WeTried Translations

Translator/Editor: Coughing Baby

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◈ Climbing the Tower with Time-Stop Ability

Chapter 21

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Gap

The identity of the climber who cleared Nightmare Floor 2 was revealed.

Person123.

Once again, he revealed that he was the one who cleared it simply by posting Floor 2 information in the Communication Window.

[Polearm: So in the end, Person123 pulled it off again.]

[ExcitingParty: Hahaha, I knew it would be that guy!]

[Debik: Is the first clearer really just built different?]

The Floor 2 information he posted was enough to leave people stunned.

[Asparagus: Isn't that a typo? The gap between platforms is 8 or 9 meters?]

[Hangureu: Hard is around 5 meters too, so it's not impossible.]

[Andromeda: The insane part isn't the distance, it's the platform size. If it's around 25 cm by 25 cm, that means you can barely stand with both feet on it.]

[Pullup: Wait, how many inches is 25 cm?]

[Songgyeong: Look it up yourself, fucking American.]

Climbers who had attempted Floor 2, especially Hard-difficulty climbers, knew how absurd that was.

And that was not all. There were traps too, like phantom platforms, glowing platforms, and rising floors.

And it still did not end there. Breaking doors, infinite stairs, climbing the tower's outer wall, the boss monster Minotaur, and finally surviving on top of a collapsing tower...

How the hell did he clear that? Everyone had the same thought.

Floor 1 was already bad, but even compared to Hard difficulty, Nightmare was on an entirely different level.

"He did it again."

Max read the Floor 2 info post in the Communication Window, and his expression gradually darkened.

He had always known Floor 2 would be harder than expected.

But this was beyond that. He never imagined it would be this brutal.

Now Jack's failure seemed inevitable. Clearing this without any information was impossible.

...And yet Person123 had done it.

Who the hell was he?

"If I had challenged it, I would have died too. I got lucky."

Taylor spoke while reading the post with a drained expression.

She had originally planned to challenge Nightmare Floor 2 as well, but a Floor 2 clearer appeared first, and she narrowly avoided entering.

Person123 had organized the information in even finer detail than on Floor 1. It felt like genuine consideration for other challengers.

Now all they had to do was prepare thoroughly for Floor 2 using this information, but even with the information, it was still brutally hard. Taylor let out a sigh.

"Max, at least for me, I do not have what it takes to be a front-runner in Nightmare difficulty. No matter what I do, I do not think I can surpass this person."

Max nodded silently.

The project had begun with one goal: save humanity and put the U.S. at the front of Nightmare difficulty.

In that moment, both Max and Taylor realized it. They could not do it.

You could say their fighting spirit broke.

If Floor 2 was already like this, what would Floors 3 and 4 be like?

They had no choice but to admit it. The first Nightmare clearer had something special.

'Is he really an unregistered climber?'

That was what Max could not stop questioning.

If Person123 was a climber hiding his identity and receiving no support from any country, then how could he be this overwhelmingly ahead? It made no sense. Or had he received something incredible as the first-clear reward on Floor 1?

Whatever the case, if they could not pass him, all they could do was chase him from right behind as hard as they could.

The other countries challenging Nightmare were probably thinking the same thing.

* * *

After clearing Floor 2 Hidden, organizing the info post, and uploading it, I spent a while living a relaxed everyday life.

- Hard-difficulty top record holder Wang Kai clears Floor 10...

- Climbers clash again in the shared area on Floor 5...

- Best revised version of the common-grade skill chart...

I sat on the subway with earphones in, casually scrolling through posts.

The site was called Babel, a community where people mostly posted Tower-related content.

The Communication Window existed too, but this place was great for catching all kinds of recent news, so I checked it whenever I was bored.

- Even guns do not work on high-level climbers lol

A title caught my eye, so I clicked it.

The linked video was titled, "How Dangerous Are Climbers?"

It was an interview with a foreign professor.

- "...So professor, do you believe climbers will become a major threat to our society going forward?"

