Chapter 16
The scenery shifted, and I was transported to the Reward Room.
\[The 2nd Floor Clear for all difficulties is complete.\]
\[The Tower calls for new Climbers.\]
\[A New Rule is added.\]
\[From now on, failing to enter the Tower within 3 years of receiving the Tower's Call will result in death.\]
What?
I was shocked to see the message about the new rule.
You would die if you didn't enter within three years of receiving the Tower's Call.
In other words, it meant they were going to kill all the Climbers who hadn't even cleared the 1st Floor yet.
"...What kind of bullshit are they pulling now?"
It seemed the number of Climbers didn't just keep increasing the higher you climbed the Tower.
Could rules really be added just like this?
\[Difficulty: Nightmare\] \[Floor: 3rd Floor\] \[Level: 25\] \[Willpower: 450\] \[Skill: Teleportation (Rare+), Flame Strike (Rare)(+1), Leap (Normal)\]
I checked my status window.
My level had gone up by 10, making me level 25.
My willpower had also gone up quite a bit.
Moving my body, I could feel my physical abilities had taken another massive leap in strength.
Bang!
When I tried jumping forward from where I stood, the stone floor I stepped on caved in, and my body moved explosively.
I stopped and looked down at my feet.
The soles of my shoes were completely torn. It seemed they couldn't withstand the impact.
Hmm... How should I put this.
It was nothing new, but I could clearly feel that my body was gradually transcending human limits.
If I got this much stronger with every floor I climbed, just how strong would I become later on?
With that sudden thought, I checked the other rewards.
Aside from the magic stones, there were two glowing stones nearby.
A skill stone and an enhancement stone, I suppose. I could tell them apart by their shapes.
I wondered what kind of skill had dropped.
I was hoping it would be a Magic-type skill again, if possible.
\[Skill Stone: Exaltation (Rare)\] When used, you can acquire “Skill: Exaltation (Rare)”.
\[Skill: Exaltation (Rare)\] The more you move your body, the more exalted you become, enhancing your physical abilities. The effect gradually fades when movement stops. Category: Physical-type (Passive) willpower cost: None Cooldown: None
A passive skill had dropped.
I knew that passives were usually considered more valuable than actives.
They were abilities that applied constantly without any Willpower Cost.
"Tsk."
Still, I preferred Magic-type skills.
Feeling a bit disappointed, I read the description.
It seemed like a decently useful skill had dropped.
Physical Abilities get enhanced the more I move, huh.
\[You have acquired “Skill: Exaltation (Rare)”.\]
I immediately used the skill stone to acquire it.
I moved my body to test the skill.
Since the effect would disappear if I stopped, I ran around the Reward Room without resting.
"Oh."
I could feel the effect.
A sense of exaltation slowly rose up, as if the blood in my body were circulating faster.
Along with it, my body gradually became faster, and my senses sharpened.
Once I reached a certain point, I didn't get any faster.
Was this the limit of the enhancement?
There were no numerical values in the description, but based on my rough feeling, it wasn't quite 1.5 times, but rather a 20 or 30% enhancement.
At my current level, didn't that mean I was getting about 5 to 7 levels' worth of stats for free?
It was a pretty good skill.
Next was the skill enhancement stone.
\[Rare Skill Enhancement Stone\] Upon use, you can enhance one Rare-grade skill.
Last time, my only option was Flame Strike, but I had just acquired a new skill.
Should I use it on Flame Strike, or Exaltation?
If I used it on Flame Strike, the number of fireballs would probably increase by one, making it three.
As for Exaltation... wouldn't it just increase the limit of the physical enhancement? I'd have to use it to find out.
My mind leaned toward Flame Strike.
For me, Magic-type Skills had the best efficiency above all else anyway. They say it's all about selection and concentration.
After some thought, I decided to use it later. It wasn't urgent.
\[Would you like to exit the Tower?\]
Has it been about an hour? It should still be the middle of the night outside.
I've worked hard, so I should head out and rest.
---
The famous podcast show The Jude Noise was a broadcast that invited people from various fields as guests to discuss a wide range of topics.
The guest invited this time was Arlo, a current affairs commentator and influencer from the United States.
He was famous for analyzing various social phenomena with his uniquely blunt and cynical way of speaking, making him someone who possessed many fans and anti-fans alike.
The topic for this episode was the Nightmare Difficulty, 2nd Floor, and the Future of Humanity.
"There will be no miracles this time. Humanity is already finished."
True to his reputation, Arlo declared our destruction right from the start.
Jude, the host of the podcast, asked in return.
"Many people currently think that way. Is there really no hope? Even though one person failed, there are still five Nightmare Challengers remaining." "Five people, you say. Jude, do you happen to know what the survival rate of the Nightmare Difficulty, 1st Floor is?" "Well, let's see. Nearly 40,000 people have challenged it so far, and only six of them survived, so in terms of probability, it would be about 0.015%." "That's right. And even that is only after the information about the 1st Floor was revealed. Before the First Nightmare Clearer appeared, around 25,000 people were sacrificed. If we calculate based on the time before the information was made public, the survival rate stands at a mere 0.004%."
Arlo held up two fingers and wiggled them in a gesture.
"People need to properly realize just how absurd this probability is. Do you know what the chances are of a person getting struck by lightning in their lifetime? It's about 0.007%.
"So, hoping that even one of the five Nightmare Challengers succeeds in the 2nd Floor Clear is a probability twice as low as picking five random people passing by on the street and hoping that at least one of them has been struck by lightning. How does that feel to you now?" "It's ridiculous."
