WeTried Translations

Translator/Editor: Coughing Baby

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◈ Climbing the Tower with Time-Stop Ability

Chapter 53

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Floor 4 Hidden (4) - Final Free Chapter

- Initiating fusion reaction.

The core was now filled to 100 percent mana.

When Iska adjusted another control, thin threadlike beams of light burst from the core and began winding around the area.

“How on earth did you do that?”

I answered Iska’s question.

“I have my methods.”

“...Either way, thank you. Now we can finish this safely.”

Iska looked detached and relieved at the same time.

“You should leave now. It will explode in exactly eight minutes. The guards will be swarming this place soon.”

I checked the Warp Device timer.

[7:36]

So all I had to do was stay hidden for seven minutes, then warp out?

I asked Iska,

“Couldn’t people come and stop the explosion?”

“The reaction has already begun inside the core, so even if they tamper with the device, they can’t stop it. Don’t worry.”

“...What about you?”

“I’ll stay here and watch.”

“Why? Is this the only Warp Device?”

Iska shook his head.

From the start, he seemed to have had no intention of escaping.

“You have no reason to worry about me. I’m a workshop researcher who has run countless experiments and killed countless people. You should go now. Thank you.”

Iska pressed a button and opened the lab door.

I was about to leave, then turned back to him.

“Why are you doing this in the end? It’s the last moment, so tell me.”

Iska glanced at me, then looked back at the core.

“Have you ever raised a dog?”

“...? No.”

“Neither have I.”

What was he talking about?

“I devoted my whole life to mana core research. In that process, I ran many experiments, and many people died.”

“...”

“The test subjects brought here usually react the same way. At first it’s fear or hostility, but after repeated experiments, those emotions wear down and they become like dolls. Then once they outlive their usefulness, they’re disposed of.”

Iska continued in a flat voice.

“One day, another test subject was brought in. A little child, a war orphan from the south, which is now in ruins. When the child was first dragged in, they trembled, but when I treated them a little kindly, they smiled so brightly. I only did that because the upcoming experiment required the subject’s cooperation.

The experiment went on for quite a long time. Research progressed smoothly, and during that time the child grew attached to me. If they behaved, I patted their head and gave rewards... If I’d raised a dog, maybe it would have felt like that. Yes, no different from a pet dog.

But as we reached the final stage of the experiment, that child was also marked for disposal. Every subject that had outlived its usefulness was treated that way. I gave all sorts of reasons to the higher-ups and requested a different outcome instead of disposal. But they refused.

In the end, the child was disposed of, and after that, the research continued and produced brilliant results. Those achievements made me the lead researcher.

Now I’ve been promised a count’s title personally endorsed by the Emperor, every kind of wealth and glory, and if I want, I can even build my own workshop. But one day, all of it suddenly became tiresome.”

Iska turned and looked at me.

“That’s all. There is no other reason.”

After hearing that absurd ending, I asked,

“So... you’re taking revenge on the workshop because a test subject you were close with died?”

“Maybe. Maybe not. Even after coming this far, I still don’t know.”

“Is it ridiculous? To do all this over one dog?”

I shook my head.

With how often he kept saying dog, one movie suddenly came to mind.

“There’s someone I know too, a killer... an assassin, who wiped out his own organization over one dog.”

Iska let out a dry laugh.

“...An assassin? Then he’s an even bigger madman than me.”

“Yeah. But it wasn’t just any dog. It was a dog his dead wife gave him. To that assassin, the dog was basically family.”

“...”

“Maybe it was the same for you. And why do you keep calling it a dog? You could just say that kid mattered to you.”

Iska’s eyes widened.

[2:37]

I checked the remaining time on the Warp Device and headed for the exit.

“Then I’ll get going.”

I heard Iska’s voice behind me.

“Get out safely.”

When I looked back, he looked a little more relieved than before.

I nodded and stepped out of the lab.

As soon as I left, Iska shut the lab door again.

Two of the golems from earlier were standing at the lab entrance like guards.

I could hear footsteps getting very close, so I used stealth.

Soon, the guard unit appeared from the far end of the corridor.

I moved along the wall so I wouldn’t crash into them as they rushed in.

[1:16]

About one minute left.

By the way, what was the Floor 4 reward?

No way it was this Warp Device, right?

