Chapter 99
“Phew...”
Hearing the news that the 7th floor had been cleared, Billon sat in his office chair and let out a sigh.
Mr. Kim had done it again.
It was now hard to even imagine him failing to clear.
While Billon felt relieved, he also felt ashamed.
He had promised to do his best from his position, but the experiment conducted on Mars not too long ago was a factor.
The Power of the Tower reached all the way to Mars without issue, and the faint hope he had clung to crumbled away.
No matter how far they escaped from Earth, was it impossible to escape the Clutches of the Tower?
Did they really have no choice but to entrust the entire Future of Humanity to just one person, Mr. Kim?
He wanted to share even a little of the heavy burden Mr. Kim carried on his shoulders, but Billon was once again painfully realizing his own inadequacy.
The world called him a genius, but to help a Superhuman like Person123, he was nothing more than an ordinary person.
“Are you alright?”
His Secretary, Ellen, who was standing nearby, asked as Billon rubbed his dry face.
Billon let out another deep sigh and spoke.
“Still, we have to keep going. Don't we?”
“Pardon?”
“Figuring out a way to screw over that damn Tower, whether it's escaping Earth or whatever else.”
Of course, there was no giving up.
Instead of eating away at him, failure and despair were always the driving force that made him try again.
For Humanity, and for Mr. Kim, who was fighting a lonely battle all by himself.
He had no choice but to keep struggling without stopping.
* * *
[Chicken Sandwich: Thank you for your hard work, Mr. Kim. I am truly glad you returned safely from the 7th Floor as well. Humanity gets to live for another year once again. You are truly an amazing person...]
I checked the message from Billon and replied.
On the days I cleared a Nightmare Difficulty floor, whispers would flood in not just from Billon, but from all sorts of people.
Of course, Billon was about the only one I replied to.
“Ughhh...”
Closing the communication window, I stretched and yawned.
I've already reached the 8th Floor.
I was thinking back to the 1st Floor, when the world was just hours away from ending.
It truly felt like a miracle that I had managed to push my way this far.
Anyway, we get to live for another year.
Since I rested for a day, it was time to diligently start doing what I needed to do again.
I entered the 6th floor to test out my newly acquired skill.
If possible, I want to test its power against a boss.
[Only the Last Core remains!]
[The boss is summoned!]
After pushing through all the cores, I summoned the boss, the Super-large Ogre.
Guaaaargh—!
[Skill: Hellfire Eruption (Epic)]
It erupts powerful flames of Hell in the form of a pillar within a 20-meter radius. It requires 30 to 150 seconds of Mental Concentration to cast. The longer the Concentration Time, the higher the Skill's power and range.
Category: Magic-type
Willpower Cost: 700
Cooldown: 2 minutes
I used Stop Time and did 150 seconds of Mental Concentration.
I targeted the boss and cast a Full Charge Hellfire Eruption.
Then, a red circle resembling a magic circle appeared beneath the boss's feet...
Fwoooosh!
Blindingly crimson flames surged up like lava.
“Whoa...!”
The intense heat reached all the way to where I was standing.
Once the flames disappeared, the boss was gone.
I mean, it just vanished without even leaving ashes behind.
Even if it was a boss with a relatively low level, it was incredible destructive power.
[Awesome.]
It was an Epic Grade Skill that could be charged, with the bracelet and the Flame-type Effect providing an 80% Damage Boost...
It might be natural for it to produce this level of power.
When used, the Skill's Hit range was also considerable. Was it about a 2-meter radius?
I was 100% satisfied with the new Skill's specs.
I finished testing the Skill and exited the 6th Floor.
“Demon Lord.”
I called out to Ma-Wang.
- What is it?
“I think we need to have a serious talk.”
I felt Ma-Wang's emotion, as if he was wondering what kind of bullshit I was suddenly spouting.
The power Ma-Wang had shown after taking over my body on the 7th Floor was beyond imagination.
I needed to understand it in more detail.
“Demon Lord, you can use other powers with my body besides the Skills I have, right?”
- And?
“Like spreading cold air and flying Ice Blades, those were all magic, right? But how do you use magic without a cool... Cooldown?”
That was the most surprising part.
Ma-Wang replied as if he found me pathetic.
- Do you mistakenly believe that the Skills you possess are magic?
“...Are they not?”
- They are merely empty shells mimicking the form of magic. They aren't your original abilities, and since the Tower has placed restrictions on them, they have things like Cooldowns.
I asked again.
“So your magic isn't a Skill given by the Tower, but real magic?”
- Yes.
“And that's why you can use it freely without a cooldown?”
- Do you need a cooldown every time you move your arms and legs?
So in other words...
The magic Ma-Wang used wasn't an ability received from the Tower, but Ma-Wang's original power.
That was why he could use it freely without restrictions like Cooldowns.
- Assuming infinite mana, that is.
“You mean Willpower, right?”
Ma-Wang had used my Willpower to use magic.
And I practically had infinite Willpower.
The biggest weaknesses of Magic-type Skills were Mental Concentration and high Willpower Cost.
I have solved those two weaknesses with my Time Stop cheat to use Magic-type Skills up until now.
But there was one thing I couldn't do anything about even with Time Stop: the Cooldown.
However, Ma-Wang could use magic without a Cooldown.
My one and only weakness was perfectly covered.
Of course, considering how my body had frozen over, it wasn't like it could be used limitlessly...
