Chapter 118
I confessed a long story to my family.
Becoming a Nightmare Climber, climbing the Tower, the various things I did as Person123, and my thoughts and feelings behind them…
I told them in detail, straight from my own mouth, the things they would be curious about.
And even the reason why this 8th Floor clear took exceptionally long.
“…So it took a long time to arrive at the oasis. There wasn’t anything dangerous at all.”
My father, who had been listening silently, nodded.
“I see. You’ve worked hard, truly.”
It was a secret I had wanted to hide so much…
After telling them everything, I felt quite strange.
The family’s reaction was unexpected, to say the least.
Everyone seemed calmer than I thought.
I looked around at my family and continued speaking.
“I have to keep climbing the Tower from now on.”
“…”
“I hope you understand… that it’s something that can’t be helped. Because it’s something no one else but me can do.”
Anyway, now that everything was revealed.
My family would have to keep watching me risk my life to clear the Nightmare from now on.
It was a truly terrible thing to do to them, and this was exactly why I really hadn’t wanted to reveal it, but it couldn’t be helped.
A brief silence followed.
“Yeah, I know.”
My father opened his mouth first.
“As a parent, how could I block my child’s path? Especially when my son says he’s going to save the world.”
“…”
“Seohyeon, you don’t need to worry about us. This dad is just proud and boastful of you. So… do what you have to do.”
My father spoke so calmly.
My Mother nodded beside him.
“Mom feels the same way. How could I not be proud? Mom and Dad are fine.”
But as I observed their expressions, I soon realized.
There was no way they were fine.
While I was clearing the 8th Floor, hadn’t the family already finished sorting out their feelings among themselves on what to do?
“…Thank you. For understanding.”
That was all I could say.
Mother briefly turned her head and wiped the corners of her eyes.
I spoke in a cheerful voice, as if to refresh the atmosphere.
“Don’t worry too much. I haven’t really been in danger while clearing. It’s true. Since the 4th Floor.”
I added that, remembering the strategy guide I wrote during the 4th Floor.
“And though I’m saying this myself… I’m quite strong. You know the First Clear reward is incomparably better than a normal reward, right? The Nightmare First Clear Reward even raises your level, so I’m over Level 100 right now.”
I also have a ton of good skills and items. This time, after clearing the 8th Floor, I even got a legendary-grade skill. It’s a grade that hasn’t even appeared in the world yet.”
“I-is that so?”
“Yes. So you don’t have to worry too much. I’m not just saying this to reassure you; it’s the truth. Even though nightmare difficulty is very wicked, I’m also on a completely different level of strength compared to other climbers.”
I said with a smile, overflowing with confidence.
“And honestly… if I really thought I couldn’t do it, I would have given up a long time ago. You know what my personality is like, right? I terribly hate doing dangerous things. I do it because it’s doable and because I want to live too. If the world gets ruined, I die too, you know.”
Mother and Father nodded as well.
Mother stood up.
“Aren’t you hungry? You haven’t eaten yet, right?”
After finishing our conversation, we had a meal.
As if they had made a promise, the family didn’t bring up Nightmare Strategy anymore.
We would have to talk more later, but for now, I could feel their consideration in not wanting to make me uncomfortable.
“Phew…”
Entering my room, I threw myself onto the bed.
My heart felt heavy.
Because I still hadn’t confessed absolutely everything.
…I couldn’t tell my family about the lifespan issue.
Even now, their insides must be in turmoil.
How could I tell them that I had become terminally ill with less than a year to live?
“It’s a problem.”
The family would probably think I’d be climbing the Tower every year from now on.
The problem was that I could no longer climb so leisurely.
Of course, using this 8th Floor as an excuse, I could say that from now on I have no choice but to clear the Nightmare with plenty of time left…
Even taking that into account, I was in a position where I had to climb much faster than that.
Because my remaining time was only 300 days.
Shouldn’t I really challenge at least one floor a week?
It would be somewhat better if I at least knew what floor the top floor of the Tower was.
Since I didn’t even know that, my destination was as blurry as if covered in fog.
