I'm the Only Wizard Climbing the Tower - Chapter 107

WeTried Translations

Translator/Editor: Hydrogen B.

Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried

Chapter 107: 107

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Right after returning to reality, I checked my Points.

[Baek Jiho (Republic of Korea: Floor 39)]

[685,000 Points]

The number 685,000 appeared.

I muttered quietly.

“Hmm...! 685,000 Points! I only killed a little over a hundred War Black Mages, but I got this many Points? The farming efficiency is incredible. You useful little bastards! I should kill every one I see.”

“...”

“Plus, I got artifacts and Spatial Bags this time! I’m keeping the Spatial Bags for myself, but if I sell just the artifacts... that’s at least several hundred billion won, right? Oioi...! Aren’t my profits growing a little too exponentially here?! Elon Mengsk, just wait! Extreme Lunatic Hell Magnate Baek Jiho is coming for you!”

“...”

“What are you doing, Hyeji?”

While I stared at my status window and rambled on, Hyeji rested her chin on her hand, deep in thought.

Normally, she would have thrown out a familiar jab at my nonsense.

But now, she looked seriously worried about something.

Why was she acting so serious? It didn’t suit her.

Then Hyeji spoke quietly.

“Hmm... Jiho. About that halo that appeared over your head.”

“Yes.”

“Do you think you might really have become that Prophet or whatever?”

“?”

At Hyeji’s sudden question, I gave her a confused look.

Had this woman finally gone insane?

“Hyeji. Get a grip! You know I only make Prophet jokes because I want to feel like a cult leader. It’s just stupid nonsense. It’d be a little troubling if even you fell for my hypnosis app. Snap out of it already!”

“Then what was that halo?”

“Maybe it was an additional Cosmetic Effect or something.”

“That can’t be it... There has to be something going on.”

Hyeji seemed bothered by the halo that had appeared above my head.

I nodded.

‘Well, I can see why. An angelic ring suddenly appeared over my head out of nowhere.’

Still, I wasn’t particularly concerned.

The ring itself hadn’t felt unpleasant.

More precisely, the instant I saw it, I instinctively knew through my soul that it was something that would help me.

So it hadn’t seemed like a big deal.

Hyeji apparently felt differently.

“There are still a lot of things about the Tower that haven’t been revealed. It could be an incredible opportunity. Or... it could be a clue about where you came from.”

“Where I came from?”

“Yes. You said you’ve been seeing Blue Motes since you were little, didn’t you? And you can understand the language inside the Tower... What if you’re not actually from Earth, but from some fantasy world? Maybe you were born in the Tower and somehow ended up on Earth...”

“Oh, Hyeji, you’ve read one too many romance fantasies. Clear your head. Stop thinking weird things.”

“No, really...!”

It looked like Hyeji had really lost her mind.

I was secretly from a fantasy world?

What nonsense!

I was proudly born in Seoul, King Korea!

Sure, I had the unusual constitution of being able to see mana.

Still, denying the life I’d lived in the Republic of Korea for twenty-seven years felt a little wrong.

Whether she understood how I felt or not, Hyeji didn’t seem willing to give up.

“Jiho. Are you really sure you were born in Korea? You weren’t adopted from an orphanage or anything, were you?”

“...You’re saying I’m adopted? Is this some new kind of insult about my parents? This is where I’m allowed to curse, right? Iing Iing. Pull Hyeji’s hair.”

-Iing Iing!!!

Yank! Yank! Yank! Yank!

Iing Iing began violently tugging on Hyeji’s long hair.

“Ah! Stop, Iing Iing! No! That’s not what I meant...! What if Jiho really is from a fantasy world?”

“How dare you! Can’t you tell by looking at my face? I look exactly like my sister. And it’s obvious I’m the spitting image of my dad in the photo hanging in the living room. What kind of fantasy-born orphan-adoption nonsense is that?”

“Then... what about your parents? What if your parents are from a fantasy world...”

“Both my mom and dad are from Seoul. They look Korean to anyone who sees them. If they really were from a fantasy world, they’d be white, not Asian.”

“That’s true, but...”

Hyeji seemed fixated on my origins.

I clicked my tongue.

‘Why rack your brain over the Tower’s secrets? It’s obvious we won’t figure them out anyway.’

Seven years had passed since the Tower of Trials appeared.

