Nightmare 2nd Floor Failure

I woke up to bad news this morning.

- America failed to clear the Nightmare Difficulty 2nd Floor? The Challenger is presumed to be the second person to clear the Nightmare Difficulty 1st Floor...

Haa.

They failed.

There seemed to be no Official Stance from America, but it wasn't fake news.

Checking the Climber Communication Window just confirmed that one person had disappeared.

I felt a pang of regret.

Honestly, I was also disappointed.

At the same time, I felt a slight sense of guilt.

The truth was; I knew deep down.

That I was the person with the highest probability of clearing the 2nd Floor.

My Time Stop Ability, which created an incredible synergy with skills, was probably unique compared to other Nightmare Conquerors.

And yet, I was still hesitating, unable to make up my mind...

He wondered why the world was such a mess.

I closed my eyes, blaming the world for no good reason.

*No, but damn it, it really IS the world's fault.*

A world where a tower suddenly sprouts in the middle of the sea, then threatens to kill everyone if they don't climb it every year—that's messed up, isn't it? Huh?

He paused.

What else can I do but follow the threats?

*If I don't want to die, that is.*

*'Let's enter.'*

Waiting around, watching the other Nightmare Conquerors die off, was something I also couldn't bring myself to do.

Wow, since when did I become such an altruistic guy? Hahaha.

Once I made the decision, my mind actually calmed down.

*When should I enter?*

Well, the sooner the better, I guess.

Dying now or dying a month later was pretty much the same.

As the deadline approached, the world would only become more chaotic.

Tomorrow? Yeah. Should I go in first thing tomorrow morning?

I went for a walk to clear my head.

As I enjoyed the fresh air, I checked the communication window and a whisper caught my eye.

Chicken Sandwich: ...The Skill Stone I currently possess is a Normal Grade skill called 'Leap'. It's a skill that amplifies leaping power, so it might be helpful for climbing the 2nd Floor. If you don't already have this skill, please reply.

Chicken Sandwich: If you don't wish to meet in person, you can just designate a location. I will place the Skill Stone there, anywhere in the world you choose, for you to pick up.

Chicken Sandwich: I have no interest whatsoever in who you are. All I desire is the continued existence of Humanity. You are our only hope. Please, allow me to contribute even a little help.

This person...

They had sent me whispers before.

And I knew who this person was.

Billon Must is the richest man on Earth and a famous eccentric businessman.

At first, I thought it might be an impersonator, but it wasn't.

But this person, the one who sent the whisper as Chicken Sandwich, had once said on broadcast that it was really him and asked for a reply. I'd seen it on the news. It was a while ago.

Billon Must wasn't a Climber himself, but he had a Secretary who was a Climber, or so I heard.

‘He's been quiet for a while, and now he's at it again.’

He was particularly memorable because he'd pleaded for me to just take the Skill Stone, asking for nothing else in return.

It was such an absurd offer that it felt genuinely sincere.

Normally, I would have just ignored it, but I read the whisper carefully.

Leap, huh...

A skill that amplifies leaping power.

The theme of the 2nd Floor was a jump map.

It certainly seemed like a helpful skill.

*Was this person really making this offer just because they wanted me to clear the 2nd Floor?*

Then again, it was silly to doubt his intentions.

*With Humanity's Extinction just a month away again, who wouldn't be desperate?*

Now that I had decided to enter the 2nd Floor, I felt a slight stir.

*'...What should I do?'*

*Reply? Or not?*

I never thought I'd be having this kind of dilemma, but I was wavering.

Exposing my identity to someone else would be irreversible... but with my life on the line, was it right to be so picky?

I might regret not taking it when I die, thinking, 'Ah, I should've just taken it back then.'

He said he wasn't even interested in my identity.

He even said to just name a place if I wanted.

Of course, I didn't blindly trust his words.

Even if he said he'd just leave the item at a location, how could I know if there wouldn't be people watching or hidden cameras?

However, I could feel that all this person wanted was for me to clear the 2nd Floor so that Humanity wouldn't be destroyed.

