Chapter 59
Chapter 59
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 59
Chapter Title: The Power to Create Climbers
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"Yeah, the class is...?"
"It's showing as [Fighter]. And the owner of the [Tower Entry] skill has Wakamo's name listed."
"Huh... in that case..."
"Keep it a secret, please."
Wakamo, who had been deep in thought with her arms crossed, finally spoke up.
She had been lost in prolonged contemplation, glancing once at her delighted favorite disciple who had now become a climber herself, before sinking back into heavy deliberation.
──Becoming a climber was practically the same as winning the lottery.
Countless people trained relentlessly in hopes of being chosen as climbers, risking everything for a shot at a 『Legendary Class』. There were even those who hunted monsters outside the tower despite not being climbers.
Monsters didn't approach the tower's vicinity anyway─to the point where people had deliberately triggered tower collapses to create hunting grounds...
Their desires were self-evident.
And Wakamo could mass-produce them at will.
She could grant tower entry to her followers, while warning that the power would vanish if they failed to protect her, thereby imposing a duty upon them.
With just a whim, she could dominate an entire nation and become its ruler. She could even create a country where every citizen was a climber.
It was enough to upend common sense and the natural order.
The Fist King knew Wakamo was an absurd existence, but he hadn't realized she was this extraordinary, so he respected her wishes.
A being who had lived through eons beyond human comprehension.
Yet, the Fist King could see that she actually recoiled from her own immense power.
She loved the martial arts she had honed, and enjoyed fierce battles with them, but she detested needless conflict.
She only wished to wield her strength when truly necessary, and nothing more.
"If word of this power got out, plenty would come begging, but just as many would grow wary. I just want to live quietly, doing my VTuber streams."
"Understood. I'll keep it secret from the Association President too."
Her favorite disciple nodded in agreement with the Fist King's words.
"Disciple. No matter how pitiful someone looks, never breathe a word of this. Not even to your parents. As you know, the gravity of this matter is greater than you think. Don't go asking Wakamo to make your friends or family climbers out of fleeting pity or desperation. She is not a god."
"Yes, got it."
The Fist King was always strict, but his resolve—even to kill you with his own hands if you crossed that line—made his favorite disciple tense up. She declared once more that she wouldn't tell a soul.
Wakamo could just deny it if pressed, but once rumors started, people would hound her endlessly. That much was obvious.
"History proves it time and again. How many tales are there of humans ruining acts of grace and mercy with their greed and folly?"
The Fist King was still misunderstanding Wakamo, but since it was better for her that way, she didn't correct him.
A nation could even kidnap Yu Ying or Sadako to blackmail Wakamo into creating climbers by force.
The Fist King, thinking that far, feared an enraged fox goddess might burn the country to the ground.
The fox goddess who cherished and loved people was happiest now, content in her little nest, immersed in otaku hobbies, conquering the tower to bestow graces upon humanity, and slowly reshaping the world for the better.
The favors she had received were beyond measure.
She was even raising his own daughter.
Even if it meant the harsh decision to kill his favorite disciple with his own hands, the Fist King vowed in his heart to protect her.
Of course, his favorite disciple knew his character well enough not to even consider spilling the secret.
Why else would people be so desperate to become climbers?
For special abilities? Fame and fortune?
Because climbing the tower cured all status ailments.
The armless, the cancer-stricken, the dementia-afflicted─climbing the tower healed everything.
Understand? Climbers could conquer any disease simply by ascending the tower.
The tale of a legless man becoming a [Wizard] and regrowing his legs upon climbing was already legendary.
'Wakamo's worry must be that dying people enter the tower and perish before they can climb...'
Her love for humanity was obvious to anyone watching closely. There wasn't a shred of falsehood in it.
She never minded when the young students begged to play, even giving piggyback rides and letting them touch her tail.
More than fearing nations that coveted or exploited her excessive power...
More than hearing pleas from followers begging her to rule their country...
She hated seeing desperate people become climbers only to die.
'She's just so kind...'
'This old man's got some misunderstanding going on...'
Still, the Fist King's guess wasn't far off.
Just knowing she had this power could put Korea under scrutiny.
Wakamo had no desire to train climbers; she just wanted to VTuber. So she wanted to keep it hidden at all costs.
'If I give [Tower Entry] to Asuka, could I make her a climber?'
At the same time, worried about the battered Asuka, Wakamo checked if she could make her one... but no matter how she searched, Asuka's name wasn't among her followers.
"We made a ton of money, so I should buy all sorts of recovery items."
"I know a good supplier."
