Chapter 93
“Yeah, that's a relief, Joo-Won. Give my regards to Older Sister.”
I hung up the phone with Joo-Won.
Fortunately, it seemed older sister Jiwu had returned home safely and come to her senses.
- Legislator Baek Gyu-Ho has announced his voluntary resignation from his position as a Member of Parliament. Legislator Baek is currently facing multiple charges, including bribery and aiding and abetting in relation to the Cheonin Church, and the Prosecution has stated that it is conducting an investigation judging that he has severely undermined national security...
Coming out to the living room, I saw the news playing on the TV.
After I posted the call-out on the communication channel
Korea was still in an uproar over the Cheonin Church scandal.
Based on the news reported lately, it seemed that all those involved were being investigated and punished without exception.
“It's the end of the world, the end of the world.”
My Younger Sibling muttered while lying on the sofa and watching the news.
I said.
“Younger Sibling.”
“...Yeah?”
“You should be careful of cults like that too.”
Maybe it was because I had seen older sister Jiwu end up like that.
To me, this guy seemed a bit precarious too.
My Younger Sibling glared at me and retorted.
“Do I look like an idiot to fall for something like that?”
“You are an idiot.”
“Jeez, why are you picking a fight again?”
- ...As Person123 exceptionally stepped forward to dismantle the Cheonin Church and to write a post on the communication channel, analysts suggest he has expressed deep regret over this incident.
- The Government of Korea has stated its position to actively investigate the actual conditions of Religious Groups related to Person123, and to prepare measures to prevent a Second Cheonin Church Incident from occurring...
My Younger Sibling pointed at the TV screen with the remote control.
“Look. Person123 even posted a message himself, so who would fall for that kind of thing now?”
Well...
It might be quiet for a while, but wouldn't the effect wear off as time passes?
Even so, it wasn't like I could go around tracking down Cult Leaders and beating them up one by one like I did with the Cheonin Church.
Well, I didn't have the luxury to worry about things like that anyway.
Anyway, I felt I had done enough regarding this matter.
“Anyway, just be careful. I'm saying this because a university senior I know fell into the Cheonin Church too.”
“...Really? Then did that Senior see Person123 in person?”
“I don't know.”
* * *
Currently, there are dozens of Nightmare Challengers worldwide.
However, the ones closely chasing Person123 were always just two nations: the United States and China.
The United States and China staked their lives on this Nightmare 6th Floor Climb.
Well, they always staked their lives on it, but the 6th Floor was inevitably much more important than the previous floors.
If cleared, they wouldn't just gain Level 10, but Level 20 all at once.
That would make them Level 60.
Even excluding the special status of being a Nightmare Challenger, they would become the Highest Level Climber across All Difficulties.
This time, the United States challenged it first.
This was a much earlier challenge compared to the other floors.
Although they thoroughly prepared their strategy by seeking Strategy Consultation from Person123, they normally wouldn't have challenged it this quickly.
However, Taylor's will played a strong role.
She wanted to challenge it as quickly as possible, and in the end, she successfully managed it again.
And not long after, China also challenged the 6th Floor. The result was the same as that of the United States.
The two Nations now possess Level 60 Climbers who were the Nightmare Difficulty Record Holders, excluding Person123.
Slash!
Taylor swung her sword.
The legs of the stick insect that ambushed her through the mist from above a tree were severed by her sword wrapped in Sword Aura.
Screeech—
The stick insect flailed, swinging its remaining legs.
Taylor calmly struck away all its legs as if pruning branches, and finally chopped its torso in half.
Spilling green bodily fluids, the stick insect died instantly.
Taylor wiped the blood off her blade with a cloth, then tied and hung it on a nearby branch.
She advanced into the mist again in search of her next prey.
Zone 5 was a dangerous sector, to the point that Person123 had even issued a warning.
Of course, Person123 had uploaded all the Monster Information: the highly durable Bone Dinosaur, the stick insect that disguised itself as a Tree, the Fog Ghost that created a Fake Clone, and so on...
However, the Field filled with mist made it difficult to perceive the presence of Monsters.
Also, although she was moving while leaving marks with cloth at intervals, a moment of carelessness could lead to getting lost and wandering the Forest.
Even so, the reason Taylor was hunting in Zone 5 is not stated.
It wasn't for the monster byproducts, but for filling the gauge.
The Zone 5 Boss would be at least Level 100 in strength, so why was she filling the Boss Gauge for something she couldn't even defeat...
It was for Person123.
Of course, the Climbing Bureau vehemently opposed Taylor's Zone 5 Hunt because it was dangerous. Even this right now was a Unilateral Action.
However, Taylor was already in a state where she had firmly decided her own role.
If she was just going to obediently do the Nightmare Climb with the information Person123 provided, what meaning of existence did she have?
Was he to become the next runner if he failed?
Taylor knew. There was no one to replace him, including herself.
If he failed, no one would be able to climb Nightmare Difficulty anyway.
Therefore, what she had to do was anything that would be of help. Sparing herself because it was dangerous would be putting the cart before the horse.
Zone 5 was a sector where no one was currently hunting anyway.
The Climbers who were at a level capable of hunting the Monsters were extremely few to begin with, and they had no reason to risk the danger to do a Zone 5 Hunt.
To be even the slightest bit of help to Person123, who had to fill the gauge of Zone 5 all alone, Taylor was struggling hard again today.
While pushing through the mist, they continued.
“...!”
Taylor felt a presence behind her and hurriedly turned around.
But what she saw was not a Monster.
A man smiled as if he had no hostility and raised both hands.
“I'm a Human.”
A black-haired East Asian man.
Taylor lowered the sword she had been aiming with.
‘Ye Cheonwi...?’
