WeTried Translations

Translator/Editor: Coughing Baby

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◈ Climbing the Tower with Time-Stop Ability

Chapter 25

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Fugitive (2)

[Person123: Seo Dong-woo]

I did not send that whisper with any special plan.

That bastard who had almost killed my father was openly running around, and it made my blood boil.

I sent it on impulse, then immediately thought I had done something pointless.

"...!"

A reply came right away.

[Soyeong: Are you really that guy?]

[Soyeong: You're the first Nightmare clearer, right? I think you are?]

What should I do?

All kinds of thoughts ran through my head.

I swallowed the stream of curses I wanted to spit out and forced myself to calm down first.

[Person123: It's me.]

[Soyeong: Oh shit.]

[Person123: Are you really Seo Dong-woo?]

[Soyeong: Of course I am.]

[Soyeong: You wanted to talk to me? Why'd you whisper me?]

[Person123: Korea's in an uproar because of you. I'm interested in what you're doing too.]

Showing hostility right now would mean nothing.

I should pretend I was interested in him. Maybe I could dig something out of him.

[Soyeong: Wait a sec.]

[Soyeong: No way, are you Korean?]

[Person123: Who knows.]

[Soyeong: Damn, seriously? The first Nightmare clearer was Korean?]

[Person123: What are you planning to do from now on? Just keep running forever?]

[Soyeong: Hmm, what should I do? Should I tell you?]

[Soyeong: You're not connected to the government, right? You're not setting a trap to catch me, are you?]

[Person123: I'm an unregistered Climber too, just like you.]

[Person123: I'm hiding that I'm a Climber myself, so what kind of trap would I set?]

[Soyeong: Then why are you hiding that you're a Nightmare clearer? That's a huge deal.]

I thought for a moment, then replied.

[Person123: The country could use it against me.]

[Person123: I agree with what you're saying too. Climbers should rule the world.]

[Soyeong: Seriously? You're on this side too?]

[Soyeong: Hahaha, damn, it's really good to meet you.]

[Soyeong: Right? I knew you'd get it. There's no reason people with this kind of power should live quietly.]

[Person123: Yeah. That's why I'm interested in you. You're boldly doing what nobody else could.]

[Person123: So what now? You have more plans, don't you?]

[Soyeong: Of course I do! Too many, that's the problem.]

[Soyeong: What should I do next for fun? Should I really go wild somewhere crowded?]

[Soyeong: Or maybe I should take over a building and do a hostage situation. I've wanted to try that at least once.]

...This crazy bastard.

What the hell was I supposed to do with this piece of trash?

[Soyeong: Right, wanna meet and talk in person? How about it?]

[Soyeong: I'm really curious what kind of person the first Nightmare clearer is.]

[Soyeong: I'm interested in you too. I read every post you made. Crazy stuff. How the hell did you clear all that?]

Seo Dong-woo suddenly made a ridiculous proposal.

He was a fugitive who had broken out of prison, and he was asking for a meeting?

His head definitely was not right.

[Person123: Then let's meet.]

I had no reason to refuse.

As I stared at the Communication Window with cold eyes, Seo Dong-woo sent the location.

An abandoned school in Incheon.

[Soyeong: I can trust we're already friends, right? Don't come swarming with other people, got it?]

"Don't worry."

I was going alone.

I opened the map on my phone and searched for the abandoned school's location.

[Person123: By the way, what level are you? You seem pretty high.]

[Soyeong: Curious?]

[Person123: If your level's too high, meeting you is kind of a burden for me too.]

[Soyeong: Is that so? I'll just tell you I'm in the level 20 range. Exact number is a secret~]

I closed the Communication Window and left home right away.

I knew I was not being rational.

What was I going there for? To fight him? What if he was stronger than I expected?

My father was badly hurt, but he was alive.

I could just treat it like he got bitten by a mad beast and move on.

I was about to do something I might not be able to deal with later, all because of my emotions in this moment.

...Fuck, no. I still could not let it go.

Not unless I shattered every bone in that bastard's body.

And this was not only personal.

