Chapter 176
A few minutes before Kim Hanbyeol entered the 50th floor.
Japan, Tokyo, Black Tower, 50th Floor.
Hirose Yuki, an S-rank prospect, planted her blood-soaked sword in the floor and panted heavily.
In front of her, a huge heart nearly five meters across and its guardian had been split in half.
“Haa... haa... is it over...?”
The teammates who had collapsed around her also barely managed to get to their feet.
Even the tank who'd lost an arm and the healer sprawled on the floor after running out of mana.
All they could do was be grateful that they were still alive.
“That was truly hell...”
“It feels way harder than the original 50th floor.”
“Still, we're definitely in first place.”
“Yeah. As long as we make it out alive, we'll be heroes. Besides, Yuki's a lock for S-rank.”
“Then we'll get to benefit from your S-rank status too, huh? Thanks in advance, okay?”
The teammates laughed and chatted.
But Yuki couldn't smile.
Because she knew the story behind this climb.
In truth, there had originally been no need to rush the strategy this much.
A new legendary item? It would be nice to have one.
But whether it was worth sacrificing high-floor hunters who were extremely hard to replace remained uncertain.
However, the Japanese government wanted Yuki's team to climb the tower quickly.
'I never imagined a third of the raid team would die during the clear...'
Not long ago, Shintaro, Japan's only S-rank, had cleared the 55th floor.
They'd put it off again and again until every preparation was complete, but they had no choice.
Because the collapse time was drawing near.
They had even had it verified in advance by the demigod. It would be tight, but clearing it would be possible.
But a brief mistake during the raid had caused a catastrophe.
A third of the top-floor raid team had died.
'And the government covered that up too. Crazy bastards.'
If this fact got out?
Not only the Japanese hunter world, but society as a whole would be plunged into panic.
The whole world would predict Japan's collapse.
But hiding it alone wasn't enough. Tower raiding had to continue.
In a few months, they'd have to raid the next floor again.
But how were they supposed to do that when a third had already died?
Replacements were needed.
For situations like this, the government had always raised a pool of 'candidates'.
That candidate was Hirose Yuki herself.
'When they suddenly told us not to stop at the 55th floor and to keep pushing, it gave me a headache... but honestly, this is better.'
She had to take this chance to get every bit of support possible and grow even stronger.
Even stronger than the damage dealers in established S-rank parties.
Party size was limited, so if she fell behind by the time they reached the 55th floor, she'd be pushed out.
Forced early retirement. After that, she'd probably end up spending her days by the seaside or something.
That couldn't happen.
She had to become Japan's best.
A replacement team? Who decided that?
Those losers should be the ones joining our victorious team as replacements.
Yuki had no intention of abandoning the teammates she'd fought and lived alongside, nor of giving them up.
“Yuki! Water's coming in!”
At that moment, a teammate's urgent shout snapped Yuki out of her thoughts.
The room's entrance opened, and seawater began pouring in.
The same pattern they'd been sick of seeing since the 45th floor.
Don't tell me this isn't the end yet?
Even in games she'd enjoyed back in the day, you only cleared them if you made it out successfully.
“Prepare the boat!”
The rubber boat they had packed in advance unfolded.
The teammates boarded at once. They also grabbed the severed arm right away. They could reattach it once they got outside.
They rowed with their own weapons and shields.
Thanks to a hunter's monstrous physical abilities, the boat sped forward.
“There it is!”
Light could be seen in the distance.
The whale's mouth. The direction they'd come in from.
Splash!
At last, they emerged outside, greeted by dazzling sunlight.
They looked back.
They saw the giant whale that had swallowed them slowly sinking beneath the sea.
The foe that had been their stage the whole way since the 45th floor.
It disappeared, leaving behind a massive bloom of bloody foam in the sea.
As they watched the spectacle, the teammates except Yuki hugged each other and cheered.
“We did it! We actually did it!”
“We're alive! Hooray!”
“Waaah!”
But Yuki still didn't relax.
Even though they'd escaped successfully, the clear alert still hadn't appeared.
Which meant something else remained.
“Stay sharp! It's not over yet!”
At Yuki's sharp shout, the cheering teammates abruptly stopped and got back into position.
Only then did they seem to realize that something was wrong.
“Why aren't we getting kicked out...?”
“Could there be a second phase?”
Anxiety and tension spread once more.
Then it happened.
Rumble rumble rumble!
The sea roiled once more.
At the same time, a massive shadow rose from far out on the horizon.
“A whale?”
“Again?”
It was a whale.
Far larger than the one they'd just taken down.
It was like watching an island move.
The teammates' faces went deathly pale.
“W-what is that...”
“...No way.”
It was hopeless.
How were they supposed to fight a monster like that?
And besides, their stamina and mana had been drained long ago.
“Let's run! We don't stand a chance!”
Run? Where to, exactly?
There was no way to escape inside the tower either.
It was plain to see everyone's strength draining away.
Yuki gritted her teeth and shouted.
“Everyone, weapons up! One more trip into its belly should do it!”
Even Yuki wasn't fearless.
But there was no other way.
They couldn't all die here.
If they fought, at least one path to survival might open up somehow.
If they gave up, they would all die.
Then they had to fight. That was her way.
Then it happened.
Rumble rumble rumble!
The sea roiled once again.
A huge tidal wave surged up, and the boat was shoved far away.
A force no human could withstand.
“Aaaagh!”
