Chapter 63
Wang Kai, who had just come out from discussing 5th Floor matters with Secretary Zhao Degang, the Chairman's closest aide, clicked his tongue in irritation.
"What does he even know, babbling on like that... An old geezer who'd drop dead if you just poked him."
In truth, it was no different from what they always talked about, but Wang Kai, still on edge over the Branch Tower incident, found everything grating.
It wasn't as if there were voices within the party blaming him.
Person123, who cleared every Branch Tower within tens of minutes no matter where in the world it appeared, was the freak; how could anyone possibly clear them faster?
If one had to be precise, there was a chance with Mongolia, but from the Third Branch Tower onwards, it was force majeure no matter what anyone did.
If they had just entered at the same time, he would have definitely cleared it faster than that guy... That was all Wang Kai could think about.
Whether he truly used long-distance teleportation or something else, the thought of losing everything to such a pathetic trick made his boiling anger refuse to subside.
“The 5th Floor...”
So far, there was no news or rumor of Person123 appearing on the 5th Floor.
Of course there wouldn't be. Would a guy who had been hiding his identity like a rat all this time act any differently on the 5th Floor?
If by some one-in-a-million chance they ever crossed paths, Wang Kai vowed to trample him to pieces.
Since he couldn't kill him, he just needed to beat him to the brink of death. He would make him clearly understand the difference in their levels.
As he walked down the Corridor with those thoughts, some figures approached from the opposite direction.
Wang Kai frowned.
A neat-looking man with slicked-back hair. Beside him was Xiaolin, a Central Committee Member of the party.
The man offered a slight smile and a nod. Wang Kai pointedly ignored the greeting and walked past.
The man watched Wang Kai's retreating back before speaking.
"He doesn't seem to be in a good mood."
The man's identity was none other than the Nightmare 4th Floor Climber and China's representative Nightmare Challenger, Ye Cheonwi.
Xiaolin said.
"His pride must be hurt over the Branch Tower incident. He was thoroughly humiliated by Person123."
Ye Cheonwi chuckled.
"It's quite amusing."
"Pardon? What is..."
"Mr. Wang Kai being so conscious of that person. It's amusing to watch."
Not knowing his place at all.
Did he genuinely think he was of a caliber to be compared to that person? It was utterly ridiculous.
On the other hand, it couldn't be helped.
No matter how kindly Person123 posted strategy guides, there was no one who could properly understand them.
What Nightmare Difficulty was, what kind of Hell it was, and just how absurd the things he was accomplishing were.
Unless one had personally experienced the nightmare to follow even a fraction of his footsteps, it was a realm impossible to grasp through mere text.
At best, perhaps only he and the United States' 4th Floor Climber could understand it even a little.
If Person123 hadn't cleared the Fifth Branch Tower first, Wang Kai would have died. He was a truly lucky man.
Though with his arrogance piercing the sky like that, who knew how long that luck would last.
"It was a chance to clear away a man who ruins the picture, so it is a bit of a shame."
At Ye Cheonwi's casual tone, Xiaolin replied in an equally nonchalant manner.
"There is no disruption to the grand scheme. The dragon is complete, so we merely need to wait for the time to dot its eyes."
That somewhat meaningful conversation ended there. The two of them also left the Corridor.
---
The 5th Floor Common Area.
True to its name, it was a common zone where Climbers of all difficulties gathered.
According to the 5th Floor Climbers, it was no different from another World separate from Earth.
I also had some basic knowledge about it.
Stories about the 5th Floor were a daily topic in the communication window and communities, and a regular subject on the news. Things like Climbers from which Nation clashing with each other, and so on.
Entering the 5th Floor was quite a reluctant matter for me.
But it was probably just useless worrying.
Looking at the statistics, the total number of Climbers on the 5th Floor and above was around 7,000.
It was less than 1 percent of the total Climber population, but it was still a lot.
In a place where thousands of people came and went, who would even pay attention to me?
And even if, by some one-in-a-million chance, my identity was discovered... couldn't I just use Stealth and run away?
It wasn't like anyone could take a photo or video of my face anyway.
