Chapter 108: Coup (1)

North Korea.

In truth, the country had already undergone a change of power once before.

It had simply happened around the same time Nightmare Floor 1 was cleared, and amid the overwhelming chaos brought on by humanity’s seemingly imminent extinction, no one had paid much attention to it.

Person123 had, of course, averted the apocalypse, and only afterward did the South Korean government conduct a belated investigation into the full circumstances.

Had it not been for the incomprehensible catastrophe of the Tower, the overthrow of North Korea’s leadership would itself have been an unprecedented event—one significant enough to shake the political balance of the entire Korean Peninsula.

The man responsible at the time had been Ri Hyeok-cheol, a Hard difficulty Floor 4 Climber.

With the end of the world approaching and North Korea’s ruling class likewise thrown into confusion, he had seized the opportunity to stage a coup and successfully taken power.

Yet nothing of substance had changed.

Ri Hyeok-cheol proved no different from the chairman who had preceded him. He consolidated his rule and built his power around the emerging Climber faction.

Only the person at the top had been replaced.

Everything else remained the same, and relations between North and South continued unchanged until the present day.

But now, another shift in power was taking place within North Korea.

Ri Hyeok-cheol was dead.

A revolution had risen under the banner of eradicating the corruption of the ruling class and bringing freedom to the people of North Korea.

The Climbers who had rallied around Park Gwang-jin, a Hard difficulty Floor 14 Climber, had mercilessly purged the old leadership, Ri Hyeok-cheol included.

The revolution ended in success.

And now, one of the hunting hounds was being discarded the moment the hunt was over.

“You treacherous bastards...”

Kang Tae-seong glared at the man before him, the blood vessels in his eyes ruptured and burning red.

Climbers surrounded him on every side.

They were the same comrades who had fought beside him in the revolution to overthrow Ri Hyeok-cheol’s dictatorship.

The man who had orchestrated it all, Park Gwang-jin, clicked his tongue before speaking.

“Give up quietly, Tae-seong. There’s nothing you can do.”

Like Park Gwang-jin, Kang Tae-seong was level 52.

He, too, had been one of the revolution’s central forces and had played a crucial role in securing its victory.

He had truly fought because he believed in Park Gwang-jin’s ideals.

They would root out corruption.

They would restore the lives of the people.

This man would change everything that had rotted away.

But from the very beginning, Park Gwang-jin had never cared about any of it.

All he had ever possessed was a naked hunger for power.

BOOOM!

Armed conflict erupted in the heart of Pyongyang as they moved to eliminate the reactionary Kang Tae-seong.

Gravely wounded, Kang Tae-seong barely managed to escape.

In the end, the pursuit team lost him.

The instant his Combat Status was lifted, Kang Tae-seong entered Floor 5.

Floor 5, Zone 0.

“Huh? Over there...”

“What’s wrong with that guy?”

As Kang Tae-seong staggered out of the Portal drenched in blood, the nearby Climbers began murmuring among themselves.

He had been desperately making his way toward the Security Corps building when he suddenly threw himself to one side.

The North Korean Climbers had attacked him.

Just as another battle broke out and chaos began spreading—

BOOM!

The North Korean Climbers hurriedly leaped away from Kang Tae-seong.

A man had dropped from the air and landed between them.

It was Alex, Chief of the Security Corps.

Other Security Corps members and Climbers from the Black Star Society were already gathering around them.

“You’ve got some nerve. Just where do you think you are, throwing your weight around like this?”

Zone 0 had been designated a Non-combat Zone by mutual agreement.

Fighting here was forbidden under all circumstances.

And this was no minor altercation.

Attempting to kill someone was an absolute taboo.

Faced with Alex’s predatory glare, the North Korean Climbers hardened their expressions.

“We are Climbers of the Republic. This is an internal matter concerning our own nation. The Security Corps is to refrain from interfering.”

“...The Republic? North Korea?”

Alex glanced back at Kang Tae-seong.

His condition was so severe that he looked ready to collapse at any moment, prompting several Security Corps members to step forward and support him.

“Hey. Are you all right?”

Shin Su-jin of Korea was there as well.

A coup had broken out in North Korea only a short while ago, and now she could not help wondering what on earth was happening.

Kang Tae-seong dragged in several ragged breaths and forced the words out.

“I... South Joseon...”

“What? What did you say?”