“Hold on tight! If you fall off, we'll never find you!”
The teammates screamed as they clung to the boat's railings.
Everyone desperately fought to keep their balance so they wouldn't fall off.
“Yuki! Over there!”
“What is it!”
In the middle of it all, one teammate pointed in the direction of the whale.
Damn it, what is it? As long as the whale isn't swimming this way...
Yuki strained to lift her head.
“...What is that?”
The next moment, an unbelievable sight came into view before her eyes.
A giant hand made of earth rose above the sea.
The giant's hand calmly grabbed the whale like it was catching a small fish.
The white whale thrashed wildly.
Just from the impact, waves crashed around them and shockwaves rippled out.
But the giant's hand paid it no mind and tightened its grip.
Crunch!
A dreadful cracking sound.
The whale burst apart.
Blood and flesh sprayed everywhere.
“My God.”
“......?”
It wasn't just Yuki.
The whole team stared at the scene with their mouths hanging open.
What was it that I just saw?
What the hell was that? What did it even mean?
Fear and shock slammed into their heads.
“What in the world is that...”
And then, the next moment.
The world before her eyes turned white.
[Congratulations on clearing the 50th Floor Hard - Normal difficulty.]
[Achievement unlocked: You have become the first witness to a mythic feat.]
[Reward: Replica item acquired.]
Together with the familiar message, they were flung out of the tower.
The area around them was covered with tents.
To keep ordinary people and reporters from learning the details of the raid.
This, too, was different from the U.S. and Korea, where they'd have made everything public.
“We're out! Raid complete!”
“What are the healers doing? Hurry up and come here!”
The standby healers rushed over.
They carefully examined their bodies, treated them meticulously, and checked the wounds.
But Yuki just stared blankly at her own hand.
In her hand was a single white sword.
A sword fitted with a grotesque saw blade.
[Whale Bone Saw Sword]
[Legendary]
[Inflicts Bleeding. It does not stop. Can stack.]
It was a legendary item.
Its performance looked good too. Infinite bleed debuff stacking, huh.
It looked especially useful for long battles or fights against large monsters.
Only then did Yuki let out a relieved sigh.
She was alive. And she'd gotten a satisfying reward too.
“Oh! Nice drop!”
“So this is the legendary item!”
“Thank goodness... If this hadn't dropped, I really would've quit being a hunter.”
The teammates, only then noticing the item in Yuki's hand, erupted in cheers.
The joy of surviving hell and coming back alive.
And the dopamine rush from obtaining such an enormous reward had some of them in tears.
Then one more line of explanation caught Yuki's eye.
[*This is a replica of the White Whale's Bone Staff.]
“What's this?”
Replica. Come to think of it, a similar alert had popped up when she'd first obtained the item too.
Something about being the witness to a myth, or something like that.
If it was a myth, then of course the only thing it could be was that thing from earlier—the giant hand of earth crushing the whale.
That was the myth? And this was a replica reward modeled after it?
'It's not even that big a deal.'
Yuki didn't think much of it.
She wasn't very interested in the tower's worldbuilding.
Even without knowing that, she could climb the tower just fine, and there was no problem.
The scholars would surely study it.
What mattered was that the item was now in her hands.
“Ms. Yuki and team members, are you ready for the interview?”
“Yes.”
“Let's go.”
After confirming that Yuki's team had all returned safely and the item had been secured, government officials led them toward the waiting reporters.
Though exhausted and battered, their eyes were bright and alert thanks to the adrenaline.
They stood before the cameras. Camera flashes went off.
Yes, now it was time to bask in the glory.
The title of being the first to clear the 50th floor.
The acquisition of a new legendary item.
With this, both her position and her team's would become even more secure.
The ones getting pushed out would be the original raid team.
“Hirose Yuki! Please share your thoughts on the clear!”
“We heard China and Korea are about to start their raids too. How does it feel to be the first to come out?”
“Is the item in your hand a legendary item?”
And just as Yuki was about to open her mouth.
Ding!
A message appeared before the eyes of all hunters across the world.
The same was true for Yuki.
[World Announcement]
“Huh?”
Yuki froze.
The reporters were not hunters. Therefore, they couldn't see the message.
They looked at Yuki with puzzled expressions.
But Yuki had no time to pay attention to the camera.
[Someone has taken a giant step forward.]
[Humanity has finished preparing to move on to the next stage.]
[The Black Tower's cataclysmic big bang patch will now be deployed.]
[Warning! Evacuate the tower!]
[Hunters inside the tower will be forcibly expelled!]
“Everybody back off!”
Rumble rumble rumble!
Immediately afterward, a mild earthquake struck.
Fortunately, the Japanese were earthquake pros. If a quake this small rattled you, you didn't deserve to call yourself Japanese.
People secured the shaking objects and quickly crouched down.
Their quick response prevented any damage.
“A tower patch?”
“What is this...”
“Could it be because of Yuki-san?”
All eyes turned back to Yuki.
Yuki broke out in a cold sweat.
Was it really because of her? Really?
What exactly was this patch going to do?
If she handled this wrong, she might end up a traitor to the world.
As she rapidly calculated which stance would be most advantageous.
The contents of the tower patch began to be revealed, one line at a time.
[A cataclysm will occur on floors 50 and below.]
[From now on, no unique-grade gear or above will drop on Floor 50 or below!]
“...This has nothing to do with me.”
This wasn't something she could handle.
Whoever it was, they'd pulled off something huge.