Chapter 36
Chapter 36
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 36
Chapter Title: Unreasonable Platinum Clears
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The tower is a place with bizarre environments.
You can bring guns or tanks if you can carry them—but weapons made in the modern world can't be used inside the tower.
Only items created with [Skills] or made from resources procured directly inside the tower can be used.
The former comes with job restrictions, while the latter limits what you can produce. Unless you're in a production class, the best you could manage is probably a stone axe.
Even if you bring bombs or gunpowder, they won't explode.
[Alchemists] or [Shooters] who can use such things face fewer restrictions.
The tower is a place that tests humanity.
Someday, even the easiest way up will be blocked.
※※※
....I've always thought this.
Always, every time....
Since my body never sleeps, I've always pursued what I love... what I adore... just things that make me happy.
Now that I've resolved to become that happiness itself—after flailing around at being forced into becoming a VTuber and finally deciding to walk properly.
The physical terror of death looming in the tower, and the mental terror of a single slip-up in my VTuber stream sending me straight to hell.
I didn't show it, even as I faced them.
Maybe I was just naturally gifted as a climber.
Shaking off all those countless fears and worries.
Just like the countless pioneering VTubers of generations past. There was an uncharted concept, so I dove in to be the first.
One pro VTuber once said.
The most important thing is life. Living hesitantly won't make it sparkle, so that's no good.
A stream is one-and-done. Once it's out there, you can't take it back.
I want to ask my believers.
Am I giving my all in my VTuber streams?
But I don't ask. That would be admitting I'm scared and unsure.
The moment I expose my own weakness, my unshakeable heart wavers.
I burned down my own house.
I dismissed my past self as fake and erased it.
The only existence is Wakamo Inarizushi the VTuber, and the "me" that's the red pill only I remember—I never reveal that to the world.
To become the ideal VTuber, I even discarded being a man.
You watching, Tower...? This is my resolve.
I haven't changed for a single moment from the start.
Right after deciding on tower-climbing as my VTuber content.
Behind me is a cliff. Retreat means death.
With a resolve of no retreat, no surrender—no matter what the tower's floors throw at me—even if I can't achieve full conquest floors.
I will never die during a VTuber stream in the tower.
"I can do this!!!"
Kwang—!!
She slammed down hard onto the ground, spilling its contents.
She understood that attacks made purely from Wakamo's [Magic Power] were completely nullified against the [Mana-Immune Hardsteel Golem].
A kick infused with 10,000 Magic Power drove that home. So increasing the weight itself and smashing it down was one option.
-[Mana-Immune Hardsteel Golem] as "Opponent" - Do not use any [Skills] (0/1).
Is the tower trying to kill Wakamo!!
Can't use them!! Any skills!!
It's immune to all mana-based attacks, so Wakamo's attacks don't work.
Even if they did, a single blow without mana reinforcement couldn't possibly destroy that body made of pure metal.
A counter floor targeting climbers precisely, something you'd expect in the top layers.
Yet here it was, before even reaching floor 20, like the tower was gunning for Wakamo.
It felt like it was forcing her to declare [Tower Exit] and never return, this oppressive, unreasonable fight—while doing a VTuber stream with her sleepless body. But with 20,000 years of otaku history worshiping idols, she'd considered every possibility.
[My Worlds] couldn't be used.
No, she just wouldn't use it yet.
-What the hell is that? A baseball bat?
-No, fuck. That's a shell!!
-What shell?
-Tank shell!!!!
-It's an armor-piercing round!!
-No way? What're you gonna do? No way?
She ducked low to evade the golem's incoming punch, snatched the armor-piercing round, and hurled it high.
The golem didn't see it. It gathered magic power into its fist—one point—and focused.
When the spinning shell looked not just slow, but frozen.
Thud-bam—!!!
She smacked the flat side, producing a roar like a tank firing, and the shell shot off.
Pure physical strength propelled the armor-piercing round, which flew on its own and slammed straight into the hardsteel golem's body, embedding deep.
Cracking sounds as its body split.
-That's how she's gonna smash it!
-Victory of modern civilization.
-No tank? Then I'll be the human tank!!
A body that feels no pain showed no flinch as the massive arm smashed the ground, scraped hard, and swung at Wakamo.
She flipped backward, grabbed another shell with her toes, tossed it skyward, somersaulted, and caught it with her hands.