- "Rather than saying they will definitely become a threat, I would say they carry more than enough potential to become one. This is a very natural concern. They are already becoming superhumans beyond normal human limits."

"The physical abilities of high-level climbers far exceed what we can imagine. If we compare test results from various institutions, including the U.S. Climber Bureau, we can now establish a rough benchmark."

"For example, against climbers level 20 and above, a 9mm handgun round cannot inflict meaningful damage. It often cannot properly penetrate even the dermis layer, either bouncing off or lodging shallowly. The toughness and elasticity of their skin, reinforced beyond normal human limits, makes that possible."

- "So are you saying guns do not work on climbers level 20 and above?"

- "At the handgun level used by police, yes. Stronger firearms may produce different results, but this is specifically a level-20 benchmark."

"Climbers keep leveling up and growing stronger as they ascend. Right now, the highest officially recorded climber is level 36."

- "Yes, you mean Wang Kai, the top Hard-difficulty record holder."

- "If level 20 is already like that, can you imagine how durable the bodies of level-30 climbers are? What about level 40? And then there are skills, literal superpowers. Honestly, I am afraid. Of course, even now, only a tiny minority of climbers have reached level 20 or above, but that number will keep growing."

"Throughout all of history, humanity has advanced technology and gained tremendous power. But if we look at humans as a species, there has never been this kind of internal power imbalance. I am not talking about simple imbalances like men being physically stronger than women, or adults being stronger than children."

"No matter how strong an ancient warrior was, he could not defeat ten soldiers alone. No matter how strong a modern fighter is, he cannot beat bullets and artillery. But that level of severe imbalance is exactly what we are facing right now. Can you imagine where society goes from here?"

- "...That does feel extremely unstable."

- "Of course, climbers are necessary for humanity's survival."

"If no one climbs the Tower, the world will end, and only chosen climbers can climb it. That makes the imbalance even more extreme. If one day a climber appears and uses that imbalance to overturn society from its foundation, how exactly do we stop that?"

"Even now, climbers already have their own communities, and they continue to raise their voices through associations and other groups. Before it is too late, we need to think seriously about this. About the future that awaits us if Nightmare difficulty keeps getting cleared and the world survives..."

It was interesting.

He seemed to view the social unrest that stronger and stronger climbers might cause as a very serious issue.

Still, all of that only mattered if the world did not end.

What interested me more was the part about level 20+ climbers being able to tank bullets.

Hmm... was it really that much?

I stretched the skin on the back of my hand.

Considering my current physical abilities, it did not feel that surprising.

- "This stop is Sillim, Sillim Station."

I got off the subway and headed to the meeting spot.

I had dinner plans with my friends today.

"Oh, Seo-hyeon is here."

"Sorry. I am a little late."

"It's fine. That bastard Sang-cheol said five minutes earlier too, and he still is not here."

We were waiting for today's main character when an imported car rolled up and stopped near us.

The driver's window came down, and Sang-cheol's face popped out.

Everyone stared in shock.

"Yo... what the hell?"

"What, did you buy a car?"

Sang-cheol gave a smug little grin and said,

"I'll go park and come back. Wait here."

As we watched the imported car glide away, everyone threw out a comment.

"That guy really made it, huh?"

"They say climbers make a lot of money."

"But he became a climber only a few months ago, right?"

Our Sang-cheol, who ended up taking a leave from school to become a climber, had thankfully survived.

We had all gathered because Sang-cheol said he would treat us to dinner today.

We moved to an expensive Korean beef place and started devouring meat.

"So how is being a climber? Is it worth it?"

"Totally worth it. I am even thinking about trying Easy Floor 2."

"Hey, hey, do not do it. You make plenty just from Floor 1, right?"

Apparently the largest group among climbers was people who never entered the Tower at all, followed by people who only cleared Floor 1 and farmed mana stones by repeating it.

Sang-cheol had cleared Easy Floor 1 and was making money by selling the mana stones he got there.

"Goblins are not weak monsters either. When I first entered, this is what happened..."

Sang-cheol was busy talking and bragging nonstop.