I paced the streets, deep in thought.

* * *

Billon Must wanted to go to Mars.

Some people said he was just a money-crazed businessman, pretending to be a revolutionary to deceive people.

But his dream had never deviated from its core since childhood.

Go to Mars. Venture into the wider universe. Humanity becomes a Multi-Planetary Species.

But then, damn it.

One day, Earth went to hell.

Humanity received a death sentence. It could only prolong its lives by climbing the Tower every year.

He had no choice but to drastically revise his plans, which had been laid out for decades. First, Humanity had to survive for there to be a future of venturing into space.

He rolled up his sleeves to build infrastructure for Climbers. He supported facilities, sponsored the Association, and expanded his business into the rapidly growing Magic Stone Industry.

In truth, the Tower had given Humanity something.

The Magic Stones from the Tower were truly a dream material. Billon Must saw the possibility of accelerating his dreams by decades using technology that harnessed the energy of Magic Stones.

*Provided, of course, that Humanity still exists in that future.*

Therefore, the top priority was always climbing the Tower. Specifically, it was climbing the Nightmare Difficulty.

Damn it, we're completely screwed.

Billon felt an impulse to just launch a rocket straight towards the Climbing Management Agency Headquarters.

The Nightmare Difficulty 2nd Floor Clear, on which everything hinged, had completely failed.

Jack Davis, the second Nightmare 1st Floor Conqueror, had failed. He reportedly died within minutes of entering.

While the Government's help was significant in his acquiring so many skills, Billon Must's contribution was also substantial. He had poured in funding without hesitation.

In truth, Billon hadn't wanted to lavish such support on Jack.

Billon had always been interested only in the First Nightmare Conqueror. He had repeatedly tried contacting him through whispers via his Secretary, but had received no response, so he had no choice but to give up and choose an alternative.

Now that Plan B had collapsed, there was only one place left to cling to.

*Why won't you reply?!*

*I'll give you everything! Just please, take the Skill Stone!*

...Though all he really had was the one Leap Skill Stone he personally owned.

Skill Stones were always scarce in the market. Even that one had been swept up by the Climbing Agency and spoon-fed to Jack, so it was impossible to acquire more for the time being. Money wasn't the solution.

America still had one more Nightmare Conqueror left: Taylor.

This Skill Stone should have gone to her, but no. He couldn't place his hopes on her anymore.

In the end, there had only ever been one answer from the start.

The First Nightmare Conqueror, who cleared the Nightmare 1st Floor without any information—only that person was special. Only that person had the potential to clear the 2nd Floor.

Billon genuinely didn't care if he was a man or a woman, a child or an elder, a criminal or a terrorist.

If he already had the Leap Skill, that would be fortunate, but if not, he desperately hoped he would take this one and challenge the 2nd Floor with even a slightly higher chance.

So please, just reply...

...Chairman! A reply has come!

Billon shot up.

"Wha—it came? Really?!"

"Yes! He says he'll accept the offer! And he asked if you could come to where he lives..."

*Finally.*

It seemed that after ignoring him for so long, even the First Nightmare Conqueror had changed his mind.

It was only natural. When even doing all possible preparations wasn't enough, how could he enter without even taking an available skill?

He shouldn't have waited. You are Humanity's hope.

Where is it?! Tell him I'll leave for the North Pole right now if I have to! Yes, well, he says it's Korea.

Billon blinked. Korea?

...It's South, right?" "That's correct." "Alright. I need to leave right away."

He was a little surprised. Was the First Nightmare Conqueror Korean?

It didn't matter what country he was from, so Billon quickly planned his trip to Korea.

The First Nightmare Conqueror's condition was simple: the meeting was to be secret, and he was absolutely not to tell anyone. Of course, Billon had no intention of doing so.

However, visiting a foreign country without any official business would attract attention, and it was impossible for someone of Billon's stature to travel abroad completely incognito.

So he created a public pretext for his departure. He happened to have an upcoming meeting with the Chairman of a Korean company, which he decided to move up.