Ignoring gravity with a reverse spin, she whirled into the sky and landed atop the golem's arm.
The camera slid in from above, facing the golem, capturing Wakamo as she steadied herself on the arm.
Thud-bam—!!
The shell smashed the camera.
The target wasn't the golem.
The shattered camera revealed the pitiful golem behind it, taking another shell to the body.
Resummoning the camera with mana, it now filmed Wakamo dashing across the golem—as the opposite arm swung sideways at the charging Wakamo, captured from an overhead angle.
Suddenly, Wakamo was close enough for viewers to feel it, standing on the tossed shell.
A wondrous sight defying the laws of physics.
Upside down, stuck to the spinning shell like glue, she spun half a turn and stomped down hard, launching once more.
As arms crossed, the piercing shell hit the ground—hidden by the arm, but the earth cracked visibly.
Click, cliiick—
Three cameras spun dazzlingly around Wakamo.
One positioned perfectly for the angle, another flew at Wakamo.
Believers gasped as 『Four Hook Anchor』 emerged from Wakamo's trembling tail.
Whirr-whirr-whirr—!!
Spinning it at lethal speed, the carbon-fiber cable hit the camera and bent.
To viewers, it looked like it bent in midair on its own.
Drawing a semicircle, caught on something, the anchor's trajectory shifted sharply—snagging the arm, passing behind the golem's back, protruding over the shoulder.
—Only then did believers realize why she'd thrown the shell.
Clank—
The hook anchor locked perfectly into the crack.
Pull with brute force? Regrettably—no. That's not elegant.
The skin of her arm, hidden in black sleeves, spun rapidly. It wrapped and reeled in the cable.
From there, she kicked off the camera as a foothold for another powerful leap.
The golem lurched upward after Wakamo, who rocketed like a missile—and lifted off the ground—
[Stats]
Magic Power: 512,332 -> 371,246.
The golem flung higher than Wakamo in an instant.
Now bereft of ranged attacks, its advantage in size and weight to crush smaller foes was gone.
[Stats]
Magic Power: 371,246 -> 200,056.
Vroooom—!!!
Faster than any land hammer throw athlete.
[Stats]
Magic Power: 200,056 -> 127,541.
In midair, she fixed the golem tight with the anchor, spinning so fast it blurred into a circle.
Like tossing it in a blender.
Centrifugal force so intense it propelled her upward instead of falling!!
[Stats]
Magic Power: 127,541 -> 36,552.
"Baekdu—!!"
And at last.
"Drop!!"
Her throat-shredding technique name rang out as the hardsteel golem collided with the ground.
Cracks spiderwebbed its body from the impact, metal shattering loudly as it exploded into pieces everywhere.
Throwing the giant without a single [Skill] on the "Hardsteel Golem"!
"Artistic muscles and artistic technique in a fantastical harmony! This is what I call excellent and elegant."
-Do you get the art in this brutishness?
-Her muscles nullify any magic!!
-Does the boss use spells?
-The ultimate spell using muscles instead of magic power...
-That's not magic, just plain strength, right?
-Something an alchemist would do....
[Incheon Tower Floor 18 achieves Platinum conditions and opens to all humanity!!]
[Tower Platinum conquest rewards being tallied]
[[Video Recording] Skill gains [Extra Camera Summon] function]
[Worshiped God] Skill gains [Mana Recovery Amount Increase] function]
[[My Worlds] Skill upgrades to [Standalone House with Yard]]
[[VTuber Model] gains increased registrable models]
[[Broadcast Points] +10 acquired. Current: 14]
'Skills?'
Broadcast Points seemed to have pulled her out of the red from streaming.
All rewards were Skill enhancements? But way more than usual.
Did higher difficulty mean bigger rewards?
Even if it forced unreasonableness on Wakamo against an impossible difficulty, victory meant payout?
"Hoo—"
Wakamo stepped toward the next floor.
It was an impulsive act driven by emotion.
Like the tower telling VTuber-idol Wakamo doing tower-climb content to quit.
Like scolding her to abandon full conquest floors—so she went and did it.
[Climbing Incheon Tower Floor 19 World]
-[Wakamo Inarizushi] climber's achievements raise difficulty!
-Overcome the [Elite Monster]!
-Defeat the [Mana-Burning Orc Shaman]!
