Chapter 80
Chapter 80
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 80
Chapter Title: Welcoming the Pitiful Artist
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“Ehehe... hehe... uhehehe...”
Adelheid muttered to herself while staring into the mirror.
Mei Shaolongbao... no, Wakamo Inarizushi couldn’t help but wonder how she’d managed to climb all the way to the 10th floor.
Even shooting a gun at someone wouldn’t deal any damage.
Even swinging a chair at someone wouldn’t inflict harm, since it wasn’t an art tool.
Her abilities were restricted to an absurd degree by her Legendary class.
Towers came in all sorts of varieties. But most allowed climbers to ascend together.
Incheon Tower blended two types: certain floors together, certain floors solo.
Japan’s Kyoto Tower forced solo climbs without exception.
But every tower had one basic rule—the first 1 through 9 floors had to be climbed alone, for the climber’s growth.
To be precise, it was for [first-time climbers].
Those who’d conquered a tower weren’t bound by this in subsequent ones.
She must have pulled out all the stops over those four years—but even stabbing her with the dagger Wakamo had given her did no damage.
She’d resorted to a trick, interfering with the mana of her [Sculpting Knife] from range, barely scraping by on floor 1.
In hindsight, maybe even intruding on the tower in the first place hadn’t been allowed.
Even if [Inari’s Dew] could heal diseases, it wasn’t potent enough for something like pancreatic cancer, or there’d have been an uproar.
As King Wang had his disciples dig up, it was just as expected—good for nothing more than a cold or flu.
The German government must have backed her, and she’d thrown every trick in the book at floor 1, only to fail.
‘So she must’ve climbed using a [skill] from floor 1...’
But her skills wouldn’t vanish, so if she couldn’t deal “damage,” didn’t that mean she couldn’t kill?
The fact that it had taken her ages to reach floor 10 felt off somehow.
Climbers recovered immediately upon ascending a floor. Wakamo could keep climbing nonstop if she had the stamina.
The dagger—no, the sculpting knife, drenched in blood, nagged at her... but whatever, they were living together now.
“No need to force a tower climb, right? Adelheid. Today, I’ll introduce you to the other members... your seniors?”
“Ah...! Right! First, makeup, then pick an outfit to meet the seniors... wait for me!!”
...Moments like this really drove home that she was an adult woman.
Sadako would just strut out, declaring her body and clothes were one unit. Yu Ying always stuck to comfy tracksuits.
Asuka had some fashion sense, maybe? Dressing like a queen in the gaudiest, most dazzling getup—it was birdbrained... no, just too much. Devoid of any human touch.
Adelheid, on the other hand, fussed in front of the mirror with her makeup, dressed neatly to meet her seniors, and seriously pondered whether she should bring something along.
She grabbed some mystery item wrapped in cloth, declared herself ready—and when Wakamo opened a portal right in front of her, Adelheid’s eyes lit up.
“Ooh... amazing... But isn’t this Wakamo’s ability?”
“Wakamo and I are the same person, Adelheid...”
“?”
She tilted her head with a look that screamed total confusion, which stung a little.
Yeah, Mei couldn’t hide her expressions and was always bubbly, while Wakamo exuded solemnity just standing there.
No, was it the chest difference...?
“Um, is it really okay for me to come? If you think I’m useless, uh, just say the word...!!”
The moment she met the waiting Sadako and Yu Ying, she bowed at a perfect 90 degrees in greeting.
Then she introduced her full name, Adelheid von Bismarck, and politely handed out business cards she’d made back in her artist days.
Asuka glanced awkwardly at her empty hands and glared, but Adelheid glared right back at the AI with no intention of offering a card.
“What happens if I hear that AI click-clack here?”
“She’s awakened to sadism, Asuka.”
“This is my first time getting trashed like this. Throw some insults my way—I wanna know what it feels like.”
“Cut it out. Waste of the stats I raised you with.”
Asuka’s mouth was already itching for action, clearly sizing up Adelheid as prime broadcast fodder.
Meanwhile, Sadako was sharing all sorts of tower-climbing tips with her.
Even if consumables were off-limits, chugging a potion should be fine, right?—Adelheid had tried downing poison and spat fire, but still no damage... a heartbreaking tale that left listeners glum.
What on earth hadn’t she tried in those four years?
“So, always hit first and hit hard. Sneaky or not, winner’s the victor.”
“Like Pearl Harbor?”
“Yeah, preemptive like a poison gas war.”
Sadako’s sharp tongue never faltered anywhere, firing back at Adelheid’s joke without missing a beat.
When Adelheid pointed out she’d lose that way, Sadako blamed it on Germans not learning karate.
At that, Adelheid grinned slyly and muttered that they were monkey spawn after all.
She must’ve endured too much—her grudge against her homeland ran deeper and darker than imagined.
“Chincha jjaeji sipseo geureoke.”
Didn’t Wakamo suck at drawing too? Yu Ying shoved a drawing at her, saying she’d given it a shot.