Electronic devices or even slightly complex Mechanical Devices couldn't be brought into the tower. That applied to the 5th Floor as well.
There was no need to worry too much.
Anyway, one way or another, I had to enter the 5th Floor at least once.
It wasn't a floor that required clearing, and I could have skipped straight to the 6th Floor, but there were rewards to be obtained on the 5th Floor as well.
I couldn't just challenge the 6th Floor without grabbing those first.
\[Would you like to enter the 5th Floor?\]
"Enter."
I entered the 5th Floor straight from my room.
\[You have entered the 5th Floor.\]
The scenery shifted.
I was standing on a floor emitting a soft glow.
I looked around.
A wide plain stretching out in all directions. People and sparsely scattered buildings.
The place I was currently standing on was a portal.
They said entry and exit for the 5th Floor Common Zone were entirely done through this portal.
Unlike other floors, exiting the tower was only possible within the portal's range.
In short, it was no different from a portal in a game.
Listening to what people said, the 5th Floor Common Zone itself actually felt no different from an Open Field in an MMORPG.
After briefly watching the people appearing and disappearing on the portal, I stepped outside its range.
‘Let's see...’
Now that I was in, I just needed to quietly do what I came to do.
Still, should I look around a bit first?
Having heard this and that before entering the 5th Floor, I directed my steps toward where the people and buildings were.
\[Drake Restaurant\]
A large, two-story wooden building.
I checked the signboard and went inside.
The interior felt like a medieval inn. There were quite a few people, making for a bustling atmosphere.
"The Zone 1 Boss Expedition is starting soon."
"Hah, I hope the rewards turn out good."
"Huh? When did the Zone 3 Boss Gauge fill up this much? It's over 90 percent."
I walked further into the hall, observing the food people were eating.
There was something everyone unanimously said you had to do first upon entering the 5th Floor. Visit this Drake Restaurant.
The 5th Floor was only accessible to Climbers of the 5th Floor and above.
Since there were no native residents living in this World, the people here were naturally all Climbers of the 5th Floor and above.
Then who was the owner of this restaurant?
A Climber, as expected.
Mr. Drake, a British Climber, was said to be someone who had been serving free food to people here on the 5th Floor since the early days.
As for why a 5th Floor or higher Climber would bother doing such a thing, it was simply because he originally loved cooking.
Thus, the Drake Restaurant was the representative landmark of the 5th Floor and the main gathering place for Climbers.
As I approached the kitchen, a bushy-bearded Caucasian man was busily tossing a Frying Pan over the hearth.
That must be Mr. Drake.
I went closer and spoke to him.
"Excuse me..."
Drake glanced at me and shouted.
"The Horned Deer Steak is sold out!"
"Pardon?"
"You were just about to order the Horned Deer Steak. Right?"
He was right.
When I stood there looking a bit dumbfounded, Drake let out a booming laugh.
"I can tell just by looking. It's your first time on the 5th Floor, isn't it?"
"...Yes."
"Everyone orders that first thing when they come in. Rumors have spread everywhere about it tasting like heaven or whatever."
This Drake Restaurant brought in ingredients from the outside, but they also used monsters inhabiting the 5th Floor to make their food.
The most famous among them was the Horned Deer Steak.
Someone had said that its savory, meaty flavor was on a level incomparable to Earth's beef.
I had come to taste it myself, but I guess I couldn't. What a shame.
"Try the Horned Deer Steak later. How about the Grilled Goblin Thigh instead? Don't be prejudiced just because it's a Goblin; the taste is guaranteed."
"Ah, no. I'll pass on that."
"Tsk, it's really delicious though..."
I had heard the rumors, but it seemed he really did sell Goblin meat.
Drake set down his Frying Pan and poured me a glass of something.
It was a dark red liquid that gave off a sweet, fruity scent.
"It's wine made from wild raspberries found on the 5th Floor. Drink up to celebrate your first entry."
"Ah, thank you."
"There's a menu over there, so take a seat and pick something. I'm not joking, the Goblin meat is really good. You'll be surprised once you try it."
It's such good meat... Muttering that, Drake resumed tossing his Frying Pan.
I took a seat at the bar-style table attached right in front of the kitchen.
