Chapter 3
Chapter 3
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 3
Chapter Title: Tower Rules and Platinum Debut
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◎ Climbing Rules Chapter 0.
All Awakeners are called Climbers by the Tower, and the minimum criterion for selecting a Climber is whether they can kill living beings.
◎ Climbing Rules Chapter 1.
While nine out of ten Awakeners are people who abide by societal norms, it is recommended that they clearly recognize their superhuman status and register as Awakened with their nation's Association.
※※※
Modern technology or firearms cannot be used inside the Tower. To be precise, it's because the conditions aren't met. The cases where one can fulfill those conditions and receive help from modern scientific tools are, without exaggeration, rare enough to count on one hand.
That's why filming inside is naturally difficult, leaving us to recreate it based on Climbers' testimonies. The only exceptions are when certain special-job Awakeners retrieve environmental data from inside the Tower or when one of those rare condition-fulfillers brings in a camera to record.
Climbers make up only about 2% of humanity.
Actually, 2% of eight billion people is roughly 160 million, so it's not that few.
In any case, helping those climbing the upper floors is tough, but since we must minimize the mortality rate for newbie Climbers just stepping into the Tower, nations cooperate globally, sharing info and devising countermeasures.
That's why plenty of Tower information is available to the public.
In novels, you often see stuff like prohibitions on revealing Tower secrets, no escape once entered, or Climbers slaughtering each other inside. In that sense, the Tower in our world... no, in our reality, is pretty kind.
"Wah..."
All Climbers say they'll never forget the moment they first enter the Tower.
Wakamo was feeling it firsthand.
No bird chirps or insect noises, just an surreal landscape of a forest clearing. No modern VR gear could replicate this realism. The textures and colors are different. As a Clipper, I compared it to virtual reality, but bear with me.
'Still, it feels just like logging into 『Virtual Chat』 with an avatar.'
If I'd entered with my real body, I'd truly feel like an Awakener.
But wandering worlds in Virtual Chat with a casually made 3D model, now updated to sky-high quality—that feeling was hard to shake, so I wasn't exactly thrilled.
Terminal illness novels usually give you a month to a year, but I'm worse than a mayfly with under 19 hours left—not even a full day—which might be why I'm so rattled.
"No way! There are Climber jobs that don't even need to enter the Tower, so why am I stuck with this???"
As explained before, not all Climber jobs fight Tower monsters. Take [Artist]—it's far from combat, right? Awakeners who craft outside using brought-in materials to help, or [Porters] who enter just to gather and collect resources without meeting combat conditions—they're common.
Of course, there's no actual [Porter] job.
Climbers have ways to enter any floor regardless of progress, and there's 『Companion』 sharing of 『Common Skills』 from Tower-designated groups. So Climbers thrive outside the Tower too.
Yeah! The Tower calls them Climbers but doesn't force the climb! You wanna go up? Fine. Nah? Ignored. Collapse and die? Your funeral.
Tower! How much lifespan do I have left?
19...
19 days?
19 hours.
What the fuck, you bastard?
No threats with a knife to the throat forcing the climb! At least, not from what Wakamo knows about Towers and Climbers!
"No, if my fave idol gets picked as the Tower's top idol or 'Earth's greatest VTuber,' I'd get flamed all day: 'What makes you worthy of the VTuber job?'"
Scary... Even without guilt, antis spam: "Why no clip here?" "Why clip that? Anti?" Emails all day are exhausting enough. Broadcasting worldwide that the Tower chose me as the ultimate VTuber? I'd birth a new Voldemort online, for real.
"Ughhh..."
The pressure to climb pales next to the fear of invisible-user pitchforks!
"Calm down... Count the VTubers..."
Virtual Live and its all-male Virtual Stars... Second- and third-gen waves, underworld idols... Stella Miss... Muttering the full names of about 70 nudubers to accept reality. Wasted time watching streams, plus an hour denying it post-entry.
"No tutorial fairy, huh..."
Welcome. I'm the Tutorial Fairy.
Time limit: 24 hours. Good luck.
No exploding head if you scream "Lol, let me out!" while someone narrates "And so it begins..." Nope, nothing like that.
Just a Clipper VTuber risking her life climbing in VTuber flesh... This for real?
'Anyway...'
The Tower entered via [Tower Entry] skill was the 100-floor max, info-rich 『Incheon Tower』. Starts at floor 30, up to 99, but 100 is the cap. Chosen because many Korean Awakeners tackle it.
