Chapter 42
Chapter 42
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 42
Chapter Title: Alex Scott
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⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ [Congratulations! Alex Scott has satisfied the clear conditions for the 65th floor, the first in the Earth server.] [The tutorial is over. The Tower enters Phase 2.] "It's really happening."
The warning Nana the Prophet gave me yesterday.
The Tower's Phase 2.
She said that the moment someone clears the 65th floor, all Towers enter Phase 2.
"Phase 2...?"
"From now on, you'll have to tackle the Tower in a completely different way than before."
Her words were shocking. Up until now, the floors humanity had climbed were just the tutorial floors.
The fact that the 'real' climb begins from the 66th floor.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ [The Tower's laws are changing. These changes apply to all Towers and Climbers across every channel.] [Rechallenging cleared floors is now impossible.] [The Tower Impact deadline has been shortened to 30 days.] [From now on, the Tower's conquerors will come seeking the Earth server.] [Climbers, will you be able to defend the Earth server?] The message windows popping up.
It looks like this is being officially announced to all Climbers.
No wonder. Right after I got the message, emergency guild meetings started centering around the Climbers' Association.
In fact, there was no need for meetings. The news, SNS, communities—everything was buzzing about the Tower's Phase 2.
So, who is this Alex Scott?
He's the world's one and only 'Solo' that So Seori mentioned before.
In discussions about who the strongest Climber on Earth is, three names always come up without fail.
Khan, King, and Solo.
"Dagger! Have you seen this?"
That's right. Khan is that skinny-armed Arnold who calls me Dagger.
He's China's number one ranker, infamous worldwide for poaching Climbers and all sorts of scams, but still an unignorable force from a global superpower.
"Looks like I have to head back. Thanks for everything."
Khan seemed like he wouldn't care at all, but he didn't ignore the summons from China.
He left a message saying he'd be heading to China tomorrow with his secretary in tow.
Khan is the Climber representing the pinnacle of technique.
'King' is the man called America's Superman.
The most popular hero, pushed by America as their super superhero.
Thanks to the hero branding, his entire team climbs in skintight costumes like something out of a comic, and they're known for hero activities off the Tower too.
It's also why even those awakened in America can't just casually commit crimes.
His mere existence suppresses America's crime rate like a symbol.
King represents the pinnacle of raw power among Climbers.
And finally, 'Solo' Alex Scott.
His nickname 'Solo' comes from being the only one in the world who climbs solo, without a party.
A Grimoire wielder known as a necromancer.
He commands the Tower's monsters that have entered eternal rest as his summons through forbidden arts.
Details are unclear, but it's known that there's no limit to the number of summons.
The reason he operates solo is simple.
He doesn't need a party because he's equivalent to an entire one-man army on his own.
Solo represents the pinnacle of magic among Climbers.
In the end, Solo is the one who broke Earth's ceiling.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ [Congratulations! Alex Scott has satisfied the clear conditions for the 65th floor, the first in the Earth server.] All of this upheaval happened because Solo conquered America's 65th floor.
It was information I already knew in advance, but it came much faster than expected.
I'd just heard about it yesterday—no time to leverage any information advantage.
From now on, the Tower is no longer just a magic stone factory. It's become a clock tower counting down to extinction.
"No time to rest."
The future Nana saw was certain doom.
Even the top Climbers called Khan, Solo, and King—they all fail in the end.
Unfortunately, the one and only variable is 'me.'
If I do nothing, Earth is definitely doomed.
Whether I want to or not, I have no choice. I just have to act.
Because I'm the only one who can introduce a variable into a predetermined future.
It might sound ridiculous to trust and plan around some stranger claiming to be a prophet, but it's more reasonable to assume everything she said is true.
Phase 2 happened right away, just like she said. And above all...
Her eyes were the eyes of someone telling the truth. I'm no mind reader, but I could tell that much.
One regrettable thing is that the announcement included details I hadn't heard from her at all.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ [From now on, the Tower's conquerors will come seeking the Earth server.] This part right here.
Tower conquerors? What the hell is that?
Logically speaking, it could be interpreted as those who have conquered the Tower—people who successfully climbed to the top—coming to Earth.
There aren't any on Earth yet, at least. We don't know how many floors the Tower has, but it goes at least to the 90th.