As if nothing had happened, they returned to casual talk. Since Sadako often got hurt while tagging along, Wakamo requested the Fist King introduce his contacts for potions and salves, and he happily obliged.
She also shared ownership of the [Inari's Dew] item with him, verified the companion buff's effects, gathered her goods, and returned to Korea.
After she left, there was a minor uproar.
Word spread from the [Idol's Shrine] that it granted recovery buffs to visitors, drawing not just tourists but all sorts of people to the shrine.
Elderly folks who couldn't even grasp subscribing to Wakamo's channel.
Yet [Idol's Shrine] provided buffs equally and fairly to all who came purely to pray.
The range was limited to the dojo grounds, but it clearly restored weary office workers and frail seniors alike.
In that atmosphere, fox spirits chanting "Encha! Encha!" as they carried dew from the shrine was a sight to behold, naturally attracting crowds.
"Now we have too many visitors... Should I expand the dojo?"
"Probably, Master."
Thanks to his name appearing on the tower, his prized disciple became a [Climber] too.
Hope that training under the Fist King might make one a climber brought a flood of students; now there were so many he had to turn some away.
With crowds that size, accidents were inevitable, but the Fist King didn't complain.
On the contrary, with no way to repay the grace bestowed, he felt destined to true worship. He resolved to make the most of the fox goddess's favor, starting with dojo expansion.
※※※
"To cut to the chase, I believe we need climbers. The previous president oppressed them, and Korea was pushed around by the great powers, barely recovering now. The Association President's power stems from being Korea's hero, the sole Superman protecting us from foreign threats."
The National Security Council meeting in the presidential office.
But those gathered were mostly the president's close aides.
The cunning Association President would undoubtedly extract info through hidden agents, no matter how well it was concealed.
Yet the president stubbornly─no, obstinately─refused to yield, trembling in fear.
"Minister of Science and ICT. Let me ask: if that monster's familiar seriously tried hacking the government, could we counter it?"
The straightforward question left the Minister speechless.
He had already witnessed Asuka hack an online game in real-time, altering data without a single preparatory action.
It was instant cheating, defying all logic for hacking. Maybe a trick for show, but her Intelligence was 1,000, and Wakamo herself called her a high-performance AI VTuber connected to the internet.
A biomechanical robot capable of interfering with networks, with a real physical body.
The tower was bewildering enough, but now something straight out of distant sci-fi had appeared.
"To put it bluntly... firewalls would be meaningless. We can't know how it accesses the network or bypasses defenses without experiencing it. The game had anti-cheat systems like hackers use, but no reaction means their skill is beyond our─"
"Are you saying our hackers are that incompetent?"
"My apologies... but the opponent isn't human, Mr. President."
Right.
She only streamed innocently now, but overseas, just Aoi Asuka's existence prompted emails to the Foreign Minister, hot with interest.
"Aren't we staring at a being that could launch the world's nukes with a whim?!"
"Theoretically impossible. But sowing network chaos? Likely."
"Then answer: what happens if humanity loses the internet?"
Chaos on a massive scale, ever since the tower's advent.
"Can we even call that thing a climber? Just because it's friendly and benefits us, is it okay to leave it be? Can we control it? Foreign presidents ask me repeatedly. Part of me wants to order the military to subjugate it as a national threat alongside the climbers!"
The bolder-than-expected outburst shocked the ministers' faces.
Aoi Asuka's mere existence threatened overseas powers. Seeing her grin through VTuber streams made her seem foolish, but her danger was deemed beyond imagination. Nations probed aggressively for reassurance.
But he suspected some aimed to pressure Wakamo into leaving Korea.
"She turned the Collector who tried to kill her into a puppet. Not brainwashing─how else to believe it?! Now that monster's marionette is occupying the Chinese government, calling that barbarian wench queen! Madness!"
The man dubbed one of the [Six Evils], who rallied climbers and citizens with brilliant strategy and charisma against the Chinese government, allying autonomous regions to become the new Chairman─what was he lacking to crown a nobody girl?
Clearly mentally dominated by Wakamo!!
"Mr. President, please calm down..."
"Hoo... Can such a being really stay quiet...? I'm scared. What if it whimsically turns? The Association President now says he'll watch, but he'll side with the monster eventually. Does it even look like a fellow climber to you?"
As if.
No climber showed such monstrous feats or boundless abilities.
Even if they had, they'd hide them to avoid scrutiny─that was normal.
Flaunting power openly on stream for all to see?
Unless to entertain viewers, it was pure intimidation toward those wary of her.
