Chapter 86
I returned to Zone 0 and took the portal to the Reward Room.
I needed to check the rewards I got from killing the Zone 4 Boss.
[Item: Frozen Hydra's Blood]
Upon consumption, Cold Resistance increases. Physical regenerative power and all Regeneration Effects received by the body increase. You will not die unless your head is destroyed or your neck is severed.
“…Hmm?”
The First Clear Reward was a small Glass Bottle containing a blue liquid.
I was surprised after reading the Item Description.
First of all, it was a consumable item, a type I had never seen before.
That aside, the effects were astonishing.
Cold Resistance, Increased Regenerative Power, and above all…
‘I won't die unless my head is destroyed or my neck is severed?’
Isn't this the Zone 4 Boss's Ability?
It was an item that contained the Boss's Ability exactly as it was.
“This is pretty awesome…?”
In other words, as long as I protect my head, I become immortal, right?
Plus, it says my regenerative power will increase even more.
Since the head is an exposed vital spot anyway, it might not be completely overpowered, but…
Regardless, it was a rather unconventional effect.
I immediately popped the stopper off the glass bottle and gulped it down.
It just tasted like water, but it was so cold it felt like my tongue would freeze.
As it went down my esophagus, a chill spread through my body with a *saaa-* sensation.
[Consumed 'Item: Frozen Hydra's Blood'.]
Next was the Normal Reward.
[Skill: Cavalry Charge (Rare+)]
Charge while mounted on a unit. For 5 seconds, the speed, defense, and resistance of the Caster and the mounted unit greatly increase. Targets hit by the charge are greatly knocked back. Can only be used while mounted on a unit.
Category: Physical
Willpower Cost: 130
Cooldown: 1 minute
The Normal Reward didn't reach the Epic tier and was Rare+, but…
Something quite unique popped out here too.
A skill used while mounted on a unit?
Speed, defense, and resistance increase for 5 seconds.
It roughly meant that charging power would increase.
Since I had Flee, it was a skill I could put to use.
[Acquired 'Skill: Cavalry Charge (Rare+)'.]
Reward Settlement is complete.
[Difficulty: Nightmare]
[Floor: 7th Floor]
[Level: 80]
[Willpower: 3,600]
[Skills: Line of Destruction (Epic+), Subspace (Epic), Sixth Sense (Rare+)(+2), Teleportation (Rare+), Rapid Regeneration (Rare+), Scorching Zone (Rare+), Sword of Light (Rare+), Cavalry Charge (Rare+), Flame Strike (Rare)(+5)…]
I was briefly checking my status window.
Ma-Wang's voice was heard.
- Were you a Nightmare Climber?
I couldn't help but be surprised by those words.
“…Do you know what this is?”
Did Ma-Wang also know about the Tower System?
Earlier, when the Tower was about to do something, you told me to Stop Time, so I wondered if you were aware of the Tower's Existence…
“How do you know? Demon Lord, what exactly is your true identity?”
Among the intelligent beings I had met inside the Tower so far, none had understood the Tower or the Concept of Climbing.
When doing a Hidden Strategy, they were just beings who knew nothing, like NPCs.
Ma-Wang didn't answer any of my questions and asked one back.
- How many floors have you cleared? How much of your World's Deadline is left?
“…Up to the 6th Floor.”
- Hah, for a lowly creature, you've climbed quite a bit. Are you the Record Holder?
“Yes.”
Ma-Wang seemed slightly surprised.
- I suppose, for a lowly creature to use a Divine Skill that stops time…
“No, so what I'm asking is, what are you, Demon Lord?”
Ma-Wang finally answered.
- I, too, was a Nightmare Climber.
“…?!”
- I will make a proposal. If you hand your body over to me, I will clear Nightmare Difficulty for you. I am saying I will prevent your World's Destruction.
Wait a minute, wait a minute…
The conversation was moving too fast.
He was a Climber? This Yangban too?
How? Why?
“…I don't understand anything right now, so I need an explanation.”
- About what?
“Are there Other Worlds besides Earth? Demon Lord, you aren't an Earthling, are you?”
- You speak foolishness. Countless worlds exist besides your world.
Huh.
It seemed there really were Other Worlds.
Actually, it wasn't even surprising.
The World's Common Sense had been shattered long ago when the Tower appeared, so the existence of Other Worlds besides Earth was nothing much.
It was also something I had vaguely felt when doing a Hidden Strategy.
The only surprising thing was… the fact that the Tower and Climbers existed there too.