“South Joseon... I request permission to defect...”

With that, Kang Tae-seong lost consciousness.

After confirming that he was still breathing, they immediately moved him away to administer first aid.

When the Security Corps attempted to take Kang Tae-seong with them, the North Korean Climbers protested furiously.

“By whose authority are you taking him? That man is a traitor to our Republic! Hand him over to us immediately!”

Her brow tightly furrowed, Shin Su-jin exchanged a glance with Alex.

Alex folded his arms.

“Whatever’s going on, this isn’t your country. It’s Floor 5. While you’re in the Common Zone, you follow the rules of the Common Zone.”

“...This is interference in our internal affairs!”

“Interference or not, the Security Corps has a duty to protect the Climbers of Floor 5.”

The North Korean Climbers turned toward the Black Star Society as though appealing for assistance.

A Black Star Society officer who had been observing the situation stepped forward, apparently intending to mediate.

“Stand down for now. Your side is the one crossing the line.”

The prohibition against combat in Zone 0 was an ironclad rule that both the Security Corps and the Black Star Society had upheld without exception.

North Korea might belong to the Black Star Society, but they could not be allowed to muddy the waters in this manner.

In the end, the North Korean Climbers had no choice but to grind their teeth and withdraw.

The disturbance that occurred that day soon became a major topic of discussion.

***

– The unusual activity reported in Pyongyang, North Korea, since this morning has now been officially confirmed as a coup carried out by North Korea’s Climber faction. In response, our government...

Some time had passed since countless articles first began appearing, all reporting strange developments within North Korea.

A coup truly had taken place, and official reports now confirmed that the former leadership had been swept away.

Our country entered a state of emergency as well.

The government announced that the military had been placed on its highest level of alert and was doing everything in its power to stabilize the situation, while urging the public to remain calm and continue with their daily lives.

This was not actually the first time.

Back when I cleared Nightmare Floor 1, a coup had also taken place in North Korea.

A coup led by Climbers.

Given that it was North Korea, there was nothing particularly surprising about it.

Even if Ri Hyeok-cheol, the man who had seized power at the time, had turned out to be exactly the same kind of dictator as his predecessor.

Wasn’t this merely another Climber struggling to seize power, this time by overthrowing Ri Hyeok-cheol himself?

A little more time passed.

The news reported that the North Korean military had officially announced the death of Chairman of the State Affairs Commission Ri Hyeok-cheol.

The man who had newly seized power was a Hard difficulty Floor 14 Climber named Park Gwang-jin.

As fragments of news continued to trickle out—

– ...This just in. A disturbance connected to North Korea has broken out on Floor 5 of the Tower. A level 52 North Korean Climber has reportedly requested permission to defect to our country. The Security Corps is currently holding the North Korean Climber under its protection and is said to be engaged in a standoff with the North Korean side over the matter...

Another report caught my attention.

What was this about...?

[Paris: yo the vibe on Floor 5 rn is no joke lol this is getting good]

[Brazier: looks like he got chased outside and escaped into Floor 5. saw it myself, dude was covered in blood.]

[Hwanggong: okay what the hell is going on rn?]

[Dukriboard: looked like the Security Corps Chief was trying to work something out with the Black Star Society]

[Hwanggong: any Security Corps members here? somebody explain]

[Lasus: Black Star Society’s backing North Korea and demanding they hand him over immediately, and Alex basically told them to screw off. Security Corps and Black Star Society are this close to war yep]

[Oak Barrel: seriously?]

[Eagle: yeah right lol]

[Person321: the atmosphere is definitely tense though. they’re seriously facing off]

[Black Pepper: things were peaceful for a while. been ages since Zone 0 got this messy]

The Communication Channel was in an uproar as well.

It seemed something was unfolding on Floor 5 over the North Korean Climber.

***

When Kang Tae-seong was first discovered, he had been gravely wounded.

Yet after only a few days, he had almost completely recovered on his own.

A Climber’s regenerative abilities increased with their level, but beyond that, Kang Tae-seong also appeared to possess a Recovery-type skill.

Inside the Security Corps building, a group of Korean and American Climbers had gathered, Shin Su-jin among them.

“...And that is how I ended up here.”

In an atmosphere resembling an interrogation room, they listened as Kang Tae-seong told them the entire story.

He had belonged to the coup faction that had recently risen in North Korea.

