Chapter 72
Chapter 72
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 72
Chapter Title: Tower-Climbing Fox God VTuber
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When Aoi Asuka evolved into a super high-performance AI that could surpass [Internet Manipulation] and turn her entire body into lightning to hack even over radio waves for the first time.
Wakamo Inarizushi was in the interrogation room with Robert.
All of his equipment had been confiscated, and he was restrained so he couldn't fight. America's Six Disaster [Dorison J. Jackson] sat beyond the glass window, being interrogated by an agent.
"We've been questioning him for hours, but he won't open his mouth. He's a tough one."
The agent told Wakamo that even when he'd been thrown in prison once, he'd dug his way out with a spoon, showing just how strong his will and tenacity were.
Was it because he'd suffered racial discrimination just for being Black that twisted him into this?
The reasons someone might turn into a villain could surprisingly be something trivial.
If Wakamo hadn't been able to watch overseas VTubers in Korea because of some data roaming fee bullshit, wouldn't she have gone "super hangry" and turned into a Six Disaster herself?
Just imagining it made her frown.
"How about the Fox God herself gives it a try?"
"That's a great idea. But I'd like whatever conversation happens inside to stay secret."
"Yes? Me?"
"With Wakamo's eloquence that even swayed and recruited Yung Wei, we might even turn him into an ally."
What the hell did Manager Won Da-hye think she was?
But on the flip side, Wakamo was interested in the skill of captivating even people uninterested in VTubers with VTuber's charm and turning them into fans.
A VTuber... by nature, needed the skill to captivate people with fluent conversation.
Sometimes elite-like! Other times like a lovable idiot PON! Sometimes dropping a punchline that cracks people up...!!
This Wakamo Inarizushi... had confidence in her verbal prowess from doing VTuber work.
"Alright, I'll give it a shot. But whatever we talk about stays secret."
If she went in and suggested "Hey, why not watch some VTubers?" they'd all think she was weird!!
She was dying to know how they'd twist her words, but Manager Won Da-hye nodded and said to leave it to her.
Wakamo checked thoroughly for bugs or anything beforehand and confirmed it was clear before boldly entering the interrogation room with Jackson.
'I hope he doesn't wanna fight.'
To be honest, Wakamo had no confidence she'd win if they fought again.
She'd only managed to respond thanks to the tower showing up at that moment and her flash of inspiration.
Converting all her [Faith] to [Mana] had been reckless─to the point where she'd dumped extra stats into Mana, so no further explanation was needed.
Even thinking back now, it hurt like hell that those extra stats went to Mana, but it was better than dying.
'How the hell do you beat a master who handles every type of rare metal?!'
He even had [Inventory], and his patented move was live burial. She didn't even want to imagine it.
"Been well, Jack?"
Hiding her fear, Wakamo casually greeted him.
The best part of being an idol──was that no matter how drained or cornered she was, nothing showed on the outside!!
If it were Mei Shaolongbao, her face would give it all away, but Wakamo's signature was zero change in expression.
So misunderstandings would pile up, making her look like a flawless invincible superhuman. She decided to lean into that and bluff hard about how badass she was.
"...The monster girl shows up. Here to torture me now, huh?"
"As if."
She was a bit of a movie buff, so she knew the good cop bad cop strategy.
If it didn't work, she could ask Manager Won Da-hye to play the villain!!
Or just throw Mei at him. Damn, she was turning out pretty useful after all?
"If you wanna know about the Six Disasters, I ain't telling you, miss. I got my code, and I ain't suicidal. A place swarming with Legendary classes?"
"Like, 'My buddies will come rescue me...' or something?"
"──They ain't coming. Grabbing you was purely for the money."
Come to think of it, the climbers who'd come before had bounties on their necks too.
She'd heard Six Disasters were a disorganized group of climbers, but she hadn't realized they wouldn't follow orders from the top without pay.
"Someone of your class shouldn't be short on cash, right?"
Wakamo pondered for a moment before a question struck her.
His rap sheet included threatening to collapse the tower for extortion money, robbing banks, looting jewelers.... even raiding a gold mine for gold.
His obsessive fixation on money made her think if it was material greed, maybe she could persuade him with cash.
But as if her assumption was wrong from the start, he burst out laughing.
"Short on cash?! You Legendary class types wouldn't get it!! I'm in debt!!!"
"Huh? An Architect who can build anything is in debt???"
He started trembling with rage, her genuine look of disbelief hitting a nerve.
"The other Six Disasters in America don't get my pain!!! You won't either, miss!!"
He'd worked part-time jobs to earn his "Architect" national certification, set up his own firm, and dove into architecture with big dreams of building his own city. With tears welling up as he recalled those hard days, Jackson vented his frustration.
"When I got the 『Architect』 class change, it felt like the tower recognized my efforts—I was over the moon!"
A Legendary class Architect—he said he'd been truly happy at first, thrilled that his dream job was his climber class.
