“Wow, here! Mom, take my picture here!”
My sister was bouncing around like a fish that had finally found water, pointing excitedly at the Seoul Arts Center building.
While Mom was busy snapping photos of her, Dad and I wandered around aimlessly nearby.
It was a Saturday weekend, and we’d co as a family to see an opera at the Seoul Arts Center.
Why on earth were we watching an opera, of all things, when I’d never seen one in my entire life…
Because my sister had nagged the hell out of us.
Maybe a small part of it was my fault, too.
The Seoul Arts Center building had been heavily damaged during the Fallen Incident.
It had only recently been fully restored, and the news kept running stories every day about how the place was packed to the rafters.
The cause was, of course, that. The video of my Destruction Ray punching through the roof.
Apparently people were flocking to the spot where Person123 had fought The Fallen.
And sohow my sister had managed to wrangle tickets and book seats for the entire family without asking anyone, so I’d been dragged along practically against my will.
“That video was shot from exactly this angle, right? The black pillar shot up from that roof right there, whoosh!”
I cut my sister off as she chattered nonstop.
“Hey, hey, I get it, would you knock it off already.”
“Geez, I’m talking to Mom, why are you butting in?”
“Because you’re being loud right in my ear.”
Lately she’d been making a bigger fuss than usual.
Honestly, it wasn’t just her.
The whole vibe in this country these days was, how do I put it.
Like people had been mainlining the nationalistic high a little too hard. Ever since word got out that Person123 was Korean.
Well, in a world like this, having one more thing for people to take joy in was probably a good thing…
“Hey, you’re not getting into anything weird, are you?”
“Huh? What’re you on about.”
“I an, like Person123 Church, or… you know, all those cult rumors going around lately.”
She snorted.
“You crazy? Like I’d do that.”
“Alright, fine.”
“Though, like… that’s not really cult-ish or anything, is it? Person123 actually is a savior.”
“…”
I was starting to worry about her, too.
Showti ca around and we headed into the Seoul Arts Center.
People sang on the stage. Around the halfway mark, I started to feel a little bored as I watched.
Clap clap clap clap clap!
When the performance ended and the curtain ca down, applause poured down from the audience.
The first opera I’d ever seen in my life.
My impression: h.
Guess art’s not really my thing.
“Wow, that was seriously incredible.”
My sister, on the other hand, looked like she was still soaking in the afterglow. She kept gushing all the way out of the theater.
“Right, Mom? What did you think?”
“Yeah, it was fun. It’s nice coming to see a show all together.”
“No, like, not that, I an the opera! Wasn’t the choir part in the middle so grand?”
Dad and I shared our impressions, too.
‘How was it?’
I mouthed silently. Dad shrugged.
‘Eh, it was okay.’
‘Sa.’
Dad and I exchanged quiet smiles, on the sa wavelength, as we walked behind the two of them.
There were about fifty days left on Nightmare’s ti limit.
*
KAAAAABOOOOM!
A fireball burst outward in every direction, blowing the wolves apart.
I’d been hunting steadily, and I paused for a short break.
I pulled a thermos out of Subspace, crouched down in the snow, and sipped so warm coffee.
[Zone 4 (86.3%)]
There were just over thirty days left on the Nightmare ti limit now…
And about two weeks until I’d be challenging Floor 6.
Taking down the Zone 4 boss was off the table, but the reason I was still hunting here was simple: if I cleared Floor 6, I’d have to take down the next boss anyway.
I was getting ahead on what I’d have to do later.
There was also the goal of building up proficiency with my new skills.
VWOOOOOM-!
A piercing noise cut through the wind and stabbed at my ear, and I lifted my head.
I spotted a hornet flying in from across the way, waited until it got close, then thrust out my hand.
CRACKLE-ZAP!
Sparks flew as a streak of electricity lashed out and struck the hornet.
Severed at the joint between its segnts, the hornet thrashed in midair before its upper half tumbled to the ground.
[Skill: Lightning Strike (Rare)]
Fires concentrated lightning energy forward. Requires 20 seconds of ntal Concentration to cast.
Classification: Magic Type
Willpower Cost: 100
Cooldown: 30 seconds
Lightning Strike, my newly acquired skill.
The first electric-attribute spell I’d ever gotten. Bilon had supplied it, of course.
Maybe because it was a single-target attack, the power was decent, but the range was shorter than I’d expected.
Now my offensive spell lineup was Destruction Ray, Fla Strike, Scorching Zone, Blade Storm, Lightning Strike, Fairy Light Bullet, Frost Shot…
I’d more or less collected one of every elent.
That said, my main damage dealers were still Destruction Ray and the fire spells.
On top of Lightning Strike, I’d also picked up one Rare and one Normal Skill Enhancent Stone, plus a few Normal-grade physical-type miscellaneous skills.
I’d used the Rare Enhancent Stone right away on Lightning Strike. As for the Normal one, I’d thought about putting it on Frost Shot, but ended up using it on Leap, which I’d already enhanced once.
