Climbing the Tower with Time-Stop Ability - Chapter 174

WeTried Translations

Translator/Editor: Coughing Baby

Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried

Chapter 174: Nightmare, Floor 15 (6)

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[Floor 15 has been cleared on every difficulty.]

[The Tower is calling new people.]

My body wasn’t tired, but I felt utterly drained.

I remained sitting there for quite some time.

‘Why...’

The Annihilation Battle had ended within a few dozen seconds of beginning.

There was only one possible explanation.

Kanyuk had taken their own life.

...It was an outcome I had never expected.

With my thoughts tangled like a knotted ball of thread, I rose to my feet.

[Skill: Blood Frenzy (Epic+)]

Pushes the body into a rampage at its limits. For 30 minutes, physical abilities are doubled and regenerative power greatly increases.

Stamina consumption greatly increases while the skill is active.

Classification: Physical-Type

Willpower Cost: 500

Cooldown: 24 hours

[You have learned ‘Skill: Blood Frenzy (Epic+)’.]

[Difficulty: Nightmare]

[Floor: 16]

[Level: 187]

[Willpower: 18,430/18,430]

[Skills: Radiant Incarnation (Legendary+), Elemental Arrow Barrage (Epic+) (+3), Destruction Beam (Epic+), Blood Frenzy (Epic+), Weak Point Insight (Epic) (+4), Hellfire Eruption (Epic) (+1), Subspace (Epic), Air Step (Epic), Finger-Flick Art (Epic), Life Devourer (Epic), Fatal Strike (Epic), Phantom Shift (Epic)...]

[Nightmare]

Personnel: 1,373,610

Time Limit: 7 years 338 days 18 hours 59 minutes 13 seconds

Floor Reached: Floor 16

[Would you like to leave the Tower?]

I casually collected the skill stone I had received as a reward and immediately left the Tower.

When I returned to the living room, I saw my family.

“Ah...! You worked hard, Seo-hyeon.”

My family welcomed me with relief.

But perhaps they could tell something was wrong from my expression, because my mother asked with concern in her eyes.

“Are you okay? Is something wrong?”

“...No. I’m fine.”

I shook my head and asked,

“Did anything happen?”

Kanyuk had also been sent to Earth before taking their own life.

Where had they been sent?

My family didn’t seem to know.

I told them I was tired and went into my room.

As I quickly searched through the news, a breaking report soon appeared.

“...!”

It was an article about an unknown creature appearing in Gangnam, Seoul.

Just as I had been sent to where Kanyuk’s tribe lived, Kanyuk had been sent to South Korea.

- ...An unknown creature reportedly appeared in Gangnam before disappearing. The creature, which suddenly appeared on the street amid a flash of light, had a humanoid appearance. At the same time it disappeared, Nightmare Floor 16 was cleared...

I could even find a video recorded on a passerby’s phone at the scene.

Kanyuk stood blankly in the middle of the street as people screamed and fled around them.

They stared into empty space as though reading messages, then looked around at the people nearby.

They didn’t look confused like I had.

Instead, they seemed closer to resignation.

Soon, Kanyuk began shouting something.

I couldn’t understand what they were saying because the Tower’s translation function wasn’t working...

But I could recognize them calling my name, Hyun, in clumsy pronunciation.

At last, Kanyuk let out a kyakkyat! laugh and raised their crescent-bladed halberd.

Then they brought its blade to their neck...

Without hesitation, they cut off their own head.

“...”

Kanyuk’s corpse, instantly killed by the beheading, vanished like smoke. Their crescent-bladed halberd vanished with it.

I replayed the video again and again.

What had Kanyuk wanted to tell me?

No matter how much I wondered, there was no way to know.

I put down my phone and lowered my head.

‘I do not want to extend my world’s lifespan by trampling another world.’

Those were Kanyuk’s words.

I could easily imagine the feelings behind their decision.

They must not have been able to personally slaughter people and destroy a world with their own hands.

Rather than let one of the two worlds be destroyed, they had chosen a third option.

They must have also considered the possibility of their world’s people being slaughtered by me.

Kanyuk wasn’t indecisive like I was.

They were far kinder, more upright... and more selfless than me.

Unlike me, who had truly intended to destroy Kanyuk’s world, they ended the Annihilation Battle by taking their own life without a moment of hesitation.

I owed Kanyuk a great debt. Far too great a debt.

...It had been a very long time since I had felt such profound helplessness.

Before the Tower’s tyranny and malice, I had always been utterly powerless.

At the same time, I felt deep anger.

My chest felt so stifled that it seemed ready to turn inside out.

After dwelling on that helplessness and anger for a long time, I sank back into my chair.

Staring into empty space, I quietly muttered,

“...No matter what.”

I can never forgive you.

You... I will be the one to end you.

For the sake of Kanyuk’s world, which had been left behind without hope, I had to do it.

Having pulled myself together, I opened the Communication Window.

I intended to write about Floor 15 right away.

Kanyuk had protected Earth, a completely unrelated world, even at the cost of giving up everything.

Because of Kanyuk, Earth was safe, and I had been able to clear Floor 15.

Others needed to know that fact too.

It was the least I could do to mourn Kanyuk.

* * *

An unknown creature had appeared in South Korea.