It was a childish scribble, closer to a doodle than art. But spotting the four people plus the woman in a skirt with unmistakably gray hair—clearly Adelheid—made her tremble with emotion, tears welling as she critiqued it.
“The human proportions look like a car wreck. No distinction between lines and colors, no grasp of background perspective, composition a total mess! Pure beginner scribble with zero basic drawing knowledge! It’s primed for a zero-artistry review!”
“Ugh...”
A critique so brutal it scorched. Yu Ying shrugged it off—hey, she’d shown it to a tower-recognized artist, so what’d she expect?
But moments later, tears streaming, Adelheid held the drawing aloft and lavished praise.
“But look at the dazzling purity bursting from it!! Intuitive colors boldly capture the essence, untainted emotions rendering the visible world so anyone can grasp it in simple, crystal clarity! No explanation needed to see it’s about family! Untrained, thus pure art!!!”
She poured out ecstatic praise, screaming in bliss at receiving such a gift.
Then she flung herself at Wakamo, clinging desperately.
“Don’t abandon this useless weed of an artist!! One bread and three coffees a day, doghouse living—fine by me!!!”
“Crazy, human?”
She told Yu Ying she’d lost in art—couldn’t beat that pure genius.
Her rotten-black filth had no way to overcome the sensitivity born from that pristine white canvas, so she tried diving into a trash can—only for Asuka to yank her out in a panic.
“I’m worthless trash with no saving grace!! A failed artist wasting money, no reason to live! Waaah...”
“No, no. You can design merch and goods and stuff. You’re a pro, right? Artist, expert. We need your help, Adelheid? Otaku culture might be picky, but...”
“Germany and Japan were allies, so no problem! From muscle gay furry commissions to getting devoured and digested by giantesses!! I’ll draw anything!! Work me to the bone!!”
She latched onto Wakamo’s leg like a cicada, machine-gunning words about her infinitely broad skill set.
Yeah, yeah, good girl—Wakamo petted her head and praised her effort, and her pent-up lifetime of woe exploded into tears.
Not just spilling—spraying. Asuka, caught beside her, got drenched in tears and spit, rolling on the floor with a “guaaaak.”
“Parents wouldn’t support art, said no money in it—then success, they insisted on managing money, snatched every penny from my sales; Legendary class, homeland calls climber who can’t do floor 1 incompetent, worthless, national disgrace, abandons me—praises talent as vanguard of German art, new-age avant-garde, then sues, slanders, trashes me but...”
No rapper could spit bars that fast.
Adelheid had oceans of buildup, unleashing near-screams of piled agony.
“All that pain and hardship was to meet you, Wakamo!! Misery, despair, defeat, tragedy, suffering!! They make joy and happiness sweeter!! Art never left me! Only when nothing remained did you arrive!!”
“C-calm down.”
“My leader and guide, despite my uselessness and pitiful lowness... aa... light of my life... flame of my soul... hope of my dreams... my spirit... Mein Führer!! The living proof of the great übermensch, modern idol descended!! Yes! A world where followers live in her shadow... Lebensraum!!”
“No, we’re already here.”
With the portal open, Jackson—who’d come checking on Adelheid—quietly interjected after overhearing.
Wakamo’s floor 1 really was subs-only, VTuber stream viewers for now. Chosen-folk housing wasn’t wrong, but... wasn’t she taking it too far?
“As expected of Wakamo!! For a lowly artist like me to presume!! I’ll hang myself!! I erred against Wakamo—time to die!!”
“No, live!!! Calm down!!”
“I’m calm.”
“Too... fast...!!”
Composed once more, she muttered calculations: merch scope, design considerations, cost-based margins. Artist chasing ideals yet coldly pragmatic—like Wakamo.
“But you’re streaming like this? Germans got no humor.”
“Right! East Germany, West Germany, Nazis, banana jokes at best? I love bananas, uhehehe...”
“Gotta know East and West Germany first to get the banana gag. That’s why German jokes suck.”
“Alcoholic. Smarter than you look?”
“Huh? Duh, smart. Got my driver’s license.”
“Kya...? Driver’s license and smart— what’s the connection?”
“Means I can tell manga from reality!!”
“Crazy, human?”
Asuka sighed in defeat at the communication breakdown.
Amid it all, Adelheid melted into a blissful grin at everyone’s kindness, clenching her fist: she’d give it her all.
“Wakamo recruiting me means a grander vision!! Swallowing Germany beyond East Asia...!!”
“No such plans. No forcing tower climbs, Adelheid. Just help with VTuber streams and Wakamo Corp... Built a gallery on floor 1 for easy art. Oh, already did? Let’s do exhibitions. Got it?”
“Aa... thank you... thank you... waaah... a gallery for trash like me...”
“I built it?”
“You built it, Wakamo!!! ”
She whipped out her sculpting knife, growling with gleaming eyes—Jackson slunk behind Yu Ying. Yu Ying’s shocked face screamed, “Hiding behind me now?” But the black kid was bolder than expected.