[Difficulty: Nightmare]
[Floor: 5F]
[Level: 60]
[Willpower: 2,100]
[Skills: Destruction Ray (Epic ), Subspace (Epic), Teleportation (Rare ), Sixth Sense (Rare ) ( 2), Rapid Regeneration (Rare ), Scorching Zone (Rare ), Fla Strike (Rare) ( 5), Lightning Strike (Rare) ( 1), Blade Storm (Rare), Exaltation (Rare), Skin Hardening (Rare), Fairy Light Bullet (Normal ) ( 1), Minor Poison Resistance (Normal ), Minor Burn Resistance (Normal ), Low-Tier Frost Resistance (Normal ), Leap (Normal) ( 2)…]
So that was where my build was at.
For the record, Floor 5 wasn’t entirely without level rewards.
How were they obtained? Just by entering Floor 6.
The mont a climber stepped onto Floor 6, the Power of the Floor from Floor 5 got absorbed all at once.
In other words, the condition for receiving Floor 5’s level rewards was challenging Floor 6.
Apparently in this Floor 5 to Floor 6 stretch, plenty of climbers got greedy and ended up dying. Like, the third leading cause of climber deaths or sothing.
I sort of got it. The sensation of leveling up and getting physically stronger was pretty addictive.
Either way, since I was going to challenge Floor 6 no matter what, those rewards were as good as already mine. The instant I entered Floor 6, I’d jump up ten levels.
I hunted a little longer, then stepped out of the Tower.
Feeling peckish, I whipped up a quick bowl of egg rice with soy sauce for an early dinner and ate it in the living room while watching TV.
– The Floor 4 strategy was honestly down to the wire. If I hadn’t pulled the Nullification Part at the very end, I might’ve had to use a thod similar to Person123’s. Haha.
A foreign interview was airing on the news with translated subtitles.
‘That guy’s been on a lot lately.’
Spain’s new Nightmare difficulty climber, Alejandro.
He’d recently succeeded in clearing Floor 4, and supposedly he’d cleared Nightmare Floors 1 through 4 all in this single year.
That had earned him the nickna Super Rookie, and he was the talk of the town these days.
Normally the identities of Nightmare clearers were kept under wraps, whether because their governnts concealed them or otherwise.
But Alejandro was openly putting himself out there in the dia.
He was an impressive guy. Who else had ever cleared four Nightmare floors in a single year?
Another talented latecor had erged, which was great news.
Even if I failed, the chances of soone else picking up the slack went up by at least a little.
But just a few days later.
– Spanish Nightmare Climber Alejandro Makes Shocking Declaration: Will Challenge Floor 6 Before Person123…
“Huh?”
I stared at the unexpected news article in surprise.
Alejandro had announced that he would challenge Floor 6 before .
*
As Nightmare’s ti limit drew closer, the atmosphere in the Communication Channel always shifted in the sa predictable way.
[Jamong-cheong: I believe in you again this ti, Person123. Please save humanity.]
[Dago: Have no doubts. Person123 does not fail]
[Haruto: Could you all please dial back the hype a little? It feels like a death flag, makes anxious]
[Hwatbyeong: Quiet, you, and start worshipping already]
[Nakshi: Everyone, don’t forget to pray your hearts out from now until 20 days remain]
There were the anxious ones, and there were the ones praying for Person123’s success.
But lately, another na had been cropping up here and there.
[Bald Eagle: What is this Alejandro guy? Climbed all four Nightmare floors this year, holy crap]
[Hwakryul: What was he before? Special forces?]
[Kaid: Not special forces, apparently he’s a forr MMA fighter]
[Lion of the Plains: He’s just a monster. What kind of human even is this?]
[Baekdan: This guy operates super publicly, huh]
Spain’s Nightmare climber, Alejandro.
A figure who had erged like a rising star, racing through the hellish Nightmare difficulty up to Floor 4 at breakneck speed.
He’d originally been an MMA fighter who, right out of his debut, racked up an overwhelming undefeated streak in the amateur leagues, drew attention as a monster newcor, and had been about to move up to the pro circuit.
Then he was chosen as a Nightmare climber, quit MMA, and imdiately started challenging the Nightmare difficulty.
– My motivation for challenging Nightmare? I just thought I could do it. I had confidence.
He’d shown himself off to the dia without an ounce of hesitation, and his presence had instantly beco impossible to ignore.
Up until that point, people had just sort of accepted him as that kind of guy.
After all, with Nightmare’s ti limit running short, the public’s attention was more focused on Person123 and whether Floor 6 would be cleared.
But then.
“I will challenge Floor 6 before Person123.”
With about thirty days left on Nightmare’s ti limit.
Alejandro had abruptly made a shocking declaration.
The world stirred, and the eyes of the entire planet locked onto him.
“Mr. Alejandro, what exactly is your reason for wanting to challenge Floor 6 before Person123?”
A famous Spanish talk show.
A relaxed smile on his face, Alejandro answered the host’s question.
“Surely soone needs to share the weight he has been carrying alone all this ti, no? That’s the whole reason.”
“So you’re saying you’ll challenge Floor 6 first in order to ease Person123’s burden?”
“Yes. We can’t keep leaving everything to that one person and depending on him forever. I, too, intend to walk the path Person123 walks.”
He would take over Person123’s role.