"Russia offers help. Nonsense. If they back Wakamo Inarizushi as China's new government forms, East Asia's master becomes that monster. It's just demanding we hand her over before she grows. Remember the mutual defense treaty? The support guarantee agreement and pact too."
"Mr. President, you don't mean...?"
When Korea faced crises like the Seoul tower collapse and monster hordes, Russia had aided them.
In return, Russia─impressed by the Association President's strength─extracted a "promise" of future help, actually scheming to eliminate him and occupy Korea someday. The president had staunchly delayed it to protect him.
With Korea stabilizing, China in chaos, and Russia busy seizing Chinese territory, it was postponed till now.
The treaty was outdated, its value null.
"Chelyabinsk's Karachay Lake area─radiation spreading from the nearby tower is a big issue. [Wizards] say the mana melts away, can't endure."
Russia requested aid, so the president boldly promised their top climber.
Desperate to find Wakamo Inarizushi's weakness for assassination, he knew [Mana Burn] was key.
Her fake body consumed massive [Mana] to maintain; a place draining, denying recovery or use, dissolving it─fatal.
A death zone even for humans, perfect for "aid."
Climbers recovered from radiation via tower climbs anyway.
For the greater good.
"It's a monster, not a climber. Korea needs no such help. If it grows, it'll threaten us!!"
The president seemed mad at a glance, but the ministers agreed.
They accepted climbers' power from 『Fully Cleared Layers』, but...
If that climber's might exceeded reason, influencing Japan and China, poised to swallow Korea...
Could a being casually dominating networks─humanity's pinnacle weapon and tech─granting even intellect to creations, truly be called a climber?
※※※
"Now that our numbers have grown, how about filming Yu Ying's second Seoul reclamation video?"
"Already...? Hmm, thinking about it, it's been a while since we shot that."
Pilot was doing casual stuff like anime watch-alongs on Mengun streams.
Wakamo had none at all─and Ichigo hadn't uploaded since, so fans were rioting for the next episode.
"Plan is to conquer Yeongdeungpo District. Government and Association will draw aggro from Geumcheon and Gwanak Districts─"
"Wait, then why breach directly? No need, right?"
"Pardon?"
"We have a ship and captain... Why not go via the Han River?"
"...You're right."
Using sea routes beat punching through Yeongdeungpo monsters, far safer.
Wakamo's idea seemed solid; Manager Won Da-hye nodded approvingly.
Sadako, listening in, muttered that while she'd seen the video, it was real footage after all, not studio─the CG team was fake.
"China's offering support too."
Despite appearances, our president excels at diplomacy, Won Da-hye said.
He'd protected the Association President from near-permanent dispatch to Russia. Inheriting a precarious Korea with climbers fleeing abroad, he'd dragged it to current stability. In a way, he truly loved the country.
Unable to say more, Won Da-hye only shared the positives.
"Seems like a good guy."
Wakamo hadn't met him, but with all the support to the Climber Association, probably decent.
Honestly, she'd expected him to demand disposing of super AI VTubers like Aoi Asuka.
"He's a bulwark against foreign governments' demands..."
Before Wakamo, he'd ambitiously toiled to etch his name in history, Won Da-hye sighed inwardly. Now, pitifully checking the Association President, clinging to power, blocking ascents. Didn't want to age into that ugliness.
"But as you know, some forces oppose our Seoul reclamation. And [Six Evils] show heavy interest in you, Wakamo. It's a lawless zone. They haven't stormed the country because your residence is hidden. Lots near the studio."
Foreign scouts, spies, terrorists─all races converging, Won Da-hye urged minimizing solo outings.
Wakamo, ever famous, always informed her manager before going out.
"You probably know, but your [Mana Burn] vulnerability is public. Watch for snipers too."
"Mm..."
The relic from the Collector should cover that.
'Like that [Mana Poison] before─more dangers than I knew.'
She thought herself immune to poison, but Wakamo was invincible; her "mana" was ordinary.
Mana poisons blocking recovery, melting mana, erasing or evaporating it... Plus, combat motion consumed mana─target mana relentlessly, and Wakamo flails to death perfectly.
'Must climb the tower.'
After deliberation, Wakamo concluded.
All her woes boiled down to 『Climb the Tower』.
How everything circled back to that...
"Nyohohohoho, it's Wakamo Inarizushi!"
-Welcome back, guild master lololol
-Asuka streaming today?
-Great stock stream yesterday.
-Saw the future of AI.
-This level? No worries.
-Such a cutie ruling us? I'm in.
-Sell please.
"I love my followers, so no selling."
-Follower love is peak Wakamo.