“You'll prevent this World's Destruction?”
Ma-Wang spoke with a slightly arrogant tone.
- Yes. Eventually, you will fail before long. Accept the proposal. I will extend the Nightmare Difficulty Deadline.
I asked again.
“How many floors did you clear, Demon Lord? Did you clear it to the end?”
Ma-Wang remained silent for a moment before answering.
- I climbed much higher than you.
“So, which floor?”
- I climbed past the 20th floor.
“You mean you couldn't climb to the end?”
- …
“What, I got my hopes up for nothing. You couldn't even climb to the end yourself, so what do you mean, 'prevent destruction'…”
Then again, whatever happened, he failed, which was why he was buried like that on the 5th Floor, right?
Ma-Wang threw a fit.
- How dare a trivial, lowly creature! Do you think you can even reach the 10th Floor?
Still, it seemed to be true that he had climbed past the 20th Floor.
Perhaps because our souls were connected, I could vaguely distinguish whether Ma-Wang's words were true or false.
I let Ma-Wang's curses go in one ear and out the other as I organized my thoughts.
There were Other Worlds besides Earth, and the Tower and Climbers existed there too.
The Demon King of Extreme Cold who entered my body was also a Nightmare Climber.
And for some reason, he had been buried on the 5th Floor… and was almost eliminated by the Tower after being treated as a bug.
“Whatever, just tell me about other things. Why were you buried on the 5th Floor, and what's this about a bug?”
I had many questions.
Why Ma-Wang, who was a Nightmare Climber, was doing that inside the Tower, whether he didn't die even though he failed the clear, what the Tower's Identity and purpose were…
Wouldn't Ma-Wang know something more than I did?
The noisy Ma-Wang snorted.
- Do you think I would tell you? I will tell you if you hand over your body.
Hmm…
Does he really know?
“You'll tell me what the Tower's Identity and purpose are?”
- Yes. I will tell you everything you are curious about, and clear the Nightmare for you too!
It was a lie.
From what I could feel through my soul, it didn't seem like Ma-Wang knew anything particularly amazing either.
- Damn it all, so you're saying you won't accept the proposal?
“Of course. There's no way I'd give it to you.”
- I'm telling you, you will fail soon! I could extend your World's lifespan by at least ten years. So hand over just half!
It was utter nonsense.
If Ma-Wang could actually clear the Nightmare to the end, maybe.
Why would I hand over the body I had painstakingly reclaimed just on the condition of extending the deadline a bit more?
He was someone I couldn't trust in the first place.
Right now, I have completely regained Control of the Body, but once I hand it over to Ma-Wang, the initiative will pass back to him.
What if this bastard stubbornly refused to give it back again?
I'd have to use Stop Time, and a tedious round two would begin. I'll pass on that.
And also… was the content of the Nightmare that Ma-Wang cleared the same as the one I was clearing?
“Demon Lord, what came out on the Nightmare 6th Floor?”
Ma-Wang answered.
- The 6th Floor? My memory is hazy. Was it a volcanic eruption?
…A Volcanic Eruption?
“It wasn't something like Ogres coming out and destroying the Enemy Core?”
- What are you talking about? Right, I remember a bit now. I froze the entire volcano to block the explosion.
I didn't know what crazy talk freezing an entire volcano was, but…
Anyway, it seemed the Content of Nightmare Difficulty wasn't the same for us.
At this rate, there's no point.
The body is the same, so what difference does it make if the pilot changes?
‘Ah.’
Is that not it either?
Come to think of it, when he took over my body, Ma-Wang used abilities that weren't skills I possessed.
When he swung his hand, a chill rushed out, and he flew freely through the sky.
‘Can he use his own abilities even with my body?’
Ma-Wang said.
- With a pathetic body like this, I can't even use a fraction of my True Power. Still, I would become ten times stronger than the capabilities I can originally exert.
“That's amazing.”
- Yes, now you're finally understanding. Will you accept the proposal?
“No.”
I said I wouldn't.
I ignored Ma-Wang, who kept chattering noisily in my head.
Phew… Should I have just let the Tower eliminate him?
The Tower's unusual reaction bothered me a bit too.
I don't know if stopping time was the right thing to do.
Well, it wasn't something I could undo now, so it couldn't be helped.
I left the Reward Room and exited the 5th Floor.
I returned to my room.
The scenery that felt like I was seeing it for the first time in a very long while.
It actually had been a long time, because I really had used Stop Time for a long while.
I opened my door and went out.
My family were all in the living room watching TV.