China's Nightmare Record Holder.
It was her first time seeing him in person, but she recognized him immediately.
Because he was a figure the United States was keeping a very close eye on, she had familiarized herself with his face through photos.
“I didn't expect to run into you in a place like this. Nice to meet you, Ms. Taylor.”
Of course, Ye Cheonwi also recognized Taylor right away.
“...Nice to meet you.”
Taylor lowered her sword but still didn't let her guard down.
Since the Wang Kai Incident, China and the Black Star Society have been showing a quieter demeanor compared to before, and there haven't been any particular clashes between them on the 5th Floor so far.
Still, the United States and China were in a rivalry.
And right now, this place is Zone 5.
No one would know what happened here, even if someone were to die right now.
Besides, why on earth was Ye Cheonwi here? For what purpose?
“I don't think you need to be so on guard.”
Taylor replied while still staring intently at him.
“Sorry. My nerves are on edge.”
“I understand because this place is what it is.”
Ye Cheonwi's gaze swept over the monster bloodstains splattered on her clothes.
“But hunting Monsters alone in Zone 5... That's unexpected. I don't think this is something the US Climb Management Bureau would want.”
“Who knows. What about you?”
It was the same for Ye Cheonwi; he also had no reason to wander around dangerously alone in Zone 5.
Meeting Taylor's eyes, Ye Cheonwi soon smiled brightly.
“I've been curious about you for a while...”
“...”
“It seems we are of the same kind after all.”
Taylor slightly narrowed her brow. What was he talking about?
Just then, a monster suddenly popped out from the side, piercing through the mist.
Taylor reacted and tried to raise her sword.
But Ye Cheonwi's hand moved even faster.
Pow!
Something flew at high speed and shattered the Bone Dinosaur's head into pieces.
Taylor paused and looked at Ye Cheonwi.
...What skill was that just now?
She wondered if it was a Normal+ Grade Throwing Skill, but it was too fast for a Throwing Skill.
Ye Cheonwi dusted off his hands and gave her a slight bow.
“It was nice meeting you.”
“...Nice meeting you too.”
“Let's hunt hard for his sake. Both of us.”
Ye Cheonwi smiled and disappeared back into the mist.
Taylor stared at the spot where he had vanished. Only then was she able to relax her tension.
‘...For his sake?’
What did his last words mean?
Could it be that Ye Cheonwi was also doing the Zone 5 Hunt for Person123?
Taylor found herself unable to figure out the person named Ye Cheonwi.
* * *
My daily life was a monotonous pattern, as always.
I was going in and out of the 6th Floor to give strategy consultation to the Nightmare Challengers, and hunting in Zone 5.
The United States and China challenged it quite early this time. And both succeeded.
And lately, for some reason, the Zone 5 Boss Gauge was filling up little by little even when I wasn't hunting Monsters.
Was someone else hunting in Zone 5 besides me?
Even though I had said it was dangerous.
Anyway, thanks to that, the speed at which the gauge filled got a tiny bit faster.
Still, it was far too much to make the Zone 5 Boss appear before one challenged the boss of the 7th Floor.
- We have news that the United States's Universe Z's Second Manned Probe will soon arrive on Mars. As this exploration notably includes Climber Personnel, CEO Billon Must has announced that he will test the Tower's Sphere of Influence...
Another piece of news has been heard lately.
After the First Manned Exploration, Billon's Universe Z sent a second probe to Mars.
I heard the technology had been further improved, making the speed much faster.
More importantly, it was said that a Climber was included among the Explorers this time.
Taking this opportunity, Billon intended to briefly test the range of the Power of the Tower, as he had aspired to do back then.
[Chicken Sandwich: If the Tower's supernatural abilities operate normally even on Mars, we'd have to assume there's a very high probability that the curse will also continue to exert its influence.]
[Person123: Then what will you do next?]
[Chicken Sandwich: We will continue to advance into wider space: the Solar System, the Milky Way, and beyond the Galaxy...]
I didn't know if Humanity could actually hold out until then, but anyway, Billon's dream was grand.
I naturally cheered for Billon too, but...
Now, honestly, it was hard to have expectations.
Because thanks to Ma-Wang, I had learned that there were Other Worlds too.
It was a Tower that destroyed even Other Worlds. So, no matter how far we went from Earth, would it really be possible to escape the Clutches of the Tower?
- ...The Explorers are coming out now. They say they will attempt to enter the Tower shortly.
It was being broadcast live.
The Second Manned Probe had safely arrived on Mars.
Billon's figure, watching the situation from the Control Center on Earth, was also captured on camera.
The Climber was said to attempt to write a post on the communication channel and to enter the Tower in sequence.
As I alternated between watching the news and checking the Easy Communication Channel where they announced they would post...
[Waffle: The first Martian's post.]
Soon, the Mars Climber's post came up.
[Palm Tree: It transmits perfectly well.]
[Advertisement: Lolllll]
[Pepper: Got my hopes up for nothing... Is Humanity's Mars Escape Plan scrapped with this?]
[Kadravolk: Tower entry is still left.]
People's disappointment followed.
Next was entering the Tower.
The image of the Climber smiling and waving their hand inside the spaceship was shown.
- Will entry into the Tower really be possible even on Mars? Right now... Ah! They've entered.
The Climber disappeared into the Void.
The News Anchor broadcasting live spoke with a sigh.
Along with the sighs of the Control Center Staff Members, Billon's face was zoomed in on as he stroked his chin with a stiff expression.
...Of course it wouldn't fail to work.
I let out a sigh and put down my phone.
Even if we escaped Earth, the Tower would never let Humanity go.
In the end, there was only one thing we could do.
Just climbing the Tower.