“Yeah, yeah. Not combat job? We gotta party up at 50, so we’ll grind hard.”
“Maja, maja.”
“Me too!!! No!! I can do it!! To help Wakamo!!! ”
“No, don’t push. You’re an artist. Frail bod—”
“Pushing me out?!”
Like a ghost, she lunged at Sadako, clutching her hem and dangling.
So fast Sadako couldn’t react, collar grabbed and shaken.
Bloodshot eyes pouring not rage, but sorrow, resentment, wounded heart.
“L-like engineer, p-press down?! Hate me?! Rolling stone, right?! Stealing Wakamo’s attention—hate me?! B-but... wanna try hard! Crush me like weed, fine—but pushing and pressing away is wrong!! Everyone deserves a shot!! Why say such sad things? I’m hurt? Gonna cry!!”
“Then cry. Prove your purity with tears.”
Plop.
“Torschlusspanik, Weltschmerz—!!”
“Literal: fear of being too late in life for big things, door slamming shut before crossing. Then, profound sorrow, pain, melancholy at a world full of imperfections.”
“Two words, endless baggage.”
“Germans are walking dictionaries of vague sorrows.”
“Seriously, can’t you be nice to the junior? You guys...?”
Wakamo scooped up the crouched, sobbing Adelheid, soothing her in a gentle embrace. Motherly warmth... love... coziness... worries melting like snow, her face relaxed as she burrowed in. But soon she leaped back, rolling on the floor.
“Happy, but disgusted Wakamo hugged trash like me—wanna die. Yet hugged, so life’s bitterness like bittersweet chocolate in my mouth...”
“Too wordy! Worried you’d get hurt! Anyway, just do what you’re good at—show us your art.”
“What I’m good at... my strength... what only I can do... I wanna show Wakamo something!!”
She yelled at Jackson to guide to the gallery.
He wondered why he got treated like this, but pitied the Adelheid who’d gone full unhinged after four years—led her to the grand, opulent gallery without complaint. Museum-sized, vast, but empty without art—such a waste.
Wakamo meanwhile facepalmed at yet another pure-gold Wakamo statue here.
“Ta-da! My nine monster sculptures!”
From the dire deer to goblins and orcs... lifelike beyond belief, brimming with vitality like living things posed in glass cases.
Specimens for monster research? Fine. Curious about her skill... but this was awe-inspiring.
“Waa~ so real. Nicely done!!”
Sadako, veteran monster-spotter, inspected closely, averting from the orc that seemed to meet her eyes. Glass orbs and... As a martial artist and karate master, she could tell—but lacked courage to check again.
Play it off.
“Man, junior. Thought they were taxidermied for real! Sculptures, right?”
“Yeah, they are!”
“......Right...?”
“.....(smirk)”
That confident artist smile: yep, art! Sadako’s posture grew more respectful.
Then she framed Yu Ying’s drawing, mounted it on the wall, and scrawled a manic explanation—58 lines, three times the pic’s size. Wild scribbles, but handwriting better than Wakamo’s; Yu Ying and Sadako admired.
Finally, she unveiled the canvas wrapped in cloth: her self-proclaimed portrait.
Wakamo’s wall portrait was photorealistic, believable as a photo.
The Mona Lisa-esque pose oddly stirred complex feelings in Wakamo.
“This isn’t it──!!”
Staring at it, she tore at her hair, screaming till her throat should’ve shredded. Adamantium vocal cords or what?
“Wh-why... does my painting ooze ugly desire and greed... apathy to the world, a dumb blank face?! No no no—painting Wakamo shouldn’t yield a simpleton mug!! Artist career over! Wakamo...!! I’ll die!!”
“No, no... it’s good. Do better next time.”
“But this!! Makes her look like a VTuber-obsessed airhead with zero worldly worries!! Total failure!”
Artists are terrifying.
That insight...? Gotta watch myself around Adelheid.
Too piercingly accurate—chilling.
Wakamo petted and soothed: pursue free art unbound, fill this gallery with your works alone. Full funding, no worries—chase dreams, just VTuber too. Convinced her.
Moved, Adelheid bawled again.
“You’re my real mom, Wakamo!!”
Touched tears and nonsense, but Wakamo shrugged it off... maternal vibes in a VTuber? Sure.
She got it! Sometimes too immersed, that kindness feels like mom... Hoo... Pekoyama... give us back mama... No, snap out.
After, Yu Ying gifted a can spray of poison gas and poison paints.
Art tools doubling as weapons... Adelheid bittersweet—she’d tried—hugged Yu Ying in thanks.
“Then, prep for VTuber debut stream... Fandom name set?”
“Yup! FuchS KirStyn! Planning [Fox Followers]!”
“Shorten to FK? FSK? Sounds swears.”
“Cute shorten?”
“SS?”
“Sadako.”
“Wakamo Führer’s SS guard corps!”
“Adelheid.”
Nope. Pair these two, stream’s guaranteed viral.
Wakamo and Mei each grabbed one, prying them apart.
Gen 1’s first member already like this... major anxiety...