WeTried Translations

Translator/Editor: Coughing Baby

Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried

Chapter 151: Help (2)

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After clearing the 11th floor, I rested for a while before getting right back to work.

I entered the 9th floor and tested the effects of my newly acquired skill, Life Devourer.

Saaaaa!

A dark crimson aura spread out as a barrier unfolded.

With a radius of ten meters, its range was quite wide.

Of course, it didn't block entry or exit, so the Monkeys moved in and out without any trouble.

I swung my sword within the barrier, killing the Monkeys that rushed at me.

Ssssss...

A red aura was drawn from the dead Monkeys and absorbed into me.

I quickly grasped the effect.

'My stamina is recovering.'

No matter how wildly I fought, my stamina didn't drop in the slightest.

It also seemed to slightly increase my physical abilities.

Even accounting for the Enhancement effect, my physical abilities had risen more than usual.

Did it have an injury recovery effect too?

Slice!

I deliberately cut off one of my arms.

Then I continued killing Monkeys.

At my usual rate of regeneration, it should have taken around twenty minutes for the severed arm to grow back...

'Oh.'

As I continued absorbing vitality, my regeneration speed visibly increased at an exponential rate.

My arm had completely regenerated in less than three minutes.

Stamina recovery, injury recovery, and increased physical abilities.

Those were the effects gained by absorbing vitality.

It wasn't anything particularly amazing, but...

Within this barrier, it seemed possible to keep fighting without tiring, even while surrounded by countless enemies.

That concluded the skill test.

After leaving the 9th floor, I immediately entered the 11th floor again.

It was time to organize the information I would post on the Communication Window.

'Can other Nightmare Climbers clear this?'

After repeatedly clearing it, I confirmed that the chest containing the key was still in the third passage.

Then other Nightmare Climbers would only need to clear the third passage and defeat the boss immediately afterward, but...

The biggest problem was drawing blood.

It was only possible for me because I had the Frozen Hydra's abilities. Normally, it would be impossible.

For others to do this...

Would they need to prepare blood in advance before entering?

I filled a few plastic bottles with my blood and entered the 11th floor again.

After testing it, I found that it was possible.

Even when I filled the bowls with blood drawn outside in advance, the flames didn't rise.

Good. This would be the method for other Nightmare Climbers.

They just had to draw and store several hundred liters of blood beforehand, then bring it in with them!

It was only a matter of time, not something impossible.

Besides, Climbers over Level 100 already had regenerative abilities on an entirely different level from ordinary people. It shouldn't be too much for them.

...Well, then again.

Would anyone even reach the 11th floor before then?

As I repeatedly cleared the 11th floor, I organized all the information and began writing on the Communication Window.

Among the dozens of Nightmare Climbers around the world, excluding me, the highest record was still the 7th floor, held by the United States and China.

From what I heard, every other Nightmare Climber was still on the 4th floor or below.

That made sense. The 4th floor was a brutal bottleneck because part of it depended entirely on luck.

At least Alejandro had once cleared it and advanced, only to come to an unfortunate stop on the 6th floor.

On top of that, both the climbing pace of existing Nightmare Climbers and the number of new challengers were steadily declining.

Honestly, there wasn't much point in continuing to post these guides, but...

There was no reason not to, so I kept doing it.

[Person123: This is information on clearing the 11th floor of Nightmare difficulty.]

After writing and posting the guide, I checked my whispers out of habit.

I was looking to see whether Billon or anyone else had contacted me when...

[Squirrel: What am I supposed to do? No matter how much I think about how I can help you, I just don't know anymore. I'm completely uselesss, I'm so sorry. What the hell is wrong with meee?]

"...?"

What was this?

A strange whisper had come from the leading American Nightmare Climber.

It wasn't as though I'd never spoken with her before.

A while ago... no, relatively recently in real time, we'd exchanged greetings once after I cleared the 8th floor.

Still, we weren't close enough for her to speak so casually to me.

What was she talking about?

As I stared at the message in disbelief, another whisper arrived.

[Squirrel: I'm sorry. I was drunk and made a mistake. That was very rude of me.]

...Ah, she was drunk?

It seemed she'd gotten completely wasted and poured out her frustrations in the wrong place.

Climbing Nightmare difficulty had to be incredibly stressful. I could understand that.

[Person123: It's all right.]

I replied and was about to let it go.

Then something about it caught my attention, so I read the message again.

She didn't know what she could do to help me...

Was she continuing to climb Nightmare difficulty to help me?

[Squirrel: I am Taylor Miller, a Nightmare Climber from the United States. I was grateful for your dedication, Person123. And I admired you.

Before entering the 7th floor, I am leaving you my first and last whisper. I hope you see this message after clearing the 8th floor.]

I had received a whisper like that from her before.

My attempt at the 8th floor had dragged on, and the world had been on the verge of destruction. Yet she had still risked her life to challenge the 7th floor...

Taylor was definitely someone climbing Nightmare difficulty for humanity.

So it wasn't strange that she wanted to help me.

Helping me, the one at the forefront of Nightmare difficulty, could be said to be helping the world.

...Was she frustrated because she was stuck on the 7th floor?

That thought occurred to me.

After considering it for a moment, I sent another whisper.

[Person123: Are you having a difficult time because you're stuck on the 7th floor?]

A few minutes later, a reply came.

[Squirrel: Yes, honestly.]