Once the revolution was over, however, he had been betrayed and hunted down, barely managing to escape into Floor 5.

“It was a revolution we began to tear our rotten homeland up by the roots and rebuild it. But Park Gwang-jin, that son of a bitch, never believed in any such cause from the beginning.”

Kang Tae-seong trembled, as though struggling to contain his fury.

Seated across from him, Shin Su-jin nodded.

“I understand. So, Mr. Kang, you...”

“I wish to defect to South Joseon. No—to the Republic of Korea.”

“Hmm.”

Shin Su-jin studied him with a grave expression.

“I know that what I’m asking may be impossible. But is there truly no way?”

Whenever a Climber left the Tower, they returned to the exact location from which they had entered.

The North Korean side knew precisely where Kang Tae-seong had entered the Tower.

After learning the location of the building from which he had entered, South Korea had cooperated with American intelligence to observe it by satellite.

They confirmed that North Korean military equipment had been concentrated around that exact location in Pyongyang.

Everything was prepared to unleash a barrage the instant Kang Tae-seong emerged.

Even as a level 52 Climber, his chances of survival were virtually nonexistent.

But as things stood, Kang Tae-seong was a man who had formally requested protection from the Republic of Korea...

“...I’m sorry. At present, there is nothing definite I can promise you.”

That was the only answer Shin Su-jin could give.

These days, she was constantly rushing in and out of the Tower at all hours.

She had to keep the government informed of the situation and, in turn, relay the government’s position back to those on Floor 5.

“Even now, negotiations with the North Korean side are continuing.”

“Did Park Gwang-jin, that bastard, enter Floor 5 himself?”

“No. Someone else came as his representative.”

“Hah. Cowardly bastard.”

The South Korean government’s position could only be described as a dilemma.

Under the Constitution, North Koreans were also considered citizens of the Republic of Korea.

The government therefore could not simply ignore Kang Tae-seong.

And naturally, there was no reason not to welcome a level 52 Climber who wished to defect...

The problem was Kang Tae-seong’s physical location in the real world.

What could possibly be done for a man stranded in the very heart of Pyongyang?

The only solution would be for North Korea to hand him over peacefully.

But...

“Our position will never change. Surrender Kang Tae-seong into our custody immediately.”

There was no possibility of that happening.

A meeting was held that brought together the Security Corps, the Black Star Society, and the North Korean Climbers.

Acting as the representative of the South Korean government, Shin Su-jin spoke with the North Korean side in place of Alex, Chief of the Security Corps.

“I will say it again. This is clearly interference in our internal affairs.”

“This is Floor 5. We are merely carrying out the responsibilities of the Security Corps.”

“Spare us the wordplay about the ‘Common Zone.’ In the real world, Kang Tae-seong is located within the territory of our Republic. Surely you understand that no matter how much the Security Corps shelters him here, it is nothing more than a pointless waste of time.”

The Black Star Society maintained the stance of a partial observer, though for the time being, it at least made a show of supporting North Korea.

North Korea was, after all, a nation affiliated with the Black Star Society.

And the Black Star Society and the Security Corps stood in opposition to one another.

In any case, North Korea’s resolve remained firm.

Round after round of negotiations ended without producing any results.

Even three days after Kang Tae-seong entered Floor 5, no meaningful progress had been made.

“Haah... This is enough to drive a man insane.”

After receiving Shin Su-jin’s report, the Director of the Tower Climbing Special Agency pressed a hand against his forehead.

Several government officials were also seated on the sofa in the Director’s office, including the Minister of Foreign Affairs.

The government had yet to determine how the Kang Tae-seong situation should be handled.

There had never been a precedent for such an absurd situation.

Abandoning him entirely would carry an enormous burden.

Yet dragging out negotiations by presenting unreasonable conditions would be equally difficult.

And was it even possible for Kang Tae-seong to spend the rest of his life on Floor 5?

The Security Corps was not entirely on South Korea’s side, either.

Frankly speaking, this was the affair of another country.

As time passed, Kang Tae-seong’s presence would inevitably become a troublesome burden for the Security Corps as well.

It would hardly be surprising if they eventually washed their hands of the matter.

The government racked its brains, desperately searching for a way to resolve the problem.

Then, that very evening, a single post appeared on the Communication Channel.

[Person123: I would like Mr. Kang Tae-seong to be handed over into the custody of the Republic of Korea.]