-Hug me once pls!
-Hng!(crack). Next.
-Still love it!!!
-Would die happily lolol
-Oyaji....
-Saw fox spirits lolol
-Why no shrine in Korea...
-Built one, called superstition and smashed it ㅇㅇ
-Aha!!
-Makes sense ffs lololol
"Anyway, time to climb hard today... Huh??"
No monsters?
Wakamo blankly scanned the pristine white space.
Touching it felt mineral-like.
A comfy table and chairs too; she paced wondering what this place was for, but no exit, no monsters anywhere.
Climber viewers realizing her location just puzzled.
Who'd send a clear combat class here?
[Climbing Incheon Tower Floor 34 World]
-[Wakamo Inarizushi] Climber's feats raise difficulty!
-Craft an [Idol's Statue] with superb craftsmanship.
-Higher [Rank] yields better rewards.
[Platinum Achievement Conditions]
-Create a statue of [Legendary] rank quality.
-This is for crafting/production climbers ㅇㅇ... Probably make something from nearby materials?
-But nothing visible? Only Wakamo sees it?
-Losing in brute force, so handicraft challenge lololol
-Quests so varied hilarious lololol
-Easiest one?
-Wtf easy lolol
-Guild master handcrafts VTuber figs as gifts, pro level.
-Really?
-?
-For real?
-Yeah... artisan tier.
No clue why the tower gave this tricky floor, but Wakamo was more versatile than it knew.
She played instruments, made figures for birthday tributes─tons of skills.
Other nonsense requests would've stumped her, but she'd gotten [Idol's Statue] once before.
Displayed at home, totally forgotten...
"Sigh, what a pain."
She casually sliced ore chunks with her hand edge, neatly extracting; viewers burst laughing.
Obviously, Wakamo had zero sculpting tools.
The ones she had burned with her house.
No hobby time since, forgotten entirely.
'Wait, first it told me to make weapons?'
Tower fumbling how to handle the idol?
Lost in thoughts, Wakamo sharpened her nails, infused mana, slowly carving the ore whole.
No breath, no tremors─to viewers, machine-precision.
Sitting on floor holding ore, twisting it silently─austere as a lifelong artisan.
Deep focus? No chat reactions; followers shared impressions, guessing the creation.
Recalling the relic Collector gave, she sculpted a fox goddess in [Wings Robe].
Human turned stone─smooth, sleek statue slowly formed.
'This is stupid convenient?'
Nails resized at will, mana swirled for polish... No shakes, no dust issues.
Followers knew her crafting skill but not this level; they focused too.
Finally, the completed statue.
Unimaginably transparent wings from opaque mineral─body texture, sheen via mana burn.
Translucent from solid, contours fabric-draped thin illusion, skin-glowing goddess.
A masterpiece demanding life's devotion...
Wakamo's efforts, keen eye, talent synergized with prime body.
-Fuckin' hot af.
-Tits standing proud, ok?
-Fuck!! Art!! Don't get horny idiots!!
-Y-zone insane. Thighs insane lololol
-Guild master, 9 hours passed right?
-Wtf real? Lost track zoned out.
-Boob valley all day, no bore.
-Gtfo.
"All done~ Wonder what the eval is~"
[Dalgi's Statue]
Rank: Legendary.
Work sculpted by the idol herself with appraisal and affection.
Depicts Dalgi, called nation-toppling beauty captivating all.
Display on shelf boosts stamina recovery.
Stamina Recovery +50%.
'Fuck'
Wakamo smacked her forehead, knowing why.
Modeled after the item, even plagiarizing the relic!
-Dalgi lololololol
-Gorgeous statue? Make Dalgi next lol
-Just pop out no think??
-This ok? lolol
-Nothing like guild master!!
-Wakamo has ears/tail, different person!
──The relic from Collector named [Dalgi's Wings Robe] by tower, sent to Wakamo.
Complex feelings receiving it... but useful, planned to use.
Auto-floating, enveloping like fairy─pretty, based sculpture on it.
Description noted Dalgi-inspired motif.
Wearing it? Tower arbitrarily: yours is Dalgi.
'No, pulling relics now causes chaos'
China fully mistook her for Dalgi...
'Whatever~'
Daily screw-ups made her shameless.
[Incheon Tower Floor 34 achieves Platinum, opens to all humanity!!]
[Tower Platinum clear boosts rewards]
[Climber gains extra 10 stat points]
[[My Worlds] skill gains [Extra Portal] function]
[[VTuber Model] max registrable models increased]
[[Idol's Phantom] skill gains [Max Size Increase] function]
'Ooh...?'