If I left him alone, there was no telling what kind of chaos he would cause before he got caught. More people could die or get hurt.

Even just to prevent more damage, I could not leave Seo Dong-woo alone.

I called a pre-dawn taxi and headed to the meeting place.

* * *

Kang Ju-hyeok got the call and rushed toward the capital area.

After three days with no progress in the search, Seo Dong-woo had suddenly appeared in Seoul.

"How do we keep missing his location this badly..."

He muttered anxiously while waiting for the light to change.

It sounded like the police were tracing his route, but Kang Ju-hyeok still felt uneasy. Unless special forces fully surrounded him and opened fire all at once, would they even be able to catch him?

The Climber Surveillance Division team members were all rushing too, but in their division, the only one who could probably face Seo Dong-woo was Shin Su-jin.

"Why can't I reach Team Leader either? This is driving me insane."

But Shin Su-jin was not responding. Not by phone, not through the Communication Window.

They had to move as fast as possible before he slipped away again. It was dawn, so there was no way she was just asleep and missing calls.

The second the light changed, Kang Ju-hyeok slammed the accelerator.

* * *

[Soyeong: Puhaha! You're that daughter from back then? Seriously? What a destiny-level coincidence.]

[Soyeong: Curious where I am? Want me to tell you? Or not?]

[Soyeong: Fine, fine. If you want to see me that badly, come find me.]

[Soyeong: But keep it secret from everyone else, okay? If you don't come alone, I'll run~]

As dawn slowly broke across the sky, Shin Su-jin ignored every message trying to find her and arrived at her destination alone.

An abandoned school in Incheon. She climbed over the wall and went inside.

She crossed the playground and entered the old gym building. A man was lying in the middle of the hall with his legs crossed.

"Oh, you're here?"

Seo Dong-woo stretched and sat up.

Shin Su-jin stared at him, her eyes full of killing intent.

"What's that name?"

She asked without warning.

Seo Dong-woo tilted his head, acting clueless.

"Hm? What?"

"Your Communication Window nickname... what is it?"

Seo Dong-woo burst out laughing.

"Ahh, Soyeong? This?"

"..."

"Nice to hear, right? It's your mom's name."

Blood seeped from Shin Su-jin's tightly clenched fist.

It had happened ten years ago, when she was in middle school.

A robber broke into their home. In front of mother and daughter, that monster killed her father as he resisted.

Beside her mother, who begged to be spared, Shin Su-jin froze and could do nothing.

Then the monster killed her mother too.

Even as she bled out from a stab wound, her mother could not make a sound.

"You remember, right? I told her if she made even a little noise, I'd kill you first, so your mom never made a sound even once. Amazing, right? That's why you lived. Pain isn't something people can overcome with willpower."

Seo Dong-woo wiped the corner of his eye as if he were moved.

"That maternal love could move even a guy like me. So I decided I'd remember that woman for life. I never had a mother like that."

"Shut your fucking mouth, you bastard...!"

Shin Su-jin's voice shook with rage.

After that, Seo Dong-woo was caught and sentenced to life in prison.

For Shin Su-jin, who had lost her whole family in a single day, that brought no comfort.

Even when she lived as if she had forgotten, sudden surges of emotion were hard to endure.

At least once a week, she dreamed that nightmare again.

Then one day she became a Climber. She hated weakness, and she climbed the Tower.

She climbed, worked, climbed again, and lived however life carried her.

When she heard that Seo Dong-woo had escaped, what she felt was probably not just anger.

"...Thanks, Seo Dong-woo. For breaking out like this."

Shin Su-jin took one deep breath.

"Because of that, I finally get to kill you with my own hands."

Seo Dong-woo grinned.

"Ooh, scary. So confident. Did you bring teammates? I didn't check because I figured you'd come alone."

"Trash like you is enough for me alone."

The moment she spoke, Shin Su-jin leaped. The wooden floor cracked.

Seo Dong-woo jumped back to dodge the incoming punch.

She stayed on him and kept attacking. Seo Dong-woo kept retreating, dodging or blocking.

Shin Su-jin measured him.

