Chapter 7
[Person123: This is the Strategy Guide for the Nightmare 1st Floor. Upon entering, you start in a place like a Cavern, similar to other difficulties. You are also given the same weapon, a single longsword. If you wait, three Goblins will come out at once from the Straight Passage ahead. Two are armed with longswords, and one with a spear. If you defeat all three, the next three Goblins will appear. It is unknown whether the next three appear immediately after defeating the first three or if there is a set time limit. The next three are armed with a sword, a sword and shield, and a bow, respectively. This is my subjective opinion, but the Goblins tended to charge recklessly rather than trying to coordinate their attacks. I used this to my advantage, taking them down one by one using hit-and-run tactics. However, in the case of the Spear Goblin and Bow Goblin...]
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After writing the information post, I went to school.
I listed the information as detailed as possible and kept my subjective opinions to a minimum.
It wasn't like I was some combat strategy expert anyway.
The experts would analyze it and come up with a strategy on how to deal with the Goblins themselves.
When I got back, the Communication Channel was in an uproar.
[Retriever: Is that post true? I can't believe it.]
[Patrock: Even compared to Hard Difficulty, it's on a whole different level...?]
[Light: There's a boss mob? On the 1st Floor?]
I was looking through people's reactions when I belatedly noticed something.
[Whispers (1,651)]
A notification for whispers was piled up in the corner of the Communication Channel.
There was a feature like this?
When I entered it, it was an endless stream, like an email inbox that hadn't been checked in years.
Amidst a slew of whispers just saying hello, thanking me, or asking what my level was or what rewards I received...
There were a few messages that stood out.
[Lucas: Hello, Person123. I am Director Van Baker of the US Tower Climbing Management Bureau. First of all, thank you for the information you provided. The reason I am whispering you like this is none other than...]
[Seongcheon: Greetings, Person123. I am the Head of Climbing for the People's Republic of China. Thank you for unreservedly sharing the information about the Nightmare 1st Floor. The reason I am contacting you is to convey the words of the Chairman of the People's Republic of China...]
[Fordric: Hello, Person123. I am from Russia's...]
Requests wanting to have a conversation from a national standpoint.
There was even one from Korea's Climbing Special Agency.
Yeah, I'm not buying.
I ignored them all and closed the Communication Channel.
I gave them the information, so I just hoped they would use it to prepare well for the 1st Floor Clear.
I lay down on my bed.
I closed my eyes and thought about the future.
It would be absolutely wonderful if other people worked hard in their own ways and more Nightmare Challengers emerged.
But I couldn't just not prepare myself either.
Because within a year, someone would eventually have to clear the Nightmare 2nd Floor.
What if a situation arose where I had to do it again?
I would have no choice but to do it.
Because I didn't want to die either. I didn't want the world to end.
"I'll have to do it, what else can I do."
The Tower allowed you to re-enter and Repeat Clear a floor you had already cleared.
The only reward for a Repeat Clear was magic stones, which were the main source of income for Climbers.
I didn't care about magic stones, though.
However, a certain message had definitely popped up after I succeeded in the 1st Floor Clear.
"It said a Hidden Route was opened..."
But even after searching the internet, no information about a Hidden Route came up.
It was probably related to the First Clear Reward.
Other difficulties were said to give skill stones or items as a First Clear Reward, but there was no mention of anything like a Hidden Route.
I had no choice but to re-enter the 1st Floor and check it out for myself.
It wasn't particularly dangerous.
They said you could exit a cleared floor at any time, even if you didn't clear it to the end.
Besides, I had gotten stronger.
My Physical Ability had surpassed Human limits, and I had even gained a Skill.
I also knew all the information about what would pop out and what I had to do.
Compared to my first try where I rolled around desperately trying to survive, it would be much easier.
I should go back into the 1st Floor sometime soon.
* * *
A few more days passed without anything special happening.
"Hey, I actually became a Climber."
While taking classes and eating lunch with my friends as usual, one of them said something out of the blue.
"What are you talking about?"
"Seriously. I'm not joking."
Sangcheol's face was serious. It didn't look like he was messing around.