The class change required national certifications plus a ton of others and vast knowledge of architectural styles─only someone with his passion could do it, he boasted proudly, slamming his fist on the table.
"FUCK!! After class changing! No stats, just some [Gold] bullshit!! Thought it was currency for [Skills], so fine!!"
Excited after changing, he'd climbed using all sorts of [Skills]─only to sob that all his wealth vanished.
"The tower converted every bit of my assets to [Gold]──!!"
Not only that, climbing only yielded [Gold] and [Building Materials], never proper equipment, he said, shedding bloody tears.
He'd handmade nails, hammers, tools from [Rare Metals]... only for [Tool Crafting] to unlock late, wasting money.
Then suddenly new resources beyond [Gold] popped up, forcing him to climb harder──
"My firm went bankrupt without cash. A thriving business ruined by becoming a climber! I still... wanted to build with this class!! But building houses for beggar bastards got me no thanks. No place to go, so I crashed with that Paladin prick."
He joined the Six Disasters because they promised pay, Jackson grumbled.
"I had a dream to build a city. Even as a villain.... I wanted to fulfill my childhood dream! Damn tower!"
"Enough."
"Ha! The non-combat Legendary class was weirdly strong. Tired of my tragic backstory, miss?"
".....Don't say another word."
Tears streamed down Wakamo's face.
Not fake tears—Jackson flinched at them.
Chewing over his words, Wakamo—complicated feelings for a villain—spoke quietly.
"When picking skills, under attack skills, there was something like captivating architecture skills?"
"......How..?"
"You climbed hard, got a [Skill], then suddenly new resources—no rewards for past floors, start stacking fresh?"
"....No, no... no way..."
"Threw [Rare Metals] at you without saying how to use 'em. You twisted yourself trying anyway?"
"Th-that can't... no way...?"
"Complain to the tower, it patches a bit or hotfixes?"
"Whine about no stats, it gives extra stats to burn on resources, miss?"
"First Legendary class climber. Felt like a lab rat for job balancing?"
"No gear when you ask climbing, no standard rewards others get?"
No more words needed.
Just staring, like... you too?
They'd both thought the other a monster freak!!
Just non-combat jobs, twisting bodies desperately for dreams, climbing the tower.
"My Mana hits 0 and I die, but it drains just standing.... Yours?"
"....No Gold or materials, I'm no better than a normie."
In that moment, enemies or not, emotions aligned.
Hot gazes exchanged carried pains only they knew...
Sorrows, agonies, tragedies others couldn't grasp.
Knowing that pain best, Wakamo manfully told Jackson.
"A man crying is unseemly, but nowhere to cry is cruel.... Cry in my arms...!"
"Wakamo...!"
Frowning, snot and tears flowing, Jackson buried in Wakamo's embrace, pouring out rage.
Loved Legendary class, but tower screwed him, skills all trash, scraping by daily, dreams fading.
Even as criminal, desperate wish unfulfilled—he wept bitterly. Wakamo soothed wordlessly.
No more words needed...!!
"Then I'll make your dream real. No more life threats. Heard of Wakamo Floor 1...? I'll let you build your city on that vast land. Follow me."
Wakamo extended her hand. Her height cast backlight from the shaded bulb.
Jackson's legs gave out, knees buckling.
Just a Six Disaster using him for money and materials, knowing his dream.... Mocked for being Black Legendary non-combat by others.
But unlike them, Wakamo truly empathized, offering her hand. Looking up, he cried.
Andrew Jacklin called Wakamo evil beast mark, idol worship symbol, must kill.
No one understood him like this before.
Just valued his utility.
Even devil fine...!! Rock bottom life, nowhere lower!!
"Please, Wakamo! Take me as your comrade!!!"
Head slamming the floor with a thud, bowing fully—Wakamo helped Dorison J. Jackson up.
"We're friends from today!!!"
That word snapped chains of Legendary class poverty—fuel efficiency trash, hoarding gold yet eating canned crap and hard bread, forced to crime. Jackson wailed like a child.
Viewers beyond glass saw only Wakamo's back, clueless to words.
Tough guy unbent by electric torture wept like babe, clung wailing harder.
Then knelt, head to floor bowing. What would watchers think?
Eva Harper Elroyne, back from horrors summoned by agent, trembled at the sight.
Even her superpower brainwashing couldn't flip someone so extreme.
Persuasion...? Or some authority...?
Closed networks to intranet access, physical human cybernet maker.
Manipulating one soul? Trivial!
'Humanity's doomed.... All kneel to her...'
After Wakamo Inarizushi glimpse, her shown terror(?), Eva's will broken.
Maybe Satan as Andrew said.
But 70-floor tower-wielding monster? Humanity no chance. China, Japan, Korea hers fully—processing now problematic.
Not brainwash or hypnosis.... True loyalty, followers.
Superhuman escaping prison with spoon via torture endures... turns childlike. Could she resist? Only obey to survive.
brass said analog like Japan... but internet age.
