Climbing the Tower with Time-Stop Ability - Chapter 73

WeTried Translations

Translator/Editor: Coughing Baby

Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried

◈ Climbing the Tower with Time-Stop Ability

Chapter 73

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Second Proposal (1)

"Wow, here! Mom, take my picture here!"

My little sister bounced around like she was in her element and pointed at the Seoul Arts Center building.

While Mom was busy taking pictures of her, Dad and I wandered around nearby.

It was the weekend, and the whole family had come to watch an opera performance at the Seoul Arts Center.

Why were we suddenly here to watch an opera when none of us had ever seen one before...?

Because my little sister had nagged us nonstop.

Maybe it was partly my fault too.

The Seoul Arts Center had been heavily damaged during the Fallen incident.

Only recently had the restoration been completed, and the news had been nonstop about how packed it was every day.

Of course, the reason was that video, the one of my Destruction Beam punching through the roof.

People were visiting because it was where Person123 fought the Fallen.

And somehow she managed to get reservations and booked seats for the whole family on her own, so I got dragged here half by force.

"That video was from exactly this angle, right? From that roof over there, the black pillar went whoosh-"

I snapped at my sister, who kept chattering without pause.

"Hey, yeah, I got it, so give it a rest."

"Ugh, I was talking to Mom. Why are you making a fuss, oppa?"

"Because you're loud enough to blast my ears too."

Lately this brat had been even more extra than usual.

To be fair, it wasn't just her.

If you looked at the mood in Korea these days, it was... hard to describe.

It felt like people were overdosing on national pride.

Ever since it was revealed that Person123 was Korean.

Well, in a world like this, maybe having one more thing to be happy about wasn't bad...

"Sis, you're not getting into anything weird, right?"

"What? What are you talking about?"

"Like the Person123 Church... there are all kinds of cult stories lately."

She snorted.

"Are you crazy? Like I'd do that."

"Fine."

"But still... that's not really a cult, is it? Person123 is actually a savior."

"..."

Now I was getting a little worried about her too.

When it was time, we went into the Seoul Arts Center.

People sang on stage. I watched, but halfway through I got a little bored.

Clap clap clap clap clap!

After the curtain fell, the audience burst into applause.

The first opera performance I'd ever seen in my life.

My impression was just... okay.

I guess art and I don't really click.

"Wow, that was seriously amazing~"

My sister looked deeply moved. She kept going on and on as we left the theater.

"Right, Mom? How was it?"

"Yeah, it was fun. It was nice coming to see a performance together."

"No, not that. I mean, what did you think of the opera? Wasn't the chorus in the middle super grand?"

I shared impressions with Dad too.

"How was it?"

I asked with my lips, and Dad shrugged.

"It was just okay."

"Same."

Dad and I quietly smiled and followed behind the crowd.

At that point, there were about 50 days left on the Nightmare time limit.

* * *

Kwaaaaang!

Fireballs spread in all directions and blew up the wolves.

After hunting for a while, I took a short break.

I pulled a thermos out of Subspace, squatted in the snowfield, and drank warm coffee.

[Zone 4 (86.3%)]

Now there were a little over 30 days left on the Nightmare time limit...

And about two weeks until I challenged Floor 6.

I'd given up on killing the Zone 4 boss, but I kept hunting here anyway.

It was basically getting future work done in advance.

I also wanted to build proficiency with my new skills.

Buuuuung-!

A sharp noise pierced through the wind and stabbed at my ears. I looked up.

A hornet was flying in from the distance. I waited until it came close, then reached out my hand.

Pajijijik!

Sparks burst, and a streak of electricity shot out and struck the hornet.

Its body joint snapped. It flailed for a moment, then its upper half dropped as well.

[Skill: Thunder Strike (Rare)]

Fires condensed lightning power forward. Casting requires 20 seconds of mental concentration.

Classification: Magic-Type

Willpower Cost: 100

Cooldown: 30 seconds

Thunder Strike was my newly acquired skill.

My first electric-attribute magic. Of course, Billon gave it to me.

Maybe because it was single-target, the power was decent, but the range was shorter than I expected.

Now my attack magic lineup was Destruction Beam, Flame Strike, Searing Zone, Blade Whirlwind, Thunder Strike, Fairy Light Bolt, Ice Bullet...

I had almost collected every element.

Still, my main damage dealers were Destruction Beam and fire magic.

Besides Thunder Strike, I also got one Rare-grade and one Common-grade Skill Enhancement Stone, plus a few Common Physical-Type junk skills.