“Demon Lord, is there no way to restore my lifespan?”
I asked Demon Lord.
Ma-wang seemed to be wondering what kind of bullshit I was spouting, so I added.
“No, I mean, if I keep continuing to climb the Tower, an item that increases lifespan might appear. There are items that decrease lifespan, after all.”
- How would I know?
“You said you climbed past the 20th Floor. Have you never seen such an item or skill?”
Ma-wang replied mockingly.
- If you burned even your lifespan with such good momentum, keep going with that momentum. How can you climb the Nightmare if you care about trivial things like family or whatever?
It meant he didn’t know.
- If you are going to stand against the Tower, you must also become a monster. You’d better keep that in mind.
“Hmm… Then did you fail because you weren’t a monster, Demon Lord?”
- This punk.
Standing against the Tower or whatever, I’d be satisfied as long as the world is safe.
Well… I guess that’s the same thing.
Because there would be no way for this world to be safe other than the method of climbing the Tower to the end.
No, even if I climbed to the end, it was unknown whether it would be safe.
“Ugh.”
I let out a groan and touched my forehead.
Lifespan, climbing, 300 days…
And what kind of bullshit this qualification Proof, which was starting soon, would be.
My mind was complicated and troubled.
Click.
The room door opened.
Younger Sibling poked her head in slightly.
“Are you sleeping?”
“…No.”
I sat up.
The kid who entered the room closed the door and hesitated.
She seemed to have something to say.
“What’s wrong?”
“…No, just.”
Younger Sibling sat on the desk chair and spoke.
“Do you happen to have anything else to say?”
“…Like what?”
“I know your personality, Oppa. I thought there might be a story you didn’t tell because you were worried Mom and Dad would worry.”
…What? Was she always this quick-witted?
Looking at her expression, it seemed like she was just taking a guess.
“If there is, tell me. It’s not like I worry about you as much as Mom and Dad do, Oppa, so you can speak comfortably to me.”
I chuckled.
“Is that why a kid like you was bawling earlier?”
“…When did I.”
“There’s nothing like that. What would I have to hide at this point?”
This kind of behavior from Younger Sibling felt quite admirable.
Younger Sibling stared at me intently before nodding.
“Got it, then… But can I ask just one thing?”
“What is it.”
“I actually thought before that you might be Person123, Oppa. I mean, think about it. Every time the Nightmare is cleared, you’re away on a trip. Plus, Person123 is also a Korean.”
So she had been suspecting it.
“That’s why I followed you before when you went to sell magic stones, Oppa. But if you’re a Nightmare Climber, where did you get the lowest grade and lower grade magic stones? Don’t those only drop in easy difficulty?”
It was understandable that she was curious.
“There’s a way for everything. I have a helper too, you see.”
“…Really? Weren’t you hiding your identity?”
“There’s someone I revealed my identity to and am receiving help from.”
“Who is that person?”
“Billon Must.”
This wasn’t something to hide, so I let her know.
Younger Sibling had a dumbfounded look of surprise on her face.
“Anyway, amazing people are helping me. I’m receiving support on top of the Nightmare Clear Reward, so I’m practically invincible, so you don’t need to worry needlessly either. You could say I’m the honored one throughout heaven and earth.”
“Whatever…”
I waved my hand dismissively.
“I’m tired, so just go. I want to rest.”
“T-tired? Got it.”
Younger Sibling stood up from the chair.
I belatedly thought of something to tease her with and spoke.
“Right. And about that thing from before.”
“Huh? What.”
“You know how you said you had something you wanted to convey to Person123 before. I remember that well…”
“Ahhh! I can’t hear you. I can’t hear you!”
Younger Sibling covered her ears with both hands and hurriedly slipped outside.
I chuckled and lay back down.
Yeah, I have to do it.
Even if it’s daunting, I have to keep moving forward.
That was all I could do.
[Will you enter the 5th Floor?]
Having steeled my resolve, I immediately entered the 5th Floor.
There was not a single moment to waste.
I should at least be hunting until that qualification Proof or whatever starts.
I’ll organize the 8th Floor strategy guide after that.