Satellites controlled, doxxed—defeat already.
Just no reason kill yet!!
Show of force: Can kill anytime, so shut up keep secret...!!
Couldn't report US gov.
President slip, Eva gone!
'Do VTuber streams... work hard....'
Soul drained, muttering unknowable must.
....
...
"Hey, Jack. Why escape prison with spoon? Curious."
"Jail structure sucked. Broke out, rebuilt it!!"
"Ah!"
Wakamo said it, but chosen Architect by tower—no normal guy.
Arm-in-arm, criminal record but no kills—Manager Won Da-hye handle aftermath, Wakamo dumped it.
"Manager Won Da-hye. He wants work live Wakamo Floor 1. Help take Korea."
".....How'd you do it?"
"Just persuasion?"
Persuasion makes respect-filled eyes vow lifelong follow instantly?
"Crimes not erased... but regret, work hard future... please! To Korea!!"
"No, procedures tricky... Six Disasters info negotiable but... Eva? OK?"
"Yes? Y-yeah... wanted climber but... you subdued, Wakamo!!"
Groveling obsequiously OK everything, Manager Won Da-hye puzzled.
US climber agent this cooperative OK..?
Stolen money damages huge—but Legendary Architect value? Worth debt.
Wakamo Floor 1 vast, development work—specialized Legendary recruit means more resources.
Loyal oath to Wakamo... no betrayal worry.
Totally changed. Must be this guy! Intense eyes baffled manager more.
Yung Wei too.... Wakamo's eloquence insane?
Maybe hangry(?)... corrupting one-two people trivial.
"Your safety guaranteed. Wakamo Floor 1 full support.... Build all sorts structures. Maybe cities. Expert, so full trust... but harsh. OK?"
Drafting contract, showed 1,170㎢ map.
Honestly, solo city-building vast area insane schedule, but he excited.
"Good!!"
"....Underground, sea too?"
"Use like slave!!"
"Don't say that Black!! Making me trash!!"
Real? This psycho schedule?
Empty plain, design-build all—begging for it...?
How persuaded Wakamo make excited overwork?
Yung Wei too.... Manager getting scared.
"Note: Wakamo conquers, expands—more cities. Really OK?"
"Can build more?! Perfect!"
No... unpersuadable...
Tons materials/resources, no worry—cried, manager chills down spine.
"Black-friendly black company!"
"Aw c'mon! Don't say elsewhere!!!"
※※※
"Whew.... Lots happened."
Chaos, but weirdly cooperative US agent—no issues taking Jackson Korea.
Too smooth—maybe US cozying East Asia alliance.
"Wakamo OK? Just wanna VTuber... dragged into stuff."
"Hm."
Manager Won knew VTuber grind. Wakamo too.
Pros staring screen daily stunned real fans concert.
Mentally/physically tough do VTuber, but risks mental illness, weird stalkers, baseless hate.
Streamers, actors, comedians same chronic issues.
"Thanks worry, Manager. Fine. Better tomorrow's stream than piling crap. Laozi's Tao Te Ching Chapter 44 says:"
Got with lost which ill thus extreme love must great cost much hoard must thick loss know content no shame know stop no peril can long endure.
"Getting and losing, which illness? Thus excessive love sure waste, much stored sure great loss. Know sufficiency no disgrace, know halt no danger, thus long lasting."
VTuber not smooth, tangled annoyances buffeted.
World not easy wishes. Twists normal.
"Negative thoughts? Think fans visiting me."
Sad? Sad. Laugh? Laugh.
Bottling negative, anxious future... just depresses.
"Pink Coyote mayo lick full power!! Cute onion, duck too!! Depressed? Yakinku grill shake off!!"
No worry needed!!
Wakamo Inarizushi VTuber superhuman!!
House-burn VTuber fanatic—now idol kill? Just madman noise!!
VTubers suffer stalkers, valuecoins, pervs breaching lines.
So this Wakamo Inarizushi no care!!
"More than that, 3rd gen live stream. Home OK?"
"....Y-yeah.... Jackson I handle...."
"Wakkyatfu!! 3rd gen live!! Wakamo happy!!"
Hopping, dashing home for live.
Manager thought maybe simpler than seems.
Yeah... simple folk mentally tough.
"Wakamo! Active spec ops VTuber debut!!"
"You tin can! Why now! Move! Streaming! Clipping!!"
"Praise please!!"
"Good good good!! 5 sugar cubes?"
"7 please."
"Aww, our Asuka good!! More VTubers!! Watch together!!"
Kiyoot! Windmill spinning, cheering live—Wakamo hyped.
Yu Ying worried bit, but happy good—turned on stream.
Asuka shoving 7 sugars, drooling munching aside annoying.
Better than Sadako drunk floor-sleep instant arrival?
Wakamo Corporation back everyday routine.
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Our AI touch-up guy gave SD character pulls.
Sob sob... AI unbeatable humans readers....
Overwhelming quality crushed author!!