…Was it the weekend? Right, it was.
My father glanced back at me.
“Why are you just standing there blankly?”
“…It's nothing.”
“How bland.”
Breaking news that I had killed the Zone 4 Boss was playing on the TV.
I returned to my room and dived onto my bed.
“Keu-uhh…”
I'm so tired.
I should rest a bit first.
* * *
[Geomijul: He finally managed to solo the Zone 4 Boss too]
[Gotong: The minimum must have been Level 80. That's truly amazing]
[Dohyeong: See, I told you there was no need to worry]
[Devans: Did anyone see him kill the boss? There's no talk about it at all this time]
[Kikikikiki: Person123 personally warned people not to approach because it was dangerous, so…]
The next day, after getting a good night's sleep
I browsed the communication window before turning it off.
Many unexpected things had happened, but…
Anyway, I had killed the Zone 4 Boss, and now it was time to start doing what I needed to do again.
“Demon Lord.”
I tried calling out to Ma-Wang.
He had been throwing a fit telling me to accept his proposal earlier, but had gone quiet again…
- Do not speak to me unless you are handing over your body.
“Okay.”
If he says so, then I will.
Ma-Wang grumbled.
- Damn it, how did I end up entering the body of such a strange, lowly creature…
“You were lucky.”
- What bullshit is that?
“If I hadn't stopped time, you would have been eliminated by the Tower. Technically, I'm your Savior, so don't you have any intention of cooperating with me obediently?”
Of course, I have no intention of yielding my body.
Still, since things turned out this way, it seemed that it would be helpful in various ways if Ma-Wang were cooperative.
- Do not even dream of it. If you wish for my help…
“You want me to give up half the day's time.”
- Yes. Have you changed your mind?
“I'll review it negatively.”
- …You rotten bastard!
Let's just get to work.
[Will you enter the Nightmare Difficulty 6th Floor?]
6th Floor Hidden Strategy.
Rather than looking around the newly opened Zone 5, I was going to do the Hidden Strategy first.
Because I needed to quickly finish the hidden piece and organize and upload the 6th Floor Information post.
[The match is starting!]
[Destroy all Enemy Cores!]
Goblins spawned from the portals.
I quickly proceeded with the 6th Floor Clear.
Bang, bang, bang!
I immediately started enthusiastically bashing the Base Core with my mace.
I had suffered so much because of this unfunny trick.
[Destroyed the Enemy Core!]
[Destroyed Core (1/4)]
After destroying the Base Core, I immediately ran to Lane 1.
I dealt with the Ogres, pushed through the First Turret and Second Turret, pushed all the way to the base like a highway, and destroyed Core 1.
I wondered if the order might change every time I entered, but…
[Destroyed the Enemy Core!]
[Destroyed Core (2/4)]
As expected, there was no difference.
I just needed to destroy them in the order of 1, 2, and 3.
[Destroyed Lane 2's First Turret!]
[Destroyed Lane 2's Second Turret!]
.
.
.
[Destroyed the Enemy Core!]
[Destroyed Core (4/4)]
Speedily destroying up to the Last Core.
[You have won the match!]
The message that I had won the match popped up.
I looked around.
Now it was time to look for the Hidden Route, but…
*Paat!*
“…?”
Suddenly, a portal appeared right next to me.
What is this. Is it telling me to get in?
I approached the portal.
Since my Sixth Sense didn't particularly send a warning, I carefully stepped inside the portal.
Then the location changed, and…
“…?”
Several Knights were surrounding me.
*Clap, clap, clap.*
Someone walked out from among them while clapping.
A human… wait, no?
His skin was gray, he had three eyes, and his limbs were longer than a human's… a man who looked like an alien.
His attire was also flashy. In contrast to the Knights surrounding me, he looked like a Noble.
He spoke in a pleased voice.
“That was an excellent match. Slave Number 199.”
“…?”
“Now only the final match remains. Go back and get some good rest.”
One of the Knights poked my back with his sword, as if telling me to move quickly.
- What are these stragglers? Kill them quickly.
Ma-Wang's voice echoed in my head.
I ignored him and used Time Stop.
‘Slave?’
This is somewhat different from the hidden pieces so far.
Is my role predetermined from the start?
Gathering information is the priority, so… I should do as they say for now.
I used Time Release.
And I was obediently escorted by the Knights and was moved somewhere.
- What are you doing? I said kill them all.
‘Ah, you're so noisy.’
Why does he keep telling me to kill? This crazy Yangban!