The cults and Aka Sik said they were residents of the 90th floor.
So, conquerors must be beings from other planets or dimensions, not Earth.
Humanity's highest floor is 65. Most vaguely assume 100 is the top, but that's just a baseless psychological number.
"So, will these conquerors really help humanity?"
I don't think so. The Tower isn't kind enough to dispatch helpers to Earth.
It makes more sense in Tower genre terms to interpret it as new enemies appearing.
But in the end, speculation is just speculation. The only thing I can do right now is...
"Enter Tower."
Climb the Tower.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ In the midst of this sudden global upheaval, almost every organization related to the Tower held emergency meetings.
But just like everyone else, none of them came up with plans significantly different from Moon Byul's thinking.
Except in America, where the meeting content was a bit different.
Alex Scott's sudden ceiling climb.
Normally, America has King and his party do massive publicity climbs for the ceiling.
It's for political reasons: showing off national power and promoting safety from extinction.
Alex Scott, always a solo act, would climb alone after America officially conquered the ceiling.
But suddenly, without any warning, he conquered it.
This is already a huge loss for America, but they have no grounds to harshly criticize a Climber personally.
Whatever the reason, it's the individual's choice.
From America's big-picture perspective, it's annoying, but they'd just warn him not to do it again and move on.
But this time, there's something different.
"Phase 2? We have to assume Alex knew about this information."
"But how did he know?"
Alex had kept this unspoken agreement until now.
And he breaks it exactly at the 65th floor, where Phase 2 begins?
That's highly suspicious.
"Where the hell is Alex right now?!"
"We've searched his usual spots, home, and a 10km radius. No sign of him."
Alex operates as a 'solo,' so he's not guild-affiliated. He wanders like a mercenary.
Still, as high-value combat power, America accommodated him.
Magic stones, artifacts—they met most of his demands. Because he's core to America's forces.
"Damn it!"
"This whole situation is off, Congressman."
"Who doesn't know that? His Excellency isn't planning to let this slide easily either. It's a matter of humanity's survival."
The reason the U.S. government is desperately hunting for Alex is simple.
How much does he know?
Logically, Alex knew about Phase 2 in advance.
Otherwise, there's no reason for his sudden actions.
After Phase 2 activated, Alex vanished.
He's deliberately avoiding the government.
"The Tower isn't some vague factory anymore—it's literally the symbol of doom now!"
The limit shortened to 30 days?
America's forces can pour everything into the Tower for now and delay extinction.
But the problem is...
For how long?
A year? Two? Ten? No one knows.
Of course, they had preparations. But now this dangerous tightrope walk has been accelerated out of nowhere. No one knows how long it can last, or if Phase 3 even exists.
Alex clearly has information others don't. America must obtain it.
"We have to find him, no matter what!"
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ At the same time, Shanghai, China.
"The prophet's late this time."
I have no idea where things got twisted, but she's definitely late.
"Did something go wrong?"
No, impossible. This regression was prepared more thoroughly than any before. Her delay is just a minor butterfly effect.
Alex Scott gazes down at the world from the roof of the Shanghai Tower.
The whole world must know about Phase 2 by now.
But from up here, the city lights look the same as any other night, as if nothing happened.
Human activity flickers like signals sent to me standing against the night sky.
As if saying the world is fine.
'What a joke.'
This hub of Chinese culture and economy will soon turn into a sea of flames.
This is the city 'Khan' protects.
Khan is called the pinnacle of technique among Climbers. But the conqueror about to appear has reached a higher realm than Khan.
Khan can't defend it alone.
That's why I'm here. In Shanghai.
This regression is different from the previous ones. I've shadowed and nurtured powerhouses around the world. I've even bought them time to grow as much as possible.
In the first loop, Khan died a dog's death here alone. In the second, he suffered massive injuries. This time, I'll get him through unscathed.
The first conqueror of Phase 2 is finally here: the 'Heavenly Demon.'
The martial pinnacle who razes the city with a single sword.
If Khan survives this fight without injury, unlike before, he'll become a major asset.
His personality's a bit odd, but in this loop, he'll follow me as a comrade too.
He's the type who always trails after the strong, after all.
Phase 2 hits soon, right at midnight.
That's when the Heavenly Demon appears in Shanghai.
My name is Alex Scott.
The sole regressor who knows this world's truth.