That was effectively what Alejandro was saying.
“But the very first clear of any Nightmare floor is on a completely different level of difficulty than clearing one with prior intel. What are your thoughts on that?”
Alejandro answered, still relaxed.
“True. But I trust that I can absolutely do it. That’s the sa belief that carried through the previous four floors.
More than anything, when it cos to Nightmare clears, what matters most isn’t simply your stats, like level or skills, but flashes of insight and instinct. I believe I have what it takes in those areas.”
“…Truly reassuring words!”
The host nodded and moved on to the next question.
“Then I’d like to ask one more thing. During Person123’s Nightmare Floor 4 clear, there was an unprecedented incident in which the Tower proposed him a Penalty in exchange for nullifying the 3-Year Rule.
If sothing similar were to happen this ti, may I ask what choice you would make, Mr. Alejandro?”
Alejandro answered as if the question wasn’t even worth pondering.
“If the Tower again proposal a Penalty in exchange for people’s lives, then naturally I would choose the Penalty. I will never run from it. They can throw whatever they want at .”
His response brought cheers and applause from the studio audience.
Alejandro smiled and continued.
“I will challenge Floor 6 precisely when 21 days remain on Nightmare’s ti limit. Person123, are you watching this broadcast, by any chance? This ti, I’ll save humanity in your place. Please, watch closely.”
Alejandro’s interview created massive ripples worldwide.
[Asteroid: Alejandro declares he’ll challenge Floor 6 a day before Person123!]
[Pidapida: Has he lost it? First clears are a whole different beast]
[Black Hole: Back on Floor 2 there was that guy who said he’d go in before Person123 and ended up dead]
[Hela: With Alejandro, who knows? His form is no joke after speed-clearing four floors]
[Socrates: Don’t tell a second Person123 is showing up, holy crap]
[Hood: Nah, comparing him to Person123 is crossing a line]
[Knight: Cheering for you, Alejandro! You can do it!]
People were skeptical about whether he could really pull it off, but the general mood was one of support.
If a second figure erged at the very tip of the Nightmare difficulty alongside Person123?
For humanity, that would be nothing short of a major boon.
[Nightmare]
Personnel: 278,823
Ti Limit: 21 days, 13 minutes, 36 seconds
Reached Floor: 5F
Ti passed.
The remaining ti limit on Nightmare drew right up to twenty-one days.
*
“How are you feeling?”
Officials from a Spanish governnt agency stood beside Alejandro, checking his condition.
Alejandro smiled.
“Absolutely perfect.”
Countless caras and people surrounded him.
The mont of his Nightmare Floor 6 challenge was being broadcast live to the entire world in real ti.
The Spanish governnt, in truth, had not wanted him to challenge Floor 6.
Of course not. What country would want their precious Nightmare clearer, an overwhelmingly capable climber who had just speed-cleared four floors no less, to take on the risk of a first-ti clear?
But Alejandro had insisted he was going to attempt the first clear no matter what, and the governnt had failed to bend his will.
When a climber declared he was entering the Tower, there was no way for the governnt to stop him. So now all they could do was pray for his success.
And besides, who knew, right?
Given the overwhelming results Alejandro had shown so far, maybe he really would pull it off.
‘Good.’
anwhile, with the Floor 6 challenge right in front of him, Alejandro was savoring the mont.
Right now, the eyes of the whole world were locked on him alone.
It was a thrill almost impossible to put into words. Alejandro loved this kind of attention more than anything.
The reason he was attempting to be the first to challenge Floor 6.
To save humanity? To share Person123’s burden?
Forget all that pretty talk. He simply wanted to be revered as a savior. Just like Person123 was right now.
‘You’re not the only one who was chosen.’
Alejandro thought to himself. He, too, was a chosen one.
A first clear? Sure, it would be hard, but he had every confidence he could pull it off. That was the conclusion he’d reached after clearing four Nightmare floors.
Person123 was timidly hiding his identity, refusing to show himself to the world. But Alejandro was different.
He would clear Floor 6 with pride, stand before everyone, and be worshipped as humanity’s savior.
“One minute remaining!”
[Nightmare]
Personnel: 278,822
Ti Limit: 21 days, 59 seconds
Reached Floor: 5F
Alejandro checked the ti limit.
If there was one regret, it was that the situation hadn’t been more dramatic, the way it had been when Person123 challenged Floor 4…
It seed the Tower wasn’t going to make another proposal this ti around.
Whatever. It didn’t matter.
As long as he cleared Floor 6, he would be the protagonist of the world from then on.
The countdown to twenty-one days dropped below one minute.
The huge screen behind Alejandro began displaying the remaining count.
Bathed in pouring spotlights, Alejandro opened his mouth one final ti.
“For humanity.”
He didn’t need a long speech.
That single line sent endless applause crashing through the audience.
Ten seconds, nine, eight…
It hit one second, and just as Alejandro was about to step into Floor 6.
“…!”
Alejandro froze, his entry halted as a ssage suddenly materialized before his eyes.
“…Whoa!”
“Huh?”
The people on site also gasped in shock and started murmuring as they stared up into the air.
[The Tower presents a proposal to ‘Person123’.]
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