The news spread across the world in an instant and became a major topic of discussion.

The Tower’s appearance had long since shattered conventional wisdom, but no creature other than Fallen had ever suddenly appeared in reality before.

[Barik: I watched the video, and it doesn’t seem like an ordinary monster. It was saying something, then just killed itself.]

[PrideChicken: Yeah. It kind of felt like one of those other races from fantasy.]

[Sword: Could it be a new type of Fallen?]

[PeanutButterJam: It didn’t have horns, so how could it be Fallen?]

[Butterfly: Looks like the Tower is up to some bullshit again.]

[Kkeutu: The timing was that Nightmare Floor 15 was cleared right when that monster disappeared. Could it be related to Floor 15?]

[Polaris: Person123 still hasn’t said anything.]

[Sonata: He just cleared Floor 15. Let him rest, you bastard.]

[Wine: But is it really related to Floor 15? Does clearing the Tower affect reality too?]

The bizarre behavior of the creature, which had suddenly killed itself, along with Nightmare Floor 15 being cleared at the same time, was more than enough to make people suspect a connection.

Even as the world celebrated the clearing of Floor 15, everyone waited for Person123 to post something in the Communication Window.

[Person123: This is about clearing Floor 15.]

Then, a post really did appear soon after.

[Person123: Floor 15 had to be challenged as a two-person team with another Nightmare Climber.

The being that appeared in South Korea was a Nightmare Climber from another world who entered Floor 15 with me. Their name was Kanyuk.

By another world, I mean a world in another dimension beyond Earth. Other worlds exist alongside Earth, and it is presumed that the Tower exists in multiple worlds at once. The details of Floor 15 were...]

The post contained details far beyond people’s speculation and imagination.

It began with the fact that Floor 15 was multiplayer, something that had never appeared before, and that Kanyuk, a Nightmare Climber from another world who had entered first, had waited for nearly a year.

The three rounds, the rule that the floor would be immediately cleared if one side died, the final third round, and Kanyuk’s proposal for a tie.

It explained everything from beginning to end, including how that had led to the Annihilation Battle, in which they had to destroy each other’s worlds, and why Kanyuk had appeared on Earth.

[Person123: Kanyuk tried until the end to avoid an outcome where either side failed to clear the floor. They said they did not want to extend their world’s lifespan by trampling another world.

That is why Kanyuk appeared on Earth and took their own life. Kanyuk was a powerful Climber, with enough power to destroy Earth. Even so, they chose to sacrifice themself without hurting a single person. Unlike me, who had truly resolved to destroy Kanyuk’s world, they did not do so.

Earth owes Kanyuk a great debt, and I was able to clear Floor 15 because of Kanyuk.

I am writing this because I want everyone to know this, and because I hope you will mourn their death with me.]

Person123’s post turned the world upside down.

It was filled with facts that were far too shocking.

- According to Person123, worlds other than Earth exist. The scientific community is debating whether they are worlds on other planets in our universe or in entirely different universes...

- Countless condolences are pouring in for Kanyuk, a Nightmare Climber from another world who sacrificed themself for Earth...

News media around the world reported on it, and the Communication Window erupted.

[Dark King: Wow... This is seriously shocking.]

[Rhythm: Kanyuk was also the highest-floor Nightmare Climber in their world, right? They chose not to destroy Earth even at the cost of giving up their own world?]

[Christopher: Even if they carried out an Annihilation Battle, there was no way the surviving world would remain intact. Maybe they gave up for the sake of their own world rather than let that happen.]

[Sato: Watching the video again, it’s fucking heartbreaking... To think they died for Earth.]

[Wormhole: It looked like they said something before dying. What could it have been?]

[Explosive Power: More than that, Person123 really steeled himself. He was truly planning to destroy Kanyuk’s world.]

[Glory: That only shows how much he wants to protect Earth... From our perspective, we should be grateful.]

[Strongest Human: Let’s all observe a moment of silence for the hero Kanyuk.]

According to Person123, Kanyuk had enough power to destroy Earth, yet they had not done so.

Everyone expressed their condolences for Kanyuk’s sacrifice.

The waves of mourning continued endlessly through communities and social media as well.

- Kanyuk, we offer our deepest gratitude and condolences as members of humanity for your heroic choice. We will never forget your sacrifice...

Governments in countries including the United States and China also released statements directly.

Since Person123 had asked people to mourn Kanyuk, the nations responded swiftly.

- This is the street in Gangnam where Kanyuk appeared. It is currently filled with countless people...

A street in Gangnam, Seoul, South Korea.

The place where Kanyuk had appeared was surrounded by barricades and police.

Kanyuk’s corpse had vanished without a trace, but the government was investigating in case any material from another world remained or any dangerous substances could be detected.

And beside the barricades, flowers had been piled up.

Over the past few days, countless people had come here in person to honor the hero from another world.

Among the crowded people, one couple laid down flowers and offered a brief prayer.

“Thank you. Please rest in peace...”

After finishing her heartfelt prayer, the woman opened her eyes.

“Let’s go now.”

“Okay.”

As the couple turned around, they bumped into someone.

“Ah, sorry.”

A man with a cap pulled low gave a small nod as if to say it was fine, then passed by.

The woman looked at him for a moment.

“What is it?”