Legendary item? Portal home stash. Wakamo eyed extra portal.
But hold back for now.
Ace card, hidden from viewers max.
"Hmm... this, uh... hard to gift anyone. Not intentional? Tower named it itself?"
-Yep.
-Say yes!!!
-Servant blind since yesterday!!
-Saw nothing!
-Krraaak, not account hack plz!!
Pure denial.
Wakamo sighed no expectations, vowed hide relic max, moved to next floor.
And plummeted.
Rapid fall; Wakamo urgently scanned─black thunderclouds above, below, greeting her.
Blinding downpour, roaring thunder.
Viewers shocked at falling Wakamo, endless sky floor.
[Wizard] flight possible maybe, but this insanity unprecedented!
Spinning screen like skydiver stream, wind deafening audio.
Center: Wakamo, endlessly falling.
Clear floor? Need layer door up, but no ground?
Swallowed by abyss clouds... respawned falling from "ceiling."
"What?!"
Bottom sky connects top sky?
-Wtf is this shit???
-Guild master can't fly?
-Skywalk prolly.
-But this extreme af.
-Guild master! Ahead! Something flashed by!!
Sharp-eyed follower shouted amid thunder.
Lightning-wreathed giant condor streaked past Wakamo.
Drew sword, slashed thunderbolt─lost balance, spun wildly.
Up/down lost; Wakamo's eyes spun.
'33F skill useless...!!'
Domain? Falls domain intact.
Foe: free, fast sky lightning bird!!
[Climbing Incheon Tower Floor 35 World]
-[Wakamo Inarizushi] Climber's feats raise difficulty!
-Defeat [Elite Boss Monster]!
-Subjugate [Storm-Calling Flash Thunderbird]!
[Platinum Achievement Conditions]
-Defeat [Storm-Calling Flash Thunderbird] (0/1)
Dire crisis.
Wakamo nocked arrow, shot─beak-snapped, shattered; beak-flash slashed arm, vanished dot.
Thunderclap echoed post-pass─
KABOOM!!
Thunderbird beak-speared Wakamo, lightning-stabbed combo.
Merged lightning ascended cloudward, vanished.
Rumble─
Thunder-shadow giant bird.
Fast, free, field its domain.
Wakamo? Day-long falling.
Summon camera platform jump? Still shaky.
Motion-limited vs. eye-outpacing agile foe? Pointless.
"Aah~ Didn't wanna!! Now they'll all call me Dalgi!!"
-???
-Wtf guild master?
-Call Asuka fly??
-Asuka flies!!!
Asuka here? Thunderbird chow.
Tower baited aerial disadvantage.
But─climbers wield wisdom always. Wakamo prepared!
Fluttering wings robe.
Enveloping Wakamo, fabric undulated alive.
Followers recognizing: got her words.
[Dalgi's Wings Robe]
Rank: Relic.
Restriction: Idol, non-human.
Legendary nation-toppling beauty.
Wings robe Dalgi descended wearing.
Fluttering beauty.
Hidden bloodstained cruelty.
Tower manifested item per infamy.
[Veil Moon Shame Flower]
Consumes owner's mana to auto-repair.
Auto-counters ranged attacks.
Strength proportional to mana.
[Anywhere Sovereign]
Master anywhere.
Fly consuming mana.
Mana cost scales with weight.
True item『Relic』.
Obtainable by [Collector] not Wakamo─tower's "created relic" revealed.
Met impossible restriction─perfect owner met!
Braking midair dodging circling incoming thunderbird sparrow-like, Wakamo flew.
-She flies! Plane!
-No human!
-Flying Wakamo!
-Scrambler on lololol
-Dedicated gear drop lololol
-Wtf specs lolol
Wings blocked lightning, auto-repaired scorch instant.
Collector eyed [Mana Burn] snipes─Wakamo saved it...
But...
"Regrettable, but humans learn from repeated hits!"
Aerial poised Wakamo launched.
Mana-charged─missile-kick pierced thunderbird, streaked through.
Clean, scorching instant kill!
[Incheon Tower Floor 35 achieves Platinum, opens to all humanity!!]
[Tower Platinum clear boosts rewards]
[Climber gains extra 10 stat points]
Gorgeous fanfare, winged Wakamo grinned─couldn't.
Would ask anyway, statue basis; viewers twigged. Showed description deliberate.
Sky-soaring distanced her utterly from human.
'Mana guzzler hippo'
70k mana struggled; mid-battle, Wakamo inwardly wept at the mana hog.