Chapter 27: Before Floor 3 (1)

Chapter 27: Before Floor 3 (1)

Some time had passed since the Seodongwoo incident. News reports stated that Seodongwoo was eventually killed by an agent from the Climbing Surveillance Department of the Climbing Department. As the days went by without any particular issues, it seemed my involvement had fortunately remained undiscovered.

Out of the blue, a message of gratitude arrived via private whisper. It was from Team Leader Shin Soojin. We exchanged a few brief words regarding her recovery, but I didn’t stay in contact much beyond that. Even though I wasn’t a criminal, I felt somewhat uncomfortable around a government official from the Climbing Department.

…Actually, was I really not a criminal? Failing to register as a Climber and reporting a false difficulty level is technically illegal. Let’s just call myself a Lawbreaker rather than a criminal. In any case, she seemed likely to keep the secret, so I didn’t have to worry.

“Don’t you think it would be better to stay hospitalized a bit longer, Father?”

“Gosh, that’s enough. They said the bones have all fused, so what’s the point? I can’t stand sitting around anymore.”

Fortunately, my father recovered well without any significant aftereffects and was discharged. Thinking about it again, it was pure luck. Because of that lunatic, I almost lost the chance to ever see my father’s face again.

Whenever I watched news debates, they were shouting those same things for a while. I wasn’t particularly interested, but there had always been much talk regarding the treatment of Climbers. I understood people’s anxiety. Calling Climbers walking murder weapons was a harsh expression, but it wasn’t exactly wrong. If I hadn’t been a Climber and my father had suffered such an ordeal, I might have grown to hate Climbers quite a bit myself.

But then again, those kinds of crazies are a minority. Since I’m a Climber now, it felt a bit unfair that public perception was turning so sour. Actually, if I were at least profiting from it, I wouldn’t feel so bad. How great would it be if I could live a comfortable life just by repeatedly clearing the 1st floor?

The Seodongwoo incident, which had been a hot topic not just in our country but globally, gradually saw interest fade as time passed. As the clock of destruction ticked on, people’s concerns inevitably converged back into one thing.

Will the world survive this year, too?

I was curious as well. Specifically, whether or not I would be able to clear the 3rd floor.

About half a year had passed since I cleared the 2nd floor. During that time, nothing much had changed in my daily life except for the fact that I had dropped out of university. I technically filed for a leave of absence, but since it couldn’t be extended indefinitely, it was as good as quitting.

“Wow, how did even someone like Seohyun become a Climber? That’s wild.”

“Maybe our school has that kind of energy?”

“Come visit often. Come buy us food.”

I told my friends that I became an Easy Climber and was quitting school. They were all good guys, so I was sad I wouldn’t see them as often. Oh, and my younger sibling graduated high school and entered university. They said they messed up the entrance exam, but they got into a decent place. I bought them a laptop as a gift.

“Let’s go, Diul.”

I now had full permission from my parents regarding my activities as a Climber. Since I had nothing but time, I entered the Tower whenever I had a spare moment. Part of it was to maintain my physical senses, but the main goal, of course, was to get closer to Diul.

However, I still hadn’t been able to unlock any new abilities. It certainly felt like our connection was becoming clearer… but I really didn’t know when this fellow would show me something new.

“Diul, aren’t we pretty close by now? I’m starting to feel a bit hurt.”

Even when I spoke to it like that, all I got back was a snort of haughty emotion, as usual. I wasn’t asking for much; I just hoped for some kind of change before I challenged the 3rd floor.

There was also a change in the number of Nightmare participants. The count had increased from five to eight. In addition to the US, China, Russia, and India, I heard Australia had produced one as well. However, it was impossible to know if anyone else had succeeded in clearing the 2nd floor. A global announcement only triggers when the highest floor record is broken, not for every individual clear.

Out of curiosity, I asked Mr. Max (Rhino) once.

That was the answer I received. Still, it seemed they were preparing rather than dying during the attempt. But no matter how I thought about it, if you have the information, the 2nd floor should be easier than the 1st… Or maybe not? To be honest, I wasn’t entirely sure. I challenged it at Level 15 thanks to hidden rewards, but everyone else was at Level 10. The Minotaur might be an incredibly tough boss for someone at Level 10.

