Chapter 233
Chapter 233
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 233
Chapter Title: Fakes and Body Snatchers
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"No way, what's my fake doing running around using such crude authorities!!"
"Is it supposed to make sense that you block it with a mop?"
"Is there any idiot in the world who gets done in by their own technique!!"
"This is strictly the president's personal opinion!!"
Ioseph was complaining that Wakamo—who had blocked the pouring acidic rain—was being too harsh, instead of thanking her.
Wakamo, who was on the verge of death after being crushed by her own body weight alongside the ragged Ioseph, still had her spirit intact even as her breathing faltered.
Considering that the [60th Floor Idol] had used abilities far degraded compared to the original, Wakamo's knockoff(?) skill—which had only popped out due to coincidental conditions in the game and Lucia's Artist skill—was harmless as long as you didn't get hit by it.
The fact that even Wakamo herself couldn't use it properly made the power she was spamming all the more pathetic.
Of course, only Iichigo and Wakamo could block an invisible instant-death attack like that.
If there was any silver lining in this misfortune, it was that Wakamo was the only one who'd ever have to take a hit like that.
Lifting a construction site rebar as hordes of zombies and armed undead swarmed from all sides.
"I am the invincible Wakamo Inarizushi!!"
Even if she couldn't use skills, the martial arts honed through climbing wouldn't vanish!!
Wakamo, riding on Ioseph who had transformed into a dragon, swung her weapon without flinching at the armies closing in from every direction.
"Behold the power of the Dragon Knight!!"
"Dragon Knight 07?"
"Take that back!!!"
-"Ugh"
-Return my top scenario writer.
-Thrush series is dead!!
-Ah, should we just dump all these old otakus in the consideration chamber?
-They'll die naturally if we leave 'em!
-Ioseph's surprisingly good at needling lololol.
-Show us, boss!! The strength of Korea's strongest!!
-VR gear ads are flashy as hell.
"Victory or death!!"
"That's a perfect summary of a climber's life."
"Ah, Ioseph!! Can't you play along just a little?!"
＠
"Zombies in the game don't go down to bare fists, but these newly summoned undead can be beaten normally!!"
"So what's the difference?"
"The moves look flashier!!"
She couldn't use skills, stats weren't greatly affected, and without authorities, survival was impossible.
To overcome such absurdity, irrationality, and unfairness, one relied on personal effort and faith.
"Come on!!"
Pilot hurled a trash can lid like a shield, smashing a skeleton soldier's head.
She stylishly snatched the returning lid and blocked a ghoul's claw swipe.
A normal trash can lid would've been shredded like paper by the ghoul's malice-filled claws.
But this was a [Game] object! The hitboxes were all subtly different!!
Pilot blocked enemy attacks with her shield, then smashed them with punches the moment an opening appeared.
Back-to-back with her, Iichigo danced a blade dance—one hand wielding an axe, the other a kitchen knife.
She swung the axe wide to sever waists or necks, then used the kitchen knife to pierce wrists or throats, blocking attacks.
Iichigo moved ceaselessly, her chain attacks unbroken.
Just as the two struggling in the middle of the road were about to be buried under endless corpses, an engine roared.
A Humvee leaped over and crushed corpses, soaring through the air before landing behind them.
"No time to explain—get in!"
As soon as Asuka in the driver's seat said it, Iichigo and Pilot hopped in.
All the cars outside had been wrecked by the acidic rain.
But they hadn't given up, boldly gambling on heading to the auto shop—and as always, they won.
Climbers sometimes had to trust their animal instincts over calculations.
"Straight to the Blue House!!"
"You're insane!!"
The undead horde mixed with zombies surged onto the roads like a tsunami engulfing the city.
They trampled and crushed each other, forming a grotesque tangle of flesh.
Iichigo's eyes darted around as she sensed an ominous flow from the endless march of stinking corpses.
"This is bad, I don't know what it is but it's bad!!"
Her intuition was sharper than sharp—verging on a skill manifestation.
Her survival instincts accurately warned her of danger—but...
The 【Ascension Tower】 was spewing killing intent with enough force to shatter even her instincts.
And this wasn't even the real thing—just a pseudo-version triggered by chance conditions.
Just like Nanna's fake and Wakamo's fake.