The guards started fighting the golems at the lab entrance, and the corridor turned chaotic.

I ignored it and moved down the long hallway. Broken golem fragments were scattered everywhere.

Then...

‘...!’

The moment I spotted someone running from the opposite side, I stopped time.

A woman in a platinum suit. The Workshop Director’s bodyguard.

...Why are you here? Where did the Workshop Director go?

Did she come because of the emergency?

‘Damn, of all times...’

She was dangerous.

If she entered range, she would definitely detect my stealth.

The problem was that this place was a narrow, straight corridor.

Thinking back to earlier, when she was with the Workshop Director... the distance where she noticed my stealth was around 20 meters?

That wasn’t something I could avoid by sidestepping.

Sideways or upward, there was no way to make a 20-meter gap.

Going back was pointless too. The lab was a dead end.

And right behind me, the guards were fighting the golems.

A little over one minute until the Warp Device activated.

‘I only need one minute, and this timing...’

I shouldn’t have kept talking to Iska. I should have gotten out earlier.

I regretted it badly, but I couldn’t undo what had already happened.

...Should I just try jumping over her as fast as possible?

If it’s only for an instant, maybe she won’t notice.

Or maybe she’ll hesitate and let it go.

‘Okay.’

There was no other way.

I released time.

The bodyguard got closer, and I ran straight toward her.

I timed it and sprang up.

Tracing a high arc that nearly scraped the ceiling, I jumped right over her head.

...Did she catch me or not?

She kept running.

Just as I thought I’d made it and was about to land, it happened.

My Sixth Sense blared.

I spun around in a hurry. Then I stopped time.

The bodyguard had already drawn her sword, and a blue sword aura was flying at me at terrifying speed.

Ah, shit... she noticed me.

My body was still in midair.

If I waited for my feet to touch the ground and then tried to dodge, it would be far too late. I only had one choice.

I finished focusing and teleported to the farthest rear diagonal point.

Kwoooom!

A massive sword aura split through the center of the corridor.

I dodged it, but using a skill canceled my stealth. Not that it mattered anymore.

I immediately stopped time again.

Finished focusing, then cast Flame Strike.

The moment fireballs bloomed in the air, I stopped time again, focused, and cast Light Bullet.

Flame Strike, Light Bullet, Ice Bullet, I threw every spell I could at the bodyguard all at once.

Kwoooom!

In this cramped corridor, with no space to either side, there were only so many places she could dodge.

Through the smoke, the bodyguard shot high into the air. That was exactly what I’d aimed for.

Attacking someone while they’re airborne? No manners?

Then take a taste of it yourself.

I cast a fully charged, 729x Destruction Beam at the bodyguard in midair.

No matter how strong she was, surviving that would be impossible if it hit.

The pitch-black beam swallowed her and blasted straight through the ceiling.

“...”

But if it misses, none of that matters.

The bodyguard landed below.

One of her arms was gone. Blood poured from the severed shoulder.

What happened was this: the instant the Destruction Beam flew in, she stepped on air and twisted her body.

She couldn’t avoid it completely, so one arm was blown off, but she dodged a direct hit.

No... using Air Step was cheating.

Reacting to an instant beam and dodging it in the first place, she really was a monster.

Even with one arm gone, her expression didn’t change at all. The blood dripping from her shoulder soon stopped.

“...You are human, right?”

She was too calm, so I asked just in case.

Jokes didn’t work.

I instantly activated Skin Hardening, spread Searing Zone across the corridor, turned, and ran.

I just hoped she would give up on me and head to the lab where Iska was, but...

Kwooooom!

After taking her arm too, maybe that was asking for too much.

I barely threw myself aside and dodged another incoming sword aura.

With some kind of magnetic-field-like barrier around her, the bodyguard broke through Searing Zone and chased me like a madwoman.

She was fast enough to make my skin crawl.

I hurriedly pulled out the ice shard dagger and used it.

Cold energy covered the straight passage.

It seemed I’d stalled her for a moment, because her pursuit stopped.

Using Leap, I cleared the long staircase in a single bound and hurled myself toward the door.

I burst out onto ground level one, rolled once down the corridor, and turned back.

The instant I turned, I stopped time.

Because the bodyguard was already right in front of me again, sword in hand, blue aura blazing.