I used the Rare enhancement stone on Thunder Strike right away. For the Common one, I considered Ice Bullet, but used it on Leap, which I had already enhanced once.

[Difficulty: Nightmare]

[Floor: Floor 5]

[Level: 60]

[Willpower: 2,100]

[Skills: Destruction Beam (Epic+), Subspace (Epic), Teleport (Rare+), Sixth Sense (Rare+) (+2), Rapid Regeneration (Rare+), Searing Zone (Rare+), Flame Strike (Rare) (+5), Thunder Strike (Rare) (+1), Blade Whirlwind (Rare), Heightening (Rare), Skin Hardening (Rare), Fairy Light Bolt (Common+) (+1), Lesser Toxic Resistance (Common+), Lesser Burn Resistance (Common+), Lesser Freeze Resistance (Common+), Leap (Common) (+2)...]

So that was my current spec.

For reference, Floor 5 did have a level reward.

How you got it was simple: enter Floor 6.

The moment you entered, Floor 5's power was absorbed immediately.

In short, the condition for receiving Floor 5's level reward was challenging Floor 6.

So in this Floor 5 to Floor 6 stretch, a lot of Climbers died from greed, or so people said. Like the third leading cause of Climber deaths.

I couldn't say I didn't understand. The feeling of leveling up and your body getting stronger was pretty addictive.

Anyway, since I obviously had to challenge Floor 6, it was already a reward waiting for me. The moment I entered Floor 6, I'd gain 10 levels.

After hunting a little more, I came out of the Tower.

I was hungry, so I quickly mixed up a simple early dinner and ate in the living room while watching TV.

"If I hadn't pulled the Ability Nullification Parts during Floor 4, it really would've been close. I might have had to use a method similar to Person123 too. Haha."

A foreign interview was playing on the news with translated subtitles.

"That guy's been showing up a lot lately."

A new Nightmare Climber from Spain, Alejandro.

He had recently succeeded through Floor 4, clearing Nightmare Floors 1 to 4 all within this year.

He was being called a super rookie and had become a hot topic.

Usually, Nightmare clearers' identities were kept private, probably because their countries hid them.

Alejandro, on the other hand, was openly active in the media under his real identity.

He was impressive, no doubt. Who had ever cleared four Nightmare floors in just one year?

It was great news, another capable latecomer appearing.

Even if I failed, it slightly increased the chance that someone else could take over.

But then, just a few days later.

"Spain's Nightmare clearer Alejandro makes a shocking declaration: he will challenge Floor 6 before Person123..."

"Huh?"

I was startled by the unexpected news.

Alejandro had declared he would challenge Floor 6 before me.

* * *

As the Nightmare deadline got closer, the mood in the Communication Window always shifted the same way.

[Grapefruit Syrup: We trust you again this time, Person123-nim. Please save humanity.]

[Dago: Do not doubt. Failure does not exist for Person123.]

[Haruto: Can everyone chill with the hype? This feels like a death flag and it's making me nervous.]

[Hwa-byung: Shut up and start worshiping too.]

[Fishing: Don't forget to pray hard from now until the 20-day mark.]

Some people were anxious. Some prayed for Person123's success.

But lately, another name had started coming up more and more.

[White-Headed Eagle: What's with this Alejandro guy? He cleared four Nightmare floors this year, damn.]

[Probability: What did he do before? Former special forces?]

[Kaid: Not special forces, I heard he was a fighter.]

[Lion of the Prairie: He's just a monster. What kind of person is he?]

[Baekdan: But this guy is super public about everything.]

Spain's Nightmare clearer, Alejandro.

A man who appeared like a comet, blasting through the hellish Nightmare difficulty floor by floor at high speed.

He had originally been a fighter. Right after debuting, he dominated the amateur league with an overwhelming undefeated streak, drew attention as a monster rookie, and was about to move up to the pro league.

Then he was selected as a Nightmare Climber, quit fighting, and immediately challenged Nightmare.

"My motivation for challenging Nightmare difficulty? I just thought I could do it. I was confident."

He revealed himself to the media without hesitation and established a powerful presence almost instantly.

Up to that point, people mostly thought, okay, sure.

With little time left on the Nightmare deadline, public attention was focused more on Person123 and whether Floor 6 would be cleared.

But then.

"I will challenge Floor 6 before Person123."

At around 30 days remaining on the Nightmare time limit, Alejandro suddenly made a shocking declaration.

The world stirred, and global attention turned toward him.