Since he was buying expensive food as bragging tax, listening was only fair, so I reacted here and there while stuffing myself with meat.

"If Easy Floor 1 means level 1, then how much stronger did you get?"

"Heh, pretty strong. Even level 1 is already beyond ordinary people."

"Then let's arm wrestle once."

One of our musclehead gym-rat friends boldly challenged Sang-cheol.

Of course, the result was obvious. Sang-cheol grinned and pushed his arm down with ease.

"Holy shit, he is actually crazy strong."

"Hey, do one with me too!"

"Bring it on. Want me to beat you while only grabbing your wrist?"

After a few drinks, everyone got loud and rowdy.

While grilling meat, I asked Sang-cheol,

"Hey, Sang-cheol. Climbers talk in the Communication Window and stuff, right?"

"Huh? Yeah."

"What name do you use there?"

"Me? Cheol-sang. Sang-cheol backwards, Cheol-sang. Why ask all of a sudden?"

"Just because."

Thought it might be nice to run into him there sometime.

After eating enough beef to burst, we came out and wandered around the busy district.

"Wanna do the punch machine? Loser buys, deal?"

"Deal. But isn't it cheating if Sang-cheol does it?"

"Then I'll subtract 100 points from mine."

We were taking turns on the punch machine and betting on scores.

Boom!

Suddenly there was an explosive sound from nearby.

We jumped, and passersby turned to look too.

Another group had been using a different punch machine beside us, and that machine was completely smashed.

"What the fuck? I barely hit it and it broke."

The guy who punched it shook his hand and laughed. His friends snickered.

An arcade employee came out, looking stunned, and kept glancing between them and the wrecked machine.

"Um... did you do this, sir?"

The man answered shamelessly.

"Yeah. So?"

"No, I mean... you broke the machine..."

"I just punched it. It's a punch machine. It's there to be punched. If it broke, what do you want me to do?"

That guy was not ordinary.

That was not human strength. Was he a climber?

Seeing the men try to leave as if nothing happened, the employee hurried to block them.

"Y-you cannot just leave!"

"What? Then what the fuck do you want? You want me to pay for that?"

The man snarled.

"Get lost if you do not want to get hit. I am a climber. If I hit someone wrong, they could die."

So he was a climber after all. What was wrong with this psycho?

The employee turned pale at the open threat of death right in his face.

"B-but even then, you cannot just..."

"Ah, fuck this. You little-"

The man raised his hand like he was really about to hit him.

I was about to shout and stop him, but Sang-cheol shouted first.

"Excuse me!"

The man turned toward us.

Sang-cheol spoke, visibly shrinking back.

"Y-you cannot wreck a machine and then make a scene like that."

"What are you now? Wanna die?"

"Stop cursing... you are not the only climber here. I am one too."

The man tilted his head, then laughed.

"Oh really? What difficulty and floor are you? I am Normal Floor 4."

Normal Floor 4 meant level 6, maybe.

Sang-cheol, who had forced himself to step in, clamped his mouth shut and could not say anything else.

"Hey, you little shit, what are you then? What level are you?"

I stepped in.

"Please stop before I call the police. You seem drunk."

The man stared at me like he could not believe it.

"Why are these brats so mouthy? You really wanna die?"

I even pulled out my phone where he could see it, but he still strode toward me.

Thankfully, his friends stopped him.

"Hey, hey, let's stop, Min-seong. This is really going to blow up."

Passersby murmured around us.

The man looked around and clicked his tongue.

"Hey, I'll see you again."

He glared at me one last time, then left with his friends. "See me again," my ass.

I walked up to the employee, whose face still looked pale, and asked,

"Are you okay?"

"Y-yes. Thank you..."

"Should I report this to the police for you? There are all kinds of crazy assholes out there."

It was my first time seeing a climber causing this kind of trouble in the street.

The employee looked too shaken, so I reported it to the police myself like a good citizen.

"Hey, good call. Fighting a lunatic like that only hurts you."

The others subtly comforted Sang-cheol, who looked like his pride had taken a hit.

"But this bastard Seo-hyeon has guts too, huh? Stepping up to a climber and saying everything he wanted."