In the end, being fakes meant they couldn't compare to the originals, so the disasters they could unleash were "pathetic level" at best.
"It's coming, something ominous is coming!!"
"Day 4 in game time and it's already here?!"
It had only been 1 in-game day since the Ascension Tower's warning.
Wasn't it enough to start with executioners hunting them down, deploy undead monsters, and pour acidic rain?
＠
"It's because I have [Records] that I didn't want to enter the tower! This VR game ruined me!"
"Less talking, more swinging weapons!!"
"You look comfy?!"
"Humans are animals of adaptation."
Mami dangled from Nanna's arm like a weapon, one hand gripping a scythe, the other Nanna's arm—and nagging her to stop yapping and fight, cigarette dangling from her mouth.
Nanna swung her scythe relentlessly, as if accustomed to the mana-less game environment.
Nanna's Yankee Storm strength was awe-inspiring; one swing scattered zombies like mowed grass.
She displayed flashy, masterful technique in the realm of pure skill—movements honed to reliably cut off the enemy's breath.
"See? It's in the form of reaping lives, right?"
"Blood's rushing to your head."
"It doubles as an umbrella, so rain's no issue?"
"My skirt isn't an umbrella, and if you use me as one, what am I supposed to do?"
"Quick fact of the day! Fans know the uterus is an acidic environment, right? So a well-fermented Mami like me has high acidity and can withstand it—cough cough"
-Knowledge gained today.
-Why is it actually acidic lololol.
-No hesitation, straight to using her as an umbrella lololol.
-Just smack Mami on the back of the head with telekinesis?
-PVP death incoming in a zombie game.
-Ad effect is solid, ah lololol.
-I wanna nap on those thighs too!!
-Tom and Jerry—no, cops and robbers somehow still alive.
Since it had come to this, Nanna—who knew from experience—bolted the moment the alert popped up, declaring she'd fight properly.
Mami was puzzled by Nanna suddenly taking shelter in a building, but staying outside clueless would've melted her with the zombies.
"Ah, this is why I hate teaming with clueless newbies!!"
"Acidic rain? What's next?"
"Normally it'd demand survivors kill each other, but since we're all allies—"
【Day 4 begins.】
【『Body Snatcher』 begins activity.】
The moment the alert appeared, Nanna swung the phone in her other hand.
She psychically halted a flying plate aimed at her head, twisted it, then hurled it back while yanking Mami's flesh-bound arm, staggering her.
"Nice! It really hit!"
"What? Explain!"
"I told you kindly—since we're close, they're mixing in fakes among us."
"Right next to me—don't tell me?"
"Even next to you, it can swap instantly."
It was a pseudo-『Ascension Tower』, so it stopped at this level—no Confusion or Madness to drive people insane and blur friend from foe.
Nanna claimed the gods' constant suspicion and fighting stemmed from the Ascension Tower inflicting human distrust.
Even if you survived together, how could you trust the guy next to you wasn't swapped?
"The German doppelganger guy's descendant from that thing that just came out!!"
"Don't spill his unknown birth secret on stream!"
"You know the Japanese ninja guy's ancestor got mimicked?"
"Must've been small!!"
"I'll give you that."
"Huh?"
-Dog-sized lol!!
-"Creature of Possibility"
-Wait, wasn't this a super scary story???
-Horror or comedy, pick one.
-So fakes are mixed in now? Can't even tell.
-Can you spot fakes running around?
"As a senior, advice: kill the weak ones first. In the tower, your life comes before anything—don't forget."
"Wow, such touching advice."
"Alright, Leon, ready?"
"Of course, Ada."
The building they entered was the 『Police Station』.
In a game without military bases, this was the only place for firepower like guns.
Cockroach-like police zombies mingled with undead monsters, even wraiths flying overhead.
Mami loaded psychic energy instead of bullets into her revolver and aimed.
Trigger pulled, gunshot echoed.
Undead swarmed the station from all directions at the sound.
＠
The others had reliable ways to protect themselves.
Zombies couldn't bite dragon scales, and undead struggled to wound them.
The softening from acidic rain was temporary; with the Idol on board, her stats rose as a 『Shrine Maiden』.
The only real threat was Zombie Wakamo, but aside from instant-death(?), nothing dangerous—so Wakamo ignored it.