When I opened the menu, it was in English. It wasn't difficult to translate.
“But the conversation really flows naturally.”
They said that just like the communication window's translation feature, Real-time Interpretation was applied when people communicated on the 5th Floor.
Drake's words just now had sounded like natural, flowing Korean. Though it seemed it didn't translate written text.
For reference, just like the other floors, the communication window couldn't be used on the 5th Floor either. It seemed the use of the communication window was unconditionally blocked inside the tower.
"Drake, I'll have some wine and the Horned Deer Steak."
I was picking a menu item—excluding the Goblin meat—when someone sat in the seat next to me.
It was a massive Western man. Drake yelled at him.
"I'm out of ingredients! Eat something else."
"What? Then just give me whatever."
"How about Goblin meat?"
"If you serve me that, I'll take it as a challenge to a duel."
The man, who had exchanged brief banter with Drake as if they were close, glanced in my direction.
When I offered a slight nod of greeting, the man smiled and asked.
"Is it your first time on the 5th Floor by any chance? I don't think I've seen your face before."
"Yes. It's my first time."
"Welcome! I'm Alex, the Public Order Captain of the 5th Floor."
Uh... This guy?
I was slightly surprised inwardly.
America's Hard Difficulty Record Holder, Alex. And the person who was said to be serving as the Public Order Captain of the 5th Floor Common Area.
They said there was something called the Public Order Squad on the 5th Floor, a group that literally played the role of maintaining public order on the 5th Floor.
I think they said it was just to the extent of Maintaining Order at a bare minimum.
After all, this was a place where Climbers from Worldwide gathered. From what I heard, the Climbers from the China Faction completely kept to themselves.
"You're not surprised?"
Alex looked at me as if slightly surprised himself.
"Usually, Climbers who see me for the first time are surprised when they hear my name. Not to brag, but I am quite the celebrity."
"...No, I am surprised."
"You don't look surprised, though?"
"I just don't have much change in my facial expressions normally."
Alex laughed heartily.
"So, aren't you going to tell me your name?"
Just in case, I altered my name slightly when I spoke.
"I'm Hyun."
After shaking hands, Alex continued to ask.
"Hyun, are you a Korean by any chance? Your name sounds like it's from there."
"Yes."
"Hahaha! I knew it! My daughter really loves Korea. She's been begging me to go on a trip there this year... Ah, you're not a North Korean by any chance, are you?"
"Pardon?"
"Ah, don't misunderstand. I asked because there are actually North Koreans roaming around here too. Judging by your reaction, I guess not. Excuse me."
I suppose that made sense.
Anyway, Alex kept talking to me in a burdensome manner.
Please stop acting so friendly now, mister... It's burdensome...
"...But you're not Person123 by any chance, are you?"
I almost spat out the wine I was drinking.
When I looked at Alex in bewilderment, Drake, who had just brought the food, clicked his tongue and said.
"Are you going to grab every new person who comes in and do that?"
"Well... It's fun!"
As if it were a joke, Alex burst into laughter.
I awkwardly laughed along with an "Ahaha."
"It's a joke, a joke. There's no way Person123 would be such a young friend. Ah, come to think of it, what difficulty are you?"
"...Easy Difficulty."
Alex was a truly talkative person, unbefitting his massive build.
"...So, do you have any thoughts of joining the Public Order Squad? There are many benefits if you join. The work isn't really much work either..."
"Captain!"
Just then, someone urgently approached while calling his title.
As if urgent business had come up, Alex frowned and downed his wine in one gulp.
"Eyy, I haven't even eaten my food yet... Anyway, it was nice meeting you, Hyun! Let's see each other again later!"
Alex left like a storm just like that.
I hadn't done anything, but I somehow felt exhausted.
"Here, the Kangaroo Rabbit Sandwich you ordered is out. Enjoy."
Soon, the food I ordered came out.
With the thought of eating quickly and leaving, I took a bite of the large sandwich.
...It wasn't really to my taste.
I forced it all down and washed my mouth out with the wine.
---
To compare it to a game, the 5th Floor Common Zone was an MMORPG.
There were monsters on the Field, they respawned when hunted, and there were Boss Monsters too.