"Seriously. I see you differently now."

"I was scared as hell inside, actually."

Everyone laughed at what I said.

No joke, I really was nervous back there.

I stepped up, sure, but if it had turned into a real fight, it could have gotten ugly fast.

It was late, and the mood had gone weird, so we called it a night.

Sang-cheol and the friends heading his way got in his car, and the rest of us, including me, headed to the subway station.

"...?"

What was this now.

I glanced to one side, then told my friends,

"Guys, I think I left something at the restaurant. Go ahead first."

"Really? Let's go together."

"No, no, it's fine. You go first."

I split off from them and went into a secluded alley nearby.

A moment later, a man came in after me.

It was that guy from earlier.

"What, you knew I was following you?"

The climber smiled nastily, hostility pouring off him.

Strangely, I had felt that hostility from far away, so I noticed he was tailing me and lured him over here.

Was this also the effect of Sixth Sense?

It was a danger-detection skill, so maybe it could pick up this kind of hostility aimed at me too.

"Hey, why did you suddenly go mute, you little shit? You were running your mouth just fine earlier."

I ignored him and looked around.

No passersby, and no obvious CCTV either.

"What are you looking for? Looking for someone to help you?"

"Why do you live like that?"

"What?"

"Why do you go around causing trouble like that? Are you that proud of being a climber?"

Just from him chasing me over this little pushback, it was obvious he was nowhere near normal.

The man approached me with a flushed, furious face.

"...I was going to let you go if you got on your knees and begged, but screw it. You die tonight."

His fist flew at me.

I caught it, a punch so slow it could make me yawn.

He tried to yank his hand free. It did not budge at all, and his face grew more and more flustered.

"Y-you bastard... aaagh! Aagh!"

I squeezed a little harder, and he twisted his whole body and screamed.

Like I squeezed that hard. What a drama queen.

When I let go, he stumbled backward in panic.

"F-fuck. Are you a climber too? You bastard, you tricked me?"

"I never tricked you."

"Shut up! You fucking piece of shit, I will kill you!"

The hostility pouring from him grew stronger and thicker.

I narrowed my eyes.

At this point, it felt less like hostility and more like killing intent.

He pulled a knife from his back pocket, used what looked like an acceleration skill, and rushed me.

Maybe it made him faster for a moment, but to me he still looked like a turtle.

I grabbed his wrist again as he came in swinging the knife.

Crunch!

"Kyaaaagh...!"

This time I broke it.

He collapsed to his knees with a limp scream.

He had just tried to kill me for real, so I did not think for even a second that I had gone too far.

What should I do with this crazy bastard?

I could not drag him to a police station myself, but leaving him here did not feel right either. What a pain.

'Still, this pisses me off.'

Some people are struggling through a Tower they do not even want to climb, worried sick the world might end.

And this idiot uses his climber status to pick fights and show off.

I crouched in front of him and met his eyes.

That killing intent I had sensed through Sixth Sense.

For some reason, I had a vague feeling I could do it too.

Recalling those moments in the Tower when I fought for my life, I drew up every bit of intent to kill him and glared.

"H-hiiik..."

His face turned white, and he started trembling like a leaf.

I looked down and saw he had pissed his pants. Disgusting.

"P-please spare me. I was wrong. Please spare me..."

I said to the man, who kept apologizing like he'd lost his mind,

"Go turn yourself in at the police station. For breaking the punch machine."

"Y-yes. I will turn myself in."

"Do not tell anyone what happened here with me."

"Y-yes, I will not say anything."

I noticed a wallet on the ground near him and picked it up.

"Kim Min-seong, born in 1995, Gangnam-daero, Seocho-gu, Seoul..."

I read out the information on his resident ID card and gave him one final warning.

"If you cause trouble anywhere again, I will find you and kill you. Got it?"

He hiccuped and nodded like crazy.

I left him there and walked out of the alley.

I had a nice dinner, and this is what my night turned into.

Still, at least I gained something. My understanding of the Sixth Sense skill improved.

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