Jude shook his head.
"But aren't the Nightmare Challengers the elite of the elite who managed to conquer that vicious 1st Floor? Couldn't we consider their chances of clearing it to be higher than that?" "Unfortunately, that won't be the case. Even looking at the other difficulties, statistically there are no cases where the 2nd Floor has a higher survival rate than the 1st Floor. As the floors go up, the Climbers' abilities increase, but the difficulty increases even more. That is the law of the Tower. Of course, Nightmare Difficulty will be no exception."
Arlo said.
"The United States, which was the first to challenge the 2nd Floor, failed. The government, which talked so big about staking the fate of the nation on the 2nd Floor Clear, still hasn't released an official statement. But can't we all figure it out with just a little thought? They probably made every investment they could. They must have poured into their challenger every skill stone and item they could get their hands on. And yet, what was the result?
"That is why I say there are no miracles. Now, the Nightmare Deadline is barely a few weeks away. Everyone, please abandon your miscellaneous hopes. Acknowledge the end and enjoy the rest of your lives with an optimistic heart. I came here to tell you this." "I see. Then, Mr. Arlo, are you also what people these days commonly call an Apocalypticist?"
These days, those who had already concluded that the world was ending were called Apocalypticists rather than Doomsday theorists, and this was an uncontrollable phenomenon.
Those who committed crimes, claiming they should live however they wanted since the world was doomed anyway; those who told people to believe in the God of the Tower and receive salvation; and the extremist factions and religious groups that were still springing up like mushrooms after rain were particularly serious social problems.
"I won't deny it, but I'm not telling people to go around causing crimes and social chaos like hooligans. I just hope that people can spend the rest of their lives a little more peacefully. I am already doing so." "How so?" "I've liquidated all my assets, and I'm enjoying the rest of my life with my family while spending money like water. After finishing this broadcast, I plan to travel to those Asian countries. I've always said I'd go someday, but I've never been because I was too busy. Jude, why don't you quit broadcasting and do what you've always wanted to do?" "Haha, should I? Still, I definitely want to broadcast live the exact moment the world ends, so it's a bit too early to quit."
While the show was in full swing, the surrounding staff suddenly began to murmur.
A staff member hurriedly approached and delivered the news to the two of them.
"...They say the Nightmare 2nd Floor has just been cleared!"
Both of them widened their eyes in surprise.
When Jude looked at Arlo, Arlo, who had a dumbfounded expression, cleared his throat and spoke.
"...Amazing. There's no law saying miracles can't happen at all."
As the news of the Nightmare Difficulty 2nd Floor clear spread, the world was once again thrown into a massive uproar.
\[Hawkinter: Did everyone get the message? 2nd Floor conquered!\] \[Outlaw of the Ocean: Wow wow wow!!\] \[Pizza Bread: Fuck yeah, we somehow get to live another year lol Woohoo\~\] \[Tyushong: I thought we were really screwed this time since there were only six Challengers.\] \[Coin: I wonder who cleared it?\] \[Phoenix Egg: Who knows. There aren't any posts up yet either.\] \[Hades: But what's with the new rule? It says people who don't climb the Tower will die now?\]
People wondered who exactly had cleared the 2nd Floor.
*Meanwhile, there was someone who already knew their identity.*
Billon Must sat in his office chair and thrust his fist into the air.
"Ahahaha! I knew my instincts weren't wrong! I believed in you!"
Beside the rejoicing Billon, his secretary Ellen continued her report.
"A reply came immediately, Chairman." "Right! What did it say?" "It is true that he cleared it. He says the Leap skill you provided was a great help. He expresses his gratitude."
As soon as he saw the clear announcement for the Nightmare 2nd Floor, Billon immediately sent a whisper to Person123 expressing his gratitude. It was also to confirm for sure whether he was really the one who cleared it.
\[Person123: The Leap Skill was a great help in clearing. Thank you.\]
And a reply came right back from him.
As soon as Billon heard those words from Ellen's mouth, he felt an indescribable sense of fulfillment.
The First Nightmare Conqueror had acknowledged his contribution. It had been a long time since he had felt the desire for recognition from another person after climbing to such a high position.
He was someone who deserved it. , the Messiah who bore the fate of All Humanity.
Once might have been a coincidence, but twice was no longer a coincidence—from the 1st Floor to the 2nd Floor.
Billon was convinced once again that his choice had not been wrong.
He was special. He was the only one, the only existence they could pin their hopes on.
Billon quickly calmed his excitement and organized his thoughts.
"Right, the connection has been established, so we just need the items..."
Now that he had confirmed the result, what he had to do going forward was clear.
All-in. Invest everything in him.
He needed to acquire as many skill stones, skill enhancement stones, and items as possible by any means necessary.
Ellen said.
"By the way, a New Rule is in effect... things seem to be taking an unusual turn."
The rule is that Climbers who do not enter the Tower within 3 years will die.
"Does the Tower want to purge the superfluous personnel or something? This doesn't apply to you, right?" "Yes. Because I've already cleared the 1st Floor." "The Climbing Bureau must be racking its brains right about now."
New Climbers, and even the Climbers who hadn't been climbing the Tower until now, would all start jumping in, so the aftermath would be far from small.
Of course, that was the Climbing Bureau's business and none of Billon's concern.
Lost in thought, Billon began to ponder how he could continue to help Person123 in the future, and what he had to do to form an even closer relationship with him as a Helper.