'Only way out without conquering a chosen Tower is to forfeit the climb.'
That resets all stats gained, and you can't retry that Tower.
Factoring that in, I picked the 100-floor for max potential.
"Collab cafe in Incheon... If needed, exit via Tower to save bus time. Big body makes busing tricky..."
Handpicked it. Tempted by Busan's 70-floor, but can't go Japan—Korean nationality limits to Korean Towers. Different nationality means going to that Tower physically. If possible, I'd VTuber in Japan till my 19 hours end, venting grudges.
"But man, it's pathetic. Only [Idol's Body] skill... Even basic [Fighter] gets [Heavy Strike] and [Light Step] combat aids."
Tower-picked idol—shouldn't it give more?
Muttering done, first step on floor 1: *ding♪* Cheerful sound, translucent window pops.
[Climbing Incheon Tower Floor 1 World]
- First step as Climber! To get familiar, catch an [Oil Slime] and start a campfire.
[Platinum Achievement Condition]
-Create a campfire using the caught Slime as material (0/1).
".....Huh?"
Ears perked up, then drooped.
"Hmm??"
Eyes open wide, brows raised, head tilted in doubt. This shows floor 1 strategy? The quest to clear?
"Platinum achievement?"
Unbelievable sight. Does this really work?
From my research, Incheon Tower floor 1 clears by killing the spawning Slime. Then, heading to floor 2 rewards a growth path choice—basic strat.
"Achievement condition... Too easy?"
Maybe info gap. Killing Slime triggers "no monsters left" clear, spawns floor 2 door. No reason to use corpse for fire and rest.
"Heard 『Legendary Class』 is extreme... But this okay?"
[Wizards] or [Archers] start with staff, bow, arrows in inventory. If they lack, I gain equivalent perks.
*Boing boing.*
Mid-thought, black liquid monster wobbles out. Just step? Light stomp: *squish*, like ripe banana. Bug-squash feel... But climbing means fighting humanoid kills eventually?
No wonder minimum Climber mental: killer instinct.
"Wait, inversely—only cared 'cause not VTuber, so I got picked?"
VTubers qualify but can't fight directly?
Grumbling, gathered dry twigs, placed Slime corpse atop. Fire? Every damn trick—friction from rubbing hands. Flammable; embers whoosh to blaze.
"No fatigue at all!"
30 minutes rubbing? No soreness! Flames grazed face—not hot. All-mana body means this? Good's good; first-ever campfire, zoning out.
'Upload this—how many views?'
5 minutes later?
[Incheon Tower Floor 1 achieves Platinum! Opening to all humanity!!]
Unknown but beautiful voice echoes Tower-wide. Nearby folks hear it. Exterior floor 1 color changes.
One of those ultra-rare conditions I mentioned.
Platinum-cleared floors open to non-Climber Awakeners.
Resources? Bring machines, mine 'em. Use as bunker. Maintenance: Platinum Climber alive.
Yes! Wakamo owns floor 1!
Tower real estate beyond regular property!
Just 5 minutes zoning!
[Climb to Incheon Tower Floor 2 World?]
Business done, head to 2.
[Mana: 49,371].
No time to savor achievement!
Rush up: "All wounds healed" alert, [Mana: 70,587] restored—relief sigh. 19-hour lifespan... not even a day, chasing time daily like this.
"Wait, Mana's my channel subs."
Zoomed: +3 micros. Hilarious layers.
"Check floor 1 clear reward first."
Some leisure now, feeling calmer. No—excited!
Platinum? Rewards huge!
Attack skill, weapon—something combat for sure!
[Tower Platinum clear boosts rewards].
[Tower re-evaluating Climber info...].
[Tower updates Earth jobs via Climber].
"Huh..?"
[Choose 1 reward]
[Idol's Flame]
-Consumes held Mana to ignite flames.
[Video Recording]
-Links Climber's channel for Tower filming.
"Obviously 1, duh. Tower doesn't even know VTuber, modifies job on me? This allowed?"
Chilled since "updating Earth jobs." Clearly misread VTuber idol. Tower's weird, but never expected this skill—gimme attacks!!
[Acquired skill [Video Recording]!]
"Ahahahaha, can't hold it lololol"
Debuting as Tower VTuber today.
Survival issue!
My blue pill(?) anyway! Shameless denial works!
"VTuber undetectable as red pill? Invincible!!"
Caught outside? "VTuber cosplay."