"Mr. Alejandro, why are you trying to challenge Floor 6 before Person123?"

On a famous Spanish talk show, Alejandro wore a relaxed smile as he answered the host's question.

"The weight he has carried alone all this time, someone has to share it, no? That's the whole reason."

"So you're saying you'll challenge Floor 6 first to reduce Person123's burden?"

"Yes. We can't keep leaving everything to that one person forever and relying only on him. I also intend to walk the same path Person123 walks."

In other words, he was saying he would take over Person123's role.

"But first clears on Nightmare are a completely different level of difficulty compared to clearing with information. What are your thoughts on that?"

Alejandro answered just as calmly.

"That's right. But I believe in myself. I believe I can do it. I cleared the previous four floors with that same belief.

More than anything, in Nightmare clears, what matters most isn't simple specs like level and skills, but flashes of insight and instinct. I think I have more than enough ability in that area."

"...Those are truly reassuring words!"

"Then I'd like to ask one more thing. During the last Nightmare Floor 4 clear, the Tower made an unprecedented proposal to Person123, offering to nullify the three-year rule in exchange for a penalty.

If something similar happens again this time, may we ask what choice you would make, Mr. Alejandro?"

Alejandro answered as if it wasn't even worth considering.

"If the Tower again offers a penalty with people's lives as leverage, then of course I will choose the penalty too. I will never avoid it. Let it come."

Cheers and applause erupted from the audience at his answer.

Alejandro smiled and said,

"I will challenge Floor 6 when exactly 21 days remain on the Nightmare time limit. Person123, if you're watching this broadcast, this time I will save humanity in your place. Please watch closely."

Alejandro's interview had enormous global impact.

[Asteroid: Alejandro declares he'll challenge Floor 6 a day before Person123!]

[FidaFida: Has he lost it? First clears are a whole different dimension.]

[Black Hole: There was someone back on Floor 2 who said he'd challenge before Person123 too, then died.]

[Hella: But with Alejandro, who knows? The way he speed-cleared four floors, his form does look insane.]

[Socrates: Could this be a second Person123, damn.]

[Hood: No matter what, comparing him to Person123 is going too far.]

[Knight: I'm rooting for Alejandro! You got this!]

People wondered if it was really possible, but the mood was mostly supportive.

If another person appeared to run at the very front of Nightmare alongside Person123, that was basically a huge celebration for humanity.

[Nightmare]

Population: 378,823

Time Limit: 21 days 13 minutes 36 seconds

Reached Floor: Floor 5

Time passed.

And Nightmare's remaining time limit drew right up to 21 days.

* * *

"How are you feeling?"

Officials from a Spanish government agency stood beside Alejandro and checked his condition.

Alejandro smiled.

"Absolutely perfect."

Countless cameras and people surrounded him.

At that moment, his Floor 6 Nightmare challenge was being broadcast live worldwide.

The Spanish government hadn't actually wanted him to challenge Floor 6.

No country would want a valuable Nightmare clearer, especially one with overwhelming ability who speed-cleared four floors, to take on the risk of a first clear.

But Alejandro insisted he would challenge the first clear no matter what, and the government failed to break his will.

If a Climber said he was entering the Tower, the government had no way to stop him.

So now all they could do was pray for his success.

And besides, you never knew.

With the overwhelming results Alejandro had shown so far, maybe he really could succeed.

'Good.'

Meanwhile, with his Floor 6 challenge right in front of him, Alejandro was enjoying the situation.

At this moment, all eyes in the world were focused on him.

The thrill was hard to describe. Alejandro loved this attention.

Why did he want to be the first to challenge Floor 6?

To save humanity? To share Person123's burden?

Forget all that lip service. He simply wanted to be worshiped as a savior, just like Person123 was now.

'You're not the only chosen one.'

Alejandro thought that he, too, was chosen.

A first clear? Of course it would be difficult, but he was confident he could do it. That was the conclusion he reached after clearing four Nightmare floors.

Person123 hid his identity timidly and never revealed himself to the world. He was different.

He would proudly clear Floor 6, stand before everyone, and be worshiped as humanity's savior.

"One minute left!"

[Nightmare]

Population: 378,822

Time Limit: 21 days 59 seconds

Reached Floor: Floor 5

Alejandro checked the deadline.

If he had one regret, it was that he wished the situation had been far more dramatic, like when Person123 challenged Floor 4...

It seemed the Tower's proposal wasn't coming again after all.

Fine.

As long as he cleared Floor 6, he would become the world's main character.