[Squirrel: I'm truly sorry for making such a spectacle of myself. I'll work harder on the 7th floor.]

"Mm..."

So that was it.

Still, from the way she spoke, it didn't seem like she intended to give up.

[Person123: As I said before, the 7th floor is extremely dangerous. Do you have no intention of giving up climbing?]

[Squirrel: I will never give up.]

The answer came immediately.

Her determination was incredibly firm.

Of course, it wasn't my place to tell her to give up.

She had risked her life to reach the 7th floor because of her own beliefs. What right did I have to tell her what to do?

And while I didn't have high expectations at the moment, I would naturally welcome it if other Nightmare Climbers followed in my footsteps.

The more talented latecomers there were, the better.

The problem was...

'The 7th floor really feels like it'll kill her.'

Along with the Chinese Nightmare Climber, she was one of the only people who had even reached the 7th floor.

It would be bitter if such a talented and good person died there.

"..."

Then a thought suddenly came to me.

The biggest problem with the 7th floor was its left-right reversal gimmick.

There was no way to train for or prepare against that in reality.

...But what if it wasn't reality?

What if it was inside the Mindscape of Pankera's Crown?

Anyone who had made contact with me could enter the Mindscape with me.

Perhaps I could help her clear Nightmare difficulty.

Making contact with others while exposing my identity was something I should avoid, but...

Now that I'd thought of a way to help, I didn't want to turn away from it.

And this...

Wasn't it worth trying?

What if I could train other Climbers in the Mindscape and raise their capabilities?

I quickly made up my mind and sent her a message.

[Person123: I can't promise anything, but I think I may be able to help you train to clear the 7th floor.]

[Person123: Would you like to try?]

* * *

Taylor was crossing the land of Zone 3 toward the meeting place.

Her face held a complicated mix of tension and anticipation.

'I'm going to meet Person123 in person...'

She had never imagined it.

Who would have thought that one embarrassing message she sent while drunkenly wallowing in self-pity would lead to this?

Person123 had offered to meet her and said he would help train her for the 7th floor.

Of course, the condition was that she tell no one else and meet him alone.

[Squirrel: I will.]

Taylor accepted immediately.

She had no idea how he planned to help her train to clear the 7th floor, but...

He was Person123.

His abilities were already on a completely different level from those of other Climbers.

Maybe he had some kind of method, which was why he was willing to spare his valuable time to help her.

And even if it had nothing to do with training, why would she refuse when Person123 himself wanted to meet her?

She had seen him briefly during the Zone 3 boss raid before, but meeting him privately was an entirely different matter.

Their meeting place was the cave beneath the rocky mountain where the Zone 3 Wyvern boss spawned.

When Taylor arrived at the rocky mountain, she entered the cave.

Someone was already inside.

A figure wearing a mask and a black crown.

Before she even had time to wonder about the crown, Taylor approached with her nerves stretched tight.

"You're here."

It really was Person123.

Humanity's savior. A great hero unlike any history would ever see again.

Taylor returned his greeting in a slightly trembling voice.

"...It's an honor to meet you. I'm Taylor Miller."

"Nice to meet you."

Person123 held out his hand.

Taylor shook it.

But Person123 didn't let go as he spoke.

"Shall we begin right away?"

"...Pardon?"

"Try not to be too surprised."

At that moment, her surroundings changed.

Startled, Taylor looked around.

A pure white space with nothing in it.

"This is a place called the Mindscape."

Person123 said.

Taylor wore a dazed expression, then flinched again.

Someone was suddenly standing behind Person123.

"Behind you...!"

A tall man with a pale face.

The moment her eyes met his, Taylor felt a chill run through her soul.

Like a mouse before a cat, or a frog before a snake.

"Ah, you don't need to worry about him."

Person123 turned around and waved his hand.

"Go somewhere else for a while. We're training."

The tall man clicked his tongue and disappeared.

Only then could Taylor regain her senses.

She looked at Person123 with confused eyes. She had no idea what was happening.

"Um... where exactly are we?"

Person123 explained.

"This is the Mindscape. To put it simply, you can think of it as a dream."

"A dream...?"

"It's the effect of an item I possess. We'll train for the 7th floor here."

Taylor nodded for the moment.

A dream... Person123 could use such mysterious abilities too?

"Th-then, what is happening in reality?"

"Time outside is frozen at the exact moment we entered the Mindscape. It won't pass until we leave."

Taylor was still confused, but she roughly understood.

Person123 asked, "So, Taylor, how have you prepared to clear the 7th floor so far?"

"For training... I practiced dodging based on the information you posted on the Communication Window. With help from military equipment."

The theme of the 7th floor was fundamentally dodging arrows.

Using the 7th-floor guide as a basis, Taylor trained by recreating the conditions of the five gates as precisely as possible.

The number of arrows, their direction, angle, firing interval, and timing were all written in detail in the guide.

Person123 nodded.

"From now on, I'll recreate the environment of the 7th floor exactly as it is here."

Taylor asked in surprise, "...Is that possible?"

"It is. This is the Mindscape."

Person123 waved his hand.

The surroundings changed into a dim cavern riddled with holes on every side.

"Let's start with the first gate."

There was no time to be any more surprised.

"...!"

A metal arrow the size of a missile flew toward her at over Mach 1.

Taylor desperately threw herself aside to dodge it.

Boooom!

Footnotes:

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