[Platinum Achievement Conditions]
-Defeat the [Mana-Burning Orc Shaman] (0/1)
-Take damage from the [Mana-Burning Orc Shaman]'s [Mana Burn] (0/1)
Old and ugly—but with muscles rivaling any bodybuilder, a hulking brute.
Before the orc shaman's eyes flashed—staff of beast and human skulls in one hand, axe gripped in the other—Wakamo preempted with a flash, stealing its vision.
[Mana Burn] is a [Skill].
Manager Wanda Hye had explained its activation at Wakamo's request.
Magic shows signs before casting. So stay alert, you never know what.
It can manifest through hands or weapons—so never enter the range of that swinging arm.
The Four Hook Anchor was already wrecked from the golem. She'd dumped shells without sparing, left with one.
Do-or-die crisis—but was it dopamine overload? Or lingering rage at the tower?
Her reverse scale touched, Wakamo didn't stop.
Fwoooosh—!!
Flames erupted from her mouth toward the shaman, blocked by [Mana Shield]—then lightning shot out, slicing Wakamo's shoulder.
Believers' excited chats accelerated at Wakamo dodging the visible lightning with reflexes—but her cognition was heightened enough to read every single one clearly.
Pushing her body's limits—how far, what was possible.
Knees bent, body arched back—yet no fall, no tremble, feet planted firm as she slapped away an incoming magic spear with her hand blade and hurled the shell.
Thud-bam—!!! The roar as the shell fired—even eyes closed, the shaman sensed and batted it away with the axe.
Axe and shell collided, both shattering into fragments.
Enduring the shell meant the axe wasn't ordinary.
Ripples in space.
Short-range leap skill closed the gap instantly—the shaman's kick blocked as Wakamo pinned its instep with her hand.
Long hair flying, carefully controlled with [Mana Manipulation] to avoid snagging, she fired the spear hidden inside her sleeve.
Arm spinning like rubber, twisting—thrusting like a drill with sharpened pipe, piercing the foe. A secret technique possible only for Wakamo's freely morphing body.
Even as sadistic blow tore his side like a bite, spraying blood—the orc shaman roared not in pain, but cast a buff on himself.
Green skin turned red, muscles swelled slightly more—then his elbow smashed Wakamo's shoulder.
Dodging the grabbing hand, she shrank to mini-Wakamo, creating distance—but as if waiting, the shaman's eyes flashed.
[Stats]
Magic Power: 593,002 -> 592,002.
An illusory veil from [Idol's Form].
Max-swollen 1,000 Magic Power illusion swept by [Mana Burn]—vision went pure white, deafening boom and explosion. Fierce flames devoured Wakamo, hurling her far.
Midair bad luck—but she'd tasted the full might of a [Skill] existing to kill her.
[Stats]
Magic Power: 592,002 -> 174,562.
'No way....'
The illusion-piercing [Mana Burn] bypassed [Idol's Form], hit even with decoy deployed.
Her own former mana incinerating atmosphere, earth, everything around—Wakamo watched sprawled.
Direct hit? Instant death.
This was just grazing.
The caster seemed utterly unharmed by his own mana explosion, eyes closed. Damage no, but light unavoidable..?
Severe full-body fatigue.
Vision doubled, tinnitus, nausea. Body sinking in water.
She understood how vulnerable a mana-composed being was to [Mana Burn]....!!
Kill-or-be-killed... can't always dominate one-sidedly.
Grazed for 420k...!! Direct? Death!!
But.
No hesitation whatsoever—this technique's fine even on me!!
She rose, crouching low.
The shaman moved as if sensing—but Wakamo dove into its bosom before it could react.
Eyes glaring to incinerate Wakamo—but nothing there.
Ghostly footwork slipped behind—the thrust hand's wrist was grabbed.
The shaman tried to turn in shock—but impossible.
"......I'm lucky."
Wakamo's grinning voice from behind.
"Thrusting recklessly at a master.... How reckless that is.... Thank you for being a monster who doesn't know."
Back-to-back contact confirmed.
"Couldn't use this on the golem."
A technique not in taekwondo.
No chance for a roll—she wrenched the seized arm, slamming its head into the ground.
『Throw』 learned from the Fist King!!
Kwang—!!!
Full power head-slam—but Wakamo saw a translucent something.
[Mana Shield] protecting it.
Of course, a shaman.
But at [Mana Burn]'s shock limit, cracks spread and it shattered.
Head buried, body obscured by Wakamo's form, arm dislocated and limp.