It wasn't enough that I became a Climber, but now my friend was one too.
Was I cursed or something?
While the other friends were dumbfounded, I asked.
"What difficulty?"
"Easy Difficulty. I'm kind of debating right now. Whether I should take a leave of absence next year and try challenging the Tower."
Another friend tried to stop him.
"You crazy bastard, do you want to die?"
"I won't die. They say Easy Difficulty is a piece of cake. The survival rate for the 1st Floor is over 98 percent."
Sangcheol said with sparkling eyes.
"I looked into it, and they say the annual salary you can make from the magic stones you get just by climbing the 1st Floor easily tops a hundred million won. Plus, if you become a Climber, you're exempt from the military, and there are a lot of other benefits."
"Wait, aren't you going to be a Doctor? After studying so hard to get in here."
"That's why I'm debating. But we still have a long way to go before we become Doctors. Factoring in the military, we'll only become ones after graduating in about seven years... Come to think of it, this path doesn't seem too bad either."
"Hey, but that field still has an uncertain future. And shit, if 2 percent means your life is on the line, is that a low probability?"
He said he was debating, but Sangcheol already looked half-decided.
I also voiced my concern.
"If you're thinking of doing it, be careful. Have you looked into Climbing Training Facilities or anything?"
"Yeah, I looked into all of it. They say you learn Swordsmanship and stuff when you go there."
Our friends all said he was crazy, but to me, well... I wasn't so sure.
Because it had become a world where you couldn't even predict the future a year from now anyway.
Though I was still attending school myself.
[Rhinoceros: Hello, Person123. I am Max, in charge of training the Climbing Team at the US Tower Climbing Management Bureau. I am contacting you because there is something I definitely want to seek your advice on regarding the information you shared.]
When I returned home and looked through the Communication Channel, a whisper like that had arrived.
It wasn't that Director guy who had sent me whispers several times before.
Reading it, it wasn't an offer wanting to talk or promising to do something for me.
It was purely stating that he had questions about the Strategy Guide.
[Rhinoceros: Through the information you provided, we are currently planning to extensively train members to clear Nightmare Difficulty. If we don't, the world will face the crisis of the apocalypse again in a year. They will stand on the front lines of clearing Nightmare Difficulty solely for Humanity. We believe that you willingly provided the information for the Nightmare 1st Floor without expecting anything in return because we are looking in the same direction. If we could have a conversation...]
Extensively training members to clear Nightmare?
Yes, this was it.
If it was something like this, there was no reason I couldn't answer. I welcomed it anytime.
I sent a reply.
* * *
"So, how is it? How much of a possibility do you see?"
The Headquarters of the US Tower Climbing Management Bureau.
At Director Van's question, Max poured and drank some Coffee before speaking.
"Director."
"What is it?"
"Imagine I have to enter a building full of rebels armed with rifles, all by myself, holding just a single handgun. Through the front door. But these fucking bastards have seized the Nuclear Switch and are threatening to blow it up, so I can't even retreat."
"..."
"Possibility my ass, it's shoved deep Underground over there. It's laughable to even discuss it. We're just doing it because we have to."
"Is it that bad? Even if we make the utmost preparations possible?"
Max shook his head. He still wasn't getting the point.
"It is that bad. It's not a matter of preparation. I'm honestly starting to doubt if the guy who cleared this without any information is even Human."
Nightmare 1st Floor.
Summarizing the information shared in the Climber Communication Channel, it was as follows.
Face two Sword Goblins and one Spear Goblin all at once.
Immediately after, face one Sword Goblin, one Sword and Shield Goblin, and one Bow Goblin all at once.
When the Stone Gate begins to close, finish the battle somehow and escape through the Passage.
Upon exiting into the Passage, a giant iron ball rolls towards you; run forward and evade by entering a Recess in the middle of the Passage.
Going straight ahead, the Final Boss, the Knight Goblin, appears. Its muscle strength is far superior to a Human's, and it is armed with Full Plate Armor.
Beware of a surprise attack from a Crossbow Goblin that suddenly appears during or after the battle with the Knight Goblin.