Iichigo grabbed incendiaries from a mart, instantly crafting a homemade flamethrower and Molotovs on-site.
Armed with Iichigo's gear, Pilot and Asuka rampaged; Iichigo showcased survival expert skills banned from streams.
Crafting guns in seconds, assembling, even making bombs—miraculous tech!!
Membership video-worthy, but survival demanded it.
And the only one free to use 【Authorities】, Mami, was dual-wielding with Nanna at the station.
If things went south and Mami died, she'd death-rewind into a prolonged war.
Minor issue: from "Hero! You've died!" to whispering "Wake up, hero!" nonstop for mental damage.
Mami fought like a commando back from hell, cigarette in mouth; Nanna, back in the hated tower, displayed kingly prowess.
So then.
What if the company's two weakest in combat ended up teamed—and one was useless in a fight due to injury?
"Haa haa haa"
Good to grab meds from the pharmacy and feed Rusalka, then hide safely—but acidic rain forced them underground.
『Artist』 Lucia, low stamina to begin with, was on the verge of collapse just dragging Rusalka to safety.
Thanks to that, she'd wasted 2 in-game days pointlessly, roughly sating hunger with chocolate while assessing.
-Fakes running around.
-Zombie Wakamo smashed fake Wakamo's head.
-Three Wakamos!! Yuuma's coming!
-He's not astral!!
-How many bosses lololol.
-Forced transfer flung members too.
-Fr, Pilot and Asuka by Iichigo vanished.
-Iichigo slit throats the alert popped.
-How do you think the child emperor survived?
-Executioners out, stay cautious.
"Ugh—"
Lucia's fans were on edge seeing her tremble in fear and terror.
Wasn't she the frailest member? Others were barely holding on, no spare effort to reach her.
-Lucia's definitely the weakest!!
-World's like that.
-Nah, total chaos, no one can come.
-Zombies reach here, what then?
She knew the 『Artist』 penalty was harsh—even couldn't kill game zombies.
Could before Rusalka summoned the boss, but Ascension Tower swap applied the penalty instantly.
Conversely, this place mimicked the tower environment, so Artist penalty meant skills usable.
And hadn't she already used one? Roaming Zombie Wakamo was from her drawing.
Now, as Lucia panted, tears streaming from exhaustion, fans fretted.
What was Lucia thinking?
Her hands shook.
Gasping, she pondered—the chance given by the gods!!
Even Artists, no matter how rich, had taboos.
You couldn't make art from humans(?).
Like gallery criminals protesting "What about us?"
But that's just display, not art! Even dead undead in human form.
Could flowing blood and flesh make art—【Hell's Gate】?
Could she create like French artist Auguste Rodin's hundreds of figures expressing human passions, pleasure's peak, heavy burdens of vice?
Those entangled bodies showed roots of pain sprouting from evil's juice—could these corpses express it more radically, grotesquely?
Even hearing fakes roaming—could she use them as material?
Lucia agonized, weighing human conscience, morals against artistic creation urge.
Not like Nazis, guardians, or engineers—but maybe okay?
"[Senior... since it's come to this, just go wild like always? Something's coming this way—executioner, right?]"
Ironic: weakened Tower Lord's throat slit by tower executioner.
Seeing trembling Rusalka, Lucia steeled herself.
She raised her sculpting knife—not game item, but the one Wakamo gave her for works.
Thud thud—
Footsteps approaching closer.
Finally, something reached the door, turned the knob, peeked in.
-Hey, where you going lololololol.
-Don't pretend you didn't see lolololol.
-Ah, nothing here, nothing.
-Fastest judgment ever.
-I'm a skeleton, can't see.
-Lucia, eyes glazed over f***!!
-Adolf in Lucia's psyche whispering!!
-This piece gets her into art school?
-Art school bound!
"Hoo, I'll get into art school with a splendid artwork!!!! I curse you, Engineer!!!"
-Yeah yeah, Engineer again.
-Pinpoints all evil's root.
-Germany picked the wrong kid.
-I just got here, why's executioner fleeing?
-Think Adolf's chasing you.
-Run slow like that, you'll get caught?
-Run faster than the guy next to you.
-Aha!
"Haa haa haa!"