- You rotten bastard, who said I would keep helping you?
Ma-Wang said, sounding dumbfounded.
He said that, but in the end, he helped me on the 7th Floor because it was dangerous.
I asked Ma-Wang.
“But what are you planning to do by taking over my body that makes you keep coveting it?”
Is he trying to conquer Earth with my body or something?
- What will you do if I am?
“Obviously, I won't let you.”
- I've given up too, you damn bastard. You could hold the entire world in your hands, so why on earth do you refuse it?
Ma-Wang said as if he were sick and tired of it.
True, when he first entered my body, this Yangban would throw a fit every single day, telling me to kill everyone and rule the world.
He has quieted down a bit lately.
I said.
“Then how about this. If you follow a few conditions, I can hand over my body to you for a few hours a day.”
- ...Conditions? What are they?
At the mention of handing over my body, Ma-Wang asked back, seemingly surprised.
Even in the future, if I were in danger, Ma-Wang would have no choice but to step in and help anyway.
Still, I was able to safely clear the 7th Floor thanks to Ma-Wang.
Honestly, my conscience pricked a bit at the thought of wiping my mouth clean after receiving such huge help...
And if I wanted to keep receiving his help in the future, wouldn't it be better to maintain an amicable relationship?
“First, please actively cooperate with me in clearing Nightmare Difficulty from now on. Unless you want to die together, you have no choice but to help me anyway.”
- Tsk... Is that it?
Of course, there was more.
“And I'll hand over my body only inside the Tower, not outside. Above all, you absolutely cannot hurt other people, and you must return my body immediately when I ask for it back.”
As long as he kept to this much, there was no reason I couldn't lend him my body.
Even if he harbored ulterior motives, I could just stop time, so there was a minimum Safety Device in place.
“If you follow these conditions, I will hand over my body to you for two hours a day.”
Ma-Wang said in a dissatisfied tone.
- Are you kidding me? Then there's nothing I can do.
“Without these conditions, who knows what kind of mess you'd make, Demon Lord. You looked frustrated, so I was trying to at least let you move around occasionally, but if you don't want to, then forget it.”
- What are you talking about? I never said I didn't want to.
Ma-Wang said urgently.
Okay, then it's a deal.
“I look forward to working with you.”
- Hand it over right now.
“Yes. But wait a moment.”
Since I was handing it over, there was something I wanted to test.
[Now entering the Nightmare Difficulty 6th Floor.]
After explaining it to Ma-Wang, I entered the 6th Floor again.
After pushing through all the cores and taking down the boss.
I whittled down the health of the last Core 3 to 1 Percent and then handed my body over to Ma-Wang.
“Tsk, how bothersome...”
Boom!
Ma-Wang grumbled and leaped into the Void.
Whether it was Flight Magic or something else, Ma-Wang could fly freely through the Void.
He went up into the sky to a height where the Arena could be seen at a glance.
Anyway, what I am trying to do now is...
I was trying to test how long my body could withstand Ma-Wang's power.
As it was seen on the 7th Floor, Ma-Wang's power couldn't be used infinitely.
If used continuously, the body would freeze and collapse. Did he say the body couldn't handle the power?
If so, I needed to accurately figure out how long I could withstand it.
That way, I could strategically use Ma-Wang's power in future Nightmare Strategies.
[Maximum Output, please.]
Ma-Wang started using magic as I asked.
Rumbleeee—!
Just like on the 7th Floor, an Icy Chill raged around us.
[Willpower: 0/5,000]
My Willpower bottomed out in an instant.
I immediately stopped time and recovered it.
Ma-Wang continued to use his power, and when my Willpower dropped, I recovered it.
After I repeated that a few times, frost slowly began to form on my body, and my body started to freeze.
And once it passed ten times.
Crack!
My body began to crack.
So the strain starts around here.
In terms of time, a little over a minute had passed.
Even on the 7th Floor, my body had been split in half after I had used Rapid Fire magic for 150 seconds...
Even with generosity, it seemed impossible to withstand it for more than 3 minutes.
Would the time I could withstand it increase as my level went up?
Now for the next experiment.
After going down, I took my body back from Ma-Wang.
“Ugh...”
A terribly severe chill.
I could barely even move my body.
I immediately tried using Rapid Regeneration.
Fwoooosh—
However, my frozen body didn't melt and remained as it was.
Ma-Wang scoffed and informed me.
- My chill cannot be recovered with such a shoddy regeneration ability.
Hmm, so it doesn't work.
Then that meant once I was in this state, it was impossible to recover on my own.
Unless I recovered by clearing a floor, that is.
Boom!
I launched a Flame Strike to chip away the remaining 1 percent of the core's health.
I had set it up in advance so I could clear it immediately just in case this happened.
[The player successfully cleared the Nightmare Difficulty 6th Floor.]
After finishing the Repeat Clear, I moved to the Reward Room.
Only then did my body recover.
I moved my thawed body and thought.
[I'll have to use it carefully and regulate it.]
It would be one thing if I spammed it at the very end of a clear like on the 7th Floor.
But if I spammed Ma-Wang's power from the middle of a clear area and my body started freezing, I'd be screwed.
Well, still, anyway...
Even taking that into account, a few minutes of unlimited magic Rapid Fire was an ability no different from a completely broken cheat.
I felt like I had gained a reliable Trump Card.
I looked forward to seeing how much easier future Nightmare Strategies would become if I even had Ma-Wang's help.