You have to do this bare-bodied, holding only a single sword.
You can't even treat your injuries in the middle of it.
...Just how did he do it? Does it even make sense?
Reality wasn't a movie.
A Climber challenging the 1st Floor is still nothing more than a member of the General Public with no abilities.
No matter how outstanding a person was, facing three Goblins armed with cold weapons all at once on flat ground with no cover was already nonsense.
Let's say you somehow defeat all six, and you can prepare for the Stone Gate or the rolling ball if you know about them.
But the end is a Knight Goblin?
You have to defeat a monster stronger than a Human, covered head to toe in Plate Armor? While also worrying about arrows suddenly flying at you?
It was just utter bullshit.
There was a reason tens of thousands of people had died.
But nevertheless, somehow training members capable of fulfilling those crazy conditions was the mission given to him...
It was a matter the Government had also staked its life on.
No one wanted to experience the helplessness of the Day of Ruin from a few days ago ever again.
Max, a former Delta Force operator, a veteran CQC Instructor, a Climber who had cleared Hard Difficulty up to the 3rd Floor, and originally the instructor for the Hard 1st Floor, took on the role of Chief Instructor for this Nightmare member training project.
The recruitment of Nightmare Climbers across the United States had already begun. Unprecedented conditions followed.
They would be thoroughly polished and refined before being sent into the jaws of death.
It was questionable what the survival rate would be, but if it was a sacrifice necessary for the Survival of Humanity, it couldn't be helped.
"Still, didn't you say you managed to contact him?"
"Yes."
"...Is there no way to get more active help from him, rather than just simple advice?"
At Director Van's subtle question, Max clicked his tongue and replied.
"Tell the higher-ups, and yourself included, Director, not to do anything more useless. I'm worried that if you keep bothering him, he'll cut off contact with me too."
Max thought about the guy.
Person123.
The only Clearer of the Nightmare 1st Floor at this point in time.
He knew Director Van had continuously tried to initiate a conversation but was ignored.
Still, he had reached out just once because he wanted to get detailed advice regarding the posted information, and surprisingly, a reply actually came.
[Person123: Hello. What are you curious about?]
Asking this and that and exchanging opinions, it became a fruitful conversation.
Of course, he couldn't conclude that the information was unconditionally true, but if he started questioning that, there was nothing else to rely on anyway.
Max felt like he roughly knew what kind of disposition the guy had.
“He is at least someone who works for Humanity.”
His actions of revealing all the information about the Nightmare 1st Floor without expecting any compensation showed that.
As did the fact that he actively replied to requests for strategy advice while rejecting all of Director Van's attempts at conversation.
He was likely an Unregistered Climber who had no intention of revealing his identity in the first place.
But it seemed clear that he also wanted the number of Nightmare Challengers to increase.
If so, this side just needed to do its best to produce results.
"Please leave now. I'm busy too."
"Ugh, I don't know who the Director is here. Anyway, I'm counting on you."
Van grumbled as he walked away.
Max finished his Coffee and organized the messy documents on his desk.
It was daunting, but there was still a part of him that was looking forward to it.
Among the Nightmare Climbers who had newly received the Tower's Call when the Nightmare 1st Floor was cleared this time, there was someone who had applied for the project faster than anyone else.
It was someone Max knew. A Comrade he had rolled around the battlefield with during his time in the military.
He was also the biggest monster out of all the Humans he had seen in his entire life.
He had left behind so many legendary achievements as a Delta Operator that his nickname was the God of the Battlefield.
"If it's him, it might actually be possible."
Producing as many Nightmare 1st Floor Clearers as possible.
Max intended to do his absolute best in his assigned role.
For the sake of the world, and to establish this country as the Frontrunner in clearing Nightmare Difficulty.
* * *
Saturday at dawn.
I went to sleep early yesterday and woke up early at dawn.
I stretched my body and woke up my mind.
This time, when my family was all asleep, was the optimal time.
[Would you like to enter Nightmare Difficulty, 1st Floor?]
"Shall we go."
To do a Repeat Clear.
I was curious just how much easier it had become to face the Goblins in my current state.