Lucia burst out clutching her knife, drooling "Stop, you walking material for my art school entrance!!" shrieking as she chased.
Normally zombies and undead would swarm the noise, but seeing her hack undead, stitch into corpse canvases—even mindless undead fled instinctively.
Even they craving living blood, warmth, life thought "not this."
"Lucia! Here to save you!"
"Iichigo!!"
"First, this way—"
Stab.
"Ah?"
"2cm taller, higher nose bridge, right shoulder asymmetry, teardrop mole too small? This right? No, wrong! I'll dress you as real me! Low quality!!"
"Kieek!!"
Body Snatcher shrieked, trying to revert to monster form—but transformation failed, flinching.
Already stabbed by Artist's knife, it became living material—Victor Frankenstein's feelings upon creating his creature?
In an instant, the Artist's hands birthed a 1/1 scale "model" of 『Hajime Iichigo』, revealing its beauty.
Lucia was blood-soaked, but minor issue.
"This is paradise!!"
Bursting outside, one hand knife and bag for materials, Lucia piggybacked Rusalka and yelled.
"Fresh material walking around!!!"
"Kieek!!"
Chasing the fleeing executioner without looking back, "Where are the other Body Snatchers!!" Lucia rampaged.
Spotting fake Ioseph Khan amid zombies, she charged like a marionette with snapped strings.
Don't people sometimes unleash superhuman strength unknowingly?
Dopamine exploding at the unimaginable chance to sculpt comrades into art—Lucia was spine-chillingly fast.
Game zombies lunged, but grabbed by collars into the bag; it dripped blood like a corpse sack onto the road.
"Ioseph!!! It's me, Lucia!!!"
"Kiyaaak!! Real one!! The real's chasing!!"
"Don't abandon comrades!!! Hug 'em with love!!!"
-????
-Why's Body Snatcher fleeing.
-Don't go? Comrade?
-Wearing comrade's skin, so come lololol.
-Rusalka and Mei there too!!
-Nanna and Mami too?
-Why flee when fakes outnumber lololol.
"Aah—! So lovable!! Unlike Adelheid, Wakamo-made Lucia is this beautiful!!"
"Hieeek, hieeek!!"
Grabbing fake Lucia's hair, "Good kids go in the bag!!" kidnapping her.
At that mad sight, lurking 『Muttering Maw』 slinked away.
＠
When East Asia Federation faithful are attacked.
Our greatest heroes shall come!
For fans' dopamine!!
We are those who fight all tyranny
Those who offer lives today for a freer tomorrow,
Those who reclaim freedom.
And those who spread peace to our federation..!
"Helldiver incomingggg!!!"
"Wahhh, fun stream today"
"Over there!! Smells like booze!!"
Humvee raced down the road, fake Asuka and fake Pilot tied upfront.
Pilot at the wheel showed captain-worthy navigation as the only 0th gen with a license.
—Actually, just low on alcohol, snapping and rampaging for booze.
Iichigo, mask on after ages, roasted zombies from passenger seat with homemade flamethrower.
Hurling Molotovs wildly, other hand rapid-fired modded electric drill nail gun.
"For democracy!!!"
Asuka atop the Humvee, face camo'd, condensed and fired electricity from the generator.
Crushing zombies, bulldozing undead, a shadow loomed as a white dragon soared overhead.
"Please give lots of attention and purchases to the new VR gear!!"
As president, Wakamo shouted ads for new equipment anyway.
"Inquire at company for support, discounts for VTubers—!!"
Kind explanation as she hurled rebar, bursting a massive flesh zombie's head.
Ioseph headbutted an unknown giant undead at flying speed, grabbed with both hands, tore apart.
"Girls' version too for promo, prez!!"
"Free female models!!! Anyone becomes a girl with this!!! The VTuber path is open to all viewers!!!"
"Much appreciation!!"
-lolololololololololol.
-No lolololololololol.
-President's tough.
-Singing VTuber at world's end.
-Turning all humans into VTubers?
-They say once in virtual world, can't return?
-Like this stream???
-Nah, just means turning into bitches.
-Become a Miko too.
-Yamero!!
Trailing buildings minced zombies into ground beef, sliding down roads.
Sky-full guns followed Mami's hands, pouring bullets.