Against a master, showing a split-second gap meant no second chance—death.
Crack—!!
[Incheon Tower Floor 19 achieves Platinum conditions and opens to all humanity!!]
[Tower Platinum conquest rewards being tallied]
She brushed dust off her shoulder.
Clean, flawless finish. No excess.
Still dizzy like drunk, but Wakamo stood.
Standing tall for the tower—like, look closely at the me you can't kill.
A silent protest, a demonstration.
[Choose 1 reward]
[Idol's Protection]
-Buffs believers proportional to floor.
[Companion Buff]
-Believer recovery speed +50%.
[Blessing Acquired]
-Believer disease resistance (Minor)
"Hmm....."
[Blessing [Believer Disease Resistance (Minor)] acquired!]
Job-exclusive Skill 【Broadcast Points】
-Points accumulated from streams can grant blessings to believers.
Current points: 37
[Believer Disease Resistance (Minor) - 1 per person 1 point]
"Too trivial, Tower."
Well, idols aren't gods, so expected.
No [Attack Skill].
Right before floor 20, what was the tower trying to say?
Didn't choose? Bear your own folly?
The one who wants to win more—dominates the game.
This bet shows who wants victory more.
Obviously the climber.
"Let's go."
Hair fluttering, Wakamo stepped forward without hesitation.
-Fuck, is what I'm seeing real...?
-Why's the UK Tower floor 50 boss here??
-Boss, Tower Exit now. You'll die for real.
-Scary as hell today... Boss... take it slow...
-Something's off. I'm scared, Boss...
[Climbing Incheon Tower Floor 20 World]
-[Wakamo Inarizushi] climber's achievements raise difficulty!
-Overcome the [Elite Boss Monster]!
-Defeat the [Mana Burn Soul-Flesh Devourer]!
[Platinum Achievement Conditions]
-Defeat the [Mana Burn Soul-Flesh Devourer] (0/1)
A massive ghost popped up before her eyes.
A screaming bedsheet-clad undead monster—untouchable without [Holy] skills.
Proving idols are just idols—not gods—an opponent Wakamo couldn't beat at all.
Ghostly, so physical hits ineffective.
The blazing [Soul-Flesh Devourer] burned with its own mana via [Mana Burn]—touch meant instant death for Wakamo.
Conquest method: exit tower, request UK aid for consumables.
[Kusanagi's Sword] mythic grade, but no [Holy]—useless.
But Wakamo just laughed.
No [Tower Exit] ban this time.
She'd grasped floor 19's purpose upon reaching 20.
—
Even if unreasonable, the tower always leaves a win chance.
All choices are the climber's own.
Summoned [My Worlds] out of camera sight, greeted viewers.
"Thanks for watching my stream everyone—and 600k subs achieved! Love you all~"
Three straight floors boosted subs in Korea and Japan—finally hitting 600k.
Even if the tower ignored her, believers recognized her—Wakamo won, Wakamo happy.
So—no matter how unreasonable.
No quitting VTuber streams or tower climbs.
[Stats]
Magic Power: 605,321.
Squeezed every drop of mana to her nails, fired.
Raw power negligible.
Just lots of mana loaded.
Wizards at floor 20 have ~2,000 mana, right?
Then... my 600k mana?
[Stats]
Magic Power: 605,321 -> 112.
Closed the portal before nails ignited in Mana Burn, light spreading.
Sat in chair, sipped Yu Ying's prepared tea.
"Yep, tea after stream hits the spot."
Drank mana potion prepped by manager—Yu Ying's poison, but restores mana—as Wakamo waited calmly while mana ticked down.
And finally.
[Incheon Tower Floor 20 achieves Platinum conditions and opens to all humanity!!]
[Humanity's first 20 consecutive Platinum floors success]
[Incheon 100-floor tower in Republic of Korea adds 『Wakamo Inarizushi Floor 1』 zone!]
[This floor combines all zones from floors 1-20 into a new environment. Composed of 630㎢ area]
Opened portal again, crossed to the unrecognizably devastated hellscape of floor 20—Wakamo marveled.
Before an epicenter like a nuke blast, she activated camera and recording.
"Oh dear, self-destructing with [Mana Burn], huh. Mr. UK Floor 50 Boss... what a pathetic end♠"
Smile for believers. And let the tower hear.
"This bet... goes to the survivor—me♣"