Humanity had researched the Tower like crazy during that time.

Still, not much had been properly uncovered.

All they’d learned were the basic rules and bits of information visible on the surface.

They hadn’t discovered anything about its core.

What history the Tower possessed.

What the Tower intended.

What those transcendent phenomena were.

Nothing had been clearly explained.

The Tower was a mystery shrouded in countless veils.

There was no need to strain your brain thinking about it.

The Tower wasn’t meant to be analyzed. It was meant to be felt!

“Just take it as it comes. Why are you making yourself worry over it?”

“Even so...”

“Well, if it really bothers you that much, we can test it.”

“Test it?”

“The halo appeared after I used Blessing magic, didn’t it? If I use Blessing magic again, won’t it show up again?”

It was simple enough. I just had to use Blessing magic again.

I headed into the bathroom with Hyeji and Iing Iing.

“Now, let’s see whether my Holy-Halo appears again...!”

I stood in front of the bathroom mirror.

Then I drew out the Blue Motes in my heart and formed the familiar arrangement.

Holy-Divine-Reverse Black Magic Self-Blessing!

-Flash!

Warm, brilliant golden radiance bloomed.

My reflection in the mirror was dyed gold.

And then...

“...”

“It’s not appearing.”

There was nothing above my head, just my messy hair.

Hyeji rested her chin on her hand. “What if you put more mana into it...?”

“Should I?”

-Flaaaash!

The light became far stronger.

The bathroom lit up as brightly as midday, and the mirror was almost washed completely white!

That was blinding as hell...!

Yet...

“...”

There was still nothing.

I threw open the bathroom door and tried casting it over a wider area.

-Flaaaaaaash!

The entire bathroom and living room were dyed gold!

The sofa shone, the TV shone, and even Iing Iing, floating beside us, sparkled.

Seemingly excited, Iing Iing fluttered around the room.

-Iing Iing! Iing Iing!

“Iing Iing says her body feels lighter. She wants to break something... Should I stop her?”

“Of course you should stop her! Iing Iing! Please don’t destroy my Extreme Lunatic Hell Premium Luxury Royal Prestige Elegance Suite Home...!”

-Iing Iing!

Naturally, the buff worked perfectly.

Its healing and enhancement functions worked fine, the pimple on Hyeji’s cheek disappeared, and it worked over a wide area too.

But...

“The ring really won’t appear no matter what.”

I tried several more times.

I poured in a massive amount of mana.

I reached out my hand just like before.

I even copied the same expression I’d made then.

-Flash!

-Flaaash!

-Flaaaaaash!

Only dazzling light kept flashing.

The golden ring never appeared.

Hyeji’s expression turned serious.

“Jiho. Then it only appeared when you healed people in the Tower.”

“Right.”

“...Why did it only appear then?”

“Who knows.”

I scratched the back of my head.

Honestly, I wasn’t that curious.

The halo wasn’t particularly useful anyway.

It didn’t increase my attack power.

It didn’t increase my mana.

It just sparkled prettily, didn’t it?

So maybe it really was just a Cosmetic Effect.

One with some kind of condition attached.

“Maybe the Cosmetic Effect has a condition.”

“...A condition?”

“Some skins in games only show up when certain conditions are met. Like when they activate on a specific map or during an event...”

“...”

“Wouldn’t it be fine to think of it as a limited Cosmetic Effect that appears when I cosplay as the Prophet inside the Tower? It looks like my hypnosis app gets stronger whenever the halo appears.”

“...Sigh. It’s your own business, but you’re so indifferent about it... Sometimes I envy how carefree you are.”

“That’s me.”

Hyeji let out a deep sigh.

Even after something as strange as the halo appearing, I, the person it happened to, wasn’t particularly concerned. That seemed to frustrate her.

Anyway, the test was over!

The halo was a conditional limited Cosmetic Effect.

That was good enough for me.

“All right, then it’s about time...”

I turned off the bathroom light, walked out, and flopped onto the sofa as I picked up my smartphone.

There was still one final task left for today.

“Hyeji, I’m going to check my phone for a bit.”

“Hunter Gallery again?”

“Obviously.”

Posting on Hunter Gallery.

I couldn’t skip it for even one day!

Lying on the sofa, I quickly wrote a post.

[Post Title: Newbie Hunter... made it to Floor 38 today...]