The gap in physical ability was overwhelming.

Fighting at close range was suicide.

I had activated Skin Hardening, but it didn’t seem like it could block that monster’s attacks at all.

[0:31]

The Warp Device in my hand had about 30 seconds left.

Teleport was still on cooldown, and I couldn’t summon Pli either.

Could I keep dodging her attacks and survive until then?

I wasn’t confident.

If my life was truly in danger, I could use emergency escape...

‘Ah!’

The shop crossed my mind.

Points Held: 500P

The 500 points left after the five-pull draw.

With this, I could use Force Field ten times.

But could Force Field even be used here?

I’d find out if I tried.

[‘Force Field (50P)’ has been purchased.]

The moment I released time, I used Force Field between me and the charging bodyguard.

“...!”

She slammed into the suddenly appearing barrier.

I didn’t waste the split second it bought me and bolted.

‘It works!’

Then maybe I could hold out for 30 seconds.

Slow and Stop probably wouldn’t work, since the descriptions said they only applied to golems.

But Force Field alone was enough.

I fired light bolts backward again and ran, planning to open at least 20 meters and use stealth again.

I smashed through a corridor window and escaped outside.

The bodyguard quickly closed in, and I used Force Field again.

This time she swung her sword.

Her sword aura split the force field in half and flew at me.

I used Leap and threw myself aside to dodge.

Using Force Field to stall her little by little, I ran for my life with everything I had.

She was ridiculously persistent.

All I needed was to open distance once and use stealth again, but she kept crawling after me no matter what.

The moment Flame Strike came off cooldown, I scattered casts all over the place.

As the bodyguard burst out through the smoke, I used Force Field again and ran toward the workshop’s outer edge.

[0:05]

I jumped into open air.

Then I used Force Field, stepped on it like a foothold, and used Leap to jump once more.

A huge sword aura came flying after me.

But I cleanly dodged with Teleport, which had just come off cooldown.

[0:05]

Only 5 seconds left.

With stealth active again, I started falling.

Whew, that was close, but this one was my win.

“...Huh.”

She was preparing another attack.

The bodyguard thrust her sword repeatedly at such absurd speed that her arm was a blur.

Like a machine gun firing nonstop, countless sharp sword auras rained toward me as I fell.

I stopped time.

Maybe because I had used stealth, she couldn’t lock on exactly and the attacks were spraying blindly.

But with my rotten luck, one sword aura was flying straight at me.

...What do I do?

I couldn’t dodge it completely.

If I twisted hard enough, maybe I could limit it to losing one arm.

Then I’d give up an arm.

Once I finished the clear, injuries would be fully healed anyway. I even had Rapid Regeneration.

Should I use this chance to test whether Rapid Regeneration could restore severed limbs?

I had used the 27x boosted version, but I never knew how strong the base effect was.

After fully recovering the Willpower I had spent, I released time and twisted my body.

Slash!

“...!”

Skin Hardening was, as expected, useless against that monster’s attack.

My left arm flew off right in front of my eyes.

Blood sprayed, and a burst of pain slammed into me.

It hurts! Hurts like hell...

Still, I could take it!

Compared to the pain of being burned all over, this was mild. Maybe experience really does matter.

I clenched my teeth and used Rapid Regeneration immediately.

Then I checked the remaining time on the Warp Device.

[0:01]

When the countdown ended, the space in front of me warped.

When the distortion settled, I was already back on the surface.

“Ugh.”

I got up from where I had fallen and looked down at my arm.

My severed left arm was rapidly growing back, bubbling as it regenerated.

Soon, I opened and closed my fully regenerated left hand.

“Regenerates just fine.”

Rapid Regeneration can restore even severed body parts. New knowledge acquired.

Kuuuuuuuu...!

At that moment, an explosion sounded in the distance.

When I looked toward the far sky, a massive explosion was erupting.

I realized that was the workshop where I had just been.

Whew... that was rough.

As I stared at the explosion, messages appeared.

[You have succeeded in clearing the hidden route on Nightmare difficulty Floor 4.]

[You completely absorb the power of the floor.]

[Your level has increased.]

[Your level has increased.]

[Your level has increased.]

[Your level has increased.]

[Your level has increased.]

[You are moving to the Reward Room.]

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