After clearing his schedule for the day of arrival, Billon acted discreetly.

The First Nightmare Conqueror, surprisingly, conveyed that he wanted to receive the Skill Stone in person.

Billon dismissed all his security personnel and headed to the meeting place accompanied only by his Climber Secretary, Ellen, who was practically his right-hand woman. Of course, he had also sought the other party's understanding and permission.

"Is this the right place?" "...The navigation isn't working properly. I apologize."

Secretary Ellen fumbled, trying to find the way.

She drove the car into a humble alley and parked it on the shoulder.

[Person123: The black car in front of the utility pole, right?]

A moment later, a man approached and tapped on the rear window.

Billon opened the car door for him. The man, wearing a hat and a mask, got into the back seat.

Although his face wasn't clearly visible, Must got the impression that he was a quite young man.

...It is a pleasure to meet you.

Billon extended his hand for a handshake.

Ellen, in the driver's seat, watched the rearview mirror nervously.

Billon was somewhat involved in the Climbing Management Agency's Nightmare Clear Project, and Ellen, as his close aide, also knew some related information. She even knew the level of the Nightmare 1st Floor Conqueror.

Level 10. To put it simply, he was a Superhuman who could take down a bear with his bare hands.

Ellen was also a Climber, but she had only cleared one floor of Easy Difficulty, so she was merely a strong ordinary person.

If that man harbored ill intentions, she wouldn't be able to protect Billon.

Of course, Billon had come fully aware of all these risks.

If it had been just about handing over an item, he could have simply sent Ellen, but he wanted to meet the First Nightmare Conqueror in person just once.

Pleasure to meet you. Thank you for coming all this way.

The man, who had taken his hand, spoke in English.

...Your English is fluent?" "Just a little."

It didn't matter if they couldn't communicate, since there was the communication window anyway.

Billon was surprised not because of the English, but because his voice sounded much younger than he expected.

Thank you for meeting me like this. I'll hand over the item right away.

Billon immediately got to the point. He took out the Skill Stone from the bag beside him.

The man took the Skill Stone and examined it.

Thank you. Can I acquire it right here?

By all means.

The man immediately used the Skill Stone.

A halo of light spread, and the Skill Stone scattered and disappeared.

The man, who had been staring into mid-air as if looking at a status window, nodded.

I've definitely acquired it. Thank you.

'Thank you' was what Billon wanted to say.

After all, he was already a Savior who had saved Humanity once before.

The First Nightmare Conqueror was probably someone who was extremely reluctant to reveal his identity.

So, thinking that any unnecessary words or questions would only create animosity, Billon had originally intended to just hand over the Skill Stone, but he couldn't resist the impulse and asked.

When do you plan to challenge the 2nd Floor, by any chance?

The man replied as if it were nothing.

"I plan to enter tomorrow."

"..."

"Ah, since I just got a new skill, I should practice a bit before going in. Not tomorrow, but it'll be soon."

Billon swallowed hard.

He conveyed the one thing he really wanted to say.

You are Humanity's hope. Please, clear the 2nd Floor.

The man hesitated, then replied.

...I'll try my best. I don't want to die either.

The man gave a final bow and then got out of the car.

After the man's figure completely disappeared into the Alley, Billon started the car.

He gazed out the window, quietly replaying the strange encounter he'd just had.

Ellen spoke first.

...He looked younger than I expected.

Billon nodded.

His build wasn't particularly large, his demeanor was very normal, and in short, he was nothing like what Billon had imagined before meeting him.

Could such a young man really have cleared the Nightmare 1st Floor? He seemed so ordinary that it made him appear extraordinary.

Billon murmured.

He said he'd challenge it soon...

There were still about 20 days left until the deadline.

*Why was he rushing this time, unlike before?*

Was it perhaps because of America's failure? Maybe he was trying to challenge it before more Nightmare Conquerors died off.

*If even he failed, what would become of the world?*

They would soon know the outcome.

For the first time in a long while, Billon felt like praying to all the gods.

Please, save Humanity once more. You are our Savior.