[Author: Blue Dot]

(A photo of loot piled up like a mountain across the garden floor)

Newbie Hunter... made it to Floor 38 today.

Just like I heard, there was a Burning Academy...

Except there wasn’t;;;

The place I went to didn’t burn this time either!

At first, I thought those changes were strange.

Now I know why.

Because I was...

The Extreme Lunatic Hell Heaven Prophet!

That’s why the worldline changed.

You could call it a Steined Gate.

El Psy Kongari.

Is this the choice of Steined Gate...

You ordinary fools have only experienced the Alpha and Beta worldlines, where the entire map is burning because of those evil Blood Cultists.

But I, the Extreme Lunatic Hell Heaven Holy Divine Prophet Peak Master Archmage Attack Helicopter Power Plant Manager Hunter, am the only one who can experience the Steined Gate worldline!

Anyway, thanks to that, I killed all 137 of those bad War Black Mage bastards with my attack helicopter in the unburned map.

Then, together with hundreds of good Black Mages, I cleaned out all the Academy loot!

Maybe because the Academy hadn’t burned down, there was a ridiculous amount of loot.

So today’s earnings!

685,000 Points!

6.85 billion won!

On top of all the potions and material items, I farmed dozens of artifacts and Spatial Bags.

My actual profits are at least several hundred billion won...!

Oioi...!

Aren’t my profits growing a little too exponentially here?!

The gap between Elon Mengsk and me is shrinking by the day...!

Wash your neck and wait, Elon Mengsk!

Before long, I’ll take the position of the world’s richest person from you!

Oh, right.

There were still Academy survivors in the middle of all that.

I healed them, and they fell for my holiness and said they wanted to serve me as their Prophet.

What do I do with this?

A sparkling halo suddenly appeared over my head again, so they thought I was really a Prophet.

Blood Cultists, mages, nobles, it didn’t matter. Every one of them obeyed everything I said...

Looks like I’ll be starting a cult soon.

If I start a cult, I should make a harem later too.

A cult leader needs a harem!

I’ll be surrounded by an army of fantasy beauties in Zero Two bikinis, enjoying every pleasure of the flesh!

Anyway, Floor 38 had a lot going on.

I’m going to eat bananas and drink Dr. Pipper before bed today.

└Your tastes really don’t waver... I can’t even imagine how much you love those Zero Two bikinis.

└What’s with the cult now? And what’s this Prophet nonsense?

└Hello, Blue Dot. This is FFF Daily. We would like to request an interview.

└Big Dot, is it true you’re meeting Torumph tomorrow? Torumph says on social media that he’s on his way to meet you.

└So basically, Blue Dot, there wasn’t any fire on your map, the Black Mages helped you collect loot, you started a cult, and a halo appeared over your head?

└└Blue Dot: Oh, exactly.

└└What the fuck? No matter how many times I read it, this is nothing but bullshit.

└What’s Steined Gate?

└└Blue Dot: A worldline divergence rate of 1.048596%. That is “Steined Gate.”

└└???

└└There’s this otaku anime. It’s sort of a time machine story... No, you bastard, Blue Dot, what don’t you consume? You were making Railgun jokes way back, then recently Touhou Project jokes, and now Steined Gate? Why is your nerd knowledge so deep? Hahahaha.

└└The fact that you know that too is pretty... Never mind.

└└Blue Dot: It’s me. Hmm, it seems the Organization has interfered.

└└You son of a bitch, stop using otaku memes no one but you understands.

└Why do you drink Dr. Pipper? It tastes fucking awful. Drink Pipsi instead.

└└Blue Dot: How dare you insult the noble beverage for intelligent beings. Take it back, those words...!

└└?

└What’s this healing thing? Did you pick up some artifact that heals people?

└└Blue Dot: It wasn’t a healing artifact. I healed them by spreading divine power.

└└?

└└Blue Dot: I’m an Extreme Lunatic Hell Holy Prophet Cult Leader Healer, so I can emit sacred golden light to heal and buff people. I can heal ordinary fools and strengthen them like crazy.

└└??

└└Is this real or a lie?

└└Obviously a lie.

└└He got tired of the martial arts concept and mage concept, so now he’s doing a healer concept. Hahaha.

└└Don’t try to understand Blue Dot. Just feel it.