It wasn't like magic stones dropped from killing monsters, but there were various reasons why Climbers operated on the 5th Floor.
First of all, it was because of the Monster Byproducts.
Unlike other floors where only rewards from the Reward Room could be taken outside the tower, on the 5th Floor, you could hunt monsters and take their byproducts outside.
Such Monster Byproducts were said to be traded at prices comparable to, or even more expensive than, magic stones. Because they were materials that didn't exist on Earth.
For reference, the shoes I recently bought were also made from the leather of a Lizard Monster that inhabited Zone 2 of the 5th Floor.
It was a shoe recently developed by a foreign company for High-level Climbers, and although it was expensive, costing in the tens of millions, it was incredibly sturdy.
Even I, who could no longer wear ordinary shoes, was quite satisfied wearing them.
Next were the circumstances of the Nations.
Technically, the 5th Floor was a place like an isolated planet.
Since they couldn't just let another Nation claim ownerless land, Climbers continuously operated there to keep each other in check. In reality, it was currently said to be a dynamic of the United States Faction versus the China Faction.
Lastly, there were the rewards that dropped from killing bosses.
This was the exact reason I had entered the 5th Floor.
You could think of the Zone Division of the 5th Floor as circles growing larger from the inside out, like a target.
The place I was currently located in was the innermost circle, Zone 0.
Zone 0 was a kind of Safe Zone where monsters didn't appear.
In the very center of Zone 0 was the portal I had entered through earlier, and the total range of Zone 0 was said to be a radius of about 1 kilometer.
And from the next circle, Zone 1, monsters appeared.
Zone 1, Zone 2, Zone 3... It was said that progressively stronger monsters appeared the further out into the Outer Zones you went.
And each zone had a Boss Monster.
The Boss Monster would appear when a certain number of Normal Monsters in that zone were hunted.
\[Zone 1 (99.9%)\]
\[Zone 2 (10.3%)\]
\[Zone 3 (90.8%)\]
This, which had been visible in my field of vision the moment I entered the 5th Floor, was the Boss Appearance Gauge.
The Zone 1 Boss was now on the verge of appearing.
I had actually checked the information on the communication window that the Zone 1 Boss would appear soon, which was why I entered the 5th Floor today.
Because they said if I missed this chance, I would have to wait at least a month.
The reward given for a Boss Kill.
Just like when clearing a floor, this was also a reward given only on the First Attempt.
They said the Zone 1 Boss reward would drop a Normal+ Grade skill stone at best.
Even that was better than nothing.
Since the more Skills the better, I naturally planned to grab it too.
I went to the Weapon Rental Shop in Zone 0 and borrowed a sword and a shield.
They said weapons randomly spawned anywhere on the 5th Floor, and this Weapon Rental Shop was where they gathered them.
It was a building managed by the Public Order Squad, and of course, the rentals were free.
\[Zone 1 (100%)\]
As I waited after borrowing the weapons, the Zone 1 Boss Gauge soon filled up completely.
\[The Zone 1 Boss is appearing.\]
A message popped up.
"Alright, gather here! We're moving out to hunt the Zone 1 Boss!"
I saw people starting to gather on one side of Zone 0.
They said that once the gauge was full, they would immediately form an Expedition Team like that and move out to hunt the boss.
I naturally approached and stood with them.
From what I heard, the strength of the Zone 1 Boss was roughly around the Level 20s...
There was a reason I joined them here instead of going to hunt the boss alone right away.
Because you had to contribute a certain amount or more to the Boss Kill to receive the reward.
If I did something like that, the other people wouldn't get the reward and would have to wait until the gauge filled up again, so it would be nothing short of being a massive nuisance and a huge troll.
Well, I just needed to blend in with the people and fight just enough to secure the reward.
"Are you nervous?"
While I was spacing out, someone next to me spoke up.
It was a Western woman with brown hair. The woman smiled and said.
"I'm nervous too. It's my first time joining forces with other people to fight, so my heart is pounding a bit."
"Ah... Yes."
"Let's do our best together! Fighting!"
"Fighting."
Thinking she was an energetic person, I played along.