'His physical ability is similar.'

If so, he was probably around level 20 too. Hard difficulty progressed in 4-level increments.

While getting pushed back, Seo Dong-woo threw a counterpunch.

Shin Su-jin dodged, grabbed his arm, and slammed him.

"Uwah!"

His body flew and lodged into the gym wall.

Blue light spread over Shin Su-jin's fist.

She rushed in and drove her punch forward, but Seo Dong-woo twisted away at the last instant.

KWAANG!

A huge tremor shook the building, and dust poured down from the gym ceiling.

Seo Dong-woo retreated in quick steps and said, surprised,

"That's that one, right? Aura Force skill. Nice one you've got."

Aura Force. A Physical-Type skill ranked top tier among Rare skills.

Shin Su-jin did not answer and charged again. Her assault became even fiercer.

With Aura Force wrapped around her fists, Seo Dong-woo could no longer block and could only barely dodge.

She kept pressuring him so he could not use his own skill. At around level 20, he should have at least one Rare skill.

But even cornered, he still showed no sign of using one.

Maybe his was magic-type, or passive. Then she just had to kill him as he was.

"W-wait! Spare me!"

As if he had hit his limit while dodging, Seo Dong-woo shouted in panic.

Shin Su-jin ignored him and pressed harder.

"Spare me! I was wrong! I'll really repent!"

One more clean hit and she could blow his head open now...?

In that instant, she realized laughter was mixed into his voice and checked his face.

He was grinning. All that panic from moments ago was gone.

"Spare me~ I said I was wrong~ Aing~."

Suddenly, Seo Dong-woo's body moved much faster than before.

"...!"

Shin Su-jin failed to react and got slammed in the side, flying through the air.

Seo Dong-woo walked up to where she had fallen.

"Your heart raced, right? Damn, that was close. A little more and you could've won."

Shin Su-jin scrambled up and stepped back.

"You...!"

Only then did she realize it. He was far above level 20.

He had been toying with her from the start.

"I cleared Hard up to Floor 7. That means level 28. Let's see, you're maybe early level 20s?"

Grinding her molars, Shin Su-jin charged again.

With movements clearly different from before, Seo Dong-woo dodged easily and kicked her again.

Even though she blocked with her arm, her body bounced away like a rubber ball.

"With just this much, why'd you come alone so confident? That's absurd."

"Kgh, ha..."

"'Thanks, Seo Dong-woo. I finally get to kill you with my own hands.' Hah! What a line. I thought we were filming a movie."

Seo Dong-woo snickered.

"Actually, another precious guest is coming besides you. So I'll play with you until then."

Shin Su-jin staggered to her feet.

The moment she got up, a fist drove into her stomach. Agonizing pain surged as if her organs had ruptured.

Seo Dong-woo grabbed her by the throat and lifted her into the air.

"Kghk..."

"Got anything else? If you've got other skills, hurry up and pull them out. You can't go see your mom like this."

With bloodshot eyes, Shin Su-jin glared at him murderously.

'Damn... you...'

She was far stronger than back then, yet she was still this powerless again.

She felt like she would go insane from frustration. She wanted to tear apart the monster in front of her, but she had no strength to do it.

His grip on her throat tightened, and her consciousness started to blur.

"Seo Dong-woo."

A strange voice suddenly cut in.

At the gym entrance, a man in a hooded sweatshirt was standing there.

Seo Dong-woo lit up when he saw him and flung Shin Su-jin aside.

"Oh, you're here! Person123!"

Person123...?

Shin Su-jin coughed and stared at the newly arrived man too.

The man looked back and forth between Seo Dong-woo and the collapsed Shin Su-jin, then asked,

"Who's that?"

Seo Dong-woo waved his hand.

"Ah, this? Nothing much. A Climber who came to kill me, so I was just playing with her while waiting for you."

"Don't worry about her. Let's have fun and talk now. First I'll clean this bitch up..."

The man cut him off.

"Talk, my ass."

"Huh?"

"I came to kill you too."

The man pulled his hand out of his pocket and strode forward.

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