* * *
After Person123 miraculously cleared the 8th Floor.
The world was in a festive mood.
It was a natural phenomenon of action and reaction that the joy was as great as the despair had been.
“Here, drink, drink!”
A joyful drinking party was also taking place at a bar in Seoul.
“As expected, Person123 is Person123. Where is there failure for a god!”
“Right. A god, a god! A toast to our savior!”
Everyone got drunk, rejoicing that humanity could live for another year.
“Hey, come to think of it… isn’t it almost time? Qualification Proof, was it.”
“But didn’t they say that was targeting the highest floor climbers?”
The new rule that came out after the 8th Floor was cleared.
Because it said it was doing something targeting the highest floor climbers, people thought there wouldn’t be any big trouble in the world.
It wasn’t like there was anything they could do even if they worried, anyway.
“If it’s highest floor climbers, Person123 is included too.”
“Person123 will obviously do well! Shouldn’t we be worrying about the climbers of other difficulties instead?”
“Now, now, just drink for now.”
As time passed like that.
[Remaining Time: 1 second]
A man who was drinking suddenly raised his head, his eyes widening.
“…Hey.”
“Yeah?”
“What is that, that… Am I drunk?”
The people around also murmured.
Something bluish was covering the sky.
['Qualification Proof' has started.]
[The Highest floor climbers of each difficulty have been selected.]
[A total of nine “quarantine sectors” with a radius of 50 kilometers have been established.]
[Republic of Korea, China, Russia, Canada, Turkey, Brazil, Poland, Uzbekistan, Somalia. A total of nine semi-transparent, massive domes completely block entry and exit between the outside and inside.]
Republic of Korea, China, Russia, Canada, Turkey, Brazil, Poland, Uzbekistan, Somalia.
A total of nine semi-transparent, massive dome-shaped barriers appeared in the urban areas of each country.
[The highest floor climbers must move to the “Room of Proof” and engage in combat with a boss monster of the same level as themselves.]
[The order starts from the highest floor climber of easy difficulty.]
[The highest floor climbers can select quarantine sectors before moving to the Room of Proof.]
[Penalties will be imposed according to the number of selected quarantine sectors.]
[The penalties are applied while inside the Room of Proof.]
[The penalties are as follows.]
[When selecting 0]
- No penalty
[When selecting 1]
- physical abilities and willpower decreased by 30%
[When selecting 2]
- physical abilities and willpower decreased by 30%
- 3 random skill prohibitions
[When selecting 3]
- physical abilities and willpower decreased by 30%
- 3 ranHadam skill prohibitions
- 3 random item prohibitions
[When selecting 4]
- physical abilities and willpower decreased by 60%
- 3 random skill prohibitions
- 3 random item prohibitions
[When selecting 5]
- physical abilities and willpower decreased by 60%
- 6 random skill prohibitions
- 3 random item prohibitions
[When selecting 6]
- physical abilities and willpower decreased by 60%
- 6 random skill prohibitions
- 6 random item prohibitions
[When selecting 7]
- physical abilities and willpower decreased by 90%
- 6 random skill prohibitions
- 6 random item prohibitions
[When selecting 8]
- physical abilities and willpower decreased by 90%
- All skill prohibition
- 6 random item prohibitions
[When selecting 9]
- physical abilities and willpower decreased by 90%
- All skill prohibition
- All Item Prohibition
[You Cannot Exit the Room of Proof until the boss monster is defeated.]
[Upon successfully defeating the boss monster, the selected quarantine sectors will deactivate, and it will proceed to the next order.]
[Upon failing to defeat the boss Monster, a new highest floor climber of the corresponding difficulty will be drawn, and this will be repeated until successful.]
[After the battles of all difficulties have ended, the Tower’s Curse will fall upon the remaining quarantine sectors, and all humans within the quarantine sectors will die.]
[The remaining Quarantine Sectors will be maintained forever.]
[Upon Deactivating all Quarantine Sectors, a special reward will be given.]
[Highest floor climbers of each difficulty, please prove your qualifications as humanity’s vanguard.]