└Blue Dot, do you know you went viral at your formal contract signing? There are tons of short-form videos on Reels and Shorts where people imitate you becoming a human made of light.

└└Blue Dot: Oh, seriously??? I became a meme??

└└Yeah;; Search just LIGHT. People are copying you by becoming human lightbulbs, giving interviews, and making fools of themselves.

└└Blue Dot: I became a meme. My fame is spreading all over the world as a Hunter of King Korea! It feels good to have enhanced the nation’s prestige...!

└└How is becoming a meme enhancing the nation’s prestige, Blue Dot?

└└Just LIGHT, damn it.

└└This is the hope of our country...?

└└Lord Light Light Light, it’s good that you’re saving our country, but could you please have some dignity? It’s embarrassing in front of foreigners...

...

Comments kept pouring in.

I closed Hunter Gallery and opened MuTube Shorts.

Then I immediately searched for “just LIGHT.”

And there they were.

“Oh.”

There were countless parody videos based on the nonsense I’d pulled during my formal contract signing.

In other words, videos of me becoming a brightly glowing light-man and spouting nonsense.

-I ask you all. Do you want total war? If necessary, do you want a war more total and radical than anything we can imagine today?!

-Let the ruling classes tremble at the communist revolution! The proletariat has nothing to lose but its chains and a world to win. Workers of all countries, unite!

It seemed my quotes from the total war speech and the Communist Manifesto had become especially famous.

There were lots of videos parodying related speeches.

A meme had been born where people became light-men and acted like attention seekers!

“So I’ve become a meme overseas too... This great one’s fame has finally crossed national borders!”

“My God... Jiho’s insane behavior is becoming popular. It’s the End Times.”

“It’s not the End Times, it’s me.”

“...”

Like this, I was becoming a global attention seeker, just like Elon Mengsk and Donald Torumph.

My meme was spreading all over the world.

That meant I’d grown that much as an attention seeker.

How could I not be happy?

Feeling good, I left one more comment.

└Blue Dot: Guys. I’m going to the Floor 39 Imperial Palace tomorrow. Is there anything you want to see? If I can bring it back, I’ll bring it.

└└What are you talking about?

└└If it’s an imperial palace, there should be lots of treasure. Hahaha. Bring back a crown. I’m curious what a fantasy crown looks like.

└└Blue Dot: Okay.

└└Don’t answer like you’re really going to bring one back.

“A crown.”

Not a bad idea.

If it was an Imperial Palace floor, there was bound to be at least one crown there.

While collecting loot tomorrow, I should bring one back if I saw one.

Then a thought suddenly crossed my mind.

‘If I pick up a crown and give it to Torumph as a gift, would he like it?’

* * *

At that moment.

Incheon International Airport.

“So this is the country of the bangzi.”

A man stepped off the plane, looked around, and scoffed.

“It’s a country that will collapse soon, but its airport is annoyingly nice.”

“Won’t it all belong to us later anyway?”

“I suppose that’s true.”

The men’s quiet laughter leaked out.

Then someone spoke.

“Don’t let your guard down.”

The man walking in front spoke quietly.

The laughter immediately stopped.

“He may only be a High Floors bangzi bastard, but he killed four Hunters at the entrance to the Highest Floors. All at once.”

The one who spoke was none other than Lin Chenhuo.

A Committee Member of the Chinese Communist Party Central Committee.

A Highest Floors Hunter who had reached Floor 48.

He had set foot in the Republic of Korea with his team.

To kill Baek Jiho.

The arrogant Hunter who had trampled on the dignity of the People’s Republic of China.

Lin Chenhuo took sunglasses from his pocket and put them on.

“He’s still just a brat, but we shouldn’t underestimate him. We can enjoy ourselves after everything is finished. Before we leave, let’s take a few bangzi slaves with us.”

“Young ones, if possible.”

“You’re greedy too. It’s a country that will disappear soon anyway, so take as many as you want.”

“As expected of our team leader.”

-Rumble.

Suitcase wheels began rolling all at once.

As they headed out of the airport, Lin Chenhuo thought to himself.

‘Baek Jiho... He seems like no ordinary bastard.’

The brat had only awakened a month ago.

Yet Baek Jiho was already on Floor 39.

It was an absurd rate of growth.

His power was absurd as well.

How could someone who had only reached the High Floors slaughter four Committee Members so one-sidedly...?