.]
[Pantba: It took him two hours to clear it. He might have gotten it wrong even more times...]
[Storm: No wonder Alejandro failed. How is anyone supposed to clear this on their first try?]
[Tarantula: Saram123 did.]
[Park Jae-woo: He's a god, so he doesn't count.]
The community was stunned by the sheer brutality of the Nightmare Difficulty, and their praise for Saram123 reached new heights.
"...In conclusion, for the 6th Floor, it seems we only need to be careful with the boss, much like the 3rd Floor."
In the main conference room of the US Climbing Bureau, the atmosphere was heavy. Max, who had analyzed and summarized Saram123's guide, finished his briefing.
The biggest hurdle of the 6th Floor—the Core destruction order and its penalties—had been completely neutralized. Now that Saram123 had revealed the mechanics, the climbers following him could bypass the nightmare scenario entirely. Even with three lanes, the turrets would hold long enough to destroy the Cores one by one.
The only remaining variable was the boss.
According to Saram123, the boss was a massive Ogre with monstrous strength and tenacious vitality, estimated to be around Level 60. For the followers, who were mostly Level 50, it was a formidable foe, but its sluggish movements were a weakness they could exploit.
Everything had been spoon-fed to them. The rest was up to the climbers' own grit.
It feels like he's entering a different realm entirely... the US Defense Minister thought, his expression grave.
Saram123 always displayed a level of power that defied his estimated level. Back when he had only cleared the 4th Floor, he had instantly killed Wang Kai—the top record-holder for Hard Difficulty—and the Zone 3 Boss. He must have grown exponentially stronger during the 6th Floor.
He was the world's savior, and the thought of him becoming hostile to humanity was a nightmare beyond comprehension. Still, as Defense Minister, he couldn't help but run "what if" simulations. How effective would modern conventional firepower be against the strongest Climber? What strategies could possibly work?
But seeing as Saram123 had soloed the Zone 4 Boss—estimated to be at least Level 80—the Minister realized that trying to predict his limits was a meaningless endeavor.
Technology was advancing through Mana Stones, but Saram123 was outstripping that progress with every floor he cleared. No matter how fast science moved, it would never catch up to his growth.
The Defense Minister felt a renewed, profound sense of gratitude that the person holding humanity's fate was someone as level-headed as Saram123. If he had been a tyrant, the world would already be in chaos.
The Minister prayed that Saram123 would continue to clear the Nightmare Difficulty, and that he would remain humanity's savior until the very end.
*
After posting the guide, I entered the 5th Floor to scout the newly opened Zone 5.
The environment beyond the snowy fields of Zone 4 was... unsettling. It felt like an ancient, uncharted forest.
"It's eerie."
A thick, pure white fog blanketed the area, reducing visibility to a few measly steps. Diul's Night Vision could pierce darkness, but it was useless against this dense mist.
I strode forward. The monsters here would be Level 50 at most. Even if they launched a surprise attack, I had Sixth Sense. Furthermore, having consumed the Frozen Hydra's Blood, I was nearly unkillable. Even if I got lost, I could simply use Warp to return.
The moment that thought crossed my mind, Sixth Sense screamed.
I stopped time. A monster was bursting through the fog from my flank.
A skeleton?
It wasn't a living creature. It was a skeletal frame, but not a human one—it looked like a dinosaur.
I focused my mind and released the flow of time.
Swish!
I activated Sword of Light, severing the bone dinosaur's head just as it lunged for my throat.
"This thing has no presence."
Or perhaps it wasn't the monster itself. It seemed the fog was magically concealing their presence until the very last second.
Zone 5 was dangerous. Not because of the monsters' strength, but because of the environment. I spent some time wandering the forest, encountering more bone dinosaurs and giant inchworms. They were easy enough to handle, but the constant fog was draining.
I decided to call it a day and warped back.
I should post a warning.
I immediately shared the details of Zone 5 in the Communication Window. It was far too dangerous for other climbers to enter unprepared. Given the terrain, hunting speeds would be significantly slower than in Zone 4. It looked like I wouldn't see the Zone 5 Boss until after I cleared the 7th Floor.
My daily routine settled back into a rhythm. I hunted in the 5th Floor and popped into the 6th Floor to help other Nightmare Climbers prepare for their clears.
And so, time passed.
— ...According to statistics, the number of domestic followers of the 'Church of Saram123' is estimated to be over three million. The organization continues to show tremendous growth with each passing year...
I was lounging on the sofa watching the news after lunch when my phone rang. It was Joo-won, a close friend from my college days.
"Hello? Hey, what's up?" I answered.
The voice on the other end was uncharacteristically somber.
— Seo-hyun, hey... Have you, by any chance, been in contact with Ji-woo recently?
"...Ji-woo? No. Why?"
Ji-woo was Joo-won's girlfriend. The last time I’d seen her was during the protests, when the Association and the government were at odds. She had been among the crowd of Saram123 followers.
— It's nothing. Sorry for calling out of the blue.
"What's wrong? Did something happen?"
Joo-won tried to dodge the question, but his voice sounded so hollow that I kept pressing him. Finally, he let out a deep, ragged sigh.
— Ji-woo has cut off all contact with me and her family...
"What? What do you mean?"
— Haa... It looks like Ji-woo has gotten involved in some strange cult.