Nanna swung her like a weapon full-force; undead charging cleaved in half by the slash, collapsing.
Climbers are fighters—turning selves into human weapons!
Thus truly human-scythed Mami rampaged in sync with Nanna.
"Howl, ego weapon!!"
"Kooooh"
-Say my name, Iichigo!
-Chamsol!
-No, wrong!!
-More like, that's a cry?
-Nanna's true Zanpakuto?
-Zuihje? Won't lend.
-Truly just high-rank rotten stagnant water.
"Friends! Touring layers with seniors today."
"When juniors come, do the same, Nanna."
"Heartwarming, tears flowing, right everyone?"
-Laughing so hard drooling.
-This VTuber bond?
-Treating mounts like this? Only here.
"Seriously, not one sane person among us! Except us!"
"I'll give you that."
Shameless? To other members, Nanna wielding Mami as weapon was bizarre.
Mami eyed the 0th gen trio—like criminals crafting dangerous gear from looted buildings/marts to fight.
And they felt pathos for the prez's zeal, screaming VR gear promo like any VTuber could do it.
Where'd the tense "Survive to day 7!!!" go?
Wakamo Corp VTubers, having endured every bullshit tower, had transcendent adaptability.
They couldn't tolerate being done in; lives far from patience.
Always chasing dopamine for viewers in VTuber life.
Backing down from fear kills the stream!!
"Over here!!"
"Nooo! Don't! Stop!!"
Lucia appeared, greedily stuffing fake Nanna's hair into her bag.
Blood-drenched, panting "haa haa haa," she swung her knife, bisecting a giant undead like clay.
Impossible for the knife's length, yet casually sliced; eyes flashing, she stuffed struggling undead into bag.
"[Over there, seniors!!]"
"Real deal, ah... this one's not fake."
"Dunno why you're disappointed, don't wanna know."
Where'd all those undead go?
Nanna didn't wanna know fake self's fate stuffed in bag, so ignored.
3x numbers, higher difficulty—but once rampage started, cleared in seconds.
Wakamo skewered 4 zombies on rebar like kebabs, eyes flashing muttering "where'd that zombie bitch go."
Ioseph segued naturally from VR ad to new song promo on cam.
0th gen trio looked like terrorists, flamethrowers in hand, wandering post-prez for zombies.
Caught, no good end.
Their eyes held only climber frenzy to demolish monsters.
Thus they found and shredded the hiding boss.
So savage, unrecognizable as human—apocalypse-adapted in 4 game days.
"[Head hurts so much...]"
"Me too."
Nanna thought even real 『Ascension Tower』 might not handle these.
【Wakamo 1st Floor Tower攻略d!】
【Platinum Achieved!】
Boss slaughtered miserably, alerts rang with game end button.
[ Tower Exit] fitting description?
"—Rewards?"
Ignore Pilot chugging booze; Iichigo asked Nanna.
Don't towers give rewards on clear?
At the obvious question, Nanna grimaced bitterly.
"Told you, it's bullshit."
Ascension Tower gives no rewards.
Just 【Aether】 accumulation in body.
Iichigo blanked at the shocking truth.
※※※
"Ads successful! Good work!"
Reality: 15 hours passed. Removing VR gear, waiting managers handed drinks.
Gratefully sipping, they rose laughing, grabbed manager's limbs, yanked.
"Didn't expect this—!!!!"
Panting 0th gen trio, Nanna, Mami torturing manager aside.
Wakamo, weary, resummoned Mei, approached Rusalka.
"My tower won't turn into 【Ascension Tower】, right?"
"[Um—it's an artificial pseudo-layer. No worries.]"
"Could Rusalka or Korean tower grow into Ascension Tower?"
"[We started from 0 separately, so dunno. See 【Tower of Babel】 or my shop-specialized Russian tower—possible.]"
Stream success, esp ad effects huge.
Zombie movie/game ads trickled in unplanned, but Wakamo uninterested.
"If Nanna enters a tower, could it see my records like Korean tower, become Ascension?"
She avoids [Climbing], entering towers.
As final, greatest Ascender, she mediated towers.
Conversely, any tower she climbed would become Ascension Tower.
"[Probably.]"
Even [My Worlds] guardian not made Idol.
At Rusalka's affirmation, Wakamo pondered.