Honestly, I didn’t have high expectations for the other Nightmare Conquerors anymore. I had already decided to take on the role of the vanguard myself. In the off-chance someone worked hard, caught up, and succeeded in clearing a new floor before me, that would be great. If it happens, fine; if not, whatever. That was how I felt.

After a long while, Billon contacted me to say he would provide Skill Stones. Perhaps it took time because he wanted to collect them and deliver them all at once; there were three this time.

Two Skill Stones and one Skill Enhancement Stone. The important thing was that both Skill Stones were Magic types. One was even Rare-grade! It couldn’t have been easy to obtain them, but Billon, as usual, just explained the skills without making a show of it.

Billon mentioned that he tried to source the Skill Stones discreetly, but he couldn’t completely avoid the eyes of the authorities. Since he might be under surveillance, the person serving as the Magic Stone courier would now deliver the Skill Stones as well. I replied that I understood. He was a busy man, and in truth, there was no need for Billon to come and go personally from the start.

On the appointed day, I received the Skill Stones while handing over the Magic Stones. I gave the man a whole bundle of Top-Grade Magic Stones. The foreign man, as usual, just gave a silent nod and left coolly. I heard a hint from Billon that they were conducting various research projects using the Magic Stones… well, I hope they use them well, regardless of how they use them.

I returned home and opened the Skill Stones.

Blade Vortex. This felt like an Area of Effect (AoE) skill. And Fairy Bullet… the description was a bit subtle, but the cooldown was incredibly short. I learned all the Skill Stones.

I entered the Tower immediately to test them out. While the Knight Goblin was the test subject for the 1st floor, the Minotaur was the one for the 2nd floor. I crossed the lava stepping stones, climbed the tower, and arrived at the Minotaur’s location.

Mooooooo—!

“Yeah, good to see you, too.”

The Minotaur seemed happy to see me, as it charged vigorously. I froze time. First, I tried Fairy Bullet.

Vreeee—

When I used the skill, small lights like fireflies floated around me. I launched all three toward the Minotaur. The lights struck the Minotaur with a series of pops.

Hmm, is this the extent of its power? Visually, the explosive force wasn’t that great. If Flame Strike was a cannon shell, this was about a bullet. The Minotaur merely flinched and continued its charge toward me while bleeding. I dodged lightly and used Fairy Bullet again.

Pop pop pop!

The power was far inferior to Flame Strike. However, using it revealed a different characteristic. With Flame Strike, it was only possible to fire in a Straight line. With this Fairy Bullet, I was able to control the flight path to some extent. If I tried, I could fire them in a curved trajectory or make them fly in a zigzag.

“Not bad.”

A short 5-second cooldown. Up to three bullets, and relatively free guided attacks. Most of all, I liked the overwhelmingly short cooldown. Although the Willpower cost stacked with each bullet, focus time and Willpower consumption weren’t issues for me, so it wasn’t something I needed to worry about.

Groaaaa—!

And it was only “weak” compared to Flame Strike; Fairy Bullet wasn’t actually low in power. The Minotaur, having already been hit by several bullets, was bleeding quite a bit. Thoroughly enraged, the Minotaur bellowed and charged again.

Now it was time for the main dish. I waited until the Minotaur was close and froze time. After finishing the focus, I cast Blade Vortex.

Kwahhhhhh!

A whirlwind roared around me with a violent explosion. The Minotaur, which was within the hit range, was sent flying as if it had been repelled.

“Oh.”

Even though it had been charging, it had this much knockback power? I approached the fallen Minotaur. Furthermore, the destructive power was considerable. With just one hit of Blade Vortex, the Minotaur’s entire body was shredded into rags. Perhaps the accumulated damage from the Fairy Bullets played a part, but it passed away right then and there.

An AoE skill that hits a 3-meter radius. A 1-minute cooldown, and this much power. A 3-meter radius couldn’t be called a long range. However, a skill that hits all enemies in every direction around me certainly had its advantages.

I grinned. “Thanks, Billon.”

Considering the theme of the 3rd floor, it seemed I had acquired some excellent skills.